Tenūsa Open Day Opening Ceremony

This feeling. Whether his chest hurt from lack of oxygen or anxious feelings from coming home, Lesmana finally stepped on the land where he spent most of his time growing up. His heart was heavy with longing but also with anxiety. He really wanted to run to his home, but it might be a bad idea. Let's not make any commotion. This thought repeated in his head, chaining the man from making any obvious discomfort gestures. He followed the others to the gate. The sounds of the choir filled the air, slowly calming the man.

He took a random seat. His head didn't focus on what was going on in detail. Every word and sound flowed into his head and out without any retention. He should be happy, but he wasn't. A change in personality happened in the man's mind. How much has Hogwarts altered this man? What was the reason behind this shift?

A sigh came out of his chest just after the Grand Seer finished his words. He went back to reality, still with a tangled way of mind. When would the event end? Was it the right time for him to go home now? His mind was full of questions. He wanted to go home very badly. No, he needed it. He needed to see the situation himself.

His heart demanded to leave and run now.

Open to Interaction

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As the vast crowds began to disperse flowing across the grand space like the waterfalls that trickled down from cliffs above, bringing water to the crops and flora below, a real sense of community was beginning to develop. Those who had taken the chance on some of the more unique south east asian cuisine were stunned by the richness of flavour and magnificent application of spice and seasoning. It was a cultural delight to be embraced that perfectly married alongside the wide range of performances.

From our Filipino students spectacular rendition of the energetic tinikling dance were performed, following into the Malaysian lively Joget, that had people all over joining in whether they knew the moves or not. It was a blend of education and preservation, spreading art forms of their ancestries and displaying the depth of the multi-culturalism the school was founded upon. Expression was key to art and they expressed it deeply. Songs ranged from traditional Vietnamese folk all the way to the far more contemporary molum from Laos, using more modern instruments similar to those of the weird sisters.

Then as the acts drew to a close, the stage area was open to all that might wish to perform a rendition and culmination of their own culture. While the performances were under way a small bumbling older lady of Māori descent, draped in rich greens with floral embroidery, began to waddle through the luscious forestry in a patch of larger marshlands than the rest. Seemingly the area had been masked by some kind of shrubbery that she was beginning to draw back revealing a most peculiar but beautiful sight. With a quick use of Sonorous she announced to the crowd,

"Our Grand Seer chose this particular weekend for many reasons. Many of our cultures and ancestries have studied the moon and the stars for generations, using them for wayfaring, exploration and understanding the complexities of the universe. So a full moon has always been a shared thread between them. But there were many reasons for this particular weekend to be chosen. As you can see, once a century the flutterby bushes produce a most incredible phenomenon and on this day they have chosen to bloom for all of us. Now, be warned they are very alluring and are known to nibble at any stray fingers, but the magnificence of them certainly makes up for it."

As the vegetation began to clear a great pocket of flowering flutterby bushes would be seen, sprouting flowers that resembled butterflies in a great range of colours adding a burst of colour in the mostly green expanse. These special magical plants were not only stunning to the eye but they produced a kind of allure similar to the effects of amortentia potion. Laced throughout the air and all through the crowd, students and adults alike began to experience scents of what they found most adoration with, whether known to them or not. The powerful aroma would drift aloft in the air and remind students of their favourite things, and expose them to the wonders of a potion many of whom would not study for quite some time.

Gasps of awe filled the crowd, as couples smiled fondly at one another and first crushes desperately tried to avert their blush from the public eye. It was a sweet moment backdropped by some of the most beautiful magical fauna that Elder Maureen would be only too happy to discuss should any students wish to. Across the way wagons were beginning to roll there way into the main village centre selling a number of unique herbs, spices, magical plants, woods for wand making, and all sorts of other unique crafts. From clothing to nick knacks the Isle had clearly been eagerly awaiting the time to display their skilled craftmanship and open it up to new opportunities.

One particular stall featured a large collection of frames with visual masterpieces painted within. These magical paintings were similar to those of Hogwarts with moving elements but unlike the traditional portraits, these were landscapes. Paintings of waves crashing back and forth on the Isle's shoreline, monkeys jumping from tree to tree in the vast canopies, grand mountains with sheer cliffs, and pictures that could alter to the chosen season. The woman next to it had rolled up along side the stall in a custom designed wheelchair that no doubt had been enhanced by enchantments. Dukun Lhamo originally hailed from Bhutan but travelled often as a child until she found a home here.

The final figure that might catch the attention of our students was a younger boy, no older than his mid teens. Dressed with a very used but well maintained leather falconry glove with a rare barred eagle-owl, with large horns and bottomless black eyes. Unlike the majority of vendors that had joined the celebrations, this young local was instead handing out flyers that had a magnificent stained glass greenhouse building upon it framed by some of the most exotic bird species in the known world. Eagerly the pair were handing out flyers, by hand and by beak, amongst the visitors with warm welcomes and bright smiles, inviting them to come and check out the Omah Geni aviary while they were here.

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Elder Maureen Hemi	Dukun Lhamo	Bayu Aiono

Art Credits: @littlestpersimmon & @littleulvar

OOC Information
Welcome to the Tenūsa Open Day!
1. To participate, you must be indexed. If you are not indexed yet, please apply here.
2. This is the first round of the light moderation rpg prompts. You may choose to follow them or do your own thing, it is entirely up to the players.
3. Three named NPC's have been dropped through the post with images below. Feel free to interact with these characters lightly (mindful of godmodding). If you wish to actually have a detailed conversation with any of these characters, I will do my best to reply as them when I can!
4. With the introduction of vendors, you may mention any number of faceless NPC's that can sell you trinkets, jewellery, clothing or any number of things you can think of. These would all be mundane objects, so don't go claiming to purchase Excalibur.
5. Please check out the rules on NPC's here to ensure no mistakes are made.
6. For more information on Omah Geni and the Island to enhance your creativity see this page!
7. Please follow all usual HIO rules.
8. See you next Sunday!

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The moment the girl's boots had hit the solid ground again—the world seemed to explode with color, heat, and some kind of humidity that instantly curled up the ends of her dark hair. She blinkedm. Hard. Trying to steady herself as the last traces of the portkey's pull had faded from her limbs. The shift in temperature was almost comical, one second she was warpped in a shawl to battle against the January chill;and now the air was heavy against her skin, it was warm, fragrant, smelled like damp leaves, sun-warmed wood, and flowers that she couldn't name.

Her gaze took in the scene without hurry; there were lanterns of every hue dangling from anched wooden beams, the canopy above—which was parted today through some brilliant seer's trick—was letting in soft, blue light that bathed the village in something whimsical and dreamlike, there was music drifting from the choir, unfamiliar but soothing, deep and resonant enough to vibrate in her ribs. It was overwhelming—the way beautiful things often were.

Tatiana adjusted the strap of her leather satchel, the one she always wore when she travelled, then allowed herself to let out a small exhale. She wasn't the sort of person to gush over scenery, but even someone like her couldn't deny that the place was stunning. It was different from the cold forests she grew up with—softer, kinder.

She didn't linger though, but stepped aside from the dispersing crowd, making room for others who were also funneling out of their portkey, including Aurelia, whenever she chose to emerge. She didn't seek the girl out, didn't call to her, didn't assume a single about her pace or intentions. They were simply sharing a wagon; that didn't give her any authority over someone's steps. She focused on herself instead.

Once the speech began, Tatiana listened quietly, her head tilted and her expression unreasonable but attentive. The Grand Seer had spoken with conviction, warmth, and certainty—she admired it in a distant, analytical way, the same way she admired any leader who seemed to know their purpose. The hooded stranger had caught her eye only because the atmosphere had shifted only for brief second, but she made no move to follow nor to involve herself. That wasn't her business—and she certainly wasn't here to play hero in someone else's mystery.

When Lawrence disappeared with a sharp crack, her fingers twitched instinctively towards her wand, not out of fear, just habit, then relaxed again. The festivities had surged back to life. And only then she take her first deliberate action of the day, stepping towards the long mahogany table, being drawn by the unfamiliar dishes, intending to examine the food spread with quiet curiosity and decide what to try first.

@Aurelia Valentine
]This occurrence happened before the mod post

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Mention: @Skylar Astor, @Rose Pearce, @Ryder Hawke, @Angel O'Connor

Zephyr watched Angel as she studied the Headmaster and listened to her speak. When she mentioned that she wouldn’t have recognised him without knowing who he was, he nodded. For his part, he had no idea the man was the headmaster. If not for Angel's reaction and interaction with him, he wouldn't know. He was not at all familiar with that school, not even the colour of their robes, but nevertheless, it was interesting to meet their headmaster. "It was a pleasure to meet you Sir, I'm Zephyr Deakin." It's only polite and proper to introduce himself.

It seemed like some of his groupmates were starting to explore on their own because the thing he knew was that both Rose and Skylar had gone on their own and were not shouting for help. He tiptoed, trying to find the other girls, and saw them just as Ryder asked him where Rose went. "I'm not sure, I'm trying to..." but the girls both saw them and rejoined the group. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, nodding once again. "Good to know you haven't lost your way yet."

Ryder made a valid and logical request, with which he completely agreed. At Skylar's question, he was unable to answer because he was lost in the middle of a crowd. They just have to go with the flow, but as he saw what's at the centre, he grinned as he looked at his group. "Well, there's only one thing we can do after that sorting ceremony. Let's eat." He motioned toward the large platform, which was filled with tables and seats. He led the way, since the girls were holding on to them anyway; might as well take the initiative. Reaching the table, he sniffed the air. "Look at that spread. I feel like all kinds of food around the world are here. Don't you all agree?" He glanced at his groupmates. "Why don't we grab something to eat and find our seats?"

He grabbed a plate with a bit of everything, pad thai, some pavlova, and a little pho, and found a spot near a bench. He set his plate down and took a bite, letting the flavors sink in. “Wow… this is really good.” Once everyone had their food and found a place to sit, he relaxed and took a look around. The Isle of Divination was even more amazing than he imagined.

The performances started, he sat up and focused on the stage. The tinikling dance was incredible, and he couldn’t believe how fast and precise the dancers’ feet were. The Joget had such a lively energy that he found himself tapping his foot along with it. The music and dances weren’t just entertaining, full of history and culture. "Woah, they're all very talented!" He clapped along, amazed at the show. When the old Māori lady revealed the flutterby bushes, the flowers resembled glowing butterflies, and the scent in the air was strange but it was very pleasant.

His eyes were immediately drawn to the magical paintings, unlike regular portraits, these showed landscapes that moved, waves rolling on the shore, monkeys swinging through the trees, and towering mountains with cliffs so realistic he felt he could almost climb them. Some of the paintings even changed with the seasons. "Now that's something you don't see everyday, not even at Hogwarts, isn't it?" He pointed it out to the group, guessing it must have taken a lot of skill to create and display these moving paintings.

He noticed the vendors selling herbs, magical plants, crafts, and moving paintings. The paintings of waves, monkeys, and mountains were so detailed that they seemed real. He also saw a boy with a big owl handing out flyers for the aviary. He looked at his friends and grinned. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s one of a kind.”

Word Count: 645

Finally Rose was able to join her group again before almost getting lost but thankfully she spotted Skylar and the other members of her group. After this small incident Ryder suggested to all stick together not to lose anyone in the imposing crowd which Rose found to be a great idea. Although they should have thought about it earlier there were so many things to look at and to go exploring it was hard to stay in one place without moving. However they indeed should stick together as they had to move somewhere else though it seemed they didn't know well where. Skylar took Rose's arm under hers and told the two boys to lead the way. Zephyr grinned as he didn't know any better but eventually suggested to go eating. As they moved towards the dining area Rose held the tip of Ryder's shirt while keeping Skylar's arm tightly.

It seemed however Angel was still busy discussing with the Headmaster of Uagadou as she thought they should have informed her but at the same at least for Rose she didn't want to interrupt their conversation.

When Rose saw all the foods she was truly amazed. Even at Hogwarts there were not such foods. It seemed to be delicious as she wanted to taste a bit of everything. Zephyr suggested exactly what she was thinking and she went to take a plate not knowing what to put on it as her eyes were looking everywhere. Rose was usually not a big eater but seeing all that food and not having eaten in the morning she was quite hungry by now and it looked to so tasty she couldn't miss it.

Especially Rose's eyes got caught up by the pad thai and Pho soup. She took a big bowl of Pho soup and a bit of the pad thai before looking out for desert although she was not much of a sweet person. Her eyes fell on the pavlova and she smiled not of happiness rather of disgust. She didn't like strawberries. She sighed after all she had enough of what she already had.

Rose looked around to spot someone of her group to see if they already had found a seat when she saw Zephyr seated at an empty table. As she was heading she made sure to be careful and not to slip or spill her bowl and small plate.

Rose set her dishes down as she sat impatient to taste her food starting with the Pho.

The taste was amazing.

"How can it be this good!" she said eyes sparkling with a smile stick on her face.

As she was -almost- done eating she looked around her still amazed at the view of The Isle of Divination. How could such a beautiful place be existing?

Rose was glad and thankful to have been able to come here.

Suddenly cheers were heard as the dancers started their show. Rose straighten up to better see still smiling at the view of the dance performance which was incredible blending together history, culture and traditions. She clapped along the others before the old Māori lady appeared. Rose was almost intimidated by her presence and the magic around her as the air scent changed.

Rose felt herself getting emotional at the view of the magical paintings. It was beautiful and the way they were moving was incredible as if they were real. The landscapes, ocean with waves rolling or some animals made her nostalgic -not knowing well why- as her eyes were getting watery.

"That's beautiful..." she whispered.

Indeed not such things could be seen at Hogwarts. Rose looked around again to notice everything surrounding her: herbs selling, handcrafts selling, magical plants, flowers -which particularly interested her as her eyes got longer on it- and even the moving paintings. She would go checking it out later alone or with the ones who would be interested to.

@Skylar Astor @Angel O'Connor @Ryder Hawke @Zephyr Deakin

Astrid offered Hans a bitter smile, vocalising the paranoia that already made itself comfortable in his heart chambers. It was a snake crept through the back of his mind, taunting every experience with his body on edge. “How do we still have faith in such excursions?” He sighed, shaking his head with the shadow of a smile that matched hers.

Eyes trailing over the food sprawled invitingly before them, Hans helped himself to one Australian meat pie. Mind to preoccupied to think of eating despite his stomach’s protests, it was left to cool in the sweltering breeze. He glanced over at Astrid with mild concern at her empty plate, humour inevitably slipping through his words as he spoke, “ Are you going to eat anything? Or do you think the food is poisoned? ”

Their shared caution was briefly halted as an elderly lady took her place near a bundle of bushes and spoke. A flutter of wings appeared, brightly coloured in exotic shades. A waft of aroma hit him on the nose — something between fresh parchment, ink, and a crackling fireplace in the dead of winter. It was the smell of their room late into the night when Hans insisted his dormmate sleep. As obnoxious as he was, the boy was glad he did not heed to his advice, bullishly pushing in with his reading as a steady wave of snow pelted into their windows. They would engage in light, lazy conversation, laughter brightening the darkened room.

Nikolai. He would see him soon.

Soon. Just a little more patience.

Yet as blushes crept up the cheeks of first crushes, Hans smirked at Astrid, falling back into their usual song and dance of banter, “ I’m surprised such a thing didn’t happen last year for Valentine’s. ” He was glad it didn’t.

Before them was a display of traditional craftsmanship, a plethora of oddities in a rainbow of colours. From spices and herbs to clothing and paintings, the variety glinted in the blinding sunlight. Yet Hans remained seated, face a mask of unimpressed boredom, eyes occasionally drifting towards the forest as if a wild beast would leap out at any moment. His gaze drifted back towards the assortment again, then towards Astrid, judging her interest, “ Are you going to buy anything? Or do you think the trinkets are jinxed too? ” He was teasing her by this point.

Miraculously, they had learnt to make fun of their own rotten luck.

@Astrid Olsen

Banner by Oonagh Brown

Outfit: Reducio

Wc: Reducio 561