Event Blossom Ball - Trial of Orpheus

INTERACTING: Trial host

| OUTFIT

Alan was not entirely sure of this myth, he had not heard of the story of Orpheus despite the fact that at least the name somewhat rang a bell inside of his head. But aside from that he didn't know and was a little curious to learn more, though there was no actual explanation for the meaning of the trial except for an escape from the underworld as something was trying to keep them back inside. Alan was a little unsure about how this would work but determined to try and just run through. It couldn't be too difficult right?

But then he heard the first sound and his jog would turn into a slow step as each of his steps felt heavy and the desire to just turn around and have a look at what was calling him. It sounded like a vast arrangement of different animal noises, each magical creature he could ever desire to see and work with, was calling out to him and the desire to turn around was immense. How could he possibly not look at the creatures? This was a one in a lifetime opportunity after all right? But he remembered that they weren't real, they couldn't be real. It had to be a trick right? He couldn't look back if he ever wanted to succeed on this trial! Alan tried to block out the sounds as he started to hum loudly, as he tried to make his way forth.

ACTION | do whole trial
POST TRACKER | X | H H O H P A | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X

INTERACTING: trial host

| OUTFIT

Nichlas didn't want to admit that the thought of hearing his deepest desire scared him in a way. He had gotten so good to block all of those happy thoughts out, had spend years to no longer let trivial things affect him too much, that he couldn't help but fear the sounds he would be hearing. He didn't want to participate in this trial and yet something urged him to try it anyway, as if some subconscious part of his mind wanted to hear the sounds; no, needed to hear them.

So he would try to walk the path just as he heard the sound, or rather voices that called out to him. Voices he was very familiar with, though with a tone he hadn't heard in years. It was like he was a kid and as if the past years didn't happen, as if there hadn't been an opportunity for him to drive a gap between his family and himself. The desire to turn around and embrace that figment of past was huge, but he wouldn't let a silly trick conjured by a substandard school get the better of him and so he would fight a mental battle against his biggest desire. It scared him that they hit the nail on the head with it and it made him wonder what kind of magic they had utilized to make this a reality. Perhaps he had underestimated this school just a little bit, or at least some of its students.

ACTION | do whole trial
POST TRACKER | X | H H O H P A | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X

Closed to Interactions
Bolded Text: French | Regular Text: English | Color: #BF4040
Trial Tracker: HADES | HECATE | ORPHEUS | HERMES | PERSEPHONE | APOLLO

After feeling extremely confident from the Hecate Trial, Florian carried his haughty demeanor into the next trial: Orpheus. A girl informed him of the task and Florian almost snorted at her. Walking across a freaking bridge? How hard could that be? Of course, Florian typically overdid it when it came to pushing down his demons and their deepest desires, and truly the boy wasn't ready for what he would hear as soon as he crossed the threshold of the bridge.

He grabbed both sides of the bridge, and began moving forward. At first, all he could hear was a low rumble. It didn't seem like anything he would care about, but as he continued forward, the rumble grew louder... louder... until you could begin to hear a massive group of voices. He paused a moment, confused. His deepest desire was a bunch of people yelling? Surely not. But as he began walking again, he could hear chanting. And they weren't chanting just anything - they were chanting his name.

"Florian! Florian! Florian!" the group repeated over and over, while excessive cheers and screaming went on around him. Every now and then a stray voice, much louder than the chanting, would boom in with something like "He is the greatest there ever was!", "Simply a master on a broom!" and "I wish I could be as amazing as Florian LeRoy!"

For a split second he almost turned his head backward, hoping to praise his fans for their love of himself, but he quickly froze, trying to get his thoughts to return back to reality. He was not a star - yet. He was not someone that everyone would be envious of - yet. If he could just keep pushing forward, keep reminding himself that this was all a task, he could make it. Perhaps even winning King of the Blossom Ball as a first-year would be his first step toward worldwide recognition and praise.

Action: Attempting to make it across the bridge
Stats: Stamina: 5 - Evasion: 7 - Strength: 4 - Wisdom: 9 - Arcane: 4 - Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Foulplay

Rping as Ilvermorny iNPC Melody Westmoore | Hex: English - #8b2788 (to match her caricature as the goddess)
Interacting with: Trial Host (@Aurora Ranvier) | Outfit: Hecate (see above collage) | Underworld post

The last Trial.
Mel was almost finished. Soon, she would be a heroine to rival Atalanta. All she had to do now, was face her greatest desire -and turn away from it.

The girl hadn't realized she'd been saving this task for last, and it seemed very climactic that it was the final one she would complete. The Trial that she had, whether she realized it or not, been fearing most. It would be one thing if they had been asked to face their greatest fears. Those were more or less predictable, able to be overcome with sheer courage and power of will. But desires? Those had started wars, murdered leaders, brought civilizations to their knees. Wealth, power, fame, lust; all had been the undoing of countless people over many centuries. Would Mel be able to do this? She had to.

Come to think of it, the twelve-year-old wasn't entirely sure what she wanted most. Money? Nah. Fame? Nope. A life supply of Mexican food? Maybe...
She'd just have to find out.

Mel took her spot at the Trial's start, and set off.

At first, nothing.
One minute.
Two.
Still silence.

And then- a sound drifted out of the darkness and began to wrap its way around her like silk, ensnaring her. The gentle noise of waves lapping against a beach somewhere. Soothing her. Lulling her.
Mel had to find the source, she had to...
No. Do not turn around, do not turn around, don't, don't.

The lapping water faded away and she was left in silence for a moment. But then, another noise. The distant sounds of several bustlings cities, calling out to her. If she found them -traversed their streets and discovered their secrets- she'd be content.
No.
And Mel walked on.

But as she went, more and more sounds assaulted her, crying out to her. She heard the swoop of an eagle's wings as it soared over purple mountaintops. She heard the whistling of trains and the hum-roar of airplanes, the torrent of a tropical thunderstorm, the raging of a far-off crowd, the silence of a forest glen. And it was then that Mel realized, that more than anything she longed to be free. She wished it with a fierce aching that set her Thunderbird soul ablaze. And that was all anyone in this world wanted, right? To be free. Unbound. To see the world, the good and the bad, experience new things and never be tied down to anyone or anything. To be independent, and paddle their own canoe, to write their own destiny. If it were up to Mel, she would never stop exploring.

But no, no she was at Hogwarts, competing in the hero's Trials. She had to get through this. Don't turn around, don't...

Another beautiful cacophony of sounds rose and enveloped her like she was in a front row seat at the orchestra of her dreams ...or her nightmares. And underscoring all of it was the constant chant of free, free, free, like a frantic drum beat.
Would Mel make it through her final Trial?

Attire - Medusa
My trunk has Year 3 stats these are year 2:
Stamina : 8 | Evasion : 7 | Strength : 3 | Wisdom : 8 | Arcane Power : 9 | Accuracy : 8
Action| Participating in the trial of Orpheus – Attempting to walk across without looking back.

Blossom Ball '21 - Outfit (thanks to Anja Murtaja)
Mentioning: @Rafael D'Spacito

While walking towards the next trial, Lydia thought about how different her experience of this Blossom Ball was, compared to the previous one. Last year to say that it had been a total disaster was a euphemism, and right now she was really enjoying her time there, free of drama or chaos. Sure, the setting wasn't as flowery and festive in the Underworld, but it still felt quite fitting, especially considering the theme.

Once she reached the spot where a girl -that Lyd assumed was the organiser supervising this trial- was standing, she listened to her words and looked towards the bridge, tilting her head slightly. All she had to do was cross the bridge without looking back? Well, that was something that she should have been able to do quite easily, she thought, and once the girl had finished her explanation, Lydia started her trial.

If only she would have known the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice a little bit better, Lydia wouldn't have felt that confident in herself. But since she didn't, her steps appeared quite sure as she started her trial; she kept her gaze focused on the end of the bridge, not really understanding why anybody would want to look back.

It wasn't too long before she heard him.

"Lydia! I miss you!"

Rafael's voice was faint, almost as if he wasn't there, but despite that Lydia still stopped in her tracks, almost turning around to see him. Her heart was beating faster as her cheek reddened; she hadn't talked with the Gryffindor boy in a while, and even though they were just friends, the young Hufflepuff couldn't help the way her heartbeat sped up every time she looked at him. All of those thoughts run through her head in a second, when a second voice, one that sounded so much like her Grandma's, spoke louder, clearer.

"Miláčik*, I've found it. I've found a way for you to be fully human,"

For a second, it felt as if her heart had stopped, only to start beating once again at the speed of light. That voice... that could not be her Grandma, could she? It did sound like her, so it might have been her... The temptation to turn around was strong, she wanted to know so badly what she had found, that she didn't even question how she might have known what Lydia so desperately wanted.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to take another step, but her Grandma's voice got louder, closer. "Honey, just turn around, and you'll see it. I have it right here, all your worries and fears will go away, and everyone will like you for who you are. Just turn around, and see for yourself!"

The temptation was so strong, so hard to fight. The more she listened to the voice, the more she thought that it had to be her Grandmother. She knew she was in the middle of a trial, that she had to cross the bridge, but... she wasn't sure about what to do anymore. Her heart was racing fast, part of her screaming to just turn around and see what it was, while the other one kept telling her to start walking again.

Biting down on her bottom lip, Lydia closed her eyes, and tried to think about what to do.

*Miláčik means "darling, sweetheart" in Slovak.

Action: doing the trial.
Stats: STA: 5 || EVA: 7 || STR: 5 || WIS: 10 || ARC: 5 || ACC: 5
Race: Part-Veela
Abilities: Alluring || Lovely Creature

Trials tracker:Underworld || Hades|| Hecate || Orpheus || Hermes || Persephone|| Apollo

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Currently closed to interactions
Interactions: None
Mentioning: None
Word count: 291
Hex Color: #0080FF
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For Moderation:
Action: Attempt trial
Health: 500/500
Abilities: Lovely Creature | Fearless | Terrible Presence
Stats: Stamina 5 | Evasion 10 | Strength 5 | Wisdom 9 | Arcane Power 10 | Accuracy 8

The task sounded simple enough. Cross the bridge. Don't look back. Of course, simple seldom meant easily achieved. Ana's encyclopedia-like knowledge of Greek myths was finally somewhat relevant. She knew the story of Orpheus and Eurydice nearly best of all, mainly due to the fact that she had nearly been named Eurydice. While her own name wasn't exactly the most simple, or positive for that matter, what with seemingly countless doomed princesses and queens, it was still better than Eurydice.

She began to walk the bridge alone. Whatever it was, she knew it wasn't real. And in any event, even if it was, she was determined to win this. No matter what it was, she was certain that she would not even be the slightest bit tempted to look back. Of course, this was before she heard it.

Anastasia

Her name faded from the air as quickly as it had come and Ana fought her reflex to glance over her shoulder. It was the wind, she was certain of it. Even if the wind sounded eerily like her mother's voice. She was already regretting entering this trial. Because, despite every logical part of her mind reminding her that this was part of the test and that there was no way her mother was really there, she desperately wanted to look back.

Anastasia, my darling girl

Perhaps not the wind then. Ana forced herself to walk more quickly, swallowing hard and ignoring the tears that sprung to her eyes. Suddenly, the air around her seemed colder. Her outfit was definitely not designed for any sort of cold. That had to be the reason she was shaking like a leaf.

Blinking, she refused to cry. She was nearly there. Just. Don't. Look. Back.

Post tracker: Underworld entry | Orpheus | Hecate | Hades | Persephone | Apollo | Hermes

INTERACTING WITH: @Marshal Mozor, @Aurora Ranvier

MENTIONING: @Rafael D'Spacito

The gradual meandering through the trials would bring Evelynn and Marshal to the bridge that spanned between the areas of darkness and light, of misery and promised hope. As dim as it was, however, it wasn't easy to make out the host of this particular endeavor. Was there even one, Evelynn found herself wondering, brows furrowed as she peered squinting into the darkness. A clearing of a throat and unassuming stutter of a greeting would provide the affirmative to that as a small girl that had been previously overlooked made herself known. Given the lack of familiarity and absolutely diminutive frame, she could only be a first year.

As the girl jumped into an explanation of the trial, Evelynn glanced over the girl's shoulder to survey the bridge that loomed before them. All they needed to do was to walk straight and not look back. How hard could that be? Surely that couldn't be all there was to it, otherwise this wouldn't be much of a challenge. Perhaps there were mirrors affixed to draw the eye to the scenic view that lay behind? Or maybe there would be those that would chase after them with spells? Or even something released on the other side that might spur them into running away and back to the start?

Then again... this was the trial of Orpheus. As the story (that her mother had been kind enough to send her by owl) went, he had pleaded with the king and queen—Hades and Persephone—of the Underworld to be permitted to take his wife back up to the surface. They had warned him against looking back before they reached the surface, and for the most part, he had obliged. However, upon breaking surface, he'd looked back to ensure that his wife yet remained with him and had not been lost along the way. Only, she hadn't yet broken to the surface. Not quite. Thus, he had unwittingly acted against the advice, looking back before they—the both of them—had entirely exited the Underworld. In doing so, he lost her. She was dragged back down and the gates sealed to forever separate them.

Was this to be similar? Would her looking back perhaps mean the loss of something? Of someone?

That's it? Marshal spoke beside her before continuing on to confidently express how easy this trial would be. Her gaze had already been diverting down in the direction of her companion, but his scoffing only served to grab her attention more fully. Rather hastily, arms lifted to fold over her core, one hand lifting to press fingertips against the blossoming of a wry smile. Leave it to him to put the bravado on full display, but even she had to admit she was of a similar mind. Still, she hadn't been about to share that notion out loud. That amusement only grew as the boy rolled his neck and shoulders, portraying a rather bold front from one who was barely much taller than the quest giver.

"As you will," Evelynn chimed back, shrugging a brow as he offered to go first. Then allowed half a second of a stifled chuckle at his request for her to whack anyone who sought to shove him off the bridge. "Should you fall, I'll catch you before you land," she assured him, finger tapping against the silver sheen of her prized broom. "But you won't."

Really, that would go without saying. For as much time and effort as she had spent tutoring him in his studies and improving his spell work, after the lengths she had gone to try to save him from what very well could have been the end of him after the train explosion, after all the jests and smarmy lines she had endured...she was more than a little invested. There was no way she'd allow harm to befall him. Not if she could help it. Whenever he fell, she would be there to catch him.

"Go on then," she urged, nudging towards the bridge with her chin as a very blatant just try to impress me expression crossed her countenance. "Let us see how it's done."

And as he went, she allowed her gaze to track him, relaxing as she watched how he crossed with ease. At least... to a point. Near the centre of the crossing, he faltered. As dark as it was, it was difficult for her to make out what was going on, but as far as she could tell, there was nothing. No reason for him to stray or pause. What was going on...?

She wouldn't find out until it was her turn. The trial was a one-way ordeal. By the time Marshal finally reached the end, the entire bridge spanned between them and she would have to cross it herself before she could hear his account. Which meant, she had to cross it. All of a sudden, she wasn't quite as confident as she had been. There still hadn't yet been anything she had been able to make out that would have interfered with Marshal's advance, and yet, there had been something. Something invisible to the eyes, perhaps? Swallowing, expression resolving to tread cautiously forward and triumph, she took a step.

The structure beneath her thin sole was unyielding. It scratched against the flat of her shoe, just as it did every other time she crossed. Just as she had done in the maze, one hand drifted to find purchase against the wall as though having an point of contact and constant tactile stimulus might anchor her more firmly to the here and now. And then, she closed her eyes. One step, then another. If there was nothing to see, it wouldn't matter if she could see the ground ahead of her or not. She could still feel it; and this allowed her to focus more intently on the subtle shifts of the breeze that stirred and rustled the flowers of her crown and tangled the fabric of her dress around her feet. Every little noise, from the tempo and melody of the music ahead, to the hushed whispers and idle chatter behind, seemed amplified fivefold. But everything seemed... normal?

"DECIPIO!"

Evelynn brushed the sound of someone shouting away, fixed on the task at hand. She took a step. Distant noises were of little consequence while she was focused on trying to decipher the puzzle that was the obnoxious absence of... anything. Another step. Really, it was the fact that this trial was proceeding without anything as significant as a sudden appearance to frighten or question or bar her way that made this all the more eerie.

"DECIPIO!"

This time her name sounded far louder and the voice that spoke it grated along the length of her spine, sheering away her patience with every syllable. Why now. Leave it to her captain to deliberately impinge upon one of her trials. Try to trip her up and distract her. No, she would hear nothing of it. Exhaling her frustration in a burst of air through her nose, she clenched her jaw and strode forward.

"Decipio, don't fucking ignore me!" D'Spacito's voice drew nearer with every word.

"Go waste your breath on someone else," Evelynn snapped back in irritation, hastening her step.

"Why do you always have to be such a bitch," he bemoaned. His steps couldn't have been more than a few feet away.

There he was again with the vulgarities. It was always the same with him. Always a macho show to let her know just how little he thought of her, a verbal berating that sought to strike her down one inch at a time until she was floundering in the field at his feet and forced to look up to him from his shadow. She wouldn't engage. Not this time. It was a low blow to antagonize her in the middle of a trial, in front of who knew who all was watching. Her chest tightened, a lump of anger and frustration rising in her throat. Was that what he wanted? To lure her into retaliation? To simultaneously ruin her progress with the trial and mock her station by showing just how unworthy he thought her of her badges?

"Wait.." Annoyance laced the single word like a spiked drink, and she ignored it, carrying forward to the middle of the bridge. "Wait," he repeated, insistent, the sound of feet pattering up behind her. Then, softer, "Evelynn.. wait. Just.. hang on a second, okay? I'm sorry."

Well that gave her pause—out of as much renewed suspicion as confusion. She'd heard that tone of voice before, but not spoken to her. It was empathetic in its urgency. Almost tender. And she certainly could not ever have pictured him apologizing, however much she might have wished he had or how much she believed she'd been undeserving of his judgments.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, assuring that she hadn't misheard him.

His voice was closer than she expected. Low. Somewhat husky. Almost a whisper in her ear. Gooseflesh erupted across her skin and eyes that had been previously closed flew open, staring doe-eyed ahead to a fixed point on the horizon of the spring-side of the Blossom Ball.

"I was wrong," he continued, and her heart began to pulse in her ear like the background beat to a poetic performance. "I thought you were the one antagonizing Wren, but it was the other way around, wasn't it? And she.. Well, let's just say I know what happened now, alright? I shouldn't have said what I did last year, and I should have been more welcoming when you joined the team. I don't give you enough credit. Hell, you're pretty much the only reason we did as well as we did this season. So I'm sorry, alright?"

Evelynn swallowed, listening intently, afraid to move, afraid to speak. This wasn't actually happening... A small voice in the back of her mind uttered caution, warned that this could be some sort of elaborate trick. An effort on D'Spacito's part to... to... To what? What could he possibly gain from this? Her mouth had gone dry, and fingers curled to scratch nails against the stone wall, perhaps her subconscious attempting to remind her that she was midway across a bridge and through a trial.

But all she could think about were the whispered words that lingered to echo in her ear like the memory of a distant song that she wanted to play on repeat. All the frustration and pain she'd endured at the hands of his unfounded accusations and unjust treatment came rushing back to her. Enough, almost, to make her buckle at the knees. Enough, almost, to make her dive her hand for her wand and rip around with a curse upon her lips to sheer the smug smirk she was so accustomed to from his leering stupid face. But she did neither.

"Listen, I wasn't ready to before, but I am now. Can we just talk for a sec? Please?"

[font=century gothic]ACTION: Attempts to cross the bridge without turning[/font]

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BLOSSOM BALL 2021

Interacting With: N/A
Mentioning: Sophie
Hex Color: #800000

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It was just a bridge, right? How hard could this be?

It was a question that, if Rafael were completely honest, he wasn’t all that prepared to answer. The bridge in and of itself was quite intimidating in nature, if only at first glance – certainly not at the level that the first trial was, thankfully enough, and yet the young Captain found himself swallowing hard, his hand idly worrying away at his fringe as he watched along with some of his other fellow participants. Despite this, he’d spent the greater majority of the first challenge hyping himself for something that could have been a lot less stressful, had he simply not overthought everything – it was time to get it together, if he wanted to get anything with this competition. Adjusting the lapels of his blazer, his hands settled lazily upon his cuffs, which had been lightly frazzled by the worrying he had subjected it to over the past few challenges. How should he go about this, then? Just ease into the bridge? Dive headfirst into the danger and get it over with quickly? Yeah, that sounded a bit better. He was not about to take another chunk out of his sanity in the name of victory – it simply wasn’t something he desired to do. Okay, sounds like a plan – let’s get to it, then. Cracking his neck and swinging his arms in anticipation, he stepped forward and into the darkness.

The shadows were, surprisingly enough, oddly quiet, if only at first – that was, until he heard the whispers.

Desperate noises they were, frantically grasping onto his consciousness and pulling mercilessly at the memories he had tried so hard to bury deep within his psyche, the very same in which he vividly treasured and desperately feared alike. The feeling was almost akin to that of a dream, the same sort in which the initial utopia slowly descended into madness the longer the night wore on, until its victim could only turn about in their covers, their mind replaying the same sickening scene over and over without relief – and yet, perhaps the Captain found more solace in the madness than he would care to admit, the distant mutterings of noise resounding in his head like the voice of a long lost friend. He supposed bitterly that it was just that. The recognition sent the Captain’s back alight with shivers, his eyes watering and throat closing up in intrigued apprehension – he hadn’t heard that voice in years, not since his past life in Argentina, not since she had been so mercilessly taken from his midst. It was humorous, in some sick way, how in that time, their voices had sounded so similar in pitch, lilting and sharp with the telltale signs of youth – however, listening to Sophie’s voice now, she sounded far from young, her voice harrowed with pain and worry despite her young age. Oh, how he missed that voice.

He could see her beyond his eyelids, even now, just beyond reach, just behind his back… surely, a title couldn’t mean as much as seeing his sister again…

STA _____ 10 EVA _____ 4 STR _____ 9 WIS _____ 10 ARC _____ 2 ACC _____ 8

STATS & ABILITIES Interception Reducio When a Quaffle is being passed, users with this ability automatically get a chance to Intercept the quaffle. This does not replace their normal action for the round. This put the quaffle in your and by extension you teams' possession. Also, if the Quaffle is dropped for any reason, you would automatically (without it taking up an action) attempt another Quafflegrab. At present there would be no mid-round way to drop a quaffle due to the order of operations, however there will be certain effects in future patches that can cause this effect. Catch Reducio Able to catch two falling players on your broom when playing Quidditch. These additional caught players would be brought to the ground safely and they would be allowed to retrieve their broom and enter play again the next round. This can be done every round as the player's action if they choose to do so. With brooms that have the feature where an additional player may be caught (such as Bluebottle) where there is a stackable chance of failure with each additional person caught, there is no stacking failure chance for players with this ability. YEAR III AB Reducio TBD

Action • Attempting to successfully pass through the bridge