Event Midspring Festival

Spectacular Banner by Leonard Oaksworth

Interactions: @Evelynn Decipio @Ivy Bellamy

Mentions: N/A ============

Outfit

Reducio

For one who personally shouldered the burden of perceiving anything others might miss, Evelynn was comically oblivious at times.
You can be plenty social with two, he thought despondently as his date addressed what was apparently her other date, battling off the urge to tack an emphatic “NO” onto the end of her words. More did not make merrier, at least not so far as he was concerned.
It hadn’t been long ago that he would have agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment; Ivy being another attractive member of the opposite sex, he’d have accepted any excuse to have her along. After all, a beautiful girl was best to be had on either arm rather than one, right? But somehow, what once would have been a question with a clear answer to the positive had been reshaped, and morphed into one with an equally obvious rebuttal of the negative persuasion. Any desire he’d entertained to share his presence with multiple individuals simply dissolved nowadays, so long as one of said individuals went by the name of Evelynn Decipio.
The only other person who sparked any romantic intrigue within him was Winnie, and a plethora of obstacles barred his path to her, chief among them being the rather questionable relationship she’d recently escaped. Then again, there was no shortage of obstacles separating himself and Eve, either; the most notable of those being the fact that he was quite certain she was incapable of offering a basic definition of the word ‘romance.’
In fact, the more he pondered the issue, the more convinced he became that his heart only longed for the truly unattainable.

And yet, even while Evelynn’s tone turned caustic, he couldn’t hold back a subdued grin. The fire so prevalent in her personality might not have burned on romantic fuel, but no student of her traits could ever deny how freely it spread, nor how brightly the wildfire shone. Prudence, intelligence and discipline, often overruled by an intensely competitive nature; these were the foundational qualities of the girl he continued to fall for, and he hadn’t jumped with a parachute.

That competitive flame reared back and lunged, latching onto the bait he’d intentionally left dangling. As she moved to entwine her elbow with his, he spaced that arm away from his body to allow ample room for the intended action, pulling hers snugly against him once she’d looped it through.
Casting a glance at Ivy behind Eve’s head, he offered an impish shrug before being tugged in the direction of the effigy.
His ideal view of the night’s activities may not have included the other girl, but far be it for him to make her feel unwelcome - not on purpose, anyway. If she was destined to be a constant throughout the evening’s progression, then he’d make certain it would be an enjoyable experience for her. Besides, he would likely be murdered by she who now held his arm were he to act any differently.

”You? Afraid?” The facetious words would dance lightly off his lips, preceding a chuckle. ”Couldn’t possibly be. Forgive me for even suggesting it.” Yet even as he played with that one word, an uncertainty encroached upon his mind. Was she ever afraid? Sure, he had seen her uncomfortable - possibly even a bit anxious at times - but fear seemed about as foreign to her as did romance. Calm, cool and collected ever dominated her visage, lending to the rose-colored tint of the lenses he viewed her through.

Without much greater ado, they would arrive at the dragon’s feet, his gaze engaging its entire tremendous form, then coming to rest upon the sign which stated the actions they were intended to undertake.
Approximately two seconds spanned the gap between his taking a slip of paper and deciding upon the first wish he would dictate on its surface. Pressing the pen against a blank face, the following words would flow:

For the Eye of My Storm to recognize the ship which treads her peaceful waters. And that she might partake in their serenity.

Perhaps in different company, or under divergent circumstance, the jotted words would have adopted a varying nature. But standing beside her, the concept of his thoughts wandering elsewhere was implausible.
Finished with his note, the Gryffindor spied an opening and took it, stepping through the empty archway to tenderly hang the loving documentation of his desires. Once finished, a moment more was taken to scan the growing array of softly swaying parchment. And it was then that he felt another body press into his, shoving him to one side of the suddenly meager space.

Not a fan of cramped spaces, the boy grunted and attempted a turn toward the exit, elbow colliding softly with the arch’s other occupant. Hazel eyes glazed over the figure that was all but tangled with his own, but like a phone with a slow wifi connection, it took his mind a moment to catch up with what he saw. And catch up it did.
With the sudden realization came a departure of the air from his lungs, even as a rush of heat enveloped his entire body. Hairs stood at attention, mouth opening as if to form sufficient words to address what he now understood was happening, or perhaps to at least reclaim the oxygen he’d lost. But his brain simply didn’t react, still stuck in a loss of connection that could only be described as a malfunction.
”A-ah… E-e-ev… Y-y-y-y…”
He’d have sworn there was a tongue in his mouth only a minute earlier. But then, it always did seem to abandon him in times of need. Something - he had to say something. Or do something. But what could possibly address this scenario in a way that would ring satisfactory? He should push past her and leave, right? Or should he take her hand and… his hand.
Casting his eyes downward, he noted in horror the positioning of the arm nearest her. He flinched, and felt the backside of his palm brush against her thigh, the contact buffered by her dress but no less dreadful for it. Yanking that hand behind his back, he made an attempt to step away, but his heel only butted into the wall of the archway, resulting in a prompt loss of balance as his back crashed into the barrier as well.
”S-sorry,” the hastily muttered apology mingled with the rustling clatter of the wood he’d assaulted.

For all his talk, and every romantic gesture that populated his waking days, he was drastically under-prepared for a situation such as this, and it certainly wasn’t a big help that she’d simply shoved her way into him without so much as a warning. Now here he stood, physically pinned between a wooden archway and the girl of his dreams, and emotionally trapped somewhere in the midst of ecstasy and terror.
Was there any air in the small space, he wondered, because none of it seemed eager to greet his still empty lungs. And yet the scent of her hair managed to waft into his nose regardless, affirming precisely the scent his Amortentia potion would adopt, were it ever to come into existence.

How a few seconds could last five eternities was beyond him, but at last it came to an end when Evelynn extricated herself from the archway, leaving a stunned Marshal alone. Still pressed against the wall, anyone immediately nearby would hear a sort of wheezing sigh escape the structure’s interior as he finally coaxed air back down his throat.
Peeling himself from the wood, the second-year monopolized the space for a moment more, turning away from the entrance to pick up the pieces of his psyche which had been dropped there. But even that wouldn’t last.

An iron grip clasped around his arm, presenting more physical contact on a night that had already seen more than he could ever have imagined. But something was different this time. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, yet he was convinced he’d felt a slight tremble in Evelynn’s normally steady hand.
That faint tremor was the only thing that could have roused him from the dreamlike stupor which consumed him. Whipping around, Marshal withdrew from the archway, wrapping his free arm around Eve’s own in an instinctive gesture that he could panic about later.
”What is it?” he questioned tensely, making an effort to follow her gaze to whatever troubled her.
The girl could - and likely would - dismiss it all she wanted, but he knew her well enough by now to understand something was amiss.

Action: Entering the effigy and hanging a wish. Experiencing a personal catastrophe in the archway with Eve.

Post Tracker: X | X | X | X

april 2, 2022. interacting with @evelynn decipio and @marshal mozor.

There was a sense of peacefulness in the courtyard that the Great Hall had failed to convey. Ivy's eyebrows shot upwards at the ear-splitting scream that resounded from where they'd just exited, turning her head sharply to look. A laugh bubbled up out of her at Evelynn's suggestions. "Likely a dress casualty from the food fight," she replied, an amused smile playing on her lips. "Or some kind of breakup gone wrong."

A nod of agreement would be offered in response to her companion's comment on the loveliness of the scene, although her eyebrows would raise once again at the sight of an impressively - and dangerously - tall pillar of fire located not too far away. Hogwarts didn't have the best track record when it came to fire, after all. Ivy turned to Evelynn, incredulous. "An interesting choice of decor, isn't it? Let's hope that no one goes up in flames tonight." She'd had enough experience with fire for a lifetime. An image of Ana, lying burnt on the ground, suddenly flashed through her mind, and she resisted the urge to swear loudly, hoping that no one had noticed her momentary lapse of concentration.

"Have you yet seen Marshal?"

"Hm?" Ivy pulled her attention away from thoughts of the first Blossom Ball and glanced over the courtyard absentmindedly. "No, I haven't. Maybe he's..."

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. Evelynn's sudden jumpiness had startled Ivy as well, and she swiveled around instantly to check for danger, eyes wide with panic. Oh, no danger. Just a boy in a blue suit - presumably this Marshal guy Evelynn had told her about. She let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding and glanced over at her friend, checking to make sure that she was alright. "Are you ok?" she asked. Ivy's brow was furrowed with concern, but her frown softened and melted away as a conversation about the dragon in the distance ensued. She was content to just listen and observe, only chiming back in when her name was mentioned once again in Evelynn's introduction.

Ivy gave a friendly smile and a polite "Nice to meet you", although the disappointment that momentarily flickered across his face did not go unnoticed. The Gryffindor narrowed her eyes slightly, cocking her head to one side as she backtracked and reassessed the situation - and with a tiny jolt, the realisation of what was really happening here settled in. So that's how it was...

A look of understanding came into her grey eyes, and she suddenly felt incredibly stupid for not having figured it out earlier. In retrospect, Marshal's little crush was kind of obvious. She could see it all now. Ivy looked back quickly at Evelynn, wondering if it was reciprocated and surprised at the small stab of jealousy she felt at the very thought. Surely Eve would have told her if she had a crush on Marshal, right? Or would she? The whole turn-for-me encounter was weirdly flirtatious, now that Ivy thought over it again. No, the other redhead seemed oblivious to the cause of the sudden tension. Even so, Ivy had to do her best to ignore the feeling of being the third wheel. She nodded and gave a smile at Evelynn's reassuring words, and when her friend looped her arm through Ivy's, she would return the playful shrug Marshal had directed at her, arching an eyebrow fondly at the girl in between them. Even though Marshal was after Evelynn, it didn't mean that Ivy couldn't enjoy her night with both of them.

She would pause slightly before writing, pondering what to write. It was all but a silly little game, and she knew she could have written anything, but Ivy took it seriously enough to consider it carefully. Her own slip of paper contained the following words, hastily written in flowing script:

To finally find peace within myself, wherever I may be and no matter what happens.

Well thought out words they may be, but Ivy wasted no time in folding it in half and pinned it to the wall somewhere amongst all the others, potentially smearing the ink across the pages. "Who designed this thing?" she muttered under her breath as she squeezed through, partly to herself and partly to Marshal, who was standing in there alone with Evelynn on the other side. She looked up at the sound of his wheezy, lovestruck exhale, and suppressed a large grin as she pretended not to notice, letting her fingers trail over some of the folded paper wishes on the wall.

Her grey eyes did not fail to pick up on how quickly Marshal reacted when Evelynn grasped his arm, nor the way his arm instinctively wrapped around her comfortingly. She paused for a split second in the archway before joining them, unable to tear her eyes away from the picture of them standing so closely. There it was again - that sudden jab of envy. The sight of Evelynn and Marshal side by side would be something she obsessed and thought over later on.

Right now, though, Ivy would brush it off as quickly as she could and join the other two. Almost instantly, she could sense that something wasn't right, judging by Marshal's tense question and the strange look on Evelynn's face. "Evelynn," Ivy prompted gently, taking her other hand by the wrist. She followed her gaze, trying to figure out what it was exactly that had rattled her, before looking over at Marshal, wondering if he had any idea what was going on. "Is everything ok?"

action: talking to evelynn and marshal, hanging a wish in the effigy, feeling weirdly jealous of marshal.

Interacting with @Lucia Fox and Ye-jun Lee, Briefly mentioning: @Flash Holmwood
ACTION: Entering the Festival area with Lucia and Ye-jun, hanging her wish inside the effigy

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Eun-ji dutifully followed her two companions, trying to look as put together as she possibly could. She wasn’t paying much attention to her surroundings. If she was, she would fully appreciate the incredible amount of work her classmates did with the place. She would also notice Flash looking distressed and would start to worry about the boy immediately. As it was however, the witch was too lost in her thoughts, so much so that Ye-jun occasionally had to pull her hand to remind her to keep going. Why were they here again? Oh that’s right…the wish. What was she even supposed to wish for? Her brain was too preoccupied with her dreadful actions tonight to come up with anything decent.

The Ravenclaw bumped into her cousin as he came to a sudden halt. “What?” She was about to ask why he stopped when she finally looked up and saw the huge effigy made of wood and straw. Oh…well that was…something. “Well don’t just stare at it. You are supposed to make a wish, remember?” Ye-jun nudged her towards the table filled with small pieces of paper. He then waited for her to take one before finally joining in. Eun-ji could physically feel him watching her every move. What was he thinking? Was he worried that she would run away? In all honesty, she wanted to do just that but alas it was not her style.

Sighing the witch finally took the quill and wrote the very first thing that came to mind. It was something that has been lurking deep down in her subconsciousness for ages now. I wish the Hunts would just disappear. It was a bitter wish. Nothing like most others would probably write but she couldn’t care less. As terrible as it was, this was indeed her most sincere wish at the moment. She wasn’t exactly proud of herself and she wouldn’t show it to her two companions either but she decided to allow herself this cruel notion tonight. Just this once…it would be okay wouldn’t it? The fire was going to swallow the message within couple of minutes anyway and no one would be left any wiser.

Yes, this is fine. The girl reassured herself once again before leaving the dragon effigy with her cousin in tow. She wasn’t sure if Lucia even gone in and she didn’t ask. She didn't want to talk about her wish...didn't want to even think about it. “Now what?” She asked instead. The Ravenclaw didn’t even feel like dancing and wasn’t that just something? Still, she felt herself slipping back to her more collected self. Perhaps her sour mood could be burned away together with that vile wish. She would love that very much.(godmodding approved by Lucia due to her absence/lack of time)

*Healing Sage *Perfectionist * Death Defiance • Sta 7 • Eva 8 • Stre 4 • Wis 10 • Arc 8 • Acc 9
Inventory: wand, tissues, band aids

Violet in English, Red in Korean and Blue in French

It was a rather sombre trip to the festival area. The space was wonderfully decorated and there was so much to do but it was pretty hard to focus on that with his cousin being so out of it. She clearly did her best to look okay but he could see the spark from her eyes missing and she didn’t seem to notice much of anything that was going on. What did that young Ravenclaw had to say to make Eun-ji think this hard? He even had to make sure she was keeping up with him and Lucia, physically pulling her whenever she seemed to slow down too much. The boy had a feeling even his red suit wouldn’t be enough to ensure she wouldn’t get lost now.

“Wow…that’s pretty impressive.” Ye-jun exclaimed upon seeing the wooden dragon. Mostly to Lucia because Eun-ji clearly wasn’t listening. Still, they came here to make a wish and he intended to make sure his cousin made one. He already knew what he wanted to wish for. The boy didn’t pry and look on anybody else’s papers. If they wanted to share them, they would. I wish Eun-ji could just go back to being a kid. It was probably not something an effigy, no matter how impressive it was, could grant him but he figured it was the thought that counted. His cousin always seemed a little bit more grown up than other kids their age but after reuniting with her last year, he found out there was almost no childlike behaviour left in her. She took care of her family and tried to solve everything on her own all the time. Surely, that was something a girl her age was not supposed to do. He told her as much once but she wouldn’t listen. It was about as useful as sharing it with a big wooden dragon and so that’s exactly what he did.

Once out of the effigy, Eun-ji finally took the initiative to speak and ask about their next move. It was not much but it was progress. “Not sure. You wanna go back to watch the champion selection?” Ye-jun looked around once again. “Or perhaps make some flower crowns? We used to make them a lot when we were little. I think I still remember how.” Honestly, he didn’t but if that’s what the girls wanted to do, he wouldn’t mind. He loved flowers and while he wasn’t good at taking care of them, he could probably make a decent flower crown once someone reminded him how.(godmodding approved by Lucia due to her absence/lack of time)

WC: 450 Hex: #433867

Date: April 2, 2022 Outfit: Gown, Necklace

Stamina: 6 ✧ Evasion: 6 ✧ Strength: 5 ✧ Wisdom: 7 ✧ Arcane Power: 5 ✧ Accuracy: 6

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

The courtyard had never been a place that Gemima frequented. But as she stepped through the great wooden doors, and her feet touched the soft grass, she had entered an entirely different world.

There were flowers as far as the eye could see, and streamers of all colors wrapped around the usually barren stone pillars. She felt as if she had stepped into an Impressionist painting, not unlike the gorgeous artwork she had seen in France a few years ago.

Students ran past, laughing and talking. The faint notes of a stringed instrument floated through the air.

Gemima stood there for a spell, just taking in the tranquil beauty of the new garden. She breathed in the many sweet perfumes, managing to avoid a sneezing attack for once. It was simply lovely. The planning committee had truly outdone themselves.

Gem was awoken from her trance by someone brushing against her shoulder as they passed by. She sighed, pulled the wishes from her purse, and made her way towards the effigy.

As she approached, she was bowled over by another impressive sight. The effigy was of a humongous dragon, intricately woven out of straw and wood. Gemima gaped at it for a few seconds, then gathered her courage, strode up the walkway, and squeezed into the belly of the beast.

It was even quieter inside of the dragon. Gem carefully pinned Kim’s wish to the crowded wall first:

I aim to be a great duelist in the future, and to find a place I truly belong, with people I care about.

Gem smoothed the slightly wrinkled paper with a single finger. She stepped back a bit and smiled. She certainly hoped his wish would come true. He’s a good soul. Even when he’s being a dumbass.

As she pinned her own wish to the wall, she noticed her hands were shaking. The moment felt sacred, and she wanted to do it right.

I want to experience all that our big, beautiful world has to offer, and to become the best witch I can be.

Gemima snuck back out of the dragon, feeling quite emotional all of a sudden. She really did believe in that wish, didn’t she? And she had come so far since starting school here. She felt proud, hopeful, and terrified, all at the same time.

Her eyes blurred with a few solitary tears. She sniffled and made a beeline for a nearby bench.

Gem sat, clasped her hands in her lap, and stared up at the sky. The clouds swirled among delicate swatches of pink, orange, and yellow.
The young witch took a deep breath. She’d join her friends soon. But just a few minutes to herself first…

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

Mentioning: @Kim Sato

Action: Hanging wishes

A wolf. Simon had asked AngelFyre to challenge him with an animal to make a mask for her and she had wisely chosen a wolf. He wondered if it partially had anything to do with mimicking that of her tame beast at home in Hillary or maybe it was for the symbolism and meaning of wolves. That included instincts, freedom, protection, family, friendships, loyalty, teamwork, guardianship, and spirit - all traits in which came to mind when thinking of AngelFyre. Simon was beginning to understand why her parents had chosen such a name, as she seemed to be everything combined into one.

Simon found a mask that would be perfect for a wolf and he lifted it up, placing it over his face and then removed it with a smile, as if to silently say 'I found it, I found it!' But no, he would not gloat. Instead he would think about his reply as she fired the question back to him. Which animal would he choose? That seemed a little difficult. Animals (with the exception of dragons because dragons are awesome) just really weren't Simon's thing.

And rat ownership had taught him some patience for animals. They too were God's creation and therefore must be treated with respect, but still, he didn't gravitate toward animals they way others he knew did. But this wasn't that anyway. It was what animal would he choose to be. There were so many in the animal kingdom to choose from.

There were some that would symbolize being fierce like a lion or a tiger, but that didn't suit Simon Kincaid. No, he needed something more. He carried his undecorated wolf mask over to where she was, about to abandon all hope at coming up with an answer when his eyes fell across some feathers. The answer came immediately in that moment.

"A dove," he said confidently, knowing there probably wasn't a better animal suited for him. They symbolized peace, love, devotion, gentleness, the Holy Spirit, the human soul, and hope. "Definitely a dove. You'll have to make sure your wolf instincts don't deem me small pray. No harm should come to me tonight," he said as he held up a finger and pointed it toward her accusingly. "You got that?"

He was pretty sure he'd get out of there safely because otherwise she would have to make other plans for the beginning of her Spring Break if this dove of hers was to meet his end so quickly. Simon flashed her a smile as he began to gather up some gray paint so he could begin to decorate AngelFyre's mask. He gathered up a few more items from the table and began to get to work. He told her no peeking. Maybe she would find something to make him a dove mask out of, maybe she wouldn't, but all he hoped was that she wasn't bored while he made her wait, especially since he wanted her to keep her back to him and instructed no peeking!

ACTION:Mask making

Sta: 6 | Eva: 7 | Str: 9 | Wis: 5 | AP: 4 | Acc: 5
Race: Dhampir

Graphic by Liana Kerr

Posts: 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || this one || 13 || 14 || end

ACTION:Of Course@Simon Kincaid Would Be A Dove

AngelFyre could have kicked herself when she heard Simon say dove. Of course! It was so obvious now that she heard it. A dove was absolutely perfect for him, but she did take some solace in the fact that even he struggled to come up with his answer for a bit.

"Oh, worry not, my dove," she cooed at him while simultaneously grabbing his wagging, playfully accusatory finger pointed in her direction. She arched her brow and brought his whole hand up in front of her mouth quickly, a low growl emanating from the back of her throat. Then just as it looked as if she might bite it, her brow relaxed, her eyes smiled and she instead kissed the palm of his hand. "I would never hurt the one I love," she whispered. Looking deeply into his eyes, she smiled at him before releasing his hand.

"Okay. Okay. Go forth and create a beautiful mask for me and I will endeavor to do the same for you. And truly, I promise not to peek... too often...." she teased.

As Simon settled in, AngelFyre quickly gathered her supplies and returned to where he was working and concentrating, but instead of sitting next to him, she sat with her back practically against his and began to paint. As she was literally waiting for the paint to dry, she started making the template for the dove. "I may have erred in judgment, here" she pondered and laughed a bit, turning her neck to the side so he could hear her. "This dove is proving to be quite a challenge, but there is a reason I am a badger in addition to being a wolf... sheer tenacity."

ACTION: Making a mask for @Simon Kincaid

Sta 5 || Eva 4 || Str 1 || Wis 7 || Arc 6 || Acc 7

Seer 1 (10% auto-dodge chance and 10% auto-hit chance)

As Aida entered the courtyard, the rush of fresh air soothed the claustrophobic duo: both the albino mage and the owl on their shoulder. Immediately the silhouette of the dragon effigy grasped Aida’s beast-obsessed mind, hastening their steps towards the table nearby. A sign asked attendees to write their wishes down for the effigy’s ritual burning, and Aida put their hands on their hips in thought. The setting sun urged Aida to decide quickly.

“I hadn’t really thought about it,” said Aida to the owl, Scheherazade. “Things have been so chaotic. What do you want?”

With a click of her beak, Scheherazade jumped from Aida’s shoulder onto the table and turned to face the white mage with expectant eyes.

“Hmm…”

In times past, Aida would have wished for success in helping Alexander with recovering their memories, but he had grown so distant of late that the white mage no longer felt like he wanted their help. Sighing, Aida was at least grateful for the strength that all the related training had given them.

“Did you ever find the Mirror of Erised?” asked Aida. The owl simply stared back quietly. “I heard about it but never did figure out where it is..."

With a flutter of sandy brown feathers, Scheherazade indicated impatience and began to stomp around atop the table like a toy soldier in a ballet.

Giving up on trying to think it through, Aida simply grabbed a quill and hoped that their hand would know better than their wits. Though looking over their shoulder, Aida knew Valentin would not follow them out; they expected to not be getting any more company tonight unless another ball denizen took an interest in the pair. Once the quill’s feather tip bit into the parchment and the ink began to soak in, Aida’s hand had to move in order to avoid a black splotch.

I want someone to help me become a real magizoologist. Someone I can trust, and who won’t abandon me disappear like Professor Griffith.

In a soft thud, Aida dropped the quill onto the table, and in only a split second their feet were already taking them towards the effigy-- rushing in order to avoid reconsidering. Scheherazade leapt from the table and flapped back onto Aida’s shoulder, not wanting to be alone. If the owl could have written a submission to the effigy, it would have asked to never be alone again.

Entering the effigy, though, proved difficult. Standing at the doorway, Aida’s gut sank like a stone into a dark lake. It’s really very tight inside, thought Aida. It could be a trap, or something could go wrong. The whole thing could ignite while we’re inside of it, stuck in there. We could burn to death in there. The realization spread like thick smoke until it clouded out every thought in Aida’s brain with oppressive terror.

“Ohh, ohh..."

Scheherazade, turning their head to look behind them, nervously bobbed up and down as if to take flight at any moment.

“I don’t know, is there any magic to it? The wishing, and the big burning dragon? Are we just risking our lives for some silly gesture?” While the small space inside the effigy may have posed no threat to anyone by any stretch of a reasonable imagination, the instincts of the two claustrophobes screamed over the thoughtfulness and composure they would normally have. Aida’s left hand reached back to grasp their wand, fight-or-flight circuits firing as if battle were imminent.

“G-Griffith would laugh at us, huh?” stuttered the white mage. Aida knew very well that he would not have laughed at them, deep in their heart. “Actually, no, he would have understood. That’s how he was. Understanding the hearts of creatures, respecting their fears. Giving them space, time, and care, but not just leaving them alone. He earned their trust, but don’t you think he got hurt a lot by pushing those boundaries? I guess… I guess we can’t just leave things alone. There are beasties out there that need help. Real help, not just being left alone by those who respect them, only to be hurt by those who don’t. We have to go. ZaZa, we have to go!”

With a shout of “HA!”, Aida charged up the ramp before they could convince themselves to stop. Scheherazade sank low onto her talons and clutched at Aida’s shoulder with her beak in terror. Marching into the effigy, the walls seemed to positively squirm around them, like the guts of a monster about to digest them. Yet, wand outstretched in their left hand, Aida extended the slip of paper with their shaking right hand and hung the damned thing on the effigy’s interior. Feeling that it attached securely, Aida scuttled out of the structure without looking around. Breathing heavily from the blinding fear, the cold evening air embraced the clostrophobes’ return.

The sun, threatening to sink completely under the horizon, felt like it was burning out, but Aida was at least not afraid of the dark. Taking several long strides more away from the structure, Aida turned back to look at the effigy. “I guess the candle is symbolic, too.” Yet, the young white mage, blessed with blind vision, liked to take shelter in the dark. It felt like lighting the candle would only attract attention and grant vision to anything that would attack them. Aida knew they were being paranoid, but the churning of their stomach did not care. Looking around for some distraction, anything to take their minds off their imagined burned-up demise, Aida jogged over to the flower crown table, Scheherazade bouncing along for the ride.

“What have we got!?” exhaled Aida, a little too loudly. After combing over the floral offerings for a couple of minutes, Aida’s breathing slowed while the lines around their violet eyes relaxed. Shoving their wand into the side bust of their dress, the crafty white Ravenclaw did not ask for instructions. Their fingers had been weaving wildflowers in the Scottish backcountry ever since Aida could wobble around outside. For a moment, Aida’s long white fingers reached for the forget-me-nots, but Alexander was not there. Aida did not know where he was. Yet, the mage indeed had thought of him. Nose twitching in analysis, Aida continued scanning the selection until finding a pile of humble daisies.

“I’ve got one for you!” chirped Aida, beginning to feel happy again. Head turning towards the little owl on their shoulder, Aida gently tucked a daisychain crown laced with tiny wild roses onto the little bird’s head. “This should fit on your wee head! Are the roses in the desert you come from small like this, or big?”


Chuckling to themselves, Aida pawed over the remaining flowers until finding a bundle of fragrant lily-of-the-valley. Making a larger crown this time, Aida placed the white fairy-hat blossoms upon their own head. With a giggle, Aida’s eyes squinted in a pleased smile that remained even after they turned back to observe the dragon effigy. Yet, Aida’s hand still wandered back up to secure their wand as their subconscious began reliving the tightness of its interior walls.

Open to interactions with anyone.
Free actions: Placing an effigy paper, making an owl-sized and a human-sized floral crown.
Action: Observing the effigy warily while drawing their wand into their left hand.

Stats: Stamina 10, Evasion 6, Strength 1, Wisdom 10, Arcane Power 10, Accuracy 11
Abilities: Blindvision, Sixth Sense, Beast Master

faye simmons
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Date: 02/04/2022| Time: sunset | CC:#369676 | permission to godmod regina and faye walking into the effigy accepted
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The Ravenclaw could never truly get used to how Regina's eyes seemed to wander directly into herself, it was slightly unnerving at the best of times, sure, but their spectacular purple colour always fascinated her beyond comprehension, so she kept her gaze whilst she was told news that she didn't really want to hear.

The idea of a tournament with a previous death toll had already made her uneasy, so much so that she had tried to not think about it at all, but now her favourite person of all time (not a very hard thing to accomplish but still) had decided to, no actually had, signed up for it? What on earth had she been thinking? Would dying in a school tournament at age thirteen really bring you glory and honour? Not live your life but instead fail to give yourself recognition by being a fool? Not that Faye thought that Regina was a fool, she thought quite the opposite in fact, but the idea of it sent shivers down her spine.

With her head bowed down slightly in an attempt to not show her almost disappointed expression, Faye's eyes whizzed frantically across the grass. The girl found it hard to juggle thoughts in her head whilst keeping her eyes focused on one certain object at times like these. When she was content that her mind had come up with a solution, she lifted her head once more.

"From my, although lacklustre, experience, I believe that your da must be a very bad father if you have to prove yourself to him. No offence to him, I'm sure he's a great guy! I also don't want to tell you my thoughts on this whole tournament thing because they are quite lengthy and I don't want to upset you, I'd never upset you, but I do support your efforts, however alien they are.

Faye kept her expression neutral, as not to upset her date, but the subject clearly struck a wrong chord so, when a separate topic of conversation emerged, she took it with force.

"Effigy? Wish? Yeah, sure, let's go!" Her words almost meshed together as she mumbled rapidly, clasping Regina's hand once more to lead her to the giant dragon, which would have excited her even more if it wasn't for her iffy mood. Once the couple arrived, Faye waited patiently at the entrance for Regina to write hers first (also because she had no clue what she wanted to write)

When her turn came, she stepped gingerly into the walkway and, picking up a quill, wrote in messy scrawl:

Please let me have a normal life. And for Regina to be safe. I don't want anything bad to happen to her in that stupid tournament. Oh, and can you also reduce the price of crisps? Mammy will stop sending me favourites if they don't get a discount. Thank you!

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STATS

(Stamina - 4| Evasion - 6 | Strength - 6 | Wisdom - 7 | ArcP - 6 | Accuracy - 6)

| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Regina Miller | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @|
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Interacting with @Faye Simmons
Colour code - #831100

𝕿he older female's expression gradually changed from hopeful to something dark as the more Faye spoke, though it was directed towards her. No, it was because everything she said was more or less the truth--that Alfred Miller was not an ideal parent and it was ridiculous that Regina had to go to this length to prove her worth to him. But Faye wouldn't understand, as she hadn't been born in a family where prestige and tradition were held at a higher regard than sentimental values. Being raised in a strict environment which completely sucked the childhood innocence out of her had made Regina into who she was today.

But of course, she wouldn't burden Faye with that knowledge. It was better not to let the redhead knew to what extent Regina's unhappy home life really was. It was already good that Faye respected her decision enough to support her despite her own reservations about the tournament.

The Heiress kept her gaze down as her date led her to the effigy by the hand, a million thoughts running through her head. Perhaps it would have been better not to say anything about the Goblet after all. Regina knew the atmosphere between them had shifted drastically and she knew the Ravenclaw was only pretending to be her adorable air-headed self for her sake. She was glad she hadn't continued on with confessing that she'd chosen Faye as her special person. It would have ruined everything and Regina wasn't sure if she could bare the consequences. The mood had completely fallen.

She will understand my ambition...one day. It is still much too soon.

Stepping into the dragon-shaped effigy (feeling ever aware of Faye watching her from outside), the ravenette took a deep breath and began writing down her wish. She prayed to Merlin, Morganna and other divine wizarding beings out there that it would come true.

Please allow me the recognition I desire to receive affection and pride from my parents, especially my Father. I wish to become the most powerful witch in the future.

She bit her lower lip nervously as her hand hesitated on the parchment. She could end it here, but...she wanted to follow her heart for once.

Please allow me the recognition I desire to receive affection and pride from my parents, especially my Father. I wish to become the most powerful witch in the future.

And please make Faye's wish come true. I want her to be happy, even if we can never be together.

Once satisfied, Regina hung up her wish after staring at the black-inked words for a long moment. Now it was left to Fate to decide her destiny. She stepped out of the effigy, purple eyes quietly following Faye's figure as the latter entered in turn. As she waited, Regina contemplated on ways to lighten the mood once her date was done and ask her to return to the celebration inside the Great Hall where the Champion would be announced. And maybe have a drink and ask her to dance.

WC: 506

STATS

STA 6

EVA 8

STR 4

WIS 7

ARC 8

ACC 7

HEALTH: 600/600

ABILITIES: Prodigal DADA & Perfectionist

ACTION: Putting her wish in the effigy