The Enchanted Maze Spring Ball '23

Open to Interaction

Jorah felt foolish. Yelling like Mrs. Doubtfire was fun and all, but if someone was in danger, Jorah probably shouldn’t be announcing his presence so easily. Anything could be lurking in here, waiting for another victim. Jorah hoped his imagination was just running wild, that everything was fine, but who was he kidding? If not part-giants, it was spiders, if not spiders, mosps! Jorah pushed on prepared for the worst.

The maze was darker than he had anticipated. The sliver of moon above was blocked by the towering hedges. Jorah pulled his wand out from his robe's pocket. He concentrated and commanded, "Lumos!" Successful or not, Jorah would make his way through the maze in search of the shriek he heard. Jorah knew that the secret to traversing a maze was patience. Fear was the enemy. After multiple dead-ends, it would be easy to feel trapped and panic. A sense of claustrophobia, feeling that the walls were closing in on you was an ever-present threat. The trick was to keep moving forward, one step at a time. Jorah hurried on as quickly as he could. He tried his best to avoid running headfirst into the walls of the maze. After several minutes of exploring, he was officially lost. He had gotten so turned about that he couldn’t tell from which direction the shriek had come from. Where are you?, he thought. As if answering his query, Jorah saw red sparks flying up into the air. Gotcha!

Action: Casting Lumos and heading in the direction of the red sparks

Reducio

Stats:
Stamina: 10 || Evasion: 10 || Strength: 15 || Wisdom: 5 || Arcane Power: 1 || Accuracy: 13 (+ 3)

Broom:
Nimbus 1500 (Ricochet)

Abilities:
Broken Broomshaft 25% chance to shatter broom on bludger hit
Evasive Maneuvers 10% auto-dodge chance
The Muggle Condition +3 accuracy roll on non-magical attacks and actions.
Obnoxiously Strong +15% strength

metamorphmagus

Date 04/21/23 | Location the maze | Actions attempting to cast incendio

stamina • 5 | evasion • 5 | strength • 5 | wisdom • 5 | arcane-power • 5 | accuracy • 5

Ava‘ s time with the maze wall had come to an end.
Through Ava’s closed eyelids, she could see a spark of red go up into the sky. As quickly as the spell had been shot, her eyes popped open. What was it her professor’s had said? She racked her brain, wishing she could remember things when the it was really important.

Red sparks to signal danger, green to signal where you are. No, but that wasn’t completely right. Red sparks to signal immediate danger. She realized what those sparks had meant. Someone was in immediate danger. She could help them--but she would have to reach them first. And to reach them, she would have to enter the treacheries of the maze.

Wasn’t this meant to be a school celebration? Not some crazy scare-the-socks-off-your-feet thing? She muttered a curse under her breath, having intended to hang out with some friends during the night, be it in a book or in real life. Now, she would be running through the maze in an attempt to save whoever had cast this red spark.

The slytherin girl turned to head into the maze, but soon realized the entrances were closed. When had they closed? Why would the organizers of this event have closed to maze? Unless…it wasn’t the organizers at all. It seemed the maze had a mind of its own.

While the most convenient route through the hedges had disappeared, she wasn’t going to give up because of a few vines. She held up her wand and considered. Incendio may work…but it may also spread through the entire maze and trap people inside of an inferno. So long as she didn’t cast incendio duo, it couldn’t be too terrible of a blaze. She would just have to keep her wand at hand in preparation to cast extinguishing spell.

She weighed it in her head. Should she cast the spell and risk the entire maze setting aflame? But that red spark -- she had to. She waved her wand, using the wand movement she remembered and muttered the incantation under her breath. “Incendio.” She held her breath, awaiting the spells success -- or failure…

¤ 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 ¤

¤ | Ω | ¤

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

There was nothing left for us to do here. All that had transpired had done nothing but left bitter tastes in all of our mouths, left us in a situation where there was no going back and only a very shaky and dangerous way before us. Yet, when there was only one path ahead, one could only do everything in one's power to keep walking forward bravely and with the bravery to either withstand, overcome, or to roll with the adversities that came with it. In this case, in this moment, the only thing left to do was to quietly resign and to retreat. The battle had been adjourned, the festivities entirely vanished from my perspective of intrigue. It would be better, this time, to do the same thing I had wanted to do the last time I had attended the ball here in the fall; to go back to the Durmstrang cabins and to spend the night curled up with a good book and with a small fire in either the fire pit or perhaps by candlelight.

This was especially tempting to me now that I remembered the outcome of the previous ball, a celebration which had caused the creation of my most recent scarification and had also resulted in nothing less but the disaster of the ball itself. This was before I had known that my brother was the one helping to run it, but even after learning that fact... well... I couldn't say that I had been totally thrilled to go to this one to begin with. Everything that had happened among our group, well in my ability to handle a situation, had only proven that I was incapable and incompetent, and that I likely should have followed my gut instinct and simply refused or politely declined to come.

Still holding Valentin's wand in hand, I more widely observed our group again, pulling my shoulders back and raising my chin slightly in an attempt to restore some inner well of confidence again. After being shaken up, after shaking others up, it was the least I could do to at least act like I had my shit together. "Well." I said calmly with almost a musing of disinterest. "This has been an eventful night." What else was there to say, really? What could I say that didn't immediately sound either condescending or oblivious? "Lots of revelations for everyone, I'm sure. I'm quite finished with this party, and I suspect that I'm wanted no longer. No need for me to further dampen your moods." A small smile, an attempt to be friendly.

May as well make my farewells, as I turned Valentin's poor wand in both my hands. I was sure that I could fix it... I was very certain that I could at least do some research on it, discover what made it tick and if there was a way to draw it back out of it's little funk of a condition. Because of this, I glanced to Valentin first, withdrawn and seemingly in one of his states of turmoil. I didn't want this. I really, truly, did not want this for him. He didn't deserve this, he deserved much better than being reduced to this state of spiral. "Valentin?" I tried to speak softly to draw him out of his reverie. "Valentin, I'm going to take your wand with me. It doesn't look very happy right now, but I'd like to see if it's possible that either I or Greta could take a look at it and see if it's possible for us to fix." Greta the little wandmaker... I was more than certain that if anyone could have the answers to this, it would be her; parents being knowledgeable firsthand with such a subject as this. "It's..."

It's the least I could do.

Awkwardly trailing off from the sentence, I offered my regards to everyone else. "Thank you for being here. It was good to see all of you; especially you, Maila. I hope to see you around more often."

So saying all of this and taking a first step to leave, I paused and then placed Valentin's wand in the same wand holster that held my own implement on the inside of my armor shell. There was one other. One other, as I retrieved the scutum from the earth. ‘If you wish to be loved, love…’

"Ginyami." I didn't even look at him, but my fingers curled ever so slightly. After a moment, I looked back at him to see if he was paying attention. I jerked my head towards a small turn in the hedge, close enough to return to the group but far enough away so as to ensure that we wouldn't be immediately overheard. "Walk with me." It was almost a command, but mostly a request. I did need to speak to him, after all. I did need to talk to him, especially over this entire debacle.

If Ginyami Accompanies:

Reducio

Noticing that Ginyami followed behind as I led the way to the hedge turn, I waited behind it until he also turned the corner. Poise non-threatening, I was not ready to do anything unpredictable. I really did simply want to have a conversation with him; to speak to him about the state of the matter.

When a moment of pause had come between us, I glanced away from him and towards the inscrutable hedge maze. I could only hope that our words would alone only be heard by the hedges themselves; that unliving plant matter which seemed to enjoy whispering to itself and its inhabitants. If it did like to repeat the words it had heard, then let it whisper to itself and to others that would never take the tongue of plants seriously.

Midas has ass' ears! Midas has ass' ears!

"I don't know everything, but I like to imagine that I have at least some sort of ability to sense the undercurrents of a relationship if I observe it for long enough." I began, leading into what would be the bulk of my small diatribe. I wasn't a fool, and though I didn't know everything I certainly did know what little with a sense of ironclad confidence. "I have enough perception to tell by body language and your little... slipups... that while jealousy does not become you, it quite likes to rear its ugly head. Particularly when I seem to be around you in general." It wasn't that difficult to tell that my presence alone was enough to invoke immediate displeasure from the former way that the Mahoutakoro student held himself and how he conducted his matters. I chafed on him just as much as he chafed on me; it was natural. But... "Especially when I try speak with Valentin."

Here my eyes softened. "I'll not judge the nature of your relationship. I won't try to guess at it either. However-" I spoke quickly, attempting to cut Ginyami off before he could elaborate on that fact. I wasn't interested in hearing it either. "However. Regardless of your relationship, of my relationship; it is a relationship and I will maintain it and be the role of the good friend to him no matter what." And here was where I started to come to my purpose. "This includes ensuring that no harm befalls him; physically, spiritually, mentally, or emotionally to the best of my abilities. I do not hate you, I do not like you much either; but you are one of Valentin's friends. Perhaps even more."

Every sentence raked another line of blades. "I don't know if I can be everything for him that he wants." I confessed again. "If I did love him, I could never have him. If he loves me, I don't know how to reciprocate without denying everything else I've believed in my entire life. What I know to be true and what I know I cannot change." Without lying to myself. Without committing acts that would lead to nothing but evil that I had been taught and that I understood simply by merit of my beliefs and my upbringing. I did believe it was a sin. I did believe that.

But it didn't prevent it from continuing to rage like a hurricane. They did say, I supposed, that not all crosses were easy to bear. "I want him to be happy, like I know he wants me to be happy. That's what he wants most; to give happiness to others and to ensure that he keeps giving and giving and giving, up until the day he dies if he could." I stopped, breathing deeply again and trying to prevent myself from becoming too invested. "But he deserves happiness as well. He deserves it, even if I disagree with it and even if I know it's wrong..."

If I could work my will, we could continue to be friends, and I could perhaps find a way to ensure that no matter what could happen during our tenure of life we would be able to run into each other again in the next one. A place where relationships, or the nature of them, no longer mattered. To simply be.

“So, if you think you’re good enough for him, if you think for a moment that you can give him that happiness; not surface level and pithy emotion that dies as the years drag on, but true and boundless and immortal love that goes beyond the body and beyond the heart and the mind and any other kind of measurement that we as mortals can only dream to quantize… then please, make him happy.” I glared at Ginyami again, my voice crescendoing until I made my thesis. “But.” I warned, my voice turning subtly threatening. None of this was a joke, none of this was a game to me, especially not a game of my own emotions that I held near and dear to my heart. “If you hurt him–if you dare to hurt him and I just so happen to catch wind of the things that you did to hurt him–because I’m damned if I wanted him for myself… I will kill you; and Hell in all of its insufferable grandeur will be damned for all eternity before I experience even a moment of it myself.”

I let my words hang in the air, filtering into nothingness and letting its total meanings lay down upon its listener like the morning dew upon the ground. This was not a threat. This was an oath.

I did not break or steer away from oaths. My yes meant yes, my no meant no.

And my promises were always kept; anything more or less came from the Devil himself.

“I assume that I’m making myself especially clear.” I spoke softly, unwavering from his dark eyes as if to affirm every syllable of every word that I had said previously. “You know the risks. You’re clever; intelligent. From now on, the consequences of your actions have only yourself to blame.”

Nodding slowly, I lifted the shield onto my arm again and regarded the samurai for one last time. “Good night, Ginyami.”

And with that, I breezed my way out of the vicinity.

If Ginyami Stays Behind:

Reducio

Safety in numbers worked in multiple ways, but regardless of the number of people, regardless of the presence of Valentin himself, at least one thing I had to make abundantly clear as everyone else collected themselves once again. Perhaps they would continue to enjoy the night, perhaps they would be able to move on from this confrontation and the things that had transpired here. Perhaps that was for the better; good for them to be able to enjoy the night and carry with them such an optimistic viewpoint and continual mirth. They possessed a nature that I simply didn’t have, overthinker that I was. Blessing and curse both ways, assuredly.

Lifting my chin towards Ginyami as he refused to take my polite invitation for a conversation. He was entitled to it, naturally. I was simply disappointed that he was distrustful of me enough to not even permit me the audience that I requested. Distrustful, maybe. Perhaps he didn’t feel like it. Or perhaps this was another power play to be performed in the sights of Valentin. Everything was a game of sociality, sociology in action as man interacted with his peers. Some played the game, some played along, and some cheated. I didn’t care how Ginyami viewed the game. That was not important. It was my message that was.

“Fine. Continue to enjoy your night by all means. I applaud you for it.” I readjusted the shield on my arm, halfway between the group and the closest turn of the hedge so that I could make an exit when I needed to. I was not one for drama, so I would keep it short, sweet, and equal parts serious and oathful. “If this is what is in store for both of us, so be it. If Valentin loves you, and if you love Valentin–truly love him–then I will not stand between you two. He’s all yours if you believe you deserve him for every brilliant thing that he is and that he will one day be, because I’m damned if I did myself. But,” I warned, my hand tightening slightly on the pommel of the peace-tied Italian Longsword. “if you hurt him–if you dare to hurt him–I will kill you; Hell be damned for eternity before I suffer so much as a burn from a single ember.” Despite myself, I could not help a small spitting of my last words with the forces of my conviction.

If Ginyami dared to harm Valentin, he was no better off than a deceased man condemned. My oaths were my oaths; I neither made them more or less and made them neither in the name of God, in the name of heaven, in the name of the Earth or the Netherworld beneath it, nor even upon my name (something so fleeting and meaningless if looked upon from an external and eternal eye). It was an oath made on the very nature of truth and lie; a vow that dug its foundations into the very things that made the very word ‘yes’ mean ‘yes’ and ‘no’, ‘no’. It was the promise laid on the honor of the nature of a promise and the will of the one who followed through upon it.

This was my oath. It was the least I could do.

Affairs in order, I was finished with the festivities. I would find my way out of here; by force or by guile or by wit. None of it mattered. If needed, I would even cast aggressive spells the likes of Diffindo or Incendio Duo to cut away the hedge matter and to make my exit. I needed to take a walk, a nice and long walk to clear my mind. Valentin's wand in my possession, I had work to do tonight... but I also had a lot to think about.

Lots and lots to think about.

Action: Exiting the Maze (Leaving the Ball) | Casting Diffindo if Needed

All Potential Godmods of Valentin Permitted by User

Reducio

Stats:

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

Roleplaying as Ginyami Midorimori from Mahoutokoro
"English | Japanese"

Just as Slava came up to Valentin to express his deep feelings for his friend, so too did Amina. And, also like Slava, she chose to leave the group shortly after, perhaps also having grown uneasy with the intense atmosphere and situation that had built around the seeker. Still, she paused before she left to bow and bid the group farewell, stating it was a pleasure and that she hoped to see them at the banquet. Ginyami hoped so, too. Amina was certainly the sort of free-spirited person he thought would be fun to get to know better.

"See you later," he told her, bowing back as he watched her go. He was sure he would eventually one way or another. In the meantime, there were other matters and people to attend to. What Ginyami recognized as puffapod spores had started drifting in on the night breeze and he didn't think they needed the resulting dizziness on top of everything else that had already happened to them. And something else came wafting toward their group as well - something that smelled particularly horrible. What was that? It wasn't from any plant Ginyami knew of.

Eager to get rid of both the puffapod spores and the nasty scent in the air, the Mahoutokoro student wrinkled his nose and raised his wand again. "Ventus," he spoke, hoping to blow both the odor and dizzying spores far away. Only time would tell if he was successful or not. Until then, he would try not to breathe in too deeply. He turned back toward the others, checking to make sure none of them were acting light-headed or otherwise affected by whatever was polluting their oxygen.

Romeo spoke up, commenting on how it had been an eventful night. He went on to say he was finished with the party and that he suspected he was no longer wanted. Ginyami's brow creased. Was he planning to leave, too? It certainly sounded that way when Romeo mentioned there was 'no need for him to further dampen their moods'. But Ginyami didn't want him to go. There was still much he had to say to him; much he still had to ask. He watched as Romeo turned to Valentin and gently tried get his attention, explaining that he was going to take his wand with him to see if he or someone named Greta could try to fix it. There had to be some way to get Romeo to stay at least a little longer.

He was saying his goodbyes to everyone and putting away the miscreant of a wand as Ginyami tried to think when suddenly he spoke the Japanese boy's name. The samurai lifted his head, startled slightly, as he hadn't expected to be called by the Roman soldier. What followed was an order to walk with him, though it was by no means forceful. Ginyami suspected he could have turned it down if he so chose. But why would he when the very opportunity he had been seeking dropped right into his lap?

"I'll be back soon, Valya," he told the frost captain with another quick, affectionate kiss atop his hand if he would allow it. Then Ginyami let him go and took long strides to close the distance between himself and Romeo. The other fourth year had already moved toward the small turn in the hedge that he had indicated where they could talk without too much fear of eavesdroppers.

Once Ginyami had caught up, he appraised the quidditch beater with a long look, curious as to what he had to say. He knew he had plenty to say himself, but as Romeo had been the one to invite him for a conversation, Ginyami thought it was only good manners to allow him to speak first. He followed Romeo's gaze to the strange hedge that made up the wall of the maze and suddenly wondered if it could understand them. If it had spoken before, as Amina had suggested, why wouldn't it have been able to hear as well?

Regardless, Romeo began to talk. Ginyami listened earnestly, putting away his wand and clasping his hands behind his back as he did so. He couldn't help a small, wry smile when Romeo mentioned his 'slip-ups' and jealousy. "...Yes, I hope you will pardon that. I'm still not quite used to the emotion. Jealousy, that is," he commented, studying the ground. "There haven't really been many people that I've considered much of a threat until you." He looked up, still smiling. "Then again, I suppose I haven't really had much that could be threatened until now, either."

He studied those bright blue eyes when his peer said he would not judge the nature of Ginyami's and Valentin's relationship. That he, Romeo, would maintain his own relationship with Valentin and play the role of being a good friend to him no matter what. He went on to explain what it entailed and then that he didn't hate Ginyami, but he didn't like him much either. That still, he was one of Valentin's friends and perhaps even more.

It was what came after that had Ginyami wanting to inturrupt, though. That Romeo didn't know if he could be everything for Valentin that he wanted and that if he did love him, he could never have him. There, the Japanese boy's smile dissipated, replaced by a look of confused, corrugated brows and a thin-lipped line of a mouth. "To deny everything you have believed in your entire life takes courage and strength, it's true," he said, "But aren't some things worth it to endure such a change in perspective?" He cocked his head slightly. "Aren't most things changable if you really try?"

He fell silent again when the brunet talked about how he wanted Valentin to be happy just as the seeker wanted others to be happy. That he would keep giving and giving up until the day he died if he could...that was something they both agreed on. So too was the idea that Valentin deserved happiness as well. But what, exactly, Romeo disagreed with regarding Valentin's happiness and what he thought was wrong puzzled Ginyami. "You disagree that he should be happy? What's wrong about him deserving happiness?" It wasn't that he didn't have his suspicions, but he didn't like the lack of clarification and the ambiguity surrounding the matter. He wanted to hear it straight from Romeo and to get that kind of confirmation sometimes required playing dumber than one actually was.

Ginyami continued to hear Romeo out with a calm, nearly featureless expression, unchanging even when he was glared at and threatened. "My dear Romeo," he said a few moments after the warrior's words hung in the air, "how could I possibly hurt him any worse than you already have? And twice, no less."

Then his brows narrowed. "I consider myself to be a fairly amicable person, you know. Even if I dislike someone, I generally go out of my way to befriend people and make myself easy to get along with. So did you ever consider the idea that maybe I've been acting the way I have toward you since we met not because I've been jealous, but because I know what you did to Valentin's poor heart?"

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, dark voids of eyes closing. "You are not the only one who wants him to be happy. Who cares for his well-being. But his feelings for you only make him that much more vulnerable to your transgressions so that the more he cares, the more you have the power to hurt him. You know that, yet you said what you did tonight in as blunt and brutal a way as possible. Why?" His narrow fox eyes opened again as slits. "You obviously care about him. So why would you tear him down like that?"

He sighed and unclasped his hands from behind his back. "You assume you're making yourself especially clear, but you assume wrongly. There is so much I don't understand about you," Ginyami confessed, but he didn't know if Romeo cared that he wanted to understand. Perhaps the beater even preferred he continue to remain in the dark about him.

If he left without answering any of the Japanese student's questions, Ginyami would simply return to Valentin's side.

Action: Using the Wind Charm to try to blow the puffapod spores and the smell of Pierre's Turbo Farts Potion away
Free Action(s): Listening and talking to Romeo
Interacting with: Valentin Schnell (@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood), Maila Aurora Laine (@Beatrice Dupont), Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky (@Ruby Cazares), Romeo Giovanni Marchonné (@Piérre Marchonné), and Amina Petrovic (@Ileen Knight)

Open to Interactions

Post Tracker: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]

Amina’s words were the first to soothe Valentin’s pain. He couldn’t have agreed more, that there was no such thing as “wrong” love. The hopeless romantic seeker knew of nothing more pure than love in any of its colorful forms. Amina’s words about always loving him and being her best friend were the sort of words he’d longed to hear expressed aloud for years on end. Yet, all he could do was nod, and with a scorched wince he felt his hand be taken – though all too briefly. A momentary smile flickered on and off as quickly as the flight of a startled bird.

Still, Ginyami had pulled his hand away because Slava came forward to give Valentin a hug, which he accepted with gratitude. Nothing spoke to the seeker quite as clearly as physical communication, and so he returned the embrace just as warmly. It was, in fact, in such desperate times that he needed such affection the most. Still, what was even better was touch paired with verbal explanation, which Slava also kindly gave. Choking back the tears, Valentin found he couldn’t even find the words to give back to the glitter king. The seeker would have to tell him of his gratitude and reciprocated feelings another time. Amina also joined in to make it a group hug, but it seemed she was also ready to go. Nodding to indicate that Slava and Amina could freely depart, Valentin turned away, only for Ginyami to catch his hand again.

"Valya...that was a stupid thing to do."

The white seeker’s eyelashes fluttered, but the warmth preceding a smile glowed across his cheeks. He loved being spoken to with such undiluted honesty. This was exactly the kind of thing he had wanted from others for years and rarely gotten: a proper, unsolicited attempt to engage with his affairs. Only with someone else tearing down Valentin’s unseen weaknesses could the captain hope to transcend his self limitations.

"I don't understand how you think it's alright to keep putting yourself in danger but it isn't alright for others do the same for your sake. Isn't that being a little hypocritical?"

Valentin shook his head, wanting to say that it was because he was the one responsible for the danger in the first place. Yet, he did want Ginyami to push his limits, as Val had always said. Remaining silent, the pale boy considered his words a second time before his mouth dropped open. Eyes widening, Valentin felt Ginyami raise his seeking hand to his lips in a kiss. Instantly, red hot flush poured over Val's face. Shutting his mouth again, tears squeezed out of his eyes. He was a little happy, and very confused. There was nothing more the seeker wanted than a proper relationship, even more than victory at the games that he trained himself and others so hard for. Was Ginyami simply flirting again, or did he intend to take things further?

It wasn’t long after that Romeo asked Ginyami to take a walk with him. Valentin observed that #4 was trying to get some distance to speak in private, and so he would respectfully wait behind out of earshot. When they returned, all Val could do was try to read their faces about what had transpired between them, but he couldn’t even summon a guess. Neither of them seemed worse for wear physically, at least. Only a moment later and Romeo was gone.

A nasty stink and a spore-filled waft wrinkled Val’s nose, but Ginyami would soon attempt to cast the foul air away. Valentin tipped his head gratefully, not only having no wand with which to attempt the same, but no trust in himself to even attempt to use magic. Still, if anyone should be looking after the damn stick it should be his aspiring wandmaker co-captain.

With Romeo, Slava, and Amina [presumably] gone, Valentin was glad that at least Ginyami had returned to his side. Few things tormented Val as much as being alone, especially at times like this. Still, with the party clearing out and the dark hedge threatening to close in around people, the captain still wanted to be responsible.

“Ginyami, I want to talk with you, please. First, though, I… I did fly Maila in on my broom and I should offer it to her again as a way out. My head hurts, too. This was… difficult. Can I meet you again… and talk… and just hear your voice…?” Left hand bracing against his temple, Valentin’s exhaustion and agony were palpable. The last thing he wanted was to be alone, but… “If you need a way out, I can come back to grab you, too. I just…” Leaning to one side as he sank his weight into his broom, the cracks in the Frost Captain’s face showed a clear need to sleep. “Maila, would you accompany me back to the cabins, please? It has been so wonderful to have you here with us. I'm afraid there's not much to do here, however...”

If the younger Durmstrang accepted, Valentin would honor his word and safely fly her back to her cabin. Similarly, he’d do the same for Ginyami next if so requested.

@Beatrice Dupont (Maila), @Jack Burnett (Ginyami), @Piérre Marchonné (Romeo), @Ileen Knight (Amina), Ruby Cazares (Slava)

Action: Leaving the thread and helping whomever needs a flight out along the way

⦾ 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

Though not totally sure of the results of his little toss of the phial, Piérre was more interested in the drama that concerned its focal point with the actions of his own brother, Valentin, and Ginyami. The longer he watched, particularly as he watched his brother slowly crack under the duresses of a social situation such as the likes of this, the more Piérre marveled and marveled as to what it was that could have reduced his twin to this state. Just how much had the boy missed, he had to wonder. After all, for all Piérre knew, the little ‘potion vial’ had only been a dud. He really had no way of knowing if it was totally effective for anything else other than the most brief “bangs and smells” aspect of trickery. Wouldn’t have been the first time that he had partaken of such mischief, though admittedly he wasn’t totally fond of it simply because it had a harder time garnering for itself the more ‘intimate’ nature of the con.

It was less fun if it was a hit-and-run sort of prank, if that made any sense…

But it was what was happening between his brother and the foreign student, including a short turning about a corner to offer them some privacy, that had the wheels in Piérre’s head turning more and more. As Figaro let out a small cracking meow that encouraged the boy to hush his familiar to avoid blowing his cover, Piérre observed Valentin and his other friends attempting to… comfort him?

Piérre’s eyes softened. What had happened here?

He and Valentin had spoken together a few days ago, Piérre knew of the spirit that the boy had within him, the convictions of his beliefs and the ranges of his indescribable emotions that were present only in the most fantastical of wordplay. What had happened here could have been something as little as having a small moment of confusion to a misstep or a drama of the most admirable degree. Either way, as an empath himself, Piérre knew that emotions could sink just as low as the Mariana trench just as much as it could soar above the peaks of Everest. Whatever had happened, whatever was going on… if it involved his brother then Piérre had to act quickly. He had to make sure that no more confusion could be had.

Piérre had to initiate Operation Wingman as soon as humanly possible. Thank God it would not come a day too late.

With a tight exhale through pursed lips, Piérre tapped his chin lightly as his brows creased in thought. Around his shoulders, Figaro continued to purr as Piérre’s free hand continued to stroke the slightly striped head of the feline. Marveling to himself, and yet trying to prevent himself from leaping out of the woodwork at the very moment that he spotted Ginyami returning and the flicker of his brother starting to make movements to leave, Piérre tried his best to stalk out of his prior hiding place and creep about on the edges of the area so that he too could follow after his twin.

Nose wrinkling as a bitter scent worked its way into his osmic system, Piérre battled against a small sense of topsy-turviness that came from even so much as navigating even his most immediate surroundings. Well, that did not bode well for what was likely to come next. Being unable to properly perceive one's surroundings usually implied that there was something off in the situation, off enough to incur at least a small sensation of unease and potential danger somewhere within the situation. No, Piérre didn't like this feeling at all... something about it simply set his 'spidey-sense' off, if you would.

As he continued to skirt the edge, Piérre couldn't help but notice just how brash the Asiatic student was being with his affections towards Valentin. Though he was but a watcher, Piérre felt a bit of righteous jealousy bubbling up in his chest. Oh no. No, no, no. This was not how the night was going to end. He couldn't allow it, not in the slightest. He was going to follow his brother out, just like any 'close observer' did, but before he left entirely he was going to send a message to this overzealous and impetuous attempt of a 'suitor'.

What else was a Jester for, after all, but for reminding the world of its place?

Crouched on the opposite side of the clearing where his brother had stalked down, Piérre slowly removed one of the silky black fingerless gloves from his right hand and flipped it right way out again as he fixed his emerald green eyes on the darkened ones of the Mahoutokoro boy. Tipping his head with curiosity as he lightly stuck his tongue out in faux concentration, Piérre whipped the glove by his side and by the "palm" of the glvoe itself to gather some momentum before gracefully slashing it through the air over his perception of Ginyami's face. By the magically enchanted nature of the glove, if Ginyami was indeed within 50 feet of wherever Piérre was continuing to stay unseen, the Japanese boy would feel a sting across one of his cheeks, as if he had been struck by the fingers of a silk glove akin to how noblemen challenged one another in the medieval era. It would not be enough to harm the boy physically, but it would smart just as much as a slap usually did; especially since it would seem to have come from nowhere in particular. Maybe, if the shot had been good enough, it would leave a reddish mark in the shape of fingerprints that would fade away over the course of 5 minutes or so (like a slap usually does).

Either way, it was more than likely that if Valentin was observative he would recognize this... unusual MO. He had seen it before, after all...

Such breaching of his stealth would likely be noticed, as the boy murmured to himself "Serves you right, you pazzo! Crazy", a shuddering of bushes in one direction in particular as a Piérre started to run as quickly as he could without slowing down or tripping. He had to find his brother, but he certainly trusted his light feet and superior speed to catch up to what he knew was a typical lumbering pace for his much taller and broader brother. Romeo would have a little shadow at his heels, though it was likely that in the midst of his thoughts and frustrations over this and that he wouldn't think to look behind him and observe the little puck that was tailing and keeping pace with a feline that was wrapped about both shoulders.

Romeo was in safe hands as he would try to get out of the maze, as Piérre watched his back for him. Just as all symbiotic relationships worked, too, Romeo would unwittingly lead Piérre out of the maze; their courses would diverge the moment that they both stepped out moments after each other. Romeo would head for the Durmstrang cabins, and Piérre himself would make a bolt for the castle.

It was go time now. He couldn't afford to wait any longer to set his plans into motion.

Tomorrow was Operation Wingman.

Action: Stalk Romeo Out of the Maze (Exiting)
Free Action: "Slap" Ginyami with Gentleman's Slapping Glove (Item & Description in Items)
Beast Master: Being a Stole

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

Roleplaying as Maila Aurora Laine

^{•Date• 21 April 2023
•Location• Hogwarts, Grounds}

+Red Converse

• • • • •

• • • •Finnish •Swedish •Russian •English • • •

•Word Count• 844 •| Valentin Schnell | Ginyami Midorimori | Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky | Romeo Giovanni Marchonné | Amina Petrovic | @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood • @Jack Burnett • @Ruby Cazares • @Piérre Marchonné • @Ileen Knight •|• Open to Interactions |•

• • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Valentin had not been Mailas friend for long and yet they seemed to understand each other quite well without words sometimes. She gave the older boy a comforting smile as he thanked her for her words, however, everything else that he said about his father and how Valentin felt, seemed to tear some feelings loose that she immediately tried to burry again. Besides her own Father issues, Maila thought about what Valentin must have been through to talk like this. To feel like this. Once again the young student understood that she did not really have anything in common with these people and that she was a child compared to them. She knew that she was and even though she did not behave like some others that she knew, Maila was still a child and did not really understand things like this yet. The white haired boy draped his hand over hers with a smile and Maila smiled back. Hopefully this evening would soon turn for the better, as she was still quite exited for the Banquet and still wanted to attend. Whether it was with the older students or not. They seemed to have their own problems, in their own friend group and Maila understood that she had no part in this. She did not want a part in this. It seemed so incredibly complicated. Of course, if Valentin ever decided to, she would listen to anything he wanted to share and she would do what friends do. Radiate comfort, try to understand and help him through it.

For now however, she would retread with a smile and take a step away from the three boys that continued to talk and speak their minds. Maila fell silent and just watched the conversation as Vyacheslav and Amina seemed to do as well. There appeared to be somewhat of a love triangle.. or a fight.. going on between the three. Mailas eyes followed the battle of feelings from one to the other, mindlessly fiddling with one of the stones on her dark blue dress. Valentin was in love. But in love with who..? It wasn't quite clear to Maila for a few more moments but then it clicked. Yet there would be no happy end in this apparently. Her eyes flickered between people until they stopped on Romeo. Her eyebrows furrowed together. Love had nothing to do with Religion. Maila nodded at Amina's words. Love is love. Valentin was visibly upset and everyone else seemed to be trying to get out their last words. Romeo took Valentin's wand because the boy had been holding it so tightly that it looked like it would hurt, Slave and Amina hugged Valentin and said their goodbyes and suddenly it was just Valentin and Maila. She had spoken her quick goodbyes to those who had left and send an especially bright smile to Amina, who she hoped to meet again.

Now Romeo and Ginyami had left for a talk and Amina and Slava went to find the actual banquet. Maila kicked a stone from the floor, looking everywhere but at the boy in front of her. She puffed out a breath between her lips. „Are you okay?” she asked then, her voice rather silent. It was up to Valentin if he wanted to answer to this question or not. Ginyami was back soon and Valentin seemed to be in the mood to leave. Which was understandable. A weird smell that left a dizzy feeling in Maila, had made it's way through the maze which was one more reason to finally get out of here. Valentin looked tired and Maila listened to his words carefully. He wanted to fly her back to the cabins but Maila was unsure if she wanted that. She bit her bottom lip, looking up at the stars before looking back down again. „You know..” her voice trailed off. „Valentin I can see that you need a bit of sleep or a break,” she said, „But I for one would prefer to go to the banquet. This does not mean that I need you to come with me. Feel free to take Ginyami back and go to sleep, by all means, I am good to go on my own.” Maila smiled at the boy brightly. „It was nice being here with you and your friends and I really appreciate that you took me here, thank you.” She took a quick step forward and gave Valentin a short hug, feeling as if he might need it. Then she let go again. However, Maila did not leave yet. She was far to occupied with what was making her feel this dizziness. Where was this awful.. what even was this..?.. coming from? Her eyes fell onto a plant that seemed to be producing the gas. It was so dark that she could not really see if this thing was really the problem. Lifting her wand, Maila spoke „Lumos”. If it worked, she would soon see what was causing this but if not, she would be left in the dark.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Actions: Being a Mess because her writer can't sort her thoughts, telling Valentin it's okay if he wants to leave with Ginyami since she wants to go to the Banquet anyway.
Moderated Actions: Attempting to Cast Lumos
Stats: × Stamina: 7 × Evasion: 8 × Strength: 1 × Wisdom: 8 × Arcane Power: 1 × Accuracy: 10 ×
Abilities: The Martial Artist
Inventory: Wand

Post Tracker: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

"Not long at all," Bubba replied with a broad smile when Sam asked if he'd been waiting too long. The truth was he couldn't even remember how long he'd been waiting. The time seemed immaterial now that they were together. Time often seemed to pass that way when he and Sam were together. Hours seemed like mere minutes when they spent time together. Once they'd stayed up all night hanging out and hadn't even realized it until the Sun started to come up. As she complimented his outfit he found himself blushing slightly. He knew privately that he looked good because, frankly, he always looked good. He put a lot of time into making sure his appearance was always immaculate. This, however, was different, her approval was for some reason really important to him, whereas no one else's mattered at all to him.

When Sam talked about her dance moves his mind flashed back to hours spent in the ballroom just dancing to random music on his phonograph. Bubba hadn't been much of a dancer at all but he'd loved learning with her. He wasn't really sure if her moves were 'hip' but he had the good fortune of not caring. He was ready, willing, and able, to tear it up with her all night. All they have to do was get to the actual dance floor, but he knew they'd make it there. Together, he knew they could accomplish anything. Still, his mind went over the dance moves again, "I don't know sweetie, I'm not sure if they can handle our dance moves, they're hot." He said with a roguish grin.

Bubba could tell just how nervous she was. He recalled her story of the spiders and of the accursed maze from the Fall Ball. He certainly hoped he wouldn't have to braid his hair this time. That was an absolute nightmare. He knew in his heart of hearts it was really nothing compared to dark mazes or spiders, but for someone as vain as him the idea of tangled, messy, unkempt hair was one of his worse nightmares. He saw her take her wand out and withdrew his as well. "We're going to get through this." He said with a reassuring smile as they walked into the maze together.

Action: Trying to navigate the maze with Sam.

Interacting: @Samantha Salwis Mentioning: N/A

Interacting with: @Duvessa Ember

Parseltongue
English
Thoughts

Outfit

"Idiot... You can't even talk to her without making a fool of yourself."
Duvessa paused after he had said that, and then complimented him. Nico smiled slightly at her words, and then said, "Wow, I feel so special now. Graced by the kindness of The High and Mighty. And of course, we mustn't forget Dignified. Since you do seem to speak and act as though you must be seen as if you have no weakness."
Nico was rather good at reading people, not really their emotions, but how they think of themselves and others. It was also obvious that Duvessa thought highly of herself since she speaks confidently and acts as if people's opinions didn't bother her. On the other hand, Nico was more likely to project false confidence and take others' opinions to heart.
As he spoke, Nico realized that Duvessa had zoned out, so he cleared his throat to get her attention.
She asked what he would like to talk about just as they turned into the entrance of the banquet. "Perhaps about which part of the banquet we should head to first? Or perhaps you've made plans to meet up with a friend? Although, I am quite enjoying the time we've had together."

Action:Leaving the Maze and entering the banquet area

As Bubba explained he hadn't been waiting for too long, the tension in the girl's shoulders disappeared. It had become more usual for her to be late to events, something she would have never expected a year ago. As she grew up, Samantha started to care more about her appearance and wanted to look good, especially for her boyfriend. Still, she didn't prefer to be late and made a little mental note to keep a better eye on the clock next time she was getting ready. After her compliment, a little blush appeared on Bubba's cheeks and when she noticed it, she couldn't help but smile. The girl found it very entertaining that she had the power to make somebody blush.

Trying to hold back a laugh, she nodded seriously. "Our dance moves are next level," she giggled, "that's very true." Nothing could beat the good old disco moves her dad taught her and she educated Bubba in as well. With her expertise and dedication, he should have become a professional dancer by now. As long as they didn't care for the weird looks they were probably going to get, the pair should be fine. Most students probably wouldn't be doing random disco moves but that didn't matter to Samantha. As long as she was with Bubba, she would have a great time, she was sure of it.

Not only his smile reassured her, but also the fact that he had gotten his wand out just like she had done was comforting to her. Her heart was pounding loudly and the young girl was ready to fight anything she was as she set foot in the maze. The thought of dancing with Bubba once they got to the other side kept her going.