Fall Ball 2021 Samhain Festival

Outfit: Suit

Inventory: Wand, flowers, corsage (for his date), chocolates and a small gift.

Action: Attempts to Scourgify Percival's face. I do not expect any damages.

Interacts with: @Percival Rainwood

Mentions: @Marion Davenport, @Ileen Knight and those that followed Thomas out of the thread.

OUTFIT: Reducio

MENTIONING: @Erin Ryan | @Galton Lansdale | @Jürgen Hess | @Serena Towers

INTERACTIONS: @Caradoc Browne | @Hjørdis Jensen

(Apologies for the short reply, trying to get one in before the deadline.)

One child had already started to spray his peers with a foul smelling mixture, slug repellent. It wasn't a half bad idea, considering the ugly things were trying to attack anyone in their path. Had he known the slug vomiting spell would last longer than ten minutes, he wouldn't have subjected Erin to another round of it, but it was better safe than sorry. The poor girl was going to need to spend a night regrowing those teeth, and the Frenchman didn't envy the pain she was experiencing.

Another disturbance had caught his attention, however, namely the large slug that was currently trying to borrow beneath the skin of Serena Towers. The thing needed to be stopped, but it was far too slippery for anyone to land a proper blow to it. Orion wasn't going to allow another one of his students to undergo the torment Ryan was experiencing. He quickly changed his wand's direction and pointed it towards the hagslug. "Impedimenta!" Hopefully the spell would hit and slow the horrid creature down enough for the others to get a killing blow in.

It was one disaster after another, apparently, because as soon as he had finished casting his spell, Knight grabbed his attention and directed it towards Hess, who was currently out cold on the likely damp grass. "Shit." Orion cussed under his breath, darting towards the child before kneeling next to him to check for signs of life (so long as this does not count as an action, if it does, Orion will simply look over his injuries in preparation for the next round). His head shot up when he heard the voices of Jensen and Browne, sudden relief washing over him when he realized Selim had managed to find more members of staff. "I've got one child knocked out cold here!" He announced in an attempt to grab their attention. "Erin has vomited two slugs already, I'm unsure how many there are but the children have told me there are multiple."

He felt the cooling sensation of magical healing flowing over him. The nice medical wizard had worked his wand in such a wonderful way. But, while the raw tenderness was gone, Galton still felt the warm flow of blood seeming into his robes. Nothing a little magic wouldn’t buff out.

On the other side of things, his aromatherapy had been successful. Not only had he been able to coat three others, his actions had won him the applause of one Xailah Alptraum. Even with initial protest (that Galton would happily ignore) she had seen the genius of his plan. And even recommend continuing the aroma assault.

Which is what he would do. Once more he would move to spray down his fellow students. With how bad they normally smelled, this would most likely be a welcome change. "Im on it!" He’d call out, the energy in his voice palpable. Nothing could stop him now. Not slugs, nor weather would stand in his way!

Well, maybe the weather would, but Galton would probably not realize how much it was working against him. The boy had picked up a nack for sensing his way through barely visible situations. Eyes be damned! Galton would spray down his friends once more!

Outfit: Robes (seasonal colors)
Inventory: Wand, repellent for slugs, 2x jelly slugs, sherbet lemon.
Stats/Abilities:

Reducio

STAMINA: 11
EVASION: 12
STRENGTH: 3
WISDOM: 11
ARCANE POWER: 5
ACCURACY: 10

Abilities:
Evasive maneuvers
Spell Spread
Evasive Maneuvers II
Blindvision

Action: Spraying as many people (in Erin's vicinity) as possible with Slug Repellent again (starting with Sylvie)
Interacts with: @Hugh Lowe, @Erin Ryan, @Serena Towers, @Jürgen Hess, @Henry Knight, @Orion Lécuyer, @Xailah Alptraumand anyone else around Erin

• Creatures of the Lake •

Irreversible psychological damage indeed. It wouldn't take long for the slug to notice Sylvie was without repellent, obviously not an entirely oblivious creature. Luckily, the girl seemed to use adrenaline to her advantage. The nightmare fuel was making its move against her- and fast. It sure was terrifying for something much smaller than herself.

As it flung itself at her, she swiveled her body so she wouldn't be hit. It worked, thank god, and didn't hit Thomas. That's all that mattered to her anyway- he'd been through enough to her knowledge. Though the swerve was successful, her breath couldn't help but hitch in her throat as Erin's violent vomit baby tried to go for the jugular and miss. Of course, she was scared. What 13 year old wouldn't be? Attempted murder from several creatures, one of her own peers included...

Thomas emerged from behind her, keen on taking the vile little bastard down. Her hand reluctantly slipped from his; reluctant because it was the one thing bringing her any sort of comfort or grounding in this festering chaos. The girl intended to assist in the slug murder, shaking off her nerves and raising her wand. "Flipendo!" Hopefully the jinx would find its target.

Action: Casting Flipendo at the slug that attacked her
Interactions & Mentions: @Thomas Baines, @Erin Ryan and co.

───────────────

───────────────

Blood

The knife may have shifted from Jurgen Hess's hands to those of Xailah Alptraum, but its effects remained consistent. It had sliced students and creatures, and blood continued to drip from those places where it had left its mark. However, the blade that had been intended to take the life of the changeling was not the soul source of blood-taking. The claws of Howard White too had made their mark, and disgusting ichor oozed from the wounds of the fully grown Hag Slug.

Bleed

Galton takes 50 damage
Erin takes 50 damage
Slug 2 takes 50 damage
Slug 1 takes 10 damage

Galton health = 950/1,100
Erin health = 360/800
Slug 2 health = 350/500
Slug 1 health = 380/1,000

More Slugs?

Whatever had befallen Erin Ryan, it was clear that it was horrific. Her maw had been turned into a gaping hole of blood, bile and other such disgusting liquids. Pain no doubt plagued the girl, as creatures of unforetold darkness and evil writhed within her, their movements dictated by the slug-vomiting charm that had been cast upon her. Another shape rippled under he skin, the disgusting shape visible through the dermis as it pressed against her stomach and then slowly began to crawl up her throat. Perhaps out of a sense of panic, an all important desire to escape from the horrors that had befallen her, she turned to magic. The wand pressed against her throat, she spoke with her ravaged tongue, words escaping out of cracked and bloodied lips.

The eldritch horror moving toward her mouth ceased its movement, and returned to whence it came. The slug-vomiting charm was ended.

Finite

Erin's Wisdom
6+3=9
I feel the need to point out that the WDC is 9

Professor Cheer Squad

Orion Lecuyer was no longer the sole professor on the scene, it seemed that Selim Faust had succeeded in his quest to collect more adults to curb the tide of monstrous slugs. Nora Jensen and Caradoc Browne arrived on the scene with not a second to lose. Together, the three professors would act in a way that would seek to bolster the efforts of the students, and slow down the hag slugs. Expertly cast spells from expert wizards would fling out in arcs of sparks and colour.

Animosus

Nora's Wisdom
19+20=39
Duration
1 (Rolled 1) + 1 (10 ARC) = 2

Animosus

Caradoc's Wisdom
15+20=35
Duration
2 (Rolled 3) + 0 (8 ARC) = 2

Impedimenta

Orion's Wisdom
12+20=32
Orion's Accuracy
10+18=28
Slug's Evasion
18+10=28
Accuracy chosen at random.

Healing

Some, it seemed, were more concerned with the health of their comrades than quelling the threat of the slugs through pure force of magical ability or physical strength. In particular, Henry Knight once more cast episkey at Galton, knitting together more of the candy king's wounded arm. Jack Burnett, ever the gentleman, opted to repay the brutal punch he had received from Erin Ryan with a bandage. Meanwhile, Serena Towers, in spite of her rapid loss of blood, put the health of Erin Ryan before herself, casting her own episkey at the deranged girl.

Henry's Episkey [WDC 12]

Henry's Wisdom
5+11=16
Healing
Galton gains 70 health.
Galton health = 1020/1100

Serena's Episkey [WDC 17]

Serena's Wisdom
6+15=21
Healing
Erin gains 120 health.
Erin health = 530/800

Jack's Ferula

Jack's Wisdom
19+15=34
Erin is no longer bleeding.

Big Slug Goes Chomp

While Serena Towers cast her spell at the wounded Erin Ryan, the monster that had escaped from her stomach continued to tear into the short girl's flesh. It would seem that no good deed would go unpunished. In defence of his friend, Hugh Lowe would do whatever it takes, even if that meant foregoing the glory of hitting the beast to assist Howard White with his assault. The part-giant would manage to get a colossal hand around the tail of the slug, not for long, and not long enough to cause it any damage. Yet, it was long enough for the dhampir to bring his full strength down on the creature. The blow would connect with the monster's thick hide, and the boy would feel the distinct squelch of crushing innards as his fist made contact. However, in those moments of terror, he was not the only hero. Pizza Rat would not allow the assault to go unpunished. The diminutive rat would latch his teeth onto the monster, his foul saliva entering its bloodstream before the writhing of the slug sent him to the floor.

Howard's Punch

Howard's Accuracy
11, 10 (rolled at advantage due to Hugh's assistance, higher roll of 11 taken) +17=28
Slug's Evasion
2+10=12
Damage
14(STR)*25 = 350
Slug 1 health = 30/1,000

Pizza Rat Bites

Pizza Rat's Accuracy
13
Slug's Evasion
3+10=13
Damage
25 (DISEASED)
Slug 1 health = 5/1,000

Small Slug Goes Chomp

The smaller slug moved with speed, that whilst not that of its larger compatriot, was still impressive. It's vision remained locked upon Sylvie O'Niell and once more it lunged at the girl. Unfortunately, this time, the swamp creature was not quite as fast as she had been previously, and it's teeth bore into her arm. Red liquid sprouted from the wound, mixing with the rain and trickling down the limb and on to the ground. However, the slug's movement was not without reaction from the student surrounding it. Xailah Alptraum once more lashed out with the blade, and once more the beast was slashed, foul liquid spraying from the wound. Unfortunately, the severing charm as cast by Thomas Baines was not so accurate, perhaps the rain was obscuring his vision, for it missed its mark and fizzled uselessly against the ground. Finally, as the slug launched toward her, Sylvie O'Niell managed a final casting of flipendo against the creature. The spell rung true, and the vicious monster was visibly wounded by the jinx. Alas, the force of the spell was not enough to throw off its course.

Thomas's Severing Charm

Thomas's Wisdom
18+11=29
Thomas's Accuracy
4+2+10=16
Slug 2's Evasion
13+5=18

Xailah's Knife

Xailah's Accuracy
8+10=18
Slug 2's Evasion
7+5=12
Damage
50*2(STR)=100 (50 Bleed)
Slug 2 health = 300/500

Slug 2 Attacks Sylvie

Slug's Accuracy
10+5=15
Sylvie's Evasion
10+5=15
Damage
150
Sylvie health = 750/900

Sylvie's Flipendo

Sylvie's Wisdom
5+8=13
Sylvie's Accuracy
3+6=9
Slug 2's Evasion
3+5=8
Damage
100+11(ARC)*10=210
Slug 2 health = 90/500

Love Triangle Continued

Even with the storm raging around them, Victor Moore, Ileen Knight and Percival Rainwood had issues of a romantic nature to discuss. Whereas earlier it had been Percival reaching for Ileen, the tables had turned, and the girl tried to grab her friend's arm. Yet, just as she had avoided him earlier, so too did he her now. The spell cast at him by Victor was far less friendly, yet he managed to avoid a mouthful of soap too. It seemed that whereas his accuracy may not be at its best, such bad luck did not extend to his evasion.

Ileen Grabs Percival

Ileen's Accuracy
5+11=16
Percival's Evasion (Active Dodge)
13+6+7=26

Scourgify

Victor's Wisdom
17+6=23
Victor's Accuracy
7+12=19
Percival's Evasion
15+6=21

That Boy 'Aint Right

In spite of the rain, blood, and mud, Gideon Athantos was far more concerned pursuits other than avoiding the danger around him. Pearly white prizes were to be won, and the boy seemed content on finding them, roots and all. Alas, the heavy rain and wind had churned the grass and dirt into mud, and many of the teeth were lost to time and to the aether. Still, the creepy little child did manage to collect 9 of the little baubles, if one was inclined to use such a word for pieces of bone.

Teeth Finding
Rolled 1d24 = 9

Slug Begone

Galton Lansdale's plan appeared to have merit. For once more he rushed off into the rain, his trusty spray held before him. Whilst he may have been too slow to react to the vicious creatures, he was fast enough to reach their victims. The spray would be applied to the two girls in quick succession. No doubt it would sting, and sting viciously at that, their open wounds touched by the poison. Yet, the results could not be questioned. First the small slug, and then the large slug writhed, rage and hate visible upon their entirely alien forms, before they released their vicelike jaws from the students.

Slug Repellant
Rolled 1d3=3
Serena and Howard chosen randomly

The Storm

However, the storm's viciousness could not be abated by blood sacrifice, it would seem, and the downpour of freezing rain would only increase in strength and quantity. Xailah Alptraum had been correct, the slug repellant could not last against the barrage of water that the heavens themselves had unleashed upon the students. Those who had been blessed by the defensive liquid a mod post half an hour ago would find the effects fading, as rain clung to their clothes and hair, plastering the fabric against their bodies. Xailah, Thomas and Henry were without protection.

What Just Happened?

✿ Slug 1 is pretty much dead, good job team!
✿ It's still pretty much eating Serena though, not so good work team!
✿ Percival jukes Ileen and Victor
✿ There is something deeply wrong with Gideon
✿ No more slugs coming from Erin's mouth
✿ Xailah, Henry and Thomas's slug repellant is washed away
✿ Serena, Howard and Sylvie are covered in slug repellant
✿ Slugs no longer eating Serena and Sylvie!

Health Bar

Aurora Ranvier 365/500 Hadrian Zuheir 200/400

Jürgen Hess -25/500 (KO) Tyranni Whitethorn 725/1,100 Percival Gray 300/700 Serena Towers 100/1,000 Galton Lansdale 1,020/1,100 (BLEED) Erin Ryan 530/800 Jack Burnett 225/600 Sylvie O'Niell 750/900

Hag Slug 1 5/1,000 (BLEED) Hag Slug 2 90/500 (BLEED x2)

OOC Note: In light of the next mod post falling on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, dependent on time zone, the next round's deadline has been extended from one week to a fortnight. I.e. 31 December 2021

Interacting with @Howard White, @Hugh Lowe, @Galton Lansdale, @Erin Ryan and anyone else around
Mentions: @Gideon Athanatos

Serena stumbled a little, staggering a little from the sheer pain of what felt like her body being ripped into. With all of the strength she could muster, she tried hard to focus on what really mattered. What they were here to do but it was becoming harder and harder to do when the pain in her body was trying to consume all of her attention.

Her yellow jumper and light blue jeans were wrecked. Mud from the eels had already covered the bottom of her jeans a little prior to all of this. If the material wasn't torn into and ripped by now, the new bloodstains that soaked them entirely completely ruined the cuteness. The light grey hat that had been on her head, covering her ears, had likely fallen off by now. If not, it was probably the only thing that was still clean - or likely getting ruined by the storm. Serena was not dressed up to impress anyone - especially not Howard, who she had no intentions of running into. She was here to do exactly this. Though, being eaten alive was not exactly on the plan. Where the hell was that repellent?

Quiet whimpers left her mouth as she tried not to scream. Her gaze shot to the cute tall figure nearby as the words he said echoed in her mind, shocking her slightly. Her heart pounded so loudly that she was pretty sure her chest was going to explode. From the adrenaline, of course! Or the pain surging through her body. Nothing to do with who was he was or the words that she had just heard.

She could feel every heartbeat echo loudly. It was that very heart that had darkness in it. There was a small part of it that felt like a hole, a dark abyss. The absence of light... A void of feelings. That empty feeling... It was full of nothing but loneliness. Ever since the campout, ever since she was trapped in the shadow... That moment of isolation, where she could not even hear her own screams or see her own hands... She might have been saved and things got better. But a part of her never forgotten that feeling. How it felt to be dying, completely alone. Would anyone really have cared?

Her forearms, despite being covered by a jumper, had goosebumps all over them. Her cheeks were damp from the tears. But... his words made her realise something. Maybe, just maybe...

She was not alone... Maybe it made a difference to someone... She had friends. People who cared for her. People who wouldn't let her die alone if they knew... The odd group of misfits that had come together for a mutual purpose today was proof of that if this was not enough.

His words were not romantic. She knew that. He harboured nothing of the sort for her. She knew that. But how the bloody hell was this supposed to help her get over her feelings for him? Though... she also did not know if there would be a chance to if this continued much longer.

Her gaze tried to refocus on Erin, trying to remain on her the entire time, trying to make sure the girl was healed. That she was okay. That her suffering was lessened slightly. I'm sorry, Erin... The thought was not one that would be vocalised, she was in far too much pain to do so. Her spell hit though. Someone else seemed to be healing her too. Maybe, she would be okay... Her head of house was here too.

Wait- Her eyes widened a little at the sight of that familiar-looking boy that she had literally fled from earlier. He was near Erin... collecting something? In her pain, she could not really gather what was happening. She had to be imagining it... It almost seemed like he was gathering her... teeth? No, that would make no sense. That would be... weird? Normal? Was it normal? Was it required to put them back? Serena had no idea. Her brain felt cloudy.

The razor-sharp teeth cut into her, causing her to shudder instantly bringing her back to reality. She could not stop herself, "AAHH!" She grunted through her clenched jaw, gritting them tightly together. She saw a familiar copper helmet fall onto the ground not too far but could not hear the sound of it over the noise around. Mostly from herself. Panting breathlessly as she stared down at the slug attached to her.

Large hands grabbed its tail, clawed hands mercilessly attacked it and a very familiar rat bit directly into it. She was not alone. She did not understand the words that Hugh said. Maybe, her blood loss was making her crazy. Sounded like something about a sun, in the middle of a storm (it was not in a language she understood but in her delirious state, she could not comprehend that it was not a familiar language).

Her mind was cloudy, her eyes started to close as she staggered around, struggling to stay standing or to even stay awake. Panting, she tried to steady her wand to attack the slug that still latched onto her. She was not sure how much more of this she could tolerate but the blood loss was making her feel dizzy.

Serena hissed as a stinging sensation burned her skin. But it was a lot better than the feeling of being eaten. She exhaled sharply as she was freed from the clutches of its grip. She bent forward slightly, grabbing her open wound in her free hand as though trying to stop it from hurting.

Her pants were audible, finally feeling free. She knew it was not over. It was not dead, it had just released her. But she was struggling to stand, let alone think. Serena just wanted the pain to stop. She raised her head a little, trying to stay focused on the situation.

Galton. Hugh. Howard. She opened her mouth to talk to them but could not muster up the energy to speak easily, "t-th-thanks," She managed to stutter out breathlessly, in the quietest tone that they probably did not even hear it over all of the noise.

She had to kill the slug. Or maybe keep healing Erin. Or did they have to slug her again? Were all of the slugs out? What about the other slugs that came out? What about the storm?

Tears continued to fall from her eyes but she had no idea how long she had been crying. She blinked. A lot. Her eyes felt uncomfortable a little, the brown coloured contacts in them becoming a choice she regretted at that moment. Maybe they had moved. She could not tell. Things were cloudier. She did not know if it was the lens, her mind or the dizziness. Perhaps it was the rain that was soaking her and almost hiding her tears. Yes. The rainwater must have gotten into her eyes.

What was she supposed to do? Nothing was going according to plan. And right now, she had no faith in any decision she was making. It all seemed to be going horribly wrong... What if she made this worse? Her gaze lifted, falling onto (or rather raising up to) Howard. Her heart skipped a beat. In truth, all she wanted to do was hug him. She was painfully aware of how selfish that thought even was. But she was tired, aching and just wanted to cry... And hugging him would make everything better, right? And right now, she just wanted to be selfish. She was not a hero, here to save the day. She was just a girl who wanted to feel comforted, as selfish as that was. But this was an option that she knew she did not have. It was not even an option she should have considered. It was selfish, to the point where she didn't even know if Howard would be okay with hugging her. And she should be focused on Erin. That was more important. He should not even have been here. He was dragged into this entire mess, because of her. She knew how he felt about fighting, even if it was to protect others... She had seen his tears... Yet here she was, dragging him into this because she was too weak, "I- I'm sorry..." She managed to mumble out in a barely audible whisper.

Whether or not he heard was not important now though. Tearing her gaze away from him, she tried to focus on the situation that was slowly trying to kill them. There was a deadline. Erin needed to be saved. She knew that. She just needed to stop being so selfish and to do what was right... But... "What...the hell... do we... do?" She whimpered, as she looked at Hugh. He would have an idea, right? He had to have an idea... Her brain was... hopelessly struggling to think of anything vaguely important. The wrong thoughts surfaced, like how sweet a certain someone was, how she did not really feel alone, how guilty she felt for thinking the certain someone was sweet and cute and dragging him into this mess that he did not deserve to be in... But slugs? Erin? How to stop her from becoming a hag without breaking more of her body? These were thoughts she was struggling with.

In all of his glory, Pizza Rat rose to be the hero he was always meant to be. In a moment of desperation, the brown rat finally managed to get a hit on the horrid monster attacking his best friend. He was hellbent on seeking out revenge and protecting her and he had finally managed to succeed. Hugh definitely would have seen this glorious rat attack the slug right after he had grabbed it. Perhaps even Professor Browne would have seen it and now recognised the true glory of Pizza Rat. He was so worthy in fact that he had finally earned himself a visual medal of his achievements, a placeholder of his success that would forever be rubbed into the faces of certain others. After attacking the slug and seeing it released off Serena, he quickly climbed up her clothes and nestled himself onto her shoulder as though to see if she was okay.

She was not in a great condition, admittedly. But the Hufflepuff tilted her head sideways a little so it touched the rat's head briefly as though to say he did a good job. If she was not struggling to function, she would have complimented him on top of it. But for now, this was enough. He had done well, but the fight was not over yet. She just... she just needed to cry for a bit and take some time to breathe. Time was not something they had. She knew that. She just... couldn't do anything more.

SERENA'S ACTION: None at the moment
Pizza Rat's Action: N/A

Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 13 | Strength: 1 | Wisdom: 15 | Arcane Power: 5 | Accuracy: 10
Abilities: Part-Goblin, Evasive Maneuvers, Beastmaster
Fifth-Year Armour: +10% auto-dodge on attacks [=20% auto-dodge overall]

Pizza Rat 200/200 Health
Can bite a target, inflicting them with 25 damage and a diseases status -1 evasion (stacks up to 3 times) on a single target per attack.

Trunk Items: Wand, Invisibility Cloak, Magical Candle (unlit), Repellent for Slugs (given to Tyranni)
Other Items: Gideon's Sugar-free Candy (acquired here)

Outfit of the Day (with winged boots and wristguard wand holder)

Howard's red eyes would lock with Serena's as he made his pledge to her. With the words he bellowed over the deafening sound or rain and thunder he said he wouldn't leave her, but the truth beneath his statement was that he couldn't leave her. It was easy at times to overlook the power that could be shared between two people. Although the pair lived in a magical world full of terrifying and wonderful things it was often these quick moments where the true magic occurred. The real wonder would be the complexity of emotion that could show in ones eyes in just a flash. The true awe the feeling that now tore through the young man's chest. No. He could not leave her if he wanted to. His very being burned with a need to protect her. A need for Serena's life to be preserved. In this time of terror and darkness a romance may be far from his mind, but nothing could stop the revelation that threatened to burst his heart in that moment. Howard needed her in his life. The Dhampir had felt the childish crush a year before. He had always considered her a friend and even a role model a times, but now, in this very second, a special bond would be formed. One that could lead down many paths, but one that was often labeled chosen family. As his eyes left hers they would fall to the vile slug that threatened to take her away. It didn't stand a chance.

Howard would not be the only one that refused to let Serena fall. The undeniable presence of Hugh Lowe would come to their side, his enormous hands wrapped firmly around the wicked creature. The part-giant's command would spur Howard into action. His fist flew back before crashing down into the slug's wounded backside. The Dhampir knew right away the blow had been lethal. He had felt it before when hunting small game. It may squiggle and squirm for a few moments longer, but the damage was done. Serena may fear for him as he plunged himself into the violence, but this felt different. Many times before Howard would have jumped into the fray to satisfy a blood lust that never seemed to be quenched. To fulfill a darkness within him that clouded his judgment and propelled him into the shadows, but now he was driven by a different need. One to protect and guard the living. To use his predatory power to drive away the darkness instead of reveling within it. One such life would stagger at his side.

If Serena did not pull away he would wrap one of his arms around her shoulder to help support her. Once again their eyes would connect as an almost pleading look crossed her gaze. He felt an urge to hold her close. To wrap his arms around her until everything was ok, but this dreaded night was far from over. Howard's red eyes shifted back to Erin. Another poor soul who had for too long been ignored. Her life too now hung in the balance. He watched as another abomination squiggled its way from her belly to her throat, but in a rare moment of spell casting she would end the slug vomiting charm. "No!" Howard grunted through gritted teeth. "Hugh! Serena!" Howard called above the storm. "There are more still inside her! We have to save her!" The Dhampir called them both to Erin's aid. He would gently squeeze Serena's shoulder if she was still by his side. "Serena, I need you to focus one last time. My spells are too weak, but maybe I can hold her for a clear shot. We have to get all the slugs out of her. Hugh! She needs us!" Hopefully Serena would be steady enough to function as Howard left her side and dashed towards Erin.

With all of his strength he would attempt to wrap his arms around her to prevent any further attack or escape from her. If successful, he would call back to Serena. "The Slug vomiting charm! Now!"

Action: Attempts to Grapple (Martial Artist Skill) Erin.

Selim Text Color: #4d0f25
Aku Text Color: #614f6d

"Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come."- William Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar'

Martial Artist; Grapple: A basic attack where you attempt to pin a target. Pinning a target means that you will also not be able to move. This is an accuracy roll to see if it will hit and then a contested strength check between the grappler and the target to maintain.

Notes:

Reducio

(If Howard is also successful in executing the grapple it may be Selim's strength + Howard's strength against Erin's. Though the choice is the moderator's, I've just seen similar done in the past.)

Interacting with @Howard White, @Hugh Lowe, @Galton Lansdale, @Erin Ryan
Mentions: @Selim Faust

A shiver ran down her spine. It was cold. October was always cold - and everything was cold for the part-goblin who had gotten used to being in the warmth of the Hufflepuff common room or near the burning furnace in her forge. The storm made it worse. And she felt it more as her energy seeped out of her body. She was struggling to function and all of her body's efforts went into that right now, warmth was not a thing it was able to provide at the moment. The sound of the storm would drown out the shaky breathes that escaped her lips as she quivered.

Everyone was screaming around, attacking the slugs, trying to fix this mess that they were in. It was not over yet but she was so tired. Her gaze fell on the slug not too far from her. It repelled away from her from the spray but not before it had almost eaten right through her flesh. They needed to end this. She had to kill it. And despite every ounce of anger she had towards it for what it had done, she was not entirely sure if she could. It had left her in this much pain in such a short amount of time. She could not even begin to fathom what it must have done to Erin from the inside. These monsters were eating her alive for how long? At least weeks by now.

She stared at it as best as possible, trying to keep an eye on it in case it attacked again before she had the chance to catch her breath. Staggering a little, blinking a lot as she tried to focus. With a flick of her wand, she could probably take its life but she did not know if she had the strength in her to do it. Ugh. It was so cold. And wet. And miserable.

The feeling of someone's arm against her shoulders caught her attention. "Howard..." She whispered so quietly that she was not even sure if she had said anything, Her eyes locked with his for the briefest of moments before hers fell closed. Leaning the side of her head against his arm, she started to dose off. A part of her knew she should pull away. That she should rest her head anywhere else - the floor was a better choice than his arm. But she lacked both the willpower and the energy to pull away. She vaguely heard her name and more yelling about saving someone but she was ready to sleep now.

Serena was brought back to reality as she felt her shoulder being squeezed. Her brown eyes fluttered opened. He needed her? She was... needed? Wait, this was not the time to get distracted! She blinked, trying to concentrate on the words that he was saying. Right. For spellcasting. That was a thing that she could do. Probably. Sometimes. She nodded weakly in response. Slug vomiting. Right, she did that once already, she could do that again.

The girl staggered a little as the support left suddenly but she knew what to do. She exhaled sharply and shook her head to herself as she tried to focus. Blinking a lot, she groaned before suddenly deciding to pull out her contacts. They were irritating her. They made things murkier.

Within moments, blue eyes stared out where they had previously been brown. The truth was that she did not need contact lenses. But she had learned to hide her real self many years ago, trying to avoid standing out in any way. Her eye colour drastically differed from her brother's. With the height difference, and the other physical differences, she did what she could to hide the difference. Her ears were always covered by her long hair or behind a hat, like they had been today. Her blue eyes were hidden by brown coloured contact lenses for the sole purpose of not standing out. Right now though, who really cared about the colour of her eyes?

Right now, she did not care. She needed to be able to see clearly and the stinging sensation of her eyeballs was not one she particularly enjoyed right after being attacked, during a middle of a storm. Tossing the lenses onto the ground, she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as she audibly exhaled again, and again until she woke herself up enough.

This had to be done. This was all for Erin. Every single thing they did was to save Erin. If she gave up now, it would all be meaningless. There were more slugs, apparently. Serena had no idea how many but it did not matter. Whether it was one more than one hundred more. They had to keep going. This was important. Not just because Howard was telling her it was, but because it actually was. He was right. They had to save her. That was what all of this was for. She had to focus.

But it was hard. Erin was... badly hurt. They had healed her a little but it was not enough. She was suffering every single time these slugs came out. Her appearance was evidence of that. In truth, Serena did not want to be the one to cast this spell at her. It was not a spell she wanted to cast at anyone. It was an awful spell with the sole purpose of hurting someone... At least, that had been the sole purpose of it until they realised it might actually save someone's life and free them from their hell. However, it came at a price. It was ironic really. In order to save Erin from being forced into becoming a hag, they were taken her freewill away right now. She did not know if this was the right thing to do or not.

When she walked in, she believed it was. Hugh made it sound like Erin did not have a choice, that she did not want this, that she was suffering. They were trying to free her from all of that. But... the price was that they took away every ounce of freedom and choice she had in order to do that. They made her suffer, in order to take away her suffering. She did not know what Erin wanted from Erin's mouth but was the Slytherin in any state to convey it anymore?

She did not know and it was, perhaps, a question she would never get answered. The guilt she felt would likely not wash away easily. But these days, guilt was pretty much all she felt. She felt guilty every single time she looked at Howard and thought, even for a second, that he was kind of cute. Everything else just layered on top of that till she was wrecked with guilt. It was one of the reasons she spent so much time in the forge: a place she she could hide away from everyone else and pretend nothing else mattered to her.

Right now, though, she was not in the right headspace to even begin to question if they were right or wrong to do this. It was perhaps too late. A decision had already been made to do this, they just had to see it through so it did not all go in vain. She gritted her teeth. It sucked. This whole thing sucked. This was not fair on Erin. None of this was. Others around were getting dragged into this whole mess because of them too, because they could not get her out of here and into a safe spot or on their side. She watched as Howard attempted to carry out his plan. Howard... someone who should not have been dragged into this either... Yet, here they were. The only way to quench that guilt was to end this as soon as possible. Another boy seemed to also be helping him, though she had no idea who he was. "Pizza... do me a favour, bud? If anything comes out of her... go to town on it, alright?" She whispered softly as she clutched her fingers around her wand. Pizza would prepare himself, ready to launch at any new fresh hell that escaped.

If the pair succeeded, if she heard Howard's voice then she would take his words as an order. Serena did not want to do this, she did not want to be the reason Erin suffered anymore but perhaps that was the reason this all had to end now. Regardless of how she felt, she would attempt to steady her wand and focus. "Slugulus Eructo!" She would call out angrily as she waved her wand, pointing it directly at Erin. She could regret every single decision they made that led up to this later, if they survived. But for now, she would follow it.

SERENA'S ACTION: Cast Slug Vomiting Charm at Erin again.
Pizza Rat's Action: Bite any new slugs

Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 13 | Strength: 1 | Wisdom: 15 | Arcane Power: 5 | Accuracy: 10
Abilities: Part-Goblin, Evasive Maneuvers, Beastmaster
Fifth-Year Armour: +10% auto-dodge on attacks [=20% auto-dodge overall]

Pizza Rat 200/200 Health
Can bite a target, inflicting them with 25 damage and a diseases status -1 evasion (stacks up to 3 times) on a single target per attack.

Trunk Items: Wand, Invisibility Cloak, Magical Candle (unlit), Repellent for Slugs (given to Tyranni)
Other Items: Gideon's Sugar-free Candy (acquired here)

Outfit of the Day (with winged boots and wristguard wand holder)

Banner from Winnie Harper!

Roleplaying as iNPC Henrietta Montagne
@Willow Anderson as Everett Brooks | Mentions
@Winnie Harper as Felix Kolbeck | Interactions
yellow plaid dress, Felix's gifted necklace | Outfit

For the thousandth time, Henrietta reached up to cling to the pendant that had dangled from her neck, yet once again felt nothing but the soft fabric of her yellow dress pressed against a shaking palm, and exposed skin grazing her fingertips. White teeth were grinding across her lower lip, leaving a metallic taste, and her arms were jostling through narrow gaps in the crowd with unnecessary hostility. What had before been a beautiful festival, painted in an array of autumn shades further inviting you to the depths of the dance, had become a restless sea of gatherers. Ret’s vision blurred, tinting the waters deep red, and the crowd lapped and crushed the air from her chest. The sheer population outnumbered the oxygen in the air, triggering a race she couldn’t win.

How dare he. She’d lingered to the side, eyes flicking up now and then to ensure the sun still shone upon Felix and Rett hadn’t dragged him down to the caverns of infidelity. Arguably, such wasn’t possible as nothing official had been set between the two, but she never let a fool’s toy such as logic prevent her from a good hissy fit. Besides, what need be said for them? There was something interstellar about their alignment, his platinum hair like the moon had swum into his eye sockets, her radiant aura and comforting touch as though warmed by the sun itself. Such things didn’t need to be spoken or agreed into existence, that charge was indefinitely present; the only thing between them was the force of gravity, and when that was broken, the universe made between Ret and Felix would start its infinite revolutions.

It'd taken too long; why hadn’t she stood sooner? Amid the torsos of twirling young lovers were small holes, silhouettes and shadows peering through when the dusk’s scarce light and lanterns’ guidance hit right. Rett, no longer paired away with Swedish bad-boy, instead dangling from the reins of what appeared to be his South American counterpart. Rage flashed, her muscles aching as they jolted awake to grip her wand so that long nails dug into her palm, but fighting through the thickening ocean of chaos just to add to the display of spell-sourced beams wouldn’t do any good when she didn’t know where Felix was. How long had she left him standing, without partnership, without his Sun? How long had Rett left him, better? Without a word to the real deal, without her precious sunflower draped back around her neck where it belonged.

Time was slowed and sped at once. The blonde’s jaw was tightly clenched, a bright vein visible trailing down her throat even in what little light could make it to her complexion. The fury was wearying, pure adrenaline flexing her arms while her eyes had drooped to the ground. Now and then, barely audible over the engulfing chatter, a gentle southern accent calling out for Felix, accentuating it only how she could. As her muscles began to slack, her peripherals betrayed her as well: a mess of a battle was occurring toward the center of the celebration, credited entirely to the delusions of her longing for rest and peace. By the time she’d reached the edge, Ret’s hair had been lazily pulled from its updo, and scattered around her shoulders.

Befitting, that she found him brooding on a bench, the farthest away from her he could’ve possibly wandered. She’d scoured every square foot but his, wasted three hours of quality time for the sake of a pathetic prank. There was a marginal shift in her expression, the slightest softening as her lips parted in relief, but it was clear she’d been livid for much of the night. The remaining distance was immediately closed, gravity’s sweet allure, and the shorter girl stood in front of him, only towering over because he was seated.

“Felix!” Her tone was harsher than she intended, but her gaze betrayed any illusion of frustration with him. It was Rett she’d need to deal with later. “Goodness, I’m…” An apology on the tip of her tongue was quickly swallowed, “Can we just leave? Go somewhere else? That was a stupid prank, the fella was Everett, it lined up well, but none of that matters now, can we just go please? Did he give you my necklace or do I have to go take it?”

Action Attempting to leave, ideally with Felix
Stats Sta: 7 | Eva: 7 | Str: 1 | Wis: 9 | AP: 9 | Acc: 8
Abilities Perfectionist, Advanced Casting