Faerietale Endings Fall Ball 2022 Locked

Bea finally relaxed as Skraele joined their party. "Hii!!" She went in for a hug, laughing excitedly as she did so. Finally the fun could start! She nodded as Monica explained what had happened, in words nothing much really.

Grabbing a goblet, she sipped, watching Monica as her cheeks heated in a rosy blush. Bea glanced in the direction she was looking at, spotting a pink-haired boy. She smiled, guessing correctly by Monica's introduction that that was Hiro. She could tell that her friend was nervous, even though the boy looked just as excited to see Monica as she did him. "We'll come with ye, won't we Skraele." Coming both her friends by the arms, herself in the middle, she turned ad walked up to the foreign boy.

Smiling even more as Monica excitedly hugged Hiro and introduced Bea and Skraele. Waving in greeting, she nodded at him. "Hi! Nice te meet ye! I'm Beatrice, Beatrice Langstreth." Her eyebrows scrunched as he seemed to lose focus, hearing the screams around them. Something was happening around them, and Bea whipped her head around to see for herself. It seemed some strange animal was attacking ball goers. A shudder ripped down Bea's spine. Fairytales weren't always about goodness and heroes...

Something was off about Hiro. He seemed unfocused, even after returning his attention to them. She wondered if it had something to do with the animal? Feeling like a third, or in this case fourth wheel, Bea grabbed Skraele's hand, indicating that they should leave the pair to themselves. Although Hiro seemed off, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. She had only just met the boy. Walking a few metres away from the pair, she continued to sip her drink, and watching her friend. Turning to Skraele, she cocked an eyebrow. "Do ye want to go to the pettin' zoo? A hear it has mysterious animals!" Glancing at Monica again, she saw that the pair as well were headed in the direction of the petting zoo. She hoped they were okay.

Action: Sipping her drink, introducing herself to Hiro, and hopefully heading to the petting zoo with Skraele
Interacting with: @Monica Evans, @Skraele Valasse, @Kim Sato as Hiro Bakugo

Rebecca stared blankly at his friend who seemed to have finally gone entirely off her rocker. "Jannette," he said slowly. "Somehow, in a twist of events that I previously considered impossible, you are speaking even more nonsensically than you normally do."

Jannette was looking around with wide terrified eyes and flailing like a loon, still yelling in utter gibberish at the top of her lungs. Rebecca turned to Violet. Well, looks like our friend has gone bonkers. Ah, well. He joked dryly. Or at least-- that's what he meant to say. Instead, what came out of his mouth sounded more like "Welloksakmdinkeourfirnedhasgoinebinkeresahahgh."

He froze. "Whasdathapebebing?"

He looked down at his hand, still holding Jannette's half-bitten apple that she'd thrown to him earlier. It sat there, cradled in his fingers, almost with a faux-innocence as Rebecca finally started connecting the dots. "Ohgmyghdthebaoeijlesareeveil," he yelped, dropping it immediately to the floor.

At this point Jannette was hopping about, still screaming like an idiot. He grabbed her shoulders to stop her thrashing and hurting herself and dragged the both of them away from the Evil, Evil, apples and hoped Violet had enough sense to follow.

He had a feeling that whatever sick student or teacher who'd planned this was watching the snack table having a good laugh. Sometimes, he thought as he kept a tight hold on Jannette and ignored her yelling in his ear, I really sort of hate this school.

Flash would slowly learn more about Eun-ji's family from bits and fragments, collecting them together thoughtfully into a full picture. He was wondering if this grandmother she spoke of was the wife of the grandfather that had attacked her during summer, but knew better than to inquire so carelessly. Instead he would focus on only tonight, which proved not too difficult to do. She agreed to check out the petting zoo afterwards, though still appeared worried for how he would handle it. It was nice to be considered, though he wondered just how fragile he appeared to her. Not that he begrudged her the worry, since he knew how it felt to be in her shoes.

"I'll tell you if I think I need to leave. Please do the same if I ever make you uncomfortable."

Flash wouldn't dwell on it, but instead insist on the honesty going both ways. He could tell how difficult it had been for her to be forthright with her troubles, even when they were clear as day. It was only after wanting to be there for her, that he finally started to understand how frustrating it was for his friends when he kept everything hidden. A bit of a late realization, given several people had been trying to convince him of thise for years. He could see the logic in their words, yet his heart fought with the urge to protect them from himself. Being considerate could be quite a mess in the end.

She would continue to offer to feed him, in a way that almost seemed unsure. He couldn't imagine a better way to spend his time. Nothing against Dorion's company, as he loved them dearly, but he had eaten Hogwarts food enough. In fact, he was starting to get the feeling that it was better avoided as often as possible. Even if that weren't true, he wanted to know what Eun-ji's cooking tasted like. He had rarely had the occasion to eat any Korean food, so he wasn't sure what to expect. He was looking forward to learning, his daydreams almost threatening to take him away from the present.

"Anything you like, I want to know all of it."

After the strange trepedation they both felt in starting the dance, it eventually fell into line. Though his heart had been beating swiftly to begin with, the rythm was a familiar ebb and flow, natural and intuitive. She'd forgive him his awkwardness, and the dance would take over. Even so, he couldn't help but notice something was different, his heart wouldn't settle. It was almost stinging, but not like pain or fear. It was thrill-- the kind of thing he felt right before catching the snitch, the feeling of seeing right through someone. Once he recognized it, he felt he could lean into it. He would embellish moves, subtely pull her closer. For the moment, she invaded his every thought.

That was, until she spoke again, mentioning a lie. The fear would return, like a cold spike down his spine. She quickly laughed, showing she only meant to innocently prod at his humble language earlier. Flash would try to recover with a smile, hoping he had not given away his momentary distress. For his young age, he was privvy to an unhealthy amount of secrets, ones that could upset the fabric of his family or possibly get him expelled. He was maneuvering carefully these days, trying to manipulate what he could to keep himself from crumbling under the faulty architecture of his family's machinations. For a moment, he thought she must have researched his family online, or heard about the blackmail he recieved from his brother. He didn't think he had lied to her directly... though perhaps he had greatly misrepresented himself. The truth itself was often so subjective, though it would linger in his mind. It felt like the two of them were tangled in webs, reaching out for the empathy the other could provide, yet incapable of facing all the adult problems forced onto their shoulders. The dance would end bittersweetly, as Flash mourned the loss of the simple childhood he was deprived of.

"Basking in reflected glory, no doubt." Flash would add, striking another deft humble blow, yet clearly giving himself a laugh at the overkill. "Shall we?"

Once their dance had concluded, he had got what he wanted. He would still hold onto her when the song ended, not wanting to grow the distance, and rather feeling the urge to cling to her instead. Propriety would have him relinquish his grip eventually, instead taking her hand to lead her toward the next attraction of the night. He would move that way, given that nothing stopped him.

"H-hello," Jack answered when he was greeted and smiled at. "I'm sorry, that should have been the first thing I said. I'm doing this all wrong, aren't I? Can you tell I don't normally go on dates?" Fortunately, Ye-jun seemed extremely understanding and Jack even managed a smile of his own when he was assured that nobody had bitten him while he had been waiting.

"Lucky me!" he laughed at the other teen's comment that he was all his tonight. Jack extended an arm for Ye-jun to take if he so chose. "And thank you. I guess at least I did something right when picking outfits. As for you, wow - you really do look like you just stepped out of a fairytale," he added, taking the time to regard his companion with an appreciative whistle. "Are you sure you're not actually a prince?"

Mention of Eun-ji's warning earned a sheepish chuckle from Jack. "Oh, yeah...she's definitely right there. I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me." He beamed and shook his head when the other student offered to accompany him to go get a drink. "Thank you for your consideration, but I'm just fine, really!" As if he hadn't kept Ye-jun waiting long enough. "If it's animals you want, animals you will get. Let's go check out the petting zoo," Jack declared, gesturing grandly in the direction of the animals with the arm not extended to Ye-jun.

Interacting with: Ye-jun Lee (@Eun-ji Lee Hunt)
Action: Talking with Ye-jun and preparing to exit to the petting zoo

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Reducio

The Courtyard had, from the start, seemed the only logical place to hold a ball such as the likes of the theme Faerietale Endings. What sort of Faerietale did not in some way incorporate the beauty of a twilit sky, or the delicate sparklings of the silvery stars overhead? The usually drab grey stones of the courtyard appeared almost silver in the almost entirely full light of the waxing moon, just one night away, and every tree and shadow appeared to have a slightly more angular and harsh edge because of Luna's soft yet intense glow. Soft birdsong, difficult to tell if magically or mundanely made, cooed in the black and whispering branches, and a soft, brisk, and rather chilly wind (11 degree Celsius/52 degree Fahrenheit) rattled branches and encouraged the older among the trees to groan in their own eerie melodies. A better evening could not have been asked for save the Highland cold, and tonight in particular seemed to gleam with a mysterious magic of a non-wizard origin.

Sprinkled about the environment lay trademarks of several better-known Hans Christian Andersen and Grimm Brothers fables. Within the courtyard fountain was a small recreation of Thumbelina being introduced to a repulsive toad groom. Opposing it on the far side a single large frog with a golden crown sitting on a lilypad sat with one of his "arms" extended as if to reach out and take a lady (or lad) by the hand for a tender kiss. Both of these floated freely in the water, bobbing here and there and guided by the current of the fountain water. Tangled upon the walls of the courtyard were thousands of blooming flowers mixed with sharp, prickly black thorns. Any self-respecting wandmaker would recognize a collection of well-trimmed blackthorn bushes off in one corner, though these appeared to have been grafted with a rose bush, for there was one red-blooming bush and one white-blooming bush. Not too far away from these was a pile of shoes, mostly leather and rough in make, but both a single "glass" shoe for a young woman barely glittered underneath its mundane fellows and a pair of bright red shoes stuck out like sore thumbs. High up in the tallest tree sat a stuffed plush golden goose in a nest that was angled so that all could see large golden eggs, the prize of most any kleptomaniac to be sure. Underneath a willow tree sat poised a collection of plaster swans, one of which was a small, downy, ugly grey fellow being embraced by one of the larger, more magnificent ones while a family of ducks watched on. Similarly, faux ravens looked down at both the scene below them and outwards towards the main congregation of the celebration with quiet eyes. If a student brushed close enough, it would magically animate, extend charcoal black wings, and have its eyes glow red with an accompanying "Caw, caw, caw!" emanating from it.

Fairy lights (glowing by the bioluminescent light of glow bugs) would offer an almost unnoticeable glow when compared to the light of the moon, their only purpose being to highlight the already bright and colorful bursts of spectrum that were found in the flowers and the leaves of the fall-blossoming plants. Tiny, real fairies, likely drawn in by the color and the ethereal nature of the environment fluttered about here and there, playing with the plush animals or perusing the nearby feast that was laid out. They giggled in a lightly buzzing tone, gesticulating and teasing with one another by pointing out the students that they thought to be less-dressed or less than impressive in their attire than themselves. Other fairies were more content to sit by the water fountain and meddle with the frogs thereon, whereas others flittered in the trees and danced in a way that caused loosened flower petals to be whisked into the air and produce a waltz of their own design.

The Grand Feast:

Reducio

The warm orange glow of the setting sun cast upon the vicinity had set the courtyard in a picturesque far back in time. As if reliving an old painting from the renaissance or within one's imagination of fairytales brought to life. With the sun disappearing into the horizon and giving way to the shadows of Autumn's early evening, the bronze candelabras on tables and strings of starry fairy lights that hung across the walls of the courtyard would shed light throughout the event, albeit with an almost eerily flickers.

The tables around were dressed in dark linens, with a neat display of silver goblets and silverware set upon. At the further end of the courtyard stood a rather coniferous juniper tree with claw-like branches that cast its shadow on a long rustic mahogany table displaying a delicious array that was to be feasted on. A large brass pot of simmering savoury stew, an impressive platter of pudding and pies of the sort, and a deep bowl of a rich burgundy red beverage to serve with the many intricate goblets that cluttered the table. By the table was a wooden bucket swirling with apples bobbing on the surface, green, pink, red and yellow. Any hungry souls could help themselves to a share of food while it lasted.

By Aurelia Notresvace

Light, mystical music drifted through the air; not sourced by a band or instrument easily visible, but as if by ghostly, phantasmal, omnipresent nature, encouraging couples to dance freely in the central, clearing of the courtyard set aside for a dance floor. Already there were a few of the native ghosts of Hogwarts finding themselves at home in the company of the antique surroundings, as they whispered to one another about their lives and their deaths alike, with especial couples somberly drifting to and fro in a silent waltz among the living and evoking an accidental chill if one came too close to one with still-living flesh.

An eye drifting to the right of the celebration would observe a collection of ill-sprinkled Bernie Bott's Every Flavored Beans, which would lead to but one of the activities of the night...

On the left, a collection of pumpkins of all sizes, faux rabbits, squirrels, birds, and other small woodland creatures would guide anybody who was curious enough to investigate their trail to sights and experiences of the most magical degree...

The night was young, the moon was nearly full, the food and beverages were set. Mystery and trickery hung thick in the skies as an air of excitement, grandeur, and the remotest tingling of trepidation laid eerily present in the vicinity. The 2022 Fall Ball was now begun.

Dancers, Entrances/Exits, & Interactions

After assisting the black and white-clad @Piérre Marchonné back to his feet, which the boy seemed to only accept after a beat of hesitation, the pale wix @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood would finally make her exit to the Petting Zoo, where the completion of her agenda would finally come to fruition... whatever that was. Aida would not be alone in her exiting, and several other people (Castor Alarie, @Flash Holmwood, Hiro Bakugo, @Keith Moore, @Kim Sato, @Monica Evans @Isadora & Yefim Rumyantsev) would also follow suit, with each of them in their own lovely predicaments. One in particular, Isadora, had a natural tendancy to be sneaker than others as she tried to slip through the crowd as quietly as possible [Cat's Grace, >75 Success: 63 (Failure)], but on this occasion it seemed that she would be unsuccessful and she would only quietly slip through the crowd on the way to the Zoo, with some people taking notice of her and moving politely out of her way as she passed by.


Many people would also enter and begin to find those that were familiar to them or else be reduced to humble wallflowers until they could muster the courage to actually join in with the festivities.


Ah, at long last, Colin McCoire's Senpai, the girl which he was incredibly infatuated with, whom he could not rid his mind of, one Clair Fernandaz had finally entered on the scene. There would be a few words between them... but Colin would interface with Pax for but a moment before taking notice of a young redheaded girl's plight with an equally redheaded (if much, much smaller) doll. He would leap bravely into action with the casting of a fire making spell. Meanwhile, Gemima would only watch the attempt, seemingly unamused with the fact that fire was once again being used to solve a problem; because Hogwarts most certainly could use fire to solve most any problem that came their way. Lily Blaze confessed that she knew little magic... something that would not be unusual for a child who was new to the world of magic or who was a first year such as herself. The time would eventually come for her to learn more spells. It would just take a little patience, surely.

It would sure be a pain and would likely confuse and dismay many people if a potential threat ever came to this school that was somehow fire retardant...

Oh dear, Alec Mason... don't you know you never treat a girl like this? When you stand her up, you probably should have a very good reason for it, otherwise heads start rolling. Miss Fowl may soon be in a foul mood if you don't do something charming, lad. Uh... yes... well, hm. Don't try too hard, though, otherwise she might think you're trying to placate her, don't do too little or she may think you're not trying hard enough. Just let her be angry at you, perhaps? Brainstorm a proper way to fix this? At this point, the best thing you can do is likely to just stay alive, wouldn't you say?

Amina would finally locate her hasty date, one that had formed literal days before the celebration had occurred... oh dear what a forest of hair he wore. But perhaps young Amina was into men with a bit of a forest on their face? Perhaps. Poor Thomas, a boy of dropping in and dropping out of school would not be able to hide from her amorous advances. But hey, perhaps this night would be fun for the both of them? Maybe Thomas would find Amina at least mildly entertaining yet.

Howard White the Champion and Bloom Silverton his current date would converse for a while, and Howard would begin to apologize to Bloom for events that had taken place earlier... a step taken a bit too far... but maybe this would not be an end to their relationship, but rather a building point; a learning opportunity for them both, a way for their relationship to become stronger and more stable. Perhaps there was hope for them yet.

As if to bring more awe to the gathered party and to draw the eyes of many, one of the resident part-giants of Hogwarts Quinn Healey would enter the party dressed as a vampire of Irish myth, the legendary Abhartach. Standing far above the crowd with his eleven foot and spare inch frame, the first student to finally dwarf any of the other aspiring children who could only reach 6 foot at their zenith. He seemed to have an appetite for trouble tonight, and admittedly... this would be the night to have it. He would just have to spot it from his incredible height where the air was much cleaner and purer than below... hopefully sentiments towards part giants from events that had occurred hardly 5 years ago would not be badly remembered...

Some kids were more awkward than others, but some were excellent dancers as well. More kids would start to inundate the dance floor, which was good for the individuals who felt more comfortable on the fringes of the party. The music would continue to play lightly, now entering less of a quiet mystical feeling, and now more of an energetic waltz.

Apples & Goblets

[This is going to be the moderation of Aurelia's previous post with numbers counting down to keep things continuous. It is confusing, I apologize for this.]

Disorder promptly broke out as animals reverted from their goblet restraints, most notably in the hands of @Maggie Hawkins, @Simon Kincaid & @AngelFyre McCubbins, the former two having received bites from a pair of disgruntled rats for their troubles, and the latter having earned a nip from the mandibles of a shiny black spider. Like any responsible boyfriend, Simon Kincaid would cast the bandaging charm on his beloved seer girlfriend [WDC 10; Wisdom Check 21, success). From the walnut wand would come a collection of bandages that would bind up AngelFyre's injuries and help to stop the mild bleeding.

Insofar as the potions were concerned, this would be a far more wild ride. A total of eight different students would be afflicted (or assisted by) a potion effect.
Chiaki would finally feel the laughter leaving her system. What a funny incident.. what in the world could have caused such wild emotion in her? Perhaps she had just been in a good mood... Similarly, Amelia Miller would have a small burst of supreme confidence and indescribable joy wash over her as she attempted (and failed to) warn him about the effects of the apples. Just as soon as the feeling finished rushing through her, however, it would gently peter away. Hopefully that rush of confidence in speaking with her crush would have no detrimental effects on her relationship with him...

Part-Goblin Serena Towers would continue feeling glib, if she wanted to spar with anyone with words, they had better watch out because she most certainly would have the upper hand over them. The nervous energy surrounding her potential ghosting would only feed into any shade that she threw.

In the past few moments, Rebecca Loops had had a similar glibness to his words, though just as quickly as the sensation came, it would fade away. How odd... However, his comrade Jannette would be rather unlucky; as Rebecca's words improved, Jannette's would become even more indiscernible than usual (and this was not just because of the girl's incredibly thick Scottish accent). Her words would become confusing and would have an irrational syntax to them. Was this the onset of a stroke or simply the tomfoolery of potion effects? Well, he would soon find out for herself, as (self-proclaimed effect would occur and) he began to also become more difficult to understand. What an evil prank! Who would be so dastardly as to spike apples for the entertainment of the students and the committee team? >>Insert the soft strains of Italian laughing here<<

Violet Grace, though not afflicted with any potion effects, would come up with a conclusion on her own. "Do you think it's the apples?" A lightbulb moment, to be sure.

Why yes. Yes, there is a very high chance that it was the apples... or any of the foods which had apple derivatives... be careful what you chose to eat, drink, or put your hands on... or don't be. It's really up do you, isn't it?

Circus girl Cielle would also suffer from the adverse effects of her words making no sense to anyone, including herself. Unable to properly get the words off the tip of her tongue, was she just scatterbrained, or was this magically induced? After a throwing of her apple towards one of these foreign students Soraia Sampaio, little would she know that Babbling Beverage could be spread by contact (d100; 51, roll of 76: no transmittance). However, it seemed that Soraia would be lucky; the apple would not make contact with any part of her skin and would instead strike against some part of her outfit before falling harmlessly to the ground.

Foreign Train Wreck

How interesting the interactions between foreign schools could be, and the one that was continuing to simmer between a collection of Castelobruxo students and an out of place rugrat of a Durmstrangian seemed to be one of the ones that took the cake. In fact... if the right catalyst was introduced, it was likely that a fight could break out. Well, you know young kids and their short fuses. I'm sure that everything will be just fine.

Buddy-buddying with Agata, Cielle would proclaim the girl that she had assaulted with a plate the first time they met as her best friend. However, between the adverse effects of the Babbling Beverage and her generally cirque nature, it had an air of almost slurryness to it. I'm sure she meant well, but Agata would have none of it. Though her true displeasure at being interfaced with was not as intense as her choice of words, perhaps words would be enough to gently dissuade the acrobatic Cielle from causing too many problems.

Completely unaware of what words were being spoken in English as he was not exceptionally gifted in that particular realm of linguistics, Raul would ask his friends for translations in a language that he could understand. Hopefully their words would correctly convey the intentions of Cielle; one certainly knows how certain words or phrases in certain tongues have a tendencies to mean different things based purely out of the syntax and available vocabulary. Similar to Raul, Soraia would glare at Cielle with seeming murder in her eyes. In response, Cielle would throw her apple at the sourpuss of a girl, likely in an attempt to lighten her mood. With surprising ease (and a bad dodge from Soraia), Cielle would manage to hit her with the half eaten fruit.

No sooner had she done so than Ilvermorney student Hadrian would appear to the party, walking right up to Cielle and snatching her hat from her with an almost flirtatious maneuver. It was as if the two of them had met before?

The Felix, Yefim, Beatrice, & Raine Drama

Yefim was finally satisfied with the actions that had been performed by him up to this moment. The girl didn't deserve any more of his attention and so would depart with nothing else but a small, light cuff towards her. This would be made much more evident when Beatrice began to apologize for her previous actions, particularly towards her leather knight Felix before attempting to extricate herself from the situation along with Rani.

For tonight, at least, there would be peace between parties.

Felix suggested to Yefim, after taking the boy's hand assertively (perhaps a young bromance was in the works for them yet), that they go to the petting zoo... Yefim seemed to be willing to take him up on the offer. After all, what could be a better first date than to go and hang out with some cuddly animals?

Stephen the Unfortunate Romeo

Apparently the infatuation of a few crazy witchy girls, Stephen would find himself between a rock and a hard place insofar as trying to deal with both Amina and his date Kamila, it would be by a stroke of fate that another individual, a certain Jamie, would finally arrive and swoop in just in time to save Stephen from further drama, attempting to drag him away from the situation altogether and taking him to a rowan tree at the edge of the scene.

With Amina moving on, and Kamila surprisingly silent about this whole situation, perhaps Stephen would be able to have time to collect his thoughts properly and be able to reassess and reconsider his position in his current love life. Boy was he lucky to have a friend like Jamie, right?

The Joust

A joust? At a ball? What exactly were Johannes, the Lord of Devoured Heterosexuality, and Valetin the White Immortal planning? Didn't they have any idea how dangerous these sorts of events were without the use of high speed brooms? Horse jousting was highly dangerous and on many occasions lethal for the parties involved in it. Why in God's name did any of them think that this was a good idea?

Ah well... Johannes had already mounted his broom... hopefully things wouldn't go south too quickly...

We desperately needed adults at this celebration, evidently.

Seemingly lost in thought, Romeo would become aware of a sharp sting as something would strike him across the face. Something unseen that he would not be able to divulge the origin of. Little would he know that his own twin brother Piérre had been the one responsible for this action of jest, with the assistance of the Gentleman's Slapping Gloves in his possession at a safe distance of 30 feet away. What an interesting turn of fate. Perhaps this was the first strike that Valetin had spoken of when he had knighted the Italian?

Astrid Olsen would observe the doll before it had run away, and she would take note of the strange vermillion liquid that dripped from many of the newer cracks which were spread across its body following its flight and subsequent harsh landing. She would also take note of certain older cracks and chips being filled up by a dark maroon shade of... something or other... almost as if it was being held together by another material like some sort of glue. Besides this, however, the subsequent animation and fright that would come from companion @Della Barfield would lead into something far more horrifying; this redheaded dollie attempting to attack and seemingly maim a similarly young girl by the name of @Lily Brown.

After its first initial strikes had failed it, the red dollie's right hand clenched once more with the sound of splintering glass. Teeth bared and eyes slowly sinking back into its skull, this 'real girl' was slowly becoming more and more monstrous for every second that passed, less human, less childlike.

But she really was a real girl! She was a real girl!

This was a real girl!

"MaKe Me A rEaL gIrL!" It demanded in its unnatural voice towards Lily, clicking its teeth once again like scratching porcelain. "i WiLl MaKe MAMA pRoUd!"

With these words, the doll lunged once more, this time going for Lily's hidden legs just below her pastel pink skirt. If the real girl could cripple this one, then it could more easily have access to the rest of her heart. Yet, the nature of having a skirt obscuring the limbs made it infinitely more difficult to successfully find purchase on any warm flesh [TP 9; Accuracy 19 v. Evasion 26], and the doll's first attempts would fall short of its desires. Skidding away, the doll stopped its momentum and toddled back into a preparatory stance once more before distending its jaw and leaping for Lily's side. The real girl took advantage of the other's disorientation and with a sparkle of teeth [TP 4; Accuracy 30 v. Evasion 21], Lily Brown would become aware of a sensation of tearing of clothes and skin as long, spindly teeth dug into her midriff and tore a chunk off of her [370 damage, 100 bleed damage until bandaged]. The real girl felt the warm love, the first inklings of a true transformation to be exactly like the girl it had just bitten. More. More love. More heart. The transformation must occur. The real girl would become real.

But, the girl Lily was not alone in her fight against this monstrous doll entity, and would gain for herselves two knights in shining armor and the assistance of Della's reactionary fire spell. Scottish werewolf @Colin McCoire would be the first to react to the assault with an incantation of the empowered fire spell [WDC 12; Wisdom 14, CP 1, TP 10, Accuracy 9 v. Evasion 25], a gout of flame would emit from Colin's hawthorn wand, but this redheaded doll was much more nimble than one would have expected; the longer it was animated, the more mobile it became, the porcelain continuing to crack, the strange sticky substance seeming to hold it together and make it more flexible than the external "shell" ever could. Next to the plate would be Della and Clark themselves, one with a weaker fire spell and the other with the wrath of his fist. Despite being a rather bold character, something would cause Clark to divert his aim right before he could connect with the bloody menace [Clark; CP 3, TP 1 (success)], perhaps a chill down his spine, perhaps the total disease and shock that came from meeting such an aberration. The same fate would fall Della [Della; WDC 9, Wisdom 19; CP 8, TP 1 (success)], who while able to initiate the spark of the fire spell from her chestnut implement would similarly be thrown off by a sudden chill and shiver that caused her aim to divert and sputter harmlessly against the cobblestones.

Not being one to be a simply helpless maiden, Lily Brown herself would also attempt to rid herself of this attacker by physical means; perhaps she had not quite yet grasped her ability to cast magic with her witchy blood. This was highly natural; after all, Muggleborns often struggled to come to terms with magic and the subsequent ability to use the said magic in a directed and assertive way. Well, where the arcane falls short, use your hands. Unfortunately for the girl, between her brand new injury and the nature of her youth [Strength Competition; Lily 8 (Natural 1) v. Doll 19], she woudl be unable to remove the doll continuing to scrabble on her midriff, the right hand now bearing sharpened digits attempting to claw at her back and shred her beautiful gown in hectic desire to reach her spine. It continued to squirm and dig in, the fight becoming more and more to the passing eye. What kind of person would not be attracted by the potential sounds of screaming or the sudden splash of crimson spattering to the ground?

@Illowy Magnard would not be one of them, as in her attempts to look about and seek out the strange and the dark [Wisdom Check 29] her eyes would land upon this redhaired doll assaulting a young girl. What would this upperclassman do with this new knowledge? Would all of these young upstart children receive assistance from her, or would they be left to their own devices against this dark force?

STATUSES:

Reducio

@Aaron Jones 1090/1000 ~ --
@Adelaide Barlowe 600/600
Agata Matos @Beatrice Langstreth 800/800 ~ Getting Cielle's arm off her
@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood 1000/1000 ~ Left for petting zoo after helping Pierre up
@Alan Vanes 1200/1200 ~ --
@Alec Mason900/900 ~ Trying to be charming...
@Alma Stoll 300/300 ~ --
@Aly Salinger 900/900 - Amortentia (Logan) ~ --
Amelia Miller @Lily Blaze 600/600 ~ Interacting w/Nick, Eating an Apple & Subsequently Throwing it to the Ground
Amina Petrovic @Ileen Knight 900/900 ~ Finding Thomas Lestrange and teasing him, pulling on his beard
@Anastasia Varney 500/500 ~ --
Andrew Lycan @Rose Moon 1000/1000 ~ Entering
@AngelFyre McCubbin 660/700 ~ Tending to her Spooder injury
@Ashleigh Hazelwood 500/500 ~ Being weirded out by Rita, goes to have a drink with her date, Marius
@Astoria Swann 700/700 ~ --
Astrid Olsen @Anastasia Varney 700/700 ~ Musing Over the Doll
@Athena Boot 500/500 ~ --
@Avery McCall 500/500 ~ Entering & Loitering
@Bailey Glade 600/600 ~ leaving for Save Your Date with Kim Sato
@Beatrice Dupont 600/600 ~ Being a mess of actions & contradicting words
@Beatrice Langstreth 600/600 ~ Sipping her drink, interacting, requesting they go to the petting zoo
@Bloom Silverton: 1000/1000 ~ Making out with Howard, then eats an apple
@Bubba McGarry 600/600 ~ Walking w/Samantha, showing her a Love-in-a-Mist
Castor Alarie @Edme Achillian 600/600 ~ Entering & Exiting to Petting Zoo w/Florian
Chiaki Hiroi @Pax Zhang: 875/900 ~ --
Chikao Narumi @Hunter Argentum: 1000/1000 ~ --
Cielle Johansen @Ivy Bellamy: 1100/1100 ~ Talking strangely (potion), pretending Agata is a BFF, throwing her half-eaten apple at soraia sampaio
@Clair Fernandez 700/700 ~ Entering the Ball, talking to Colin
@Clark William Baird-Carter: 500/500 ~ Punch Doll
@Colin McCoire 600/600 ~ Casting incendio duo at Lily's doll
@Daphne Sapphirus 1000/1000 ~ --
@David Howard 700/700 ~ --
@Della Barfield 500/500 ~ Casts incendio at the doll
@Dove Peregrine 500/500 ~ Interface w/Keith, Dance
@Edward Edwards ~ Dancing with Hannah, inviting her to get food
@Elena Jangleton 900/900 ~ --
Eloïse Duciel @Astoria Swann 800/800 ~ Talking to Lloyd, getting apple pie and goblet
@Elsian Cox 1000/1000 ~ Speaking w/Logan, gifting her a crown
@Emma Wynn 800/800 ~ --
@Erin Ryan 800/800 ~ --
@Ethan Smith 800/800 ~ Dancing with Adelaide; offers to go to petting zoo
@Eun-ji Lee Hunt 800/800 ~ Talking and dancing with Flash
@Faye Simmons: 600/600 ~ Admiring Regina's dress
Felix Kolbeck @Winnie Harper 700/700 ~ Takes Yefim's hand, starts going towards petting zoo
@Finnegan Connor 800/800 ~ --
@Flash Holmwood 800/800 ~ Interact w/Eun-ji, Dancing, Moving to Petting Zoo
@Gemima Sable: 700/700 ~ Watching Colin attempt Incendio, inwardly questioning if fire is the answer
@George Henry 1000/1000 ~ --
@Gidion Athenatos 500/500 ~ --
Hadrian Zuheir @Aurelia Notresvace 500/500 ~ Take Cielle's Hat
@Hanako Tone 1000/1000 ~ --
@Hannah Blossom 700/700 ~ Entering
Hiro Bakugo @Kim Sato 700/700 ~ Exit to petting zoo with Monica.
@Howard White 1100/1100 - Bulgeye Potion ~ Apologizing to Bloom, re-entering ball
@Hunter Argentum 1000/1000 ~ --
@Ileen Knight 900/900 ~ --
@Illowy Magnard: 900/900 ~ Wandering, Keeping an eye out for trouble or suspicious activity
@Illusia Bobich 700/700 - Sleeping Draught (Rendered Unconscious)
@Irina Sousa 400/400 ~ --
@Isadora Everridge 700/700 ~ Attempts to use 's Grace to Enter in Stealth, exits to petting zoo
@Jack Burnett 600/600 ~ Arriving, apologizing to Lee for being late, offering to get food/drink
@Jake Morris 600/600 ~ --
Jamie Ziegler @Gemima Sable 700/700 ~ Arriving, pulling Stephen away from girls and over to a rowan tree
@Jannette Applebottom: 500/500 ~ Talking to Rebecca and Violet in gibberish under potion effects
Johannes Sauer @Astrea Soleil Neptune1000/1000 ~ Scintillation Solution (+3 Wisdom, 1 Round Remains) ~ Taking to the Sky on Silver Arrow (Apply Broom Stats), Clean off the Apple; begins being commentator
@Judith Cohen: 600/600 ~ --
@June Selwyn 600/600 ~ --
@Jürgen Hess 500/500 ~ --
Kamila Yavlinsky @Marina Oriel 900/900 ~ --
@Kayla Realma 600/600 ~ --
@Keith Moore 700/700 ~ Interact w/Dove, Offer Dance, Leave for Petting Zoo
@Kim Sato 600/600 ~ Eat Apple, Exit to Petting Zoo
@Lazarus Lavey 300/300 ~ --
Lee Ye-jun @Eun-ji Lee Hunt: 1000/1000 ~ Greeting Jack and complimenting costume
@Lily Blaze 500/500 ~ Saying hi to Colin and talking to Clair. Do you even cast spells, bro?
@Lily Brown 430/700, bleed 100 ~ Try to Shove Doll Off
Lloyd Thomas @Bailey Glade 700/700 ~ Leading Eloise to food table
@Logan Baird 900/900 ~ --
@Maggie Hawkins 675/700, -1 Evasion ~ --
Maksim Levin @Monica Evans 600/600 - Confusing Concoction ~ Walking to the refreshments with Monet, Takes the Goblet from her but worries she is up to something so doesn't drink it. Compliments Monet
@Marcel Wheatley: 600/600 ~ --
@Marius Brown 600/600 ~ --
@Mathias Pride 500/400 ~ --
Mikael Halldorson @Percival Rainwood 1000/1000 ~ --
Milo Durand @Delilah Stewart: 1300/1300 ~ Chatting with Serena
@MJ Davenport 700/700 ~ --
Monet Èlisa Navarro-Gallay @June Selwyn 700/700 ~ Starts drinking a goblet, fails to get Maksim to drink one
@Monica Evans 800/800 ~ Connects with Skraele before getting refreshments. Introduces her group to Hiro; Following Hiro out
Nick Iris @Quinn Root 700/700 ~ Worrying over Amelia, Eat an Apple
@Nico Cirillo 500/500 ~ --
@Nicole Richards 500/500 ~ --
@Pax Zhang: 900/900 ~ Offering Colin and Gem help finding who they seek
@Pea Elena Fowl: 600/600 ~ Arguing with Alec
@Percival Rainwood 900/900 ~ --
@Piérre Marchonné 600/600 ~ Use Gentleman's Slapping Gloves to #SlapRomeo
@Quinn Healy 1500/1400 ~ Enters, looks hungry for trouble...
@Quinn Root 500/500 ~ --
@Rani Adler 600/600 ~ Watching the Situation
Raul Correa @Nicholas McCowan 500/500 ~ Language Barrier w/Cielle, Asking Friends to Translate
@Rebecca Loops 400/400 ~ Getting hit with the gibberish potion because of Jannette's apple, fleeing from area with Jannette in tow
@Regina Miller: 700/700 ~ --
@Rita Su 600/600 ~ --
River Fayre @Clair Fernandez: 700/700 ~ --
Romeo Marchonné @Piérre Marchonné 1000/900 ~ --
@Samantha Salwis 900/900 ~ Receiving love-in-the-mist flower from Bubba
@Serena Towers: 1000/1000 ~ Interact w/Milo, Fret About Being Stood Up
@Simon Kincaid 775/800, -1 Evasion ~ Casts Ferula on AngelFyre's spider bite
@Sirin Liu 600/600 ~ --
@Skraele Valasse: 700/700 ~ --
Soraia Sampaio @Lucinia Thawin 900/900 ~ Speaking with Agata & Raul, Glaring @Cielle
Stephan Schwartz @AngelFyre McCubbin 800/800 ~ --
@Taisia Elidine Stroudefielde 500/500 ~ --
@Taizu Miyashiro 400/400 ~ --
@Tesla Stone 500/500 ~ --
@Thomas Lestrange 800/800 ~ Waiting for Amina to find him, but can barely remember her name
Valetin Schnell @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood 800/800 ~ Bodyblock Romeo
@Violet Grace 700/700 ~ Interacting w/ Rebecca, Jannette
Vivienne Beaumont @Adelaide Barlowe: 800/800 ~ --
@Winnie Harper 1000/1000 ~ --
@Wynn Wen 500/500 ~ --
Yasha Volkov @EmmaLee LeDames 900/900 ~ --
Yefim Rumyantsev @Flash Holmwood 1000/1000 ~ Following Felix, teasing him as "your majesty", Move to Petting Zoo

Hag Doll: ??/?? ~ Bite @Lily Brown 2ce

OOC Guidelines:

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you are attending the SAVE YOUR DATE activity please state that you are EXITING
to the activity (if you haven't already) as a traceable papertrail!

For awhile the 2 simply talked before the friends took to the dance floor. With the boy leading Logan to the side to share some jokes and hilarious drama that they’d both had the honor of coming across during their individual quests. After sharing a few jokes and stories though, talking mainly consisted of the Gryffindor teasing his friend on her loss and friendly ribbing regarding his success, of course not that Queenie would take it laying down. Or rather, even if she did, Elsian was painfully aware it was because his friend was willing to play along or otherwise humor him. She was, after all, fully capable of matching the boy's banter and jokes with eerie levels of calmly collected savedry in the form of her own teasing.

Teasing that sometimes led to physical blows in the form of vicious pillow wars. But there were no pillows to be seen at the dance, and Elsian shuddered to think what would be used instead if it came down to it.

“Actually,” he began, grin turning a tad sheepish around the corners, “I kinda…might’ve, signed us both up for something.” Something that he had very much not fully read through, but they didn’t talk about his bad impulse control.

Which of course led into a brief explanation that was far more Elsian giving Logan a wide smile and throwing around how it would probably be fine, and they totally had enough time before it started if they wanted to quit-

They did not in fact have plenty of time.

And after a moment or two upon realizing this fact, both kids giving the game one last thought went ahead to join the rest of contestants. With Elsian quick to shamelessly admit he had indeed let Kitty take over the tree with the goose and how it would probably be a good idea to grab her before going.

Luckily Queenie, paired with crown, was a surefire way to lure the spider with all the gold. Grabbing Kitty, the moment she’d crawled down close enough, Elsian was happy to walk the rest of the way following the candy trail of beans talking, and bickering as he was known to, while holding one sulking spider. Until he let her loose at least. Kitty was all too happy to be with Logan, the traitor, content to hang from the girls skirts as they walked.

@Bloom Silverton | @Serena Towers | @Delilah Stewart

It was another one of those moments that Howard would have happily stayed in forever as his lips connected with Bloom's. Even the crowd around him couldn't stop him from rejoicing in their moment of love and healing, though all things must eventually end. That's what makes them special though isn't it? As their lips parted this moment would seal into his memories. One to think back on and cherish as their story continued to write itself.

Howard lowered his head as she reached to loosen the blind fold. He could feel right away that the feeling had gone down a lot as the fabric slipped away from his eyes. "Yeah, better." He whispered back with his lips close to her ears. The urge to run off with her was strong, but matters of the stomach could not be ignored. As they made their way towards the food tables they would recommit to their vow. Bloom was right. They were never going to be perfect. It was impossible to do so, but now, after they had teetered on the edge of letting each other go, it felt more real as they committed to each other. It felt more mature, more adult. They had persevered through something that might have broken others and had come out stronger for it. His long fingers would intertwine with hers as the couple moved through the crowd and a reassuring squeeze would come in place of his words.

"I had a bite earlier." Howard downplayed how much he had eaten earlier. Truth was he had stuffed himself, but teenaged boys are bottomless pits. Why not have thirds?! "The food is really good." Hogwarts always provided the best eats. "Pies are really good and the..." Bloom would crunch into an apple before he could recommend them. "Must be from the last of the summer apples. So good!" In fact, Howard couldn't resist another on of the delicious fruits and took a big bite from a red one. "Damn that's good." He said after downing the apple.

It was then that a familiar scent caught his sensitive nose. Serena must be nearby and sure enough as Howard's eyes followed his nostrils he would spot his good friend standing further down the tables. "Hey look, Serena's here." Howard pointed her out to Bloom and awaited her reaction. Had the tension over the summer fizzled out. Surely time had smooth things over. "Let's go say hi." He wrapped an arm around the small of her back and walked with her.

"Hey! Serena!" Howard called out as they made their approach. His fellow Hufflepuff seemed to be in conversation with a rather dashing looking companion. "Hey there." The dhampir offered a greeting to the other young man. "Is this your date?" He asked Serena with a smile and a wink.

Action: Eat a red apple.

It seemed that the chatterbox potion had affected one too many, but it was one of the less adverse apples in the bucket... after all, this was a party and what was a party without the bustling of conversations? Some had lucky of a fast metabolism or perhaps they took a smaller bite, within a few minutes, their effects had worn off including nonsensical blabbering and pumpkin heads, but some just weren't that lucky. But do not fret. For those in a struggle, almost from thin air, a figure would appear, an Einstein mess of green hair and a mask of pale white paint in a striped suit. A hand slipping into his pocket, he would pull out a vial that he would extend towards. But if an attempt was made to grab, he would the vail from grasp. "Nuh-uh. A trick for a treat. A payment for this is due..." He would cackle in an accent wallowing with distinct Italian. However that might be perceived once satisfied, Beetlejuice would give the antidote without a fight.

@violet grace, was the first to suspect that the apples were the cause of all the strange behaviour among some of the ballgoers, yet she would take one herself. @astoria swann would also take a lucky - or unlucky dip in the bucket. So did @Kim Sato - although, strangely, the effect did take a while to set in for him [sorry mb]. All three of them seemed to have picked oddly tasting apples as their tastebuds would be harassed by the unexpected earthy sweetness of pumpkin! A pressure would fill their heads, not quite unbearable but uncomfortable at the very least. Their heads would feel very heavy. While they were oblivious to it, those around them would be very aware. Little did they know, their head had grown into pumpkins, their skin bright and orange.

Nick Iris @Quinn Root of Ilvermorny would also take a bite of an apple like the rest of them. The world would suddenly feel smaller, the others around seeming to grow larger, what was happening? It turns out, he would find out shortly that he had been shrunk about two feet shorter. Hello Rumplestiltskin.

@Bloom Silverton, returned to the ball hand in hand with her boyfriend, @Howard White. And they were hungry, heading straight for the table of food. Howard would recommend the dishes. He seemed not to have learnt from the last time, assuming that the nasty case of conjunctivitis he had was due to a mere prank, the dhampir took an apple just as Bloom did. The first bite set the world around him to spin, and his equilibrium unstable, yet it was not unpleasant, in fact the polar opposite, he was high as a butterfly. They were both a lucky pair, Bloom's apple seemed to be the more pleasant ones. The effects would rush into her system, making her feel incredibly calm, it was pleasant, what ever worries she had or anxiety, it left her being in a second.

OoC: Please let me know if your character has taken an apple that I have not reacted to. Any questions, about goblets and apples, please owl me. Goblets would be written in a day or two. Apologies for the delay - enjoy your drinks while they last!

Robin Hood was generally known as a bandit and not a Prince Charming, but the moment Jamie swept in and pulled him from the cat fight that looked to be brewing, Stephen had to admit he felt momentary relief. What were you thinking, Schwartz? Twelve years old and asking a girl to a Ball? Insanity! That was a mistake he would never make again. At least not until he was old - like 12^1/2.

"Thanks, Cheetos," and he yanked the green cap off his friend's head and ruffled the mass of curly, lava red hair before tossing the cap back to him. Willing to ignore being called 'Stephanie' for the moment, he looked at Jamie and sat down, and then turned his eyes back to the two girls. "I gotta hand it to you, buddy. This is now the second time in less than two months you could be credited with a heroic save, not that I consider myself a damsel in distress that needed saving, mind you" and he chuckled and then winked at the jester in felted armor, "but you did buy me some time."

Resigned to a night of torture ahead of him, Stephen sighed deeply and looked back to Jamie. "I made this bed and I'll have to lie in it. I did ask the girl to the Ball and can't just ditch her, but I'm certain your friend **cough** Stephanie," and he cast a serious glare Jamie's way, complete with a severely arched eyebrow to sell his disapproval of the nickname bestowed upon him, "would rather be running around here with her nutzoid friend Janie "Sherwood" Forest."

And then he sighed deeply.

"Maybe I'll catch a break. You think there's any hope for a zombie apocalypse tonight? he asked hopefully. "I can think of worse things than offering up an arm for one quick bite before heading back over there. One thing is certain...girls be crazy! You are right on that score!"

And then as if on cue, Stephen got his miracle, of sorts. The redheaded Durmstrang girl left Kamila untouched by magic and standing by herself. Still, his feet seemed glued in place.

Damn it!

Open to Interactions

Action: "Stephanie" and "Janie" are born... sort of.

Stats: Sta 8 || Eva 7 || Str 8 || Wis 8 || Arc 5 || Acc 4

Abilities: Perfectionist || Evasive Maneuvers

The Trunk :

Inventory: Wand, white gloves, hammered gold crown, handkerchief, Toothflossing Stringmints, and a lavender rose

Mentions (refers to):@Marina Oriel as Kamila Yavlinsky and @Ileen Knight as Amina, (aka Girl whose name Stephen really does not know)
Interacts with: @Gemima Sable as Jamie "Cheetos" Ziegler

ENGLISH|| RUSSIAN