Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed

Interacts With: @Serena Towers
Mentions: @Jack Warren
The decision to attend another masquerade ball, an event filled with pomp and circumstance rather than fun did not appeal to the headmaster. A room of flouncing peacocks, hormonal pre-teens and smelly actual teens... Or, he could attend a smaller, humbler gathering. One filled with princes, and pumpkins, felted monsters and ghouls. It was a hard decision - misery or fun. Considering his choice vocation, Headmaster at the most dangerous place on earth: Hogwarts. His decision might seem out of character, to attend a costume party rather than a ball.

Solomon came in costume. As expected, he donned a suit of armor. While to some he might look like a bad ass, he truly resembled more the tin man from the Wizard of Oz. The clank of metal boots on stone floors would herald his approach.
Image posted by the member
=========================
This armor was obviously not functional armor. Likely some sort of aluminum. A goblin would be ashamed at the craftsmanship. In truth, it was the only set of armor that actually fit, it was a suit of armor from the corridors at Hogwarts.

This was one of the first times he had been off on his own, without a chaperone. Since his 'recovery' from the crying closet and later the curse whose cure (expelling his own intestines through his mouth) was questionably worse than the ailment. He had since felt hollow and weakened. However his mind was sharp, he was on the mend. It felt good to be free.

There were already a few students gathered. He recognized many of them. No screaming. No fire. Nothing was going wrong for once, yet he still felt tense as he entered the rehearsal room. As if this was a temporary holding pattern, that this was merely the calm before a storm.
He repressed the fear. "Miss Towers," he smiled not that the upward curl of his lips could be seen. His voice echoed inside the helmet. "Good to see you again," he announced as he made his way towards the table of confectionaries. He was most familiar with the Hufflepuffs he realized, his time as Head of House and Professor of Care of Magical Creatures, while both brief in comparison to his stint as Headmaster, that was when he made most of his human connections.

It was only yesterday that she was Head Girl. His eyes would glance over at Jack, not that they had ever met personally but the boy was allegedly a new (or at least newer) Hufflepuff Prefect. A small laugh would erupt from the armor. They grow up so fast.

Nostalgia aside, he found what he truly came here for. Chocolate. The Heads of House meant well with their notion of healthy eating, but a man has needs. Chocolatey needs...
Action: Eating a Tricky Treat - Cauldron Cake

There is something about ambition, how it not only propels you but also defines you.
Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed
Image posted by the member


The Halloween costume party sounded like fun. The costume party was an excuse to get out. It was an excuse to be someone else. Anyone else. To feel powerful. To feel brave. It was good for him to get out. To see other people. To be someplace besides the confines of the classroom or his dorm. To have a little bit of fun. It would be rather unfortunate if anyone had hurt the boy. He still had uses for the perennial youth and perhaps he had gotten a bit sentimental.

The masquerade was not safe, it never was. Hormonal teens, a congregation of bullies and elitists. A veritable smorgasbord for those that hungered for the blood of the innocent and there was none more innocent than @Jake Morris. Leave them to their destruction, color and play, have some candy and dress up. What did any of them do for you anyways.

Did you bring the crayons?

How about the stickers? Or glitter?


A disembodied voice that would seem encouraging. Happy. A voice that only Jake Morris could hear. He had been listening to that voice for months. That voice that told him to run. To fight. Jake would never listen, he would curl up and cry. Wait to be saved. Jake had no survival instinct yet he was somehow the designated survivor.

Some stories should never be told...
Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed
Interactions | Kind of...? (open)
Mentions | @Andrew Vance @Dan Palmer
Action | Beginning to carve pumpkin
Her attention would flicker between the pumpkin in front of her and the boy who was trying to get her attention. It would take a few moments more to actually process the words, nodding quickly before pausing. Naming her pumpkin? Lea would give him a curious glance, before losing herself in thought. What was a good name for a pumpkin? And what would this pumpkin become?

Brown eyes would glance at the other who had joined the pumpkin carving, blinking at his enthusiasm over carving the pumpkin. He did offer some sort of name for his pumpkin, Morrigan, but it wasn't really something that she could bounce off of in order to get some ideas of her own. Instead, the young girl would continue to stare besides them into space, trying to figure out some sort of name. A soft shake of her head, and focus was returned to her own pumpkin. It need a face or something before it needed a name.

The hufflepuff would begin to saw off the top of the pumpkin, finding it surprisingly easier than the times where she had struggled with saws and them getting stuck halfway in the pumpkin. It was around that time when her parents would help, gently offering advice as to how to make it easier. A triangle slice to allow for the smoke of the candle to escape- what candle she didn't know- and it was time to gut the pumpkin. Fun, she thought, somewhat sarcastically. At least the first year was wearing short sleeves.
Reducio

Lea Hirsch - Hufflepuff Duelling
Sta: 7 | Eva: 17 | Str: 0 | Wis: 12 | Pow: 10 | Acc: 15
Sta: 11 | Eva: 13 | Str: 13 | Wis: 4 | Pow: 0 | Acc: 20
Beauxbatons Quidditch - Katherine 'Kit' Felix
Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed
Closed to Interactions Unless Owled
Interacting
@Jack Warren, @Sylvain Indarys, @Remi Yao
Mentioning
@Alan Vanes
When walking into the ball, she felt a slightly unfamiliar feeling of Jack's hand slipping into hers. It was expected as they were dating of course, but it still was something that she wasn't used to. There were really no expectations or change of behavior really between to two except now they just spent more time together... and sometimes snuggled. It was nice to have him by her side, knowing that despite anything that could happen, she would have Jack to help her. Especially since they had gone through the fire together, it gave them a stronger bond. Once you've been covered in someone's blood and then set them on fire, it can really strengthen the relationship.

At the snack table she listened to his opinions about the snacks with an intensity that probably wasn't warranted. "You make a good point with eating all of them at once... Although I do want to try it later. Perhaps I'll start with one." Willow started to go for one of the snacks when she heard one of her favorite voices. Her eyes immediately lit up in recognition as she spun to see her best friend dressed up as the best cactus he could be. She giggled at his brilliant posts. "You must've done a lot of research on your costume to perfect the poses like that, Sylvain." She had barely taken notice of his owl when a certain comment distracted her from further inquiry. A small blush crept across her cheeks as Sylvain revealed that Willow talked about Jack. She gave the tall boy next to her a gentle shoulder bump. "Don't let your ego get too big, I obviously say nothing nice." She felt his hand leave hers to give Sylvain a handshake and it felt oddly cold once it left.

No matter, to fill a cold hand all you had to do was fill it with snacks. Remi joined Sylvain but he seemed to be preoccupied whispering about something or other. She was going to make a second attempt at snacks when she was interrupted by Alan's approach. She gave him a quick hug then returned on her mission for a third time. A girl was hungry and wanted to party, but the hunger part had to be fixed first. Her hand finally snagged a cauldron cake, deeming it the most dangerous of them all based on no evidence whatsoever. She would turn back to the conversation, but really not contribute much more as she ate her pre-party snack. Which was absolutely an essential activity that was top priority.
Action ✿ Eat a Cauldron Cake

"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed
───────────────❀────────────────
Interactions: @Bridget Collins || Open to Interactions (please owl first)
Balls were overrated. Of course, many had likely chosen to attend in hopes of escaping school for a few hours or a wild night amidst a rigid schedule, the prospects of which were admittedly tempting, but Thora felt there were better ways to spend her time, things more fulfilling than a flawed dance attempt or two - or worse. Though days were passing at a frightening rate, the sun rising and setting periodically at seemingly breakneck speed, she was only a third year, but even so, she understood all too well the recent history of Hogwarts balls. After all, she'd been to both of the most recent ones - last year's Masquerade and Blossomball - and had seen each devolve into chaos with her own eyes.

Of course, the professors were fully aware of this ball unlike the secret Blossomball a few months back, but Thora was still skeptical about how well it would run. She had faith in the planners, trusted that they were responsible and had considered things going wrong, but the past two years at Hogwarts had revealed danger after danger, plunging the students into a disaster as soon as the previous one had passed. It was more than just a school of wizardry - there was a darker presence lurking in its depths, waiting to strike. Balls just seemed like a perfectly set-up opportunity, for many of the students would be gathered in one place, unsuspecting, and the past ones had only proved that things were bound to go wrong.

Then again, perhaps she was just paranoid. Besides, even if the planners were ready for anything, which they surely were, they couldn't possibly anticipate an infiltration. It wouldn't be their fault, anyway.

All dangers aside, she'd never really cared for such social events. An undeniable introvert, she preferred to be alone or with the few friends she trusted, straying far from masses of people. Dresses were cumbersome and completely inconvenient, exactly the reason why she'd chosen a knit sweater and jeans without a second thought, and dancing - well, she didn't do dancing. Dates had never been a comfortable subject for her either, so had she been planning to attend the ball, she'd probably have walked in alone. It was probably better that way.

So naturally, she wasn't going to the ball. Attempting to sweep all her fears into a dark, cobwebbed corner of her imagination where they could sit, nicely hidden, she ducked into the costume party just down the hall from the ballroom, heels of her combat boots clicking smartly on the stony floor below. She supposed the costume party was more childish, both in vibe and activity, but she was all for the lighter feel. A formal ball felt much too, well, formal, and there was plenty to do here.

Thora hadn't even dressed up elaborately, really, only worn the same outfit as Bridget. Though Bridget seemed to have a couple of inches on her now, they actually looked fairly similar; it wasn't a costume, per se, but close enough - besides, Thora wasn't in the business of excessively caring what other people thought anymore. She nodded to the masked boy standing by the door, surfacing panic hidden beneath a tentative smile. See, there was another reason she disliked masquerades. If one stuck to tradition, they wore masks to masquerades, which meant that they were likely unrecognizable - or close to it. Even though it helped to be incognito, you couldn’t exactly tell friend from foe when all seemed strangers. But that was a problem for a later time.

"Not really," she answered, pulled back to the present and the question for her. Pumpkin carving sounded fun, art in the midst of treats accompanied by tricks and way too much dancing. She'd been far too busy for painting recently, which used to be her primary creative outlet and one of her favorite pastimes, instead choosing to focus on her homework or fitting in some extra Quidditch practice to hone her skills. In fact, it'd barely passed her mind in the past weeks, but now that she thought of it, art sounded rather appealing right now.

Thora hadn't much experience in the carving area, likely because it was somewhat dangerous, but hey, it was never too late to try something new. A smile turning her mouth upwards as she was met with a very convincing pumpkin patch in a far corner of the room, plenty of pumpkins and supplies set up and all ready for carving. "Yeah, that sounds great." The girl shuffled across the room, green eyes cast downwards as she studied the faux fog somewhat masking the floor upon which they all stood. It was rather fascinating, really.

Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all.
outfit ref [x]

Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground [T. Roosevelt]
Encyclopedia » [x] | Dialogue » #005F1C
Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed
Image posted by the member
Interacting with: @Jo Morgan & @Persephone Barret but open to more~
Mentioning: @Ruka Burnett-Tân
Action(s):
- Floating a few inches off the ground while eating Fizzing Whizzbees
- Waiting for Ruka
- Approaching and talking to Jo
- Winking at Persephone
Jack was rather wary about the warnings he'd been given regarding the treats being offered and kept away from them for the time being. He had his own bag of Fizzing Whizzbees tied to his belt in order to snack on if he felt like it. In fact, they were kind of a part of his costume since consuming them allowed him to float off the ground a few inches. This may not have been much, but dressed up as a boy known to fly, Jack fancied the idea of keeping his feet from touching the ground at all times...even when he was short on 'pixie dust'.

Speaking of pixies, the Welsh boy couldn't seem to keep the grin off his face as he thought of the prank he'd played on his adopted older brother. Ruka had been ready to take a shower in the special room that changed according to one's whims and Jack had entered to set his costume out for when the other boy was finished. However, though Ruka was under the impression they were going to dress up as twin fancy fox gentlemen for the masquerade, Jack had decided to change the plan at the last moment. Ruka might not have liked the costume the Slytherin had left for him, but the two new gifts he had left alongside them would hopefully make up for it and persuade the Gryffindor to wear the outfit anyway. It was almost like an unspoken dare. Would Ruka have the guts to wear such a thing in public? Or would he get too embarrassed and choose something else?

The second year wasn't willing to stick around to find out. Instead, he slipped into the Costume Party first, both to avoid being immediately discovered by Ruka - who had likely expected them to go to the Masquerade first - and to avoid his dorm mate. His gut twisted as he thought of the other boy, but he quickly put those thoughts out of his mind. Flash was in charge of the Masquerade, so there was no way he'd be at the Costume Party. There was little danger of running into him unexpectedly there.

That didn't mean he was safe from all unexpected run-ins, however. Hazel eyes widened as they fell upon two girls - one dressed in all black with a black mask and one in white and blue with a blue mask. The one in black had dark, brunette hair pulled away from her face while the one in white had her pale, blonde locks done up in elegant braids and a bun in a fashion Jack had never seen before. It reminded him of his Head of House's hairstyles. However, both girls, despite their masks, had mannerisms that he thought gave him a pretty good idea as to their identities. Beaming, he strolled up to them, addressing the brunette in black first. She had been the one to address him at the previous ball, after all. It was only fair to return the favor.

"When I first saw you at the last ball, you were eating, and now that I find you here, you're doing the same thing," he mused aloud, gliding over to her on his floating feet with his hands casually clasped behind his back. He began to circle, grinning as he observed her snack. Perfect; he could see what happened to her without trying it himself or having to convince anyone else to test it out for him.

Glancing up at the blonde as he beamed brilliantly, he cast her a cheeky wink and bowed with all the grace of a fairy courtesan.
Last edited by Jack Burnett on 23 Oct 2020, 08:32, edited 1 time in total.
Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed
@Alan Vanes @The Narrator @Willow Anderson @Jack Warren

As the party got underway, a little green frog was on the lookout for danger.

There had never been any question which of the two parties Jake was going to go to. He had heard a lot of kids talking about it - the masquerade or the costume party, the masquerade or the costume party. One invitation had shown candy, pumpkins, and a kitty, and the other had shown mysterious masks, scary candles, and gray hands reaching out of the black. He'd see those hands in his nightmares, probably...

Some people had said that the costume party was for kids, and that the masquerade was going to be much cooler. But what all the other kids thought was cool, Jake knew was most of the time scary, and if the costume party was for 'kids' then maybe it wouldn't be...Weren't they all kids anyway...?

Really, he hadn't wanted to go to any party at ALL. The last time there had been a Halloween party there had been a fire...and then there'd been a blossom ball that ended in worse. How could this party be different...? It was going to be the same, he just KNEW it was. Somebody was going to get hurt...

He didn't want to go. He didn't want his friends to go. But they wouldn't listen to him. George never did...and Jack was never scared of anything. He had tried his best to stop them... but it just hadn't worked. The second-year had gotten so desperate he had tried to hide his friend's costumes so they COULDN'T go. But it turned out that Jake wasn't very good at hiding things from his friends, and he should have known that even losing his costume, George could always make a backup. He also should have known better than to mess with Jack's things after that time he'd tried to clean his room.

They told him it would be fine, but he didn't believe them...had cried, even. In the days leading up to the party he'd been worried sick, writing all kinds of possible fates in his worry eater. He would have stayed back by himself. But somehow the thought of being away from them on this night was even scarier than the thought of being there...and so somehow Jake was there, though as he made his way into the room he quickly began to regret it.

Jake's costume was warm, but still he shivered as he looked around the room. It was creepier than he thought it was going to be, made all the worse by not being able to recognize just everybody who he looked up at around him. A familiar voice that only he could hear began to ask him questions - about crayons, stickers, glitter. 'I didnt bring anything,' the boy mumbled back, his mouth moving though not making a sound - he didn't need to talk for the voice to hear him...'It's all gonna be here, right?' He didn't know if there WOULD be Halloween stickers, or crayons and glitter...for a moment he dared to hope for a peaceful night of crafts.

Jake had decided he wanted to be a frog almost a month ago - had written home and got his costume sent by school owl. It really WAS a costume party this time, he had checked with five other kids to be sure. He liked being a frog, but it was kinda hard to enjoy it when something could go wrong any second. He really wanted to find his friends...Luckily just then he saw a familiar Alice and Mad Hatter and rushed over to them.

"Jack! Willow! Alan!" Jake called out, hurrying over to the group by the table. He hugged each of them in turn (perhaps for just a bit longer than usual), before looking up to admire Alan's costume. It was so cool that for a moment Jake forgot about the fact that something bad could happen any moment now. "Whoaaaaa....how did you get that?" he asked, watching the way Alan's tail and wings swished. It was so lifelike Jake couldn't help but let out a giggle of delight, a sound that seemed to surprise even him. "Awww, Tiger's dressed up too!"

He greeted the kitty with a wave (and if Alan would allow him, a small stroke), and then looked around again at the noisy party. His expression changed quickly to one of worry as he wondered whether he had missed anything. "Did you guys see George?" the boy asked, looking for his missing Hufflepuff. He was somewhere out in that sea of costumes, but Jake really wanted all of his friends to be together...

Reducio
Jake looks something like this, this beautiful picture has been made by Laura:
Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed
Image posted by the member
Moderation Post
Thus far, the evening was peculiarly peaceful for a Hogwarts function. There were no fires, no monsters, no trauma-inducing tragedy. Many costumes entered the room: some silly, others sublime, all fitting the spirit of the event in their own ways. A number of students started carving pumpkins which- unless they left the room with them- would serve as a charming addition to the costume party decor. Yet the main attraction, as was the case with most parties, seemed to be the refreshments....

A trio of pops twanged sharply in the air as partygoers opened Wizard Crackers. They were consumed by a cobalt cloud, and when the smoke cleared, they would each find a special prize in their hands. Jo Morgan was now the proud owner of an endearing black cat ring, a cute creature which would wrap its limbs around her finger. Andrew Vance was now in possession of a particularly regal feathered tricorn, a cream hat with golden feathers and ribbons. Dan Palmer's produced a pair of sweet skull socks, black and white with an orange toe tip, warm and just in time for winter.

As advertised, the crackers weren't the only part of the party which contained surprises. Those who had dared the tricky treats- or woefully stumbled upon them due to dismissing the sign- would soon start exhibiting the effects of different potions. Although Alan Vanes ate a Pumpkin Pastry and Dan Palmer chewed a Chocoball, they both would find themselves stumbling over their words. The boys were spouting uncontrollable nonsense, having both just taken in trace amounts of the Babbling Beverage.

While Medea Darkwater found her Cauldron Cake to be especially delicious, she may not have realized that the extra kick of flavor was due to the taste of Hair-Raising Potion. She along with Willow Anderson, Jack Warren, and Yefim Rumyantsev (poor lad, his hosts hadn't considered the language barrier!) would realize this not long after trying their treats. It began with a curious tickling sensation on the scalp, then all at once, their hair would gradually rise higher and higher until it stood entirely on end. The lot were left looking like cartoon characters after being struck by bolts of lighting.

This wasn't the only hair-altering effect at play. Having unwittingly eaten treats dosed with Manegro Potion, Sylvain Indarys now had a head of wavy, waist-length, beautiful brunet hair. Andrew Vance's lustrous mane looked much the same, just as long though straighter and sleeker. Yet it was the Headmaster himself who took the cauldron cake and outdid them all. Any hair loss poor Lear had suffered was undone, his wispy gray locks erupting all the way down to mid-back. It didn't stop there, either. His beard was billowing out most magnificently. Soon, he resembled those wise old wizards with their extraordinarily untamed facial hair.

Even still, there were more alarming effects to come for a couple of heads in the room. It began with Caelan Steward and his Cauldron Cake. The boy's face began to turn a most festive shade of orange. Then it was swelling, rounding, and all too suddenly he would find his head entirely replaced by a pumpkin. Andrew Vance, who had tried two treats, was soon a pumpkinhead with long beautiful hair and a very fancy hat. The pair of Pumpkin Kings had just consumed Pompion Potion.

Whether or not they were actually amused by these developments, some would find themselves seized by a burst of merriment which they could not suppress. Robert Toukmond, who had just introduced himself to a fellow first-year Ravenclaw, began chortling incessantly. Dan Palmer, having helped himself to more than one treat at a time, was now giggling alongside his babbling. Jo Morgan only had a short stretch of time to admire her new ring before the effects of the Laughing Potion set in, leaving her howling with humor.

Both Serena Towers and Valentin Schnell (Aida) had tried the chai. It was a warm, soothing, sweet yet spicy blend of tea, cream, and flavorful additions. No strange fate befell them. Perhaps the drinks were safe...?
-If your character tries a tricky treat, please note it as an action. I will be rolling to let you know how it effects them next mod post! The same goes for wizard crackers, which give gifts (one time- opening additional crackers will yield only candy).

-Tricky Treats contain small amounts of potion and will last for 3 moderation rounds (except Manegro) unless removed. You can move to the masquerade with these effects if you're into that sort of thing, or feel free to say "Pericles' third-year helper" (NPC) cast Reparifors on them (just tag me).

-The Ballroom Masquerade and the Rehearsal Room Costume Party (you are here) are on the fourth floor of Hogwarts, so going between the two doesn't take much time, but if leaving/arriving mention it as an action.

-The next post will take place in one week on the 25th.
Reducio
@Jo Morgan @Andrew Vance @Alan Vanes @Dan Palmer @Medea Darkwaters @Willow Anderson @Jack Warren @Flash Holmwood (Yefim) @Robert Toukmond @Sylvain Indarys @Solomon Lear @Caelan Stewart @Serena Towers @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood (Valentin)
Image posted by the member

{ 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔴𝔞𝔰 𝔞 𝔟𝔬𝔶: 𝔞 𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔶 𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔤𝔢, 𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔟𝔬𝔶. 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔰𝔞𝔶 𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔶 𝔣𝔞𝔯 𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔰𝔢𝔞. }
(iNPC: Madhup Hexum)
Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed
Image posted by the member
[font=century gothic]OPEN TO INTERACTION
Note: Not Immediately Recognizable[/font]
The date of the ball had arrived more swiftly than Evelynn could have thought possible. Really, it felt like only last week that she had really started finding her rhythm with class, quidditch, and all of her extra-curriculars. A rhythm that had recently ascended into something of a crescendo with the fast-approaching opening games for the upcoming quidditch season, and the ball whose news had first reared its very pointed head mid-September. Stuffed into every possible cranny, under chairs, in sofas, and even in one of her texts at one point, the invitations had been impossible to miss. It was enough to convince just about anyone that anyone worth anything would be making an appearance at this event.

Not that Evelynn had had any intent to skip out. After missing last year's masquerade and having to rely on second-hand information from others who had attended—something that had proved to be more effort than she would have liked—she'd vowed not to miss another school event. Of course, the Blossom Ball had put that decision to the test in a way that had a trickling effect to damage more than just that promise. She'd recovered. She'd forgiven. But she had not forgotten. She was more prepared this time, and just as much on alert. There had been every intention to attend for the same purpose she had attended the last: for information and to ensure that no evidence or additional information that could provide insight into every other little mystery about the castle escaped her notice. This time, however, she would be flying solo.

Or would have been, had it not been for the meddling attempts of a certain bird with the intent to take her under his wings instead. It still irked her, thinking about it. The way he had brazenly tricked her with the coin. How she had won his accompaniment. With a ting Evelynn sent the double-headed dragon sickle spinning into the air. She watched its blurred rotations through its ascent like she had felt her own curious intrigue rising at the time. Only to pique and fall back with gravity in annoyed disappointment. The coin slapped against the leather gauntlet that protected her open palm and she tucked it back into a satchel at her hip. But a deal was a deal.

The only problem was that this occasion wasn't nearly as planned as the last. With Flash, they had discussed ahead of time the expectations and goals each held prior to going into the ball. It hadn't been a partnership carved of any infatuation or emotion. Business had been the cornerstone of that pairing. Well, and perhaps a little bit of revenge towards D'Spacito, but that had largely gone unnoticed and been wasted anyway as far as she could tell. Not that she had been upset about. Ill-intention had resulted in a flourishing partnership. But this time...the invitation from Moussa had been so unexpected and she'd been so crippled with the burden of managing her workload everywhere else that the ball had approached without the opportunity for her to lay a few ground rules. The best she had managed was to slip a little note into his pocket on her way out from one of their classes earlier that day, stamping it with the same sigil that she would be wearing on her armour so that he would recognize her:
Image posted by the member ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Meet me at the Rehearsal Room first tonight. I'm not sure how much you know about everything, so I'd like to talk before we actually join the festivities. ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ — Sneak
She, of course, had arrived as soon as she was able to, slipping in to what had become a familiar haunting grounds for her HHAWT meetings. Gone were the fanciful trappings and dramatic tablewear, however. Bright resplendence had been replaced with black and orange streamers, tables adorned with black corded tablecloths, enchanted bats fluttering near the ceiling, cobwebs at every corner, and a fake fog that rolled across the floor. It was like the set of a B-rated horror, but charming in its own way. The arrangement of Tricky Treats caught Evelynn's attention first, and she had made her way to the display to retrieve herself a Pumpkin Pasty before thinking better of it. Instead, she fetched up a wizard's cracker and retreated to the room's perimeter.

It was there, reclined against the wall that Evelynn set herself to watch and wait, peering out from beneath the cowl that shadowed her face. She'd expected a masquerade again this year. Or if not a masquerade, at least an opportunity for some sort of costuming. Or armour, as the case may have been. She had elicited the help of her mother—a mother who never failed to jump on every cosplay opportunity—for some of the more tricky aspects to its construction. Her final product? The Nightingale armour from Skyrim. Practical, hopefully a little bit protective, a subtle and easily deniable reference to a certain pseudonym, and best of all.. perfectly anonymous after the addition of the lace mask to hide even her scrutinizing gaze.

There were more than a few individuals of interest in attendance. Burnett had come wearing what looked to be a Peter Pan costume. Fitting, really, she had to acknowledge. Not only did he fit the character in personality, he even looked like Pan. She spied Larkston as well, although it hadn't looked like the girl had made any effort to dress up. Perhaps she was the smartest of the lot of them, and bound to be most comfortable. Then there was the trio. She had spied Morgan looking impressively elegant in her gown of black and crimson, but it was her expression that had been interesting. Hawk-eyed and fixed upon another, one Persephone Barret who had elected to don the rather paradoxical garb of something better suited to the innocence of Alice in Wonderland. A brow lofted beneath Evelynn's disguise. Friend and foe. Just how far, exactly, did the she-devil's grasp extend?

But it was one voice in particular that drew Evelynn's curiosity as she awaited the arrival of her partner. The headmaster's voice had echoed out from the confines of a rather impressive tin suit. Snap. Fingers plied at the Wizard's Cracker to snap it open. She'd be keeping an eye on him.
[font=century gothic]ACTION: Watching everyone else mingle, opening a wizard's cracker, waiting for her partner[/font]
[font=century gothic]STA | 7‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ STR | 2‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ EVA |‏‏‎ 10 ‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ WIS | 10 ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ARC | 2 ‎ ‎ ACC | 10
Keen EyeThere is a 25% chance of automatically finding something
FearlessImmunity to fear effects[/font]
[font=century gothic]INTERACTIONS:[/font]
Reducio
[font=century gothic]n/a[/font]
[font=century gothic]MENTIONS: [/font]
Reducio
[font=century gothic] @Jorah Moussa
@Persephone Barret
@Thora Larkston
@Jack Burnett
@Jo Morgan
Soloman Lear
[/font]

ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ: Owen Lochridge | Margarethe Fransson | Dottie Dunlot [comc professor]
Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed
Image posted by the member
Interacting with
@Jack Burnett
Mentioning
@Persephone Barret @Jo Morgan
Open to Interaction
Ruka was fuming.

It had been close to the start of the Masquerade Ball and Costume Party already by the time he had reached the Room of Requirement for some last minute costume coordination with his brother. Everything had been going according to plan, the room had already been equipped with showers, a comfy sofa and a full body length mirror wide enough for both of them to double check what they were going to end up looking like.

The costumes had not been much of Ruka's concern; He had left it up to Jack to bring the clothes and accessories they were going to need. As the Gryffindor himself had never actually attended a Costume Party, much less a Masquerade, he had been happy to leave his brother in charge, so long as he had known what exactly they were going to go as.

Twin Foxes had sounded like a good idea, especially with Ruka's new hobby of enchanting his hair to match Jack's colour for ultimate confusion, so he had agreed easily, had even been somewhat excited despite his innate reluctance to mass events after everything he had experienced at them thus far. A large part of him wondered why any Hogwarts student would still even consider joining school events like that when all of them seemed to end in catastrophe, but he supposed it was just a way to try and over-write bad memories. People loved clutching to their last remnants of hope.

Either way, Ruka had been somewhat excited about all the opportunities for the chaos he and Jack would be able to cause as Twin Foxes, and he had rushed into the shower inside their magic hideout almost immediately, eager to get into his costume.

Except, it had taken less than five minutes for the shower head to start sputtering like something was clogging it up before the water had been replaced by golden glitter that had made him yelp in shock as he had been covered in it from head to toe. No matter how hard he had tried, the shower had refused to change back to water and the glitter had refused to let itself be scrubbed off his body, but Ruka had been determined not to let that ruin his night. Who was really going to notice some glitter when he was going to be wearing a suit and mask to cover the majority of his skin all night anyway?

Except, when Ruka had wrapped a towel around himself and returned to the comfy sofa to grab his costume from Jack, he had had to realise that his brother was nowhere to be found, and all that he had left was a stack of clothes that distinctively did not look like they were going to make him look like a Gentleman Fox.

No, right there, draped across the armrest, was a dress, green and short and sleeveless, apparently made out of synthetic leafs and tulle. Matching were the green sandal like flats, sparkly transparent tights, attachable pointy ears, wings and a brown and green bag, as well as at least a mask to hide his face behind.

"Menace," he muttered to himself, echoing it in a thought Jack could hopefully hear wherever he was. Ruka's gaze drifted to a small green bag on a dark necklace like string, and he curiously reached for it, taking a small peek inside before closing it up again with a faint smirk on his face. If all of that had not been enough, there was something else on the sofa, something Ruka hadn't been aware Jack had brought with him before, but it was two things that made the Gryffindor bubble up a laugh as if he had just been told the funniest joke of the century.

The only word left from Jack was put on a piece of parchment on top of the dress, familiar handwriting spelling out a dare Ruka had no intention of declining.

To die of embarrassment would be an awfully big adventure

So Ruka, fuelled with determination, put the clothes on, wiggling uncomfortably for a moment as he tried to adjust to the outfit, before grabbing his own belongings and quickly stuffing them into what was apparently his bag for the night now.

With a flick of his wand he had even changed his hair colour to blonde, just for good measure; If he was going to do this then he was going to do it right.

A long look into the mirror told him that he looked absolutely... Ridiculous. A short, skinny fairy, glitter all across his skin and struggling to move with his dress. That was going to take a lot of getting used to, but at least there wasn't much need for him to walk, his brother had made sure of that, and Ruka found himself almost grateful for it.

The idea wasn't something Ruka had any problems figuring out, but the execution was a different story. Once he had draped the Invisibility Cloak across the Bluebottle Broom, it had taken him a good ten minutes to figure out how to actually mount the invisible flying object while in a dress. Eventually he came to the conclusion that side saddle was the only way to go, and with one last look around to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything, he left the room, appearing to be casually flying on thin air, all the way to the Rehearsal Room.

Jack may have thought he would be able to avoid Ruka's wrath a bit longer by going to the Costume Party first, but maybe he was forgetting the fact that the Gryffindor was able to know where he was at all times, curtesy of a very special connection they had been sharing for a while now, so it didn't take Ruka long to find his brother, a half-serious scowl on his face as he glided semi-elegantly through the crowd of people, never minding those who seemed to be spouting hair where it wasn't supposed to be, until he reached the familiar redhead whose costume may as well have been his day-to-day outfit without anybody batting an eyelash.

"Spreading Happy Thoughts already, Peter?" Ruka asked as he halted the invisible broom next to Jack, hovering around the same height as him. A vague head gesture indicated the brunette girl in his brother's company who seemed to have fallen into uncontrollable laughter for reasons unknown to him. The second girl Ruka thought to be able to recognise even behind her mask, and his scowl transformed into a wide grin as he regarded her with a small nod.

Turning his attention back to Jack, his grin melted into a sweet smile, eyes sparkling behind his own mask. "Forgot that others also need pixie dust to fly, did you?" With that he reached into the little bag hanging from his neck, pulling a fist back out again and unfolding his hand only to blow specks of glitter in the direction of his brother's face.

If he had been blessed with a bag of glitter for the night, the least he was going to do was make sure as many people as possible were going to get covered in it, starting with the person who put him into this situation in the first place.
|Action|
- Hovering on an invisible broom
- Grinning at Persephone
- Blowing pixie dust at Jack's face
- Looking stunning in a dress with wings and sparkly tights
Stats
~ Stamina: 7 ~ Evasion: 9 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Wisdom: 12 ~ Arcane Power: 6 ~ Accuracy: 7 ~

Abilities
~ Muggle Condiotion ~ Advanced Casting ~ Perfectionist ~

~Hell is other people~ - Jean Paul Sartre

Stamina: 7 ~ Evasion: 10 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Wisdom: 14 ~ Arcane Power: 6 ~ Accuracy: 9