Closed Royal Banquet Spring Court Ball

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None

's Grace in Effect

Traversing through the tents of the Renaissance Festival-like environment, Piérre grinned and extended his arms so that the hummingbird wing extensions could flutter in the wind current that he produced from his constant movement. He perused the different tents and tables, snatching an apple here and half of a lemon there from the table before sticking it in his satchel before wiping his hands on his outfit and then continuing on his merry way. There was a certain tent which advertised "Whack a Mosp" which while Piérre smiled briefly at he couldn't help but remember the mosp that he met when he had been but a humble first year at the "secret" Blossom Ball that had ended in fire and the attraction of a swarm of mosps, one of which was Piérre's most beloved and adorable Mosp: Philipe.

From what Piérre knew, Philipe had gone off and flown away to live another day, that gentle little insect that loved flowers and wouldn't hurt a fly unless provoked. Ah the life of a mosp, Piérre only had to assume or to imagine. Well, he stole a few things from just... around... so that he could fill his pockets with throwable things; a small bottle here, a little beanbag there... just objects that could maybe hurt if thrown hard enough but not enough to ACTUALLY hurt, you know? After all, it would be mean if any of his pranks caused lasting physical scars; that would be cruel, and cruel was not what Piérre was at all.

So it was while as he traveled through the festivities and perused the stalls and observed the things in them, Piérre's keen emerald green eye took notice of a strange glitter that was present in one of the bushes that lined the path to all the different attractions. A curious individual he was, definitely a person what would die were he the cat in such a situation, he did the only logical thing and approached the glittering shine with a traipse in his step and still ignoring the cries of distress from those that he had accidentally bumped into and through in his bid to take note of the most intriguing object before him.

Stooping down to look at it more closely, Piérre took into both hands the delicate crystal phial with the most mysterious portent written upon it. "Make someone else the fool"? Well, that was half of Piérre's intent, anyways. It was his job to be a fool, but it wasn't always his want to make others into one, especially if they couldn't bear the weight of that mantle. Being the jester was not an easy task, sometimes it had violent and dire consequences even with the Jester's Privilege clause in full effect. This was why the boy had quickly become more apt to do his little tricks in secret or by means of the underhanded deeds. Sometimes going out and saying things were only in the best interest of getting himself hurt; they did nothing to change the hearts or the minds of the people that they affected. Those were Piérre's failures, the people that he had not been able to help in that way; when he had instead increased or bolstered their walls or solidified their hardened hearts and minds instead of slowly easing them off, causing them to soften a bit. He had already run into a few individuals of that sort... he was not eager to find more or to cause more to be either hurt by or to become like them if he could help it.

"Make someone else the fool?" Piérre remarked to himself again, rolling the crystal phial with the sulfurous yellow liquid in it between his fingers for a few seconds before happily tucking it into his satchel along with the arsenal of an apple and a lemon (both of which were beginning to make his immediate vicinity smell very good indeed). "Only if they really deserve it... or if they really need to have a brick upside their head." Such a brick he had been planning for months to occur tomorrow. He wanted to make sure that everything was perfect solely based on tonight so that tomorrow could go on without a hitch. What happened tonight really could help to determine what happened tomorrow... he had to make sure all the pieces fell into place, and he couldn't risk a slipup of any sort. "Never a bad idea to have a contingency plan, though. I'll take it; yoink!"

Getting to his feet and brushing off his knees to throw aside the vegetation and the flowers that had clung there to his pantaloons, Piérre took a deep breath of the air around him and then smiled a bit as he calmly left the proceedings from whence he came. After all, his poor cat was probably missing him. He would have to try and not only locate and call Figaro to him, but to then try and determine from his cat where it was that the little party had gotten to and what they had gotten into without him to make sure that they were rounded up all nice and together for him.

With a hum that possessed a distinctive Italian tune to it, Piérre's gossamer hummingbird 'wings' fluttered behind him as he stood before the dark and 'scary' maze. Listening to the whispers and the words that seemed to come from it (perhaps from its wanderers, perhaps from the leaves themselves), Piérre glanced upwards towards the overlooking Grim Reaper and gave him a grin. "I'd like to see you try and catch me, bucko." He taunted the scythe-holding figure before winking and then running into the maze to find his quarry once more...

This time armed with WMDs. Weapons of Mass Delight.

Action: Snatch some Fruit from the Banquet Table & Take the Turbo Farts Potion
Exit the Banquet for the Maze
Beast Master: Figaro Stays with Valentin & Co. in the Maze

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 | 1 Turbo Farts Potion

Interacting with @Qrow Beithir, @Rhys Read and @Azreal Faire

Reducio

So much happened in the next few moments that Nora didn’t understand in the slightest, and probably never would. Something had happened in the maze, something big, before Nora had even arrived. It seemed like Azzy was in the wrong from what she could tell, since they called Qrow an inbred, but Nora could never be sure.

All she knew was that 'Rhys', whose name Nora caught when Azzy's cousin ran over, had come to the Banquet with Azzy, and at some point, Azzy and Qrow had argued which led to Azzy leaving early and... giving Qrow the note? Was it from Azzy? But if it wasn't, how else would Rhys know what Azzy asked of Qrow without it? And if Rhys was Azzy's date, why weren't they there when Azzy called Qrow an inbred?

After Rhys's outburst, Azzy turned from the apologetic date Nora had witnessed to the side of them that she thought Qrow must have seen, "I knew it was jealousy when you seen Qrow with someone else... I deserved every word that just came out of your mouth, Rhys. But I was stupid to think that this night was going to go well... I knew I should have trusted my gut and come up with an excuse to not go with you... I seen the way you look at them Rhys..." They said, and while maybe they were trying to sound apologetic, Nora winced. Didn't they know that was probably the worst thing to say? "Chase after them... Anyone would be lucky to have Qrow!" Azzy finished, and walked back to the castle. Nora noticed that another student running after them, but turned back when Qrow spoke.

"Flower crown-making." They said, "I think we could do with doing something relaxing." Nora agreed. Maybe she didn't know what the hell was going on, but she knew enough to understand that they all needed a break. Qrow took them both by the shoulders, and they headed over to the tents. As they walked, Nora did her best to act unfazed. Those two probably didn't want to have to explain this to anyone, or feel like they have to.

"Oh, I'm terrible at flower crown-making," she joked, hitching up her skirt a bit. It kept catching on the stones. "Do either of you two know how?"

381 words. #420c55.

Actions: Talking to Qrow and Rhys, and heading over to the tents.

Interacting with: @Hunter Argentum
Mentioning: @Monica Evans @Kim Sato as Hiro Bakugo

Making her way out of the wayward maze, with Hunter hopefully following suit or maybe not (Bea hadn't really decided), she stopped just inside the entry to the Banquet. A surprised gasp left her body at the sight before her. It looked like something out of a medieval fairy tale! Flowers and flowers as far as the eye could see down to the Lake covered the lawn expanse and numerous tents were put up for enjoyment. Bea wondered if that was where she could get a drink.

She could see Hunter and her weren't the first to make it out of the maze. People were wandering about, enjoying themselves. Taking small steps further into the area, she could see something of a dance floor. Bea smirked to herself. Wouldn't it be fun to get stand-offish, cold Hunter to enjoy a dance or two? Bea resolved that would be one of the aims of her night. Turning so she could see Hunter, she ended up walking backwards, hoping and praying that others moved out of her way and she didn't bump into anything. She was determined not to have anything go wrong at this ball. She didn't need a repeat of poisonings. Which in hindsight meant she shouldn't have chosen Hunter as her ball partner but all well. Hindsight was a lovely thing, and what they said was true. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.

Comfortable that Hunter was behaving himself, she turned back around, swivelling her head to try and spot Monica. She had said she was going to be here tonight with that Mahoutokoro boy. Bea wasn't sure what to think about him. He had appeared quite disinterested with meeting her when they'd been introduced. Bea hoped with time, and a fresh encounter that they might be able to resolve that awkward first encounter. Her stomach bubbled away though. She wasn't too sure about fixing it though. Something nagged at her that it wasn't going to go right. Her stomach rumbling again, she snorted. Maybe her fears were misguided and her stomach was just hungry. They spent a lot of time figuring the maze out. Bea was ready for some food and a drink. Turning back towards Hunter, she smiled sickly sweet. "Come Hunter! This queen requires sustenance." She didn't wait for Hunter's reply, only strolling off to find the food and drink tent.

Action: Entering the Banquet and going to find food
Open to interactions
Inventory: Wand

There was no certainty in his gaze that peered down on the asp that barely reached his shoulder blades, it was quite surprising that someone so small could really fill a room with her knowingness and astute observations. Harlan could tell even now, perhaps in uncomfort or in her most comfortable setting, she had been reading cues and signals from all of the guests currently at the ball. Now, what was she doing with that information? Harlan couldn’t be so sure.

“ Really seals the deal, we’ll just go on the safe side of things then. And no, not allergic to anything that I know of. ” Gesturing to the table that mostly resembled a charcuterie board, Harlan plucked at various fruits, cheeses, meats, and crackers to create a tray for them to share that were all mostly finger foods. “ Feel free to add anything, I figure the grapes would be the safest choice. ” Letting Caoimhe decide if she wanted her own plate or to add to theirs, he gave her a second before leading her gracefully back to one of the emptier tables in the middle as they would wait for others to settle in for a night.

“ Tell me something about yourself no one knows about you. ” Harlan was known for his directness, a smirk crept onto his lips as he sat up straight in his chair and looked directly into the verdant pools of the Slytherin’s gaze – they were as alluring as they were menacing. He loved the little game this felt like, the adrenaline he got attempting to charm the most potent snake in all of first year.

" bold " for speech, ' italicized ' for thoughts

items - wand
action -charcuterie board + conversation with @Caomihe Kyle
stats ( ency ) :

Reducio

Stamina: 09 Wisdom: 08

Evasion: 07 ArcPower: 02

Strength: 01 Accuracy: 08

@caomihe kyle | wc - 270
notes - n/a

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ROYAL BANQUET
April 21st, 2023
MOD POST TRACKER
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Bathe in Purple and Blue
What was once covered with a beautiful orange hue from the setting sun in the distance had been replaced with a shade of purple and blue as night time soon approaches. The lights from the glowing lilies on the clear and darkened water almost looked like glowing stars spread across the dark skies, lamps coming into life, filling the dim area with a mellow yellow and white light. Music that's being played is starting to slow down, changing into a more soothing melody to match the calm twilight that envelops the grounds of Hogwarts.

A few guests left as soon as they had arrived, the distant sound of the trumpet from the tourney had started calling upon the young knights-to-be, not wanting to miss the opportunity to come out as top knight among the participants. Good luck young knights, a banquet shall be waiting for your glorious return in your duels against the others.

Then again, the Knight's tourney isn't the only thing that's full of activity for the maze seems to be bustling with all the people still finding their way through or simply having the time of their lives looking around in hopes of coming across something unusual. The tall hedges and the shrubberies quiver as if they had just awakened from their slumber, entrance looking quite overgrown but perhaps for an enchanted maze, that would be pretty normal.

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Springs Arrival
The maze seems to be getting a lot of attention as well and despite the efforts and its mystical guidance to those still trapped within, some remained stranded within the evergreen walls. However, there are still those that have emerged from its grasp. @Qrow Beithir had just arrived along with their friend, @Nora De Carie. The flowers bloomed upon their arrival, giving them a warm greeting and perhaps, as a way to congratulate them for being able to get through the mischievous maze. Then soon enough, @Rhys Reed followed. They weren't the only ones that had arrived though for after a while, @Azrael Faire had joined the party, accompanied by others but it seems like they were joined in by an unexpected guest… drama.

Despite the festive mood of the Banquet, there was a dark cloud over this group of friends. The flowers seemed to have gotten a whiff of it and it was like an approaching storm. Some plants crept closer like a bunch of gossipers wanting to get the latest news while some retreated, not a fan of conflicts in the middle of a festive event. Hopefully, this dark cloud will soon pass and that things will be alright between these youngsters.

@Mahlioz Evethisawe had emerged with her new acquaintance that she had come across but their time together didn’t last as her friend left to answer the call of the trumpets as a knight-to-be. Soon enough, she caught sight of the dark clouds looming over a group of friends that she seems to know.

While the maze seems to go on and on, @Beatrice Langstreth has broken through the grasp of the enchanted maze. Hopefully, her friend, or perhaps her enemy wasn’t that far from behind. Surely enough, he won’t leave his ‘Queen for the day’ despite this rough relationship that they seem to have and hopefully, trust will find its way to them. Various treats are present for the Queen to choose from, lined up on tables that match the theme of spring, calling those who might need the extra boost of energy that they’ll need.

Within the Evergreen Walls Once More
Seems like for a certain Jester, one vial was enough of a good find for him and his attention was taken by something else within the maze. With the bottle in hand, @Piérre Marchonné had entered the maze once more, ready to challenge the quivering and rustling verdant walls and the growing shrubberies.

What Lies Beneath the Shrubs
Determination, one of the key points of a Gryffindor and it seems to surface more when one is out to cause some mischief. The plants doesn’t seem that keen on giving out another one of its hidden bounties within them but perhaps it was @Kim Sato’s determination that moved them to show a vial filled with yellow liquid, the words “Laugh Inducing Potion” written on its tag. Or maybe it was because that part of the banquet hasn’t been touched yet. Either way, he had gained another gift from nature so look out to whoever will fall target to the jester.

Reducio

Bot Command: t!roll 1d20+6
[d20 : 18] + 6 = 24 | Success
Bot Command: T!choose Pompion|Turbo Farts|Laugh Inducing
Result: Kim Sato gains a 2nd potion, Laugh Inducing

Dinner at Twilight
One could say that with the approaching twilight, the atmosphere had turned a bit romantic. Purple and blue color mixed with a tint of yellow and white from the lamps enveloped the banquet, perfect for those trying to win the heart of others if one is lucky enough and one falls for the bewitching charm. One such lad, @Harlan Montgomery had used such charm on @Caoimhe Kyle but whether that will work or not is still a mystery.

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For OOC Consideration
Welcome dear travelers to the Spring Court! May your hearts be merry and your bellies full as you step through the Royal Banquet! A few rules to follow, lest you be shunned by the Court.

Reducio

~ You must be indexed (have your name on the list here) to participate in the Ball.

‎~ Each character is allowed one action per round.

~ The Spring Court is separated into two main threads, the Enchanted Maze and the Royal Banquet. For ease of moderation, leaving and entering a thread require a full action. Clearly write if you are entering/leaving, and specify which thread you are entering if moving to the other. This also applies for the newly opened Knight Tourney.

~To access the Royal Banquet, you must enter through the Enchanted Maze. This is the same for leaving, unless you are participating in the Knights Tourney (please specify if you are leaving to participate in the Tourney). The Tourney is adjacent to the Royal Banquet within the Maze.
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~ Food and drinks are provided, however there are potions for use. But you may find these potions are harder to find and prone to hiding after you’ve already gained one... Trick an enemy or a friend and watch the effects. Please write yourself drinking a potion or spiking any of the drinks available to you as a full action per round. There will be a roll for the success of spiking and a roll for the effect of the drink.

~ There are games you can do in the Banquet area. These include Flower Crown Making, Toss a Crown (ring toss but with flower crowns) and Whack-a-Mosp. These are not moderated but there to enhance the Banquet.
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~ The Knights Tourney is a side activity adjacent to the Royal Banquet inside the Maze. Sign ups are here.

~ Moderation posts will occur weekly on Saturdays/Sundays due to time differences.

~Royal Moderators: Raizel Voltrouz & Elsian Cox
please owl one of us if you have questions or an error to point out.

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"Well, I'd say we're matching! You look great."

They matched, and he thought the way they'd chosen to dress up complimented one another's style when side by side. It went without saying they both looked great. Thinking they both looked great was one thing. Opeila telling him he looked great was something else entirely. His eyes widened. “-um.” it took him a few second; then his grin shifted into a soft smile. “I- Thank you.” Alec wasn't used to being complimented. It had happened a few times since he'd joined Hogwarts but Alec couldn't really ever claim that he had gotten used to it. “I would say that you look great but then I would feel like I'm just parroting your words back to you.” It wouldn't stop him from complimenting her, especially when he had thought it before she had spoken. He would just need to have some originality. “You look lovely, Opeila.”

---skipping around a little because there were are certain things I want alec to reply to---

"You know what, I wouldn't even be surprised if that is the mission of some couples here. I imagine being alone in a maze as beautiful as this one is what some would consider highly romantic."

Alec laughed. Opeila wasn't wrong. He could see the appeal for those who were interested in purposely getting lost in the maze. It could be romantic, albeit cliché in the most eye roll causing of ways. Perhaps the fact that it was a cliché added to it. “Ah yes, but getting lost in the maze is very different from 'getting lost' in the maze.”

----
It didn't take long for them to charge into the maze a tackle the challenge. Following the voices of others as Opeila had suggested, the two of them were efficient, and they made it past the maze in no time. The maze was easier than originally thought, but Alec liked to think it was made easier by the fact the two worked well together.

It was a relief to make it past the maze. they were able to make their way through without much trouble. Past the romantic scenery of the maze came the banquet, the space was like something out of book and Alec found it hard not be awestruck by it. “This is so...” Alec sought for the perfect word to describe it and came up empty. Still, he needed something. He breathed in, “-wow.” Alec laughed at his speechlessness when overlooking the banquet and turned to Opeila. “What do you think?” Maybe his holding out for the hope that this ball would go well was a good idea after all. Alec had a good feeling about this one.

It looked as if there was a lot on offer to do, variety was always nice. It was a shame he never often partook in the variety certain balls had on offer, entirely unaware that he was avoiding the variety on offer Alec stuck to the classics of food, drink, and dance. He didn't have preference for new activities or the balls classics, it ended up being how everything panned out. Absentmindedly Alec let out a hum, “see anything that piques your interest?” Alec's head turned to look back eyes wandering. Food and drink, dancing, flower crown making, toss a crown, whack-a-mosp. Alec blinked. Wait. Whack-a-mosp? ...Erm ... was that an old blossom ball reference or completely unintentional? He didn't attend, but he heard what happened, it was hard not to. Was it crude to be... Okay, maybe it was better not to think further into it.

Interactions are closed | @Opeila Winters

Outfit

Reducio

Thought | Said

Zach had arrived at the Royal Banquet. Beautiful flowers adorned the entire venue. The gentle breeze, coupled with the fragrant scent of flowers, added to the ambiance. There were also some beautiful tents and banners. Zach's regret for coming to this place diminished after experiencing the atmosphere.

He entered a tent and saw various pastries available. Everything looked interesting and delicious. He took a platter and selected the pastries that caught his eye the most. Then he searched for an empty seat where there weren't many students to enjoy the pastries he had picked up. After finding one, he sat down and started savoring them one by one.

While enjoying the pastries, he looked around. Some students were talking, some were playing a game, and others were like him, enjoying the available dishes. His mind suddenly wandered to Cassie and how she would handle Tourney. He couldn't fathom how someone could be so active and have so much energy to spare at Hogwarts. Her arrival at the Royal Banquet was not what she had planned or expected, and he hadn't even considered coming. However, asking Cassie for help with his astronomy homework led him to this beautiful place, and he didn't regret it. As he ate a pastry, he thought, "I hope everything goes well."

Mentioning: @Cassie Jiang
Action: Eating the pastries while waiting for Cassie