The Enchanted Maze Spring Ball '23

Vlad something just came down over him. He was mortified. Is there truly another word to explain what he was feeling? If there’s anything worse, then accidentally reviewing that he liked someone else.

He definitely hasn’t come across it yet. The feeling is that to him, wanting to jump into a deep grave, and just die but then again, who cares.

As they have said, in the past, there was something in the air that night. The stars- Vladislav- were bright, they- Vladislav- were shining there for you and me- another way of saying Gabriel and Vlad’s crushes. For liberty- love is a possible freedom.

But if you had to define freedom, what is the true definition?

But wait, why was he thinking about this? When he could just be… going in for a kiss.

Yes, a kiss. One, lovely kiss. Oh, this boy was so cute. His dark brown hair and his unique face. It was super cute, and he just had to lean in, his lips puckered. He tried to trigger the “I am so amazing, but what don’t you love about me? Show me that you love me.“ mode.

His eyes were closed. Whatever might happen next would be life or death in Vlad’s eyes. Would he be slapped or turned down? He refused to take Gabriel’s no for an answer- as he’d never had someone he truly fell in love with anywhere he went.

Statistics: Sta- 10 | Eva- 10 | Str- 0 | Wis- 5 | Arc- 5 | Acc- 5
Character Encyclopedia: My Liege
Character Abilities: Wandmaker (11 inches, thestral tail hair, elder wood, sturdy)
Action: Still attempting to kiss Gabriel, not taking a no for an answer.
Interactions: Open to interactions. :| I wanted to ping these amazing folks @Avery Leveret, Clark Baird, and @Gabriel Palmer

What the hell. His best spell and his best effort, for fire? Failed. That was a complete bull. If there was anything he would have wished to happen, he wished the walls of the maze would’ve lit on fire like throwing matches down on poured gasoline.

But who knows. The goblin ran past the hideous girl he attacked- or at least attempted to- and continued his way into the maze, until he stumbled upon the boy puckering his lips.

But he wasn’t going to do anything. He hid behind one of the corners, and peeked around to see what was happening.

Sure enough, his backstabbing boyfriend, as gorgeous and as handsome as he was, was found residing near the puckering boy who was equally as amazing but no one could trump his Knight in Shining Armor.

He pointed his wand in the general direction and *quietly* said the incantation and performed the wand movement for the sneezing hex (steleus) against the Russian boy.

He had to keep himself concealed, giving it just a few minutes- before closing his eyes and breaking down in tears. He hoped he would have made the Russian sneeze in the middle of the kiss and ruin the vibes.

Statistics: Sta: 6 | Eva: 10 | Str: 0 | Wis: 5 | Arc: 5 | Acc: 5
Character Race: Part Goblin Y1
Character Abilities: N/A
Action: Casting Sneezing Hex on Vladislav Liam Gunther

Outfit

Reducio

"Yeah Qrow. Stop being a creep." Rhys shot Azzy a glance, frowning slightly as they noted an unusual bitterness in the other Gryffindor's tone. They suspected that, for whatever reason, Azzy had a vendetta against the Slytherin. Usually, they were polite, even chirpy, when meeting knew people. Somehow, somewhere, these two had met before. And for whatever reason, it had left a bitter taste in (at least) Azzy's mouth. But Rhys hadn't the patience to try and find out why at this moment. Involuntarily, their grip on Azzy's arm tightened slightly as a way of both warning and comforting their date, and Rhys hoped that Azzy could read in their gaze just how much Rhys wanted to avoid drama of any kind at this ball.

Rhys's attention was drawn back to Qrow as they replied politely with an introduction rather than biting back at the tone in Azzy's voice. Rhys appreciated them for that, even if they had a feeling that playing nice was really the last thing either of their genderqueer peers wanted to do.

“Well, firecracker." Qrow turned to Rhys with a smirk, pupils contracting into slits as they looked at them with those acidic green eyes. "How do I look? Convincingly human?" Rhys smirked, remembering the first time Qrow had uttered those same words, during their first interaction together.

"Human is as human does, I suppose." They shrugged before giving another glance down the maze passageway. Already, the path looked different than it had when Rhys and Azzy had first set off into the maze. They looked back to the two other first years, cocking a dark brow. "I don't suppose either of you is a master at traversing through this enchanted mess of shrubbery?" Maybe it wasn't wise to insult the maze as they had (though it was unintentional, and Rhys only realized the insult in their words after they'd spoken them), but their question remained nonetheless.

Reducio

notes for myself
Azzy | #e20aff Rhys | #550c00 ]Qrow | #064107]

Reducio

Navagating the maze with @Rhys Read and @Qrow Beithir

Azzy acknowledged the tightening of Rhys' grip. As they studied Rhys, they sighed in defeat. They wouldn't ruin this for their date. They put on a smile. "Yes... I know, we've met, trust me. As for your question? You look about like Loki would trying to disguise as a human. Make of the comment what you will!" Azzy said in an overly polite tone. They sucked at masking voice tones, but they were amazing at masking their own emotions as long as they weren't talking. As Azzy looked Qrow up and down, they found that the Slytherin had cleaned up nicely. This of course, did nothing to change Azzy's mind about them. "Rhys' Cup did you forget I have horses and an amazing sense of direction?" They asked, walking further into the maze. They needed a distraction as the urge to deck the Slytherin had returned and they definitely didn't want to do that. As they all walked in silence, Azzy internally thought about what Qrow had called Rhys. Firecracker... That was a cute nickname... But unfortunately Azzy was starting to overthink and zoned out once more. Was there something more between their Gryffindor partner and their Slytherin enemy? What if there wasn't? Was Azzy just way overthinking this? Or was it the truth? Ugh! So many questions and so little answers. "Come on, this way." Azzy said absentmindedly.

Violet in English, Red in Korean and Blue in French

Ye-jun was relieved to hear Jack’s joyous call. He might have not looked nervous but he was a bit worried whether the boy would be happy to see him or not. He was confident in many areas but getting close to people was not one of them. “Yeah…it's not very original of me. I actually like yours better but I appreciate the compliment.” He said with a smile. “You are not wrong though…I considered not going but since I already came all the way here, I thought it would be shame not to take a look at least.” The boy shrugged. Now that he met a familiar face, he was actually glad that Eun-ji convinced him to go.

“Well little jester, I find that highly unjust. Events like these are more enjoyable in pair, wouldn’t you agree?” Ye-jun decided to play along for a bit. It was surprisingly easy to do so. “It’s true that the previous ball was a mess but then again…aren’t they always?” He shrugged again, clearly unbothered. This one might not be any different but that wasn’t a reason to spent it alone if the Slytherin was willing to join him. His previous remark made him believe he had a chance at least. “That being said. The event was a mess but I enjoyed the company so I wouldn’t mind a second date. Perhaps we’ll be lucky and it won’t be as dramatic today?” The Beauxbatons’ student offered hopefully. It wasn’t easy for him to take a liking to somebody so he tended to do his best when he did. At the same time however, he wasn’t someone to overstay his welcome so Ye-jun paid extra attention to Jack’s next reactions. He wouldn’t push the matter if it made the other boy uncomfortable.

More people kept coming in and both boys surveyed their surroundings. Unlike himself however, Ye-jun had an inkling, his companion wasn’t just looking around randomly. This was soon confirmed by his follow up question. “Ah…” Had it been anybody else, he would feel a bit uncomfortable talking about his cousin but since the two of them met and Flash seemed to be a common acquaintance for both of them, he felt strangely okay answering the inquiry. “Not doing so well. I hoped she would come with me but she really didn’t feel like going.” OOC: At this point, Ye-jun is not aware that she decided to go in the end. He was about to ask how Jack was doing but their conversation was swiftly interrupted by another student marching in.

All right, so they know each other? It seemed like they did, though the newcomer's words were rather confusing. In fact, his whole presence seemed pretty confusing. Thankfully, the Beauxbatons’ student wasn’t the focus of that bizarre conversation so he wasn’t too bothered. That is…until he suddenly became the focus. “Hello ~” Ugh…no. Ye-jun knew that tone and he was tired of it. He knew the Asian boy was probably just having fun but Ye-jun wasn’t fond of meaningless flirting. He experienced it far too often and it just made him feel like a piece of meat. He supposed he should be flattered and wondered whether feeling like that made him a conceited prick yet there was nothing he could do about it. He genuinely appreciated compliments from people that knew him at least a little bit and always made sure to thank them but encounters like this didn’t bring him any joy. Since that was the case, Ye-jun simply raised an eyebrow in reply. Did he learn this from his cousin or was it the other way round? Well…perhaps it simply runs in the family.

“I’m not interrupting anything am I?” Was he? The wizard couldn’t help but feel like he was but should he even say as much? This guy sounded far too cheeky. Ye-jun thought it might be better to watch what he said around him. Instead he turned back at Jack. “A friend?” He asked curiously, clearly very unimpressed by all the flirting. Ye-jun decided the way he would treat the newcomer would depend on the redhead’s reply. It was probably safer that way.

──────────────────────────────▱──────────────────────────────

Reducio

Totally not getting lost with @Rhys Read And @Azrael Faire

"Human is as human does, I suppose." Qrow let out a soft laugh at the comment.
The Slytherin even took a bit of pride in the way Azrael had compared them to Loki, especially considering their family's following of the Norse pantheon.

Rhys shrugged before giving another glance down the maze passageway, and the redhead's eyes followed. Already, the path looked different than it had when they first set off into the maze.
If there was anything Qrow hated more than a maze, it was a magic maze that could change.

Rhys looked back at the two other first years, cocking a dark brow. "I don't suppose either of you is a master at traversing through this enchanted mess of shrubbery."
The metamorphmagus wasn't sure that offending said magic maze was the smartest of ideas, but they certainly admired the Gryffindors' bold comment.

"Rhys' Cup, did you forget I have horses and an amazing sense of direction?" Faire replied confidently, and, at the nickname, Qrow couldn't help but whisper 'what the fuck is a Ree-se's cup' under their breath.
"Come on, this way."

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

As they followed behind the two Gryffindors, Qrow couldn't help but feel mildly awkward. They were well acquainted with their own fiery temper and lack of brain-to-mouth filter to know that being lost in a maze with their close friend and disagreeable acquaintance was not the best outcome thus far. So, they did what they did best: they put on the facade of a "wealthy socialite," much like they did during their father's social events, and began to talk.

"My family and I are followers of the Norse pantheon, so I take the comparison to Loki as a compliment, though I would say they surely pull off the look better than myself." I'm also glad that one of you is good with directions. The gods only know how I would have managed to get around Hogwarts in the first few weeks without the help of my cousins. Of course, the triplets were about as helpful as Peeves."

Qrow paused.

These two likely have no idea who any of their cousins are. It wasn't as if Qrow shared a last name with any of them, and they only shared a likeness with a few of them. Still, the Slytherin enjoyed talking about their family, and anything was better than silence if it helped stave off any of the mean comments that sat on their tongue.

"A few of my cousins are in your house." Thato Kamau, Alisa and Morag Acheson, and Donella Willow. Only Morag is in our year out of the lot, and I imagine she'll be in one of the girls' dorms; forgive me if I'm wrong; she's rather rowdy and brash; she'd probably love you two."
Qrow very much needed to shut their mouth, but they really couldn't help themselves; as much as their cousins annoyed them at times, they were rather fond of them all. Still…

"You both look lovely, by the way."

Great save dumbass!

They meant it, though. Rhys looked handsome in their dress, and the fishnets and boots were certainly a nice touch. The flowers in their hair were rather cute too; Qrow would have to ask where they got them later.
And for as much as the Slytherin disliked Azrael, they couldn't help but admire the Gryffindors' outfit. The pagan-style attire was something Qrow could see themselves wearing.

They were sure Rhys had mentioned the two being similar, and honestly, Qrow couldn't tell if that amused them or pissed them off.

──────────────────────────────▱──────────────────────────────

Reducio

⦾ 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 ⦾

Valentin Schnell, Ginyami Midorimori, Maila Aurora Laine, Slava Preobrazhensky & Amina Petrovic
@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood, @Jack Burnett, @Beatrice Dupont, @Ruby Cazares & @Ileen Knight

's Grace in Effect

Well, didn't this just take the cake?! All of Piérre's most favorite people all in one place all at once just so that he could keep an eye on them all as they went on and about during this festive night? The Jester would most certainly have his hands full and his amusement heightened, he could just tell from watching. How did he know this? Well, just look at that Valentin stare! Look at that Romeo hesitation! Telegraphing any and everything to Piérre, and they had no clue of it whatsoever. All the peripheral chaos going on around him were only furthering his ability to mask his presence, as a poor rabbit just nearby somehow got halfway turned into a tree. Poor little guy... Maybe if Piérre found him after his round trip to investigate the rest of the ball he would be able to help out the poor Leporidae.

Oh but what was this new form of entertainment in the form of a surprise attack by a red-haired newcomer that draped herself over Valentin and KISSED HIM RIGHT ON THE LIPS, HOLY CATS! Green eyes went WIDE with pure awe and he couldn't help but let out a little yelp of a laugh as he watched the fallouts from the action. Oh he had seen just how Romeo had almost pitched backwards in surprise following a small adoption of a fighting stance! Oh how jumpy his taller twin was! Oh how defensive! OH, HOW FLUSHED HE WAS!

It was a golden moment, as the Jester had to clench his sides and puff his cheeks to prevent himself from cackling loud enough to make others think that he had well and truly lost his marbles! Oh it was like a scene out of a movie, the sheer perfection of it! The blushing, the confusion! The awkwardness and the immediate defense of pride and recovery! Piérre couldn't look away, it was so much like watching a train wreck of funtime fun in slow motion! Oh how he wanted to go 'fooey!' when Romeo seemed to collect himself just fine with a small chuckle, but those green eyes lingered on the albino and the clashing emotions that warred so deliciously across his face... that had really thrown the poor boy for a loop, hadn't it...

Well, rest assured, dearest Valentin, rest assured that you won't have to question or fret over that feeling for long. Godfather Piérre always looks out for those in his care, and he always makes sure that anyone who needs his help is more than satisfied with their service.

It seemed that only that that other foreign boy, Ginyami, had been the only one not to respond to such an amusing prompt. What had he thought of the matter, Piérre wondered, trying to stare into those eyes as if he could somehow cast Legilimency from where he stood. Alas, he was not of that talent, nor was he of the desire. Oh he was having such a good night already! What a show has been put on for the Jester; it was enough to make him flush with shame at not being able to outdo it! Perhaps he too should try kissing someone suddenly for a change, especially in front of their squeeze or crush. What reactions would the boy get from such a thing? What endless amusement and what interesting confessions as the embarrassed one tried to trip over themselves in an attempt to explain?

Wiping away gathering tears from his eyes brought on from the laughter, Piérre spun on his heel and trailed his hand on the plants on the side of the maze as he grinned wide from ear to ear. "Ohhhhhh Figaro... we have our jobs cut out for us, my little pet..." He whispered to his silver familiar. "I'll have to go get some munitions to deal with this... perhaps some food or some throwable items... Can you do me a little favor and keep an eye on them while I'm gone?" He scritched beneath the bengal's chin in the way that always evoked a motorboat sound of a purr. The Giullare Italian: Jester hummed to himself lightly as he extended a hand towards the ground with a small bend at the waist as if he were bowing down. As if on cue, the pale cat scampered off the boy's shoulders and down his extended 'ramp' and then leapt to the ground with a small purr-meow.

Glancing back to his entangled audience, Piérre's eyes twinkled again in amusement. With an extension of his hand, an ace of spades between his index and middle fingers, he pointed towards the group. "Figaro, Osservare Gemello e Innamorato Figaro, observe twin and "in love"" He commanded his faithful companion. As if in response, Figaro immediately leapt off into the confusion, staying hidden among the partygoers just enough to stay out of sight (Cat's Grace) but still allowed the feline to have an excellent vantage of the individuals he had been tasked to tail. Valentin's company would have a silvery ghost following in their tracks, just out of sight, just out of mind...

As for the Jester, he was already on his way to enact his half of the plans. Off to the Royal Banquet he would go, ready to collect some munitions and then most quickly be back on his way to this most interesting revenue so that he could torment keep an eye on his most beloved brother in blood...

Action: Exit to Royal Banquet
Beast Master: Figaro Stays with Valentin & Co.

Reducio

Statistics:

Stamina 7 | Strength 5 | Evasion 15
Wisdom 10 | Accuracy 14 | ArcPower 5

Abilities:

Keen Eye | Calming Presence | Beast Master (Cat) | 's Grace

Inventory:

Holstered Yew and Snallygaster Wand | Deck of Playing Cards | Figaro | Mandolin
Locksmith's Knife | Gentleman's Slapping Gloves | 1 Firebreathing Potion

Outfit

Reducio

"Rhys' Cup did you forget I have horses and an amazing sense of direction?" Azzy asked as they moved deeper into the maze. Rhys moved along with them, shaking their head slightly.

Rhys listened as Qrow accepted Azzy's comment as a compliment, and gave a healthy amount of background on various aspects of their family. Rhys found this new information very interesting, and they enjoyed learning of it, though there was the feeling that they were just filling the silence out of impulse.

"You both look lovely, by the way." Qrow eventually finished, assessing both of them. Rhys's cheeks pinked, and they quickly looked away, for some reason not wanting Azzy to see the way they reacted. Rhys waited a moment for their face to cool off before they looked back to Qrow.

"Thank you, though I dare say we all look great." They commented lightly, looking around. Their mind came back to Azzy's question, and they considered it for a moment.

"I think this maze defies all sense of logical order. Having equines and a good sense of navigation.. Well, I don't really thing those matter when the maze could shift at any mo--"

Rhys was cut off as they stumbled, pitching forward. Desperately, they reached out their hands to catch themself on the closest wall of green lush nearby, but instead of acting like a normal, solid-ish hedge, the shrubbery opened briefly, and Rhys tumbled forward into a new patch of the maze. They did their best to minimalize the damage done to their clothes as they fell, but their fishnets took the brunt of it as they landed on their knees. It was a good thing that they had been ripped to begin with, Rhys thought, wincing. Carefully, they shifted to face where they had fallen from. The maze wall had re-formed, and Rhys was left alone. Instantly, they scrambled to their feet, trying not to stumble in their Mary Janes again as they ran back up to the wall. This time, it didn't give as they tried to peer through it. Of fucking course.

"Azzy?" They called, trying listlessly to see through the shrub and rising to their tip-toes. Of course, this did nothing. "Qrow? .... Anyone?"

Oh god, just how far away from Azzy and Qrow had the maze put them? Frustrated, Rhys ripped off a string of leaves from the wall, which smacked them harshly in the face. Disgusted, Rhys released it, stepping back into the clearing and looking around.

Shit.

Reducio

notes for myself
Azzy | #e20aff Rhys | #550c00 ]Qrow | #064107]

Action: kinda lost
calling out to @Qrow Beithir and @Azrael Faire
Stats: in banner
Open for interactions

Reducio

Trying to hold it together with @Qrow Beithir while looking for @Rhys Read

Azzy, against their better judgement, looked back at Qrow and smiled. "As do you, Beithir." They said. "So. Norse Pantheon? I fall more on the Norse Pagan side honestly. My main Deity is Loki. Helps me with most of my stuff." And under their breath they added: 'And more than my fair share of hexes...' As they navigated the maze Azzy found that this was not going to go well. And then the maze kidnapped Rhys, causing Azzy to panic. "Damnit!" They yelled, rubbing their arms nervously, now they were alone with their disagreeable acquaintance. And now they knew it wasn't going to go well. They sighed angrily. "Qrow remind me to kick Rhys' arse when I see them next!" They said. "Come on. We have to find them." Azzy said, walking off. They were shaking now, and badly. Mischief picked up on that and started licking Azzy's cheek to calm them. Azzy anxiously scratched the ferrets head. They had hoped nothing like this had happened. And now they had to deal with Qrow on their own. "Here's the deal, Beithir. We don't even brig our thing up to Rhys and we pretend it never happened." They said, struggling to control their own tone. They hated every bit of this and were convinced it would only get worse.

╔═══━━━──────────────────────── • ────────────────────────━━━═══╗

The enchanted maze. That was something that caught Hannah’s eye. It was so interesting. The girl had never been through one, she heard about mazes all the time, but never actually went inside one.

The day of the ball had come. Hannah knew very well about balls. After all, her family threw one or another every couple of months. However, this was a little different. It was in Hogwarts, and all of her friends would probably come. It was nice and all, but she didn’t ask anyone to come to the ball with her, and didn’t get asked, meaning she was alone.

Hannah entered the maze and it was completely different from what she imagined. For one it was very dark and difficult to see, and it was very confusing. She explored a few quarters, then she got completely lost.

Hannah loved spring, mostly because of all of the flowers, but she also liked the weather.

The girl wore a silk dress that was white and looked a bit big on her, but was knee-length. However it fit her just a little after her knees. It was pretty and it didn’t tighten her like the dresses her mother told her to wear. The dress had an open back and it made sort of an “X”shape. And on her head, a flower crown that she had made just a day before. And on her feet she got to wear sandals, they were black and fit her feet comfortably. Her hair was down and she even curled it with her fingers. Not for anyone, just for her own pleasure.

Hannah explored every corner and she had probably ran across the entrance a few times, but she needed to get to the end.

She remembered how she made many friends since she started Hogwarts, like @Ivy Morgan and @Aurora Griffith

She met Ivy in the Hogwarts train and Aurora in the bathroom. Both in very different places.

Then there was @Beatrice Dupont who she had just met and hadn’t seen since their encounter.

She sat down in the grass, it was muddy and it would surely get her dress dirty, but she didn’t care.

”How am I still stuck in here!?!” she shouted hoping someone would hear, but that was useless. The maze seemed to have a mind of it’s own.

She needed to get herself out. And she knew this very well. The girl didn’t know if she wanted to come to the ball, but here she was. Stuck. In. An. Enchanted. Maze. How good was that?

Hannah stood up and continued looking for the exit. She knew that she would find it somewhere. And maybe someone who would help her find the exit

╚═══━━━──────────────────────── • ────────────────────────━━━═══╝