The Masquerade Ball Event Closed

Interactions: @Solomon Lear, @Boniface Murtagh MacTavish, Novus
Mentions: Elaine Pendrast, Hufflepuff Professors

The ballroom seemed to get more and more filled by each minute that goes by. It seemed that Maya was not the only one who came much later than the time, it was also a few students as well. Knowing she is there as one of the many professors who supervise the students, she began to look around the room the best she could. She saw some students dancing close together, some that were far apart and then there were those students that just needed a watchful eye because they often make stupid decisions. Nearly on the other side of the ballroom, Maya could see a group of male professors-- all Hufflepuff graduates. Perhaps that would be her next stop to see what they were up to, but in a way, Maya did not feel as social as she would like.

It was what she liked about Hjordis. She did not go in depth with conversation, but just answered her questions and let it be. It was a beginning friendship of understanding between one another. Sometimes friendships blossom through silence and body movements. In this case, it was supervising the kids and wondering when the ball would end--at least it was in Maya's case.

Next to Hjordis was Elaine Pendrast, another colleague of hers. Pendrast was not only a professor, but Slytherin's Head of House. She was one that Maya would like to get to know, but not here at the ball. It was too noisy and too much was happening that Maya did not want to deal with right now. She would rather get into the action later on when needed.

Hjordis ran off, introducing a student to her and Pendrast who seemed to be talking her ear off. Maya just gave the student a small smile. This student had way too many questions and while she was in awe of them being muggle-related, she did not have the patience to answer them now. "Feel free to come to my office for any muggle-related questions," she said to the student, hinting that now was not the time for questions but the time to enjoy the night.

When Maya looked up, she saw the man she caressed by coming towards her and Pendrast. Her heart was racing, but she composed herself as much as she could. Maya was lucky that her mask had hidden most of her face. When he finally arrived, her smile was small but seductive. He had asked any of them to dance, and while Maya wanted to dance with him, she was turned off ever so slightly when he mentioned "pure-blood dance".

Maya was a muggle-born. She grew up with muggles and spent her time in her days of Hogwarts learning spells and all other aspects of magic. Never was there an opportunity or even a notion of learning pure-blood dances. She did not know any. Elaine, however, was quick to accept his offer, her hand out to have him lead. Maya crossed her arms without knowing, her body language showing disappointment.

"Headmaster, let me know when you're ready to learn other forms of dance," she formally flirted, her cheekbones raising from a larger smile. With that, she walked away from them both, her elbow slightly caressing Lear, making her way towards the Hufflepuff team of professors. It wasn't until her attention was focused at a man who was clearly alone at the back of the ballroom. He was a new colleague, one that she had never met yet. He looks attractive, she thought, still in full disappointment at Lear.

Maya turned her focus from the Hufflepuff professors to the man standing alone. If she guessed correctly, he was probably the Herbology teacher. It was a fair guess from the mask and outfit that he chose. It gave an aura of being very earthy. Maya gracefully walked up to him and smiled. "We work hard in the same castle and yet we haven't met. I'm Maya Galim," she said, standing next to him, her eyes looking around at the students and then back at him.

Interacting with @Maya Galim | Open to Interactions

Boniface's eyes sparkled as he was addressed. He hadn't exactly gotten the chance to speak with many professors yet, so now was a great time to mingle and get to know the people who he worked with. He felt almost rude, staying secluded to his little workspace and mostly coming out for dinner. He didn't want his colleagues to think negatively of him, but it might be too late for that. If anything, tonight was the night for second chances.

"Good evening, Miss Galim! It's a pleasure to meet ye," He smiled, turning his head to look at her quite briefly. "I suppose ye're right. I haven't gotten out of the greenhouses much, I'm afraid." It felt nice to be able to talk to an adult rather than to children. While Boniface did not mind the company of some of his students, with exceptional ones such as Mac Murphy doing him the honor of getting him settled in, there was a nice change of pace with talking to Maya.

He then realized that he hadn't introduced himself. "Forgive me for not doing my rounds and meeting all of ye sooner. I'm Boniface MacTavish, the newest Herbology professor as I'm sure ye've heard." Or she could tell by the mask and pinned weeds. Whichever she noticed first.

"Might I ask what ye teach? I'm sure someone informed me, but sadly I've been so wrapped up with getting acclimated that a few things have slipped my mind." It was embarrassing to admit. The poor Scottish man tried to form a sentence that said that he was simply new and unaccustomed, and not one that said: "you were irrelevant, and therefore, I forgot". He wanted to be liked, not offensive. Especially not to lovely ladies; Sorcha MacTavish raised her son better than that.

He had been eyeing the other professors, watching as they mingled. They were comfortable. Knew one another, perhaps (most likely). He felt almost out of place. Maya Galim had certainly saved the day. The only professor who he could really pick out by name was Elaine Pendrast, the Gryffindor Head of House. As a Gryffindor professor, it made the most sense for him to recognize her. There was also Solomon Lear, his boss, who he desperately wanted the approval of. Otherwise, some names matched with faces, others didn't. He was ashamed of himself for not recognizing these people sooner. He worked with them, for Christ's sake!

His face flushed a soft pink behind his mask. Silently, he thought about how glad he was that she wouldn't be able to see it. However, he was also wondering about Maya. What was her story? Who exactly was she, other than a Hogwarts professor? Boniface, having spent much of his adult years being reclusive, had a thing for interesting stories. Backgrounds that had to be far more interesting than his own.

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Interactions: @Boniface Murtagh MacTavish ; Open to Interactions

Giants. Giantess.

These words kept ringing throughout the ballroom. There seemed to be students that were heading out of the ballroom and there were some students that were exceptionally taller than others. Did this bother Maya? Not at all. It didn't even look like it bothered the Headmaster considering how much he was focusing on dancing than he was on "saving" students. It made Maya's decision validated that she could just be at the back of the room, forcing herself to socialize with a colleague. Granted, she did not want to, but there was something about this person that made her want to get to know him. Was it because Lear was dancing with Pendrast? Was it a way to get back at him by giving her attention to another man? Granted, she had no idea if this "romantic dance" was two-way or just one.

When the man, who introduced himself as Boniface MacTavish, began talking, Maya couldn't help but to like his accent. His accent was thick and definitely was not English like most of the other colleagues. His was unique from what she was used to and it made her feel comfortable with her own, which was also thick.

Her mind went straight to his name. MacTavish... MacTavish... Why did it sound so familiar? "נעים מוד," she said, and cleared her throat realizing she spoke in Hebrew. "Pleasure to meet you, too," she said. Perhaps it was a popular last name within the kingdoms. But she could have sworn that it was a name that she knew of from her childhood. Perhaps she was wrong. Perhaps it was just a popular name in general and not one that she knew back then.

"Muggle Studies," she said flatly. She was not surprised that he did not know what she did. She never spoke to many of her other colleagues for them to really talk about her-- unless they have. She considered herself a bit mysterious in which no one knows why she is a professor. No one but Lear and former professors from years prior knew who her background. She always kept them private. Then again, no one ever really asked.

"Where did your passion for plants stem from?" she asked, her Israeli accent thick. She couldn't help but the smile at her attempt of a pun. It was strange... Maya was often very shelled and serious. What was it about this man that made her shell crack? She had no ideas.

Reducio

TRANSLATION:
נעים מוד - Na'im Me'od - Nice to meet you

Interacting with @Maya Galim | Open to Interactions

She spoke in- what was it, Hebrew? He assumed so, but he was no expert on languages. While he did speak Scottish Gaelic, that seemed fairly common, all things considered, as plenty of Scottish and Irish children attended Hogwarts. But a language that clearly did not belong to either the U.K. or Ireland, at least not traditionally, was odd.

Thinking back on it, Boniface knew of someone who might have spoken Hebrew. That was something that you remembered about a person, as it was a unique feature. But it couldn't have been, the chances were one in a million for this to be the same person. In fact, he had no way of truly confirming it, as memories of his school years were fading in and out as he aged. He decided against bringing it up, mostly because he didn't want to be wrong.

"Muggle Studies! I can appreciate that. Always did do well in that class." He nodded, smiling softly. One thing that he would remember was his grades. It was a big deal that he passed, especially considering the unique schooling. His parents were thrilled that he was a wizard- something out of the ordinary and new to the MacTavish family. To hear that he was doing well was astounding to them.

Pondering, his eyes shifted as he thought. "My parents- they're muggles. Healers in Scotland. When I was growing up in Fort Augustus, they always had me helping with the garden. I took to the natural remedies quite well. Then coming to school here... Finding out about all of the magical plants and their uses hit very close to home. I suppose it was sort of my way to cope with being away from my family for the first time in my life." He had never really explained it before. Not that he'd ever been asked before, though. But it hadn't occurred to him until the moment he said it. He never really realized that herbology was more a method of coping than it was anything else. It had served him well, though.

His head turned back towards her. "What about you and Muggle Studies?" The thing about Boniface was that while Maya may have been asking for his case just to be polite, Boniface was genuinely curious. He carefully kept these logs stored away for later. Not that he would ever need them, but because he did want to know people. He wanted to be connected with them and understand their lives.

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Interacting with @Elzabeth Gillan and @Serena Davies
Mentions: @Dale Kurt
* Open to Interactions*

Nodding to Serena as she took the cup, Lark took a sip of her own mulling over thoughts of boys. Her eyes scanned the crowd seeing a few strange students but nothing that really drew her attention like Dale and her lingering worry about this...date.

"Thanks!" Responding to the girl's compliment, Lark gave a smile. Her eyes fell once more onto Dale. What did the boy think of her?

"You know, if he's available, he won't be available forever-"

Liquid sputtered from Lark's lips and down part of her dress. She hadn't been expecting Serena's remark, let alone her noticing the longing glances she had been shooting towards the boy. Hearing what her friend continued to say, she grabbed for a napkin and dabbed at the liquid hoping it wouldn't stain her mother's dress. She would for sure get a howler if that was noticed... Lark knew Serena was right.. and it made sense. The brown haired girl sounded just as knowledgeable as Elz had when she had chased after Lark weeks ago.

"Yeah.." Lark muttered catching the look on Serena's face. She hoped she was okay... So far her interactions with the girl had been pleasant and she wanted to continue to form a friendship with her. Standing with Elz and Serena made her feel much more secure. Not that she hadn't made other friends but for some reason side by side these two, Lark felt less anxious and worried about what was going on inside her head. Reaction to Serena's sudden movement as she took a drink, Lark moved back to give her some room.

"Oh! Yeah, it seems like some sort of potion! Mine was a fizzy lemonade type drink Gran makes." Looking at the cups she gave a smile. "I bet it's different for everyone." Peering down into her own cup she took a breath. "Thanks Serena.. by the way.. You're right. It's just so strange. I've never really 'ad ta deal with boys.. an' well .... yeah." The silver haired girl prodded the toe of her shoe against the floor. "Let's not talk boys." Sipping her drink Lark thought for a minute. "So, Serena.. Does your family come from a Wizardin' line?" She decided boys was too heavy a topic to continue with and why not take the time to get to know her friends better!

Interactions: @Boniface Murtagh MacTavish & open to other interactions

Who knew that only one question would make someone open up so intensely. She learned all about his background in a matter of seconds. He was from Scottland which is where his thick accent originates from, he was a muggle-born and on top of that he mentioned that he attended Hogwarts when he was younger. Maya stared at his face, wondering if that could be where she knew him from. His name was so oddly familiar; it was at the tip of her tongue.

One thing that was not helping was the fact that he was hiding underneath such a mask. It covered his entire face and all she could catch a glimpse of were his lips and chin. Which to her defense wasn't as bad. He seemed very chiseled from what she could tell which means he was definitely not in his twenties. He had to have been older.

The time came when he asked about her and her relationship to Muggle Studies. Maya hardly shared her background with others. It was unheard of. Not a lot of people within the Wizarding World understands what she had to go through. She was a woman of war and was bred as such since she was young. To most men, it was a complete turn off. Most men enjoyed their women to be sensitive, naive and innocent. Maya was none of those things. She's taken lives. She is exactly who she dressed up to be for the ball: a monster. Biting her lower lip, she tried to think of a way to share something about herself that only scratched the surface of who she was. Perhaps she would dish out the same information he did: blood status, childhood school and the country she was born in. That should be enough.

"I am muggle-born as well and I come from Israel. When I attended Hogwarts years ago, I didn't want to separate myself from the muggle that I grew up to be. I practiced my magic but focused primarily on how to survive without it. I traveled the world as a muggle, keeping magic in my back pocket in case I needed it. But I never did. I want to give students the ability to rely on more than just magic. They can rely on themselves as human," she said, her eyes focusing on the ceiling. She was careful to choose her words carefully when explaining her true passion for her subject.

For the first time, however, Maya felt content sharing her story even if it may have been edited to the best of her ability. She was experiencing a new feeling... No... An old one... She couldn't explain such a feeling that she was having other than she could feel some weight coming off her shoulders. She crossed her arms and caressed her arms as though she was cold. She felt goosebumps taking over her arms. What was happening?

Maya couldn't stay much longer. She felt different around this man. To any other woman it would have been a positive experience, but to Maya it was mysterious. She was used to being in control of herself and when she talked to him, she felt as though she can open up and tell him anything. How so?

To get her mind off of the little bit of control she had with herself around him, she looked back on the dance floor. She still saw both Solomon and Elaine on the dance floor. Who knew how many songs they danced to. Secretly, Maya wished that she could have been on the dance floor with him. She, of course, made sure not to show such emotions of disappointment and longing. She did know that she felt as though she needed to walk around a bit more. It was nice to meet a new colleague, but she had a feeling that she would see him around more often than not in the near future.

"Excuse me," she said, formally. As she was walking away, she looked back at him with a small, but seductive smile, and turned back around, walking gracefully forward. This was how Maya felt she was in control. Leaving the other perplexed. She walked towards the other side of the ballroom, unaware of where to go from there. She couldn't leave just yet, but she also couldn't do just nothing.

The best bet was to make her way to the food where she would look like she is supervising and eating at the same time. That looked productive... She grabbed a cucumber from the vegetable platter and slowly took a bite, her mind deep in thought.

Interacting with:@Griseldis Edelhardt | @ Santario Martin

Alan in his mind could not believe himself at this point in time, not realising if he wanted to or just out of pure instinct. The young lad found himself assisting a lady after having fallen over, not just any lady but his best friend Griseldis, not wanting her to feel embarrassed as well as becoming the entire centre attention Alan was quick to react. Eyeing her dress and the cute mask that went along with it he replied back to her "I...I...I that's w...what friends are for heh besides I'm supposed to fall over remember" Feeling like he had repeated himself earlier he continued chatting away "T...That's really cool your grandfather is quite talented...m...must say the little ears sell me on that mask" After being thanks Alan couldn't help but feel proud of himself having just been told that they were glad to see him responding with a slight tinge of red across his cheek luckily the mask concealed that part as he said "W...Well I made a promise and I intended to keep it...plus why would I leave you alone...it's no fun without a friend right?" Looking around the room feeling a little awkward at the silence Alan felt quite hungry but noticing the little squabble his stomach growled but before he could ask Gris was pointing out a girl, not wanting to say no and eager to meet people any way he nodded "Sure...i...is that your friend too?" Before the Raven boy could say anymore he found himself being dragged along, keeping a good grip on Gris's hand not realising he hadn't let go earlier, occasionally bumping into passersby along the way all one could hear in the back was quiet mutters of "Excuse me" or "Sorry" and sometimes "My friends in a hurry and so am I excuse me"followed by an even quieter mutter "Don't trip...please don't" if a confrontation were to happen Alan would be ready to step in for what he considered his best friend

Interacting with | @Griseldis Edelhardt | @Alan Noble |
Mentioning | @Kyle DeRook |
Open to Interactions

Interacting with @Kyle DeRook and @Erin Ryan
Still open for interactions!

"Why should I care!? Erin what in gods name is ye problem!? First ye chase me down when I ask ye to leave me alone!" His grip tightened again at her warnings to stop, "Then and I can't prove this an I know it's just a game but still. Ye get me out in the first few seconds of the game. An I'm pretty sure you did it with more then just your team winning in mind considering you almost whacked me in the face!" His grip tightened again, at this point he was probably breaking her hand. "An no-"

He was so focused on her that he didn't even hear the person yelling at him. In fact he only noticed because he saw something in his periphery coming blazing fast.

*SLAM*

A hard punch came smashing right into his lower left jaw. Instantly pain seared through his body as he let go of Erin's hand but not before he felt a massive weight slamming into his chest around the same time. "AAAAH!!!" He screamed in pain reeling back as he was knocked prone. Blood starting to trickle from his lip as he was nearly knocked out. He was pretty sure, that punch to the jaw cracked it but he couldn't really think considering...fuck! His chest it was like a sledge hammer hit it, and he was having a hard time breathing. Who the hell hit him! Why would they hit him? Why? WHY!? He went to stop the fight to save the girl.

Why should he be punished? Why do people hurt him when all he wants to do is help! Why?

WHY!?!

The rage he kept carefully managed and caged was about to breakdown the flood gates. He laid sprawled out on the floor looking at the ceiling no doubt having crashed into a few students. All the while his rage continuing to build up as he made a futile attempt to hold it back. However...

"If e world wanna spit on my efforts...then fuck the world....And everyone in it!" His body was in so much pain. He shouldn't even be able to get up but he was just so angry and so fed up with being pushed around and made to look weak.

*CRASH*

The floodgates finally came crumbling down and a voice he hadn't heard before blared into the forefront of his mind. It told him to get up and to fight. His eyes widened and quite literally roared to life lifting himself up as quickly as he could looking around like a crazed maniac for who hit him. Not far from him was the culprit, he could tell as he looked like the person closest to him and the way his fist was bawled. It had to be him right? It didn't matter it must be him.

In retaliation Quinn barreled toward the person in Question reeling their fist back and bringing it down as hard as it could square across their face. Pouring nearly all of his 100kg frame into it as he yelled in anger. "FIGHT ME YE COWARDLY EIJIT!!!"