Quidditch Stands || Secret Blossom Ball Event

~ * ~

Interacting with: @Xailah Alptraum, @Pericles Dralt, @Margo White
Mentions: @Illowy Magnard, @Breana Oliveire, and @Piérre Marchonné

Ruby, unfortunately, missed most of the look of pure joy and contentment that Margo had displayed. Looking at her again only at the compliment, she chuckled. “Well, thank you. Seems you made good choices not only with your style but with the colour too.” A flash of a smile was sent the Slytherin's way, but her eyes were lit cheerfully. For a moment, being with Margo and also with her newer friends, she felt like she could relax, despite the likely impending danger.

She was clearly comfortable joking around with Margo, and she had known her longer than she had known any of the rest of them, but she didn't want to exclude them. She figured they were having some of their own conversations, though, and she appreciated them all in different ways—while this was the first time she remembered properly meeting Xailah, she had quickly taken a liking to her. Perhaps when this was all over they would see each other again. There was admittedly a flicker of disappointment when Illowy announced that she would not be joining them, but her reasoning was sound and Ruby respected her decision.

Nevertheless, a small smile graced her features as she stuck tightly with her group. It expanded into a toothier grin as she surveyed the area from higher up, her eyes twinkling with awe at the sight that temporarily stunned her into silence. While it was still their Quidditch Pitch, the decorations added beauty and life to the land. Xailah made a strange, pained noise and Ruby looked over, giving her her full attention to check if the Gryffindor was okay. She did not look happy, but was it fear written on her face? Ruby could not tell. What was it that the other prefect saw that she did not? She had murmured something… what was it? Something about the Pitch being a cage? She glanced back at the Pitch, only to find that the exuberant life she had enjoyed gazing at a moment before was being taken away before her very eyes.

She watched in horror as slowly, steadily, the lights went out, and everyone was bathed in darkness. For much of her early life, she had enjoyed the darkness as well as the light. It brought stars with it and dreams, and nights spent awake reading or sharing whispers with her cousins, sneaking out to enjoy the crisp air and the feeling of life. Darkness could bring life in its own way, but this was no friendly, comforting darkness. This was sinister, like the spiders. They had grown larger and more powerful in the darkness, and they were hard to see. It had made her unable to help a colleague, a friend. It had caused her and so many more to be bitten. To experience horrible pain. Perhaps she was over-reacting and the lights going out was harmless, but the inky black still ran through her veins and she wouldn't be forgetting the event any time soon.

She felt a hand grasp her arm and almost jumped, whipping out her wand before realising that it must have been Margo. She reached out a hand to place it on top of her friend's own hand as reassurance and comfort. Focusing on her other senses, she was aware that she still couldn't see anything. There was a voice calling to them from above, another person who seemed to know Pericles. The Ravenclaw told the boy to go get help, and recommended that the rest of the group leave too. “Thanks for the offer, but I'm not leaving.” She glanced in what she assumed Margo's direction would be. Should she encourage the girl to go? Ruby doubted her stubborn friend would listen, but perhaps she was different in a dangerous situation. “You should go,” she urged, her tone soft enough to be inaudible for everyone except Margo unless they had brilliant hearing. “It's not safe, do you realise that yet?”

Her eyes were finally beginning to adjust. She could just make out some vague shapes, but they were moving and accompanied by… a buzzing sound. “Something's there,” she hissed. Well, obviously. The buzzing was hard to miss and they would have all heard it. “I see some shapes there… they're moving but I can't figure out what they are.” She squinted into the darkness, praying that it wasn't anything too harmful. On edge, she shifted around restlessly. What could she do? Lumos would help with their navigation but it could also potentially lead whatever it was right to them. However, Peri seemed to be casting that already. Xailah was going into the air to investigate, so Ruby mounted a broom in case she needed to attempt a quick departure or lend someone a hand.

She was nervous—perhaps scared, even—but she would do anything to help her friends. Deciding for the airborne option, she flew slightly higher to look around and down, maybe getting a chance to identify what the threat actually was.

Action: Chatting, at the Quidditch Stands (last round left in limbo), investigating the shapes.

~ * ~

Ensemble

Reducio

Interacting with: @Kaden Truell, @Liv Hartley, and @Haven Bohannon.
Open to interactions with others.

"...Kaden, I don't really know how. Would you teach me?" he asked apprehensively as he ran his fingers back through his hair. Charlie wasn't entirely certain just what he was so nervous about. Could it simply be that he couldn't dance, and didn't want to make a fool of himself? Perhaps that was part of it, but he wasn't sure that was all there was to it. Deep down, he knew that those feelings were being magnified by the fact that Kaden was a boy. It was silly, ridiculous, to feel that way, and he knew it - they were friends, and friends could dance together - but something about dancing with Kaden didn't feel like dancing with a friend, it felt like... dancing with someone, the way he had been thinking only moments ago about the prospects of dancing with that pretty Gryffindor girl. He could feel his heart racing in his chest, and his stomach twisting in a knot. Looking past the mere fact that Kaden was a boy - because really, who cared? - the nerves still remained. He'd never danced before after all. Well, of course he'd surely have danced at some point in his life, but nothing specific could come to the young Ravenclaw's mind, and it certainly was never around so many classmates. Where would they dance? Of course out on the dance floor once he had been taught how to do so, but where would he learn to dance? Did that have to be down there as well? It may have been a smaller space, and a bit too tight to move, but there were far fewer people in the stands to witness the spectacle of whatever his body would soon be doing.

Charlie looked down toward the Quidditch Pitch once again to look at the dancers, but something odd was happening. The candles below were beginning to extinguish, and the music was dying down.
Was the Ball over already? Or perhaps the teachers really had learned about the evening and were breaking it up? Yet neither of these possibilities sounded likely. The orchestra ceasing their playing made sense, but why would the lights go out? Surely that could be dangerous.
"What's going on?" he asked aloud, though it was truly more a personal thought than a question he was expecting any of his friends to answer. They were slowly sinking into darkness, and what followed only made his heart race faster than it already was. A low buzzing began to fill the air, causing the hair's on the back of Charlie's next to stand up. At first, he thought it might have been his own mind playing tricks on him in the dark, but as he listened carefully to the chatter around him, he soon came to realize he wasn't the only one. He could see some wands around lighting up, dispelling some of the darkness, and cursed himself for not being a better student. Was it getting louder? "I'll be back!"

Leaving his friends in the darkness, Charlie made his way up the rows, feeling his way to the back of the stands to hopefully get a better view, though to little avail. It was much to dark to see as he squinted his eyes, hoping too see something, anything at all, but it was useless.

colorcode: #000080
action: climbing to the back row of the stands to try and fail to see what's going on

Interacting with @Pericles Dralt @Ruby Cazares and @Margo White
Mentioning @Piérre Marchonné @Xailah Alptraum

There were a few missteps as Breana followed her friend, but luckily she had worn platformed ballet shoes that clung to her feet like glue. Breana made a mental note to owl her mother a thank-you note for advising her on such footwear. As the little girl reached the stands, a certain tinge of emotion slowly creeping up on her as the group slowly climbed higher and higher. Was it fear? Excitement? She knows not, nor does she care. Her sense of intrigue and being in the know of things are trumping any emotion that's battling inside her brain. Breana shot her head up as Pericles called out to his friend in the skies. Was he part of this squad of investigators?

Pericles never ceased to amaze his Ravenclaw companion, as she was astounded as he quickly took on the role of a pseudo-leader as he instructed the group on the school brooms he had acquired. The last time she had a battle with one, she left the Flying area with a bit of a bruising on her forehead. Besides, she had no intention of leaving, what with everything happening in the ball. Breana shook her head, flashing a rather playful smile. "No way you're gonna get rid of me that easily, Per. I'm still gonna help you all in any way I can!" She said, doing a funny flex of her arm, despite obviously having the frame similar to a window frame.

That smile was instantly dropped as Xailah mentioned someone lacking a sense of fashion. She tried to push the thought away that it was her that she was addressing to but judging from how the pristine girl has treated Breana from the get-go, it was like pushing a large boulder uphill. Still, she wouldn't boil in that thought for much longer. They have a mission to handle, and it's far more important than a simple quip of someone insulting her mother's dress. "Er, all joking aside..." Breana cleared her throat, still a bit shaken by Xailah's little insult. "We did talk about strength in numbers, yeah? So maybe we can have a greater chance of covering more ground if we'd split up in pairs. Uh... the ones that are still on the ground, at least." She looked at Xailah, watching the oldest of the group ready to fly off in the air. "It might be a risky move, but we'd also be sittin' ducks if we'd all group together when there's something popping up somewhere here." She said, gesturing to the area by waving her arms around as if showing how large the stands are.

Action: Chatting with the Group and Proposing to Split in Pairs

Moderation Post

Player Rolls

Although @Alexander Varellion attempted to alert anyone at the school with his Periculum, his practical cast failed (rolled 8 ), resulting in a small spark of red rising and falling sadly from his wand. His companion @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood succeeded in creating a quick lasso, but the two were presently standing in the dark.

@Arc Perscivious managed to quickly catch the falling @Raine Sage, who pointed out their present situation, though her attempt to further illuminate matters with a Lumos was unsuccessful (rolled 11). A weak bubble of light formed then faded from the end of her wand, leaving the two standing in darkness.

@Dmitri Jones succeeded in a powerful execution of Caeruleus Inflamarae (rolled 28, with spell spread), casting two tremendous bolts of fire down into the darkness behind the Stands. As these filled the air with a bright blue glow, they illuminated the approaching shapes and revealed them as Vampyr Mosps. Doing so meant his Lumos was no longer sustained, but before the three could be cast into darkness, @Celynne Gray succeeded in casting Lumos Maxima (rolled 12, with 25 ArcPower), creating a burning ball which would provide an area of light for some time. @Cecily Quinn, peering down towards the approaching swarm, would see the creatures clearly.

@Oliver Hart, darting down into the pitch before the swarm arrived, was not followed.

@Pericles Dralt succeeded in casting Lumos (rolled 16), creating a circumference of light for @Margo White, @Breana Oliveire, and @Ruby Cazares. As the latter squinted over the railing and down at the shapes, she would make out their insectoid shape, then see them quite clearly in the light of that Caeruleus Inflamarae cast from further down on the bleachers. @Xailah Alptraum, hovering above the group with tapetum lucidum aglow, would also succeed in seeing the mosps.

@Serena Towers succeeded in her cast of Lumos (rolled 13). Although @Saskia Nicholson, @Nico Shymane, and @Marissa North would be unable to see in the darkness, their proximity to her basked them in the light.

@Charles Cutting and @Lamik Fillestar, peering down into the darkness, would witness the swarm of mosps rising towards the bleachers.

Who looked down: Celynne, Dmitri, Cecily, Ruby, Xailah, Charles, Lamik
Those who took the time to try and identify the shapes would be given a small advantage: a few moments more than the others to process what they were seeing. Because of this, they would be briefly more prepared in the first crucial seconds of engagement (+1 Accuracy and Evasion in the next round, if applicable).

The Swarm

Arching upwards as they came closer to the stadium, a number of aforementioned ominous shapes droned above the pitch. They landed upon the flower pots hung from the goal posts, causing some to swing precariously, nesting in the decorations. Others moved to rest on the railing or bounce against the floral net hanging above the pitch.

There appear to be roughly two-dozen mosps. Of those, four lingered in the stands.

• The first mosp landed with a weighty plop five feet from Ruby. It turned a searing yellow eye upon her, then peered towards the gaggle behind the witch. Its proboscis flailed in their direction, sucking at the air.
• The second mosp trundled past Xailah and into a flower pot hanging from a goalpost, perhaps ignoring her due to her stealthy nature.
• The third mosp, infuriated by the blue flames that narrowly missed its bulbous body, sought revenge with the vindictiveness one would expect from a mundane wasp. Sounding an angry buzz with its wings, it hunched to brandish twin stingers, picking up speed as it flew for Dmitri.
• The fourth mosp initially appeared to be following the second, sailing high above the stands, but hesitated. Its long proboscis unfurled, testing the air, then it turned to peer down towards Alexander and Aida. The insect hastily dropped altitude, nose now rapidly curling and pointing with noisy sniffs.

Commonly Known Vampyr Mosp Faq

VampyrxMospxbodiesxaveragex1'5"xinxlength. Their stingers alone are half a foot long.

Classification: XXX Beast Temperament: Aggressive Status: Not Endangered Threat: Painful sting xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The Vampyr Mosp is a magical hybrid of wasp and moth. They are vicious creatures known to sting anyone unfortunate enough to come too close, striking with an attack which causes bleeding, sharp pain, and swelling. They are a local species and known residents of the Dark Forest. Mosps have two terrifying stingers, four wings, a long proboscis, and are red or purple.

The next moderation post will take place in one week (5/17).
If interacting with a mosp, please clarify if it is the first, second, third, or fourth.

Actions:
-Casting Incendio at Mosp #4

Reducio

Abilities:
Evasive Maneuvers

Interacting with @Haven Bohannon @Charles Cutting and @Kaden Truell

Action: Hiding behind @Haven Bohannon and encouraging people to do something.

Stats:
Stamina: 10
Evasion: 8
Strength: 4
Wisdom: 6
ArcPower: 2
Accuracy: 6
Abilities : Lovely Creature

Mentions @Flash Holmwood, @Quinn Healy & @Liv Hartley | Interacts with @Saskia Nicholson and @Serena Towers

Action: tries to cast Lumos

Serena continued to tease her as she mentioned Quinn. She didn't deny whatever she felt for him so she just giggled at her smirky remarks. How long had it been since they talked like this? They should do this more often. It was in moments like these that the dhampir wondered how it must've been like to be a member of the Huffelpuff house. If it had been, she could've hung out with the little badger alot more.

As soon as Serena started to shadowbox at who she could only assume was Quinn, Nico started to burst out in laughter. They both knew that Serena would be easily overtaken by the Tall Badger but could you IMAGINE? A small badger managing to punch a Half-Giant? It would be all over the Hogwarts newspapers, for sure. She was fun...

Suddenly, Nico heard something echo from down the pitch. The call of a bird. No one would pay much mind to it except her and a few others. Flash. Something was happening... Something really bad... People needed to leave immediatly.
'O-Oh no..'

Out of the corner of her eye, Nico could sense something changed... Had it become darker just now? Was this to set a mood for young couples galore? Serena saw it too. As they stood there in silence in the darker Stands, something crept onto her back, slowely but steady... She swallowed, hoping it would make the uneasiness go away, but it only got worse... A slow panic started to overcome the small dhampir as she tried to not lose her head. Her iceblue eyes looked left and right, over her shoulder and to the front. Was that... a buzzing noise? It didn't come from the pitch... But from behind them.
Serena had the right idea. She immediately cast Lumos, but Nico wasn't ready. It kinda blinded her as she tried to cover her eyes. 'S-Serena... Do you hear that too?' Her voice squeaked as she tried to not break into tears. "Do you guys have any idea what's happening?" Still standing near the small Badger, Nico looked over her shoulder to a girl she hadn't met before. For some reason, the redhead felt safer with a group. The more the merrier and... More wands, right? The dhampir held onto the shaft of her Tinderblast as her other hand tried to find the handle of her wand. Between the layers of her blue dress, it was abit hard to find it instantly. 'I-I... I have no idea..' Nico whimpered at Saskia. 'I-Is this maybe a prank? Like... a-..Maybe a surprise from the Professors?' She truly hoped that, but her gut told her otherwise. With everything happened, there was no way the Professors would scare them in a way like this. And.. brooms don't make that kind of low buzzing noise, do they? Her experience on the Quidditch field taught her that much. This was something different. Something new.

From near them, Nico could hear someone scream. 'Someone set them on fire!' The eyes of Nico started to widen. Whichever it was, it was already here. The buzzing became so loud. Were they right beside them? It was so dark out and everything seemed to happen so fast... Where was Quinn? The dhampirs legs started to shake. No. She had to stay strong. As Serena said, he'd be here soon. Right?

Nico couldn't stand by and let her fear conquer her. She had to do something. She owed that to her peers. With certain determination, the dhampir aimed her wand up, doing the right wandmovement and yelled the words 'Lumos!' The only thing she could do, was stay close to Serena. Her bravery inspired the young prefect. We couldn't let anyone get hurt tonight. Nico could only hope Quinn would be there soon and that he was alright.

Interacting with @Cecily Quinn @Celynne Gray

Permission to godmod Celynne Gray granted

A bright flash of stark cerulean light illuminated Dmitri Kazimir Jones' determined expression as two impressive waves of magical blue flames erupted from the tip of his chestnut wand. The conjured cold flames rushed upon the grounds, skimming the air above the short grass in glowing curlicues of fire. Its blue light was strong enough to reveal what exactly it was that was buzzing towards them in a loud, rapid cacophony.

Someone's shout of Lumos Maxima drowned out his startled gasp as his double Caeruleus Inflamarae revealed things--lots of them: twin stingers, large bulbous, insectoid bodies, and two pairs each of quickly-flapping wings--the source of the constant, disjointed humming.

Wasps.

No. They were something more.

He encountered the same looking things in his Care of Magical Creatures class. They were an arcane hybrid--a deadly combination of Moths and Wasps. Aside from possibly growing as large as 2-feet, these Mosps had an intensely painful sting, their stingers being almost a third as long as their bodies. Dmitri continued to stare slack-jawed as a bright white light erupted from overhead. Just in the nick of time, too, since at that very moment, the boy's Bluebell Flames dissipated slowly after seemingly hanging suspended from the air--bringing the illumination along with it.

It was just enough time for him to see the actual threat there is.

There was a full swarm of insects approaching from the grounds below.

And it was coming for the ball.

"Oh shit..." Dmitri muttered in horror, backing away, as the creatures quickly arched up in trajectory to enter the stadium. The incessant droning got worse. It was as if it was echoing, clanging, worming itself inside the boy's mind, inhibiting his ability to think clearly--especially when he watched as a few of the insects broke away from the group to approach the Stands--exactly where they were at.

"Fuck! Let's go!" The Slytherin boy exclaimed as he tried to get his two companions to take cover.

Think, Jones! Think!

He would tell himself as he would stumble across the seats towards a defensible area.

Incendio Duo that freak of nature. Burn the shit out of it. Heck, curses or hexes would be amazing right about now.

However, in the few seconds that he would consider these thoughts, a new one would occur to him.

But shit! Even if you blast them with fire or eliminate them with curses, it won't be long until a new insect would replace the one you're aiming for! Next thing you know, their hive mind kicks in and you'll have the whole swarm after you... If not, there's still the whole clueless ball down below.

Shit

Find something that can help!

You need a better plan!

His frantic thoughts weren't aided by the fact that one such creature was directly headed his way--and fast.

"GODDAMN!" Dmitri would scream at the bright light of his companion's Lumos Maxima and the pale, weak light of the cloud-covered moon.

The moon...

The moon!

"Fuck, I don't know if this is going to work, but please tell me you two know how to cast Engorgio!" He would say desperately, still running, as he removed his messenger bag from his shoulder. "Any of you have something portable enough that you're willing to lose temporarily, as well?" At this, he'd be shocked at the speed Celynne would thrust a golden armband at him.

After nodding his thanks upon receiving it, Dmitri would take his textbook out, point his wand onto both items and shout Avifors! with the insects and the dark of the night in mind.

You see, there was one thing the boy learned from Care of Magical Creatures.

No matter how strong or deadly or aggressive a creature was, there was always something bigger, something higher up on the food chain.

And Dmitri would use this knowledge as he cast his spell.

"We need bigger birds if we want this to succeed!" He would yell, indicating his prior need for an Engorgio. He just hoped his companions delivered.

At the back of his mind, Dmitri thought the whole thing was odd. He knows that, yes, these Mosps were an aggressive sort, often attacking victims in great numbers--but they usually only engage when threatened or when one got too close to their proximity. Deep in the recesses of the boy's thoughts, he had a suspicion this situation wasn't what it seemed.

STATS AND ABILITIES

Reducio

ACTIONS
Cast Avifors at his textbook and Celynne's golden armband to transfigure them into a pair of Owls <Spell Spread Activated> (Screech owls are apparently voracious insect consumers)

Interacting with: @Nico Shymane & @Saskia Nicholson
Mentions: Dmitri Jones & Liv Hartley

Something was wrong. Badly. Serena had no idea what was happening but she could not shake the sinking feeling that it would not go well. Events at Hogwarts rarely seemed to go well - why had the teachers not learned that by now? The sudden darkness worried her more than anything else did. She wanted, more than anything, to start a fire. She even had magical candles in her bag. She always carried them. It had been two years since the campout and she still feared the dark.

There were a few things that she had learned throughout her years at Hogwarts. Experience, after all, was a great teacher. The first was that the darkness ought to be feared. It could never be underestimated. It was scary.

But she was not stupid. She did not blindly fear something. She feared it, knowing full well what the darkness was capable of. She had faced it two years ago, at the campout and again not too long ago in the common room. The darkness would be the death of them all, if they were not careful. Shadows that came alive. It would be game over if they trapped in the dark grounds, surrounded by shadows.

Her wand lit up, allowing her to see the faces of her friends again. At least, the closest ones. There were people everywhere and everyone was so far. The second thing she had learned was that even the most basic spells could save your life. Lumos, a first year charm, was capable of protecting you when you needed it the most. It could save you.

"Saskia!" Serena called out as she heard the familiar voice of her dormmate. There was a sense of relief in her voice. Another friend had approached them. The third thing she had learned here during her time at Hogwarts - probably one of the most important ones, actually - was that together, they were unstoppable. Alone, they would die. Together, they had a chance. Together, they could do anything. This was the Hufflepuff way. Serena learned it at the campout and it was reinforced every time since. The badger army worked together. "I... I hope it's a prank but... I don't think... We... I don't know what we need to do! We need to get the hell out of here!" Serena's voice was filled with confusion and panic. She was unsure but she continued nonetheless. She had to. There was no choice. She was assuming the worst and just going with it.

Her heart filled with dread. Something was approaching. Creatures in the dark. She could not see them clearly, nor could she see where they were but she could hear the reactions of people around her. Shadows? Shadow creatures attacki- No, there was a buzzing sound of some sort. The shadows did not make that noise but... every time she saw them, they were different. Who knew what they were capable of now.

Someone screamed about fire. Fire countered the darkness. Fire was full of warmth and safety. But they were stuck in the stands. The whole pitch would burn down - and they would be trapped there. "DON'T USE FIRE! LUMOS AND RUN, YOU FOOLS!" Serena screamed suddenly. They had to get out. They had to. It was just the safest option. She clutched her broom. Nico had hers too.

Did Saskia? She did not see one in her arms but Serena was also struggling to see a lot, "Sas, take this! We need to get the hell out of here. I'll hold the light, can you flare?" She asked the group, offering Saskia her Shooting Star broom, hoping someone could cast the red sparks charm up to alert a professor. If Saskia rode the broom up into the air and cast it high up, there was a better chance someone would see it.

There was four of them and two brooms between them. They could share. But it might be easier for one person to fly up and flare straight away. Try and get a professor's attention - where the hell were they anyway?

She heard a boy scream about creating a bigger bird. Smart. They could use distractions. Other creatures against their own. If there was enough light, she could try and create some more distractions. Transfiguration was a thing she sort of could do.

ACTION: Maintain Lumos
[Note to Mod: Feel free to 'break' her Shooting Star broom at any point in the mod if rolled that way]