Closed Royal Banquet Spring Court Ball

The glow of distant candlelight marked Rhys and Nora's arrival to the great lake, with small flower shaped candle jars floating along the cold water glowing warmly amidst the shining silver light of the starry sky above. The waters rippled gently, weak flames flickering. Rhys allowed themself a moment of peace, looking around as they waited for Qrow to make their way back. The area seemed-- no, that can't be right... But yes, it felt.. smaller than before, with the hedges on either side in sight just beyond some trees and flower beds along the lake waters. Rhys shook aside their concerns, instead focusing on the positive, like their mother always reminded them to.

Nothing's going to happen, they chided themself, rolling their eyes at their own paranoia. Yes, they had had a bit of a mishap in the maze, and they'd gotten off to a rocky start, but what mattered was that they were here, and were just as determined as Qrow was to make this night turn around for the better. After all, Rhys mused, picking away some stray twigs from their hair that had remained from their tumble in the maze. How often in one night can things go wrong?

Of course, seconds after they had time to think that, things went wrong.

Rhys watched as the approaching Slytherin was interrupted in their journey down to meet the other two first years at the lake, jumping and narrowly avoiding dropping their armload of stuff as they swiftly dodged out of the way of... something on the ground, near their feet. Rhys squinted, trying to make out what it was, but it was no use, with the darkness, distance, and their own near-sightedness impairing their ability to see clearly.

But Rhys didn't have time to call out to Qrow before the drama appeared to reach them, as well. Distantly, they heard rustling, and turned to see that- the hedge walls were closing in on them?! Rhys shook their head- no, clearly they weren't.. surely-- but, alas, it was true. Just as Burnam Wood advanced toward Dunsinane, the shrubbery around the lake was closing in, quickly cutting the three students off from the outside world. Trapping them at the lake.

Nora was targeted first, pixie shrub roots curling outward from the shallow water towards her feet.
However, the Slytherin was quick to act, and also narrowly dodged the attack.

Rhys was not so lucky. So close to Nora and having failed, the roots were quick to instead latch onto the next closest person. Rhys had no time to get away. Roots were quick to latch and curl around their left foot and pull, causing them to lose their balance as more of the roots joined to crawl up their ankle and lower leg as the hedges closed in closer, pausing as they began to shift into their new found spot and Rhys was forced down onto the ground, their newfound root shackle pulling them across the floor and towards the water as the entrance to the lakeside view shrank and shrank and shrank right before their eyes.

Panicked, Rhys scrambled to find any sort of purchase on the ground, hands reaching and frantically gripping at grass, which only ripped away in clumps as the roots pulled them back further and further.

"Qrow! Nora!" They cried out, turning this way and that to try and deter the roots. They kicked at the roots, but this was no use and only seemed to aid them in getting a firmer grip around Rhys's calf as they were dragged further and further away. If my shoes and dress get ruined because nature decided to abduct me, so help me Merlin...

The dragging eventually came to an end, and Rhys stopped just shy of the hedges. Roots curled closer, keeping them firmly in place and ensuring they had little room to squirm or make an attempt to get away, and flowers and ivy brushed their fingers, which Rhys pulled away, scowling before heaving a deep sigh and crossing their arms.

"This is so homophobic," They grumbled, flicking away a tendril that curled precariously close to their face, as if to caress it.

Nature seemed pretty keen on keeping the young Gryffindor there, and they couldn't help but sneeze a few times as pollen from the flowers stuck to their skin. It was in their hair and eyes, on their face and hands... everywhere, and while Rhys hadn't really known of any allergies prior, their nose was still irritated as a rush of it invaded their sinuses and they had to sneeze in an attempt to expel it. Additionally, their eyes puffed slightly, watering.

"Ugh," They groaned, laying their head down on top of their arms and refraining from wiping their face with their equally pollen-covered hands. Sighing, Rhys shot a glare at the nearest root, which had curled around their upper arm to anchor them in place. Rhys was vaguely aware of the amount of plant growth that continuously weighed them down as Nature worked to make them the latest addition to the side of the hedge, and they squirmed just for the roots to tighten and further keep them in place. "What'd I even do, bestie?" They asked, rhetorically, of course, huffing. What did they have to do to have a good ball experience, with no conflict? This wasn't fair.. they just wanted to make flower crowns with Qrow and Nora. Now, they were adorned with flowers, and trapped by their roots as well. And also likely having a minor allergic reaction. Sneezing again, Rhys shook their head. "This isn't even my aesthetic," They grumbled, resigned as they found a position to lay where they were (relatively) comfortable. Their wand was out of their reach anyways, having been discarded somewhere along their tumultuous journey from the lake to the corner they now were stuck in.

The best they could do was wait on Qrow or Nora... typical damsel in distress situation, only Rhys hardly considered themself to be a damsel, and they were more frustrated than distressed. But the sentiment was the same.

Reducio

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

English | French Word Count: 231

Interacting with: No one Mentioning: No one specific other than her old dorm mate (and best friend) Open to Interactions

Beatrices long gown would swiftly touch the ground with every step she took, yet it did not seem to get dirty. She had finally made it to the actual banquet, there was still no one here that she could really interact with. She felt out of place in the large dress and the crown on her head. Her eyes gazed over the tents, dance floor and food, which did look quite delicious. However, she had been here long enough to know that no food at Hogwarts events was ever save. It was a shame really, as it tasted great but had very unpleasant after effects. Eyeing the various amounts of food Beatrice wondered if there would be anyone here tonight, that she was able to interact with. If not, she would most likely leave early and sit in her empty dorm, missing a very specific curly haired girl. The night had fallen fast and although the sky seemed to have fully darkened with no sun left, there was still plenty of light. Stars sparkled on the sky and a quite large amount of lanterns was spread across the majority of the space that had been decorated for the festivities. Taking the tiara off of her head mindlessly, Beatrice would let it dangle in one of her hands as she watched the crowds. Some people she recognized, some she had never seen. The shadowy sidelines seemed to be Beatrice's place for tonight, a few fireflies accompanying her.

Bea's trunk
Stats&Abilities: | Stamina 6 | Evasion 5 | Strength 6 | Wisdom 7 | Arc Power 5 | Accuracy 6 | Lovely Creature|
Inventory: Wand, Pocket watch.
Free Actions: Finally arriving from the maze, walking around the Banquet, standing on the side lines and watching the crowds.
Moderated Actions: /

OOC Note: If your character is alone (or even if they aren't) feel free to come and talk to Bea, she'll appreciate it

Reducio

I started laughing as Ash added to my joke. “I would protect you,” I didn’t even know why I said it as I never thought about it. It just came out. But I looked at him with a grin. We continued our way through and that’s when we finally made it. I told him how happy I was to be with him. It was true. Something about this lad pulls me to him. Sometimes I want to hold him and never let go. Sometimes I wish we could curl up together outside and watch the stars, similar to the time he asked me to the ball. I felt like I wanted us to just forget about the world and have a night all to ourselves. Perhaps sneak away early and hide in the room of requirement. Maybe I could ask Ash out on a date... if I got the courage. Or for just a casual hang out.

I blushed when he told me to say it again, “I’m so happy to be here with you, Ash. Really, really reaaaally happy,” I repeated, placing my arms on his shoulders and looking in those beautiful blue eyes. “Your eyes are really blue,” again, another comment I made without thinking. I could feel my heart racing as I got lost in the oceanic pool of dreaminess, my own eyes drinking in his captivity.

Out the corner of my eye I spotted Kas and I cleared my throat and moved away, cautiously clasping our hands together once more, claiming the night will be brilliant. I started blushing when he called me dear and I nodded enthusiastically. I turned my attention to Beatrice who was stood by her lonesome. “Hey, can we call her over?” I asked my date. I would love it if we all could spend time together. “Kas! Kas, over here!” I called to her, unsure if she heard me or not. If she did then she could come over and if she didn’t then that’s okay. I have my Ash right now and that’s all I could ever want.

My Ash

NEEDED INFO

Reducio

STATISTICS
Stamina: 5 | Evasion: 6 | Strength: 7
Wisdom: 4 | ArcPower: 4 | Accuracy 4

ON MY PERSON
Just the crown atop my head and my wand that is in a holster attached around my waist.

ACTION
Entering the banquet with Ash, fawning over said amazing human and calling the lovely Kas over

INTERACTING WITH
@Ashley Montez -- X. Next reply is from Ash and is here But also calling @Beatrice Dupont over.

Open to interactions — please owl either one of us (or both) if you wish to

Interacting with @Qrow Beithir and @Rhys Read

Reducio

Not so long after Nora called out, the chaos she'd anticipated began.

It started small: a minor swipe at Qrow. It nearly got them, but they jumped away just in time. However, it didn't go without loss, and they were forced to jump in order to dodge... the vine? Critter? Spell? From her spot near the lake, Nora couldn't quite make out what the thing that was attacking Qrow was. Surely it couldn't be something... unnatural? She shivered at the thought. Wasn't the drama and her falling enough chaos for one night? They didn't need something/someone targeting them as well. Maybe it was nothing, thought Nora as she tried to convince herself. But even she didn’t quite believe it.

Then came the hedges: they crawled from the ground and swaying waters, clawing to meet in the middle. Their goal seemed to be to create a wall-- one that seperated Nora and Rhys from the rest of the banquet. The twisted green plants weren't moving as fast as whatever grabbed at Qrow had, but if Qrow didn't hurry, they would be cut off. Thankfully, they seemed to understand this, and immediately took off. This action cost them their flowers, but they didn't seem to care. Their only goal seemed to be their running, and, oh, were they running fast.

In the midst of the panic, Nora was barely paying attention to her own feet as pixie shrubs curled towards them, aiming to attack and-- She dodged them just in time.

Last for now but not certainly not least, the dejected roots that had previously attempted to latch on to Nora instead aimed for their next target: Rhys. And this time, they were successful. A quick tug around Rhys's foot landed them on the ground, where they were swiftly pulled towards the lake. Nora raced after her friend as they clawed the ground in an attempt to stop what was happening, but it was no use. Finally, the vines stopped, dragging Rhys to a halt near the hedges. Thank god, thought Nora, who was still catching up. After a few more steps, she arrived, assessing the situation.

Unfortunately, it didn't look too optimistic. Rhys was still firmly imprisoned on the ground, and the vines that covered them looked too thick to break through easily. If only she knew the right spell...

"This is so homophobic," grumbled Rhys, inciting a soft chuckle from Nora. "Ugh," they continued as they laid their head down on top of their arms, "What'd I even do, bestie?" Nora just shook her head, still racking her brain for ideas.

Sneezing again, the imprisoned Gryffindor grumbled. "This isn't even my aesthetic."

This time, Nora couldn't help but laugh. Bringing her hand to her mouth, she squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to keep herself from losing it. How could Rhys be this funny in a situation like this? Nora would've been quiet as a mouse. Speaking of which, she wasn't exactly being very helpful right now. To Rhys, it must have just looked like she was standing there, awkwardly, while they being chained to the ground.

"So, um," Nora said as she crouched to Rhys's level, "You okay?" Stupid question, they obviously weren't okay. For goodness sakes, they had just been attacked by a bunch of fucking vines! She tried again: "Any ideas for how I could get you out?"

563 words. #420c55.

Actions: Chasing after Rhys + talking to them.

Outfit

April 21, 2023 - The Spring Court's Royal Banquet

As he and EmmaLee made their way back to the Royal Banquet, he reflected momentarily on her excitement after the Tourney. When she'd handed him the yellow and black flag as a token of her favor because she said it most closely matched his armor, he felt a little heat rise to his cheeks. "Thank you, EmmaLee. This means a lot to me and will always remind me of this night," and of you, he almost added, but quickly thought better of it.

As he reached for the flag, their fingers got tangled with each other's for a second and he nervously laughed a bit before gently grasping it from her delicately small hands. He quickly rolled the flag tightly around the pole handle and stowed it comfortably along the length of his calf, tucked in his boot. "There. Now my hands, and yours, are free for the rest of the evening," and he smiled a self-satisfied smile at her.

It had been nice to have someone there in the stands, rooting for him and encouraging him on as she had done. He discovered that having a date was far superior to attending these things alone. Been there, done that - twice already - and the single pringle thing just wasn't his thing. Being here with EmmaLee was much more engaging.

Much.

The question as to whether it was nicer because he wasn't alone or because he was with her, in particular, was not one he would allow himself to dwell on in the moment. Too much time had been lost to the Tourney already.

He snuck a sideways glance at her as she hooked her arm with his, and let his gaze linger on her as the promise of a dance loomed in their future. "As for our dance, I thought you'd never ask," he teased. I hope you're wearing your dancing shoes, M'Lady, because these" and he pointed both of his index fingers conspicuously down at his footwear, "boots are made for dancing!" and he laughed at the silly song reference.

When they reached the dance area, he gallantly raised his hand and twirled her two times beneath it before releasing her hand and bowing to her. "May I have the pleasure of this dance, Miss LeDames?"

Action: Enters Royal Banquet from Knights' Tourney and requests a dance with EmmaLee LeDames

Ency: All there is to know

Stats: STA: 8 || EVA: 7 || STR: 8 || WIS: 8 || ARC: 5 || ACC: 6

Abilities: Perfectionist 1 || Evasive Maneuvers

ENGLISH || RUSSIAN

Mentions: @EmmaLee LeDames

Just as Bea was answering Monica she felt herself go down. Whether it was because Monica herself had gone tumbling to the ground and decided to take Bea with her, or just sheer clumsiness from Bea herself, the red-head didn't know. What she did know what that her landing was soft. But that wasn't right. They were in the outdoors. Her landing should have been hard as dirt. Literally. Except, as she lay on the ground collecting her thoughts about not spilling the drink she was about to grab and the soft cushioing of her behind, she watched as tendrils snuck around the ground, writhing like snakes in the grass.

Monica seemed to pay them no heed. She seemed set on reaching the bushes, and Bea quizzically scrunched her face. What the-? Following her on all fours, never mind that her dress was getting dirty or that she looked like a fool, she reached the shrubs Monica was looking at. She turned to look at her best friend. She had a look of determination on her face, and Bea could tell it was because of the bushes. "What are we looking for?Did you-" she looked back towards the food and drinks tent, where the plants still were, "did you see the plants? The Ivy was moving!!" She looked again. It had Monica's ankle! Bea grabbed the sneaky vines with her hands, trying to pull them off her friend.

Surely it wasn't a figment of her imagination. The plants were moving. Casting an eye over the rest of the ball, she could see greenery everywhere it was not supposed to be. Had she placed tree there? Those roots weren't there before? Where was the lake? Her head whipped towards the entrance of the Banquet from the Maze. In in the heck was the entrance?? The was none to be seen. Just bushy green trees. Or as much as she could tell in the flickering light. Whipping around back to Monica, Bea bit her bottom lip. Should she tell her best friend? Bea was the more plant friendly of the two, but how was she supposed to tell her friend that there wasn't an entrance anymore. That they were trapped like rats in a cage...

Grabbing her wand from her dress pocket, she held it up and cast the wand lighting charm. "Lumos!" She needed to see the extent of the damage. This flickering torchlight wasn't enough now that darkness prevailed. Panic slid down her spine whilst goosebumps erupted on her skin. This wasn't the plan. This wasn't the plan at all. Were any of the other ball planners here? Did they do something? Did Hunter? It would be just like him to ruin her night, even if they had called a truce. Bea herself had overseen the plants and when she had left that afternoon, she was satisfied with them. What had happened to them in the meantime?? The girl slid a nervous look towards Monica. She gripped Monica's arm, trying to get her attention. "Mon, I think something's wrong. There's- there's no exit!" The words left her in a rush, panic now gripping Bea in its talons.

Interacting with: @Monica Evans
Mentioning: @Hunter Argentum@Raizel Voltrouz @Elsian Cox @Clark Baird @Ashley Montez @Aurora Griffith
Action: Casting Lumos to see the bushes better. Straight up panicking!
Inventory: Wand