Sato Yule Ball 2022 PV for those who signed up! Closed

Mathilda Wendigo: Former Auror, Guardian of the Marchonné Twins
Representative of the Pureblood Wendigo family

"Careful how you regard me. Good things become deadlier with age."

"Tonight, your surnames are Wendigo. It is Wendigo-Marchonné only if you wish to try my patience." Mathilda Wendigo firmly straightened the collar of the shorter of the two Marchonnés. Her iron grey eyes were creased with firmness and her words cold. "There will be many Pureblood families where we are going tonight, and they notoriously do not take kindly to those of mixed blood. Even if we are still unsure of your true statuses, it is in your best interest to at least acknowledge that you are of the Wendigo house as my wards." Slapping Piérre's hand away as the boy attempted to loosen the collar for what was likely the fifth time, the silvered witch tightened it doubly and then gave him a spine-chilling glare. "Try not to attract unwanted attention to yourselves." She looked upwards to the towering Romeo. "Though neither of you can imperil my reputation, I can say nothing about yours. Err on the side of caution, if you can."

No sooner had the retired auror's hand left Piérre's collar, the boy immediately started to work his fingers into the starched fabrics in an attempt to loosen and wrinkle it into a comfortable state. With a disappointed sigh, Mathilda swished her alder and unicorn hair wand in the sight of the two twins with a quiet incantation of "Accio Marchonné wands."

Both Romeo and Piérre's eyes widened a bit in surprise as they witnessed their wizardly implements fling through the air and into Mathilda's empty hand. After turning them in her bony fingers once or twice with a severe scowl on her face as she glanced between the two of them steelily, she finally extended them to their respective owners. After the twins hesitated to take them from her withered hand, she urged them once more and finally explained herself. "This is a Pureblood event; it is more than likely your peers will have their wands with them because they have not been as responsibly disciplined by their parents as you have with me." She watched keenly as Piérre nabbed it without a heartbeat's hesitation and Romeo took it gently after seeming to consider the offer for a moment. "For decorum purposes, you are responsible for your wands tonight. You are not, however, allowed to cast spells; or else it won't just be me who punishes you for magical misconduct. Have I made myself clear?" Her voice was low with warning.

"Crystal."
"Yep!"

Obviously not entirely convinced of Piérre's promise in particular, the witch absentmindedly traced the long, distinctive crease of a slash-like scar on her right cheekbone as she stared through him unamused. "Hm..." She finally conceded with a narrow squint. "Be on your best behaviors, do not draw attention to yourselves if you can help it, and..." The crinkle of a smile creased her eyes and lifted the winkles of age at the corner of her lips. "Enjoy yourselves."

Romeo and Piérre glanced to each other; Piérre incredulously and Romeo sternly. It was silent knowledge between the two that of the both of them one had a tendency to mess things up for the other more often than not, part and parcel of his somewhat puckish need to cause mischief wherever it was that he happened to go.

Mathilda focused on Piérre again, pulling his hand away from the creased corners of the black dress suit so that he would stop wrinkling it. "Your cat is staying home."

Piérre started in surprise. "WHAT?! No! Figgy!" the shorter of the two twins complained, collecting into his arms his dearest familiar, the boy stubbornly held the silver cat and its shedding fur to the once pristinely black and gem-inset cuffs of the coat. "No! I wanna bring him with! He's gonna be lonely at home!"

Mathilda shook her head sternly and fixed Piérre with a cross look. Desiring to stay out of the confrontation, Romeo only turned his chin away, fingers absentmindedly trailing to his ear and the torn cartilage located there. As if he could easily forget the damage that that little cat was able to do to a person, sometimes he thought that Piérre had trained the little Hellcat to be a Weapon of Mass Destruction. "Mr. Marchonné, you cannot bring a cat with you to this party. It would not be polite, nor would it be amusing to anyone there. Trust me." Mathilda tried to make her voice sweet enough to persuade the boy, but the gravellyness of it only succeeded in causing Piérre to pout further.

The aged Auror switched gears. "At least don't let Figaro get my father's suit all full of cat hair. It's been in tip top condition for a little over one hundred and fifty years, and I've entrusted it to you tonight. He used to tell me that it had a flair for the dramatic, just as he did... but I've yet to see it in person." She raised a brow expectantly as Piérre slowly dropped his shoulders and lowered his beloved feline to the ground, brushing his hands on his pants and resuming his pouting with creased brows darkening emerald eyes. "There, see. Figaro will be just fine at home until we return." Mathilda gently brushed Piérre's bangs out of his eyes and then patted his shoulder. "He'll be just fine. Try to enjoy yourself tonight; you won't have to worry over a cat in an ocean of people who could step on him or worse."

"But Figaro..." Piérre mourned to himself. Romeo sighed a bit in relief. At least there was no risk that anyone was going to get their ears bitten off tonight.

The taller twin bumped Piérre with his hip. "Hey. Cheer up. At least you're in the more comfortable suit. Even with the alterations, this one is rather tight, Maddie." He tried to innocently catch his guardian's attention.

Mathilda did indeed turn her attention towards him instead. "Ah yes, my brother's formal outfit... I remember him wearing it to more than a few Yule celebrations during his time in Hogwarts. He willed it to me after he was torn apart by an unfortunate handling of a Hebridean Black. A shame... I always appreciated his good nature and humor." The auror hummed to herself as she readied the last of the things she was bringing with to this Pureblooded event. The whole thing had been sprung on the two twins only yesterday, with Mathilda telling Romeo that it would perhaps assist his investigations in the roots of their heritages. Though curious of the hosts of the ball, Romeo had not quite been able to bring himself to ask; perhaps that would be his undoing...

He remembered that Valentin had invited him to a similarly high-profile event... and that while he had expressed interest in going... he had also mentioned that he had had obligations to stay with his brother and to remain at the Wendigo household. Mathilda had promised that so long as Romeo didn't draw attention to himself... he would be fine in the bowels of the Pureblooded party.

That had been his greatest concern; that he would be judged for being of an Unknown blood status, and that his presence would also be a detriment to the reputation to Valentin himself. That was a future that he wanted to avoid. If he was going to be shamed for being of an 'impure' status... he sure as Hell didn't want Valentin to be dragged into it and torn apart by the mob.

He had a legacy, a past, a reputation.

Romeo didn't. Neither did Piérre.

Strength and weakness both, perhaps.

With a few more preparations, a heartwrenching goodbye from Piérre to his familiar, and a small reciting of a list from Mathilda ensuring for the tenth time if the twins had everything they needed... they were off.

Despite being local to London, it was a marvel to Romeo the fact that there was such an interesting Asian-esque estate in the usually city-dominated area of London. Mathilda's small house was special itself, to be sure, a small house that was in that strange in-between country and city, but that house was most certainly something to marvel at. The three of them arrived and were waiting at a respectable distance when the first few guests were pulling up. With keen iron grey eyes glancing about the incoming Purebloods and their guests, the aged Auror gently took both twins, Piérre by the shoulder and Romeo behind the back, and guided them towards the entrance. "We will try to avoid the worst of the crowd if we can help it." Was all she simply said with a sort of strange curl of something near distain to her tone. "Remember what I said; do not try to interface with them on their terms if you can help it. Be respectful, be polite, but do not show your entire hand if you can help it." She murmered as they entered at the behest of a well-dressed butler.

With a nod to him, she ushered the boys onward... but not quite fast enough to prevent Piérre from thumbing his nose at the (what he perceived to be) snotty and stuck-up servant. From there, a crack, and a house elf appeared out of nowhere. This creature guided the trio to the main party. Romeo and Piérre both beheld the sights and sounds with awe in their own regards, Piérre with childish curiosity and impish need to climb everything that he could get his hands on and Romeo marveling at the architecture, art, and the general décor of the surroundings.

Only when they approached the doorway of the ballroom did Mathilda release the two. With a tight spin that caused her midnight blue gown to flutter about her briefly, she fixed both with a steel hard stare, mouthed 'Behave.', and then entered the room with a tight-lipped smile, obviously directed towards the Purebloods that had already been there. Clasping her hands before her with her alder wand in plain sight, she drifted almost effortlessly towards a small collection of middle aged (NPCs) Purebloods, and integrated into their conversation without skipping a beat.

After waiting a few moments awkwardly, Romeo glanced down to Piérre. "Uh... well... I suppose we should go in?"

Piérre crouched down to pick up Figaro, which caused Romeo to start with a marvel. "Wh- how did he get...?"

"I had him follow us." The boy quipped lightly. "He's a very smart kitty. I'd dare to brag that he's smarter than a Kneazle." A tight-lipped, puckish smile from the shorter twin. "You go on, I gotta put something on..." The young boy stuck a hand deeply into the small satchel at his side, making it quite obvious that he had brought an expanding pouch with him, and then withdrew what looked to be a multicolored trenchcoat of some sort. With a wiggle of his fingers, Piérre flung it on and then spun once. "Pretty cool, huh? They say it's supposed to have some kind of aging magic on it... Is it working?"

The boy leaned in closer to Romeo. The taller boy blinked.

It... did seem to be working. The longer he stared, and indeed, as he blinked, Piérre's features seemed to age up ever so slightly; perhaps no more than two years... but it was evident that what remained of his baby fat had finally vanished and had instead been replaced with high, mature cheekbones and a stronger jaw.

"Wh- wow... That's pretty potent." Romeo looked at his twin's face from a few angles. "You really do look a few years older."

"Isn't it cool! I also brought my ring, one second..." Piérre withdrew a silver ring with a moustache design on it, and slipped it quietly onto his right hand's ring finger. Very quickly, peach fuzz began to form, which then transformed into a rather polite looking facial hair that formed a small baby moustache and a little bit of chin scruff. Piérre... really did look like he was something around the age of sixteen or seventeen.

"You and your theatrics." Romeo sighed as Piérre began to rub the moustache and beard obsessively. "Is there ever a day you're without it?"

Piérre snorted. "Gemellone Big Twin. Really. I was born for the dramatic, and you know it. In an ocean of boring Purebloods, they need a youngblood; and a colorful one at that." Piérre teased lightly, reaching up as high as he could and getting on his tiptoes to tap Romeo's nose. "C'mon. Maddie said 'have fun'. I'm having fun. C'mon!"

With a wave of his hand, Piérre ran in with a bit of a whoop, spinning quickly.

Well. Something about that movement probably triggered the enchantment in Mathilda's father's suit... and in a sparkle of the gem-like insets in the cuffs of the suit, the formerly black suit began to trace itself with scintillating colors. Traces of bright hues sparkled across the suit and the trenchcoat, transforming the boy into a rainbow spectacle in the mess of white, black, and blue. He truly was the sparkler among the grey crowd, those drab Purebloods that turned their noses up on the things that they could never understand. That thought that all these things that were beautiful in the world around them were lesser simply because they did not all have magic to them.

They needed color in their lives. If Piérre had to be that color... then so be it.

Watching all of this from a distance, Romeo could only tug on the edges of his sky blue suit that was encrusted with gilt patterns and observe his twin melding into the crowd with that effortless glee. Well... at least one of them was fitting in... a little bit...

Figaro looked upwards at the taller twin with half closed green eyes, letting out a small meow before trotting gaily into the ballroom so that he could reunite with Piérre. Romeo sighed... if only he could have as much inhibition as his brother and a Hellcat that didn't judge... Ah whatever...

He was here to ask questions... questions he should probably ask.

Drifting awkwardly, confused, into the celebration, Romeo tried his best not to run into anyone or trip over anyone that was smaller than his current height of over one and a half meters. He felt eyes... but was unsure where they were coming from. He didn't like it, didn't like being watched. Ever since the London Quidditch game, he had felt like he had had a target on his back, particularly among the fans and the sporting scouts... that, and after being enlisted into the Horde as part of the Hexwizard tournament... and then recently being raised to the position of the active team...

Black white and blue swirled all around him... impossible to tell apart... he would not be able to spot a pale boy whose eyes were fixed upon him like a dragon upon its prey.

Post follows the proceedings of this thread.

Schnell Estate, Kazan, Russia

Valentin’s eyes narrowed as his butler, Sergei, grasped his shoulder.

“But sir, you can’t go dressed like that! This is an important, high-profile event. You know the Sato family’s status, and whomever is invited must also meet standards. You look like a drunk pauper. You know your father would never approve of you leaving the house this way, let alone going to a high society gathering li–”

“How dare you bring my father into this on such a day,” hissed Valentin. Shoving his wand into a back pocket and grabbing his long black coat, the boy spun on his heel to leave.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

“None of your business.”

“Of course it’s my business, I get paid to take care of you!”

“I don’t pay you to insult me and tell me how to dress.”

“You wouldn’t listen any other way. Look, just… at least wear a cravat.” Holding out a peach-colored strip of silk embellished with iridescent gold flourishes, Sergei’s tone lightened. “It was your father’s. Take it. You’re lucky it didn’t burn up with his other things.”

Valentin pressed his lips together to hold back a growl before grabbing the sunburst of a tie and striding up to the side of his carriage.

“You’re not my father and you never will be.” With the loud clap of the coach door, Valentin was off.

-------------

Sato Residence

As Val staggered through the swell of the Sato residence fireplace, stray daggers of hair fell into his eyes. Leaving three buttons undone on his white dress shirt and the ankles of his black pants not properly pulled over his smooth leather boots, Valentin shoved the cravat into his front pocket. Its summery color peeked out from time to time, but even Val’s dour face bore a monochrome streak of gray ash.

With a sigh, Valentin looked up to find a house elf who showed him to the ballroom. The white seeker had arrived early enough that Kim was still talking to his family, but he would tilt his head in Kim’s direction in greeting anyway in case he saw Valentin enter. Val was not about to intrude in that conversation just to announce himself. After entering, he instead scanned the audience for whoever else had arrived a few minutes early. Despite running a gloved hand through his hair, his wild locks swept about as if he’d just stepped out of a confrontation with Stribog. Still, it was the pain in his eyes that seemed the most unhinged.

-------------

The seeker’s eye caught the animate rainbow that was Piérre as soon as he entered. In the largely black and white event, the boy’s prismatic suit would usually have cheered Valya up with its wild and fun-loving disregard for propriety. Yet, Valentin was not himself, not a perpetual well of optimism tonight. With his paint-it-black mood, that sheer joy of a costume only whetted Val’s appetite for danger… which, as it happened, came accompanying Piérre in a dark blue suit.

It was Romeo. Valentin’s head began to buzz as if filled with a colony of bees. Like a vibration, like a strain of music, a hum rattled Valya as his mouth dropped open to breathe the words in Italian: “mi hai mentito.” “You lied to me.” His voice was quiet, not intended to be heard at this distance, but his lips could be easily read through their slow shock.

Argentium eyes stared on and on as if Romeo’s face might explain, but before he could find an answer Valentin forced his scarred right hand over his eyes to compel himself to turn away. He lied to me. Rome said he wouldn’t go to such a high-profile Pureblood event, but here he is. This must mean he just didn’t want to go with me. Look at his beautiful suit… he’s clearly taking this seriously. It was me that was the problem. He wants to avoid me. Maybe he should. I almost killed him, and all I do is treat him with disrespect anyway. I shouldn’t have even asked him to go with me. Eyes flickering back over the lines of the aeronautic-blue suit, Valentin shook his head and jerked his gaze away again. I’ve never even seen him in such a proper outfit before, but he’s not doing it for me. Never was anything he did just for me. I’m so arrogant to think that anyone would ever concern themselves over my petty idiotic pleasures. He’s never even… Ugh, why am I even on about this. This is, no I’m… just not enough. As if the world revolved around me, as if I were special. I thought I got over this when Stribog threw me back to earth, but it’s like Ginyami said. I just don’t learn.

Like a leaf caught in a stormwind, Valentin turned again to face Romeo and his twin, face contorting with realization. Apparently telling me the truth is even too good for me; in fact, it seems I’m not even worth a cover-up. He just shows up as if he never said anything about pureblood parties, as if I never invited him in the first place. That’s how low I am to him, or maybe he simply forgot the fake excuse he fed me because I never mattered anyway. Regardless, I clearly don’t deserve anything from him. Right hand reaching up to clasp his own tightening throat, Valentin swallowed and began walking in the opposite direction. Barely able to see through the fog in his vision, the white seeker’s shoulder bumped the odd bystander as he tried to get away.

Now, the one I trusted most has lied to me. I really am alone. Ginyami was doing me a service by warning me. Everyone else really is only out for themselves – I’m the one who doesn’t belong and I deserve to be alone… but you fucking know what? I will use this to make me stronger. If I have to be alone, I will adapt and learn to enjoy it. I don’t need to be the old me anymore. No longer do I have to want what I want. Balling up both fists and squeezing as hard as he could, Valentin shunted the pain down like always. The inside of his chest felt so raw and bloodied anyway, what even was the extra pressure? Yeah, break me more so that I can become something better suited to being what this world really needs. Come on and show me what you’ve got. Stribog, where is Mikael when I need him. Romeo always went too easy on me anyway. Maybe Ginyami can help me.

Seething back any tears that might deign to form at the corners of his eyes, Valentin hunted for the familiar silhouette of a black-haired boy. It’s not like Papka’s about to show up, even if he has broken out of prison. I’m on my own now, and all I can do is learn from the words of others. That’s all Ginyami can do to help me since we are both alone in this together. What was it that Hugo said before? ‘The world needs a strong leader…’ ‘Think only of what you want, and how you plan to get it. Emotions must never enter the equation.’ Yeah, that must be my problem – emotions. It’s the frost captain that people can rely on, not some volatile bomb of a child. I just need to shut this petty stuff down. Who cares about such trifles anyway, when there are so many important things I can help people achieve. I’ve been so self-absorbed again… when will I ever learn?

Sighing, Valentin’s fists fell loose and he crossed his arms, pulling tight against his chest. It’s okay, I don’t need anything from them anymore… I can take care of myself and others fine if I just get better at it. I should be grateful enough that people will do the work I ask of them. I’m lucky to have Sergei, even… Damn it… I was too mean to him. I can’t believe I lashed out like that. Stribog’s breath… even after everything that’s happened lately, he didn’t… that was just…

Dropping his arms, Valentin strode over to a cushion towards the corner of the room that would give him the widest sightlines over the events of the evening. Valentin wanted to kick the pillow, but it hadn't done anything to deserve his wrath, he thought, and that would be asking more than basic functionality from it anyway. Turning around, however, he just couldn’t bear to sit himself down. It hurts… but I will turn this pain into strength. I have to. All the seeker could muster was crossing his arms again and staring blankly into the crowd.

Post contents:

Roleplaying as Ginyami Midorimori from Mahoutokoro
"English | Japanese"

Stepping out of the fireplace, Ginyami carefully rearranged the cloth of his garments, making sure they were free of any soot or other such dirt that such a place was known to have. It may have been a magical fireplace, but that didn't mean it was spotless. Fortunately, the family that owned the residence had done an impeccable job cleaning their house from top to bottom because there wasn't a speck of dust to be seen. They must have been expecting a great deal of visitors to travel by floo powder and arranged for their entrance to be appropriately pristine.

The Japanese pureblood glanced about as a house elf showed up to lead him some place, admiring the decor and how it wasn't too ostentatious nor too plain. He was familiar with attending pureblood gatherings with his family, so he was somewhat used to the wealth that the manor spoke of, but this had been the first time he had ever attended such a party on his own. Well, not on his own, exactly, as he had been invited by his date, but it was certainly the first time without his parents to accompany him. A part of him couldn't help find the idea a little thrilling, but he knew to be on his best behavior. He didn't want anything negative to reflect upon his date for bringing him along.

His parents had been delighted when they'd heard of the ball and that Ginyami planned on going because of course they knew of the Satos and what better way to forge ties with other purebloods than to attend an event such as the Sato Yule Ball? Pleased that their son had taken the initiative to expand his horizons in the pureblood community, they had agreed to allow him to go with their blessings and even helped him prepare for it. They helped him choose his attire and assisted him in packing for the sleepover though he had insisted he would have been fine doing such things on his own. At last they had deemed him ready and sent him on his way through the floo network.

Now that the young pureblood was there, he thought he would have been able to spot Valentin easily since the boy usually stood out among his peers like a white swan among gray geese. With everyone wearing such similar colors of white, black, and various blues, however, it was a little more difficult than he'd expected. Ginyami had no idea what Valentin had chosen to wear, even, so he wasn't sure what to look for other than pale skin and white hair - if those would even be visible.

Ginyami wandered through the ballroom for a little while, eventually noticing a rather flamboyantly-clothed young man in a rainbow of an ensemble with a cat following not far behind him. He reminded Ginyami of a clown and he frowned in distaste. He couldn't help but find the brightly-hued suit to be rather gaudy. There had been a theme of colors for a reason. Was this young man deliberately breaking from that theme to seem special and attract attention to himself?

Determined not to give him any more of that attention than he'd already received, the Mahoutokoro student tore his gaze away from the colorful spectacle and continued on his search for his date instead. He looked among all the crowds and clusters of people he could find, but when he eventually did lay eyes on Valentin, it was not at the heart of a throng like he thought it would be. No, the white seeker of Durmstrang was all by himself, arms crossed sullenly, his usually passionate gaze mellowed into a blank stare.

What was more was that his clothing, unlike the elaborate and ornate costumes Ginyami had previously seen him in, was plain and simple - a white button-up dress shirt and black pants with black boots. No wonder it had taken so long for him to find the musician; he looked nothing like the Valentin whom Ginyami had met and socialized with back at Hogwarts. It was one thing to choose to dress down for a high profile ball like this one, but more than that, his whole demeanor had changed entirely. Something must have been seriously wrong.

"Valentin?" he called softly, approaching the still figure as if he might grow wings and take flight at the slightest provocation. "Valentin, what is the matter? Did something happen?" His brows steepled with concern. "You...do not seem to be yourself tonight. I almost did not recognize you."

Mentioning: @Piérre Marchonné
Interacting with: Valentin Schnell (@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood)

Christmas Eve in the Olsen's household had always been a family moment, were the whole family - cousins, aunts, uncles, grand-parents... - had dinner in the Olsen matriarch's huge mansion in Oslo. This year was a little different. Astrid and Viktoria were attending the Sato Yule Ball in London. Their parents were hosting a ball for the famous Norwegian wizards families. Hugo, his brother and his parents were attending a wedding. The Olsens' annual Christmas meeting wouldn't take place this year. Instead, they'll all meet up for New Year's Eve.
Astrid was in her room, strugguling to put on her golden headband correctly. Downstairs, her parents' ball was going on as expected. The girl was wearing a long white dress and a pair of white boots. For the fourth or fifth time, she took the headband out of her hair. It was more difficult than expected to put this on. A knock on the door, a "Kom inn!" from Astrid and Viktoria was in.
— Can you help me put this thing on? Please?
— Sure! Come here.
A few minutes later, both girls were ready. They went downstairs to use the fireplace and say bye to their parents.

─────────────

Walking one next to the other, the sisters followed the house elf to the ballroom. Astrid answered Kim's greeting while Viktoria just nodded. Scanning the room, Astrid could say that they had arrived among the first. And that she knew three persons and a cat in this room.

Open to interactions

Valentin felt the slow gait of Ginyami’s approach, gentle and trepidatious, but the seeker continued to stare off into the distance without moving. Transfixed in a hyper-alert state, the captain also perceived the entry of second-string seeker Astrid Olsen and her sister, the arrival of the lovely Ravenclaw beater, Damion White, and the positioning of their host, Kim Sato. Valentin could almost feel the hum of life from the gathering throng of people, and with slackened lips, he would not be startled when Ginyami reached his side. Yet, his head did not even turn. His eyes stared into a pin-point of gold glitter stuck on the small of Romeo’s back.

"Valentin? Valentin, what is the matter? Did something happen? You...do not seem to be yourself tonight. I almost did not recognize you."

Valya’s fist closed and he stroked the side of his index finger with a thumb before suddenly looking into Ginyami’s black eyes.

“……” His face lined with despair, Valentin tried to summon some kind of answer. Searching the dark wells of his eyes, however, did not yield the words he needed to return to Ginyami. Thinking to himself in silence, he dug for any shard of an honest answer he could find. Back when I fell to earth at Stribog’s hand, I felt perfectly aware of everything despite the blindness in my eyes. Every pain and every whisper of wind came to me in perfect clarity, as if I knew these might be the last sensations I would ever feel. How strange it is to feel this way now, at what must be one of the safest locations of the last year.

Valentin’s lips warped with the frustration of not knowing what to deliver with his silver tongue. Instead, he fell back on the only expression he still felt native to – the physical. Raising his right hand, Valentin pressed his fingertip into an embroidered ginkgo leaf nearest to Ginyami’s heart. He closed his eyes momentarily, exhaling, as the thinnest patina of a smile passed across his face.

“I love it when you wear black.”

Indeed, the great wash of fine dark cloth and black hair and even blacker eyes before him soothed the white seeker in a way he could not understand. He wished that darkness could just surround him, like a protective aura, like the shadow of someone tall blotting out the sun. Yet, Valya’s silver eyes fell away, over Ginyami’s shoulder, fixating again into the distance where the flickering rainbow of a hummingbird-iridescence suit sparkled. Valentin’s eyes could not help but follow such sparks of light, as he had trained them to do his entire life. Why were they not also black? Why wasn’t everything black? Existence itself seemed utterly bizarre.

Is this what it is to be Mikael? Did our blood rituals begin transforming me into something like him? I don’t… Is he still alive right now? Somehow, I don’t even know…

Valentin’s neck twitched with the desire to look back into the designs of Ginyami’s impressive hanfu. He did not want the beauty of the evening, of Ginyami, to go to waste… and yet a mental paralysis froze him.

“I’m having a bad day, Ginyami… Please understand. I am so grateful that you came; I hardly deserve the blessing. Please don't go. Please, please don't go...” A shiver like cold wind passed through the seeker, looking all the world like a stone statue overlooking the sea. “Is it true that you ride a giant storm petrel to Mahoutokoro?” His usually melodic voice came out tightened from pain strangling the length of his throat, and Valentin closed his eyes as he turned his head back towards the Japanese boy. “If only we could fly on one together one day.”

Roleplaying as Ginyami Midorimori from Mahoutokoro
"English | Japanese"

When Valentin finally turned to look at him, Ginyami peered into that pale, alabaster face, searching for answers to his asked questions. When he was met with despair and silence, he tried to decipher those, but to no avail. Did Valentin prefer to be alone just then? Did he regret coming to this party full of people? Did he, perhaps, regret having invited Ginyami?

But then the seeker reached out and touched one of the gingko leaves that embellished his outfit, one near the center of his chest just over his heart, and closed his eyes for a second. Then, with the barest hint of a smile, he told him he loved it when he wore black. Ginyami would have tried to smile back, but he knew he wouldn't have meant it and he had told Valentin he would do his best to be honest with him, giving him his purest truth. So, instead, he frowned, reaching out a hand of his own to delicately slide across an ivory cheek even as Valentin's silvery lavender gaze shifted to focus on something in the distance.

He followed that gaze with his own for a minute before realizing what the other boy was staring at. The changing, multi-colored coat was distracting, to be sure, but then Valentin's eyes were on him again, looking him over and the garments he had chosen to wear. It was then that he spoke, saying that he was having a bad day and asking that Ginyami understand. Valentin expressed he was grateful that Ginyami had come and that he 'hardly deserved the blessing' before pleading with him not to go and shivering.

Instinctively, the Japanese teen spread his arms to wrap around his companion, for once not bothering to dwell on how it might have looked to anyone who happened to see them. "I am not going anywhere. Why would I? You are right here in front of me."

He leaned in close, his chin almost resting on Valentin's shoulder as he gently replied to his question, "Yes, we do ride giant storm petrals to Mahoutokoro. Every morning they fly us to the palace and fly us back after classes end." Ginyami wondered at the pain he heard in Valentin's words and watched him close his eyes. "Yes...if only. But one never knows. Perhaps we might have the opportunity one day."

What brought on the subject of the storm petrels, the fox-faced boy had no idea, but he wondered if it had been brought up to avoid talking about something else. He would have liked to discuss something that would bring the life back into the boy's brilliant eyes, but as he had no idea what had stolen the life from them in the first place, he couldn't be sure what to say.

"Have you been waiting here long?" he asked, readjusting one arm so he could push his hand through a shock of white hair. "Did someone...say something to you?" His dark eyes strayed back to the crowds of people milling about, wondering if anyone had dared speak ill of his peer or negatively to him.

Mentioning: @Piérre Marchonné
Interacting with: Valentin Schnell (@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood)

Why did Valentin ask about the storm petrels? The grace of the Mahoutokoro boy’s touch on Val’s cheek had began to stir the inky pain sunk deep down inside. Only with such heartfelt contact could tendrils of “what” and “why” rise into illumination. Ginyami then wrapped his arms around Valentin, neither sparing him a frown nor dressing the act in frills of social decorum.

"I am not going anywhere. Why would I? You are right here in front of me." Holding Valentin close, the Japanese youth went on to answer about the petrels. "…One never knows. Perhaps we might have the opportunity one day." Valentin leaned his head against Ginyami’s, gently pressing the boy’s chin into his shoulder while folding his arms around the black-haired boy in turn. This was the innate optimism the fox showed him before when explaining why he liked quidditch. Nothing was over until it was over, and all kinds of things could still be turned around. So they lived in other countries – at least for tonight, they were together. Maybe one day it would be easy to fly together.

“I’ve missed you terribly.” Valentin’s cheeks warmed as the sincerity of the other’s embrace slowly woke him from torpor. With the fox’s hand pushing through Valya’s white hair, he leaned into the touch as he had learned to do from Ginyami. His snowy eyelashes batted with enjoyment and a sense that maybe he could turn this night around after all: Ginyami had come to join him at the ball when he asked, just as promised, and without a mask. Valentin had something wonderful to be grateful for.

"Have you been waiting here long? Did someone...say something to you?"

“Not long. It’s something else.” Bowing to reciprocate the fox’s openness, Valentin drew a breath and moved his lips closer to Ginyami’s ear to whisper. “There are problems at the Estate. Arson. A suspicious note. Fraud in my accounts. I’m afraid for my father, and…” The seeker took another long breath at the base of the boy’s neck. “I keep getting a terrible feeling, like Death may be just around the corner.”

Roleplaying as Ginyami Midorimori from Mahoutokoro
"English | Japanese"

When Valentin leaned his head against his, his arms enveloping him as his had enveloped the other, Ginyami breathed out deeply, relishing the warmth of his proximity after all but having forgotten it over the time they had spent away from each other. "I've missed you, too," he answered, partly surprised by his own shameless honesty. Normally, he thought, he might have just accepted Valentin's comment rather than admit to his own feelings. But then again, he'd rarely reciprocated such feelings before with others. Even with Hiro he was hardly so open or serious about his true emotions lest he be teased for them. Yet with Valentin, it was easy; almost natural.

He smiled wanly at the seeker's lean into his touch when he ran a hand through his wild hair and realized just to what degree he'd missed this; so much it was practically painful. It gave Ginyami a sense he'd gotten something of the old Valentin back even if he still wasn't entirely himself. When he asked if he'd been waiting there long and if someone had said something to him, the Durmstrang boy answered both questions with quick, short responses, and when he'd said it was something else, Ginyami was eager to hear him elaborate. The familiar feel of the other's breath on his ear and skin reminded him again just how intimately they had once behaved before and he tried to ignore his sudden sparked craving for it. There were more important matters at hand.

Brows rising at the mention of problems, arson, a suspicious note, and fraud, Ginyami began to realize just how heavily the world must have been weighing down on Valentin's shoulders. It sounded like far more than what might have just been considered a 'bad day' in the Mahoutokoro student's books. "Has all of this really just happened within the last day?" he asked, worry saturating his tone. He took a step back, looking his companion up and down for injuries as if he had only just returned form a burning building. "Were you hurt? I know you said you are afraid for your father, but are you sure you do not have reason to be afraid for yourself?"

The moment he said it was the moment he realized how silly that sounded spoken aloud. Of course Hell-Chaser Val wouldn't have been afraid for himself. He probably didn't fear for himself at all even when there was real reason to. "What I mean to say is...are you sure whoever is behind these acts does not have you in their sights instead of your father? Though I suppose it is possible that you both are their targets..." Ginyami paused, considering this and what it could have meant for the Schnell family. He had researched more about them during their time apart and had learned that Valentin's father had escaped prison. It was to be expected that his son was worried for him.

"What did the note say?" Ginyami wanted to know, his hand grasping Valentin's bicep lightly. "Do you plan to stay here for the night? Or are you going to return to your estate?" He didn't like the idea of the hell-chaser out of his sight when so much danger was afoot.

Interacting with: Valentin Schnell (@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood)