Closed Fall Ball 2023 Candle-Lit Banquet

Entering and leaving with Charlie Jacobsen. | Moving on to boat rides

Botan smiled. The girl didn’t hace a date and wanted to go with him into the ball. They walked in and Charlie let go of him and power walked right over to the snacks. He watched from behind her as she loaded her plate. Botan decided to also grab a plate and load it up even though he wasn’t very hungry he thought it would be weird if he was just watching her eat.

They sat, ate, talked, giggled, smiled and had fun. Botan forgot all about the pressures of school, his father and family, as well as Quidditch. He really wanted to just be a kid, and this is how he was making it happen. They talked about anything and everything, they got to know a lot about each other’s lives, and learned about their interests. Botan told her about his strict and demanding parents while she mentioned her father leaving. They talked shout siblings, in Botan’s case cousins, and Quidditch. Lots and lots about Quidditch. He got up and grabbed another cake along with some drinks and returned to his Irish date.

She wanted to move on, and Botan was ok with that, especially since not mich was happening at the Banquet. He grabbed her arm, with her permission of course, and they left the Banquet.

ency

inventory: wand

post track | I | II |

fearless | foulplay

Reducio

Hex Colour: #8C94E9
Relevant Abilities: Charmer, Lovely Creature

Her wild curls let loose about her shoulders, just a slight brush of burnt orange shadow smeared across her eyelids, fifth-year Ravenclaw Aly Salinger looked perhaps a bit less gussied-up - though, by no means, was she any less lovely - as she stepped cautiously into the candlelit banquet area on the shores of the Great Lake. It was the fifth Fall Ball that had been held during Aly's time at the school, she was quite sure, but only the... second, or third, perhaps?... that had seen her attendance.

And this one, too, had only very narrowly gained the somewhat more solemn, but no less charming, fifteen-year-old's presence. After all, there were plenty of people at this event that Aly desperately wanted to avoid, beyond all other measure: her ball-planning committeemates, for one (as Aly had made it onto the planning committee, for some reason, and promptly dipped out of it without being much of help at all, having no desire to partake in the frivolity of hanging decorations and deciding on themes)... and, of course, the echoes of her failed romances (and those of her friends), still hanging in the air.

Aaron. Only recently had Aly allowed herself to even think of his name again, rather than calling him code names or just not letting her mind finish the thought. She had seen him a few times throughout Hogwarts during her month back at the end of fourth year, and then again sometimes at camp over the summer, and yet again here at the castle having returned for her much-unexpected fifth year... and he had seemed to move on just fine. At the moment, Aly knew about two separate girls with whose emotions her ex-boyfriend had toyed, and had even met both of them at camp - though only one of those interactions had been overwhelmingly positive. And those were only the ones she knew about. If Aaron had been so brashly willing to flaunt his pseudo-relationships, Aly could only imagine about the ones that had stayed behind closed doors.

Not that she wanted to imagine it. Which is why she had almost not come to the ball tonight.

It wasn't like Aly herself hadn't moved on... mostly. Sure, she had her own new teenage fancies, but did she still feel a little pang of jealousy when she saw a muscled arm slung over some other lass's shoulder? Well, of course - who wouldn't? There had never really been much closure between the two of them, just a year's worth of childish romance fizzled out over a lack of letters during her homeschooling. Of course, now Aly knew that her mother Hesper had held her post - post that might have contained a penned plea from Aaron, but it wasn't like she would ever know. He had certainly moved on, anyway. So what was past was past, and Aly wouldn't do well to dwell on it.

Her best friend, Dee, had also broken up with her boyfriend, Jack, over the summer - a boy who Aly still wasn't sure existed. Kidding. She knew Jack had existed enough to break her best friend's heart, and between the two Ravenclaws avoiding an equal pair of Hufflepuffs, it had almost been enough for Aly to skip the ball altogether.

But... her lovely gown of the seasons had never been worn to an autumn ball, not with its crispy, crackling leaves trailing from its golden-orange hem, not with the faint scent of pumpkin and apple wafting from its fabric. And Aly may have changed a lot in the past year, but she would still never pass up an opportunity to wear such a gorgeous dress.

(Especially not when her ex would probably be in attendance, and she could shove in his face on what he was missing out. Now, if only she'd had someone to flaunt on her own arm. But that took time.)

The issue, however, came almost immediately upon Aly's entrance to the banquet. Upon the small dance-floor that had been cleared away between the golden-lit tables, a seemingly closely-knit couple was dancing, entwined in each other's arms. Hands clasped together, bodies just as close. One lean, muscled, tall boy with shining dark hair, and his partner, a girl with a blunt brown bob and all-too-familiar face.

In the corner, just near the entrance, Aly's mouth dropped open in a combination of surprise, horror, and perhaps a small bit of betrayal. Aaron... and Opeila?

Aly and Opeila were not particularly close. Hell, they'd only really met a couple of times. But there had always been at least a sense of mutual respect, or at least Aly thought so, from flobberworm-wrangling to Spin the Bottle. And now, here she was, cozied up to Aly's ex on a dancefloor.

For a moment, Aly thought about hexing them. It wouldn't take much - just a well-placed Minor Explosion Charm or Revulsion Jinx, though Aly had learned her lesson about doing Incendio in crowded places. But despite her newly found penchant for foul play, the fifth-year knew that that would be wrong.

She was not just a jealous ex. She was Alyssa Salinger, and she would not stoop to Aaron's level.

So instead, Aly turned heel and left.

Coming was a bad idea, after all.

Action: Arriving and then leaving

Roleplaying as Nate Hawthorn from Ilvermorny

Date: 6th October Time: 7pm Location: The Great Lake

Mentions: Reducio @Amber Frost Hart @Reyna Evergreen

languages English: #056303 French: #073ad5 Thoughts: italics

★ ☆ ✦ ✩ ✫ ✬ ✭ ✮ ✯

Nate smiled as Amber complimented his French. "French is my first language. I only started speaking English when I came to kindergarten. I still speak French at home. Well, Canadian French anyway." Nate fidgeted with his hands as Amber continued to speak. He was still quite overstimulated, distracted and unsure of making eye contact. In his mind, he could still hear the snatches of conversation blinked in and out of focus. He forced himself to focus on Amber and what she was saying. She had stopped speaking and was looking at him. What had she said? Nate tried to remember. He wasn't sure but he though it might have been related to food.His eyes scanned the area, landing on the banquet table. "I could eat?" Nate paused for a moment. His stomach grumbled. "Actually, yeah. Let's eat." As Nate began to make his way to the banquet table, a beautiful red firework shot into the air above the lake. This surprised Nate - as far as he knew, wizards didn't often use fireworks. Still, England could be different. He hoped that whatever firework show was happening at the lake would be visible from the banquet. Nate turned to Amber. "Did you see the firework? I hope they'll be more - I love a firework show. Well, kind of. I love the fireworks, hate the noise. I usually wear ear defenders. What about you?"

★ ☆ ✦ ✩ ✫ ✬ ✭ ✮ ✯

★ ☆ ✦ ✩ ✫ ✬ ✭ ✮ ✯ ✮ ✭ ✬ ✫ ✩ ✦ ☆ ★

Interacting: @Opeila Winters
Mentioning: @Aly Salinger, @Akari Kato, @Lindsey Springhall

"Yeah, a lot's changed since then," Aaron said, on the topic of the first ball they had attended. Opeila and Aaron had been part of a planning committee during their first year, planning a secret ball after the official one had been cancelled. It had been fun and it was a good memory (the planning at least, because the ball itself turned into a disaster), but the two of them hadn't really gotten close from the experience. Aaron briefly wondered now what would've happened if they had become good friends after - would he and Opeila be where they are now sooner? - but with a metaphorical shake of his head, those thoughts dispersed. Best not to dwell.

When she commented about all the bachelors around that she could fall for, Aaron rolled his eyes playfully with a smirk. "Just you wait, my skills will blow you away." A wink and a dancefloor later, he was pretty confident he had her full attention.

When the slow song started and Aaron offered his hand, he was unexpectedly relieved by the way Opeila didn't hesitate to take it. Relieved? No, just... content. As they stepped closer, his other hand landed on her back. They danced simply but closely, able to keep up a simple routine of steps together. It was nice.

The Hufflepuff was completely unaware of a certain Ravenclaw ex-girlfriend witnessing this moment. This moment where he was finally acknowledging his feelings towards the girl in his arms. Being around Opeila felt so different. He never thought about Aly when he was with her - it wasn't like how he'd used Lindsey to forget about her, and he'd used Akari to make her jealous - his intentions with Opeila had never stemmed from his hurt feelings from his previous relationship. In fact, Opeila made him forget Aly even existed. She made him forget every other girl existed, because she was all he wanted during their time together. He'd been thinking more about the Slytherin girl in the leadup to the ball, thinking about the way he felt and how tonight would turn out. She was funny and witty, she made him laugh. He was so attracted to her, not just physically, but just that lately he wanted to be in her presence all the time. They hadn't really shared much of their personal lives, but knowing she had secrets meant he felt comfortable with having secrets of his own, and maybe they could share those secrets over time. And surely it was a sign that this ball was going so well? (The red sparks stemming from the lake went unnoticed by these particular fifth years, who were far more focused on each other.)

"Of course," Aaron said, caught off guard by her words when he'd been so deep in thought. "Thank you for asking," he added quietly, his brown eyes lowering as a split-second decision was made. Aaron's heart was pounding out of his chest and he hoped Opeila couldn't feel it with the way they were dancing against each other. "I want-" Aaron hesitated, knowing what he said next couldn't be taken back. But he'd already committed to this idea, and he needed it to be in the open. "I want you to be my Rapunzel for real," he said, the metaphor from earlier still in his head. "I mean, like, be my girlfriend," he clarified quickly, feeling a warmth in his face as he tried to make his intentions clear. "I want to do more of this in public, if - if that's what you'd want, too. To go on dates to Hogsmeade, to be able to kiss no matter who's watching..." Aaron squeezed her hand in that moment, finally making eye contact as he tried to gauge her reaction. To him, this felt like a mutual feeling, but of course there was still that chance she wouldn't want to be official. Maybe the secrecy of their relationship had been what made it work, but with tonight going so well, maybe it could be more.

TL;DR: talking with Opeila and dancing with her, completely unaware of Aly's presence
Action: N/A
Stats: STA: 10 | EVA: 9 | STR: 14 | WIS: 6 | ARCP: 3 | ACC: 15
Inventory: Wand, Broom (Moontrimmer)
Abilities: Martial Artist | Muggle Condition | CALMING PRESENCE (allies when in range: Opeila Winters, Jack Warren, Dealla Prince, Eun-ji Lee Hunt) | Beast Master | LOVELY CREATURE

The two fifth years' thoughts would travel down the same lane, but Opeila was not sad that they hadn't become close until now. Her memories of the last years were clouded in fear and numerous terrors- maybe they would have never gotten where they were now, had they met before. Opeila was sure that she had not been a fun person to be around between her first and fourth year.

Aaron didn't promise too much- when the two of them started to dance, there was no more space for any other of the young men around. If not because of Aaron's dancing skills, it was because she didn't want to. Opeila was more than happy to enjoy the moments, the closeness between them in public. It made her excited, although there was a quiet, maybe irrational fear of what would remain after tonight. Was he still expecting her not to read anything into it? Would he tell her that he regret it tomorrow?

But what was she reading into it anyway? Could she give her feelings for Aaron a label? Love was a bit word and one Opeila didn't feel like she should be using. Love brought images of married couples and picket fences to her mind, and didn't feel like a term that should be used for two teenagers making first experiences in relationships. At least that applied to her.
So maybe... affection? Fondness? Dedication? All of which were words that their deal in the closet was meant to rule out. When had she begun feeling like this for him?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Aaron's words. The Hufflepuff was hesitating a bit before asking her to be his Rapunzel for real. For a moment Opeila was unsure what that was supposed to mean, but then he clarified. Her lips parted in surprise when he continued, talking about wanting dates at Hogsmeade, kissing in public. The smile forced its way on her face without her permission and a warm feeling seemed to spread inside her chest.

Opeila let go of his hand, stopped dancing and instead placed both her hands on his shoulders, standing on her tiptoes to place a lingering kiss on his lips. Only then she would stand on her heels again and look into his eyes. "I would like that very much.", she finally said, her own voice sounding a little unsteady now.

Lily smiled at Maverick as he said they should eat first. “Good idea.” Lily said. Her mouth was watering at the wonderful smells from the food table as they walked over to it. She hadn’t ate anything except a little bit of breakfast and to say she was hungry might have been an understatement. Once they got to the table she glanced over the food items seeing what she may like to put in her mouth.
She picked up a brownie ( who wouldn’t like brownies?) and a cup of punch. Naturally she took a bite of the brownie first and savored the chocolatey deliciousness. She glanced over the crowds seeing anyone she knows but that didn’t come well as she didn’t see anyone. Turning to Maverick she gave him a smile. “I must say the brownies are absolutely delicious. “ Lily looked at the other food items before watching the other people dancing. It seemed fun, she couldn’t wait to dance. Provided they managed to get there without something happened as what usually happened at balls. But as nothing had happened yet to the two of them Lily had hoped their luck continued to go on. Especially since she wanted to talk to Colin.

WC:205

Moderated action: eating a brownie

@Maverick Castle

Ｐａｉｇｅ ★ Ｍａｌｌａｒｙ
𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 ║ 𝐑𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐰
➷ Fall Ball 2023➶

𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 394
𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚎 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐: #320ced

Everyone seemed to have their own partners, everyone except Paige. She had never really been fond of the word 'love', let alone actually being in a relationship with someone. But she didn't want to be alone tonight. Afterall, a Ball wasn't something you attended alone.

She jumped up from the moss-covered log and creeped over to a table where pumpkins were used as decorations. The table was lined with several different foods and drinks, all which seemed interesting and rather bizarre. This won't be so hard, she thought, looking around in hope to find a date. I just have to find someone, someone cool...

Scanning the area, ensuring she wasn't making it too obvious, Paige looked for a boy who was alone. None, they all seemed to have someone - latching arms with their date; slow-dancing; talking about how perfect their lives were.

Just as Paige had almost given up on hope, a young charming boy squeezed past her, attempting to reach for a glass of pumpkin juice. "Sorry, excuse me," the boy said, pointing down at the cup. Paige quickly moved out of the way and accidentally stood on her dress, causing her to trip ever so slightly. This must have caught his attention, and a few others as well, as everyone seemed to be fixated on the embarrassing moment now. As Paige turned around to begin running back to her common room, she tripped over a girl's foot and completely faceplanted into the bushes. Some people laughed. Some people gasped. This night was not going at all well.

However, a hand appeared and she grabbed onto it, lifting herself off the grass. "Are you alright?" the familiar voice said. It was that boy, the one with the messy blonde hair Paige had encountered trying to get the pumpkin juice just moments ago. She nodded slightly, and dusted her crimson dress off. The boy cleared his throat before saying, "I happened to notice that you were by yourself. What would a beautiful girl like you be doing all alone on a night like this?" Paige blushed a million shades of pink. "I don't have anyone to go with," she said, as quiet as a mouse. "Well nor do I, so-" he began, before Paige nodded vigorously. She wanted this night to end. "I'm Kai, Kai Ledger," the boy said, ruffling his hair. "Uh, Paige Mallary..."

Bailey smiled at hana and his everconfident self. instead of blushing as she would have replied to her comment, he had a confident smirk on his face. He jested about her being charming as well and she rolled her eyes. "i am honored you think me charming, but not many people get the charming side of me - the sweet kind side sure, but not charming per say"
They continued talking, and after she said " i wouldn't be suprised if you were the special someone half the castle is hoping will ask them to dance - that does make me wonder.... why approach me?” Hana pretended to ponder her question. The twinkle in his eye turned michevious, and charming at the same time. Bailey smiled at him, knowing he had read her romatic hearted self like a book. When he asked if he had made her heart blush she pretended to check her pulse, faked a gasp and said dramatically "oh dearie me i think you did!"
Laughing at herself, bailey dropped her hand from her wrist. She smiled at Hana, happy that he had decided she was who he wanted to spend the evening with.
Later as they were discussing - or rather bailey was offering suggestions of where to go, Hana seemed to grow impatient and decided for them that they'd be going. Bailey sensed that something was up, and she honestly was ready to go along with anything he wanted to do. "The lake is lovely around this time of day - it would be nice!"
Hana, after glancing hesitantly at her first, grasped her hand. Bailey held Hana's hand back, squeezing it slightly, just enough pressure to say im here, and it made her heart happy to see the slightest glimse of gratitude in hana's eyes. She knew gratitude was not something often showed by Hana, and she felt honored that she was the person that was there, to be his anchor.
Hand in hand Bailey and Hana made their way to the lantern area.

action: leaving for the lantern area with Hana onto another adventure!! or rather - ball adventure phase II XD

George felt that a great deal of preparation was all paying off at once. He'd secured a date that he had wanted for a very long time - well, he had wanted it a long time ago. There was a middle section of his memory where he didn't really think about his date at all, but nonetheless, those old feelings of crushing on Hugh had aged like fine wine. It was time for the best part of the ball - walking in, feeling like a fairy tale... the rest of it would be like going down hill with no brakes, but it was best to enjoy the highs while you had them.

Hugh had agreed to meet George at the common room and walk in together, which was his second mistake after agreeing to let George pick their outfit. Upon seeing the half-giant, George took off to the boy's restroom to groom and style him until the half-giant met his standards of style, which were very exact. That was why the two were entering after a substantial delay. Perhaps not fashionably late, but late and fashionable nonetheless.

"We look gorgeous," murmured George, who was clinging to Hugh's giant arm as if he were afraid the other boy might run away. It may have been a relief that George decided not to go too overboard with the larger boy's style - in fact, he was quite conservatively done up. Proper posh wizarding style, the fashion of the modern wizard as delivered in the latest magazines. Meanwhile, George was wrapped up in robes so flowy that they could've been mistaken for a gown. Matching the theme of the festival of lights, layers of fabric mimicked the flickering of a flame in a lantern, showing shades of red and orange. It looked... very flammable. But it wasn't like anything was gonna happen at the ball like that, right?

"Okay... we're a bit later than I thought. Do you see anyone you want to talk to?" George asked, looking out among the gathered students. He saw a few he recognized, but none he felt particularly inspired to go show off his date to... maybe they were down at the boats? His disappointment was evident in his voice. "I don't see anyone except Aaron. Maybe we should just dance... or see if there's brownies..."