Fall Ball 2021 Matchmaking Booth

Cassie McGregor-Martin (@Lucia Fox) would wonder aloud whether this whole place was a scam. Was it a scam? It was definitely not a scam. Although the tent itself may look strange, the Matchmaking Tome was certainly the real deal. Legend has it that none of its matches had proved wrong over the span of centuries. At least that's what Avery Chen would tell you if you asked him.

If the Tome could communicate its feelings, it would give Cassie an indignant huff for doubting it. An angry gust would whirl through the tent, causing the talismans to clink madly before cursive words would appear on its page:

"The two of you are such a cute pear. There will be some ups and downs in your relationship, but in the end, the trueness of your friendship will prevail. After all, isn't that what friendship is about? I foresee a generally positive outcome in your relationship. It is unfortunate that I would have to give very good news to such a rude girl."

Afterwards, the Tome would slam itself shut, indignantly, narrowly missing any fingers. It would refuse to open back up until its next customer. The book seemed to have a... strong personality. The dolls would merely blink and shrug in unison, as if apologizing for their colleague's erratic behavior.

-----

Charles Alluring (@Henry Knight) should hope not to get murdered. If the boy were well-behaved, he would come to no harm. The boy would scribble upon the Tome's pages, and insert another sheet of parchment. The proud leather-bound book would shudder slightly at the alien piece of parchment that was inserted into its pages, and spit it out. It sure didn't like the taste of that. Perhaps it would serve as a reminder to everyone else that only one entry was allowed at a time.

A warm breeze would cause the talismans to tinkle brightly and melodically. The cursive script that only Charles could see would appear on its pages:

"A very fortunate match of deep romance and unending love! I see that you have just met, but I can see a bright future of true love and companionship should your relationship develop further. It is as close a match made in heaven that I've seen for a long, long time. The love will be sweet and enduring, no matter what anyone else says. Never listen to those who discourage you. May your heart stay true to yourself and to Valentin."

Should anyone else try to see the Tome's response to this entry, they would not be able to view the script. It was up to Charles to decide whether he would share the news.

The dolls would wave their hands in the air unanimously to rejoice for the golden match made in heaven.

Your name: Charles Nako Alluring
Counterpart’s name: Cassie Heather McGregor-Martin
What kind of relationship is your character hoping for?: Good Friendship. Know each other for a bit, enjoy her company. What does the future hold if you tell the "truth" for us.

[ @Henry Knight as Charles • @Valerie Laurier as Ayu • @Rose Moon as Drew • @Logan Baird as Ro ]

GIVE ME THE BOOK CHARLES NAKO ALLURING [aka attempt to grab it before Charles does]

English #26687E • French #72267E

Cassie jumped backwards a little in surprise as twisting cursive suddenly revealed itself upon the page which she'd written on. Then, giving herself a stern nod, like, of-course-it-thinks-for-itself-this-is-magic, she drew closer, expecting the Tome to pour out some vague prediction of doom and gloom. But, in fact, the opposite happened; Cassie watched as the book decided that she and Scarlett were, after all, a 'cute pair'. This statement prompted a wrinkle of her nose, but the rest of the Tome's writing appeared to speak the truth. Cassie turned to Charles, about to tell him that it could, apparently, be trusted, but then the last sentence caught her eye. It called her rude, and then it snapped shut, almost onto her fingers. Cassie glared, completely losing any and all wonder she had begun to develop for the magical object. "Well, I'm so sorry, Mx Magical-Writing-Book," she huffed, and then turned over to Charles, Drew, and anyone else who'd joined them. "Did you guys see that?! It nearly flattened my fingers!" she cried indignantly, waving her fingers in the air as though for proof. "I mean, it was right," she admitted grudgingly in response to Charles. "Said stuff 'bout the 'trueness of friendship' and 'cute pair's and 'a generally positive outcome'. Cheesy, but true. Then it called me rude and tried to murder my fingers." Did Cassie Heather now have a grudge against a not-quite-inanimate object? Yes. Yes, she did.

Then it was Charles' turn, and although he blocked the pages from her view Cassie knew what she was writing. Or, at least she thought she knew. She could just imagine Charles believing in the book wholeheartedly, pleading with it to give him and Xeno, the boy he'd told over the summer that he 'loved', a perfect match. When the Durmstrang boy's face flushed a happy red, Cassie sniggered at him. "Your face! Good news?" But then when he turned around, he told her a lie. Charles Alluring told Cassie Heather McGregor-Martin a lie. Charles never lied to her! Never! It was one of the reasons they were such good friends! But now that he did, Cassie could tell it as easily as she could breathe. "You liar," she told him, squinting at the book the way she always did when she was thinking hard. "You wouldn't look so happy if it'd- GIVE ME THAT!" And, just a millisecond after Charles, Cassie also lunged for the Tome.

[ human • sixth sense • fearless • the muggle condition • sta 10 • eva 8 • stre 8 • wis 7 • arc 4 • acc 10 ]

[ wand • water bottle • 5 plasters ]

As Charles Alluring (@Henry Knight) turned to a fresh page to write another entry, the opinionated Matchmaking Tome huffed so that its pages flapped, as if saying: "Aren't you satisfied yet with your golden match, boy?" If the Fall Ball Committee were here, they'd be mightily embarrassed by the Tome's terrible hospitality.

However, the pages soon settled to carefully contemplate the next match that was written into its pages. After a brief pause, cursive words appeared below the boy's writing:

"The bonds of friendship run strong between the two of you. Although your relationship will be decked with dramatic and turbulent fights, you will always reconcile after each storm. In some cases, the more tumultuous the relationship, the worse for wear each person becomes, but in your case, it is the opposite. Pour out your emotions with force! Lay your emotions bare! Even when you do so, you and your friend will always be there for each other, and the tighter your friendship shall become."

Almost as soon as the words were written, Cassie (@Lucia Fox) would lunge towards the book, sensing something amiss in Charles' words. Her aim was good, but Charles was faster. He snatched the book just as Cassie's fingers grazed the cover. High above Charles' head went the Tome, as if it were candy being held from a toddler. What would Cassie do next? Would her determination wane at Charles' height or would she continue her pursuit to find the truth?

Roleplaying as iNPC Andrew Lycan
Interacting With | @Henry Knight as Charles Alluring | @Lucia Fox as Cassie Heather McGregor Martin
Mentioning | @Logan Baird as Rosella Sokolov | @Valerie Laurier as Ayuma Kobayashi | @Akari Kato
Closed to interactions other than those planned

Drew took a moment to think about what he would ask about, lingering outside the tent. A thought about somebody he knew came into his brain. Akari Kato. He had met her a year ago and they had gone to the ball together. Unfortunately, they had not kept in touch as much as Drew had wanted them to. But Drew still felt little tugs on his heart when he thought about the small Hogwarts girl. She probably already had another date, anyway. She was charming and beautiful, and had probably forgotten about him. He sometimes dreamed about the dance they had shared, the way he had lifted her up into the air. They had gone as friends, but now Drew couldn't deny that he wished it was a little bit more.

What if he asked the tome? He could let fate step in a little bit, give him a sign if he still should chase her and find her again, or if he should just leave her alone and forget about her, the little moments of bliss they had shared.

He heard Charles call his name and snapped out of it. Well, he called his nickname- -cowboy. Drew entered the tent right as Charles was finishing telling Cassie about their friendship. If he had been there, he would have awwwwed their ears off, but fortunately for Charles and Cassie, he had missed it.

He entered the tent after all this thinking to find Charles with the book. It was eerie and creepy inside the tent, and Drew wondered why it had to be adorned so extravagantly. Didn't seem to make much sense to him, anyway. "Here, let me try. Does it seem legit?" he asked the two.

For Moderation

Action
Overthinking, being slow, asking for the magic book
Inventory
Wand
Abilities
Obnoxiously Strong | Fearless
Stats
Stamina: 8 | Evasion: 5 | Strength: 10
Wisdom: 4 | ArcPower: 7 | Accuracy : 6

♡

MAGGIE HAWKINS

♡

interacting with: @Matthew Gray | @Liana Kerr | @Avery Chen | @Vale Ashwood | @Enrico Gathorne mentioning: @

October 29, 2021

XXXXFinally. They were done with the stupid argument, the one that was getting them nowhere and would likely ruin the experience of the entire festival for everyone within a million feet. It was dangerous to have petty little fights over boys, lest someone overhear and vomit from sheer disgust. Heck, Maggie was surprised she wasn't keeling over and blowing chunks into the nearest trash can, tall and already stinking from the amount of crap piled high inside. Or did magical trashcans stink? Was it possible to put a charm on it that would prevent a smell from becoming too unbearable, no matter how completely nasty it was? Was that at all possible? God, Maggie hoped so. With the stuff muggle children got up to, she was scared to look inside a trashcan and find out what sort of nasty stuff magical kids threw out. Still, this was a good escape from the previous situation, especially since Vale had been rallying for a fight. Wasn't she always, though? Wasn't it completely ordinary for Vale Ashwood to encourage a fight over the most mundane of things? At this point, Maggie wasn't surprised at all. Not one bit. Stepping over gnarled roots and little mud patches, Maggie led the herd towards the Matchmaking Booth. "We're sure this is it? This place looks like they pulled it outta a sewer hole and tried to fix it up with a little bit of paint," but the paint wasn't helping its cause. Not one bit. In fact, it gave the impression of dripping blood, like someone had stabbed a wooden stake through a heart. Yeesh. Was this place made to scare off potential lovers or what? Sure looked like it. "Right. Never mind," she grumbled, examining the hastily painted letters. 'Matchmaking Booth'. More like the stuff of nightmares. Though Maggie supposed she could use a little bit of that paint to complete the costume, no? Finally stepping inside with a stooped back, stomping her feet a bit to rid them of mud and dirt, Maggie chanced a glance around the interior. It was homey, in a word. Smelled nice and exuded a lived-in feel, a comfortable aura that just beckoned Maggie to go in deeper. Nobody was inside, nothing but a strange book that was begging Maggie to touch it, open it, write in it. Without hardly thinking or consulting her little assembled group of freaks, Maggie flipped open the book to a clean page, picked up the eagle-feathered quill, and scribbled down two names. 'Marg Maggie Hawkins and Liana Kerr' God, please be some good news.

Your name: Maggie Hawkins
Counterpart’s name: Liana Kerr
What kind of relationship is your character hoping for?: Positive! Maggie truly considers Liana to be her closest friend and, considering the little spat they just had over the fact that Matthew Gray invited the both of them, she's desperate for a little bit of good news.

Ability Calming Presence Interaction Closed to interaction Action Entering the Matchmaking Booth, writing names in the book

Allies @Hui Ming | @Liana Kerr | @Matthew Gray @Avery Chen | @Vale Ashwood | @Hildegard Schneider Outfit X X X X Dressed as Carrie White from Carrie

Charles Alluring (@Henry Knight) would continue to hold the book, as it was not immediately contested by Cassie. Palliative words would come out of his mouth, likely hoping to divert Cassie from challenging him for the book held high above his head.

Andrew Lycan (@Rose Moon) would would ask for the book, supposedly in an attempt to submit a match. We shall see if Charles would give up the Tome to Andrew instead of Cassie.

-----

@Maggie Hawkins would enter the Matchmaking Booth after a long trek from the Festival, taking a ragtag group of first-years with her. It did look a bit like a sewer hole from the outside, indeed. Whoever set up this tent seemed to have done so in a hurry. However, once inside, she would find the place to be homey overall, lush with fabrics and random knick-knacks hanging from the ceiling or bursting from open drawers, and a variety of dolls, if that was to everyone's taste.

As she finished writing her entry in the Matchmaking Tome, a bone-chilling wind swept through the tent, causing a ruckus among the hanging talismans. Furious cursive would appear upon the page, only visible to Maggie's own eyes:

"How bleak, how terrible! This friendship may seem wonderful from the start, but will certainly end in complete ruin. More than just two hearts shall break during the course of this horrendous and unfortunate relationship. Your bond may seem strong, now, but over the course of the years, the two of you will grow further and further apart, until both hurt the other in a fit or rage and tears. Your crumbling relationship will cause collateral damage to those around you. All in all, the two of you shall be the foundational stones that lead your group of friends to ruin."

At this, the Tome would slowly close its pages and cover, sadly, unable to offer any solace or further advice.

The chill within the tent eventually died down. The numerous dolls would let out a collective sigh, then turn their faces up to the sky in a moment of silence to mourn the horrible match.

He walked at the head of the group, alongside Maggie, toards the edge of the grounds. Soon, they were near the quidditch pitch, where a small hill became visible in the distance, just as a few raindrops began to patter around them. The clouds had been darkening over the past half hour, and things were not looking good. "Hurry, let's get to the matchmaking tent before it all comes down!" he hollered, making a dash for the warm glowing light in the distance. His black dress shoes pounded on the grass, and the group managed to disappear within the flap of the tent just in time, before the downpour of rain.

He shook some water droplets from his hair, and stamped his shoes on the wooden floorboard that had been set up inside the tent to clear the mud and grime from their little trek. Thank goodness he was in rather good shape nowadays, otherwise he would be panting like a dog at this point. "Well, that was some trek, huh?" he asked the group. "Everybody okay? We didn't lose anyone in the mud, did we?" He glanced around the circle of familiar faces.

He directed his gaze back to his surroundings, proudly taking in the stuffed drawers, the colorful fabrics, the hanging talismans... and, last but not least, the various dolls and the leather-bound Tome on the table before them. "It's a beauty, isn't it? This place was set up in a jiffy, so the paint job on the sign isn't great -- done by yours truly -- and the drawers are all popping out like mad, but hopefully it smells nice." He inhaled the sage, which gave this place a proper 'psychic's tent' kind of feel.

Already, he saw that Maggie was writing in the book. A bone-rattling wind blew through the tent. Now, was that supposed to be a good sign, or a bad one? He wondered, forgetting which one it was supposed to be. He peered across Maggie's shoulder, but remembered that he would only be able to see the names upon the page, but not the Tome's response. Avery sucked in his cheek in disappointment. "Well, Maggie, what does it say? Are you and Liana meant to be? The Tome is always correct, you know," he said excitedly, eager to get in on the tea.

As his question hung in the air, he decided to submit an entry of his own, moving to grab the eagle-feathered quill. He pondered for a brief moment, wondering whose name he would write. Perhaps Ming, who was his best friend? Perhaps Vale, since she was his date to the ball? However, his mind immediately snapped to a single name. Hildegard Schneider, that detestable girl. Perhaps the Matchmaking Tome had some insight into which one of them shall stand victorious in their battle of enmity.

Your name: Avery Chen
Counterpart’s name: Hildegard Schneider
What kind of relationship is your character hoping for?: Hatred defines their relationship. Avery is hoping to get some insight into how this will end. Hopefully, he would be deemed the winner in their intense rivalry and hatred for each other.