Secret Blossom Ball Event Finished

____ ____ ____

Selim caught sight of his companion a few moments before he did, and upon hearing his words of grating, nodded mutely.

His next words made him cock his head to the side, like a raven studying a particularly interesting bug. His face, of course, was blank, eyes looking more like the eyes of a dead animal then a living boy.

Once more though, he nodded in agreement, fingering his dagger within his sleeve. He didn't trust Lestrange as far as he could throw him, but that wasn't saying much. There was only one person he trusted in this school, and he was currently participating in the ball, not sinking around like Selim was with Lestrange.

Typically this would be a night of fun light-heartedness, but Selim wasn't fun, and was most definitely not light-hearted.

Underneath this ceremonial kimono and body armor, he was wound as tight as a spring. He was acting more akin to a soldier behind enemy lines then a carefree preteen at a party.

His curiosity was truly the only thing propelling him to follow his odd peer to the change room.

Even then, he was prepared to defend himself.

____ ____ ____

(Interacting with; @Thomas Lestrange

Exits to the Changing Rooms)

Calanthe only made it a few steps away from the refreshments table before stopping to rearrange the pile in her hands as well as her body. She shifted uncomfortably, yet a broad smile worked its way across her face, tongue sticking out to the side. Repressing the urge to bounce on her toes as the food and drinks fell into a comfortable position, she finally looked up to see the lightly coloured form of @Lark Flaer inspecting a bottle of Yoohoo. If Calanthe was not preoccupied with escaping this wretched event, she would have loved to throw a bottle at the Ravenclaw, clocking her right in the head. As if you would do something like that.

Making sure to throw a look of disgust Lark’s way, Calanthe continued to stumble forward. The pile of goodies was now safer than they were before, but her awkward gait still remained. She made it a few feet further before being interrupted again.

“Do you need a hand?” she hadn’t realised that her face had morphed into one of glee again and as soon as her eyes fixed on the plaid-clad boy, the corners of her mouth dropped and her top lip curled upwards. It seemed that she took too long to respond as the boy – an Asian like her – continued. “I'm Aaron. You're a first year, right? I think I've seen you in classes before... Are you a Yoohoo enthusiast as well?”

She was honestly tired of affixing a scowl to her face all the time, as if it were permanent, but this moment reminded her of why she did it. Aversion was written on her face as she twisted her body to the side, holding the refreshments defensively.

“Didn’t ask for your name, Aaron,” Calanthe spoke with the hiss that came naturally to her now. “No, I don’t need a hand.” She could have walked away then, but the final part of his spiel finished processing in her brain. “A Yoohoo… what? Enthusiast?” she laughed, incredulously. Snickering, she added on, “Are you a Yoohoo enthusiast?” her chuckle was vindictive, and she did not listen for the boy’s reply. Setting herself up to walk away, her sneaker scuffed the ground. She caught herself before she could fall, but one lone bottle of Yoohoo tumbled out of her pile.

“Oh for the love of Pelor,” Calanthe mumbled, bending down to pick up the fallen solider. As if Pelor was mocking her, more items from her collection slipped from their perch in her arms and made their way to join the bottle of Yoohoo. She tried making quick moves to catch them, but her body could not stay upright. She fell into the pitch, expecting a landing cushioned by the soil beneath her, but a hard surface, almost like concrete was all her backside met.

Wincing in pain, Calanthe refused to meet the boy’s eyes.

Well, if you were a bit nicer to him, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.

Interacting with @Willow Anderson
Mentioning @Flash Holmwood, @Selim Faust and @Thomas Lestrange
Open to Interaction

It was strange what words could do to someone, Ruka found himself thinking as his insides squirmed uncomfortably without any indication that they were going to stop anytime soon. Willow hadn't said anything wrong, hadn't been condescending or offensive in any way, and yet, he could feel his stomach twisting and turning as if trying to force itself up his oesophagus and out through his mouth.

Handsome, she had called him, and it should have been a compliment, should have made him smile and blush and thank her a little awkwardly, but instead he directed his gaze to the ground and said absolutely nothing.

”Here, you’ll look more handsome like this,” Flash had told him after he'd crossed every personal boundary there had been between them before that, after wiping at his face and fussing with his hair. Ruka thought he could still smell the scent of the Slytherin pressed so closely against him, could still feel his touch on his skin, could still feel his breath against his face.
It wasn't Willow's fault, but the discomfort inside him reached a whole new level as they made their way to the Quidditch Pitch, his skin still crawling with the memory of touch he had never asked for.

He had managed to calm down a little by the time they were heading towards a table, and he thought he was able to concentrate a bit better as Willow talked to him about the plants decorating the pitch. It made him smile a little, knowing that the Hufflepuff was very in tune with nature and would have obviously enjoyed the greenery and blossoming flowers all around. "Might be a bit in the way during a game, don't you think?" he pointed out with a small chuckle before sitting down by the table Ruka assumed Willow didn't have any protests against.

As he waited for Willow to decide on what she wanted to eat or drink, he let his eyes drift across the crowd, gasping quietly as his eyes fell on a familiar figure walking towards the changing rooms, dressed in a blue suit, a bow tie perfectly accentuating his neck. Flash looked right at home at this event, as Ruka assumed he would. A Ball was something the Slytherin probably was used to the same way Ruka was used to sleeping in forests; The way he moved across the floor spoke of a confidence the Gryffindor himself would probably never possess, and of a purpose, like every step was part of a calculated plan.

Ruka found himself wondering, for a split second, what kind of plan Flash was following, but then his attention was pulled away again, and he smiled lightly, albeit a little uncomfortably, at Willow, nodding at her words. He was about to get up, was ready to forget all about Flash, when she reached over to fuss with his hair.

She probably meant well, only wanted to help him look like less of a mess, but the second her fingertips brushed his scalp he felt himself tensing. For a second he could feel tears pricking behind his eyes, threatening to escape before he quickly blinked them away, covering the sudden burst of emotion with a slightly exaggerated chuckle. "Thanks," he rasped out as he quickly stood up, looking awkwardly left and right as if unsure where to step to next.

Left? Right? Forward? Back? He felt like he had lost all sense of direction, his skin growing hot and itchy with the memory of touch. He wanted to scratch at it, wanted to scrub off the feeling of Flash's fingertips gently brushing across his scars, but he couldn't do that, not here, not in front of Willow. She would ask questions, and what was he supposed to say?

Your best friend held my hand and I kissed him at your Birthday Party?

No, that would certainly not go over well, especially not with the fact that Flash had explicitly asked him not to tell anybody about it. He had a reputation to uphold after all, Ruka assumed. What would people say?

Instead of scratching at his skin, he tapped a hand against his thigh frantically.

One, two, three

The action did very little to calm him down.

"Uh, I'll be right back, okay?" he told Willow quickly, a well-acted smile plastered on his face before he turned on his heel to head away from the snack tables and towards the changing rooms instead. He passed Flash almost a little too closely, but Ruka didn't look up to glance at him again, just kept his eyes glued to his own feet as he marched through the corridor between the changing rooms and outside, taking a deep breath as if the air was any different out here than it had been inside the pitch.

One look around the area made him stop in his tracks for a moment as his eyes found yet another familiar face seemingly just waiting by the entrance. Selim was dressed in what Ruka assumed was traditional wear in his own culture, not that he knew very much about that, but it definitely didn't look like the dress robes most of the other students were wearing.

Either way, his robes were loose enough that Ruka was sure there was a lot of space to be hiding various weapons underneath. Tilting his head to the side curiously, the Gryffindor tried to catch Selim's eyes for a second as if to ask what he was waiting for, if he was just laying low, stalking some unknown prey, but at the end of the day, did it really matter?
With a deep breath, Ruka took a step towards the Slytherin boy. While still harbouring a lot of resentment for the snake, it was of utmost importance to Jack that Selim was accommodated and fixed, apparently, and since Jack didn't seem to be around, Ruka felt obliged to make sure the other boy wasn't getting himself in a position to get even more broken than he already was.

Just as he was about to get close enough to Selim to actually call out to him, however, a figure in Slytherin robes approached with determined strides. This had to be who Selim was waiting for.
Eyebrows knitted in a curious from, Ruka watched the pair move towards the changing room, and he wondered what exactly it was about all these Slytherin boys moving across the pitch like they knew exactly what they were doing.

Was it just this constant air of arrogance that surrounded them, making them seem like they were up to something, or were they all supposed to watch themselves before the nest of snakes was able to actually strike?

Shaking the thought, Ruka moved further away from the crowd, counting to three over and over again as he tapped his fingers against his thigh. Approaching the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, Ruka took a deep breath before rummaging through shrubbery on the look out for something, anything to give him a sense of comfort.

His fingers wrapped around some rough, dry branches, just about long enough to double as a torch for most of his routines. This was good, this was something he knew.
Reaching to get his wand from the left pocket of his jeans, Ruka stopped himself from actually getting it out. There was a girl waiting for him at a table, at a Ball she had invited him to, and what was he doing? Starting an impromptu Fire Dance practice because he couldn't deal with his own emotions?

No, he wasn't going to break that easily.

With some new found determination, Ruka gripped the make shift torches in his right hand as he headed back towards the Quidditch pitch, shoulders slumped lightly with the shame of just having run off like that. He kept his gaze away from people as he steered himself back towards the snack tables, just to make sure he wasn't going to see anybody else who would be able to distract him from just having a nice night getting to know Willow a little bit better.

He avoided bumping into anybody as he put his branches under his right arm to be able to pick up two goblets seemingly filled with pumpkin juice as well as a cupcake with pink frosting and a little blue sugar flower on top. With his gatherings in hand, Ruka made his way back to the table, setting everything down in front of Willow with a little smile. "Sorry that took me a while," he said sheepishly as he dropped the make shift torches on the ground next to his seat before sitting down again as well. He rubbed his hands against his jeans quickly to rid his palms of any leftover dirt from carrying the branches before reaching for his chalice of pumpkin juice and tipping it lightly in Willow's direction. "To an enjoyable evening?" he toasted nervously before taking a sip of his juice, putting the goblet back down on the table and folding his hands in his lap awkwardly.

Willow was going to regret asking him to come with her soon enough, he was sure, if she didn't already.

Outfit Reference
Top

Reducio

Jeans

Reducio

Shoes

Reducio

Mentions: @Saskia Nicholson

Annie had always wanted to go to one of the big balls hosted by the school, but the upcoming Blossom Ball had been canceled. She wasn't as disappointed as some other students, but she was still a bit sad, until the Secret Blossom Ball was announced. The girl found it a bit odd that the students had managed to set up a ball without the Professors knowing, and she hoped it stayed that way. Even though the School hadn't formally planned it, Annie couldn't help but have the gut feeling that something was going to go wrong.

She shrugged the thought away as she made it to the Quidditch Pitch were the main ball was going to be held. At first she gasped at the decorations, wow did they really go all out for these sort of events. Secondly she noticed how many people had arrived already, and more will still swarming in behind her. The ball had just begun and it was already packed, she had made sure to be there on time but not too early that no one was there. Annie suddenly got self-conscious and flattened out the ruffles in her dress, only to facepalm at the fact that they were there for decoration. The girl looked up and locked eyes with a particular girl across the room for her just standing by. Looks like Saskia arrived early, and look Annie did. She took in the girl's outfit and smiled brightly. They were both wearing pastel colored dresses that kind of looked like cotton candy to her.

Annie had to drag her eyes off the breathtaking girl, realizing she could have a panic attack right then and there if Saskia found her staring. She took a few deep breaths and made her way over to Saskia slowly. The girl wobbled even though she had on sandals, thank gosh she wore flats, heels would have only made it worse. Who could wear heels on the field anyways? Well apparently a few girls decided to. She sent a little prayer for their feet before she finally stopped at her destination.

With a deep breath she looked up and met Saskia's beautiful eyes. A small, warm smile crept on her face. "Thanks again for going with me, you look stunning by the way!" She felt a tiny blush creep on her face and cover her cheeks. Annie quickly looked back down, unable to keep herself together, she shut her eyes and whispered. "Ah- uh would you like to dance with me?" The brunette opened one eye and looked up at the other girl, nervously waiting her response all the while holding her breath. Anyone else feel like it's hot in here? No? Just me, okay..

Outfit: Dress | Shoes | Makeup
Hair

Enters the ball fully, but moderately dressed.

Interactions: Marion Davenport, Victor Moore and Wren Caster

Arlo was hardly one for formal attire, but he had done his best with what little he had. A simple pair of black trousers accompanied a white button up shirt. To bring the whole look together, he chose his very best black robes. From afar, he hoped they would just appear as the ones he wore every day, but if one looked closer they might notice a touch more detail. The fabric was a step up from the worn cotton of his work robes and bore a collar. The most noticeable difference to the boy was that he had actually brushed his hair for once. A touch of product he borrowed from one of his fancier class mates and a comb had made quite the impact on his appearance. He hoped the look was simple enough to deter any wandering eyes, but enough to impress his date.

As Arlo entered the ball, his eyes would grow wide with wonder. The Quidditch Pitch had been completely transformed. Having never really been to any official function as this, regardless that it was not officially sanctioned, it took his little breath away. It was also an impressive display of magic as he looked up to see hundreds of floating candles. How the organizers pulled this off without detection would be a mystery for years to come, but the boy tipped is non existing hat to them.

After the moment had passed, it was time to get to the business at hand. Marion had asked him to be her date and he had no intention of letting her down. It wouldn’t take long as he scanned the floor to pick her out. Classic good looks, long blonde hair and a pink dress just as she said. Not wanting to show up empty handed, he made a quick diversion to the concession tables to scoop up a couple of glasses before making his approach.

“Hey, Marion!” he called out as a silly smile crossed his face. “How’s it goin?! You look absolutely amazing.” He looked down at his attire and back up to her with a bit of nervous flush on his cheeks. “Hope I didn’t under dress. Brought you a drink if you like.” He held the cup overhead for her.”Not sure what’s in it to be honest.” The boy continued to ramble nervously.

If he was feeling unsure of his outfit before, it would only get worse as his eyes drifted towards Victor. “Woah! Victor! Cool suit, man!” Then, another beautiful ensemble would enter the scene as another girl approached (Wren). Feeling a little unsure of himself, Arlo pauses to sip his drink. A noticeable cringe would cross his face. Pumpkin juice, seriously, why was this a thing!

Interacting with @Ruka Tân
Mentioning @Aaron Jones
Open to Interactions

Her attention was caught while walking with Ruka to the table as Aaron called out to her, and she gave him a small wave and nod confirming that she would find him later. But her focus quickly returned to her date as he joined in on her observations about plants. As soon as Ruka mentioned the possibility of them being in the way she shook her head. "Not if you do the right arrangement with short stemmed plants going along the top and switching to hanging plants on the bottom. Then the goal would still be open. It would give me double the purpose as a Keeper. Making sure no points are rewarded to the other team, and protecting the precious plants! I'm the best protector, you're lucky you have a keeper along with you." She sent a cheeky wink his way, oddly she felt comfortable with Ruka. She had seen a kinder side of him at Opeila's birthday, and someone that obviously went to comfort Flash at her birthday party when he was having a rough time. Now she saw someone that she could joke with, talk to without immediately get angry, and obviously their first dispute about Flash had been solved over time.

Honestly, it was a recipe for a blooming friendship.

Willow had missed the reason for his gasp, too busy focusing on the food and she just assumed that he was gasping at the same thing. "I know~ The mini burgers are very cute." If only she knew that his reaction was towards once of her favorite people in her world, she'd be vastly upset if she knew she had missed him. Ultimately she had settled on her food and drink options.

Really she had only been trying to help him. His hair had needed help matching his outfit, but he tensed up under her touch. Ruka wasn't big on hugs either, so maybe he just wasn't a fan of physical touch? No, there was something else. His laugh was different than the one he had heard just a minute prior, he suddenly stood up as if wanting to run. Willow's face flooded with concern. This was bigger than her, but she had no idea why. From her seated position she saw him tap his thigh in the same pattern he did on her shoulder during her panic attack. 'He's grounding himself... Why?' As he left with a fake smile plastered on her face she simply nodded. The urge to follow him and make sure he was ok was strong. Something told her to stay put. He obviously needed time alone and Willow was just left to hope that he would return.

As she watched him walk the complete opposite direction of the food table her stomach grumbled. Quietly, she whispered to herself "Hey Willow, do you want something to eat? Y'know Willow, I would love something to eat. Let me grab something for you." She made her way over to the snack table to try one of the mini sliders, and they were absolutely delicious. She walked up and down the table, eventually settling on a small plate of fries to bring back to the table with her. Hopefully Ruka would understand.

After picking at the plate and getting about halfway through it she spotted Ruka coming back in and quickly slid the plate so it looked like someone else had left it there and that she definitely wasn't snacking without him. He was also carrying... sticks? He had a weird way of coping with whatever was going on with him. But who was she to judge, she used to go home and talk to the flowers about her tormentors back home. She gladly accepted the cupcake and goblet in her hands, placing the cupcake down before joining Ruka in the toast. "To an enjoyable evening." There was a softness in her voice now knowing that Ruka wasn't doing to great.

As she started to unwrap the cupcake she spoke back up. "Are you doing ok though? You left for fifteen minutes and came back with some sticks. I don't know if you want to redecorate, or if you're trying to make a makeshift emergency broom just in case something happens which is fair, totally support you. But your reaction to me just fixing your hair was..." She paused. Worrisome, do you hate me, did I do something, are you not a fan of mini burgers? Situations flooded her brain before speaking again. "You just seemed upset. I know you don't know me that well, but you also watched me have a panic attack, so I hope you feel comfortable telling me what's going on if you want to share."

Once she was done speaking she tore the bottom part of her cupcake off and put it on top of the frosting, making some sort of cake sandwich and taking a bite. A very serious snack, for a very serious conversation.

It was a shame to leave dinner on time rather than hanging out but there was an important task today. Donald of course wore his usual robes to not look suspicious as he slowly made his way from the great hall and onto the grounds. The Hufflepuff boy was a common sight on the grounds at many hours of the day so it would be far from unusual to see him wandering outdoors. The Quidditch Pitch was a small hike over but it wasn't too dark yet. Plus a lot of students failed to be even remotely subtle so there was a pack heading over.

Once Donald reached the pitch, he could both see and hear the activity inside. It was a party just getting started. Soon it would be a real party though once he arrived. He skipped the changing rooms entirely and walked right onto the dance floor area. Magic meant wardrobe changes could be done without buying new clothes or changing in some room. As a muggle-raised child, Donald did not understand why anyone still would want to change or go shopping. Magic solved all problems.

"Multicorfors!" Donald shouted dramatically as he pointed his wand at himself, red sparks surrounding his body as the spell began to do its work.

This spell decided to work from top to bottom. First the pointed hat turned from black to gold before shrinking into a fedora shape. Then a pair of the most gaudy shades appeared on his face with a golden, jeweled crown on top. It looked like something from burger king but slightly fancier. Next came the braces. The abomination that came from those took shape next. Metal wires turned to golden grills and diamonds filled the gaps creating a grill to rival the bling of famous rappers.

As the head finished up, Donald grinned wide to show off the diamonds. Then the robes began to transform into a jacket. The golden Hufflepuff trim of his robes took over, making a shimmering gold suit jacket with a crimson bow tie to cap it off. His black pants quickly flipped into shiny gold as well, reflective enough to blind an airplane at night. Just when one might think it could not get worse, the shoes showed up. As if Hermes himself had flown in from Greece to grace Donald with a gift. The golden wings on the golden shoes truly tied together the look.

Donald did not really know too many people at the school yet. A few he was going to find to hang out with would have been George or maybe a few other Hufflepuff guys. His luck with girls had been a bit poor but it wasn't his fault, he was certain. This absolute level of swag would bring the girls flocking though he was certain of that. Donnie was so proud of himself for this outfit idea.

Open to interactions.

Open to interactions!

Dan padded down the path toward the Quidditch Pitch. He wore his flowy Quidditch outfit, covering up his actual clothes.

Even though he didnt have a date, he wasn't going to let losing Ozzy get in the way of a good time. Or at least, he was going to try not to. He only got a finite number of school balls to go to, he wasnt going to miss one.
Though, he was worried. The last one was a disaster, and there had been attacks ever since. The Slytherin common Room attacked by shadow spiders, and apparently the Hufflepuff common room got lit on fire. But, all the more reason for him to be there. If things went tits up like last time, the more competent spellcasters there were, the better.

As Dan entered, he put his Swiftstick by the suit of armor, and removed his Quidditch cloak covering his clothes, and draped it around his broom.



Dan entered, took a ribbon for Homosexual, and was awestruck by the decorations. As always, he was impressed by the decor of these things.

Dan supposed that, since there wasn't going to be a red headed, curly haired English boy to focus on almost exclusively, he could focus more on any threats and catch them immediately.

Then however, his focus was taken by the food and drinks. He hadn't eaten yet, so he was instantly drawn there.
The food delighted him, but the bottles of what looked like chocolate intrigued him.

"Yoohoo? What the shag is Yoohoo?"
The only Yoohoo Dan was aware of was Yoohoo the raccoon, from the show Yoohoo and Friends.

Dan sighed, and loaded a plate up with fried chicken, fries, and a cup of something, he wasn't entirely sure what, but it smelled like strawberry lemonade, just in case he hated the... Yoohoo.

He found a spot, and sat down to eat. He'd thought about going to the dance floor, and was still on the fence about it.
Meh. He'd decide while he ate.

OPEN TO INTERACTIONS (both positive and negative LOL)

The ethereal bubbles brought back memories of her first instance of magic… how beautiful it had been!

The candles, the food, and the flowers were all a million times better than she could have ever expected from a secret ball - so perfect, in fact, that she did have to raise an eyebrow or two about how they would clean up if they were discovered. She surely hadn’t expected the thing to look so…lavish. A few tables with leftover dinner and a centerpiece, maybe, but this was gorgeous! Perhaps there was a magical way of hiding everything that she didn’t know about. A charm that hid them from Professors? She hoped there was no such thing.

It seemed that none of her friends had arrived so she decided to wander around a bit, picking up a few ribbons from a set of armor, one to denote her House (as she had a not so slight fear of her blue lipstick and purse being mistaken for a symbol of Raven pride) and one by the LGBTQIAP+ Club that she hoped would prompt some like-minded ladies to join her in a dance or two. It was immaterial if they did not - in fact, Jo would likely panic and refuse the hand of a stranger no matter how attractive the stranger in question might be.

There were a few familiar faces, but not too many. She had seen @Pericles Dralt wandering around dressed as if he were about to join a marching band, and Wren Caster was also there, in a blue dress and a date that made Jo’s blood run cold. @Victor Moore and @Wren Caster. Two people who probably hated her guts and wanted her gone. In a way, they were a perfect fit for each other - they could work together to fuck up her lovely big night at the secret ball. Merlin! Could the girl not get even a little bit of rest after all of the crap she had gone through?

She had to get out of here, before either of the disastrous duo could get to her and ruin the ball for her. All she could hope was that Jack Burnett, Ruka, Persephone, Saoirse, Evelynn, or anyone else that had reason to dislike her would be present. Geez. She didn’t remember making so many enemies, and yet there they were all the same.

She'd have to leave. Go somewhere. Somewhere they couldn't find her - well, anywhere but here. But first, food. Jo took a plate and dashed over to the nearest table, heaping snack after snack onto her plates until they were practically overflowing. The desperateness with which she transferred a small feast onto her was funny at best and, at worst, alarming. Thus armed with a glorious arsenal of food, she retreated to the changing room to clear her mind (and, perhaps more importantly, clear the area of her presence).



(Jo leaves for the changing room)

Interacting with @Xailah Alptraum

Up arched those thin eyebrows as his name rang out on a familiar voice. "Xailah!" Pericles returned, the calm quiet tune used moments before now surging with relief. It stuck stubbornly, unflinching in the face of her momentarily cross expression, obstinately optimistic when she warned she came with questions. "I would wager I've got some answers." The gap between them was promptly closed, and for lack of surety on what to do- a handshake was far too formal, a hug the opposite- he hooked both thumbs on the leather belt of his wand holster. Pericles might have advised the third-year against attending, concerned as he was about the risk of it all, but he couldn't help feeling better knowing she was around. Thus far, that was one person present he knew and trusted.

That nose-crinkling smile sprang up at the compliment. "Thank you," Peri enthused, idly smoothing the ivory vest with a palm. With a motion towards the Ouroboros-charged crest, he explained in passing, "Family formals. I was a bit under-prepared for something... floral. You look brilliant as well! Ribbons suit you." Xailah's fashion was always appealing: elegant, yet practical, with a shade of dark decadence. Though he couldn't have possibly guessed the inventive addition of claws, there was always a bit more to the metamorph than what met the eye. "Will you come t'dance with me, Xai? While the music is still slow?" One hand was held her way, palm up, as the other gestured towards the dance-floor. "No one will trouble us there, and I did say I'd save dance for you, yeah? Two birds, one stone."

The bird's expression was innocent, cheerful even, eyes back to their lidded and sleepy state. However, he had yet to shake the nervous jitters reverberating beneath his placid surface. That drifting stare scoured the crowd, flitting from face to face while he attempted to lead Xailah through the sea of gowns and suits.

Pericles and Xailah go to exchange conspiracy speculations break in the dance floor