Secret Blossom Ball Event Finished

Interacting with: @Illowy Magnard | @Marion Davenport | @Tyranni Whitethorn | @Thora Larkston | @Arlo Reynolds
Mentions: Katrina Walker | Vladimir Athantos

Why was it always bugs? First spiders, now bees. Well, if the huge, bulbous creatures that appeared over the Quidditch Stands could even be considered bees. Thanks to several shouts, one of which she recognized to be the voice of Katrina, they were identified as Vampyr Mosps. The name sounded vaguely familiar, something she'd likely read about before, but nothing about them had stuck. Sure, huge aggressive magical bees sounded like the sort of thing that would leap off the page and haunt your dreams forever, but in relation to the whole world that had been thrust at her where everything was different, it hadn't. Besides, bees had never bothered Bridget much. They were just pollinators, after all, and as long as they stuck to their flowers, she hardly noticed them.

Something told her these bees weren't going to just bury their noses into flowers and leave them alone, especially not with people firing spells at them. Of course, Incendio had to be among those spells. They never learned, did they? Always fire. Always everything going up in flames. "Don't use fire," she whispered, but it was no use. Things were already aflame. People were already aflame. Unlike the ballroom, which in her opinion could afford to catch fire since it was hardly used, she hated that it was the Quidditch Pitch being burned. This was where she spent most of her time--she didn't want to see it destroyed.

A voice from below her caught her attention. Looking down, her eyes had adjusted enough to at least identify the person to be Illowy. The Slytherin was asking her what she could see, though by now everyone was aware of their imminent doom. Still, she answered, "Very large bees. With huge stingers." Speaking of stingers, the knives several students were carrying seemed to be the least of her concerns now; if someone was going to be impaled this time around, it would be by half-foot stingers.

Maybe the air was a good place to be. Perhaps on a broom she could go slightly faster, dodge more easily. But Bridget couldn't trust her casting ability as well from up above, and if she did get stung/stabbed she wasn't about to risk falling and breaking her neck. Swooping down, she landed next to Illowy and dismounted. Biting her lip and doing her best to take in her surroundings even with the darkness, she tried to determine what to even focus on. That was the problem with these things--the threat was so much huger than them. What could she, a mere second year, even do against everything that came their way? Where was she even supposed to start? Should she take care of the bees, or confront Vladimir? Search for answers or eliminate the immediate threat?

And then she heard a cry of Petrificus Totalus, a spell beyond her year. Swiveling to the noise, it was apparent the spell was coming from Marion and heading straight towards Tyranni. Oh no. Just what they needed, a petrified person while huge bees with huge stingers came to kill them all. It seemed like they were in some sort of fight over a bag, and there was no way Thora could hold off both Marion and Arlo, keep the bag, and protect Tyranni if it came to that...

"Illowy, sorry, I've got to go help. I'm not sure what's in that bag, but it might be important. Um... I'll be back if I can. Just try to fend off the bees, don't get stung." Bridget wasn't sure why she was apologizing to Illowy for having to go elsewhere. They weren't friends, not yet, and she knew the other girl was plenty adept enough to protect herself. Still, as she ran towards Thora, Tyranni, Arlo, and Marion, she felt bad for leaving her. But now wasn't the time for regret, now she needed to focus.

What to cast? Marion was almost certainly a bigger threat than Arlo, what with being able to petrify any one of them with just a spell, so she had to neutralize her. What better to stop someone from landing their spells than a blindfold, then? Besides, after all that had happened in the Owlery she preferred not having to hurt Marion. "Obscuro," she incanted, pointing her wand at the third year. Every ounce of concentration she could muster with the circumstances she fueled into the cast and her aim; she knew she couldn't really afford to miss. Whether she was successful or not, she would try to end the conflict, perhaps ironic as she had fired a spell of her own. "Marion, stop. There's got to be a better way to resolve this than petrifying someone. I mean, seriously, there are giant bees with huge stingers flying around. Are you just going to leave people defenseless against them?"

Action | Casting Obscuro at Marion Davenport
Movement/Free Action | Dismounted Broom
Stamina: 5 | Evasion: 9 | Strength: 3 | Wisdom: 9 | Arcane Power: 7 | Accuracy: 8
Sixth Sense | Evasive Maneuvers
Outfit | Broom: Nimbus 1700

mentioning: @Rosie Parker, Reid Kovacs, Cecily Quinn,
@Hanako Tone, @Kara Capricorn @Percival Rainwood, @Althea Valeden
interacting with: Mosp 13

Adam heard Rosie's answering call, saw Reid's silhouette against the light produced from his classmates' wands, but suddenly his focus had been stolen from the pair of Hufflepuffs. As he finally located his friends, a swarm of creatures descended from the sky, revealing themselves to be the source of that ominous buzzing noise. There had to be a dozen of them, maybe a little less, and they were all super creepy in that bug-like way. Adam couldn't remember what they were called, though he was sure that he had learned about them once before. He really had to start paying attention in class.

He watched the bugs descend on their ball and felt a wave of anger swelling inside of him. There was plenty of fear right underneath, but it was being mostly washed out by the stronger emotion. Adam had been so excited for this ball. He'd been prepared for something bad, but he'd still been holding out hope, especially since he'd gone to such great lengths to get Cecily down here. Oh, god, Cecily. Was she okay? He still had no idea where she was, but it seemed like the flying bugs were everywhere, and there was no way that she wasn't seeing them. This was a complete disaster.

As the Hogwarts students were faced with their unwanted company, chaos started to break loose across the pitch. The wandlight dancing around the field gave the whole thing a sort of horror-movie feel, although Adam was grateful for the extra visibility. He watched the creatures land on tables, track down students, and hover in the air, wondering what had drawn them here. Someone had probably set them loose somehow. It was the same story every year, and he was still no closer to finding whoever was setting up the castle for so much danger. Adam's gut told him that he should run, alert the professors somehow and get their help in case the bugs were dangerous. It looked like several of his classmates had the same idea, firing Sparks Spells into the air, boarding broomsticks, or just turning and fleeing to the entrance. His first thought was to collect Rosie and Reid, find Cecily, and get them all to safety. Slowly, however, Adam thought back to the Halloween Dance. Disaster had struck there as well, but they'd stayed and fought. He'd ended up carrying Jorah out of the fray, and he thought that Reid had busted open a door or something like that. The other boy wouldn't want to run, and the more he considered it, the more Adam didn't either.

A scream caught his ear and made him turn his back on the Hufflepuffs. They were both capable wizards, and they wouldn't let anything happen to each other. Adam had faith in them. His eyes roamed over the pitch and he finally found the source of the scream, a first-year boy (Hanako) clutching a bunch of flowers. As Adam watched, another group of students (Kara, Althea, Percival) ran to his rescue, taking refuge under a nearby table. One of the girls' wands was lit up, letting Adam see them as they attempted to hide -- and letting him see the bug-creature that was bearing down on them. He narrowed his eyes as he watched it probe at the group. They were smart to hide, but it would just keep bothering them if they didn't fight back. He could help them out. He had to try.

Casting one last look at Rosie, Adam took off in the opposite direction, leaving the dance floor behind as he approached the besieged table. The light at the end of his wand helped to guide his way, and the underside of the table was still magically lit up from the other girl's spell. He skidded to a stop a few feet behind the hovering creature, glaring at it and catching his breath. There had to be a spell that could stop it from hurting that group of first-years. He could do this. He just had to think.

Immobilising it might be a start, but Adam had no idea how long the effects of the spell would last. After the creature crashed to the ground, it would be angry -- not to mention, right at eye-level with the students under the table. No, he couldn't cast that one. He could always set the bug on fire, the old Hogwarts classic, but it felt like there was a better solution than that. Knowing that he was short on time, Adam finally remembered a charm that he'd learned; he rarely used it, but it seemed like the perfect fix now. He took a deep breath and brought his wand up, squinting against the light but knowing that it would go out as soon as he started casting.

Adam dragged his wand up and down in a zigzag-like pattern, squinting at the creature's buzzing wings. It had two pairs that both looked rather small compared to its overall size, and from where Adam was standing, they lined up nicely to look like two wings rather than four. He winced a little bit at the brutal notion of what he was about to attempt, but knew that it had to be done. Aiming his wand towards the base of the wings, where they connected with the creature's body, he completed his spell and shouted the incantation. "Diffindo!"

Right away, Adam jerked his wand to the side, aiming at the second pair of wings. He'd had luck with double-spells before, giving them a bit of added power even if the accuracy was weakened. He prayed that the first-years were safe from his charm if they did fly off course, because if they weren't out of the way, this could go poorly. Adam's intention was to slice through both pairs of the creature's wings, using two bolts of the Severing Charm to cut away each perfectly-aligned set, but he had no guarantee that it would work. He was lucky to have the first-year girl's wandlight slightly illuminating his target, even from under the table. It was certainly better than nothing. Now that Adam had cast, he could only stand and wait, like watching a bowling ball as it traveled towards the pins.

He could be in store for a strike, taking the bug-creature down and removing it of its power to fly. If that happened, the first-years could surely get away, and Adam would be able to either finish the thing off or escape with them.

Of course, there was always the possibility of a gutter ball. Adam's spell could miss or backfire, slicing up another part of the creature, the table, himself, or scariest of all, a first-year. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he cut one of them by accident. He wanted to shout a warning, but it felt too risky with the creature right in front of him. He'd just have to cross his fingers and hope. Adam thought he was a good wizard, but even the best spells failed sometimes.

It all came down to a metaphorical roll of the dice.

ACTION: Use Spell Spread ability to dual-cast Diffindo and cut through
both pairs of Mosp 13's wings (hopefully aided by Kara's Lumos)

STA: 12 | EVA: 4 | STR: 6 | WIS: 6 | ARC: 9 | ACC: 8
Calming Presence ~ Spell Spread ~ Prodigal Charms Learner

Søren almost convinced himself that he was overthinking. Surely there was no way danger could be afoot. This was going to be just fine. He and Cupcake Frosting would sail up into the night and be met with a rainbow of fireworks or a light show or something that would not put his life at risk. Oh, how wrong he was.

The buzzing, which had already shaken him to his core, decided that it would be an utter nuisance. The sounds worked its way into his head as the volume increased, shutting out any coherent thoughts from being formed. If Cupcake Frosting replied to him, he didn’t notice. The smack against his back was light, doing nothing to jostle him out of his predicament. The only thing that penetrated his senses was that damned buzzing. As they lifted off, his eyes were tightly shut. The last time he kept his eyes closed when leaving the ground was the first time he had ever taken flight on a broom. Since then, he had no fears of soaring in the sky. Tonight, though, he feared something else but he could not say what until the dark purple mosp entered his vision, suspended in the sky ahead of him.

“Cupcake frosting, do you see that?” he hurriedly whispered. He still could not hear himself as the blood rushing through his head overpowered the sound of his voice. However, the presence of the mosp and its allies did some good. After a few beats of staring at the mosp in the air, Søren’s racing heart slowed. There was no ‘unknown’ to be afraid of now, only gigantic, stinging magical creatures. Leaning over the side of his broom, the bursts of Lumos became clearer. There were so many students left on the grounds below him. If only he had more practice with his spells, he would have brought the broom closer to the ground and unleashed a bevy of attacks on the mosps terrorizing his classmates. Alas, he had no spells to his name. Sure, he packed a good punch, but Søren decided that the most he and Cupcake Frosting could do right now was alert the teachers.

As if on cue, red and green sparks showered the pitch. He was thankful for those who had good practice with the alerting spells, but it was possible that he and Calanthe could speed up the process if they escaped the Quidditch Pitch without being detected by the mosp in the air. Calls for an Alley Oop gained his attention as two people on a broom attempted to launch another towards the castle. He grinned in spite of his situation. Quidditch always pulled though.

When Cupcake Frosting’s body made contact with his back, he stiffened. Her cold fingers squeezing his arms brought him back to earth and her ragged whispers reminded him of his job. Nodding as if she could see him, Søren slowly angled the broom towards the gaps between the stands and tried to zoom through them without alerting the mosp to their presence.

Interaction Status: Open
Interacting with @Calanthe Choi
Outfit

Action: Attempting to exit the Quidditch Pitch between the gap in the stands on a school broom while avoiding detection by Mosp #16
Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 8 | Strength: 7 | Wisdom: 6 | Arcane Power: 2 | Accuracy: 6

Open to Interaction

No time seemed to be wasted after suggesting that they could take their leave before Woodward took the initiative. One moment, her feet were planted firmly on the ground; the next, her weight had settled fully upon the back edge of the cushioning charm of Silver's handle as she nodded an affirmative to Holmwood. She was better prepared for sitting double this time around, curling one hand — still gripping her wand — firmly around the polished wood beneath her sacrum, the other sliding casually around Woodward's middle. And if her driver allowed it, even her feet would also worm their way in search of purchase onto the silver stirrups on the inside of his own.

Dress and quidditch uniform fluttered in unison as the two ascended, bringing with it — strangely — the scent of rain. Evelynn's gaze flickered reflexively to the sky with a sense of unease. Somehow, the thought of rain made everything worse. If it wasn't for the fact that it would sap what little starlight still remained, then to decrease visibility and communication even further. Not to mention that in a way, it might feel like some sort of harbinger of doom. As though she could expect to see an eruption of flame at any moment that would require the tears of heaven to make amends. Much to her relief, the sky remained clear.

Somewhat.

Naturally, as glimmers of light were summoned into existence all around the pitch, her attention was pulled immediately to the growing flock of giant swarming insects. A shiver coursed through her from sole to crown, and not for lack of heat. Aside from the occasional ornamental fairy at christmas or a strange plant in Herbology, she had hardly born witness to any living thing that she could confidently claim to be unnatural. Magical. But these... these were unnatural. Like giant, bloated mosquitos. She hated mosquitos. And all she heard of Holmwood's commentary below was the final notion of "...careful you two!" which hardly aided to abate her growing sense of dread.

She had no time to ponder what else he might have said, however. No time to try to decipher what manner of friend or foe these new arrivals were. Instinctively, she knew them to be the latter, and any hesitance on the matter she might have held was wiped the instant that one of the mysterious flying beasts swooped down towards those from whom she had just taken leave. By the illuminating light of Asterion's wand and by the angry buzzing of its wings, the proboscus looked deadly. Evelynn was not about to let that get anywhere near to any of those yet remaining on the ground. Not even Barrett. Not if she could do anything about it, anyway. In a snap decision, she acted.

"Flipendo!" she uttered with no small amount of urgency, practically willing the target [Mosp #11] to be thrown back and off its trajectory towards her comrades.

Her heart hammered in her chest, adrenaline beginning to course properly. Until now, she had never really cast outside of class or the calm and controlled environment of practice. There had been that one SWAG game in which she had participated, wherein she tried to burn the other flag and protect their own in due process, but even that had allowed a certain amount of time to pause and strategize and take her time to aim and think. Not so now. Now, it was do, or do not. Try, or fail. And she refused to fail. She would fire away at it again and again if she had to — at all of the little giant pests — if that's what it took to keep the attendants safe. After all, wasn't that exactly why she had decided against all common sense to come to this hair-brained fallacy of a ball?

"I...what?" So focused was she on her task, that she barely registered Woodward's comment. Then it dawned on her, and for a second, the chaos surrounding them shifted into the memory of familiar chaos of their last Quidditch game. "We didn't meet like this," she retorted, her fox-fur stole practically bristling for her. Thankfully the darkness would mean she wouldn't even have to resort to denial of the rouging of her cheeks. "It's not like I wanted...This was the logical choice!" she reasoned defensively. "And this certainly wasn't exactly the flight that I had in mind..."

It was likely that any response would be delayed, however, as a peppy and almost too excited voice rang out at about their level some distance away. Evelynn pulled her irate expression away from Woodward to peer past him to source the sound. Just in time to see none other than Piérre come swooping at them, Woodward's arm extended in return. Well if that wasn't a flashback and a half to exactly what had happened the last time she had ridden with Woodward, only it had been MacAllister rather than Marchonné, and it had been them going for the Alley-oop rather than playing the part of the Alley-ooper. She had just enough time to brace herself, wrapping Woodward in a tight one handed hug, as her other hand dove to anchor around the broomshaft between them before she found herself promptly spinning on a vertical axis.

"Please..." she lamented after Pierre had been thoroughly yeeted, feeling as though her brains were rolling about within the confines of her cranium, "Let's... let's not do that again... for at least a while..."

STA 5(8) | EVA 8(11) | STR 2(5) | WIS 10(13) | ARC 2(5) | ACC 9(12) |
Keen Eye —There is a 25% chance of automatically finding something
Calming Presence (Flash's Ally) — 10% chance to auto-hit their chosen target
Broom: Silver Arrow — +3 to all stats

Action: Flying with Charlie, Casts Flipendo @ Mosp #11

Interactions: @Tyranni Whitethorn | @Bridget Collins | @Arlo Reynolds | @Marion Davenport
Vaguely Mentioning: Victor Moore | Anastasia Beckett
Closed to interactions (unless owled and approved).

Stamina: 7 | Evasion: 8 | Strength: 2 | Wisdom: 9 | Arcane Power: 8 | Accuracy: 7
Evasive Maneuvers | Prodigal Charms Learner

Thora darted around people, following Tyranni while keeping an eye on the sky above. The buzzing was only increasing, and although she now just wanted to figure out what it was, it wasn't her main concern. It couldn't be yet. It seemed that her upward peering would be rewarded, however, by nothing short of horror. A horde of oversized things with disgustingly long stingers had found their ways into the pitch, descending on the students. Eyes fixed on the sky above, she began to bend down, involuntarily reaching for her strongest weapon.

So they were mosps. Thora hadn't had a close enough glance to know what they were, but at least somebody (well, a whole lot of people, actually) had done their research. She didn't exactly care in particular for magical creatures, and was surprised she hadn't come across them in her reading, but that was that. Anyways, she couldn't afford to dwell on something like that right now.

Words being spoken near her brought her back to reality, and she forced herself to tear her gaze away from the nightmarish creatures, straight to a lump of something on the ground. Another problem. Thora glanced down at the bag in question, a frown pulling at her lips as Tyranni dragged it over the ground. If it had to be dragged, it was obviously heavy. So if it wasn't easy to carry, it would be hard to run away with it if needed--no, when needed. Assuming that the contents of the stolen bag were valuable or useful in any way, she was sure that there would be some escaping involved.

And that was before the fighting started. She rotated her right foot inside her slightly-too-large boot, relieved as she felt the thin shaft of wood that could save her life still there. She'd arrived clutching it with a white-knuckled hand, but had quickly hidden it away when the realization of how it could hinder her movement hit. "What's inside?" she echoed, hoping to get an answer out of either Marion or the small boy [Arlo] civilly. But then the third year drew her wand, and just like that, all hopes of peace were dashed to pieces.

She had to think quickly. Tyranni was her only ally present, and Thora wasn't sure she would be able to hold off both of the others in front of her (Marion and Arlo) and obtain the bag, seeing that it was probably important. She had half a mind to hex the blonde, but what would be the consequences? Restraining Marion hadn't been a problem before, but she wasn't about to underestimate magical capability. Besides, Thora didn’t exactly want to spark a full-blown fight. Not now. The bag took precedence, right? Even though something was mentioned about them not knowing what they were getting into, she couldn't help but be curious.

Of course she didn't know what she was asking for. With so little information offered anywhere she looked, how could she? "I-" she started, glancing at her companion. She didn't know what to say, or whether she should apologize for leaving Tyranni potentially helpless. But another flash caught her attention. A flash that seemed a million times brighter than the Lumoses popping up around the pitch (like her own), and that wasn't quite white.

Fire. Thora couldn't help but gasp as she watched two people literally catch on fire, seemingly consumed by the orange flames. This couldn't be happening again. She felt the world spin around her as she stood helpless once more, all but frozen by the sight. The only thought in her head was to move, to do something--but she didn't know what. It was call for help, tear open the bag which could be anything--empty and innocent, or an unforgettable revelation--, attempt to help rid the place of those mosps, help the burning people, or run. In other words, she could either be the hero or the coward.

Thora wasn't cut out to be a hero. She wasn't exceptionally capable, wasn't strong, wasn't brave. She tried her best to help when it was called for, but it wasn't something she threw herself into. Why couldn't she just run with the bag and hide? Why did she have to feel compelled to stay, when instincts told her to run? Glancing around at the already panicked students, many who were trying to fight (hopefully they knew how to fight mosps, as the consequences would be painful if they weren't smart about it), and others who were trying to take charge of people who probably weren't about to listen, she knew. She would stay.

It wasn't that she was going to act like she was in control, as she was far from it, or even that she wanted to be the one to save them all (or anyone, in fact) for the glory, but running and leaving so many people in danger just wasn't an option. It would crush her. Now, if only she could figure out what to do.

"Thanks," she muttered to Bridget, who'd come to their rescue. Leave it to her best friend to appear when she was needed, whereas she was…pathetically frozen. "I'm sorry," Thora whispered to Tyranni, the possible unfortunate victim of Marion's spell, as Thora bent down, fighting down fear as she surveyed the unassuming bag. "I-I think we've got to keep this safe." She hated leaving the first year undefended, but hopefully she would understand. Besides, she could get her revenge later if she wanted it.

It was a risk, as again, she had absolutely no idea what was inside. But it was one she had to take. Feeling an unfamiliar surge of courage and curiosity break through the drowning waves of fear, she grabbed hold of the bag and attempted to drag it away [from Marion and Arlo]. This was important. They couldn't afford to lose it now.

Action | Drag bag away from Marion and Arlo.

Outfit | Broom: Nimbus 1700

Talking hadn't worked. She barely had time to think once she saw Marion reaching for her wand. It wasn't that she thought Marion was bad, but she did think she was unreasonable, always assuming that everyone was out to get her. No surprise there, not with the people she chooses to affiliate with, the thought raced through her mind as her body reacted to seeing the wand come out. The bag between her and Thora, she let Thora deal with fighting off Arlo as he approached for the bag.

Charging at the blond girl, she barely acknowledged the fact that Bridget had appeared suddenly and was talking to Marion. It did not matter, she was already committed to charging Marion. She did not hear Bridget case the Obscuro spell, but should it work, Tyranni knew exactly where her target lay.

"AARRRRGGGGHHHHH!" She screamed out in fury at the girl who kept getting in the way. If her obstinance meant getting everyone killed because she was too fearful of just being honest, then so be it.



All plans were going down the drain. She didn't mind Arlo. In fact, she thought he was innocent of all this blood. It was a shame that he was now involved in the middle of this. Plus, Marion seemed to be a nice girl. Screw it. Like Hamilton's thoughts during his dying moments in the muggle play, thoughts raced through her mind in the brief moment it took to charge the girl.

She did not know what she would do should she fail, but at this point it did not matter. The girl was pointing her wand directly at her. It was either act now or be a standing duck.

Action: Charging Marion to tackle her
Interacting with: @Bridget Collins | @Marion Davenport | @Arlo Reynolds | @Thora Larkston

Please owl me before initiating an interaction.
Mentioning | @Flash Holmwood & @Evelynn Decipio

Reducio

Swallowed by darkness still, the night barely fractured by the ignition of several wands and the match that remain withering away between her fingertips, Persephone barely registered the uncomfortable shift in the air, let alone the presence of an attacker. While Evelynn had spoken to her, addressing Flash and another nameless face somewhere within the cough of words she spilled, the blonde’s piercingly green gaze had rather been fixated straight ahead, where nothing of interest lie. Not seeing, but listening, with upstanding, remarkable attention, to the whispered conversations and ordeals that were near enough to her. Possibilities had consumed her before, the company of Flash leading the Slytherin into some kind of formation of a plan, a means of surviving in the hard parts of the dim sky. It had left her in a dull numbness to the extreme rustle of conflict that surrounded the three, which posed a self-induced threat.

Something had occurred, likely something regarding a few boys of the evening that wouldn’t be intelligent enough to suppress their lethal curiosity. Even aside from these, plus the one that pulled without mercy, another couple had been dragged into it by their heels, nails against the chalkboard and dominating all that the Slytherin girl could process at the moment. Her gaze darted left, then right, hastily between the two in a manner never before seen, squinting once again as if to break the blackness with the small fire that burned in her hands. Absentmindedly, her fingers moved lower, body aware of the heat as it spread nearer.

Enthralled by what was going on around, it wasn’t until Flash muttered his seemingly rushed goodbye that Persy was torn back into a cruel reality, where she immediately dove into the overcast, controlled by innate behaviors. Only a small distance away, a familiar bug hovered toward them, appearing about as angry as Persephone was herself. In the fleeting moments of adjustment, the source of such familiarity became clear, a vague recollection of that manipulating voice echoing deep in the burrows of memory. The very same one that informed her of dhampirs, giants, all aspects of the world that could try to shatter the blonde into fear. It was not fear that drove her now, rather frustration at the abandoning.

It was a cloudy mystery whether the boy’s final remark had been intended to serve as an invitation, but the blonde would not pursue, for reasons only she could comprehend. If anything, the part of her heart that was most grey, was thankful for his departure, bringing with him the flower that would grasp their attention the most. Still, her stomach was unsettled, crouching once again in an attempt to remain shielded, rapidly planning her course of action.

To hell with a course of action.

As the red vampyric mosp edged closer, Evelynn reacted from above, in what seemed like some kind of defense of the students that remained nearby it, the blonde included. It wouldn’t provoke a smile, nor any ounce of respect, but it would hopefully give Persephone the opportunity to dive away completely, leaving that scene behind in favor of whatever lie ahead. Destruction was erupting throughout the entirety of the ball, an event of pandemonium that anyone could’ve seen from days in the forgotten past. She needed to leave.

Action: Attempting to get away from mosp #11. Planning a way to leave.
Ability: Fearless
Stats: Sta: 8 | Eva: 4 | Str: 5 | Wis: 7 | Arc: 5 | Acc: 6

Reducio

I am sincerely sorry for being so late and if anything is wrong or mistyped. Basically just getting something in for now.

Starter | Mod One | Mod Two | Mod Three | Mod Four | Mod Five | Mod Six | Mod Seven | Conclusion

This is a Moderation Post

Over on the dance floor, @Willow Anderson had been exposed with a lumos. Although @Vladimir Athanatos' bag was at her feet, it was clear she had been the one in possession of it. The boy aimed a well-placed kick at the girl (rolled 18 disadvantage), only slightly hindered by @Flash Holmwood's attempt at protecting her. She would take 200 damage from the kick of the upperclassmen (rolled 11 to avoid)

Perhaps this was serving as a distraction, though, because @Selim Faust suddenly appeared in the group asking for access to Vlad's bag. The boy wasted no time in yanking the bag open and peering inside. Selim would see the following:

Reducio

1 set of school clothes
1 large, soft-ball sized phial filled with an unknown substance
3 empty mason jars
1 doll that vaguely resembles Marion Davenport
1 blanket, plaid. One side flannel, the other a plastic-like

It is clear that there are more contents in the bag underneath the blanket, but these are the only things currently visible without further investigation (an action).

Over by the stands, @Tyranni Whitehorn had possession of @Victor Moore's bag. She intended to get it somewhere safe, but @Arlo Reynolds wouldn't stand for the theft. Tyranni demanded to know the contents before letting the boy have the bag back, but @Marion Davenport was tired of being questioned by everyone. She whipped out her wand (rolled 25) and aimed it at Tyranni (rolled 10).

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Tyranni's arms and legs would snap together and she would fall to the ground, allowing Arlo the access he needed to the bag. As he went to grab it, @Thora Larkston would snatch the other side of it. Alas, the tiny Arlo (rolled 22) would somehow gain the upperhand and rip it from Thora's grasp (rolled 18), now able to drag it away if he chose to. @Bridget Collins, meanwhile, would attempt to blind the blonde girl who had petrified her friend. Bridget cast the blindfolding charm at Marion (rolled 17), but Marion easily evaded the spell (rolled 22).

@Anastasia Beckett hatched a "brilliant" plan as she saw a mosp barreling towards her trio of friends. She grabbed the incredibly heavy vase of flowers and shouted insults at the nearby mosps before taking off running. Just a moment later, she successfully set the flowers on fire (20 at disadvantage). None of the mosps above flew near her, though, clearly put off by the deadly flames. And just as the flowers took to the flame of her wand, Anastasia tripped over the dress she had yet to rip apart. Balancing an extremely heavy vase with one hand had proved to be too much as she was running.

As the vase of roses soared through the air, it landed with little-to-no damage on the grass that had somehow regained its soft and muddy quality. The vase of roses was now a fair bit away from the girl who previously held and ran with them. Speaking of- Anastasia Beckett was now engulfed in flames, screaming in pain on the ground. It was almost as if she had spontaneously combusted as she tripped. The damage was critical as her skin and dress were enveloped by the flames (causing 240 damage). What had she done to deserve such a fate? Pricking her finger against her friend's wishes? Holding onto the roses without knowing the whole story? Multiple actions, perhaps?

@Astrea Soleil Neptune and @Ivy Bellamy would have seen the whole ordeal - Ana casting incendio, tripping over her dress, the vase going flying, and the princess suddenly combusting into flames. Even though @May Moonstar failed to cast lumos, the light of Ana's burning body was plenty to see by.

Anastasia's screams attracted the attention of her friend @Rafael D'Spacito, who made his way over (quite slowly and painfully thanks to the fight he'd just been part of). He cast the extinguishing charm, but it seemed his injuries were too distracting and the light of his wand indicated a failed cast (rolled 5). Another girl came barreling in Ana's direction, hoping to help her. @Lark Flaer cast the same charm, but suffered the same fate as Rafael. Her charm failed to cast (rolled 13, dc 14), perhaps because she was distracted by how beautiful the girl looked - even while she was on fire. Her friend @Allister-Jameson MacAllister kept an eye out for anything that might attack during their efforts, but it seemed the mosps were steering clear of the area.

Elsewhere, @Victor Moore was still tending to his petrified date. He cast the countercurse (rolled 20) and successfully released her from her petrification. @Wren Caster did not immediately move, though - in fact, it seemed like she was stuck in a trance. If one were to look into her eyes, they'd see a vision of her kissing Victor and thanking him, but that's all it was - a daydream. By the time she was able to move, her beloved was already gone and on his way towards the stands and his friend Marion. He hadn't made it very far, though, when he was suddenly engulfed in flames. The scream he let out would rattle people to their core as he took a critical amount of damage (240 damage). Would anyone come to his rescue?

Wren herself would take 60 damage from the flower suddenly igniting on her ear. That's probably what snapped her out of her daydream.

Over in yet another abandoned area of the ball, a Hufflepuff girl know as @Maria Dee would have the idea to light some of the flowers on fire to attract the mosps. They were like moths, right? As she turned her wand on a cluster of flowers floating in midair (because there are no bushes here), she called out incendio! Unfortunately for her, the spell would not go as planned (rolled natural 1). It seemed that her wand had been backwards when she cast (perhaps she had gotten mixed up from the panic of the ball). A jet of flame ignited from the end of the wand, burning her hand/arm and dealing 110 damage to herself.

@Erin Ryan and @Thomas Lestrange were still in a battle to the death (figuratively speaking). Neither one wanted to back down from the fight, so they quickly geared up for their next actions. @Ruka Tân appeared at the edge of their vision, his torch lighting the fight enough to grant them visibility. @Jack Burnett was faster than all of them, though, and inserted himself between the purple-haired girl and Thomas before they launched into their attacks. Jack's attempt to immobilize Thomas (auto-evasion 92) would fail, and he would be victim to the dropkick meant for Erin (Thomas 21 vs Jack 9). Jack took 140 damage as he fell to the ground. Erin (rolled 22) narrowly avoided getting hit by Jack (rolled 19), but she managed it nonetheless. Her next move was to attack Thomas (rolled 16), but he would jump over (rolled 22) the sweep of her leg that would've led to her having the upper hand.

Ruka would attempt to stop the fighting by immobilizing Erin from the sidelines. As he called his spell, a burly boy by the name of @Oliver Hart appeared at Erin's side and successfully cast protego (rolled 17). Ruka's spell (rolled 16) hit the invisible shield with a spark of color, and very narrowly missed rebounding onto the torch-bearer himself.

Fifth mosp

This red mosp would descend on the dance floor group, uncaring of the chaos happening among the occupants. Its proboscis would flail in the direction of @Opeila Seilun and it would begin to target her specifically. Before it could get close to the fragrant-haired girl, it was suddenly set alight with a burning sensation. Willow Anderson had successfully cast incendio (rolled 22) at the mosp (rolled 12), and caused 110 damage to the winged creature. Despite the cast, the mosp was not on fire and it angrily turned its attention to the blonde. With its enormous stingers, it went in for the kill. Perhaps it was literally blinded by rage, though, because its attack went wide (natural 1), completely missing the girl and her protector Flash Holmwood. Its stinger launched itself into the dance floor tiles, getting itself stuck in between two of the tiles and stuck there for the next round of actions. It buzzed furiously, clearly unhappy with this turn of events.

Sixth mosp

This huge purple mosp continued to ruffle around in the boutonnieres box. Several students had taken notice of its proximity to the entrance/exit of the ball. Despite this, @Cassandra Ironwoods was among the first to risk it and run straight past, successfully exiting the ball. The mosp hardly batted a wing when she left.

Seventh mosp

This red mosp was zoning in on the floral centrepiece of a table when it narrowly missed being hit by a cup (thrown by @Lizzie Verdine - rolled 9 vs mosp 21). Its yellow eyes would scan the area the cup had come from and, seeing nothing, would continue its descent. Just before landing between two girls (@Crystal Jagger and @Mildred Wilson), the latter of the two picked up a glass bottle of Yoohoo and chucked it at the mosp (rolled 16). The large beast was too slow (rolled 11) to avoid the projectile and was hit square in the face, taking 20 damage. Of course, it grew agitated by this. One of the girls (Crystal) ran from the scene. The other girl was not quite so lucky, and the mosp flailed its proboscis in her direction before descending with increased speed, its stingers aiming straight for her (rolled 18).

Mildred (rolled 10) would take 106 damage as the mosp's stinger pierced her chest. It would not pierce through the other side, but it was far enough for there to be an explosion of pain as the venom took root. The pain would cause Mildred to have reduced instincts in the coming battle should she choose to continue to fight. She would definitely be bleeding quite a bit as the mosp flew back into the air, prepared to descend once more for a second attack.

Eighth mosp

This mosp originally had its sights set on a girl by the dance floor (@Macie Winkle), but projectiles were being thrown at it. Something sweet hit its butt and did 4 damage (Atlas 23 vs Mosp 20), and the mosp turned its ugly head towards the buffet tables as another projectile was thrown. A cupcake hit its wing (Ethen 19 vs Mosp 9) this time, causing another 4 damage as it regained its balance in the air. Even though it wasn't really hurt, the red mosp was clearly agitated and changed targets. Its new aim was the two Hufflepuffs throwing cupcakes. Rather than going for the girl (@Atlas Reid), the mosp aimed its stingers in the direction of the boy (@Ethen Emrys). However, the boy was fast on his feet and dodged out of the way at the last second (mosp 17 vs ethen 24). No matter. The mosp rose back into the air in preparation of another attack.

Ninth mosp

@Aaron Jones' attempt at a spectacular hook kick (rolled 5) fell short when he misjudged the mosp's location in the air. The mosp (rolled 21) navigated slightly to the left and evaded the boy, but it ran smack dab into the swing of a music stand. @Lydia Cooper (rolled 20 vs mosp 8 ) dealt a whopping 40 damage to the flying beast. It let out a rattling noise, probably unlike anything the two Hufflepuffs had heard before. It turned its stinger on its assailant and went in for the attack (rolled 13). Lydia was quick on her feet, though, and dodged out of its way (rolled 14). Once again, the mosp let out an odd sound as it raised back into the air for another attack.

Tenth mosp

This purple mosp would be minding its own business, happily occupied with a floral centrepiece on one of the many tables. When a flash of light narrowly missed the mosp (Katrina 15 vs Mosp 21), its yellow eyes would zone in on the source (@Katrina Walker). Although not normally aggressive, it was clear that the girl had been intending the mosp harm. Rather than wait for the next attack, the purple mosp rose into the air and beelined for the girl with its stingers extended. Unfortunately for her (rolled 14), the mosp had an aim irrelevant to her height (rolled 21). It's stinger cut into part of her ear, causing 86 damage and a bit of bleeding. Her ear would feel like it was on fire as the venom set in, reducing her accuracy and evasion for the next round. The mosp would raise into the air and look at the group around her, prepared for another attack.

Eleventh mosp

This red mosp (rolled 11) would ignore the flash of light sent its way by @Evelynn Decipio (rolled 8 ) in favor of following the floral scent of a boy. He had entered the dance floor, where there were several more scents pleasing the mosp. At the sight of its comrade in battle, though, the mosp would grow agitated and descend its stinger into the most fragrant of the bunch. At the last second, though, Flash Holmwood (rolled 23) seemed to notice its attack and dodged out of the way (always making sure that Willow was properly protected). Growing further agitated, the red mosp would fly up high again and try for another attacking descent.

Twelfth mosp

This angry red mosp almost made it to the bouquet of roses when someone decided to grab them and run (Anastasia Beckett). When she set them on fire, the mosp seemed to lose all interest. The fragrant smell of the roses was mixed with the deadly warning of smoke. Agitated by the loss of its prey, the mosp would turn its yellow eyes onto the person lingering at the table (@Dale Kurt) that previously housed the flowers. He must've been around them for a while, because he smelled just like them. Well, he even looked like them! The mosp (rolled 16) descended its stinger into its new target, flailing its proboscis at the smell of the red roses surrounding him. Dale (rolled 9) would take 133 damage as the stingers pierced his shoulder, almost poking out the other side. As the mosp retreated, it would leave a bleeding wound behind that stung from its venom, impairing the boy's ability to concentrate.

Thirteenth mosp

Before the mosp could successfully attach itself to the boy holding a bunch of flowers (@Hanako Tone), several others appeared. @Percival Rainwood attempted to rouse his friend from his screaming state but was unsuccessful as Hanako resisted Percival's attempt to get him to hide. @Kara Capricorn had also appeared with a source of light. @Althea Valdean joined the group as well. Before the mosp could make up its mind on who it wanted to target, the children were rescued by an upperclassmen who cast his wand upon the mosp. @Adam Harringtom attempted to sever the mosp's wings, but failed in his cast (rolled 13, dc 14) when he tried to do the two parts separately. His intent was clearly full of malice to the mosp, who descended on him with stingers outstretched. Perhaps the mosp (rolled 19) was distracted by the other children freaking out, though, because it hardly knicked Adam (rolled 8 ) through the leg of his suit - leaving hardly a scratch and 27 damage. There was no burn or lingering effect from the wound.

Fourteenth mosp

This mosp had been attracted by the flower in Wren's hair, but now that it was on fire, it chose to steer clear. Instead, it reacted to a sound coming from the other side of the pitch. Immediately, it flew and joined its ally calling for it over by the stage. Two children stood there, one clutching a music stand and smelling quite divine. The mosp (rolled 9) would beeline towards @Lydia Cooper (rolled 18), who would skillfully dodge out of the way.

Fifteenth mosp Philipe

This purple mosp - henceforth known as Philipe - seemed quite content to be hovering in the air, lazily drifting back and forth. When its comrade @Piérre Marchonné was successfully alley-ooped in the direction of the magic castle, Philipe turned to the two others on the broom (@Evelynn Decipio and @Charlie Woodward) and began gravitating towards them.

Piérre Marchonné successfully left the ball

Sixteenth mosp

This mosp would take a special interest in the arrival of @Søren Silverwood and @Calanthe Choi. Its proboscis flailed in their direction, and its yellow eyes watched curiously as the girl dropped something from her broom. Something... fragrant. The purple mosp would dive after the item and join the fray down below. The item landed squarely at the feet of @Vincent d'Arque , which is where the mosp itself now landed. Its huge yellow eyes lingered on the wizard before flailing its proboscis at the ground, touching the boutonierre that Calanthe had dropped.

Calanthe Choi and Søren Silverwood successfully leave the ball

Twenty-first mosp

Another purple mosp had made its appearance, attracted to one of the many floral bouquets decorating the tables. This one chose to land at the table close to @Thomas Lestrange and @Erin Ryan, flailing its proboscis at the centerpiece.

Up in the air above the ball, @Janet Jackson was on a broom with @Ariana Walker, and was casting spells to signal help from the professors. Unfortunately, her lacking understanding of these spells (and her attempt to do more than one) would cause a disastrous effect on the two of them. The sparks of her failed cast would blind herself and Ariana (-2 ACC/EVA for 1 round).

@Rosie Parker would cast lumos (rolled natural 20) and a huge ball of light would appear at the end of her wand.

@Alexx Séverin would, unfortunately, fail to cast lumos (rolled 11).

@Alexis Asterion's lumos would fail (lumos is not in trunk).

On the bright side, it seemed something was happening up above. The candles began to flicker again, but this time, they were flickering into life as if they knew they were needed. The candles that had gone out reignited now, and the ones that had grown weak suddenly grew into strong flames again. Light was once again restored to the ball, allowing everyone to see everything. The gorgeous decorations were once again visible, although they were now marred by the occasional vampyr mosps.

Rafael D'Spacito Health: 420/1000 Status: N/A	Wren Caster Health: 540/600 Status: N/A
Vladimir Athanatos Health: 775/1000 Status: N/A	Aurelia Notresvace Health: 0 Status: Knocked Out
Victor Moore Health: 160/400 Status: On Fire (2 rounds)	Anastasia Beckett Health: 260/500 Status: On Fire (2 rounds)
Mildred Wilson Health: 294/400 Status: Stung (-1 ACC/EVA)	Adam Harringtom Health: 1173/1200 Status: N/A
Willow Anderson Health: 400/600 Status: N/A	Dale Kurt Health: 867/1000 Status: Stung (-1 ACC/EVA)
Katrina Walker Health: 514/600 Status: Stung (-1 ACC/EVA)	Jack Burnett Health: 360/500 Status: N/A
Maria Dee Health: 590/700 Status: N/A	Tyranni Whitehorn Health: 900/900 Status: Petrified (3 rounds)

The next moderation post will take place in one week (5/25). If interacting with a mosp, please clarify which one.
Note: If you are currently engaged with a mosp, your movement to another area (thread) will be considered an attempt (meaning you cannot post in another thread until a mod post says you were successful in escaping).

Interacting| @Vincent d'Arque
Mentioning| @Cassandra Ironwoods

Action| Nothing. Santario could be coaxed to leave if someone decided to grab her and start dragging her along.