Fall Ball 2021 Fall Ball

Outfit

A single sentence was all it took for Nicholas’s night to shatter all around him. The masterfully crafted tale that Ranvier had wrought, about how Zuheir had sicked his beastly bird upon the unsuspecting second years, had been unravelled in a blink of an eye. In retrospect, it may have been the fact that she had all but confessed that her date had punched the other boy that had undone their clever ruse. Yet, he could not fault the girl in her attempt to alleviate the trouble that seemed to seek them out. No, instead he turned his frustration toward the professor of Astronomy. It was a farce that Nicholas would get in trouble for the simple act of protecting his date’s honour. What was he supposed to do? Allow the older boy to escape with nothing but smug satisfaction? Was he to leave the stupid grin plastered on the American’s face as he held his victory over the two British students? That just wasn’t done. Nicholas McCowan did not back down from fights, and he sure as hell did not allow for others to best him.

“But, sir,” Nicholas started, his tone of voice entirely indignant, the entirely inappropriate rage that was beginning to boil up from his core present upon every syllable, “He deserved it.”

His protests barely had time to escape from his lips before the wind whipped up around him, the roaring screech of the air turning the childish pleas into little more than a whisper. However, Nicholas remained taken with his rage, so much so that he failed to register the events that were unfolding around him. His eyes had been cast upwards, defiance and frustration demanding attention from the wizard who was in every way his superior. So it was that they did not see the fall of the tent until it was too late. Canvas, wood and enchanted decorations alike fell upon students and staff, remnants of the otherwise cheerful celebration raining down upon the ball-goers without care for their intentions for the night.

Nicholas, for his part, was one of the unlucky ones. A wooden beam, hidden away behind the enchanted faux-sky and clouds above, came down with the canvas and rope that it had been attached to. The thud that erupted as it smashed against the boy’s shoulder was sickening, and his howl in response was not much better. More from shock than pain, Nicholas collapsed, the canvas of the tent falling upon him. The heavy fabric weighed down upon his body, effectively trapping him in a cocoon of moistened tarp.

Panic set in first, raw and undiluted fear. He could not see, the remnants of nimbus clung to his eyes, hiding what should have been clear as day behind the fog of absolute night.

“Aurora!” He called, more out of instinct than anything, “Are you ok!?”

There wasn’t time to think, wasn’t time to process what was happening. Within moments of hitting the ground, the boy was writhing, desperately trying to fight as he pushed the remains of the grand ball tent off of his prone form. Every movement, no matter how minute, sent fresh spikes of pain up and through his shoulder and arm. Regardless, he continued to fight for air, for light, for freedom, the impending darkness of the situation rising his fear rapidly and quickly.

Memories flooded back, unpleasant memories, of another tent upon the quidditch pitch, of another time he had been consumed in nothingness. The Trial by Fear. Those same thoughts would not, could not, be cast asunder. Fear, more than determination, more than his desire to ensure that his date was ok drove his actions, those of a frightened animal more than a dashing hero or a somewhat intelligent boy. Bestial fright was his motivator, and with each passing moment it threatened to tighten its grip around his mind ever tighter.

Stats: STA: 12 | EVA: 6 | STR: 8 | WIS: 6 | ARC: 4 | ACC: 6
Abilities: Foulplay | Statistically Relevant
Interacting with: @Aurora Ranvier & @Nigel Read
Mentioning:
Action: Attempting to escape from the canvas

Her hair is bloooonnnndeee

Mentioning None

Interacting with @Nicholas McCowan

“NICHOLAS!”

It was beyond her capacity to process what just happened, everything was scattered around, out of place. The absence of Nicholas’ hand just added more insult to injury, she was alone, and she was trapped in the cage of her nightmare. One could expect the girl to throw a tantrum, scream, or just try to rip the tent by hand. But as the darkness came, she watched herself being pulled back to the moment where it all happened. The common room, the forest, the cave, when there’s no light, the shadows will attack. The ability to contain the ever growing fear was finite, now that it successfully wrapped itself around the tiny girl, it would be the end of her sanity. Like an overloaded computer, her brain stopped working. Instead of searching for a way out, Aurora pulled her knees closer, terrified of what would happen if she moved even an inch. It wasn’t like she did not want to, she just couldn’t. Her entire body wasn’t hers to boss around, she couldn’t seem to make it do something other than wrapping both arms around herself, curling up into a ball, trying to make her even smaller than she already was.

“h-help, someone, anyone” Weak mumbles were the loudest she could do. Not loud enough for anyone to hear, however. She was just a kid who somehow ended up in unfortunate events. No matter how many times they took away pieces of her innocence, when the time comes, she would be cowering, shaking, panicking. Never once has she experienced something so severe like this. It was confusing for her. Despite the cold air, she felt as if she was sitting in the middle of a dessert, with the sun right above her head, making it hotter than any summer heat she ever experienced. The sound of her own heart beating made her dizzy, then it was getting hard to breathe as if something sucked the air out of her. It could have been thirty seconds, ten minutes, an hour, she wouldn’t know. As if being tied down underwater with no way to come up to get some air, she couldn’t move or breathe. And the next thing she did was sobbing. It was painful, it was draining.

This would be the last time for Aurora to attend any magic related ball. Never again.

Sta - 5 | Eva - 8 | Str - 5 Wis - 8 | Arc - 4 | Acc - 10 Terrible Presence Evasive Maneuvers

Action None, full on panic attack Outfit Reducio There's a leg bag underneath her dress (idk what that called). She has : a wand, 1 dittany, a boomerang, two travel size pepper sprays, one hammer, one inhaler

Spiked like last time? Yes, Vivian had a point. At the last ball there was something strange in the drinks, so maybe this time there would be too. Well, she didn't want to repeat what happened at the blossom ball. "Yes, you are right, we better don't eat anything from the ball."

When Vivian told Aldor that he didn't have to worry, Samantha started to move. She made her way to the large tent, which hosted the fall ball, away from the fighting people. Assuming the other two followed her lead, she walked pretty fast.

But before the group would enter the tent Vivian said that she wanted to check her make-up. Samantha did not feel the need to check her make-up, which she didn't even have on, or her hair. She was sure it looked fine, but she still followed Vivian to the bathrooms. The brunette opened the wooden door, which was for the ladies, and held it open for her friend. Not all of their company were ladies so that meant that Aldor, the only boy in the group, had to wait outside.

"So, how are things with you and Aldor?" she asked her friend with a little smile. Samantha hoped everything was good between them because she didn't want to have her friend's heart broken.

After Vivian was satisfied with her hair and make-up, the two girls made their way outside again. The weather had changed drastically, the winds were howling and dark clouds were making their way towards the tent. Samantha shook her head. Why hadn't the ball organizers bothered to check the weather? Even a five-year-old child could do that!

At first, Samantha had found it a waste of her time, why would you check your hair and make-up if you could go and have fun inside the warm tent. But when the tent fell, the young girl was happy that her friend had wanted to check her make-up. Otherwise, they would have been trapped in the tent too. After having a little heart attack when the tent came down, the girl quickly turned to her friend. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, as she stood a couple of meters from the collapsed tent.

Open to Interactions

If Starlee enjoyed the first song, she absolutely loved the second one. It was sassy and of course Bubbles could match her mood almost perfectly. They were the perfect pairing it seemed, and Starlee wanted to show that to the world and the Audience.

Perhaps even more exciting was being able to cast during the performance as well, and she was excited to see the crowd's faces brighten as various sparkles and sparks flew in the air around them. She shot off her own round of green sparks, getting ready for her final solo.

"If you don't believe,
You better get superstitious
Just ask the choir:"

She winked as she finished the word 'Superstitious,' hoping to bring that sassy energy into her solo. Bubbles seemed to be right on queue as well, giving a firm low croak with her. She smiled, and finished off the song with another shot of green sparks, and would bow with the rest of the group.

She would exit, thanking Bubbles for an amazing performance, and placing him back into the container to be taken back to the greenhouses. "You were amazing, Bubbles, I hope we can perform together again soon!" She then removed her spooky robes. Her poofy dress, now released from its confinements, shot outward, floofing quite magnificently around her.

She would notice a few of the performers race off to the other end of the ball, but Starlee was content to hang about and people watch. This ball had entirely snuck up on her, and she hadn't made any plans, not like there was a boy here she wanted to make plans with, in any case. There seemed to be drama, as was typical at most balls, so she watched, ate some food, drank a drink, and was considering heading out when the edges of the tent began flapping wildly.

It appeared the house elves clearly didn't have things under control, and Starlee watched as the tent began to collapse around them. She rolled to avoid a crashing light, managing to make it out unscathed, despite her rather large dress. But others clearly hadn't quite been so fortunate.

"Does anyone need help?" she called. Surely the tent around them would have caused darkness to consume them, so she figured the least she could do was make a light to start finding people. "Lumos!"

Action: Casting Lumos

For Moderation:
Stats: Stamina: 7 | Evasion: 8 | Strength: 6 | Wisdom: 8 | Arcane Power: 6 | Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Healing Sage | Comprehend Language (Parseltongue)

Reducio

The Outfit - Autumn Fairy

Regular Text - English | Bolded Text - Korean
Interacting: @Eun-ji Lee Hunt
Mentioning: Flash Holmwood and Opeila Winters

TL;DR: talking with Eun-ji
Action: Using a broken plate edge from the refreshment table, trying to cut a hole in the tent near himself and Eun-ji
Stats: STA: 9 | EVA: 9 | STR: 9 | WIS: 4 | ARCP: 3 | ACC: 13
Abilities: Martial Artist | Muggle Condition | Calming Presence (allies when in range: Eun-ji Lee Hunt, Jack Warren, Dealla Prince, Lydia Cooper)

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Having been able to dodge the tent, it seemed Enzo and Valentin were more interested in keeping their conversation going underneath the now very close ceiling- although now filled with many more questions of whether the other was okay. Alec would do the same while checking in on Hanako, one of the people recently acquainted with the supports of the tent. Despite that, the Slytherin tried to get up- would he be able to do so without hurting himself further?

Strength dc 13 11 + 3 = 14

Lumos wis dc 9 15 + 8 = 23

Hanako would both get up and cast Lumos without further hurting himself- an impressive feat. It might take a little longer than a minute to readjust, but at least no one was trapped beneath a pole. The comforting glow of the lighting charm would illuminate the space around, able to see more clearly small gashes- barely enough space for a hand to fit through- in the fabric and the pieces of glass littered about the ground. People on the outside might also notice the glow through the tears as well as the shadow of activity within the deflated tent.

With as much politeness as possible, Maximilien would decide to make an escape by cutting through the fabric.

Diffindo wis dc 10 18 + 11= 29 Arcane Power 9 + 7 = 16

Strength dc 13 2 + 2 = 4

The wand also seemed to want to escape, easily cutting through the tent fabric. It would create a sizable gash, one that easily let students through. However, in the process, some of the glass that had remained from the shattered light would irritate, causing further injury. It wasn't significant yet, but it still certainly hurt- the price paid for escape. Others would not immediately know of this new exit- but the group that had remained relatively silent would and could choose whether or not they advertised their possible escape or not. Perhaps others had already found their own?

Both Aaron and Eun-ji would be able to escape the supports and lights by ducking under one of the nearby tables. It had been good luck that they had been getting refreshments at the time that they were- perfect barriers to dive under. And apparently, it provided the best way to cut through tents- broken plates.

Strength
dc 13
20 + 9 = 29 [crit success]

And so it was true, broken plates were far superior than any other medium in cutting through such a fabric- easily creating a gash. The plate had cut through almost like butter, that one perfect slice allowing both to escape into the howling outdoors.

While others had had an easy time reuniting, these two would find it a little more difficult. Simon, in an attempt to search for Haley, would try to lift up the tent. A different group, Flash and Opeila, were already together and looking for a way out. Perhaps the tent exit would be easy to find even in its current state.

Wingardium Leviosa wis dc 9 3 + 5 = 8 Strength dc 13 10 + 9 = 19

Search wis dc 13 6 + 15 = 21

The spell wouldn't work for Simon, almost seeming to passive aggressively deflate more. Despite that, the two managed to reunite within the tent. Flash and Opeila would also manage to find a way out- a table closer to one of the exit had remained put- and the fabric on the other side seemed to be the edge. It would require a little crawling, but the two could make it outside.

Nicholas and Aurora both weren't doing very well. Hogwarts had never been quite as it seemed, and the two had experienced quite a bit of what the school had to offer. Nicholas was in the more unfortunate decisions- partly out of malice and partly out of his own struggling.

Escape
str dc 16 (raised due to injury)
4 + 8 = 12

His writhing would only make matters worse, pulling the fabric closer instead of pushing it away. As it grew closer, it would hit old wounds and bruises, rubbing at the sick on the shoulder. Blood would start to well, not yet anything substantial, but still a little worrisome if it continued.

The professors- both of whom had been hit by the faux sky of the tent and both who would try to rise to the occasion. They were teachers, after all, meant to keep the students safe as best as possible. A plan in action, one would work on propping up the tent, the other escape. Yes, becoming a weasel was a free action- a quick transformation that would make it easier to find some sort of exit. Weasels were a lot smaller than humans after all.

Find a weasel sized exit dc 10 (reduced due to size) 9 + 10 = 19 Strength dc 13 3 + 2 = 5

Erecto wis dc 12 6 + 25 = 31 arcane power 1 + 10 = 11 Strength dc 13 8 + 4 = 12

Kelsey would successfully become a weasel, but not before accidentally crushing his smaller form with the attacking pole- it was fine for now, weasel-Brumby able to continue their adventure of finding an exit, but it would probably have to be looked at later. Still, it was no trouble finding a way to leave the tent, able to wiggle through one of the small gashes caused by the supports. Nigel would have a bit more of a tough time. The spell would work, a tent formed, but only for a part of the ball. It seemed the rest still wished to reconnect with the ground. His fall to the floor would allow some shards of glass to puncture skin, a little bit of blood trickling from the side of his arm. Not much...

Starlee would also focus on helping others, and that started with providing a little light. Everything was a little easier when the proper lighting was around.

Lumos
wis dc 9
7 + 8 = 15

And so the light showed itself, another silhouette of a person on the outside of the tent. While the original purpose might have been to help others, it would also help Starlee in avoiding any obstacles while on her way to help others.

Samantha would find the tent in complete disarray. Some sections were lifted while most remained firmly on the ground. Some spots glowed, shadows of the people within. Some people had started to find their way out, but many remained within the fabric of the fallen ceiling.

What Happened?

Hanako casts Lumos.
Maximilien is bleeding, but has cut a way out of the tent.
Aaron has cut a way out of the tent.
Flash & Opeila find a way out.
Nicholas is bleeding.
Kelsey is bleeding.
Nigel is bleeding.
Starlee casts Lumos.

Health

- Aurora (365/500)
- Winnie (500/600)
- Lucia (700/800)
- Quinn (1300/1400)
- Kelsey (1500/1600)
> Weasel (275/300) bleeding -25 hp/round
- Cade (500/600)
- Lani (400/500)
- Gabriella (700/800)
- Hanako (600/700)
- Nicholas (1075/1200) bleeding -25 hp/round
- Nigel (575/700) bleeding -25 hp/round
- Maximilien (575/700) bleeding - 25 hp/round
- Nate (500/600)
- Simon (500/600)
- Hui (400/500)

#274782 Blue in English, #a62b2b Red in Korean

Aaron sounded unsure of his idea but Eun-ji thought he wasn’t completely off. “Well it might be difficult to raise the whole tent but maybe we could lift the fabric at the side and create a big opening for others to escape? It would also shed some light for them.” She nodded thoughtfully. This was good. They were planning something and the witch could tell her brain was finally kicking back in. This is what she usually did whenever she faced difficult feelings, she distracted herself with something else. It was now fairly obvious just by the tone of her voice that she was back to her usual calm and collected self.

While she was lost in her thought, Aaron managed to take a plate from the table and break it, the sound swiftly bringing her back to reality. “Careful!” The Ravenclaw said worriedly. It was a good plan but he could get hurt in the process. Thankfully, everything seemed to go smoothly and her friend managed to cut through the fabric quite easily. It didn’t look like an easy task and Eun-ji was fairly sure she would fail if she attempted to do so herself but Aaron was strong and she was really glad they were here together. She honestly wasn’t sure what would happen if they got separated. The Hufflepuff’s presence alone seemed to ground her. Carefully, the witch took the piece of plate from the boy and trew it under the table when it wouldn’t hurt anybody. “You didn’t cut yourself, did you?” She asked but she was already holding his hand and checking for injuries with her own eyes. Thanks to the hole in the fabric, she could actually see and was able to confirm that he was indeed okay. “Good, let’s go.” She said visibly relieved and waited for Aaron to crawl through with her.

Eun-ji felt bad for leaving others behind but she also believed they could help them better that way. Not to mention that thanks to the hole, anybody close to them now had the means of escaping as well. “Let’s go to the edge just to be safe? Someone might attempt raising fabric from the inside and we probably don’t want to stand on the tent when that happens.” Once her friend agreed, they both carefully walked towards the edge making sure to avoid any obstacles. (Permission given to slightly godmod Aaron) It was still raining heavily and the witch suddenly hated her grandmother even more for buying her a white dress. White dresses were not good for getting wet. Sure, it was the least of their problems right now but it was still pretty embarrassing. Thank God she had such a long hair. Bringing them all to the front should solve most of the issues. Nobody would bother checking her out now anyway. Why can’t we have a peaceful ball at Hogwarts once in a while?

Finally, at the edge of the fabric, she noticed a familiar pair crawling out. “Flash! Opeila! Are you both okay?” They looked okay but the witch still wanted to make sure. “I will use Wingardium Leviosa to raise the fabric of the tent...and well if not raise it, at least create a big opening for the others. Do you wanna help? Unless you have other plans of course. In which case, go for it,” she surveyed the three. Aaron suggested using the spell in the first place but she didn’t want to push him to actually do it should he decide to do something else instead. The same went for the other two. Eun-ji didn’t like telling people what to do, she would ask for help but ultimately let them do their own thing. Casting the spell alone would be less sufficient of course but she had to do something. Pulling out her wand, the girl focused on the familiar incantation. “Wingardium Leviosa!” (Should she/they succeed, she would also call to anybody inside that could hear her towards the created exit.)

ACTION:Casting Wingardium Leviosa on the fabric from outside in order to raise it and if nothing else, at least create a big opening for others to escape
TL;DR: Escaping the tent with Aaron and Asking Flash and Ophelia to help with the spell.
Stats: STA: 7 | EVA: 8 | STR: 4 | WIS: 10 | ARCP: 8 | ACC: 8
Abilities: *Healing Sage *Perfectionist *Death Defiance
Inventory: Wand, tissues, plasters

Outfit

Nicholas fought and struggled, testing his strength against the weight of the canvas, but could find no purchase. It seemed that every minute movement did nothing except make the fabric even more difficult to escape from. The dampness of the heavy tarp, combined with the muffling effects of the enchanted smoke only sought to worsen the feeling of being trapped. He could hardly breathe, he could barely move, and he was entirely panicking. Perhaps, he should have screamed, perhaps, he would have called for help, but his thoughts were not operative, and animal instinct kept his voice firmly quiet. He could not hear, so why should he assume that others would be able to hear his impotent screams. The collapse of the tent around him had been bad enough, but the resulting darkness and inability to move were his worst fears realised. Every ounce of his psyche frayed at the seams as raw terror took control.

He struggled fervently, harder than even before, ripping and straining as he did so. The warm trickle of blood down from his wounded shoulder served as but a vague reminder of the extent of his injury. Even the sharp pain that constantly shot out from the bloodied and tearing wound was but background noise, metaphorical static, when compared to the much more pressing concern of the fact that he was trapped.

Fists struggled and reached out around him, desperately searching for some form of purchase on the fallen tent. Hands caught against grass and dirt, the soft feeling of the ground clenched in frantic handfuls before being cast asunder, there had to be a way out, dammit. Feet, too, shot out in wild arcs. Eventually, the boy came to try something entirely unorthodox. The weight upon him was more than he thought he could manage, but if he could just get to his feet, perhaps he would be able to move toward a hole in the canvas.

A wordless grunt of effort and exertion would escape from the boys’ mouth as he tried to force his way to his feet, and out of the prison that had enveloped him.

His date didn’t even enter into his mind as he fought desperately against overwhelming terror and panic. Perhaps, it would be a source of great shame in the future, but for the moment, Aurora Ranvier was on her own. Nicholas McCowan could barely help himself.

Stats: STA: 12 | EVA: 6 | STR: 8 | WIS: 6 | ARC: 4 | ACC: 6
Abilities: Foulplay | Statistically Relevant
Interacting with:
Mentioning: @Aurora Ranvier
Action: Attempting to escape from the canvas