Mistletoe Mayhem - Not So Silent Night Stelle + Archer

Sullen, defensive, withdrawn as always, the holiday season marked no improvements to Archer’s usual mood.

Broody as ever, even the touch of Christmas colours on his fraying sweater did nothing against the exhaustion lined under his eyes. Sighing deeply as he hurried his footsteps and clung white knuckled onto the slash of his satchel Archer shouldered his way through the bustling crowds of merriment, the halls decked with wreaths and holly; yet he was in no mood for celebration. As he reached the familiar oaken doors he paused, straightening, contemplating the subconscious decision as the notebooks tucked tightly under his arms slipped in protest. He grimaced, rightening the bound paper and pushing the door open without further ado, the steps of his boots resonating against the ground as the creaks of the door joined to disturb the library’s eternal silence. It closing to a thud of a shut behind him, Archer glanced around, feeling disoriented and lost in the place he knew best.

Standing frozen for a few seconds no one acknowledged him as they kept to their own businesses, much to Archer’s relief. Pocking up his footsteps he walked swiftly to the other side of the library, without a destination in mind. Blatantly ignoring the shelves that lined his sides he did not veer into them as he had so many times before to explore each section’s exquisite collections. Sweeping past the desks his eyes only offered them a cursory glance as he passed, unhaltingly walking past them without an ounce of reconsideration.

Scarf scratchy against his neck in the heated indoors, he tugged at the layers of fabric tangled around his neck. He had spent most of the day outdoors, and had only bothered to hang up a heavy coat in his dormitory while his boots still tracked in snow and his gloves still remained stubborn on his fingers — his hands had always been cold no matter what heating charms shrouded the room. Leaving wet footprints in his wake he pulled his beanie off his head and stuffed it deep into his pocket, keeping his hands in its warmth as he walked.

Finally reaching the other end of the room, Archer stopped in front of a window, pressing his body tightly onto its glass as he watched the snowfall outside, white specks gracing him just in front of his eyes, separated only by a thin plane of glass. He huffed onto it, hard enough he thought it could have shattered, watching as air formed into a shapeless blob. Halfheartedly, he lifted a finger to draw to dots and a curved line below, forming a sad face out of his subconscious. He frowned, thought of himself as childish, and smudged it away.

Then he turned around, and slumped against the windowsill. Staring gloomily at the lowered heads and flicking pages before him, Archer crossed his arms, dipped his chin, and fluttered his eyes to a close as the late afternoon sun dipped into evening and darkness threatened to envelop the world.

@Stelle Mims, @Dennis Tumberton

Banner by Pericles Dralt

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  ❛ Art Deco — Allure in Effect ❜
  Date: December, 2025 | Words: 503| Dialogue: #aa5713
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Stelle moved through the corridors as if walking through a dream made of icing sugar and warm memories. That was her first clear thought: Christmas was coming, and for the first time, she wouldn't be going home so soon. It wasn't sadness that filled her; it was a sweet tingle in her chest, like miniature fireworks, because Hogwarts at Christmas was like living inside an endless fairy tale.

The corridors stretched out before her, adorned with holly wreaths, streamers that seemed to float like ribbons of a happy memory, tinsel that caught the torchlight and reflected it in sparkles that floated in the air. Every window was rimmed with magical frost, and outside, the snow piled up like a silent, shimmering blanket. The artificial snow fell delicately, melting before it touched the ground, as if not even gravity dared to interrupt the magic.

Yet… something was missing. Stelle felt it like a tightrope tightening in her mind, a lost note in a perfect melody. A Christmas without mistletoe was like a story without an ending, like an embrace suspended before it could be finished. She tilted her head, observing the vaulted ceiling, the air heavy with childlike wonder, the tables gleaming as if someone had scattered constellations upon them. And yet... it was missing.

She adjusted her plaid scarf around her neck, feeling the cold like pricks on her cheeks. Her curly hair, electrified by the icy wind, came loose in golden strands. She moved forward with a light, almost dancing step, as if she needed to explore every corner until she found what was missing.

And then, as if the castle itself had breathed an answer, a furtive movement caught her attention.

A small, hurried shadow crossed the corridor carrying something bulky. An old, dusty box, as if it had been pulled from an attic no one had been in for decades. For a moment, the flickering light reached inside: green twigs, pale, round berries, pointed leaves. Mistletoe. So much death. The unmistakable scent returned like a memory.

Stelle stopped dead in her tracks.
She didn't know the boy who had run off with the box, but his flaming red hair was hard to miss, almost flashing like a moving traffic light. There was a swashbuckling quality to his gait, almost conspiratorial, and the mischievous grin that escaped his profile made it clear that nothing good was going to come of this. Or… nothing peaceful, at least.

"Oh, no…!" she whispered, feeling her Christmas expectations mix with nervous anticipation. "This is going to be a disaster." Or…—and a playful spark ignited in her eyes—…a great story.

Because where there was mistletoe, there would be stolen kisses, chance encounters, broken friendships, and maybe even new enmities. Chaos. And though Stelle would never admit it out loud… Christmas chaos had its charm.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, took a deep breath, and kept walking.
Destiny was about to begin.

And Hogwarts, as always, had planes no one had asked for.

ABILITIES: Part-Veela
STATS: | Sta-6 | Eva-5 | Str-5 | Wis-6 | Arc-7| Acc-6 |
INTERACTIONS + MENTIONS: @Archer Duncan @Dennis Tumberton
ACTIONS: Entering.
VISUALS: Here!
OPEN TO INTERACTIONS!

THE ACTION

Dennis pranced around the corridor singing Christmas carols to himself as he looked for victims. However, he proved to be too obvious as any couples or stragglers saw him coming, saw the twinkle in his eyes, and ran for the hills, clearing a path for him as he made his way to the Library! There had to be someone for him to share the joys of Christmas and passion with! As he made his way through the halls, he did not notice the figure (Stelle) following him from a safe distance trying to see what fate had in store for her (Dennis Wis v Stelle Eva; 11 v 13; Dennis does not notice Stelle).

Once in the giant library, the Ravenclaw set about weaving through the various aisle looking for a target. His stalker (Stelle) managed to keep pace with him until he took a turn and she lost his trail (Dennis Eva v Stelle Acc; 23 v 22; Dennis loses Stelle). However, it turned out to be fortuitous occasion as she stumbled upon a sulky boy (Archer) sitting on a windowsill. He meant to draw a smiley face but instead drew one of the most magnificent fog-on-a-window drawings this century (Acc DC 12; 1d20+11=30; PASS). Anyone looking upon such a wonder would surely shed a tear as they saw such beauty dissipate from the warmth of the library.

Meanwhile, as Stelle and Archer were busy admiring the grandeur of the moment, our intrepid Puck had since doubled back, he peered through the gaps in the shelves several aisles over and found the opportunity he had been waiting for! There were a pair of students just ripe for that one special moment! Opening his box, he whispered, “wingardium leviosa” on a mistletoe (WDC 8; 1d20+8=20; PASS). The spell took hold of the mistletoe he was aiming for and it floated, belling jingling softly, above the shelves to hang with a joyful noise over the pair several shelves away from Dennis. It was a scene out of a Christmas movie! Surely, nothing would go wrong as the mistletoe seemed to slowly start to rustle.

THE ROLLS

1. Dennis' perception: Dennis Wis v Stelle Eva; 11 v 13; Dennis does not notice Stelle
2. Stelle follows Dennis after entering the Library: Dennis Eva v Stelle Acc; 23 v 22; Dennis loses Stelle
3. Archer art check: Acc DC 12; 1d20+11=30; PASS
4. Dennis casting Wingardium Leviosa: WDC 8; 1d20+8=20; PASS
5. Additional Checks (DC increases by 2 every round):
Archer - Sta DC: 15; 1d20+10=25; PASS
Stelle - Sta DC: 15; 1d20+6=9; FAILED

OOC INFORMATION

1. Please submit modded actions by the end of your last posts or I will be more creative with the rolls next time...
2. Moderation will occur every week. The next round will be posted 11 January 2026

@Archer Duncan@Stelle Mims

╭──────────────────────── ✦ ────────────────────────╮
  ❛ Art Deco — Allure in Effect ❜
  Date: December, 2025 | Words: 632| Dialogue: #aa5713
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

Stelle moved slowly between the shelves, brushing the spines of the books with her fingertips, as if waiting for one to react, for one to confirm what she already knew. The melody remained incomplete; Christmas had an invisible crack. It wasn't something she could pinpoint, nor a specific absence she could immediately name. It was more of a persistent feeling, like a sustained note that never quite resolved. Perhaps it was the distance from home, missing her parents even in the smallest details. Perhaps it was the constant uncertainty of what might happen, that quiet anxiety that settled in when things seemed too calm. Or maybe it had to do with losing the stunning redhead and the way he filled the space as if the world were always ready to keep up with him. Thinking about it left an uncomfortable emptiness in her chest, one that wouldn't close even if she tried to ignore it. The atmosphere around her was heavy with a deceptive calm. The shelves rose like ancient walls, filled with other people's stories, forgotten spells, and promises no one remembered making. Floating lights cast soft shadows, and everything seemed suspended in a kind of respectful pause, as if Hogwarts itself understood that this night didn't call for noise. Stelle took a deep breath, trying to order her thoughts with the same discipline she used to organize her desk or her schedule. It didn't work. The feeling remained, stubborn, disjointed.

That's when she saw him. In the distance, by one of the tall windows, a figure stood out against the deep blue of the night. He wasn't reading or looking for anything; rather, he seemed to have stopped there to disappear for a while. Snow fell on the other side of the glass with an almost choreographed slowness, and his silhouette blended into that cold, silent background. His posture spoke of weariness, of a melancholy that didn't ask to be seen, that didn't demand solace. And yet… something about him gently tugged at Stelle’s attention, her small, annoying rope of curiosity. It wasn’t an obvious attraction or a clear impulse; it was more of a dissonance, a discordant note she couldn’t ignore.

He didn’t come all the way closer. He stayed at a prudent distance, feigning interest in a nearby bookshelf, as if the titles lined up with excessive neatness were suddenly fascinating. Even so, her senses were anchored to his presence. She perceived every tiny movement, every shift in his posture, as if the space between them had grown denser. The windowpane reflected the falling snow outside, doubling the landscape, and for a moment she had the impression that the world had shrunk to that specific corner of Hogwarts, as if everything else had been blurred.

There was no clear sound, no warning. Only a change in the air, a faint tingling on her skin, like when magic decides to take a slightly deeper breath. Stelle felt goosebumps rise on her arms even before she was aware of why. She looked up almost instinctively, guided by that invisible thread she'd felt tugged from the start, that sense of anticipation she couldn't explain but recognized all too well.

And then it appeared. Between the shelves, descending with deliberate slowness, the mistletoe made its way into the space above their heads. It didn't do so abruptly or theatrically; it seemed to obey an ancient logic, a tradition that needed no witnesses to be fulfilled. It wasn't fresh or perfect: the leaves were somewhat dry, a dull green, and the pale berries seemed to have seen too many winters, too many stories repeated again and again in its shade. The scent reached her immediately, soft but insistent, awakening memories she couldn't tell if they were hers or inherited, echoes of other Christmases.

ABILITIES: Part-Veela
STATS: | Sta-6 | Eva-5 | Str-5 | Wis-6 | Arc-7| Acc-6 |
INTERACTIONS + MENTIONS: @Archer Duncan @Dennis Tumberton
ACTIONS: Observe the mistletoe with curiosity.
VISUALS: Here!
OPEN TO INTERACTIONS!

BEFORE DENNIS

Stelle will be splitting off from this point and will have a thread with Rafal here. In that thread I will note how something draws Stelle’s attention away from the current scene. Raf can do his Raf thing at that time in the above thread.

For paper trail - both players have requested different partners so handwaving the separation here. Within the timeline, Stelle’s thread will take place after Archer’s so that Dennis can be active in both threads.

THE DENNIS

Dennis, seeing that Stelle moved on from her position in front of Archer, got his spirits bent out of shape. He wanted to yell but he needed to focus on his mission. How dare they ruin romance! Christmas was all about romance, everyone knew that! The festive cheer was still not ruined yet, Dennis would make sure of it! He would have to find some other ploy to attract someone to this very talented very suave looking gentleman. It should be easy enough! People that handsome normally had social and colorfully bubbly personalities! Now where would he find someone? Dennis, his concentration on the spell threatening to waver, hooked the mistletoe on the point of the vaulted window sill. This was a lot like fishing. He just needed more fish. He’d have to be patient if he wanted romance. Patience, however, wasn’t his middle name, he couldn’t remember when the last time he was patient was. Actually did he have a middle name? Nevermind. He would make romance for this fabulously talented artist of a Slytherin or his middle name wasn’t “the mistletoe cupid!” It could be! I certainly wouldn’t know! All Dennis needed now was a new victim to come along and then “Wham Bam, thank you ma’am! We have romam(nce).”

NOTE

Silly set up for Charlotte Winfield to enter. The scene summary is thus:

A mistletoe hangs over Archer’s head on the window sill as he draws an absolutely gorgeous drawing with the frost on the window.

OOC INFORMATION

1. You may post as often as you like. Please submit modded actions by the end of your last posts or I will be more creative with the rolls next time...
2. Moderation will occur every week. The next round will be posted 23 January 2026

@Archer Duncan@Charlotte Winfield