Secret Blossom Ball Event Finished

Reducio

Open to interactions

Action : walking towards the broom stash.
Ability: Perfectionist

Interacting with: Reducio @River Dewlight @Elsian Cox @Logan Baird

Mentioning: Reducio @Katrina Walker

@Artemis Vernatis, @Kateri Karr

Holding onto her companion's hand, the first thing Cy noticed was the buzzing, then the smell of smoke. Clearly, the pitch was in chaos. And, damned to hell as she might be, she couldn't help but grin a little - chaos, after all, was where she belonged. It was like she had her sight back again, foggy shapes telling her where everything was. She didn't have her blindfold on tonight - her visceral sight might give her a chance to duck before her conscious brain reacted - but she squeezed her eyes shut tight, taking a few deep breaths as she focused on the sensations around her.

Buzzing. Loud, angry buzzing, darting around fast, coming from multiple places. Kids trying to defend themselves, the glinting whooshes of spells aimed toward the buzzing. The crackle of fire, heat that tickled her skin even from all the way over here - she could feel it warming her. Smoke in the air, either from a smokescreen or from the flames, she didn't know. And people screaming - clearly few had been left unscathed. No time to lose.

"Eleven mosps," she supplied, eyes still closed as she counted. "There's one up there (#23) just hanging around. And—one's (21) chasing someone right up ahead." People were hurt, too, snippets of conversation she picked up from around her, but there were so many things happening at once. She needed to take a breath... decide what needed to be done first.

Fire. Fire was useful, but it almost never ended well. Young ones liked fire. Fire made them feel powerful, the roaring flames that burned down everything in their path. But fire made by the only spell they knew at the time could not be controlled. She could almost guarantee this was a result of an incendio... either that or someone really wasn't very careful with the candles.

She already heard her colleagues casting Extinguishing Spells from around her. Good - they needed them. But the spell she had decided to use wasn't extinguo. It brought back memories from years ago, in a situation very similar yet quite different from this one. With her trademark three-fingered hold, like how one would hold a calligraphy brush, her wand moved, and she muttered an incantation under her breath, aiming for the fire crackling across the tables - a little to the side of where she heard Miss KK aim her spell, so that they didn't overlap.

Transfiguration had always been her passion, and the way she saw it, the best way to win a duel and have fun while doing it. You could shoot curses and jinxes at each other all you wanted, but there was, in her opinion, no better way to duel an opponent than to warp the reality around them. Dueling with Transfiguration had something of a puzzle-like quality to it, a need for quick thinking and resourcefulness.

This was one of those times, for in her mind she imagined a great snake, fiery and bright white, smooth scales snapping across its hide like the crackling of the fire she heard, tongue writhing like the flames she remembered from a long time ago. Burning, clear eyes like the heat of white-hot embers that had seared her fingers once when she wasn't paying attention, sharp fangs like the tip of a knife against her pricked finger that dripped venom as hot as the sun. There were many other ways to envision things than imagining what they looked like.

action • cast fire to snake spell on the burning flowers/table next to but not overlapping kateri's spell into g i a n t s n e k

stats • 7 stam • 12 eva • 4 str • 20 wis • 13 arc • 14 acc

abilities • perfectionist i • perfectionist ii • spell spread • blindvision • nonverbal magic • wandless magic

Interacting with @Lizzie Verdine, Mosp #7
Mentioning @Mildred Wilson

It took a little bit, but the girl seemed to finally understand what Crystal was trying to communicate. She figured out she knew what she meant when she looked at the chair near her and gasped, understanding flashing across her face. Crystal smiled wide when she noticed that, even though it was dangerous. She had a plan, a plan that will do a good amount of damage to the thing if it worked, and a partner in crime. She saw the girl open her mouth and yell at the mosp “Hey! You shoudn’t go around hurting students.” The girl grabbed her chair and held it over her head. Crystal noticed she was already going in for a hit and grabbed her own chair, rushing over to the mosp. She saw that she was hesitating, which made Crystal worry. Hesitation in a time like this could be deadly, but to her relief she saw that she began to swing at the mosp. Following suit, crystal used her momentum from running at the mosp to swing the chair with as much force as possible. Unlike the other girl, she kept her eyes open and focused. Hopefully this would hit, and hopefully it would do enough damage to the thing so that they could easily get Mildred to safety.

Action: Attempting to hit Mosp #7 with a chair

Actions: Trying to hit Mosp 14 with a chair in valiant fashion

Outfit:

Reducio

If Flash is able to hear Cypresse Lian's voice:

One voice in particular was not only familiar, but the most calm and calculating of any nearby. No matter what she was planning to do, he hoped it involved taking care of the mosps on the dance floor. Who knew how many more hits he and Lydia could dodge?

”Professor Lian!” He called out, unsure whether his voice would be audible among the chaos. Well, certainly to her it would be, right?

Action:
Free action: Calling out to Professor Lian if mods think it's unlikely Flash would be able to hear Cy's voice, this part can be disregarded or rolled for
Action: Casting Incendio on Mosp #11
Stats:
Sta: 7 ★ Eva: 5 ★ Str: 6 ★ Wis: 8 ★ AP: 3 ★ Acc: 6
Ability:
Calming Presence

Interacting with: Mosp #11
Mentioning:

Reducio

@Willow Anderson @Cypresse Lian Lydia Cooper Aaron Jones Alan Vanes Selim Faust Vladimir Athanatos

Previous posts: Pre-ball, Entrance, Recon, Asked to dance, Spots Vlad on dance floor, Dancing with Ruka, Talking to Ruka, Lamenting, Executing plan, Running to Willow, Talking to Vlad, Hugging Willow, Double Kick is Super Effective

Open to Interaction

Mentioning @Flash Holmwood @Selim Faust @Vladimir Athanatos @Marion Davenport @Anastasia Beckett @Rafael D'Spacito

Action: Casting Flipendo at Marion.

This was harder than it looked. Despite every ounce of strength he had to keep Philipe under wraps, it would be impossible for them to fly off in this state... and the girl was practically screaming bloody murder for them to stay.

Didn't she get it?

Watching her try to put the flames out below them was just another point. I mean, just looking at the ball was enough to know. He'd certainly heard about this ball, from his Quidditch Captian and some friends, he knew what this was- and with every moment he sat there listening to this girl, holding this bug in his arms- he couldn't take it. The migrane he'd hoped to remedy that night only growing every second. He wanted this stupid bug, and he wanted out- and that would require Miss Evelynn Decipios' help.

"Shut up!" He snapped at the first year, gripping the broom to turn and look at her. ""Can't you see someones on fire?" Yeah, no shit! Even if I was blind, there aren't many smells akin to BURNING FLESH!" He half-screamed over the chaos as more and more happened around them. "What the Hell did you THINK was going to happen?!"

He kept a tight hold on the bug as he nearly screamed at the girl- he was sure he looked ridiculous, holding this massive, aggresive animal- no shirt to hide his pale torso- but he didn't care, there was something very naive about this girls protests: and as far as his headache was concerned, it was every man for himself.

Every man, expect the bug prevented him from being a single unit, so the girl was nearly necessary, if he wanted to keep this... thing.

Which, by the way, for some godawful reason, he really... really wanted this damn bug.

"Whatever happens to these idiots-- these reckless, mindless children? They deserve it! I mean, Evelynn- Look at this place!" He looked out onto the pitch, not really noting he was using her first name- and also ignoring the fact that he himself was doing something rather... reckless with the mosp. "A secret ball?! In a pitch RIGHT next to a FOREST INFESTED WITH MAGIC?" He didn't even want to begin.

"Tell me, oh great, wise one- who CLEARLY KNOWS whats going on right now- does THIS sound like a good idea? "Oh, me and my friends, NONE OF WHOM ARE EVEN ABOVE THE AGE OF 14, are going to have a SECRET BALL, with NO ADULTS DIRECTLY INVOLVED, at a school KNOWN FOR DISASTERS AT LARGE GATHERINGS-- not to mention all the BULLSHIT circulatiung the school. OH! I know, LETS ALL WEAR THE MOST FLAMMABLE, FLASHY, DOWNRIGHT INAPPROPRIATE OUTFITS WE CAN! Oh, let's not even WORRY ABOUT THE FACT THAT NO ONE HERE-- NO ONE HERE KNOWS A DAMN SPELL PAST FINITE INCATAEM?! LET'S JUST GATHER A BUNCH OF 12 YEAR OLDS AND DRESS LIKE THIS IS SOME MET-GALA GODDAMN EVENT! I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CHILD WEAR 4 INCH HEELS, AND MY COUNTY DID PAGENCY LIKE THEY DEPENDED ON IT!"

He took a deep breath, gripping so hard at this bug he wouldn't be surprised if he ended up knocking it out, somehow.

"Be a realist, Evelynn Decipio. There is NOTHING we can do. You are a first year, I'm a second year. If we had the power to do anything-- then WHY HASN'T ANYONE ELSE?! BECAUSE WE'RE JUST. CHILDREN." He glared, face getting red as he tried to convince the girl. "Now. Grab the shaft of this broom, and FLY US ANYWHERE BUT HERE. BEFORE WE BECOME THE IDIOTS ON FIRE, OR KILLED! OR BEFFORE THIS DAMN MOSP GETS LOOSE! OR WHEN THE TEACHERS GET THAT KIDS' WARNING, AND WE LOOSE EVEN MORE HOUSE POINTS, OR EVEN GET EXPELLED!"

He let out another prolonged, laboured exhale, leaving the broom to her mercy to pick a choice. He hoped she considered he had a giant bug in his arms, which he could let go of at any moment, and looked away. "Be realistic. There's aboslutely nothing we can do, but get hurt, or killed. Give up."

Actions - Holding Philipe (Mosp #15) in place (Action), Yelling at @Evelynn Decipio to control the broom and ride them off, and calling out everyone at the ball (Passive)
Stats - (+3 from Silver Arrow) Stamina 9 (12), Evasion 5 (8), Strength 3 (6), Wisdom 7 (10), Arcane 9 (12), Accuracy 7 (10)
Abilities - Charming, Fearless

TL;DR Charlie thinks everyone here is stupid for even thinking of actually coming on purpose.

Actions: Grabbing Broom, Grabbing Aurelia, Peacing out.
With permission to do so from Aurelia, Dan and Aurelia leave the thread unless stopped.

Open to Interaction

Control had been relinquished. Rational thought had given way to reactive instinct and the panicked churning of the mind. Calculated planning was something to scoff at. Likely little more than an hour had transpired since the commencement of the ball and already Evelynn found herself on the precipice of overwhelming emotional catastrophe. She was no longer the one driving her path. The reins had been dropped. Or taken. Now, she was in a spiraling situation with far too much chaos, and with an army of irrational individuals whose impulsive actions had not been accounted for.

Any plan to speak of had turned to cinders along with an ever-growing area of the pitch. The young Gryffindor had been prepared for reconnaissance. For interrogation. Perhaps some subtle spying or even tailing. Maybe even a petty theft or meddling for further information and understanding. She'd been prepared for a game of cat and mouse. Not a battle. Not for the screams and cries of pain that had ripped themselves from the cores of her peers. Not for the impairment of vision that had come first with the snuffing of candles, and now again with the creeping of a fog that seemed to slowly drown out all those upon the ground below like the terminal smothering of a pillow. Sounds had become oddly distorted. Echoing. Haunting. Her sense of smell had heightened to an uncomfortable level, accosting her with novel aromas that she'd sooner have left to the imagination.

The call to shut up hit her like a well-aimed bludger, stunning her to silence. Had the situation been different, had there not literally been children fighting for their lives, fires raging uncontrolled with increasing fervency to swallow what was arguably her favourite structure, had she not already been managing only by a thread to keep herself from unraveling, she might have bristled. She might had turned a scorned expression upon the speaker of such a rude outburst and delivered a sound scolding with a dash of education in etiquette. As it was, however, lips pressed tightly together over her teeth, brows creasing heavily as shoulders racked to battle the threat of a new onset of sobbing.

It was too much. All of it. She wasn't prepared. Wasn't ready. Not for this. She was only a girl. One girl. Among many, perhaps, but now alone. And all of them had been equally overconfident and under-trained. She knew this. It was painfully obvious. They'd been playing at spies and choosing to ignore the very real -- and even likely -- possibility of real danger. Evelynn was all too aware of this, even with her mind in the muddled state as it was, thoughts fighting to push through molasses with her failing efforts to keep everything straight and figure out what she should do. If that weren't challenge enough, already her conscious thought had succumbed to the berating fire of her mind. Sentiments expressed themselves of how she should have gone to the professors the moment she had learned of this gross folly. How she had attended with some grandiose image of being able to accomplish something. To make this all worthwhile. What had she to show for it? Nothing.

They had been foolish. Every one of them. To think they could do something. To believe they, mere kids, could impact anything at all when adults far more capable and powerful than they were already on the hunt and had yet -- to their ignorant awareness, at least -- turned up anything. How could they dare to think they could somehow do better? She already knew this all, tears of begrudging acceptance, of guilt, of shame, washing streaks along her cheeks though a growing film of soot and smoke. Evelynn knew. Hearing it said aloud wasn't necessary. But, like the entire debacle of the ball thus far, the control of that rest not in her hand. It would be heard regardless.

What did she think was going to happen? She couldn't even begin to answer that. Not that she would have had any real chance to anyway. Woodward was picking up steam with his tongue-lashing. He had, by all appearance, finally cracked under the pressure of the chaos and was taking this moment to express whatever frustrations and pent-up observations he'd made since his earlier arrival, and perhaps from the weeks leading up to this fiasco. Perhaps the most frustrating thing, the dagger that twisted painfully at her sternum, was that she couldn't entirely disagree. A scolding was always most difficult to weather when it was warranted. As much as a part of her rebelled at the injustice of his raised voice, the part of her that cowered behind the cage of her ribs couldn't help feel she deserved this. As one who knew better than to go along with the plan of attendance, she would have to bear the burden of the verbal assault.

Even she couldn't answer the rhetorically passive-aggressive question of what she thought would happen, there was no part of her that expected this. Mosps, as she'd heard them called. Of fire, or the combustion of fellow students -- that thought alone brought with it a fresh wave of tears to blur her vision. No, she had acknowledged that there was a chance that something could happen. There had been half-giants at the masquerade. The professors had encountered a hag in the forest. There had been fire. There had been suspect activity. And there were still the Dark artefacts of the glove and mask on unaccounted for, as far as Evelynn was unaware. Perhaps she had been childish to hope that nothing significant would happen.

"How… how can you say that?" She questioned meekly, lips parting with a deepened emotional wound as Woodward delivered his belief that this outcome was warranted. "Is it so wrong to hope…"

The unfinished sentiment was all the fight she could conjure to counter Woodward's outrageous claim that every one of them who had decided to attend the ball deserved this fate being dished to them. Was this really the chaser alongside whom she had practiced and played for the better part of the last half-year? It was just so… cruel… what he was saying. She wouldn't have thought this possible coming from him. He had always seemed so friendly. Properly charming, really, in his southern American way. For a moment, it was as though she were suddenly riding with two unfamiliar and offensive creatures, not one, the unknown of this new revelation striking flags of danger deep into the soil upon which she suddenly and very much wished she were standing at this moment.

"At least I'm trying," Evelynn choked back, anger slowly, but finally, rising to help still her mind and focus her thoughts. "Sure, maybe I'm in over my head. Yes, I should have gone to the professors instead of coming to this stupid ball, but I can't do anything about that, can I? We're here now. It is what it is." Despite her anger and defensive bristling in response to Woodward's accusations, she couldn't quite stem the tears that continued to leak. She gruffly wiped at her cheeks with the bares of her forearm as she continued without pause, "What am I supposed to do? Just let them all suffer? People make mistakes. They don't deserve to… to d-die-" She had to clear her throat and choke back a squeak. "-for them."

It was then that she noticed the arrival of a particular Slytherin prefect streaking in from somewhere, striking red hair and familiar broom marking her as Shymane. Evelynn passively followed the upperclassman's trajectory, noting the stopping by the unconscious body of the boy she herself had just recently extinguished. Whatever relief she might have felt knowing that those more competent than herself were beginning to arrive on scene was quickly overshadowed by the mixed panic and crushing guilt that accompanied the arrival of three adult-sized individuals. With it, however, came a rush of relief. They weren't alone anymore. Whatever mess had been made, Evelynn felt infinitely better already, believing firmly in the Professors' abilities to rectify the situation. Perhaps she could leave, after all. At this point, her presence might be more of a hindrance than a help…

"You want me to fly us out of here?" the red head sniffed, turning her attention back to Woodward and returning his glare with a penetrative scowl of her own. "Fine," she clipped, the tone of her voice hinting at an obvious ire. But it wouldn't be quite as simple as that. She reached for the fold that held her fox-fur stole in place and tugged, pulling the rich garment from her shoulders. "But you're wearing this," she stated, with no intention of allowing argument, and given Woodward's preoccupation with holding onto his maniacal pet project, she doubted she would have little resistance as she attempted to secure the fur about his shoulders. And then, positioning herself to grasp hold of the broom shaft to steer them from the pitch, added, "and as long as you're still trying to hold on to that stupid bug and acting like a mental hypocrite, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't shout at me, yea?"

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
Charming (Charlie's ability may apply) — -1 accuracy to enemies
Broom: Silver Arrow — +3 to all stats [active]

Action: Taking control of the Silver Arrow and attempting to fly herself, Charlie and begrudgingly Philipe away from the pitch and towards the castle