Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed

Apparently, the topic of her ex-boyfriend was a touchy one. He didn't know anything about him, but how great could a guy be that his ex-girlfriend would still miss him after they broke up?
There he was. Standing in the crowd alone. Thoughts that were never there before, racing through his mind. He didn't know what next to do, but his brother would say, "when in doubt, eat chocolate". And that's what he did.
The beautiful confectionery he had set his eyes on earlier was a ball of chocolate.
He walked up the table they were on, grabbed one, and ate a piece. It reminded him of the candy he ate back at home.
He turned back to Alina and found her talking to two girls he assumed were her friends. She seemed happy. There was no reason to beat himself up.

"I'm not letting one person define my life. I can be happy."

It was then he made a resolution to stop letting relationships control him. Bad stuff happened at the covered bridge and they fixed it. They were gonna be together even if bad things happened from time to time.
He looked back at the candy in his hand and happily ate it. The subject of Alina's ex-boyfriend was still bugging him. "Was he coming back?", "Why did leave her?" and "Am I just the rebound guy?", were the questions still popping up in his mind.

Action: Happily eating chocoballs

Open to interactions
Mentioning: @Alina Rosier

Suddenly there was a hog wart prefect in between Niffler and the boy with the shiny (Andrew). This was annoying since Valentin thought the other boy might have been interesting based on the faces he was making. About to try circumventing he prefect, Valentin noticed Mikhael backing up and turning towards the beak boy however. If his friends were going to engage this nerdy-looking creature, Valentin would have to delay his mission temporarily. Their fights were his and the vibe emanating from Mik suggested that this might turn into a show-down. Holding tight his pumpkin seed ammunition in his hand, Niffler decided that if the prefect were to lay a hand on either Mik or Yefim, he would have to reallocate the pumpkin seeds from being fodder for high-accuracy trick shots to instead being projectiles shot from his mouth at the threat.

Scrawny Niffler looked a fair bit more impressive than usual with his dramatic flowing curtain of silver hair, and hoping that this would somehow improve his powers of intimidation Valentin grouped up behind Mik. A show of numerical force might get the prefect to back down and allow everyone to avoid a confrontation altogether, thought Valentin.

Trying to think of words in English that might contribute to the group’s show of strength, Niffler found the task exceedingly difficult without Yefim’s flavorful word choice to copy off of. Thus, Valentin simply tried to put on his best epic warrior face (imitating Durmstrang's Greta Fransson) and stared into the prefect’s eyes with his own of silvery violet hue.

Interacting: @Flash Holmwood @Percival Rainwood @Pericles Dralt
Metnsioning: @Andrew Vance @Evelynn Decipio (as Greta)
PSA: Niffler's golden snitch mask is lying under the drink table and can be picked up by anyone for any purpose.
Valentin accepted Lear's gift with a grateful smile. @Solomon Lear
Action: Trying to look epic and staring back into Pericles’s eyes

Mikael felt his eyes widen beneath his mask as Valentin softly whispered his name. For a second, the boy wondered if he had just imagined it. Had he simply misheard? It was also possible the two had just been talking about him. Whether it was in a positive or negative light, he did not really know. The boy ignored the small ache in his heart. Content to ignore it in favor of remaining apathetic.

Though, the boy wasn't left alone to his thoughts for long. Thrust into being more aware of his surroundings as Yefim started to yell. The other boy's words seemed to be accentuated by the way he bounced up and down. It took Mikael a second to realize the other was yelling his name. Well, his nickname to be exact.

Mikael's face twisted up in a pained look as he took a step backwards. He hadn't planned for Valentin or Yefim to figure him out so soon. The boy had thought he would have at least a couple of moments to figure out a plan. Mikael wasn't used to rushing into things unprepared, and at this moment he was very unprepared.

The hand that had previously been rapping a pattern into the side of his leg now hung onto the fabric of his pant leg. Similar to how a child would grasp the sleeve of their father's shirt. Like a small lifeline that would center and protect him. Mikael narrowed his eyes letting go of the fabric in disdain. He wasn't a child anymore, he didn't need to comfort himself in such a way. The boy wondered what his parents would say if they saw him now. If he could practically hear their scorn it did not show outwardly.

Mikael frowned as he heard someone speak from behind him. Unbeknownst to the boy, he had moved closer to this mysterious newcomer. Mikael turned around on his heel in a sharp manner to study the boy. He noticed two things right off the bat, how pale the other student was and how much shorter he was. Mikael tilted his head upwards slightly standing up straight. Without his costume, he was known to make those around him uneasy. With his costume, he wondered if someone might even find him scary.

It only took a few strides to cross the few lengths between himself and the white-haired boy. Mikael stopped in front of the perfect only a few feet between them. The boy crossed his arms over his chest as he tilted his head downward to look the other in the eye. Mikael would stand in front of Pericles for a few seconds. A solid wall of muscle staring down at the other as if to try and intimidate him. "And who might you be?" he asked his voice colder than his usually stoic voice.

Mikael's eyes flicked up towards the boy's wand that sat aloft in the boy's hand. Unbeknownst to him, his head tilted slightly upwards towards the boy's hand that held the wand. "If you're looking for a fight I'd be glad to provide that for you, but I'll have to ask you to leave my friends alone." he stated his tone getting harsh to the point where the word friend sounded harsher than he meant it.

Actions: Vibe checking Pericles [Trying to intimidate]

Mentions: @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood and @Flash Holmwood and @Pericles Dralt

Moderation Post

As some Tricky Treat effects fizzled out, others crackled to life. Fresh on the list of daring dabblers was Lea Hirsch, who took a chance with cauldron cake. The Wizard Cracker she snapped open rewarded her with a set of socks, cheery yellow with brewing cauldrons all over. If one watched the print carefully, they may notice them bubble in enchanted animation. But before Lea had much time to examine her surprise, she would succumb to a terrible fit of laughter, the Tricky Treat influencing her with its Laugh-Inducing Potion.

A cool breeze stirred partygoers from the lighthearted atmosphere. Students walked in the wake of a phantasmal feline, the buzz of chatter drifting with them. The pursuers whispered of a happening, of doom and tragedy. Then they passed on, leaving the costume party as the (more or less) tame affair it was meant to be, hinting at the implication of excitement elsewhere.

-This is a moderated event, please do not roll for yourself!

-If transitioning to The Hunt, hurry to it before the 9th.

-Your character can pick up the Chocolate Frogs which Remi and Sylvain set loose

-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 Hunt or 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 to have it removed (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.

-Mod posts are returning to the once per week pace. The next will come on the 12^th. Too fast? Owl me feedback!

| @Lea Hirsch |

Cassie raised an eyebrow at the girl's spluttering, completely oblivious as to why she was spluttering in the first place. And there it was again. That feeling that something was not quite right. The muggleborn looked closely at the girl next to her as she finished scraping her seeds out of the pumpkin.

"Quite fascinating," Cassie echoed, switching effortlessly to English. For a moment, she considered pulling out her phone from her bag - although she couldn't properly use it, it was still okay for taking Muggle photographs, and jotting down notes - and bamboozling the girl with it, but 'Bella' spoke again first.

She was talking to a redheaded girl, about their own age, who came up to them dressed in just jeans and a jumper. Smart, Cassie thought approvingly. This girl didn't need to worry about which place to go to, because she could fit in both. To be honest, Cassie wished she had done the same. For a moment, she imagined the look on Charles Allurings' face if she had shown up in a similar outfit to this redhead, and nearly laughed aloud.

From 'Bella's words, it seemed that the new girl - Alexa (Cassie immediately thought of the AI) - was a muggleborn too. Cassie flashed Alexa a smile, but the girl didn't see it because she was busy hiding her face in her hair. Was she shy, maybe? She hadn't seemed it when she'd walked in, just a little awkward. But that was to be expected, walking into a costume party without a costume.

When Alexa looked up, she was flushed red - in embarrassment, or anger? - and agreed that 'Bella' didn't have any prejudices about muggleborns. But then she spoke to Cassie. Definitely anger. "Oh, I know that! To be honest, I'm pretty trashy at magic, but I know loads of muggleborns who're awesome at it," Cassie said in as cheerful a tone as she could manage, "I just didn't realise dear, Princess Bella here did." She turned to the other girl and gave her a smile of apology. "I'm sorry," she said in French, "I guess I just assumed."

Post tracker

Jo Morgan. Jo Morgan, Jo Morgan, Jo Morgan… Andrew repeated several times silently to himself, after parting ways with the Gryffindor girl. Thankfully, it wasn't a complicated name, though the risk of it slipping from his short-term memory was still high, especially with all the evening's events bombarding him.

Perhaps it was karma that caused him to slip on pumpkin guts, for laughing at Dan and leaving his best friend to literally ROFL while Andrew turned away to head for the Butterbeer station.

"Ye lard look ya sat yer snuff!!!"

He heard Dan cackle behind him, once Andrew scrambled to his feet. It wasn't so much Dan's babble that set off his alarm, but Dan's pointing, that caused Andrew to check the back of his cape in a hurry. Word paired with action - Andrew instantly pieced together what Dan was trying to say. If not for his Pumpkin Head stubbornly clinging to its vivid hue of orange, Andrew's face would've turned three shades paler in shock, then five shades redder in embarrassment. The smudge was dangerously close to his bum. He couldn't have people thinking the wrong idea!

Dan didn't seem to care though. Not that Andrew could blame him. So long as the Tricky Treats were in effect, the boys were bound to ridicule and make fun of each other.

Andrew would shoot a pointed look at Dan, a sly smirk forming on his face at the thought of something else sinister he could do to elevate Dan's level of torment. Clutching a bundle of cape in one hand, pulling out his wand with the other, Andrew would side over to a table and utter a discreet "Scourgify" that wiped away the blemish, before making his way back to Dan, abandoning his Butterbeer quest.


That was when the tickle torture began.

"Told ya to put ya socks on!" Andrew laughed maniacally as he attacked Dan's sides and –exactly where he knew Dan's most ticklish spot was– his feet. Vulnerable and helpless. Dan was barely able to muster the strength to kick his legs in protest, too crippled by the Laughing Potion to get away.

It was during this tickle session that the Pompion Potion would wear off. Andrew would halt his assault as he felt his head shrink and return to normal. Only temporarily, continuing to tickle torture Dan to his gratification for however long he could. It didn't matter how immature the act looked, him and Dan on the floor, laughing wildly. Andrew was high on the moment. No one else in the room mattered to him. Just Dan.. and Dan's suffering.

Interactions: @Dan Palmer. Open for more.
PSA: Andrew's Batman mask is still lying on the floor, for anyone that wants to grab it (hand it back to Andy, accidentally crush it, or steal it and make him cry like a five-year old that's lost his blankie when he realizes it's gone missing).

MODERATION POST

In between hopping chocolate frogs and flying pumpkin guts, something maybe unexpected padded into the Rehearsal Room. It was an animal, but a rather special one: Ghostly and translucent, it seemed to be the spirit of a cat. It didn't enter the room alone, either: A small flock of students was following it, and every once in a while, every few steps, the cat turned its head, as a if to make sure that they were still accompanying her.

It was an odd thing to observe, to say the least, and every student who noticed or paid attention might wonder what was going on.

A few of the students walking behind the cat were chattering excitedly, and anyone who cared to listen could catch snippets of their conversation:

"What do you think is going to happen?"

"What did he mean with doom and tragedy?"

"Do you really think we can do anything to stop it?"

"Isn't that cat so cute?"

Some of the kids looked rather worried, scared even, maybe, some where pumped and excited, some seemed to be there entirely by accident, but they were all on the way to solve the mystery that the ghostly rider had challenged them with. Maybe a few more students from the Costume Party wanted to join and offer their help?

OOC Information

• Anyone who wants to investigate this mystery has to change location into The Hunt before November 9th.
• Following the ghost cat into the Hunt does not count as this round's action.
• You can return to the Costume Party and the Masquerade at any point (as long as you're not involved in combat )
• Only players registered in the Index and iNPCs can take part. Please choose whether you want to participate with your PC or your iNPC.
• Questions can be directed towards Dealla Prince and Ileen Knight.

At first she thought the girl was calling her belle like "the belle of the ball" but then it caught her attention that she said Bella and quickly it clicked. The French. Bella's current temperament. The name. So obvious, why didn't she realize it before?!

"You're from Beauxbatons, yes? You must know my sister. Bella Rosier. We're identical twins." And upon saying this she felt rather bad that Bella was getting a reputation at her new school for so many bad traits. She was an aristocratic snob, a pureblood narcissist, and a flirt. Maybe if she stayed at Hogwarts, Alina would have some way of better reaching her, to help bring her back down to reality and stop her from spiraling in this wrong direction.

"She transferred there after last year. I'm Alina. Alina Rosier," and just as she introduced her name to the other girl, she saw the luminescent cat enter the room and watched as it made its way across the Rehearsal Room. Perhaps it was because it was a cat, one of the animals Alina had been considering getting for a pet so much recently that caused it to catch her attention. Maybe it was the way it seemed to shimmer in the space that it occupied. Perhaps it was the sort of train that followed it of other students, all focused so greatly upon it.

And what were they saying? Doom? Tragedy? Stop it? Stop what?! She glanced to this new girl over to Alexa and then across the room to where Logan stood, eating his chocolate. If there was doom and tragedy and some way to stop it, she wanted to do whatever it was she could to help. Alina Rosier was a true and true Hufflepuff, after all. She motioned Logan over to her. "You going to also follow?" she asked, glancing to her friend Alexa and even to this new girl.

Mentions: @Elisabeth Erner @Alan Vanes @Jack Warren @Willow Anderson @Jack Burnett @Ruka Burnett-Tân @Jo Morgan @The Narrator

Jake did feel a little better having found his friends...most of them, at least. All around him there was chattering and laughing and costumes, and no sign of danger...yet. But that was how it always started...

All of the boy's nerves were on high alert, as his eyes darted around the room for any sign of somebody not supposed to be there. Alan and Tiger's costumes had cheered him up for a bit, a much needed distraction, but it was hard to forget for long...There were some other little distractions, like when Willow and Jack's hair started to rise making Jack's mad hatter costume look even better ("Whoa, how'd you guys do that...?" Jake had asked) but nothing could make his worries go away entirely.

"I'm gonna try and find George, ok...?" he finally asked the others, wanting the group to be all together. He didn't like not knowing where anybody was...Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go by himself...but he was twelve now. He wasn't supposed to ask Jack to come with him wherever he went. He looked to the older boy for a moment for approval, but then took a few steps away.

There sure were a lot more people at the costume party than Jake thought were going to be there. It was maybe too many people though, because one of them bumped right into Jake and nearly knocked him over. He steadied himself, but the girl apologized and he realized she hadn't meant to push him. He nodded to let her know that he was ok, before trying to move far away from the food fight that was beginning to break out. Jake didn't like getting messy on a normal day, and if his new costume got ruined it would be just horrible. If only pumpkin guts was all he had to worry about today though...

Those watching Jake would see him giggle to himself as he walked, but of course it wasn't really at nothing...The ribbeting voice had told him to have a hopping good time. 'I'll try,' he thought back. The voice had scared him at first...terrified him, really. He hadn't known who it was, or what it was...what it wanted. It wanted him to do things he could never. It had been wrong, foreign...and he'd wanted more than anything to tell somebody but never found the courage. He had learned since then that whatever it was, it was a lot like the other kids at school were...it wasn't quite as scary as it seemed. It talked to him sometimes, though other times it was quiet. It liked his drawings, though the ones it liked most were weird. Weird doodles and squiggles, like the one he had once drawn on the floor of the common room and been so scared he was going to get in trouble. That was the last time he had ever drawn inside...but sometimes outside he appeased that voice. He'd draw his animals and landscapes and nature scenes, and then something to make that voice happy. On the side of a shady tree to read under, on the ground by the lake, by the side of the greenhouses... He couldn't understand why he drew what he did...barely felt himself while he did it. But it quieted the voice - made it sound pleased. And more and more lately he found that he wanted to please it.

Find a pretty girl, maybe a Princess that voice suggested now. I am sure there is someone here that you like.

'What, ew...' Jake thought, wrinkling his nose. 'We read that story. You know what happens.' Yes, he knew what happened with frogs and princesses in stories alright, and there would be no kisses tonight. Halloween was a time for candy and costumes, not for kisses and love - that was Valentine's day, a holiday Jake had discovered last year was almost as dangerous especially when Professor Berseguay was around.

No matter where he looked there was no sign of George. Jake looked back towards Jack and the others, not wanting to wander too far. He wandered just a bit more than he meant to though, because just then he saw one of the strangest sights he'd ever seen. Floating on the ball of his feet, Peter Pan himself was approaching him. First it had been ghosts, and vampires, and werewolves, and trolls, and unicorns, but was Peter Pan real too...? The second-year stared in shock and awe, but a moment later, Jake realized it wasn't really Peter Pan - but somebody else he knew in an amazing costume.

"Me, a lost boy?" Jake asked, looking down at himself. He remembered the movie and how they had all dressed as animals like he was and smiled up at Peter. There hadn't been a frog in the movie but that didn't mean there wouldn't be room for more, right? "Hi Jack!" Jake said, grinning up at the Slytherin boy. His costume was so cool! He looked just like Peter Pan, and he could even fly. He would have called him Peter, if it hadn't been so long since he'd seen Jack.

A girl came over then that Jake recognized from the Blossom Ball and told Jack to leave him alone. The small badger looked to her. "Um, it's okay...! We're fr---um..." Jake's lips pursed as he realized he had almost said the word that Jack didn't like, or maybe was even afraid of. He looked uneasily up at Jack for a moment. "U-um...I know him." he finally said.

He looked back up to Peter again, admiring how much he looked like he'd climbed right out of a movie. "Your costume's so cool! Where's---" Jake began, but then his eyes widened as his hands covered his mouth to stifle the giggles when he saw Jack's new brother.

"Ruka, you---" he began, and then he was lost to laughter. Jack was Peter and Ruka was tinkerbell! He didn't want to laugh at anybody's costume but it was just too silly not to. The Gryffindor doused him in fairy dust and told him that he could fly if he just thought a happy thought. Jake looked up at him with wonder in his eyes. Jack and Ruka were flying, so could he really too?

Jake hopped for a moment, nervous he'd lift off faster than he expected, or go higher than he wanted, but he remained just right on the ground. And he was pretty sure he knew why.

"Um, not so much..." he answered weakly. "I don't maybe have a lot of happy thoughts today."

Jake shuffled his feet and looked to Ruka. He motioned the boy closer shyly, speaking so only he could hear.

"I'm scared..." he admitted, not wanting to say it...after all, Ruka looked like he wanted him to be happy. And he didn't think Ruka ever even got scared. And well...being around Ruka did make him feel happier, just like being around Alan and Jack had but...

"I just know something bad is gonna happen," he said, his foot tapping anxiously. He looked jumpy as, well...a frog. "It always does."

Breathing a little heavier, Jake watched the two boys.

Outfit | Hair | Shoes | Mask

As Charles Alluring: INPC

Russian in Red
French in blue
Spanish in green
German in orange
English in brown

Closed to interactions at the moment
Interacting: @Alec Mason | Cassie Heather

_{@Lucia Fox}

| @Alina Rosier | @Alexa Mackenzie
Mentioning: @Sylvain Indarys | @Remi Yao | @Ruka Burnett-Tân
Action: Picking up a chocolate frog, trying to apology to Cassie, admit that he's a idiot
For Mods:

Reducio

tats: Stamina: 6| Evasion: 5| Strength: 10| Wisdom: 4| Arcpower: 5| Accuracy: 10| Total: 40
Abilities: Evasion Maneuver, Lovely Creature

Charles followed Alec to the hunt but couldn't shake the feeling that he should go to Cassie, that he should apologize. Charles smiled over at Alec as he spoke " no problem, you were excited for this mystery anyway so I can't blame you," Charles heard his next question and look around before speaking again " uh follow the cat? Or maybe the room itself holds secrets? Does this sort of stuff happen at Hogwarts all the time?" Charles waited for Alec's response before seeing they were passing the costume party, maybe this was his chance to speak to Cassie? Charles smiled at Alec as he spoke " I am sorry Alec but there is someone I must apology to. Good luck with you hunt and after tonight tell me what is it that you found." Charles then left the hunt and entered the costume party looking for Cassie.

Charles kept his head down as he pushed his way out of the first room avoiding taking anything then started to look around the costume party anxiously as he looked for Cassie. Charles then paced the room a bit as he kept a eye out for Cassie but then saw a group of chocolate frogs running around and couldn't help but mutter in Russian " who was the person that released these guys," Charles would then bend and down and aim to pick up one of crafty creatures when he then saw a boy hovering in midair in a dress. Charles couldn't help but give a chuckle at the boy but then wonder if he did it for someone? Maybe he was and maybe that made him far more braver, braver than Charles could ever be.

Charles then spotted Cassie talking to two other girls; one he recognized as the girl in the tree or Alina Rosier. Charles approached them as he then spoke " Cassie, I know you probably don't want to see me right now but I'm sorry alright and I need to talk to you if that's okay?" Charles then looked over at the other two who looked like they were going to the hunt as Charles spoke " I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation ladies and will leave if you like," he smiled at them both before turning back to Cassie and saying " I know am a idiot and a bloody moron on Cass, I know that someone like me doesn't deserve a amazing and honest friend like you but I'm not asking for forgiveness. Just a chance to apology and tell you something," Charles was born English but he rarely spoke it so speaking English like that was odd to Charles but never less he continued this time in french " so will you please Cass hear me and my apology out?"