The Masquerade Ball Event Closed

Jorah Moussa
Health: 700

Action: Jorah swings bat at Giant 1's genitals

As James spoke the smoke seemed to get thicker around he and his friends. He could barely see now through the thick cloud of black and grey that masked his vision like a deadly blanket. He took a deep breath through his napkin, but the make-shift filter was barely enough to guard his lungs from the toxic air. A flash of red energy exploded somewhere in the room and his vision was obscured, he couldn't see anything but the smoke... and it was beautiful in it's own way.... strange and soft...

His mind began to swirl, and the cacophonous sound of chaos began to fade as his oxygen deprived head drifted on the edge of consciousness. He... he forgot where he was for a moment... the ethereal grey and black wisps whirled around his head in a gentle dance. They shifted and glided around, in a graceful gaseous ballet... being pulled gently toward... towards... the door....

The smoke was moving... to a low pressure area... outside the door... which must have meant it was open....

"THE DOOR" he yelled, grabbing Gem by the shoulders.. "The door's open... the smoke's being pulled outside of the room..."

"EVERYBODY COME OVER HERE, THE MORE PEOPLE HERE, THE SAFER IT IS." he heard a girl shout through the smoke... he could still barely see, everything looked dark and shadowy, like it does when you suddenly come inside of the sun, but his hearing was still fine... and so should everyone else's be.

"Gem, start following the smoke out, take the others... and shout as loud as you can... people won't be able to see you but they'll be able to hear you..."

He moved his way through the smoke hands out in front of him to catch on any invisible obstacles that might impede his journey, he followed the voice of the girl who'd called out moments ago.

The scene was grizzly, but James could only barely see as his eyes began to slowly adjust to the magical flash that had exploded in the midst of the terrified students.

One of the girls was applying first-aid to another girl who lay supine and looked worse than James had ever seen anyone in his entire life. Another girl was preparing a spell to cast on her injured contemporary. Blood shifted from his face and he resisted the urge to vomit.

"Hey- I uh.. I think the door's open... we should get everyone out of here if we can... follow the smoke... it's being drawn into the hall outside..."

Reducio

@Katrina Walker @Dymphna Teague @Thora Larkston

"I- I'm going to go find somebody..." he said, a little absent-mindedly.... his thoughts had shifted to Lark. He hadn't seen her at all since the chaos had erupted... maybe she'd escaped but he assumed the worst and ventured deeper into the smoke.

Not far off, on the ground, he saw the figure of a girl with beautiful auburn hair, laying face-down on the stone floor. Not Lark, clearly, who's hair was an unmistakable silver, but she certainly needed help.

He knelt down, and as gently but firmly as he could he rolled the girl onto her side, one arm propping her head up slightly. He recognized the face immediately... It was Lark... had there been other strange spells being thrown about the place? He couldn't figure out why anyone would change the colour of a student's hair... though the time for that line of questioning would come later when she was safe.

He grabbed her other hand and spoke loudly and clearly, moving as quickly as he could.

"Lark can you hear me? Can you open your eyes? Can you try to squeeze my hand?"

No response.

She'd been knocked completely unconscious and he was certain that breath in the toxic smoke was not helping either.

He leaned down close to her, placing his cheek as close as he could to her nose and lips.

Soft ragged breaths brushed his face. Thank goodness....

Breathing...

He knelt down and scooped the girl up, an arm under her knees and another around her back. He duck his head underneath her right arm which was now around his shoulders, to give them both more support.

The smoke was still heavy enough to obscure his vision but he say as it was gently sucked out the open doors into the Hogwarts corridors, and he made his way steadily and firmly toward them.

"DOORS ARE OPEN. FOLLOW THE DIRECTION THE SMOKE IS MOVING" he shouted as he made his way through.

@Lark Flaer @Gem Stuart @Katrina Walker @Dymphna Teague @Thora Larkston

Action: Carrying Lark Flaer out of the hall

Too many things were happening at one. Screams filled the rooms, shouting commenced, and what was Brielle left to do? Fend for herself?

As she looked around to see if anyone could help her with her knee, she gasped in pain as her vision became blurry, red and blue dots danced around her eyes. It caused her head to pound, the voices from the ballroom not helping it at all. The only thing she could think of was grasping onto someone, but there was no one there. It was as if everyone had left her and she had become oblivious and alone. Maybe it was because she was beginning to lose sight quite literally within seconds, or maybe it was from everyone running away from her and out towards the exits.

Whatever it was, it was enough to provoke her of her strength and leave her standing helplessly against the wall, her head dizzy from her now forming migraine. As if things couldn't get worse, she felt a sharp pain from the back of her head. Something had hit her, but what? Had something been thrown at her by accident?

Unable to find the source of the object, or even think about it for that matter- she fell delicately to the ground, finding it hard to think about anything at the moment. The only name she could think of calling out to was someone whom she knew would not be coming to rescue her. No one was, and that was the reality of it all.

"Gem!" She screamed faintly, before falling into darkness.

Time: Moments before the flames ~ to the present

[font= Antique Books]In only a very short amount of time, the small party had left.  Dorothy was left to her own devices, ardently refusing to mingle yet not completely against the idea of someone coming to say a cheery hello.  She was a third year now, not to mention a prefect, so she had begun to recognize quite a few of the students, young and old, and seeing as she was aware of their existence it was easy to presume they knew who she was as well.  Still, she would not make the first move in conversation, so it was up to whoever wanted to.  And no one did.  

So, the small dementor moved from her position by the doors to a space not in the middle of the room but not far from it.  She had positioned herself so it could look like she was talking to someone, look like she knew what she was doing, but not really have to do either.  Plus, she needed to be in a good spot when all hell broke loose (knock on wood).  It was hard to keep from being utterly thrilled as the students around her added to the riveting environment a party offered.  The deafening music had filled both the room and her ears, and the screams coming from this strange art form knocked her head around, in a sense, as it began preventing her from hearing things in general.  So this is what muggles listened to? Weird.  The band wouldn't pause long before moving on to the next "piece" and somehow the differently worded screams blended together and formed one long song.  In fact, all the songs they sang sounded so familiar Dorothy assumed it was one song.  

It didn't take long, considering the setting, for Dorothy to become a bit overwhelmed by all the noises and sounds and people and costumes.  Her head was spinning with muffled laughter, passing students in funny clothes, and even a few shouts.  The bass of the music buzzed in her chest, keeping time with her own heartbeat as she stood in the bustling dance floor.  Dorothy looked to her right and caught a glimpse of a few couple snogging to the obnoxious music, and at the sight of them her face contorted into a disgusted expression.  In her humble opinion, cooties were alive and dangerous, ready to attack the nearest hormone infested child and ravage their systems.  She had heard rumors that cooties gave the infected various rashes and ailments such as voice cracks, stomach pains, and a horrific smell. She had caught sight of a couple of fifth years suffering from these symptoms and immediately began avoiding them at all costs. Cooties were infectious, and dangerous.  And obviously, boys spread them the most. 

Turning away from the busily kissing couples, Dorothy became breifly lost in the apparatus of her mind.  This ball was so different from the ones she'd often been forced to attend.  The gaudy costumes, the sweet food, the loud music, and the happy students greatly contrasted the dull tea parties and banquets her stepmother often held.  It was a nice change, she thought.  This was different, and anything different had to be good so she began to smile.  The rushing students mixed with the happy cheers and yells allowed Dorothy to zone out a bit and simply feel the bass in her chest.  It was interesting how such a busy setting could help her to focus so much, and to relax.  Then something a bit odd happened.  The cheers sounded like screaming.

Dorothy snapped out of her lapse in awareness and glanced around the room.  A redheaded boy was leaving the room with Rosie Parker.  Dorothy had met Rosie before, and knew her to be a happy-go-lucky muggle-born girl who was probably still mad at her for being an arse.  Now, from what Dorothy could see past the heads and shoulders of countless students, she didn't look so happy.  The dementor-girl caught a glimpse of the former prefect's ashen face and concerned expression from behind a chubby blonde boy's ear, just before the couple disappeared out the exit. 

Dorothy's ears were ringing, despite the ceasing of the music that had plagued them moments earlier. Everything was muffled, the shouting, the screaming.  She blinked and rubbed her head, desperate to know what was happening, yet afraid to at the same time.  Shaking her head, she squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her hands against the sides of her head, willing her ears to interpret anything.  In moments, her strange efforts were rewarded and she recognized one word.  

"Fiiiire!"

No. No, no, no, no! It was happening again.  The very thing the older students had predicted, prepared for, and dreaded.  Their fun was burning down before their eyes.  It was funny how in times of danger the human body resorted to one of two methods of survival.  Run, or fight.  In that moment of realization, Dorothy chose option three.  Freeze.  Her limbs seemed to lock ; a scream remained caught in her throat causing a searing pain as it writhed and scratched at her esophagus in its eagerness to escape.  Her heartbeat soared far higher than it did in her happy excitement at the evenings potential, and her stomach began tying itself in knots as a wave of nausea swept through her body. 

A movement brought her out of her panicked daze.  They were giants, tall and broad shouldered with menacing expressions and obvious ill-intent.  One held a clear bottle filled with translucent liquid that definitely was not water, the other held the arm of a boy for a moment before he escaped. They were messing with kids, and it looked like people were going to die.  Dorothy took a few steps back and felt the pulsing heat of the fire.  She took a step though, so she could move again. That was something. It was dazing really, the light from the fire mixed with all the yells of confused and strangely authoritative first and second years.  Dorothy saw people she recognized fall to the ground as the giants attacked.  The flames were advancing, yet the greatest danger were the giants.  It was her responsibility as prefect to protect the Hufflepuffs from fire (and the other students but Hufflepuffs are more flammable).  

Dorothy turned towards the fire that had begun to spread throughout the room.  Her mouth suddenly became as dry as if it had been filled with sand.  She reached into the right side of her cloak where her long wand was concealed.  Hands shaking, she held her wand in front of her, tip pointed towards the advancing flames.  "Extin-Ex... Exting..." her trembling fingers wavered in their grip on her wand, causing her to clutch her wand in a white knuckled grip for fear of dropping it. She turned away from the flames and fled towards the blocked doors. Forget the fire, in this case, the giants were less frightening. 

Thick, black, smoke blocked her vision, yet the massive form of the giants was still in sight.  Their brutish strength sent students flying, and Dorothy quickly realized they were fighting a losing battle.   The smoke was making it hard to breath.  Dorothy began to cough and hack, common sense told her to crouch down to avoid it but her stubbornness in finding her way to the giants kept her upright.  The smoke stung her eyes, and she ripped off her mask and rubbed them in an attempt to end the pain.  This action only smudged her already messy makeup. She moved quickly through the black air, before ramming into the form of two students.  It was a tiny boy and another first year.  Dorothy recognized one of them.  "Jake!" She quickly noted the boy the tiny Hufflepuff was hugging before shoving them in the direction of the people shouting about an exit.  "Get-cough-out!" She moved onward, trying to find her way towards the terrorizing giants who caused this mess.  Only when she began feeling dizzy did she crouch down, smacking her head on a wooden chair corner as she did.  The chair, laying on its back due to the panic that had overtaken the room, sent a sharp pain to Dorothy's temple.  She grabbed it and dragged it behind her as she made her way towards the fight.  

One arm over her mouth and the other tugging along the chair, Dorothy blindly stumbled towards the shadows that fought them. She paused, about fifteen meters away, while adrenaline built up in her chest.  With a sudden surge of energy, she began to run towards the giants and past the injured students that lined the floors.  She lifted her chair and held it in front of her chest in order to use it as a shield before she attempted to bash the offenders brains in.  They had lit their party on fire, though she didn't know why, and they were going to freaking pay for it.  

She was sprinting now, which was quite awkward with a chair held in front of her.  Dorothy felt the force of a thousand angry Hufflepuffs at her back as she ran forward.  In a split second as she ran, she saw another boy using furniture against the giants. He aimed at the crotch, she would aim at for the head.  A table stood between her and the giant.  She climbed it, now closer to the giant's heads, and swung her chair onto the closest monster's head and shoulders with all of her strength.  In this moment, she mutterd a war-cry that often filled the students of Hogwarts with immediate dread.  "Detention, you bastar-" CRACK

Actions: 
        - Attempt to swing a chair over her head and into Giant 1's cranium

Interactions: @Jake Morris, @George Henry

Interacting with @Adlai Rod
Open to more interactions

Interacting with @Leah Isbell

directly interacting w/ @Brielle Gray & @James McMurtrie
interacting with everyone else/as many people possible.
open to other interactions.

Water had already been pooling up in the very corners of Gem's eyes, but because the smoke was so thick- so blinding, the tears on his face had properly run down his face and soaked his vision for the worse. He was holding his hands out without direction, occasionally wiping his cheeks with his sleeve-- and his face hurt, having slammed right into the wall and all that. He felt stiff when someone got him by the shoulders, and on further inspection, having it known it was James, of all people.

"The door's open... the smoke's being pulled outside of the room..." As James proceeded with instruction, Gem listened-- he didn't wait very long to take action, holding his hands out as to not hit anyone (or anything, he'd learnt his lesson from last time) right up until he heard someone -- a girl -- shout for him. He couldn't assume very much, but it sounded dismal, like something bad had happened to her. He pushed around, following where he thought he heard it, but after a good amount of stumbling, (and even falling, once) and telling (shouting at) everyone in his area of place to hurry on over to the door, he sure found the source of the sound.

Brielle.

She'd been knocked out cold! Right there, on her side-- it was mighty frightening to look at, but she was breathing, so... what was he supposed to do, now? He'd carried her before, but she was wearing all this accessory stuff - and -

aw, fuck off Gem. Just get her and get out. Right, okay. He crouched down, picking her up by getting his arm around her back and under the back of her legs, sort of tucking her upper body into his chest so her head didn't lol back too much.

He heard James' voice through the chaos, he sounded so tired-- he figured he ought to try and help. Christ.

"EVERYONE, TH' DOORS ARE OPEN. GO AN' GET YERSELVES NEAR IT, FOLLOW E' CLEARIN'," it was really just a more accented version of whatever James was saying, but he reckoned a few people who were too busy fearing for their lives oughta pay attention to a second person shouting. He did that himself, follow wherever there was the least amount of smoke-- his face felt so dirty, like it was caked with grime and tears. He didn't dote on it too long, seeing as he was attempting to get as many people out of the ballroom as possible-- including himself and his... friend.

Interacting with @Adlai Rod
Mentions @Angus Phinney @Jack Warren @Dinara Lucey @Xailah Alptraum
Open to more interactions

Christopher Madson
Status: Blinded (Red Sparks)
Vision Obscured (Smokescreen/Smoke)
Health: Full
Mentions @Illowy Magnard @Gem Stuart and @Brielle Gray

Chris charged at the half giant and put everything he had behind his jab, but at the second, the giant moved forward and made him miss entirely. He stumbled forward and fell to one knee behind the attacker, breathing heavily as he used one hand to rub his eyes. His vision was blurry and shaky as he slowly looked around him, from what he could barely see the ballroom had turned more into a war zone than a party. The slytherin let go of his torch like weapon and fell to his hands and knees, almost coughing his lungs out from the carbon dioxide that had collected in his body. He hadn't bothered protect himself from the dangerous smoke that filled the room, his heat of the moment attack to blame. Half of his face was covered by a layer of black smoke, the other half being protected by his now dark green mask "I-Illowy... ILLOWY! If you hear me... find someone and get out while you can!"he shouted in-between a flurry of coughs.

Chris slowly got to a kneeling position and looked back at the giant who was still currently at large. He couldn't just leave the students to fight the half- giant alone, that would simply be cowardice. Suddenly, he heard a familiar shout to the right of him "EVERYONE, TH' DOORS ARE OPEN. GO AN' GET YERSELVES NEAR IT, FOLLOW E' CLEARIN', Gem shouted above the chaos. From what he could see, he was carrying someone in his arms, a victim of the destruction around him. He stared right at Gem, his red blue eyes tiredly flickering constantly from the smoke. Deep down inside he wanted to follow him and get out while he still could, but that was totally out of the question, especially if students were making their escape. If the Ravenclaw looked in his direction, Chris would give him a supportive nod before slowly reaching for his makeshift weapon, turning around to face the giant once more. He held his hot tip weapon in one hand tightly, a feeling of pure determination flowing through his vains. Everyone around the giant was still attacking him like a pack of dogs, each one having their turn to attack the man. Chris gripped the weapon with both hands and came up behind him, swinging the hot tip of the weapon wildly into his back. The smoke and previous spells had impaired his vision, making it hard to see properly and get the exact point of where the giant was standing. But he had to try and do something...

Action: Chris tries to swing the tip of his hot makeshift weapon into the giants back