The Lost Pearl 2025 Fall Ball

Dennis looked in the mirror as he put on layer after layer of gear. First his white shirt which he left the last buttons at the top undone. Next his waist coat that hugged him but he wouldn’t say it felt uncomfortable. Next several buckles and straps and a holster for his wand where a pirate might place their gun at the hip within easy drawing action. This was all for show, he wouldn’t actually need to use his wand right? He pulled on his pirate themed tights and trousers to complete the look. “Well…” he said staring at himself in the mirror, giving his hair one last mess shuffle. He was nervous. Why was he nervous? True he danced with a bunch of girls before, but this was the very first time he actually had a date!

With one last pep talk, he put on his pirate navy blue tri-hat and flipped the matching pirate trench coat around his shoulders, deftly putting his arm through. With his outfit read, Dennis made his way down to the common room to wait for Violence at the agreed upon time.

Once Dennis and Violence were together, the Ravenclaw third year would help his date down the tower and to the ball, making small talk all along the way.

It was a nice walk and the red head enjoyed her company and as they boarded the boat to enjoy some refreshments before hitting the dance floor. The first thing that caught his attention was the off-putting fellow who created everyone as they came aboard. Safely out of earshot, Dennis mumbled to Violence “They must have had that guy on ice forever…”

Interacting with: @Violence Bloodthorn, closed to further interactions for now.

Stats:
Sta: 5 | Eva: 8 | Str: 1 | Wis: 8 | Arc: 8 | Acc: 10

Abilities in effect: Fearless and Impartial

It hadn't taken Milica long to get ready for the ball. She didn't get her make-up or her hair done in any way special. Honestly, she wasn't even sure why she was attending. She didn't have anyone to go with: no friends, no partner, nobody. Still, something inside of her didn't want to miss it.

The girl was wearing a pretty gown she had gotten while shopping with her mother. It was a modest dark blue, sleeveless dress that fell just below the knees. When one looked closely, they would notice the dress was decorated with an intricate outline of even darker flowers. A beige-colored band circled her waist, giving some shape to the dress. Her hair flowed down to her shoulders and she was wearing a long, silver necklace with a gemstone on it. All in all, she felt quite good about her appearance.

All by herself, she left her dorm room and made her way over to the Great Lake. Surrounding her were lots of other students who were also attending the ball, or at least, were dressed up as such. Many went in groups, or even in pairs, but she was glad to notice that she wasn't the only one who went alone. Even though she knows she shouldn't care, this made her feel good. She wasn't the only loner at Hogwarts.

Once she made it to the Lake she loved so much, she immediately noticed a large ship resting on its shore. One couldn't miss it. It looked wonderful under the moonlight, the broken parts giving it an authentic look. Milica was clearly in awe of the sights around her, everything illuminated by the moonlight. The one thing ruining it was all the people, noisy people.

After stepping onto the wooden passarelle, she finally reached the main deck of the ship. It looked very cozy. The scene was lit up by floating candles, chandeliers and flames enraptured in glass jars. Walking around, Milica noticed a painting showing a large kraken. She took a moment to capture the memory, making sure the picture would stay vivid in her mind, before continuing onto the bâtiment.

There, a strange-looking man approached her. He was dressed up as a pirate and handed her a card. A strange message was written on the card, the handwriting very messy. She decided to ignore the card for now, put it in her bag, and look around her. She had to admit, she was kind of lost. Balls, or any social interaction, weren't really her thing. What did people even do at balls?

If she wanted to interact with others, the next clear thing to do would be to join a table where people were sitting. She recognized some people, though she wasn't sure whether she wanted to talk to them. She noticed Percival, another Slytherin, standing to the side, talking to some people she hadn't seen before. Aside from him, everyone else was a mystery to her. Of course, she recognized some students she had seen around before but never talked to. Although some were complete strangers.

Feeling rather awkward and not really knowing what to do, she made her way to the side of the ship, close to where Percival was standing, and leaned against the side. Since she was here anyway, she might just take part in one of her favorite hobbies: people watching.

Action: Looking around, people watching

==

===

Information Mentions: @Percival Rocier Stats: sta ◦ 4 | eva ◦ 7 | str ◦ 8 | wis ◦ 2 | arc ◦ 1 | acc ◦ 8 Abilities: Dhampir (year 1) Notes: feel free to interact

=chibi made by @Eunaria Kabukimono

Aisling chuckled slightly when Kafelé mentioned him tasting some of the plant life. "And which one did you like best?" she asked. So far, she only knew of the plants the professor talked about in class; namely the Bubotuber, Lovage, Mandrake, and Valerian. Any other plants would be new to her.

Aisling shook her head. "Oh, no, you're just fine," she said, "I just ... I haven't seen you be this chatty before." She felt her face grow warm. Why was that? The air wasn't that cold. She glanced down to see that she was holding his hand. "Oh." She let go. "I'm ... I'm sorry," she stammered, "I ... I didn't realize I was ... I was ..." Why was her words not coming out? This wasn't like her typical anxiety when it came to talking to others. Usually, her anxiety made her clam up. This time, she couldn't find the right words. She swallowed, hoping this time the right words would come to her. "I'm ... I'm sorry if you didn't like me holding your ... your hand," she murmured, "I ... I didn't even realize I was holding it." Her face turned rosy, highlighting the freckles that spread across her cheeks and over the bridge of her nose. She scratched at the back of her neck.

Round One Moderation - The First Course

As light bled into the horizon, people slowly trickled onto the shadowed deck, arrayed in outfits each more extravagant than the last. Some lost in the awkwardness of youth, getting reacquainted with old contacts or approaching unfamiliar figures with brief, scattered conversations. A fraction of our guests did not seem too reassured by the atmosphere – frightened eyes scanned the creaking boards, surveying where they were to spend their evening. Hands shook as they received cards from a long forgotten sailor. Others seemed more poised in their demeanor, some even putting on the mask of skepticality, glancing distastefully at the rust and splintering wood, focusing on the superficial. The occasional pair of love-birds graced the deck, shyly smiling at their partner of choice.

If our dear guests were to be scrupulous enough – as was the case of @Tatiana Contraire, they might notice, on the card the sailor had handed to them upon their arrival, the dim glint of something else under the messy scrawl of words. Those particularly bright would observe that the gleam would grow brighter under a very specific source of light – what this was was still unkown for the moment.

Next to the majestic ship, student's outfits were the most extravagant thing on the lake. From flowing blue gowns to bright purple pirate's garb, or normal dress robes, the attendants certainly knew how to make an appearance.

Slight waves broke against the salt-crusted hull, a calm atmosphere permeating the air. Now that the ball had started, most would note food appearing on the vast array of tables, similar to how it was served in the Great Hall for those familiar with the Hogwarts meals. Appetizers fit for the event, small but delectable, perfect for small talk before the somptuous main dishes were introduced. Goblets were filled, from which guests would be able to drink openly from – taking in consideration the younger students present, spiked drinks were only served upon explicit request.

A mundane start of an evening in theory, but one promising some intrigue – it was Hogwarts, after all. Murmurs of compliments or worries between friends could spiral into all sorts of drama. Perhaps a sighting of something concerning. The night was just beginning, surely there would be more to come.

WELCOME TO The Lost Pearl.

OOC INFORMATION ;
1. To participate, you must be indexed. If you are not indexed yet, please apply here.
2. Moderation will occur every week, with the first few weeks describing the three courses. {One Every other week with a general moderation post in between, till the three courses are done, then we will just have the normal ones}
3. Your character is allowed one moderated action per round. Please specify your moderated action somewhere OOC in your post. Moderated actions are those actions that requires rolls like casting a spell on someone, physically fighting (like punching) with someone, surprising someone etc. Rolls are not needed for pre-decided or consented actions, like asking someone for a dance.
4. Please include your abilities and stats in your post.
5. There are two other threads in this event, The Weeping Shore (dance floor) and The Drowned Palace (escape game). IC speaking, your character would enter through The Lost Pearl to reach The Weeping Shore. You are not required to post here to access The Weeping Shore. The location of The Drowned Palace, as well as an additional clue to the treasure hunt, are hidden in The Lost Pearl. Your character doesn't need either to access or play the game, these are options adding to the atmosphere.
6. You can directly enter either threads without needing to post in this thread, but if you already have, please specify that you are leaving this thread for either one of the other two.
6. Please follow all usual HIO rules.
7. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, beware of the bewitching siren's chant, but most importantly, enjoy !

action: entering stats: sta~6 𓍼 eva~6 𓍼 str~2 𓍼 wis~7 𓍼 arc~2 𓍼 acc~9 abilities: prodigal potions learner~y1 𓍼 charmer~y2 notes: interacting with Dennis, closed for interactions 𓍼 permission from Azzure's writer to mention them.

"Are you absolutely sure this is not that bad?" she asked them as they walked in and she struggled to not cover her ears. Recently dispatched from the hospital wing for her common cold, Maisie was still visibly suffering the side effects of a pepper-up potion, and she felt like no matter how much her outfit shinned, the only thing that anyone would pay attention to was the bright white steam that continued to come out of her ears.

Still, she walked in with them excited for what was to come, even if she hung close between them. Perhaps their heads might hide the steam. And despite it all, they done a lovely job helping Mylo be not boring. They'd dressed up like a roaring pirate, which worked nicely she thought. Because of her illness, Maisie didn't quite pull out all the stops, but rather pulled ordinary things together in an unexpected way. She wore a white shirt and black slim pants with polka dot skirt on top and a ribbon tied it off like bow tie. Black and white. Simple and classic, but modern too.

And perhaps that was a theme of the ball, which took place not in the ballroom, but here on a boat. With wide eyes, she had to admit, it looked pretty epic—a place fit for an adventure! But Mylo had a milder sentiment.

"It's an interesting place for sure this, should we go and find a place to sit?" They asked.

"Okay, maybe in a corner where the steam can blend in with some pearls?" She countered as she looked around, trying to find anything that would make her ears blend in a little bit. As her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, she realized it would be tough going. But at least she had her friends.

Hopefully, no one else she knew would notice as she looked around the room nervously.

And in the distance, she spotted the nice boy from the corridors.

Great.

Outfit

Reducio

Stats & Abilities
Stamina: 7 | Evasion: 9 | Strength: 2 | Wisdom: 8 | Arcane Power: 5 | Accuracy: 9
Muggle Condition | Perfectionist

Open to interactions!
@Mylo Atkins, @Avis Greymond & @Percival Rocier

As he saw Violence step down the stairs to the main hall, Dennis’ jaw nearly hit the floor. A billowy waterfall of black sequins cascaded down the steps with each step she took. He didn’t even recognize he was staring until she had closed the gap. “N-no…your…it’s perfect” He cleared his throat, closed his mouth and tried again, “The dress is lovely. I am sure I will not be the only one left speechless by your presence.” And…he was back. He took his hat off with a flourish and bowed deeply.

Linking arms they made their way down to the Great Lake. He picked up on the fact she seemed more nervous than the last time they danced but no less distracted. She was still polite enough and soon they were enjoying the ambiance of the decorations aboard the ship. The rather anxious couple seemed to be scouring the crowd for people other than themselves. He was about to break the silence but his beautiful Ravenclaw date beat him to it. Attempting to hide her nerves behind her mask, Dennis offered a gentle smile, “It looks great,” he said warmly and gave her a twirl in his arms. It looked like they both needed a distraction!

Dennis lead her, arms linked, to his favorite place in any party - the snack bar. He wouldn’t be Dennis if he wasn’t always and forever hungry. However, he wasn’t even allowed to enjoy a morsel before she dived into her own set of questions. The red head did allow himself a crumpet and offered the plate to Violence to take one if she’d like. “Well…how do I explain that?” He started turning around to watch the crowd. Of course they were there to dance, and what a dance partner he had picked! But he could tell the night wasn’t going to progress if he kept avoiding this question.

“Meyra Lancaster,” he said sheepishly between bites. “I’m sorry about that by the way. We got a little too deep a little too fast…if you know what I mean…” his voice trailed off. He wouldn’t start his night on a downer. “First loves are always the brightest and hottest burning, huh? Anyway, we parted ways amicably enough.” Did they? Dennis spent the whole summer regretting his decision. Damn it, was he allowed to smoke here? Focus up, buddy! “Did you ever find who you were looking for at the previous dance? I remember we were both a little flustered.” Dennis gave a soft chuckle and smile as he finished his snack.

When Violence was done having her pick of the assortment of goodies, Dennis planned to whisk her away to the dance floor so they could leave their past behind them and enjoy the night.

Interacting with: @Violence Bloodthorn, closed to further interactions for now.

Stats:
Sta: 5 | Eva: 8 | Str: 1 | Wis: 8 | Arc: 8 | Acc: 10

Abilities in effect: Fearless and Impartial

Kafelé wasnt sure if he had a favorite by taste but he did have a funny story. One he had never gotten to tell to anyone but his parents, who scolded him. It was probably the most exciting thing to happen to him. He was preparing to tell her the story excited to talk more. Suddenly she pulled her hand away apologizing. "I'm ... I'm sorry if you didn't like me holding your ... your hand. I ... I didn't even realize I was holding it." She seemed nervous and Kafelé wasnt sure what to do. He did like holding her hand but wasnt sure how to tell her that. He went to speak but couldnt find the right thing to say. So instead he took her hand in his and led her further in this time. Smiling warmly he gently pulled her along and began telling the story. "I wouldnt say i have a favorite plant based of taste. But i do have a favorite experience although.... the plant in question is poisonious." He paused for dramatic effect before going on with the story. " Dont worry i wasnt badly hurt it was last year some time. I found a couple of Tentacula leaves and swiped them from my fathers stores. Now promise you wont laugh when i tell you this next part." He chuckled softly before turning to watch her expression. "In one of my books at home the Tentacula plant is listed. It says eating a leaf or two wont kill you, but will turn you purple. It did say it would hurt but..... purple is my favorite color.." Kafelé braced for impact. He had only had one response to this that ended in being scolded. Rightly so, but he was hoping for someone to laugh with him. He knew there was a chance she might find him wierd. But he had to keep this feeling. He had never had someone to share stories with, let alone the confidence.

Ally Craig had spent the majority of the morning getting ready for the nights ball where she would meet up with Maisie a first year Hufflepuff and two first years from Gryffindor House whose names Ally knows one personally by mere coincidence as Frederick and the other she just got introduced to as Marcus they were already there waiting by the ship the That is known as The Lost Pearl.
Ally arrived at the ship in her beautiful sparkling pink ball gown that her gran had bought for her recently for her birthday!!
Ally was really nervous at first but then overcame when she saw the girl's friendly smile and wave.
Ally walked up to her and said Hello Maisie!! How arer feeling about all of this! This is my first time actually participating in a ball like this! I mean sure I come from a pureblood family and they had Balls all the time but I was never really in them my mom would always send me away to play with kids my age! She would always say a Ball is no place for children and I should learn my place!, But then my gran would come and cheer me up saying my mom snuck into the Balls when she was my age so if I wanted to see I could, even though we both already knew that I didn't want to get on my mom's bad side even more than I already was!
Ally had always dreamt of actually being in a ball and dancing around till she couldn't no more but she also knew that was an impossibility because nobody ever wanted to be around her because of her mum.
Everyone feared Ally's mom because she was a ruthless and very mean woman and her new husband wasn't any better, he was even meaner than Ally's Mom. So yeah Ally was never allowed at any of the special events but then one Day Ally moved to London with her mom to live with Ally's grandma!!
But getting back on topic because Ally realized she had zoned out and also she just remembered there were two other people she hadn't acknowledged at all and that wasn't like Ally at all to be rude like that so she quickly turned her attention to the two guys and said Why Hello guys! I am terribly sorry for not acknowledging you sooner I just got stuck in my own head for a minute there with some of my worst memories but no biggie. What do you say shall we get this party going and making this a night all of will remember for many years to come!!
Ally walked and boarded the Lost Pearl finally and boy was she amazed by all the decorations that was all over the ship she just couldn't believe it was finally happening the day of the Autumn Ball and she was ready for whatever lie ahead!!

Reducio

Actions: Meeting up with the Others

Aisling's heart raced when Kafelé took her hand. Her breathing hitched as he pulled her in. Her smile widened. She didn't expect him to take it, especially since she wasn't sure he'd be okay with it. The shy boy she met in the Hufflepuff Common Room almost seemed to vanish before her, replacing him with a confident version, with kind golden-brown eyes... Aisling shook her head. What was she doing now? Oh, that's right, he was about to tell her something.

Aisling couldn't help but let out a soft giggle at Kafelé's story. "And how long were you purple for?" she asked, her smile still present on her face. She wondered which shade of purple he was. Did his tan skin shift into a deep violet, or did it glow into a lilac hue? Did his hair change purple, too? For some reason, Aisling hoped it kept its beautiful white colour. Did his eye usual golden-brown eyes transform their colour for a bit, too? Then she realized she had laughed, albeit softly. "Oh." She covered her mouth with her free hand. "I ... I didn't mean to," she stammered, "I ... I'm really sorry, Kafelé. I just ..." If she wasn't blushing already, she certainly was now. It made her freckles even more prominent. "I was just picturing what kind of purple you were," she admitted, "I ... I bet you looked cute." She paused. "I mean, not that you aren't already. I do think ... I do think you're cute. I just ... I mean like, you were still cute even when you ... you were purple." She paused again. "I'm ... I'm happy you didn't get hurt," she added. Aisling could feel heart thump against her chest. Crap, she thought, he must think I'm a plank.