The Enchanted Maze Spring Ball '23

• A KNIGHT’S PILGRIMAGE THROUGH THE LABYRINTH•

21st April | Hogwarts Grounds, The Enchanted Maze
wc: 664
Avery's Hex #136b5c

Outfit:

Reducio

- Verdant Cape

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	-----H ark! The heralds cheer, for hearken a time of bountiful reverie. A knight both bold and fair, adorned with gleaming panoply of war and verdant silk cloak, approacheth through th’ labyrinthine paths to seek out rumour of treasures hidden beyond its bounds. An absolute figure thy had never seen, with nary a flaw he doth shine like a starlight beacon. Breathless, did he appear. A fluttering hewn of his handsome regalia and countenance. Yet with each turn the knight doth encounter coils of tantalising trouble. Pray, what madness lurked betwixt the shrubbery; hath thine betters orchestrated a fell sorcery upon them? Twas his own suspicion. Luck-blessed, he cameth guarded with gilded steel; fashioned of older times and yet sustained so flawlessly. He lauded those he came across, chancing upon a number of joyous celebrants cavorting and skipping as if privy to the paths purchase. Alas, valour and glory would hold him prisoner. Unearned would such a fruit be, if he had plucked it from the hands of another. Nay! He would brave the test of mettle, to prove himself the boldest of souls to take up the quest that was the labyrinth. The knight threw himself to the fore, for he must taketh purposeful step if he were to avoid a heavy heart. The promise of party yonder stirred him on, but the promise of the test ignited an untamed flame that engulfed his interest. Cunning and quickness doth he rely, for he needeth to heed each remarkable sign that fell into his ebony gaze, to chart a course through the twisting lie. For a fleeting moment he was lost in the scale of the sorcery at play, as both root and branch seeketh to assail him and render him down from hero to zero. Never once had he faltered, akin to a verdant viper as he wove a pattern of shadow through the paths, unfolding himself unto a rounded corner and nearing the sound of revelry. His armouring played a keen part of the chorus, beating thus with every step. That was to say that Avery had turned up to the Spring celebrations dressed as a knight of yore, from older days, and had no qualms in posing as someone who tried too hard. He was a Leveret, they tried hard at all they did; for better or for worse. Unabated by the judgement of others, Avery had requested a portion of their exquisite collections to be sent piece by piece over the prior months. Surely, he had received a number of questioning stares, but that was to be the whole point. He rather enjoyed turning heads, for one reason or another. He wouldn’t prostrate himself in gaining attention, but he would always be unquestioningly, Avery. This event marked the beginning of the end of his first year, so it was better to go out with a bang than to go out as any of the other nobodies. He made a pact with himself then, as he made his way through the many paths, turning back on himself, spinning around, left and right; even trying to peek above the shrub line at some points; he would not ever be a nobody and he would not deem it fit to acquaint with them. Boldness was probably the one thing he admired most in a person. That didn’t mean to say confidence, for even fools have confidence, but those that dared to dare in manners that spoke of their originality and character. Prior examples included Colin, Alana and even that funny little thing called Clark. There was another, but he hadn’t felt she had claimed a place among the others just yet; for that was a slow development, one that was sure to drive him mad in time to come. Dismissive of that, he inwardly remarked that the make up of the maze was a most complex beast indeed. He had lost his way, in a web of thoughts. – At least the greenery was pretty.
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Action: Entering & getting lost in, The Enchanted Maze.
(And also slaying, yasss king.)

Note: Banner credit goes to the wonderful @Beatrice Langstreth

Mentioning @Colin McCoire, @Alana Dibble, @Clark Baird & @Caoimhe Kyle

Roksana was right; Andy was pretty friendly and understanding about the whole situation. Roksana didn't often encounter people like that. The things that being a pureblood can do to people...if Andy were indeed a pureblood like her, she would be surprised. At least he seemed to have turned out well. At least, so it seemed, 'cause you never knew...

The next thing that Andy said surprised Roksana. It seemed like Andy thought that Roksana had asked him to be her ball partner. Whaaaaa? Had she said that? What did she say, she specifically said, "Sorry, are you...going into the maze? With someone? I am, but...I wanted to find some people to talk to first." She may have been overreacting though. Probably.

She wasn't about to go into a dangerous, never-ending maze with someone she barely knew, god forbid, even if she wasn't already with a friend first. She'd have to rephrase that...why did English have to be so complicated... "Wait, huh? I think I said that wrong, I don't need a partner for the maze, I already have one...but, I hope you have a fun time in the maze with your partner!"

Did that come off wrong too? Roksana only had one way to know, but Andy seemed quite distracted. Something about a photograph...his cousin Daphne...Roksana could only take in so many words at once. Was he going to look for his cousin? "Well, I guess I'll leave you to it," Roksana said, smiling. "I'll see you around, Andy..."

Stats: Sta: 6 Eva: 10 Str: 4 Wis: 5 Arc: 3 Acc: 7
Action: Interacting with Andy Menton(Rita Su's iNPC)

Andy honestly do thought Roksana wanted to ask him out to be his ball partner and go into the maze with her, but it seemed that the Russian girl in front of him already had a partner and just wanted to meet up with someone and just have a chat. Anyway, the brown-haired Second Year Thunderbird broom racer was actually not sure he had a partner to go into the maze with or not, he had asked Es to be his ball friend, but the red-haired Wampus had not replied to him yet, and then here it came his cousin Daphne, who had accidentally left the photo he sent her on the ground. Andy wanted to find his cousin and meet up with her, but the enchanted maze just seemed so dark and confusing, and he did not want to get out in that endless maze. "It`s a tough choice, where should I go and what should I do? Who should I go into the maze with? I am just genuinely confused about all of this!" Andy thought in complete confusion before opening her mouth to reply to the pretty Russian girl Roksana.

"Oh, sorry I misunderstood you just now. That way you phrase it just seems that you are asking me to go into the maze with you." Andy turned to the Russian girl and replied with some uncertainty, "Well, I`m not sure if I have a partner to go into the maze with or not... Anyway, let me take some time to figure out all of that, and see you around in the main bouquet later, bye!" Andy then walked away from Roksana and found a place in the maze to just stand and probably freeze out. 3 girls all at once was a bit too much to the brown-haired Thunderbird broom racer, and just needed some time to stand with confusion and process all that information with the girls, the ball partner, and the photo, holding that photo Daphne left on the ground, of course.

Action: Saying Goodbye to Roksana and just Standing in Confusion

Interacting with: @Aurora Griffith as Roksana, @Kayla Realma as Es, @Daphne Sapphirus

Open to Interactions, Feel Free to Give Confused Andy Some Advice

@Aaron Jones • mentioning @Eun-ji Lee Hunt
open to interactions
feel free to say that you were thwacked by Lucia's wings

For the first time, Lucia had asked someone to the ball. When she'd gone with Eun-ji, it had been by mutual agreement, and it had been Eun-ji's idea that she go with Ye-jun. But, this time, Lucia had plucked up the courage to ask someone herself, and he'd actually said yes. It hadn't been the most elegant proposal - last Tuesday, Lucia had blurted out to her desk partner in charms that she didn't have anyone to go with, and did he, and maybe they should go together, platonically of course? - but it couldn't have been too bad, because Aaron had agreed, and now Lucia didn't have to look forward to an hour of awkwardness as she tried to have fun by herself.

What she did have to look forward to was a few minutes of awkwardness when she got to the grounds and Aaron wasn't there. At least while she waited, Lucia could admire the scenery. The rather imposing maze reminded her a little of the maze from the ball a few years ago that she'd attended with Eun-ji. Speaking of Eun-ji, Lucia hadn't seen her yet. Maybe she'd already gone in? Or maybe she was just somewhere in the crowd. But it didn't matter. Lucia wasn't waiting for Eun-ji, she was waiting for Aaron, so she decided she might as well go and look for him rather than standing here by herself. So, she began to make her way through the crowd... which was the exact moment that she realised that maybe the wings had been a bad idea. Every few seconds, she was whacking somebody in the face with them, and blurting out apologies, until eventually she gave up and just stood still, letting the rest of the ballgoers move around her.

@Opeila Winters aka Theodore Duncain

It'd been a while since Dee had properly attended a ball. She'd sat out the last one, not feeling up to the chaos of it, still tired and winded from her three weeks of endless nightmares. The ones before that she'd barely stopped by; clearly, having a boyfriend had changed her social behaviour. She almost hadn't come today either; Jack wasn't coming. But she'd wanted to, missed the fun of it, dancing and chatting and meeting new people. Perhaps she'd been starving her inner social butterfly too much over the last months.

Against her better judgment, she'd even worn a dress that kinda sorta matched the theme. It had something that gave the appearance of a corset, that counted, right? No floor-length skirts for her, though, Dee's linen dress ended just below her knee. Better to move in, to dance... and to run away from potential danger.

Last minute as her choice had been, she hadn't really made any plans to meet up with anyone, but Dealla wasn't too worried about it. There were bound to be people she could talk to, and if all of the ones she knew were busy, she'd just meet ones she didn't know yet. Easy, right?

Setting out through the castle doors and walking down to the grounds, the first thing she did was stop and stare. Endless rows of hedges loomed up before her where she'd expected open field; a maze sprung out of nowhere like a dream and reality were mixing. Well. Couldn't say that this year's ball planning committee hadn't come up with something special.

She neared the entrance, undeniably a little intrigued. Would it be difficult to find her way through? Was it the kind of maze people actually got lost in, or was it just designed to look pretty?

There was a boy standing - waiting? - alone next to the entrance instead of streaming in like those around them. He seemed vaguely familiar, although she couldnt quite place him. There was the vague association with sneezing and fire, but really, that could point to anything.

A curiously raised eyebrow, and she gave him a bright smile. "Waiting for something?" she asked, the smile widening into a grin. "Scared of the dark, maybe?"

Action | Nothing relevant yet!

Sta 7 | Eva 13 | Str 3 | Wis 12 | Arc 8 | Acc 12
Evasive Maneuvers | Charmer | Perfectionist | Spell Spread

The theme of the ball caught Alec's attention in a way the ones before could never have dreamt of. There was something so perfect about the simplicity of hosting a ball with such a theme and having the castle as surrounding scenery. After the last few balls, now would have been as best a time as any to end his attendance full-stop. He'd seen what a curse could do, for all he had seen, no curse could live up to the ill-fate of attending a Hogwarts Ball; attending was a curse in itself.

It was funny to think that after the last ball he found it in himself to somehow not be jaded and instead hope that in attending another ball he'd have a better experience. All prior terrible ball experiences had to do with imminent danger. The public end of a relationship dove into new territory, and of course the end couldn't be peaceful, it ended in flames, literal flames. The only positive he could take from it was happening upon Opeila afterwards. Opeila was okay. Safe, and looking a great deal healthier than the last time he had seen her conscious and suddenly the events of the ball felt insignificant.

It hadn't been that long ago yet it felt like forever, so much had happened since.
When Opeila asked him to go to the ball with her Alec accepted without hesitation. He knew It was in their best interest to be seen together at least, that's what he told himself and after everything that had gone on they both needed the levity a ball could provide. They'd have a good time, besides, if the ball did immediately devolve into chaos, at least he was prepared.

Alec had a touch for the dramatic, he enjoyed dressing up when he could and went out of his way to make use out of a ball theme that allowed it when he could. Making his way to the entrance, Alec took a moment to reflect on his attire as he walked. He thought he looked pretty great. It was a step up from the dark attire he'd worn during the last ball, he'd never liked wearing dark colors. Pulled from his thoughts Alec looked up to get a good view as he reached the entrance. He ran a hand through his hair, raising a brow at the sight of a maze. If this was the enchanting garden the flyer mentioned someone was using the word 'garden' rather loosely. Alec could only hope him and Opeila were ready for whatever they'd gotten themselves into.

It didn't take him long to pick Opeila out of the crowd of people at the entrance, his lips split into a grin and he walked briskly to meet up with her. As he came closer Alec was able to make out the finer details of her appearance, as far as outfits went, they both pulled them off well. “Opeila! Hey!” His eyes briefly took note the necklace she was fidgeting with. Was she nervous about attending another ball? It was also possible she was fidgeting with it without realizing, he'd done something similar before. Then he spoke, “I hope you weren't waiting too long,” though he hadn't intended it, the tone of his voice left his words sounding more like a question than a statement. He was sure he'd arrived on time... He might have miscalculated how long it would take to walk out here.

Alec nodded his head towards the maze, and attempted to stifle a laugh, “You'd think a maze would be something to make mention of in the flyer.” He couldn't help but wonder if the vagueness had been intentional or if the maze was a last minute addition. Whoever planned the ball was getting a little too creative. He smirked, “We will either get lost, doomed to be forever be in the maze or get through in record time, there is no in-between.” He teased. A thought suddenly occurred to him, “I'd imagine they'd have to have some assigned to retrieving those terribly lost in the maze?” The likelihood of someone not finding their way out eventually was slim but not zero. Alec's eyebrows furrowed, he shook his head to clear the thought.

A maze wouldn't be that difficult. “Are you ready to go?”

Interactions are closed | @Opeila Winters

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Dialogue: ✕ Thoughts: ✕ Quotes: ✕

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Date | April 21st, 2023 - -

Grinning back at Eun-ji, grateful that Monica was seen as a worthy opponent, rather than some mistake on the duelling grounds. "Same to you." Monica returned the complement. She looked back at Hiro, "She is a very skilled duellist, and my competitor in the first real match I was apart of. I can only hope to have have your skill by year 4." At this point it might have been seen as trying to hard to win favourite, but Monica meant every word. She looked up to older duellist, wanted to learn all she could, and be the best challenger she could be. Something about duelling drove her. She loved the sport, more than she ever thought she would.

With that Hunt made her peace and left the pair to their own. Monica looked up at Hiro, watching as many different parties walked by. It only hit her now how social the boy was. He seemed to make friends with anyone, was he really that close with Hunt? Well it didn't matter, he chose to be here with Monica, out of anyone he could have come to the ball with, she was the one by his side. That had to mean something...right?

"Perhaps we should keep moving, I would love to get a drink, I am parched. Also I hear the food is amazing!" She took the boy by the hand, "After you." She add with a smile, finally they could spend some time together!

STA 8 • EVA 8 • STR 8 • WIS 5 • ARC 6 • ACC 5
Slytherin Prefect

Open to Interactions
| Action |
Continue Conversations. Follow Hiro into the main ball area out of Maze.

|Interacting With|
@Eun-ji Lee Hunt | Hiro(@Kim Sato's iNPC)

Her dress:

Valarie nodded and turned to walk into the maze with Ciel. She would occasionally shoot a glance at the pretty Hufflepuff girl she felt so lucky to be with at the ball. Valarie was barely able to hold back from her face splitting into pieces from a smile so wide from just the thought of Ciel. Valarie had already figured out that she had a crush on Ciel back when they first met at that tree. Valarie looked around at all the flowers and nature that were in the beautiful enchanted maze that she was walking through with the girl she liked. Valarie felt the silence strain between them and Valarie started to search her mind for things to say.
“So, um, Ciel, what have you been doing recently? I haven’t seen you much since the day in the lavatory and since my birthday. I- I’ve missed you.” Valarie felt her face grow to a pale pink shade. Well, at least she was not as red as a tomato, the way she normally got when she was around Ciel. At least what she said wasn’t completely random, or weird. Valarie rubbed her palms together, feeling how sweaty they were. Geez! Couldn’t she get a hold of herself? She rubbed her cheek, feeling how hot it was. Her hand dropped back to her side and she pushed the awkwardness away from her.

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Nec Temere, Nec Timide. Durmstrang Institute's

Romeo Giovanni Marchonné [6'6" | 198lbs]

"English." "Italiano. Italian." "Russian."

| Faint Scar on Left Eye & Mangled Right Ear | \ Fingerless Glove on Right Hand, Bite Scar on Forearm / | Lichtenberg Figure on Right Arm and Down Back |

Valentin Schnell, Ginyami Midorimori & Malia Aurora Laine
@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood, @Jack Burnett & @Beatrice Dupont

You know, this Roman captain of the guard armor was arguably much lighter than some of the Beater equipment I usually had to wear on a daily basis. Either that, or I was simply used to carrying a lot of weight around with me on a daily basis. The gilt, banded cuirass of the armor was just thick enough to prove itself highly protective to slashes, bludgeoning, and some levels of piercing, yet just thin enough to make it flex with my movements and adapt to any maneuver I made. Beneath my armor was a tunic-style outfit, and over my right shoulder was a vermillion lambswool cloak secured with a single similarly golden brooch.

As of now, I was still fussing over trying to loop the peacetied Italian longsword that Valentin had bestowed upon me at the previous ball into the Roman battle tunic and decorative baltea that hung in their metal armor strips about the legionary belt-- the balteus-- that would hold my 'weapons' and keep the tunic cinched to my waist. I was nowhere near as manually dexterous as my brother, and the more I fumbled with the leather straps the more I was getting frustrated yet slightly amazed at how complex the Roman battle uniform was. Multiple pieces of metal and fabric, leather and padded cloth all working together to form a functioning system of defense. Even putting it all on here in the cooler northern climate I was well-aware of how thermal this gear was due to my inexperience wearing it; I could only imagine what it was like for the legions to endure the muggy Mediterranean heat in the throes of combat, the amount of danger that a heatstroke could have caused if the armor was any less breathable or designed to cool yet defend as best as it could. For all my heated frustrations with it, I had to admit that it was more than likely that the second I stepped outdoors the temperature would be just right for me to walk around in when combined with the layers that I had on. Really, all it came down to was the vermillion undertunic, the padding of the shoulders to cushion the heavy outer shell of armor, and then the armor itself; but those really did trap a lot of heat.

Perhaps this outfit was a bit too "antiquated" for the theme of the ball in the eyes of some, but I found it hard to believe that the Roman Empire-- the post-republic of the Ancient Roman Empire-- could not be considered in some regards to be a time of 'lords' and 'ladies'; it was a time of god emperors and mythological marvels, of glory in combat and leaps in invention, of the curiosities of mankind and the era in which gods were said to walk the world with him. If this was not worthy of some level of "spring court", I didn't know what was.

Besides, Rome had its own legends of the faerie folk; indeed, Rome believed that they had friendly deific guardian faeries that lived with each family and helped to ensure that the pantries were always filled and that the family was always safe from harm. These were the Lares Familiares, quite literally the "Family Guardians" of the home; please them and they would protect you and your loved ones, displease them and they would leave your house for another to bless instead. This was without mentioning the fantastical creatures of Roman (and thereby Greek) mythology: the tales of Fauns, the terrible Basilisk, and the Ophiolatrous, heroes the likes of Odysseus, Achilles, Theseus, Perseus, and Jason. Ancient mythology was itself a world of violence, tragedy, revenge, adventure, and magic; a world where gods humbled humans and mortals challenged gods.

Finally tightening the knot that secured the longsword to my belt, I threw the cloak over my shoulder once more and ensured the cuirass was properly tightened; even in the dimly lit Durmstrang cabin the rich metal caught light and reflected fragments across the floor and the walls, the engravings ornate and fit for a commander of the legions just as much as a soldier of one. As much as I didn't want to admit it, Valentin had had a hand in scrambling together the nice breastplate and helping to make it as historically accurate as possible... it was because of a small challenge we wanted to make with one another.

I had challenged him to wear something that interpreted the best era of his heritage country, and in true Valentin fashion he had turned it right back on me. Well, I couldn't say no to a challenge proposed to me, so the Roman empire it was. I severely doubted that anything could have compared in Italy that could have compared in all aspects to the Roman Empire. The Renaissance came close, to be certain, but I dare to claim that an empire that stretched from the Middle East, encircled the Mediterranean, that brushed into Asia and reached as far north as the modern United Kingdom was indeed the greatest Italian nation that history had ever known. My history, though the time of empires and kings was now long behind me.

With a deep breath, I clenched my right hand once in its black fingerless glove before snagging a Roman lantern by its chain; another prop for the night. As my hand directs it about me, a magical flicker of light came to life within the panes and offered remedial light for navigation.

Venturing out of the cabin back first, my sandaled heel strikes something that clatters to the ground with a sound like stone. Spinning quickly to observe it with the lantern, I discover a long tower shield-- no, a scutum-- that had fallen to the ground, brightly painted and with large words in an arc over the gilt wings 'Si vis Amari Ama'. Durmstrang had taught me well in combination with my innate knowledge of the Italian tongue; 'If you wish to be loved, love'. Attached to the small metal dome in its center, a dome intended to be used in bashing and breaking, was a note that read as follows:

Romeo,
A little gift from me to you, as well as a little 'call to action' if you would. Don't think that I don't see just about everything, this is no exception. Have fun; hopefully you won't get attacked by a Hag Doll this time, hm?

Much love!

It was a little tasteless, that last little bit, which made me suspect a certain somebody as being the one who sent this little gift to me; but I supposed a gift was a gift nonetheless. Hefting the shield onto one arm, I noted how it felt beneath my fingers not terribly unlike stone or marble of some sort despite the visible material quite obviously being made of plywood (like a traditional Roman scutum when reinforced with hide) and some leather straps. It was a bit childishly decorated, but it was still impressive for what it was, as I secured it on my left arm and tested the weight. It certainly was not a 'real' shield in any respect... but it felt hefty enough to take a hit if it had to. Considering my recent ball experience, perhaps it would come in handy after all.

The great hedge that loomed before me was easy to spot, and I followed the river of people who drifted into the greenery as absentmindedly as a salmon letting the current take it downstream. My eyes flicked about and upwards, taking note of the hedges that were only a spare few feet taller than me on all sides. Well, so much for cheating and trying to peer over the top of the bushes to find a way out. Not that I would need to; if worst came to worse, I planned on using the wall trick and following the right hand wall until I found an exit of some sort. Then again, as ominous sounds and rattling came from the depths of the lovely looking scene, perhaps it would be a bad idea to try and go it alone. I had learned the hard way over Christmas break that going alone could produce nothing but ill fortune; my hand trailed to my belt where my book lay strapped at my right hip. What I would have done if I hadn't been able to get it back I didn't know. It had so much research and experiments, private notations and discoveries that I had not been able to find replicated in any other textbook that I had found. I didn't think that even I could replicate everything in that book by hand without having to redo all of my studies and re-experiment with spells and potions all over again.

Eyes lowering from the setting sun and its subsequent purplish sunset, of course pale white stuck out against the dark green and shadow that danced about on all sides. Swinging my lantern towards it, in a way that likely created a 'mask' around my eyes thanks to the plumed helmet that waved its proud centurion flare with a distinguished aura, the light reflected most gratefully off of the pure white attire that Valentin Schnell wore, and by proxy the red glitter that dear Slava embellished upon him in turn. With awe, I took stock of the entire ensemble, noting first and foremost the strange yet elegant turban that concealed his usually free to flutter hair. The armor itself was exquisite; a silvery white that matched the rest of Valentin's typical pale theme, but appeared to not be of metal and rather some fine, flexible, well-woven paddings and fabrics. Metal, perhaps, was on his arms in the illusion of decorative sleeves, and furred pauldrons extended into an argenteum silver cloak. The entire outfit screamed of Middle Eastern distinguishedness, a style that I rarely saw in real life other than through movies or the like. It must be Turkish. I knew that Val had that blood in him; the fineness of some of his features (including his body shape) attested to that, the delicate facial features, but most pressingly the shape of his eyes. Eyes that were so keen and sharp, and that seemed to often carry simultaneously the wisdom of the world and the innocent excitement of a child; exotic even by exotic standards, that curious albinism only adding further intrigue.

As I swung the lantern around slightly, I took notice of the rest of his company. In handsome red, black, and gold Japanese-style leather outfit was Ginyami. Compared to Valentin's and my own attire, it looked much more modern and stylized. To him I nodded minutely and politely in greeting, unconsciously feeling my eyes dull in a similar way to when I beheld any level of nonsense that my brother suggested to me; an almost exhausted expression, perhaps. It was not because I did not hold him in high regard or that I disliked the boy, but rather because something about him simply did not sit right with me. No matter how much I wanted to try and discern something good about him, I could not help but circle back to the strange discomfort that I felt whenever I interfaced with him; almost like a supernatural gut feeling. I wondered... did Slava sense any of that too?

The other young girl, though, I didn't know at all, though I knew her to be of Durmstrangian origin. To her, I smiled lightly before extending a greeting to all four in good nature. "Bonum vesperam. Latin; Good evening" A lightening of my eyes as I smiled lightly in turn. "Imperium romanum hac nocte iterum vivit! Latin: The Roman Empire lives again tonight" A full smile. Words I thought I would never say, and yet here I was; product of the great Empire, most likely even though it had fallen centuries ago. "Latin for entertainment; and they call it a 'dead language'." I joke, lowering the lantern in my right hand ever so slightly and swinging it forward and back idly while adjusting the scutum on my left arm.

I glanced outwards to the maze and back to the entrance, curious as to what sort of things could lay in its twists and turns. "Really went and grew a whole maze on a whim for this. Crazy. I wonder how many people will get lost in it over the course of the night. Certainly not us, that's for sure; we've got too good of a navigator for that, don't we Val?" I praised my captain for something I knew that he excelled in; a sense of direction that was absolutely impeccable, especially when it came to flying.

"Ah, my name is Romeo. You attend Durmstrang too, right?" I asked of the young girl who was (probably) at least a foot shorter than I was. "I'm under the impression that Valentin has done nothing but shower you with rightful compliments and gifts since you arrived." I teased at the expense of the overflowing heart that was Valentin Schnell. I knew firsthand of his ceaseless kindness and the endless giving that he dished out to all whether they were deserving of it or not. Under his wing, the young girl would receive better treatment than any young man could ever be capable of bestowing upon her. It was simply the way that Valentin was, even if it could hurt him.

And it often did, which was part of the reason I was here. I suspected that history would repeat itself, and I was loathe to make the same mistakes twice.

Action: Entering the Maze with Valentin Schnell & Co. | Enchanted Lantern in Hand

Reducio

Stats: Pending Update

Ω Stamina 9 | Evasion 8 | Strength 15 Ω
Ω Accuracy 15 | Wisdom 9 | ArcPower 0 Ω

Abilities:

Ω Obnoxiously Strong | Perfectionist I | Martial Artist | Healing Sage I Ω

Inventory:

Ω Holstered [Redacted] Wand | Medicine Notebook | Enchanted Lantern Ω
Ω Peacetied Italian Longsword | Duro'd Roman Scutum Ω

english | russian

Amina casually leaned on a tree near the entrance of the maze. Her green eyes scanned the crowd for someone familiar. Unlike her usual behavior she was not near the center of attention yet. Yet. But she intended to change that soon.
With her tight-fitting black pants and sweater, she easily blended into the shadows, only her flaming red hair attracted glances here and there. Amina found costume parties fun, but was always too scatterbrained to prepare well. This time, too, she had simply put on something dark and tight. Additionally she had tied on a black scarf that she could pull over her nose as a mask. She had decided to mime the assassin. On her back she had pragmatically fastened two beater clubs crosswise instead of the elegant swords that were supposed to be there. Something else had not been available. She felt extremely comfortable in her costume and tugged at her skin-tight pants with sour amusement. The main thing was that she didn't have to wear a dress. She didn't want to look as ridiculous as Felix did when he had to play the queen. Felix. Pff.
She scratched her nose in frustration. If he had wanted her to, she would have come with him today, but he hadn't asked her. Well - what did she care? Better that way. She didn't mind. NOT AT ALL. His loss, he didn't know what he was missing.

All in all, all her friends probably had better things to do. So now she was here alone. Even Valentine already had a date with a friend - nothing romantic. But still. Whatever. She would show them that she could still have fun. Yes!
Not that she herself had invested or contributed in any way to change that outcome, but the Bulgarian felt left out still. She had kept her plans open until the very last second, but then she had missed out.

Whatever. As said. That didn't matter to her AT ALL. She would just find one of her friends, stick with them and have fun. Or make new friends.
With a sigh, she pushed herself off the tree and ran a hand through her red hair. The result was a stormy tousle. Amina was not the type to let herself down. She was supposed to be in the middle of the action. Just like always. And she had no problem with third-wheeling.
After her internal pep talk, her typically amused and mischievous grin crept back onto her face, and with chin up confidently, she pushed her way into the crowd. Some would look at her in confusion - the beater clubs on her back were probably not in keeping with the discrete method of an assassin, but the Bulgarian didn't care. In principle, she was not really interested in the opinion of others. As long as she had fun, she was satisfied.

After entering the scene, she paused for a second and looked around in amazement. Hogwarts was once again going above and beyond to give them a great party. Everyone was dressed so beautifully and the colorful fabrics gave it a very festive feel.
Amina's grin grew even wider and her eyes sparkled again as she felt the energy and vibe. It made her feel like home.

When she spotted a grouping around a certain white figure, her heart leapt. Valentin, Slava and Romeo were standing there together with one of the Dumstrang freshmen and a few other people she didn't know. Briefly thrown off track, the girl tilted her head. It stung her a little that her best friend wasn't here with her, given it hadn't been a romantic date. Especially since he was now hanging out with the usual suspects again anyway.

And then she decided to do a classic Amina move. She ignored the fact that she picked up Felix's idea from the last ball. Time to play a loving prank on her friends and make them all laugh and maybe put herself back on the radar. Valentin had specifically stressed that his date wasn't romantic, so she wouldn't be thwarting any plans here either. And - she maybe could startle Romeo a bit since they had an unspoken rivalry going on who was the closer friend to Valentin. At least she had this rivalry going. So win - win - win. Perfect. Maybe this evening would be funny after all!
So, she straightened up and quickly approached the group with her typical mischievous grin. Nonchalantly, she pushed her way through the people, put an arm around Valentin's neck and gave him a quick kiss right on the mouth. "Hey, babe. Sorry to keep you waiting so long. But I see, you're in good company." Since she didn’t know everyone in the audience she used english words, the american accent clearly noticeable.
For a second she lingered in that pose and gave him a bambi eye blink.
Then she turned to the group with a flourish and put an arm around Valentin's waist with the same motion. "Hey guys, how are you doing?" She would give everyone a big smile. Then her eyes would fall on Slava’s makeup. “Wow, nice work there!”

Interacting | Valentin (@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood) | Slava (@Ruby Cazares) | Romeo (@Piérre Marchonné) | Maila (@Beatrice Dupont) | Ginyami (@Jack Burnett)

Mentions | Felix (@Winnie Harper)

open to interactions

Action | kissing Valentin (author of Valentin granted auto-success)

Ability | Muggle Condition | Fearless | Foulplay | Lovely Creature

Allies for LC | noone ~ everyone may admire her You can decide from an RP perspective how much the ability affects you

Stats | Sta:9 | Ev:15 | Str:7 | Wis:7 | Arc:2 | Acc:15