Blossom Ball Dancefloor Event Closed

Open to Interactions

To go, or not to go, that was the question River had been contemplating since she first heard about the upcoming Blossom Fest. River had never in her life been a fan of these fancy things, and she had certainly never been to a ball before. I'm going to be all by myself, I don't have anyone to go with, and I don't even know what I'll wear... She laid down on her bed, and looked thoughtfully up at the celling. I mean, there's nothing better for me to do anyway. She thought, as River did not have any homework to be done, and didn't make other plans either. She didn't really know herself, but she did have an urge to go. She wanted to see what it was like, and who would be there. Maybe she'd meet some nice people she could get to know. After what seemed like hours of just lying there, contemplating, she decided she'd just go. And if she didn't like it, she could just leave, it was that simple.

Now for what to wear... She had only packed a few things in case of an event like this, so she didn't have much of a choice when it came to attire. Of course, the few things she had packed, were things she liked, so she knew she'd feel a little confident in her outfit at least. She pulled her dress, shoes and accesories out of the bottom of her luggage, and changed. She went over to a mirror, and admired her work. It was certainly something different from her usual sweaters and jeans.

River had been nervous about what to wear, as she had never really felt comfortable wearing a dress, but for the occasion, she had put on a simple, dark blue one, which reached her calves. Sure, River had mannaged to make herself wear a dress, but there was a line she did not feel comfortable crossing. She would NOT wear heels. Nope River had decided to put on her trusted, black converse with her dress, it was a choice she knew came with a lot of controversy, but she didn't really care. She had even done her hair fancy, which she actually liked in these rare instances. To top the whole outfit off, she wore her necklace with the pendant of a small bird, which she never took off.

River walked nervously up to where the dancefloor was. Trying to take it all in, not that it was an easy task, as River could feel her anxiety slowly creeping up on her, ready to attack from behind. She took a deep breath, and shook her head slightly, he wouldn't let her anxiety ruin this. She hadn't put herself in a dress, just to leave after a few seconds. No she was staying.

When pushing her anxieties away, with difficulty, she actually saw how incredible the place looked. It was truly different than what she had expected. Maybe it was worth going after all? She thought to herself as her mood lightened a little by the atmosphere of her surroundings.

The young Ravenclaw stood silently by the side of the dance floor and looked carefully around for familliar faces. She noticed a few, but no one she really knew that well. She had never been great at attempting to make frieds, but it seemed like today would be an opportunity to practise. Still, she did not feel ready to approach anyone, she wasn't that upfront, or brave for that sake. Perhaps the food will be something to check out while warming up to all the surrounding people? She thought, as she spotted the tables a little bit away from her.
She walked up to the table decked up with more cupcakes than she had ever seen. She picked one thet looked particularly appealing. It was a brown one with white frosting, and River expected it to be chocolate or something along those lines. She took a bite. Wow, that's good! she thought. It was not chocolate as she had expected, but rather coffee flavoured. She loved herself a cup of coffee, so she definitely did not mind that. She continued nibbling on the cupcake as she stood there, looking at all the surrounding people enjoying themselves.

Reducio

River's Outfit|

Brief Explanation: Anatole and Alexx (and maybe others, but these two I know for sure) do end up leaving the ball with Elena Jones. However, we agreed that in order for this to happen, we need a few more posts in the ball for conversational purposes. That being said, this post is before Anatole leaves (permission given by Anatole Evans, plotted 4/1/19).

Interacting With: Finley McGill and Anatole Evans
Open to Interactions

Turning her attention to the first year, Alexx smiled, very relieved that she was found. It was truly amazing how many people she really knew. Once she thought about it, Alexx realized that she had more friends than she really considered. Finley was not someone who she expected to enjoy being around. It had very little to do with her as a person, but really, Alexx didn't seem to be around first years a lot. She had no reason to be. However, after meeting Finley and passing an excessive amount of notes, she decided that this was someone who she would enjoy being around.

She smiled, nodding her head. "Indeed, it has been a while," Alexx confirmed, tilting her head. She reached onto her shoulder and pulled Rosalie down, presenting her to Finley. "This is Rosalie. She's my new pet," she explained, watching the ball rotate around on her palm. She smiled fondly at her companion, thorough enjoyment filling her. Somehow, Alexx knew that Rosalie would draw people to her.

Before she could continue the conversation, out of the corner of her eye, Alexx spotted a familiar face. Well, she had seen him around before, though she would admit that the two had never really interacted. But he was Anatole Evans, formed Head Boy. How could anyone in her year or up not know about Anatole? The better question was- what happened to this kid, anyway? She always sort of suspected that he was a burn out; got tired of playing a part and ditched or something. Kind of like when you start in school really smart but as the years go on you have no will to continue it and everything slips away from you? Secretly, Alexx always figured that happened to Anatole. Being Head Boy must have been hard work, anyway, so no one could really blame him. Besides, now they had-! Well, no one, actually. But it was cool. Life at Hogwarts went on.

Turning back to Finley, Alexx started up again. "Sorry to change topics so quickly, but you see that boy right there?" She asked, gesturing discretely in the direction of the Former Head Boy. "That's Anatole Evans. You might not remember him too well if at all, or maybe you've head of him- I don't know. The point is that I think we should go say 'hi', be... Ya know... Nice." She didn't really know what else to suggest, all she knew was that she needed to meet Anatole Evans formally. Merlin, how she missed her gossip column days. This would have been the perfect coverage. Slytherin Insider on The Mysterious Anatole Evans: What happened to the beloved Head Boy? Where is he now? What a title that would have made.

Glancing back towards the direction of Anatole, Alexx smiled, inching slightly closer, however not too far away from her friend. "Anatole!" She called out, hoping to grab his attention. She didn't know how well he would take to a stranger's approach, though she secretly hoped he wasn't hostile or anything. Perhaps, though, he would recognize her as a staff member. That is- if he knew. She joined the team after he left, but maybe word got around to him? However, Alexx wasn't exactly a big shot; she wasn't popular, nor was she hanging around a crowd that stood out from the rest. Alexx drifted and found herself emerged in little groups and friendships here and there, but she didn't find herself being popular. So, maybe not. However, there is always time for first impressions.

Finley was extremely excited to see a small pet like Alexx had! It had been so long since she had seen her family cat, which was rather bratty, and the miniscule furry thing reminded her of the feline friend. Of course, Alexx looked beautiful, but Finley would rather be entranced in this ball of fluff. As the girl pulled the thing, introduced as Rosalie, off her shoulder, Finley let out a light squeal of joy and tried to pick up the thing. ”Aww! She’s so cute!” It clearly wasn’t used to her touch, so she jumped back her hand as the Pygmy Puff came closer. ”Little...feisty, isn’t she?” She laughed, smoothing out her yellow frock. While Finley was entranced by the girl’s pet, the other girl was busy scouting out the region. While Alexx was thinking strategy, Finley thought affection. While Alexx thought of legends and rumours, Finley thought of the singular moment: sweet and lovable. It was even safe to say that Finley loved this girl even more just because of her pet, who slowly warmed up to her touch. Rosalie was just so adorable!

”Huh?” Finley was snapped out of her rose-colored pet trance when Alexx’s voice ran back into her ears. Something about a boy? None of her instances with boys so far had been good. ”Yeah, I see him...behind that table?” The name Alexx brought up held very little meaning to Finley. She hadn’t paid much attention to student government, and at this point didn’t even know who her Prefects were! ”His name doesn’t sound too familiar…” Finley remarked with a grimace. ”Last time a Slytherin told me to say hi to a boy across the room, I had to hug a boy in a teddy bear suit. You’ve got to be sure about this!” She was rather blunt with her statement, but Alexx had a much nicer first impression, so she decided to trust her for once. ”Alright, fine…” Finley accepted her offer and walked over to the boy, making sure Rosalie was falling right behind.

As Alexx called the boy’s name, Finley made sure to remember it. He sounded oddly important from Alexx’s point of view. Anatole Evans. Anatole Evans. ”Uhm, hi Anatolieee,” Finley mispronounced. ”I’m Finley McGill. Nice to meet you!” This plot sounded oddly familiar, so Finley decided to bite into her cupcake more, cross her fingers, and hope for the best.

The boy arrived on the floor a tad bit late, but it was such a hassle getting dressed without creasing his suit, and with the added challange of the wheelchair, he had a valid excuse. His appearance though, was worth it I believe. 

Unlike the other males, who wore plain, or childish suits, Rowan wore something... extraordinary, because well... he was a rich pure blood, with a father who simply wouldn’t accept him looking like anything but the most important guest at the event. 

His hair had been swept back, the usually unruly curls flattened with some product, so it was slicked. Some blue gems and silver studs adorned the many piercings in his ears. Khol lined his eyes, only making his pale eyed gaze sharper. Simple silver bands adorned his fingers, shimmering in the light as he rolled through the grass. 

And finally, the crowning jewel. The suit. The pale flowers adorning the blazer seemed to sway gently with the ripple of the fabric. A tie to match. And the black shirt only further in contrast with his fair complexion. 

Rowan looked over the crowd, smiling slightly. So many careless youths. His eyes landed on one person in specific though. Miko. 

The male rolled over to him, the same smile on his face as he approached. His harsh gaze would seem to cut into him though, more intimidating than he really ment it to be.

“Hello again, Miko.”

Interacting with Miko

INTERACTIONS!
Alexx Helm and Finley McGill.
MENTIONS!
Solomon Lear (implied via the beard jokes).
NOTES!
See Alexx Helm's last post regarding Anatole's exits and entrances. Yes, Elena Jones did have permission to godmod my character.

Anatole's first mistake of many was his common sense. When his vision was obstructed, he took the time to remove the cloth from his eyes. Now, everyone at the party could see who he was - and approach him freely. This night seemed like the worst night for someone to question him because of they party's joyful nature. Everyone was supposed to be happy, for this was one of the few festivals Hogwarts had!

Once Anatole took another scan around the premises, he took a breath and realized he had nothing to worry about. After all, he had made many friends here, and he hadn't seen anyone at this party who was remotely an enemy (well, minus the only one with a beard)! Not one eye seemed to turn to him as he turned his back on the crowd. Boy, tonight was going to be great!

Meanwhile, a pair of eyes were scanning. Little did Anatole know, there was a single non-bearded face that did recognize the remarkable back of his head. The color scheme and the tanned neck drew the attention of Alexx Helm, and when he rotated back around with the tablecloth on his forearm like a classy waiter, she noticed him. Of course, Anatole took no heed and missed the fact that she was pointing the former Head Boy out to another Hufflepuff girl, who was playing with...a pink, moving object. Since when did they allow pets at Hogwarts to come to formal balls? Anatole snickered and found it uncivilised yet funny. What wasn't funny is that two strange, blonde girls were approaching him and he had no idea who either of them were. Worst of all, Anatole had no plan to tackle this social interaction.

"Anatole!" A voice called from afar, belonging to one of the two blondes. How did she know his name? Oh, right. When you're Head Boy, everyone knows your name. The girl with the pink puff followed. When she came into view, Anatole attempted a painfully forged smile, which flopped and turned out more like a grimace. Hopefully, they didn't mind.

Anatole straightened his tie, took a quick breath and prepared himself for his first Hogwarts conversation in what felt like decades. "Oh! Hey there," he called to the ladies, forcing himself to remember the days he was Head Boy. He greeted everyone differently then from he did now, and things felt much less awkward and much more friendly then. Now, Anatole was wishing he was a good actor. "Do I...know either of you?"

The obvious Hufflepuff chimed in after. "Uhm, hi Anatolieee..." The way she pronounced his name didn't faze him. He was used to this tomfoolery.

"Actually, it's Anatole," he corrected with a genuine chuckle. The yellow-dressed girl immediately introduced herself which seemed a little odd. Anatole placed that thought in the back of his mind and greeted her kindly. "Well, nice to meet you, Finley. Who are these two?" He looked first to the adjacent blonde and then to the puff, squirming around. "You three look rather nice tonight..."

Adam had been beginning to suspect that spring would never reach them all the way up in Scotland, but signs of its arrival were finally starting to show. There was little chance of snow to pull them back into winter, and the air was starting to warm if, if slowly. The fact that it was April alone was enough to make the world feel more like springtime, and the professors at Hogwarts had clearly seen the signs too, because they'd sprung into celebration mode and announced the return of BlossomFest.

Last year's festival had been wonderfully exciting, although not much of it had gone according to plan. When the party started, Adam had gotten together with his friends Cecily and Amadea to form an unstoppable team and take on the Great Maze, the bane of Hogwarts students looking to win a prize. Unfortunately, their "unstoppable" team hadn't made it very far through the maze before it was time to move on to another event, but it was no great loss to Adam. He'd been a bit disappointed at the time, but looking back on it now he was relieved. If one of his friends had gotten hurt in the maze, he would have felt guilty for months, and if they were to have gotten lost it would be his pride at risk. Even with the close of the maze, their team hadn't been disassembled, however -- they'd just moved on to the big-ticket event, the Blossom Ball.

Last year's ball was infamous by now among the students that had been there, but surely it was remembered for its beauty as well. It had been a really nice event, decorated meticulously for the occasion and stocked with every themed snack imaginable. He'd even taken a ballroom dancing lesson to prepare for it, likely embarrassing himself in front of Serena Towers, but it might have been worth it if they'd gotten to dancing at all. Before the night was even really under way, it came crashing down around them in flames when some rogue student cast a spell and set his table on fire. The details were getting blurry in Adam's mind, but the story was still clear, and so was the lingering feeling of disappointment that accompanied the loss of the evening. Everyone had worked so hard on that night, only to have it taken from them.

But, Adam reminded himself as he adjusted the sleeves of his robes and approached the heart of the party, look at where you are now! He supposed that nothing had been taken, just delayed for a year. The boy grinned as he turned his head from side to side to take in all of the decorations, his gaze landing on the food and successfully piquing his interest. It wasn't wise to dance on an empty stomach, after all. Temporarily ignoring the more filling choices on the first table, Adam moved in on a table of cupcakes and took one that matched the color of his house, holding it to the side for a moment to pour himself a cup of punch and step to the side, out of the way. The grounds looked beautiful like this, and though he'd been reluctant about coming down, it was clearly the right decision.

Adam wasn't wearing anything especially special for the evening, though perhaps he should have been. It was still a dance, and he felt lazy going in school clothes, so he'd changed into a set of dress robes bought for him over the summer and a nice-looking shirt and pair of trousers underneath in case the robes got too hot while dancing. Originally, he'd only planned on coming down to help out the professors if they needed it, but now that he was in the swing of things he could see himself spending the whole night here. After all, there was food to eat, and people to talk to, and the most marvelous music to dance with someone to! Smiling out at the scene in front of him, he brought the cupcake up from its dejected place at his side at last and took a bite absentmindedly.

Recoiling from the thing in his hand -- for he could no longer call it a cupcake -- Adam felt himself turn white and choked back a retch, turning away from the party to process what had just happened to him. Though he'd always been wary around Every-Flavor Beans, he had never thought that he could be betrayed in the same way by a treat like this. Unfortunately, the fishy flavor that was lingering in his mouth indicated just that. It reminded him of something his dad had tried to get him to eat in France; he'd taken one experimental bite and hated the taste of it. It had an impossible name: boya-something or other. Boyabase. That must have been what they'd tainted this particular cupcake with. Setting the unfinished traitor down on the corner of a nearby table, Adam tried to wash the taste out of his mouth with punch and reached up to wipe away a smear of frosting with his sleeve, catching himself halfway through. Couldn't do that here.

Dessert drama aside, the night was promising to be...well, promising. He couldn't wait to start dancing, but in the meantime he'd find someone nearby to talk to. It would be a nice time to locate a friend or meet someone new -- the circumstances were perfect for meeting someone new. Upon entering the party, he'd even thought that he'd seen an old, familiar face, but had dismissed that as a hallucination quickly. When it all boiled down to the basics, anything could happen, and Adam welcomed that possibility with open arms. How exciting to be in the midst of BlossomFest once again!

Open for interaction!

INTERACTIONS: ADAM HARRINGTOM.

Firm hands, while small in size, clasped over Adam's eyes, before the thin body of a girl crashed into him and the hands fell, along with Eris, as she fell backwards into the grass. "Ow. I'm short." Eris Fawley muttered, before collapsing into the dirt. It almost appeared that he had to jump upwards to try and put her hands over Adam's eyes, and now she smiled crookedly from the ground.

Last year, Eris had dressed in finery benefiting a Queen. A great blue and gold dress, matching with Sabrina and Rhea. From her spot on the ground, she remembered countless hours spent dressing and talking in the Gryffindor Common Room. And high heels. Oh, how those heels had hurt. She had yanked them off and danced barefoot until the fire had raged throughout the room.

Last year's ball had been terrifying, but this one was outside. It couldn't be horrid. That Slytherin boy was gone, and it was a new year. The only thing that made her sad was that Max was not here. She would have liked to finally dance together, instead of things being ruined by fire. Maybe she could be good at dancing! She had learned how to ballroom dance. It was kind of boring, to be honest. But, she could do it.

She wished that this ball would be nice and fun. Oh, oh oh, and that all her friends would come! Maybe even Dorian and Max would show up. But alas, as she was learning, sometimes wishes did not come true. Eris had once thought her life a fairytale, but it wasn't. She was learning that life did not pan out like a picture box, as much as she often longed for it to be that way. There was no real Heroes Journey or stupid ending to a fairy tale. Real life kept going on. And on, and on and ooon. No eventual happily-ever-after.

Yet this dance looked like a fairytale. Or something out of one. Perhaps it would be safe. But, she had thought the same last year about that dance. But this one was beautiful. Eris almost expected faeries to burst out of the trees, and for creatures to start dancing with them.

And oh the food! It nearly made her mouth water. She looked at all the cupcakes, nearly running away from Adam to go eat one. But, no! She had made the mistake of leaving her friends last year. And her date. Oh god, she had forgot to pick up Max. No, this would not be a repeat of last year. She would stay here!

True, things had been different then. But, some things stayed the same. Things like the impish smile on Eris' face, or the blonde of Adam's hair. Her scars were hardly visible, due to metamorphamagus abilities. She'd learned that when thinking about the fire, her burn marks became more visible. But, when calm, they were just faint pinpricks of jagged skin on her body, hardly seen unless one looked hard upon her skin.

It felt like years ago, last years Blossom Festival. Back when their common room had been called the Dorm of Lily Potter, instead of the Occamy Perch. She sighed, remembering Rhea and her trunk full of dresses. Late night talks with Sabrina over Reid Kovacs, before Eris had even known him. How much had the world changed in a year? People had come and gone like the seasons, but Eris was still so short. Something was wrong with that equation, as she laid her head down in the grass.

"Urghhh." She pulled herself up, rolling into a seated position before hopping to her feet. She held her hand out to Adam, wiping hair and dirt out of her face. "Hi." There was no chocolate staining her fingers, even though she had eaten chocolate pudding for lunch.

She had made an actual effort to look a bit more grown-up than usual, although she was not wearing finary like last year. Eris stood in a plain light blue dress, strands of red hair falling down to her shoulders. Her offered hand had nails painted a light red colour, as did the other set of nails on the other hand.

However, even if she looked nice, Eris still had a bag draped over her shoulder. Her wand and Kaegen's knife secure in her bag, Eris was prepared for anything that might come her way. She really did not trust the professors at Hogwarts. She also had a bottle of water in her bag, just in case of another fire.

Even if she was prepared, there was more to her outfit. That paint job on her nails? It would be apparent to anyone nearby. It was not exactly the most posh job done on someone's nails.The paint job was awful. There were splotches of paint all over her hands and fingers, but she seemed pleased. Hand still out, Eris kept beaming. Bored of waiting for him to respond, Eris sighed and blew hair out of her face.

"Adam! Will you do me the honour of dancing with me and all that jazz! Best friend date or something!?" She beamed up at him, looking over his shoulder to snatch a cupcake with her other hand.

She could never resist sugar. Unwrapping it, Eris moved the cupcake towards her mouth. She took a bite and then spit it out, throwing the cupcake into the nearby woods. "SPINACH CUPCAKES?" She shrieked, dropping her hand to rub both hands over her tongue.

"What the bloody hell? Crap- Adam- the punch. I need it. I'm going to go get some, coming?"