Closed TABLE 1 | Sweethearts Tea Party V-Day Event

Nothingness, the comfortable blanket of the black void filled Nicholas’s mind. He couldn’t think of any other way to react to Erin’s comments. They were all so painfully bawdy, and the colour of his face only deepened as she continued to speak, usually pale tones now matching the lion crest upon his robe. He didn’t know what was worse, the insinuation that Aurora wanted to- he couldn’t even bring himself to think it, or that she seemed to think that he and her could have ever been in some sort of relationship. Particularly the sort of relationship where that was discussed.

”No, no, no,” He spoke hastily, desperately attempting to get the words out before they failed him completely, “You’re the only Erin I’ve ever met, and I’d probably remember if we… if we… you know.” He stopped speaking for a moment, “What the hell do you mean girly?” Embarrassment was replaced by anger for a scant moment, the accusation of femininity clearly the most heinous thing the girl had said all evening, “Peach? You implying something?”

Perhaps, flaring up at the girl significantly stronger than he, and if her earlier comments were anything to go by, possibly unstable, wasn’t the smartest plan in the world. Alas, foresight was not a skill the boy was blessed with, and he’d had more than ample opportunity over the past year to get into altercations with unstable girls. Fortunately, Lowe speaking afforded Nicholas some opportunity to remove himself from the conversation. Instead, he sought the comfort of tea and the second letter, using it as a shield in much the same way that the arrival of Serena Towers served to add another modicum of protection from the terrifying blonde.

“Huh, no I’m ok, thanks though, yeah,” He whispered hoarsely to the Hufflepuff, unsure of the words that were leaving his mouth as he spoke, the deluge of embarrassment and anger confusing every pathway in his mind. He’d been made to feel as nothing more than a child. A stupid child at that. God, he absolutely hated Valentine’s Day.

Instead of dwelling on such thoughts, he focused his attention diligently on the other letter. It was the sort of letter he expected, a perfectly normal, rather platonic letter from Aurora, no grand declaration of love, merely the provision of cupcakes and sweets. The comment as to him being cute would have normally caused him to sputter and blush, but considering the fare of the conversation that had filled the evening thus far, it somehow felt positively pedestrian. Instead, he took some comfort in the familiarity of the letter. For all the rainbow girls’ faults, she was certainly a known commodity, and far less terrifying than whatever the conversation that Erin seemed to be pressing.

But discussion of letters, it seemed, carried ever onward. Hugh posited a theory, one that on its face seemed rather peculiar, why on Earth would there be false letters mixed in with real ones? What kind of bloody prank was that? But in spite of Serena’s confirmation that she’d written the letter, it was Opeila’s words that brought Nicholas back into the conversation, once more blustering and frustrated.

Opeila was looking at him as she spoke, and he couldn’t keep the heating rage from his voice, regardless of how he managed to keep his tone relatively level, “I didn’t write any bloody letters. I didn’t even know this bloody thing was on until this morning when I got some bloody invitation. If this is some bloody prank, so bloody well help me...”

Stats: STA: 12 | EVA: 6 | STR: 8 | WIS: 6 | ARC: 4 | ACC: 6
Abilities: Foulplay | Statistically Relevant
Tags: @Hugh Lowe, @Erin Ryan, @Serena Towers & @Opeila Winters

Action: Attempted (feel free to auto-avoid) a bone-crushing hug on Nicholas.

MOD ROLL POST:

@Erin Ryan had decided to test if @Nicholas McCowan could brave a test and prove himself worth of her... Interest. Said test being herself. She approached him with open arms...

ERIN'S ACCURACY: [d20 : 9] + 10 = 19

NICHOLAS' EVASION: [d20 : 12] + 6 = 18

The part-veela would embrace the broom racing captain. Nick was used to his girls attacking from a distances, however, so he might have been unprepared for the bone-breaking embrace that Erin was about to give him. Just how bone breaking was it?

ERIN'S STRENGTH:
[d20 : 8] + 15 = 23
23 x 10 = 230 points of damage.
Nick's Health = 970/1200

The term 'bear-hug' truly had a new meaning with Erin around. Thankfully for Nick, he was quite sturdy from all those training hours. He would take a blow to his stamina, he would feel his joints cracking as the part-veela embraced him and squeezed until the muscles in his chest started to feel the strain, perhaps leaving the boy feeling breathless. This hug definitely came with some bruising.

To imply that he wouldn’t survive her was an insult to his honour, to his very existence as a man. Her earlier innuendos were temporarily lost on the second year, his brain failing to make the connection between a failure to survive ‘her’ and the positively inappropriate suggestions she’d made in her letter and in the conversation regarding Aurora. No, this was a situation far more dire than any that had come before, she had questioned his masculinity. Sure, his voice still squeaked with youth, yes, he had not a single hair on his chest nor face, and of course, he still found himself flustered when even thinking of cute girls, but he was a man, dammit.

So, he stewed on that thought for the duration of the conversation between Erin and Hugh, banter and innuendos continuing on their well-worn course of flying directly over his head. Instead, the second year returned to his tea cup, angrily slurping down the hot liquid with all the dignity of a particularly miffed dog. A mutt that had been told off for dragging mud onto the carpet.

That was, of course, until Erin elected to demonstrate her hugging ability on him. He did attempt to avoid her grip, he truly did, but he’d been distracted by angry, juvenile thoughts, and did not realise what was upon him until it was too late. He’d expected the girl to be strong, she certainly had the musculature for it, what he hadn’t expected was for her limbs to close around him like an iron vice. He let out a gasp, the motion involuntary as every ounce of air was squeezed from him and forced out of his lips. Yet that was not the only sound, for his bones themselves seemed to creek and croak against one another as the shocking truth of her strength was revealed. Yet, he did not break.

Nicholas sat rigid as every last ounce of air was pushed from his lungs, every rib bowed and threatened to break, and his arms locked against his sides in the world’s most pleasant straight jacket. But he refused to make a further sound other than his initial gasp. He wasn’t unfamiliar with pain, flinging himself at trees and scraping skin off his arms had provided him with the mental fortitude necessary to at least survive the hug, and he’d put enough effort into exercising that he wasn’t a porcelain doll either. But, that wasn’t the core of it, no, even as every part of his body begged for relief, begged for Erin to release him, it was sheer stupidity that kept him from yelping. Stubborn stupidity, misfounded pride, and a desire to prove his manliness.

His eyes bulged and his face threatened to turn purple, but it wasn’t the lack of air alone that prevented him from speaking. Pride wouldn’t allow it.

When she did finally relent on her hug, assuming she did of course, he would pant, drawing in breath like sweet ambrosia. Nicholas gulped deeply at the air, daring not to make eye contact with anyone, merely content to be alive.

The only words he would speak were through those struggling gasps, each syllable punctuated by a sharp inhale, “I don’t break…”

Stats: STA: 12 | EVA: 6 | STR: 8 | WIS: 6 | ARC: 4 | ACC: 6
Abilities: Foulplay | Statistically Relevant
Tags: @Erin Ryan
Health: 970/1,200

SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED!

As the students settled into their seats and confusion began to take over as they scanned the contents of their 'letters', some might notice several pale pink roses start to descend seemingly from the ceiling. The same hue as the petals floating through the air, these roses would gracefully glide downwards and land in front of someone at eight different tables; 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 13, and 15.

Tables 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 14, and 16 would not receive any roses (yet), but they would not go without entertainment. It was from his position at the teacher's table that Orion would stand up and clear his throat, "Welcome students, thank you for attending our tea party! I have hopes to make this an annual event." If only the French man was aware of the chaos he had rained down upon the crowd of youngsters. He had not slept the night before after scrambling to try and correct his errors. The dark circles under his eyes might have been noticeable to anyone sitting close enough to him. "I'm sure you've noticed the roses by now. If you've received a rose that means you are now a bachelor or bachelorette, which means you get to help spread a little love around." His face broke into a smile as if this were a simply sublime idea. With the romantic heart Orion possessed, he likely believed it.

"If you did not receive a rose, do not worry mes amies (my friends), you will get an opportunity soon. Until then we are going to offer you an opportunity to show your love. This means that you can ask us to dedicate a song to a special someone in the crowd, or make an announcement to your peers. The choice is, of course, yours to make." The students received a playful wink before Orion sat back down at the table.

The students might notice the soothing sounds of the harp starting to play from the back corner of the ballroom. There was a shutter that blocked the view of who or how many people were playing. Whilst they would not see her, they could hear the Slytherin head of house, Hjørdis Jensen, had started to strum a harp to help set the mood.

Until people started to request songs, she would simply play random songs that she was pretty sure that the children would enjoy on the harp. Honestly, what did children listen to these days? She had no idea. But she was evidently trying in the fact that she had bothered to learn how to play all of these, specifically for this occasion.

It just so happened that occasionally, another instrument - such as a fiddle or guitar - could be heard in the background too, randomly chipping in. The sound of notes hit the air. It was not too loud but it could easily be heard throughout the ballroom if one stopped to listen for it. It almost complemented the chatter. [Click the music note for the actual playlist]

Confession Time!

Characters at your table have the ability to step beneath the spotlight and make a confession or dedicate a song to someone this round. To make a spotlight speech, simply have your character announce they wish to confess. You can lightly godmod Orion casting Lumos Duo on your character. Have them say what they wish to announce in your RP post, and make sure to tag the mod in charge of your table. Staff will post the confession into each thread (so keep in mind the entire ballroom will gain IC knowledge of what you are saying).

To request a song, simply owl the moderator of your thread with the song title, who it is going to, and what the message is. You will need to roleplay your character doing as much (you can simply say they took time to write a request down). Please keep IC rules in mind as if your character insults someone there could be IC repercussions.

Her hair is dark brown

Banner made by Winnie Harper

Mentioning @Erin Ryan

Interacting with @Nicholas McCowan

A serious conversation was happening between the scary Slytherin beater and the Irish boy. Not that she wanted to be rude and eavesdrop on every single word, the offensively beautiful ex soon to be hag (roro doesn’t know this) made it easy for her to know what was being talked about. Her love confession.

“I will suck the █████████████ MEANNESS out of anyone that tries to steal you from me.”

This was way worse than she had expected. Who would have thought Nicholas McCowan, being the heartthrob of hogwarts. Maybe it was the charm of his flannel, or his hair, or the tone of annoyance everytime he speaks, or his status as a captain that made everyone swoon. First it was Della Barfing, now—her? Aurora had her fair share of abandonment, watching their backs as they slowly walked away just because she was being herself. Yet, in the midst of disappointment, she hoped to see a day where he would appreciate her presence. A day where those flirty people stop clinging onto his shoulder and let her be happy for once. She liked him too much, way too much. No matter what stunts and outbursts he pulls, Aurora would still greet him with much adoration. “H-hi” she said quietly as she poked him on the shoulder, “r-rose?”

It would be impossible to be happy in a situation like this. The damage had been inflicted, she couldn’t hide that fact. This tingle on her chest, she felt the ache, it was uncomfortable. She was not supposed to live to be treated as a doormat, where everyone is free to step on, clean up their shoes. But if this was true, did he just see her as an enemy, hence the ignorance? Maybe he didn’t. Some might say he was target practising. And Aurora was the easiest.

Sta - 5 | Eva - 9 | Str - 5 Wis - 8 | Arc - 4 | Acc - 10 Terrible Presence Evasive Maneuvers

Outfit Reducio

roro just arrived mwahaha

"Oh! That was you? That was awesome!" Serena responded to the girl who introduced herself as Opeila, "Nice to finally meet you and thank you for that!" She added. Serena grinned before turning back to the table, "Anyway, so what's up with the-" She started as her eyes fell onto a couple of letters that were addressed to her? That was nice! It was obviously platonic, of course, but still, very nice indeed. Before she had a chance to finish asking what was up with the letters and why was Hugh asking weird questions, Nicholas got attacked. Not punched or cut or flipendo-ed or whatever else everyone else did. Oh no. He got attacked in a very passionate hug.

Serena just blinked, watching Nicholas get... hugged? It looked pretty crushing but perhaps it was a similar level to getting hugged by Quinn or something! Sometimes, she was pretty sure that the part-giant did not know his own strength when he lifted her up and hugged her. Or perhaps he seriously overestimated her noodle arms, "O-oh. Are we uh interrupting their date or something?"

Nicholas had claimed to be just fine not too many moments before, so... this seemed like it was what he wanted anyway. The part-goblin looked over to the professor who was speaking, her eyes widening slightly. She just sat there praying that she did not get chosen as one of these bachelorette things. It sounded weird. And... dedicating a song? Who would she even dedicate it to?

Okay. @Howard White's name flashed into her brain for a second before she quickly shook that out. That was ridiculous. She was not going to be dedicating a song to him. She couldn't even be in the same room as him without feeling awkward - a song would not help. Then again... was he even here? Her eyes broke away from the Nicholas-Erin romance, giving them a bit of privacy for their very public and intense relationship, looking around for him. Why she was looking for him, she did not know. Even if she saw him, it was not like she was going to dedicate a song or confess anything and even if they did get roses, it was not like she was going to give it to him. So it was not like it even mattered in the end! Nonetheless, her gaze searched for him. Perhaps just out of curiosity, wondering what he was doing - or who he was with. Ugh. He was probably on a date with Falentra, wasn't he? Okay. She did not want to know.

Wait- why was Erin getting onto a chair? What did she miss? Serena blinked, picking up a pretty chocolate cupcake. Who it was from, she had no idea. She was too busy stuffing her face, unable to look away from Erin as she confessed. Nicholas had a... cute butt and nice hands? Wh- What? Did she just publically declare that? Damn. If nothing else, Serena really needed to take some inspiration from the Slytherin. She was bold and confident. Wait... what did sucking the meanness out of someone even mean? She was going to make someone who tried to steal Nicholas... nice? What?

Before she had a chance to really figure out what was going on, a small girl arrived with a rose - holding it out to Nicholas. Geesh, how popular was he...? Wait- there were two girls after him? It was almost like watching a movie, "He should have picked a codeword, I'm telling ya," She said softly towards Hugh, deciding that Nicholas might have been able to benefit from one. But like a good play, she was hooked. Pinching some of the cupcake with her fingers, she just kept feeding herself - pinch by pinch - as her eyes remained locked on the situation, looking from Erin to Aurora to Nicholas. Who was he going to pick?

"So uh- anyone else get anything cute?" She asked the rest of the table, still totally paying attention to the situation. Leaning close to Nicholas, she whispered, "Codeeeeword," as though to say that he should say the codeword if he needed help, otherwise she was just going to go eat her cupcake.

Outfit of the Day

Nicholas’s head hit the table with a thump. The impact made his skull ache, but compared to the crushing hug that he’d just been forced to endure, it was nothing. His head hurt, his ribs felt like they’d been cracked, and worst of all, his face continued to burn with embarrassment. No matter what he’d said, it seemed that the older girl had only taken pleasure in his discomfort, and it was all he could do to hide his furiously reddening face from the rest of the table. She may have been shameless, but Nicholas was deeply ashamed. The initial comment had been bad enough, after all, it had been her description of his butt that had caused him to throw his head down, but her continued confession that made his entire body itch. She declared her want to kiss him with the same flippancy another girl may have decided on what they’d have for dinner, and so he raised his head slightly then thumped it again.

The reading of the letter didn’t surprise him, but it still irked him greatly. But he wasn’t going to allow them to see him suffer, even if he was acting the part of a particularly dramatic fool. He raised his head, putting his flushing cheeks and mortician’s grimace on display to the table.

“Th-thanks,” He mumbled, unsure of what else to say.

The girl had run circles around him, leaving him entirely unsure of how to act or how to focus. It wasn’t as if he actually liked the girl, and not just in the sense that he denied any feelings he may have, not like he did with Aurora. No, with Aurora, he at least understood her position, kind of, occasionally, not particularly. But it was still different! He couldn't place her motivations, no more than he could place those of Erin, but he knew enough to comprehend that they were different.

Of course, thinking of Aurora seemed to summon the Ravenclaw. The sound of her voice accompanying the feeling of pokes upon his shoulder sent his stomach plummeting into the void. The blood that had flushed from his face drained rapidly, turning it from ruby to ivory in the span of seconds.

And he turned to look at her.

“Uh, yeah, thanks,” He sputtered, taking the rose with a free hand, “I, uh, thanks.” The words that left his mouth painted him a dimwit, and in truth, he may as well have been.

Panicked eyes shot from Erin to Aurora, then from Aurora to Erin. The entire situation was far too complex for him to even begin to comprehend, and all that he knew for certain was that he didn’t like it.

Serena sure as hell wasn’t helping either, her whispered word caused him to all but glare at her. Codeword? They hadn’t set a codeword. Hell, they barely had time to discuss codewords before Erin had descended upon him like a hyena upon a fresh kill. What was he supposed to use as the codeword? How could he even call for help? It was all well and good to look from the outside in, but Serena absolutely never had to deal with romantic issues, Nicholas bet that she was more than capable of understanding her feelings and talking to the opposite gender.

But, he bit his tongue, not even sure of what to say were he to speak in the first place. No, a sour glower would have to suffice for the Hufflepuff.

No, he had to focus his attention on the two girls, there had to be something he could say.
“It’s, uh, not what it looks like?” He offered limply, “I mean, it’s not like it would matter if it was what it looks like, would it? We’re not dating or anything so… I mean, not that that would even be a thing to think about, would it? Ha! Us, dating… As if...”

He trailed off, “What’s the rose for?” He played with the flower idly, unable to think of anything else to say.

Stats: STA: 12 | EVA: 6 | STR: 8 | WIS: 6 | ARC: 4 | ACC: 6
Abilities: Foulplay | Statistically Relevant
Tags: @Aurora Ranvier, @Erin Ryan & @Serena Towers

Her hair is dark brown

Banner made by Winnie Harper

Mentioning @Serena Towers

Interacting with @Nicholas McCowan

“Ha! Us, dating… As if...”

As if

Was she not good enough? Not pretty enough? Not sane enough? “O-oh” That was her first response before a long pause and empty stare, trying to process what just happened. He rejected her in front of other people. Not a single person asked about their relationship status, yet, he was determined enough to clear out any rumours. A bitter pill to swallow, she was right all along. Probably the girl that has an adorable rat was making fun of her through her whispers. She didn’t know her name, unfortunately, perhaps after this, Aurora had to do a little research on her identity to write her name down on the naughty list.

“W-well—” Then silence again. Her fingers held onto the love letter tightly, the one that wasn’t meant for her but somehow ended up on her trembling hands. “—just so you know, y-your letter for Della was on my table, I didn’t know you and her are—” She couldn’t even look at him, otherwise, her tears would run dry. Biting her lower lip so hard, she could taste the hint of iron. But the attempt to prevent herself from crying was a complete failure. “—d-da-dating”

Living without knowing that invisible pain existed was the moment where she took everything for granted. As for tonight, the ache was dull yet progressively sharper, as if something really heavy was on her chest, and it started to crush her sternum. She then passed the letter to him, perhaps he wanted to give it to the love of his life himself. “I just wish you told me beforehand so I c-could stop myself from liking y-you” Aurora was an emotional kid, felt too much, loved too much, and it would be the same way with hate. But there was something about Nicholas, there was no hate for him. Maybe later, no promises. Weak, as some might say. But crying would be the thing that saves her from becoming a person with apathy. But it was still quite an embarrassing sight, at least to her. So she put on her best facade, wiped off the tears frantically and laughed at how dumb she was. “s-so much dust in here—haha—ha” Hope he dies peacefully in his sleep, just kidding.

The letter, for convenience

Della
Racing with you was a blast, and so was watching the next race, even if we had to deal with those Ravenclaw girls. You’re a good sort, and cute to boot, we should hang out some more in the common room.
-Captain

Sta - 5 | Eva - 9 | Str - 5 Wis - 8 | Arc - 4 | Acc - 10 Terrible Presence Evasive Maneuvers

Outfit Reducio