Closed Royal Banquet Spring Court Ball

It was a whole party along the bushes! Hiro had also joined them and just as the spell for Incendio left her tongue, Bea turned to him. She wasn't fully trusting of him, their first encounter leaving a bad taste in her mouth. It was true what they said in the muggle world. The first 30 seconds you meet someone is the entire impression you get of them. Her panicked frenzy turned into desperation, she was still cautious as she warned him. "We're trapped! Mon and I are burning the Maze." A surge of protectiveness went through her and she wanted to act like the vine around Monica's ankle, cling on for dear life so Hiro couldn't take her away again. She was Bea's friend first!

Hunter was another story. Another conundrum altogether. Bea wasn't angry with him per se, and his own reaction to her blaming him was surprising. No anger, no hash reaction back at her. It shouldn't have been surprising though. Hunter didn't react on emotion like she did. He was calm, cool, collected. It was when he wasn't that one should be scared. She felt a surge of jealously at that. To never be effected so wholly by everything going on around you. To be able to compartmentalise and store everything so neatly was something that Bea wanted for herself. She added a mental note to ask him maybe, maybe, at another time.

His offer though most definitely wasn't a surprise. A sense of deja vu came over her and a white blanket came over the red paniked haze of Incendio. She watched silently as he unwrapped the vine from Monica, a point added to his corner, and offered her the potion. She wasn't sure, biting her lip in thought. Was this the right way to go? Was he going to deceive her? Her hand twitched, her heart wanting to take the potion, but her head warning her about all the past actions with Hunter. Her eyes followed the liquid in the phial, her puffy eyes itching now that most of her tears had dried.

Hunter's words were mostly white noise in the back of her mind as she grabbed the potion, the words washing over her and driving a sense of emotion into her heart. All the pain, anger, sadness and turmoil over the last month filled her, set her on a new path. She grabbed the potion swiftly from Hunter, unstoppering it and downing it in ne gulp. That would show him. Show everyone who had offered their condolences over Nan. Would show Nan for leaving her. Turning back to the maze, she gestured for everyone to step back as she unleashed everything she had at the greenery, flames coming down to rain her judgement over the poor plants.

Action: Burning the Maze down with fire (through the fire breathing potion)
Inventory: Wand

Reducio mentions and pings: @ Nara Alora (Ciel’s new character. She gave permission for godmod, since mat. is gone.(mathias) trunk

Reducio Reducio ooc notes: Action: entering banquet, snacking

21/4/23 • english • irish (gaeilge) • wc: 245

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Charlie wasn’t having much fun anymore. Mathias, was great, but as a fellow introvert, Charlie could only take so much social time. Mathias also kept glancing over at some foreign students, and honestly, Charlie was pretty sure that he was longing to go and hang out with them. Although Charlie was done being social, she didn’t really want to be ditched at another ball. It was almost like a reply of the Valentines ball, which Charlie was ditched at.

Charlie had decided to let Mathias go.“Hey Mathias, tonight has been really fun. You should… like… go hang out with those students over there.” She said as she gestured over at a group of students that were practically staring at him. “Just go. I’ll be fine. I saw a few of my friends, so I’ll go see them.” She lied. “Goodbye. I hope to see you soon.” She added. Charlie turned and left before he could say anything. She didn’t really care anymore.

Just as she walked away from Mathias, Charlie noticed something. It took her a moment to connect the dots, but she realized that there were people trapped in the maze. And the plants seemed to be backfiring by moving and trapping them in. Dang. Charlie heard some others casting spells to help them get out. Once the word Incendio caught her ear, she knew what to cast. “Incendio!” She spoke. She hoped that the spell would actually work, but who even knew.

| 5 STA | 5 EVA| 5 STR| 5 WIS | 5 ARC | 5 ACC | Charlie ditches Mathias and casts incendio on the maze.

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The Royal Banquet April 1st, 2023 Mod Post Tracker ✿|✿|✿|✿|✿|✿|✿|✿|✿|✿

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Under the Burning Skies All the exits of the ball remained closed. Overgrown as they were, any who wished to enter or leave would find they would need to fight their way through past the mazed wall of plant life waiting for any brave enough to try. Many had been able to remain blissfully unaware of the changes growing around them, others less so, proving to be quick enough to catch glimpses and clues perhaps better off unseen. The panic of this knowledge would be quick to spread no matter how distant or hidden some parts of the Royal Banquet proved, too many had become aware of Springs attempts to keep them here. And they would not let this stand.

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Springs Snare They were trapped. This was the panicked conclusion of @Beatrice Langstreth to any close enough to bear witness. And She was right. All exits shut down by the very gardens she had helped prepare for this special event, all the hard work and careful planning turned against Beas friend @Monica Evans who still remained entrapped by the vines and now…reluctantly herself upon the flowers realizing she was not with them…she was against them. As if sensing the danger the Raven and Slytherin were working together the nearby plants seemed to double their efforts, the vines curling tighter around the girl in its grasp as she asked, no, demanded those around them to help. With a violent tug the vines would once again attempt dragging Monica from the rest of the group, this would result in a painful struggle between the vines and Monica's own strength as wands were drawn, little could be done by the others in this violent show of force unless they wished to possibly hit Monica instead of the vines. Monica's strength would hold out against the vines however, giving @Hunter Argentum the perfect opportunity to cast his own spell against the troublesome vines. “Diffindo-” the spell would be a success, severing a few nearby vines, but most importantly, the very ones that had been holding Monica. She was free, free to finally shake away the now dead plants and avoid the remaining ones that seemed to writhe and lash out at the nearby ground in pained anger. Hunter has done all he could for now, the rest remained on the 2- no 3s shoulders! A newcomer had arrived just as Monica was freed, not even yet off the ground from where she’d finally been rid of the vines. Hiro Bakugo @Kim Sato had finally found one of his friends only to come across a fight against nature herself. Questions however would have to wait, the plants quick to regroup and turn their wrath onto the rest of the group, more vines and roots crawling from the pixie shrubs like angry snakes and surging forward in a last desperate, vicious attack. This wasn’t over. Reducio Natures Wrath Monica Vine Drag: 23 > 11 Result: Monica WINS and holds her ground! Spell Cast: Fail Result: Stand by your failures ༻━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━༺ Hunter Spell cast: Success! Result: kill a few vines + the vines holding Monica! Monica is freeeeeee Natures Accuracy: 14 Hunters Evasion: 20 Result: Hunter avoids the plants ༻━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━༺ Hiro Kim Sato Natures Accuracy: 12 Hiros Evasion:11 Result: Hiro is ensnared by plants for 150 HP New Health: 650/800 Spell Cast: Fail Result: Stand by your failures and hope someone helps you ༻━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━༺ Bea Natures Accuracy: 24 Beas Evasion: 14 Result: Bea is hit by plants attack for 125 HP New Health: 475/600 Spell Cast: Success! Result: Lights up the nearby nature with fire! Shooting forward past Monica and Bea, vines would attempt to trip and attack Hunter and Hiro, to try wrapping around ankles and legs, tightening painfully and digging in with sharp thorns. Hunter would be ready for this, quick to dodge and avoid the dangerous plants as the thorny vines almost grabbed him like they had Monica. Hiro would be less ready and pay for it. Roots hidden in the shadows would rip from the ground and smack at his feet and leg, sending the boy tumbling right into a nearby table and sprawling in a painful heap on the ground, thorned vines quickly wrapping around the arm holding his wand and beginning to tighten. Oh, but Beatrice was in just as much danger. To trap and snare was too dangerous a task with these 2, these plants had learned from their mistakes. Monica would be left be for now, too strong to be held for long at least when working together they could only hope to take out the others first, or rather Bea. Oh yes, Bea was a danger, a threat, a pest mistaken for a flower in Springs gardens. They would need to fix their mistake. The roots would be forgotten, facing off the other 2 of this group, and instead the hanging vines and prettily placed plants scattering the nearby tables and decor would begin to move. The plants that had so carefully tried to help cushion Beas fall, to help hold fallen drinks, turned on her with a bloody vengeance. Monica would be able to duck away and avoid the worst of the newly entered threats. Bea however would not. Small roots curling at her feet, flowers shifting in the air, a bit of ivy hanging from the tents lashing at her head…but they were easily avoided, even ignored, they weren’t a threat Bea would soon find out. They were just the distraction. A long vine, long since covered in flowers and tableware slammed into her side, plates and decor sent sailing through the air and crashing into nearby tents and the ground in a loud clatter that filled the air and Bea was sent sprawling into a booth near Hiro. Monica would only be forced to defend herself as more plants threatened to lash out at her and watch as the others fought their own battles, Hunter similarly unable to do much but avoid his own angry plants. The wood would rattle, a small form of a toy mosp bouncing out with the force she was thrown into it and the plants, had they always been here? No- but it didn’t matter; they set upon her with a speed that was frightening trying to curl around her, distracting her as the long vine once again lashed out, slamming into Bea once more as she raised her hand. Wands at the ready! One, Hiro would try to cast his spell. He would fail. Movements, or perhaps the words ruined, maybe due to the painful threat the plants proved as they tightened. Crawling down towards his hand where the wand was gripped as if trying to make sure he would get no other chances to end them. Two… Monica. Perhaps it was the fright, maybe shock of watching her friend being thrown. Or the plants she had to keep a constant eye out for less she falls to the same fate as Hiro or Beatrice. In the end she would also fail in casting her spell, only able to barely stay free of danger. Three- “Incendio duo!” A burst of heat from Beatrices wand would claim success, sailing towards the nearby greenery. Flames quick to eat up plants closest to them, the fire flickered, grew, shifted with the wind flying past them and quickly catching onto roots and vines. Spreading. The flames lit up the night, curling alarmingly fast alongside the pixie shrubs that made the hedge wall surrounding most of the ball and quickly burning the roots that spread and allowed them to move to ash and kindling. The long vine and nearby plants would shiver and writhe, arching away from the fire and yet having nowhere to go as it quickly spread and killed its main body. The flowers and more behaved plants shivered and swayed, roots that had originally been trying to grab and attack the party growing sluggish… the thorny vines that had ensnared Hiro curled and loosened in a sickly manner, weak, weak enough to break free from as the fire seemed to grow hotter and crackle aggressively when it met the dirt right underneath the hedges. And as if in answer to the sudden aggressive crack of the flames reacting to something the plants around them lashed and fought and struggled, writhing, swaying, dying. Was it…had it been something by the roots? The dirt? But there were no answers. Only burned grass and the weakened plants.

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The Way Forward is by Trying Trapped trapped trapped trapped- This hadn’t been the plan. This hadn’t been the plan and now a certain planner faced the issue of making sure the guests of the Royal Courts had a chance at getting out of this. Panic had begun to bloom in the gardens and while it had not yet grown to unmanageable levels @Raizel Voltrouz was right about one thing… This was a growing problem. Quite literally-! The plants before them could be seen crawling over spots that one might’ve been able to hope passing through at one point. Fixing, defending with the roots of the pixie shrub hedges shifting in the shadows, as if ready to wrench themselves from the ground to move at any moment…or grab any poor fool that brought about their anger. But this problem couldn’t remain. No matter the danger or the possibility of failure this was an undeniable truth Rai would face. One, that with a tight grip and a lingering breath, they would rise to the challenge of. Just try… But is what would lead to a violent consequence for the young Gryffindor. Couldn’t she see? The flowers swayed at her feet nervously, vines curling protectively along the edges of the path; didn’t she feel bad? Horrible? Look what you’ll make the gardens do- “I’m sorry.” Oh… Oh, not yet. But she would be. To cast another spell, you have to give up the one before. Sadly for Rai, that spell was their only light source…and the very thing keeping the hedges at bay. With the first swing of her wand the light would vanish, and the darkness, even with the stars and distant lanterns would be overwhelming in those first few moments. Precious seconds the nature of the surrounding entrance took advantage of to ambush her. Reducio Natures Wrath Raizel Natures Accuracy: 20 Raizels Evasion: 9 Result: Raizel is ambushed by plants for 150 HP New Health: 250/400 Spell Cast: Success! Result: Reopen the path to the maze! In the darkness, blinded by the sudden lack of light, eyes struggling to adjust. Rai would hear the sound of roots wrenching themselves from the ground, dirt spraying their feet. Words on the tip of their tongue, stopped short for a single moment with the feeling of something curling around their feet and tightening. There would be maybe a single moment as they finally adjusted, where the starlight was enough to see the hedge curling closer right before her where there had before been empty space. To look down at her foot and see the root tighten, tight enough to make her ankle ache before her world was turned sideways as the root wrenched her leg out from under her. The fall would hurt, slamming into the ground with little grace in the dark where there was no one to see, to help as the root began to pull, the hedge backing, curling back into place by the entrance where the plants seemed to shake and writhe with new energy. Where it began to drag her. Just try. Yes, well just try to get out! Except there was very little give~ Any attempts to grab onto the ground, to drag herself free would only result in dirt caked under her nails and pockets of ruined flowers and grass gently swaying with the cold breeze. There was no escape. No one to hear any cries for help as the roots paused, vines and ivy surging forward to latch onto the girls legs, surging forward to yank Raizel that much closer to the entrance. Hadn’t they wanted to get through after all? Well now nature was welcoming them. Dragging the girl further into the mess of angry plants, with vines beginning to tighten around her, crawling up her arm as her feet were dragged through, her legs- She would be able to feel the dig of thorns into her skin increasing, could see the curl of flowers, pretty and nice in the moonlight curl back to reveal sharp, glowing fangs peeled back, swaying aggressively towards her to nip at air, at her. Because that would be her soon. Thorny vines curling around her wrist, her wand in a painful bite. Any thrashing seemed to only make it worse until she was pulled practically through, plants beginning to curl over her like a cruel imitation of being buried alive- Except it wouldn’t. Because maybe now she could feel less bad about what she was about to do; a quick gesture, one from an arm dragged out and wrenched free from the nipping bite of fanged flowers. An incantation, one sure burn bright and make these plants regret not doing a better job of ending her- “Incendio!” Because just trying worked. Heat burst from her wand, curling around her. Fire, bright and hot and growing, catching on the plants trying to surround her and wreaking fiery havoc. The plants didn’t stand a chance, the hedges suddenly tearing themselves from the ground, running, fleeing and tearing apart part of this self made living barricade apart at the seams as ivy and delicate flower stems snapped apart sharply. Fanged geraniums hissed and flung back, unable to escape being burned to a crisp as roots loosened, vines curled away weakly, sluggishly. Raizel would be able to escape, to kick the roots away and scramble from halfway under the plant barricade back into the open but they would need to be quick, heat threatening to burn not only the plants but also them. But burn they would. Burning fast and spreading, the hedges wouldn’t be able to escape the flames as they tore through the plants. Eating away until only ruined half formed remains were left and curling onwards to fresh plant life. Running had only worked to spread their demise, and as Rai was able to escape, hurt but alive and victorious they would be able to witness the plants burning up, shrinking away to reveal the path that had been hidden away, and overgrown. Not all, but enough, enough to run through, to escape all because she had tried. The fire would be like a beacon to any within eyesight of the entrance. A distant glow and the smell of smoke being a very visible mark to the rest. And as the fire spread? Well, news got around. And they had burned a path for them all.

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Sticks & Stones For many it could be considered a lonely night. For @Kim Sato it could be considered much worse than loneliness, a disaster perhaps. A ruined night of possibility and planning. It was enough to make one's heart twist, eyes watering… someone who wasn’t Kim that is. No, there was no time to be anything but okay in this one's world, why? Such a thing could be anyone's guess. Maybe for the cute puffball dubbed Puffie…or maybe that was an excuse to push through. To pretend things were okay. It wasn’t okay. But that didn’t stop the boy from soldiering on in the search for distractions and mysteries. Alas the trail had gone cold. There were no distractions left and nothing to do but maybe get a drink. …and fit in a prank or two! Reducio Make Someone Else the Fool Kim Potion Spike Stew: Success! Potion Spike Punch: Success! Result: A few are in for a jesters surprise! There was little that could be done to stop the boy. There had been a notable amount of people wandering the tents, a few playing games, others eating or having a drink after dancing…but lucky, or rather unluckily for those enjoying the offered food and drink, there was no one standing guard or keeping much of an eye on the beverage and stew of choice! It was so easy to duck away from the gaze of others, to pretend he was simply getting a drink as he poured the vial of pompion into one of the most popular drinks, a delicious punch he’d have been able to see people filling their fancy cups up with…and as for the stew, it was a warm, savory smelling thing. Delicious and a popular choice so far if a look at people's choices laid out on tables was to be believed. Which they were! As it would not be long before the jester of a boy saw a random passerby laughing as they chased after someone with a pumpkin for a head towards the dance floor in the distance. Ah, laughter had filled the air for at least a single moment. Surely he had done his duty as a prankster at least a little bit? One would think so. But apparently he wasn’t finished trying to find something to do, wandering towards the game area as he was- but Kim would find himself being stopped by a familiar face. @Eun-ji Lee Hunt would be having none of Kim's nonsense when it came to the injury he held. There would be no room for protests or whining. No, this would be quick work on her part. Reducio Stop the Bleeding Eun-ji Lee Hunt Spell Cast: Success! Result: Bleeding stops 4 Kim Satos wound Newly healed by her Eun-ji’s work was a success. The bleeding of Kim's wound had ceased, and the worst of the mess carefully cleaned. Apparently at least one person hadn’t fully left Kim. Perhaps there was hope that either or both could enjoy the night, perhaps even enjoy the others' company as miserable and alone certain people felt…would it hurt to at least try? Maybe there was. For as much as they didn’t seem worried with their surroundings, the pleasant atmosphere of the small space they made up would be filled with the strong smell of smoke. A look to their side would reveal smoke and the light of fire around the corner near the game section Kim had been on his way to.

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Flowers & Ash Knowledge spreading of something not quite right…the smell of smoke brought by the cold breeze, and the glow of fire rising in the distance. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. And @Charlie Jacobsen was quick on the uptake even as the plants nearby seemed to shudder and quake as the fires spread. She would be one of the first to witness the horrific sight of the flowers shaking, the hedges that had been dormant beginning to lash out with their roots as they tried to drag themselves away but were seemingly stopped, roots never inching past the stones carefully laid out. This was not to say they were safe. No, they would soon find themselves needing to avoid being tripped or hit by vines and roots of the nearby nature that lashed out as if pained and stuck in one final desperate attempt to avoid their final fate. If they had voices, one could imagine they would be hissing in pained hate, cursing the pests that had made their way into their secret gardens. Wand out, they would be given a single moment between nipping fanged flowers and thorned vines threatening to send her tumbling down to aim her wand, an attempt to follow the path others had seemingly found to work. To help finish off whatever violent death throes Springs gardens struggled with. Charlie would find rocks being sent flying at her, dirt hitting her feet with the force of the hedges thrashing and for a single, heartstopping moment they would be witness to the hedge wrenching itself from the ground in abrupt, shaky movements as the stones laid at its base were moved and thrown away. Long roots dragging towards her one vicious, crazed lunge towards her feet as if to drag her towards the rest of the shifting hedges- Reducio Burning a New Path Charlie Spell Cast: Success! Result: Helps burn the plants and finish the job But her aim would stay true. Fire burning from her wand with the incantation, “Incendio!” And the plants would cringe away, the hedge flinching away as fire burned through it in a panic, roots dragging it away, but the path to flee was filled with fellow pixie shrubs and fanged flowers, left to shake and panic as fire spread and burned a new path right through them.

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What Remains Those who remained in the Royal Courts, no matter how blissfully unaware or hidden away from the worst of Spring's wrath, would find that illusion of peace shattered in a single moment. Both plants that had played dormant and those seeking revenge would begin to lash out throughout the gardens of the Royal Courts with the touch of searing heat burning through each new section of roots and vines that made the base of the hedges that boxed them in. Writhing, shaking, lashing out in anger? Pain? Who could be entirely sure? What was obvious was the overwhelming danger these plants could have perhaps proved if they’d been left alone much longer. Knights, Royals, and Jesters alike would find themselves amongst a beautiful night turned nightmarish in the moments where the fire tore through the final remains of the hedge roots and the cause of these terrors hidden in the very soil beneath. Roots tore from the ground lashing out and curling at air, threatening to grab and snatch at any nearby. Groves of flowers, with fanged geraniums curling and hissing soundlessly at any nearby as they revealed sharp fangs with the threat to bite to even wisteria blooms dancing amongst the dance floor and ivy curling around fingertips, eerie and pretty until a strand near the waters grabbed your ankle and tugged you down into the darkened waters… The gardens would writhe and those within would only be able to watch as they seemed to grow angrier, more desperate in the final moments until the destruction of those taking a stand reached their strongest point with a final cast of the wand and drink of a potion. Flames cast through the gardens of the Royal Courts would spread, feasting on the biting flowers and violent hedges that dragged themselves up from the earth by their roots as a curl of smoke followed the fire's path of destruction. The smell of it would linger heavily in the air near the worst of the damage- The newly opened path to the maze a ruined and ghastly mess of overturned lanterns and charred plants, parts what had once been a thick wall of mischievous hedges hiding the Royal Courts away from the rest of the world lay burnt and torn apart from where the hedges had tried to flee, only to spread the fire and tear themselves apart. Holes burnt into once colorful hedges and ruined, gaping spots showing the distant castle and grounds of Hogwarts now points of freedom for any within the ball to slip away through and escape if they so choose. A few tents had fallen victim to the chaos. Fire had been able to over take some of the eating areas before dying out, flames seeming to flicker and die out as the plants were eaten away one by one and the nearby hedges burned until they ceased writhing. One notable game booth having been subject to being crashed into by a certain Ravenclaw. If one cared to look they would perhaps be able to see where plants had begun to overtake the nearby booths, curling upwards and swarming before halting halfway. Scorch marks littered the edges of some of the lucky tents nearby, however by some miracle the rest of the tents and area remained standing and untouched, save for the eerie sight of now still plants that had begun to swarm and lash out before going still. The dance floor stood, alongside the nearby nature; the water surrounding it being a safety net unplanned. The Knight's Tourney also had been safely tucked away in the middle of the ball and away from the edges of the garden walls. Most nature near the edge of the ball, along those hedges would be ruined, the fire spreading further out before dying… The remaining flower groves and gardens that had survived were now quiet and still, not even a single flower swaying with the soft distant music still playing in the distance like a mockery of the restless peace that stood in the remains of the Royal Courts. Now all that remained…Was an eerie calm. And simple, normal flowers.

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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. You do not have to participate. Sign ups are located here.

~ Moderation posts will occur weekly on Saturdays/Sundays. Apologies but different time zones play a factor

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

Final Note: Here lies the last moderation post of the Royal Courts!

Thank you all and hope you enjoyed the ball at least a little~ As of now actions will no longer be moderated by us and you all have free reign. Still please follow site rules and remember, even though we will no longer be moderating staff are monitoring!

For clarification on any wondering: plants are no longer active, and the flames have burned out. And actions are no longer a needed thing!

The ball is a little burnt, okay a lot…but the dance floor still stands! And some of the tents remain untouched by the fires as the flames finally die out. Those who wish to salvage or soldier on through this ball…go right ahead. Otherwise, may we suggest a romantic stroll by the waters now that the hedges aren’t trying to kill anyone?

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Dialogue: ✕ Thoughts: ✕ Quotes: ✕

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Date | April 21st, 2023 - -

Dazed... Breath in.... shakey, weak, afraid. Breath out.... All Monica was able to do was control her breathing. She had never been trapped before, well.... Not by plants anyways, lord knows the type of torment a younger siblings goes through.

Keep breathing!

Her hand found her ankle, within the mess of vines, there it was.

Inhale!

She could hear her friend next to her.... Bea, she didn't leave, she remained with Monica... that was stupid, what if the plants got her too?

Keep breathing!

The voices in her head were of no help, her mind was no longer racing, she had fallen to defeat, helplessness. How could she get free of these vines?

Then, she moved.... no they moved her, Monica could feel the grip tighten as her body was pulled away from her friends! Her arm shot out, gripping the ground with all of her might! She felt the plants pull harder, trying everything to drag her away.... why? What did she ever do? Didn't matter, what did was that she wasn't going to let them pull her away!

It was unclear where this sudden burst of energy came from, maybe it was the fact that Bea didn't leave, or perhaps it was a deep need to not have her night at the ball end in shrubbery... whatever the case, Monica had found the strength deep within, and pulled against the cursed Vines, inching her way back to her friend! Then she heard someone speaking.... was it Hunter? Then in a moment the pull released, and Monica was able to stand up.... She was free!

As Monica claimed her freedom, she fell into Bea's arms, tears nearly falling down her face. She had been terrified! And all the emotions were catching up to her. "Thanks for not leaving." The only words she was able to get out. Glancing up Monica could barely believe her eyes, it was Hiro!

She pulled out of her embrace, and watched as the boy came over, but barely a word was exchanged before the vines came back.... full force! Flying right past the two girls, the vines launched towards the boys! Hunter was able to avoid their coils, but Hiro wasn't as lucky, thrown off his footing and send crashing into a table! "Hiro!" Monica couldn't help but scream, ready to run to his aid. But before getting the chance, other groups of vines where after her again, Monica was able to get herself out of harms way, falling to the ground, and rolling herself away from the grabbing vines, but when she looked over to Bea, her friend wasn't as lucky, now she was also trapped in the bind of the vines.

They were bashing into her, like they had some personal issue or something.... but plants can't have petty problems... can they? Though Bea was trapped, her wand still raised, and Monica couldn't believe the amount of strength and courage her friend had, even in such dire times. Monica readied her wand, following after her friend.

Hiro and Monica both tried to cast their spells, anything to stop the vines attack, but it was all in vain, Bea however.... the master caster she was, was able to cast a gliourious Incendio duo! Monica's eyes lit up with the orange glow of the flames. The plants falling limb, releasing their grip on the party, all around roots and leaves were set a blaze, Bea had done it!

Monica rushed over, nearly toppling her friend over in a hug, "Bea you did it! You're a damn force to be wreckened with!" Tears were falling from Monica's eyes, the threat seeming to be over, and now her body felt exhausted.... fearing for your own life sure takes energy.

After a moment went by, Monica scanned the ball, making sure the threat was in fact over.... and that they were free to leave, but before coming to any conclusions, she walked over to Hiro, insuring he was okay through all of this, "Hey." She said to the boy, still standing by her friend, afraid to leave her side, "Are you okay? Not really how I wanted to catch up with you again."

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

Open to Interactions
| Action |
Scanning after the fight, to see if there are any more threats. Catching up with Hiro, and Bea after fight.
Inventory
Wand

|Interacting With|
@Beatrice Langstreth
@Kim Sato
@Hunter Argentum
| Mention |

Outfit Image:

Reducio

Light was extinguished with a wave of a wand, a new incantation was about to be said only for it to be replaced by a gasp and a yelp as the growing problem which are the thorny vines and ivy, sprung to life. 'Incendio!' those words would've escaped her mouth but Spring wouldn't let her do so easily. The plant life in this garden that she had helped nurture turned against her while she was blinded by the darkness that loomed over her as soon as her Lumos spell had ended.

Writhing roots and crawling vines, their movements were hard to ignore when you could hear how they shifted through the dirt, ready to nab anyone near or anyone nature considers as its enemy. Despite that, there was no time to react to the shrubs' ambush and now, she has to face Spring's Wrath that had fallen upon her.

Trying to create a path for the other people in the banquet, she knew it wouldn't turn out well and there would be consequences, great consequences that would even put her life in danger yet… a thought lingers.

Just try…

Perhaps it's the inner lion within, a courageous heart that she couldn't see after being sorted in the house of the brave but something that the sorting hat felt she possessed. Even though it's risky, for the sake of others, she will try. But look where that got her though.

Pain. There was pain, coming from a tightening sensation around her feet. Her vision adjusted to the darkness around her, quickly looking down only to be met by the sight of roots already wrapped around her ankle. More pain soon followed, her body hitting the ground with a slam as soon as the roots had yanked her off of her feet, her hat falling off to the side due to the fall and before she knew it, she was already getting dragged into the shadow where more of the shrubberies lay, unable to cast the spell she was intending to do.

Struggling didn't help and perhaps it even made the plants pull harder. There was nothing to hold on, nothing to aid her from escaping the grasps of nature's wrath. She could feel the vines and ivy creeping up and entangling her legs some more, keen on pulling her into the hedge to possibly become part of the greenery as a new decoration. Roots tightening around her legs, slowly creeping up to her body, thorns digging through her clothes and then her skin making her wince yet not a scream was heard. Would anyone even hear her if she did? She's on her own. No matter, there was still something she could do, something she could try.

No, this isn't the end, she can't let this end like this. Looking at where she is being dragged into, the sharp fanged flowers caught her attention. She gritted her teeth, preparing for the worst and she hopes that the plants were also prepared for the worst from her as she just found the reason to fight these plants that she felt sorry for earlier. These shrubberies were all over her, things weren't looking great for this young lion yet her determination is burning ever so brightly. Determined to get out, determined to make a path, determined to stay alive.

Arm yanked free from the clutches of nature's force, a chance that she quickly took. She made a quick gesture for a spell that she had failed to cast before, a spell that would soon embody that burning determination from within. "Incendio!" A burst of flame shoots out of her wand just as she finishes speaking out the incantation, ready to engulf the vines and roots with a raging inferno. Their hold on Raizel loosened, enough for her scramble back up to her feet, kicking off the vines holding her, her hold on her wand tightening. The hedges uprooted themselves in an attempt to escape this growing flames and she too would need to do the same.

While the flames had saved her from Spring's hold, it had also put her in danger as she was still within the shrubbery. Lucky for her, there's a path for her to take. Adrenaline rushed through her body as she made her way out of the burning shrubberies as fast as she could. "Graaah!" Her yell almost sounded like a growl or a roar when she jumped out of the overgrown entrance where she was dragged into, completely escaping the burning hedges, tumbling on the ground just where she was before. Even her hat was still there.

Raizel glanced back to the place that she had escaped. Her heart was pounding fast, her breaths were laborly as she tried to catch it while watching the fire spread, creating the path that had gotten her into trouble and made her face nature's wrath. They can escape, they aren't trapped anymore. Sure, this will probably catch a lot of people's attention now and might cause panic but at least they can get out. More importantly though…

"I'm alive…" Raizel uttered. That was scary, she could feel her body trembling. She will admit, that was a bit thrilling but still scary. The young Gryffindor closed her eyes while still catching her breath, calming herself from all of that, adrenaline still pumping. "I'm alive!" She yelled, raising both her hands balled into fists as she found herself victorious against these plants that wanted to end her. That wasn't an easy feat, it could've turned out worse but luckily it didn't. Just thinking about it going wrong made her shudder though. Who could've helped her if things didn't go well? She was on her own.

Pain was still there from her initial fall, from the thorns that dug through her skin and possibly from the scratches that she received while getting dragged and escaping but the adrenaline was helping numb them. "But I sure don't want that happening again…" she added in the end, sighing in relief as she picked herself up from the ground, dusting off the dirt from her clothes and then proceeding to pick up her hat and putting it on. Her body was still trembling from that experience, even the way she spoke was shaky. She won't be forgetting about this anytime soon. Her first Hogwarts ball and they sure were right that things would definitely go wrong. Who would've thought that she'd come face to face with danger in her first one.

That's enough excitement for one night, maybe she should take it easy tomorrow, do something relaxing to take her mind off from the events that had transpired this evening and maybe do something with all the aches she's feeling. What a memorable ball this turned out to be and equally traumatizing.

Writing as approved Durmstrang iNPC Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky
Open to interactions | Interacting with: Amina Petrovic (@Ileen Knight)
Speech in all italics means Slava is speaking in Russian

Once the moment passed, and the hugs were exchanged and ended, Amina and Slava left the group, not around to see the others say their goodbyes too. It seemed the mood had quickly died once Valentin, Romeo, and Ginyami got emotional, and Amina and Slava were put in a slightly awkward position. But the pair’s energetic and positive natures could not be subdued for long, and they quickly settled back into their typical behavior as they navigated the maze together. Still, even they could not remain oblivious in their happy little bubble for long, as smoke started rising, orange flames flickering upwards from the top of the hedges. «Что происходит?!» “What’s going on?!” Slava exclaimed, not having to worry about English now that it was just the two of them, allowing for smoother communication.

He tugged Amina’s arm and ran towards the nearest fire he could see, which happened to be the hedges surrounding the banquet, as they had been nearing where the entrance had previously been before things had gone wrong. But he acted too slowly, and there was a brief moment of writhing plants before the fires started to die out and things went still. “That was... exciting,” he offered lamely before turning to Amina. “What now? Some food, maybe? Activities? A dance? The dare~?“ He grinned, walking around the area, clearly bouncing back to normal awfully quickly after the flames they had just witnessed. An accident didn’t mean they couldn’t still enjoy the night—even if the area was slightly scorched, most of the tents were still standing.

Statistics: STA 8 | EVA 9 | STR 13 | WIS 6 | ARC 5 | ACC 18
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers I & II, Broken Broomshaft, Charmer (Allies: members of the Durmstrang Quidditch team, so opponents everyone else), Paragon of Health (Allies: Valentin Schnell and Amina Petrovic)
Free Action: Entering the thread

Maze: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4
Banquet: 1

*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

Interacting with: @Astrea Soleil Neptune
Owl to interact

Ruby’s attempt to cut through the hedges was successful, neatly opening up a path to the banquet. However, as she was passing through, vines lunged at her. She luckily managed to dodge, and it seemed to reward her by dropping a blossom in front of her. As pretty as it was, she didn’t trust any of the plants enough to touch them, especially not this flower considering it had come from the vines that had tried to attack her. (Information from the last maze moderation)

She looked up to survey the banquet, only to find that it was aflame. The hedges started writhing and Ruby quickly resliced a hole big enough to make sure she could easily guide Astrea through. As the flames reached the area where they were standing, Ruby pulled Astrea away from the fire and the plants that were lashing out, making sure they were both safely away from the edges of the banquet area. “I apologize for that. I just wanted to make sure your safety was assured.” Soon, everything was still, and Ruby was left feeling unsettled. They had narrowly dodged what could have been disaster, and now, they were just left with the quiet of the aftermath.

Aftermath. It was a concept Ruby was all too familiar with, the worst example being after the shadow spiders’ attack in her second year. There had been screaming and crying, with some wounded to the point of unconsciousness and those who were less affected dragging their fellow housemates to the hospital wing. Astrea had been there then, too. Ruby had seen her across the room, getting bitten by spiders and having her hair lit on fire, but she had been too far away for Ruby to do anything. Instead, Ruby had focused on trying to keep Nico calm and safe, but even that had failed miserably. And that wasn’t including how, for nearly two years after, they had to take potions to keep the painful venom in their blood at bay.

Ruby’s expression hardened at the memory, blinking a couple of times to refocus herself. This wasn’t a situation that was nearly as bad—while some people in the vicinity seemed to be injured, everyone seemed to be mostly okay. No one was unconscious, from what she could see, and the danger from the plants no longer seemed to be a problem. “This isn’t ideal, but it could be worse…” She glanced around the area again, noting the tents and the nearby water. Somehow, it was still beautiful, even after the fires. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I particularly feel like dancing after that little outburst. We could still get some food, though, and perhaps you’d care to take a walk with me afterwards?”

Action: Get Astrea through the hedge and to safety, agreed on success due to no more moderation
Abilities: Perfectionist I & II | Fearless | Spell Spread | Nonverbal Magic
Statistics: Stamina: 9 | Evasion: 9 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 13 | Arcane Power: 11 | Accuracy: 12
Note: Minor godmodding approved by Astrea’s writer.
Maze: 1 • 2 | Banquet: 1

*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

Interacting with: Nate Smirnow @Haley Rose

Kath's Ball Dress~Nails~Hair~Makeup~Silver Accessories including Family ring

It took quite a while for both of them to find their way out of the maze, Not that it mattered to Kath. She enjoyed listening to him talking about all types of things, His company made it worth being lost in the maze. Kath could never deny how good-looking Nate was, especially all dressed up.

He really was quite the view for her, As soon as they'd arrived at the royal banquet. Her eyes took a quick glance at the surrounding, It wasn't too bad in her opinion. Her attention was back at Nate and she watched as he offered to dance with her. Kath let out a soft laugh ” Sure, guide the way handsome”, She placed one hand on his shoulder and another still on his.

Kath swayed softly to the music, careful of every step she took. It wasn’t her first ball and for sure not her last, balls were a simple thing for her given the lot that she went to due to her family. Dancing was another thing she perfected over time. Katherine couldn’t lie, she really did miss Nate. It was pretty difficult not being able to see him every day or have one on one chats in person.

So she would make sure she used her time wisely with him, in order to not have any regrets later on. Kath had a devilish smirk on as she heard the comment he had whispered to her. A cheeky grin escaped from her as she whispered back to him ” I shouldn't admit it either, but I had missed you too”, She paused as her icy eyes looked at his lips then slowly back up to his beautiful blue eyes.

Kath tilted her head slightly as she kept eye contact with the handsome Russian in front of her. She continued ” Maybe a little too much”, Mischief glistened across her storm-coloured eyes, and a cheeky smirk formed on her red lips. The Gryffindor enjoyed keeping Nate on his toes, only for a while though.

Surprisingly, Kath’s intentions towards Nate were pure, she wasn’t just playing with him for the sake of playing. Yes, she enjoyed their games every here and there, but she genuinely liked him. Something about him was different than all others she had met, something about him that just caused sparks to fly between them.

If she intended to only play, she wouldn’t be one to waste time on spending too much time on them. Kath hated anything that wasted her time, She surely wasn’t one to waste excess time on people for non-important events and meetings. So she wouldn’t have come to the ball with him, nor come visit for New years.

For someone to notice if Kath actually cared for them, was hard. She wasn’t one to show her intentions easily. It was difficult for her to express emotions and feelings, To notice if she cared they’d need to have stuck around and gotten to know Katherine for quite a long while. Maybe then they could notice these small gestures. Otherwise, it would seem extremely difficult to get a read on the Gryffindor.

” So how are you doing since our last meet in New years, it seems like quite a long while ago”, Yes, Kath did intentionally add the New years part. Only to tease Nate though, to see if he still remembers that kiss she gave him. She wanted to watch Nate’s reaction to bringing it up.

The hand that was on his shoulders slowly moved to the nape of his hair, her icy eyes never leaving his blue ones. She intended to light up a little flame between them, a tiny game to see who would submit to it first. The simple movement she made was to give a small reminder of the event that day. Kath had planned to catch every reaction from him, would he be flustered and shy away, or actually play along?