Blossom Ball Dancefloor Event Closed

Raine made her way down to the campgrounds to attend the Blossom Ball. She was absolutely late to the event. Writing a letter to her parents took precedence in her mind and she wanted to give them an update about her time at Hogwarts.

Stepping outside in her deep blue dress that matched her ruby and sapphire earrings, a cardigan, and a pair of slip on flats, Raine headed toward the rowdy group of people. As she approached the party she took notice of Headmaster Lear near the buffet table with a group of students, another group of students including her friend, Arc Percivious, were standing near the fountain of punch, other students were mingling around in the middle of the entire affair either swaying to the music or actually trying to dance with one another. Currently, Raine was famished and she continued her trek to the buffet table where she picked up a slice of pizza and enjoyed the savory flavor of the cheese and sausage. The gray-eyed Gryffindor wasn't normally a pizza eater, but with how hungry she was, that pizza was heaven.

Taking up a napkin, the small girl wiped her hands and mouth off as she moved over to the table with all of the sweets. Licking her lips, Raine eyed the multitude of cupcakes and picked one up. It was a deep red color with what looked like sprinkles, except these sprinkles looked similar to an American Muggle candy she tried once before that had seriously burned her tongue and tasted like cinnamon. Skeptical, but still wanting to try to sweet treat in her hands, Raine took a bite of the cake. Her eyes lit up with delight as the flavor rested on her tongue and brought a delightful feeling to her mouth.

"Oh wow," she whispered excitedly when she swallowed her first bite, "Cherry! One of my favorite flavors!"

Taking another bite, Raine realized she was getting a bit thirsty and energetically walked over to the fountain to grab a drink. Picking up a cup, she filled it halfway with the sweet drink and brought the cups to her lips when she overheard her friend and the girl he was talking to mention that the fountain of punch was spiked, and possibly with Veritaserum. Eyes wide, Raine looked at the seemingly innocent looking liquid in her cup and, with a sigh, tossed her hand off to the side, emptying the contents of the cup into the grass below.

'I wonder who would do something as stupid as use Veritaserum to spike the punch,' the girl thought with a scowl as she moved closer to her friend while looking around with her eyes for something else to drink.

Rosie took a hesitant step that carried her into the dance. There was a barely discernible shake in her hands. The dress she wore was a deep blue. The sheer sleeves and beaded bodice were fitted to her body and the lower flowed around her as she moved. Her usual mop of curls was ironed flat, but the volume of her hair hinted at the reality of the curls trying to make a reappearance. If anyone looked close enough, they would see a scar, only slightly paler than her already pale skin.

Her green eyes flicked nervously about the dance as she made her way to the refreshments. With a shaky hand, she poured herself a glass of punch. She was scanning the crowd for @Howard White and looking fairly awkward as she did it. The girl, looking a bit older than when she'd been here last, stood there sipping at her punch, too nervous to eat and too self conscious to seek anyone out that she had once known.

What had she done? Just being here was putting her on the verge of a panic attack. Her eyes found Professor Lear and the memories started. The night she'd almost died- but not quite. The girl closed her eyes and spoke, nearly inaudibly. "Calm down, Rosie. It's ok. This is a dance. Breath..."

She chuckled as she commented on their handshake, but suddenly felt herself blurting out her own thoughts. "Thank you. A Ravenclaw, eh? I think I know more about your house than my own. My grandparents lectured me hours on end about the legacy of their house. Something tells me we'll get along, though, Arc."

Summer laughed when he mentioned his grand father. Arc continued to talk about his family, and she tried to fight back her frown as the topic of his mother came up. The truth serum fought with her, but the smile on his face made the boy look so happy that it she forced a smile and prayed for any words about her mother's passing come up. Her hands tightened around the edges of her dress. Thankfully, the tears didn't come.

"My mother is amazing, though, she’s like crazy smart. She’s a medical doctor, geriatric medicine, super tough subject, or so I heard. Sometimes, he could even solve a magical problem my father could not. Theoretically, of course."

"My father says I'm like my mother." Summer replied suddenly. "And I guess I see it personality wise. She was an actress. A small one, but it was her dream and she fought for it. My Mom is so much more beautiful though- I don't have my father's hair or eyes apparently. Maybe I'll grow into it?" She joked. Okay, you kept that under control. Hopefully there had been no hinting of grief and loss, but this boy was smart.

Arc then recommended that they don't yell and Summer just nodded in agreement. But then, the dark haired boy's face morphed into an expression of shock that was almost so realistic that she had to keep herself from laughing.

"What? There could be Veritaserum in our cupcake or punch?! No wonder I could not stop saying what I was thinking! Ah! But the potion is illegal! Who could have done such a thing? We should…we should tell the Headmaster!"

Once Arc's small performance had been finished, Summer have their surroundings a quick once over. A girl who had been holding a cup of punch had promptly dumped it onto the grass below, and Summer smiled slightly. Smart.

"Hello!" She waved to the girl. "You look pretty smart. Wanna join us?" And there it was. Another random truth announced to the world. Summer bit her lip, laughing. This whole truth thing would actually be kind of funny until it faded away.

As she kept scanning the venue for any sight of her friend, Ami finally spotted him trying to make his way through the crowd towards her direction. Her normally stern expression melted into a wide smile, and she waved at him excitedly. Finally! Her benevolent smile started to edge towards teasing, however, when she caught sight of what he was wearing. Pursing her lips together and trying to hold back outright laughter, she waited until Scott had made his way over to her before saying anything.

Well, she tried to say something, but Scott being Scott, had simply started talking the second he had arrived, nearly knocking over a glass as he did so. His excitement matched that of a child in a toy store, amazed and slightly giddy. The novelty of dances had worn off for Ami by now, and she mostly treated them as an excuse to not do her homework. She smiled fondly at the mention of Lady Madeleine, the sweetheart... she reminded her so much of Leo, the gray tabby she had found wandering the grounds last year. She had finally turned him in to the Magical Menagerie when it finally came time to go home for the summer, feeling that her mother would seriously blow her lid if she brought him home. Her smile widened, as well, when he complimented her clothing.

Once he finally finished his splurge of words, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Releasing him, she explained, "That's my pre-apology. Your clothes, Scott... jeez, are you French, now?" she asked with a laugh, tugging at his tie-thing. What even was that? It was floral, but on the edge of being paisley, which Ami despised. Who on earth had invented paisley? A grandma? His hair was so neat, too- reaching up, she mussed up his hair slightly with her hands, returning it to its normal, boyish state. "Wow, that hair was throwing me off... and this vest... wow. Okay. I'll stop talking. Sorry."

Her gaze flicking above and past his shoulder, she watched as Celynne left the dance, and she sighed an internal sigh of relief. As far as she could see, Eris was still here, talking with that Ravenclaw prefect, which put Ami on edge, slightly, but Scott was here, now. If anything bad happened, she was certain that she could take that blonde prefect, no problem- a quick kick to the shins, an elbow to the gut, and a fist to the face would put him down fast enough. Plus, Scott would totally be her backup- he had said so himself in the Hospital Wing last year.

"Who cares where the music's coming from?" she crowed in answer to Scott's question earlier. "Come on! Let's dance. That's what a ball's for, anyway- right?"

Mentions: Celynne, Eris, Adam
Interactions: @Scott Alexander

@Rowan Bane departed, his romantic tryst to be described in another story.

Rowan has Left the Topic

@Koko Riddle arrived late to the ball. She had missed the drama unfold near the punch bowl. Some of the students were starting to catch on, but those students had already vacated the dance floor before that discovery was made. She would see the students mingling, a chance to meet new people or keep in touch with the old. That was the charm of gatherings such as these, fun, safe social situations that she can partake in. She would meet up with a fellow first year and Slytherin, @Cricket Cassowary. Mustard - an interesting favorite as well as an interesting thing to deem acceptable in a confectionery. A dirty sock - yes, how did they know what a dirty sock tasted like? Didn't she just recognize the flavor. How concerning. But Koko would not be alone at the very least, small talk about cupcakes and the ability to still lie and tell the other one that they are swell. They were doing better than most of the other students at this party.

In fact, a fight was breaking loose at one of the tables. A pair of boys were getting into a scuffle over something. That was the problem with loose lips. Sometimes people say things that someone else should never hear. There were a few girls crying, a couple of students storming off, a few shouting matches and not very much dancing. Well, there was some, some early signs of love, some full on making out and an unfortunate Headmaster staring at the chaos with his mouth agape. 

Muggle spray bottle in hand, Solomon would march up to a pair of handsy teens and squirt them thrice with the icy water. "Not on my watch," Solomon muttered. The girl shrieked about her makeup and the guy said something about just going down to the lake or the woods to do this anyways. A verbal altercation between the Headmaster and the obviously influenced with Versantium teen culminated with the headmaster shouting about detention until he is old enough to have grandchildren and dragging the boy by his collar off the dance floor. His date/fondle-buddy was crying, about the detention not the boy and how her parents were going to kill her for making out with a half-blood. Yes, that was her 'truthful' concern.

@Celynne Gray would arrive late like so many others, in the midst of this slowly rising chaos. The sort of chaos where the Headmaster tried to ban dances but since there were no deaths (probably) he has a difficult time convincing the parents, patrons and staff that it is a good idea. Yet for those that saw it, the Headmaster returning victoriously after he forced someone almost a third his age to return to his dorm and reconsider his present lack of a sex life in comparison to his now likely long future of also lacking one due to an egregious detention sentence. Celynne would stand in the midst of a warzone, creampuff cupcake in hand. Delicious.

@Sapphire Riddle would enter the dance, not particularly interested in anything or anyone. she was not even happy to be there. While this likely would have destined her to an evening of loneliness, that was not the case. @Koko Riddle seemed to be the social butterfly among the new comers even if she did not consider herself one. In the midst of this chaos, still capable of hiding her true sentiments and armed with a desire to make new acquaintances she would approach both Sapphire and @Celynne Gray and try to engage in some sort of small talk. Not left alone, something most would have been grateful for. Celynne was not. She was not happy about being approached in a place intended to be a locale for social interaction and she would bid the girls adieu as quickly as they met.

Celynne has Left the Topic

@Eris Fawley continued her conversation with @Adam Harrington, although there was a bit of a Freudian slip in that the name used was "Harringtom" -- who is this Tom? This was what would likely be the start of a sweet romance. To be young and in love. To think every one is the one and every heart break the worst and most crushing defeat they would ever experience. To love deeply and fully and easier than they knew how to admit or express. A truth that wanes with time, love might possibly be a finite commodity much like time and eventually it decays. But first it would need to bloom.



@Ami Procoppio was totally into @Paracelsus Alger Myth's sexiness, she only needed to take a drink of the punch to be able to admit that to herself and the world that she let that oppertunity pass her by. She would forever hate @Charles York for burning down the dance, not for the terror it inflicted or the property and personal damages it might have caused but because there was a lost chance there that she would never get back.   Or maybe she thought Parce was a turd and York saved the day. The girl was giving off some mixed signals here. This year she had a date she would at least admit she liked, that was progress to say the least. 

Apparently she hated enough people to limit her to a corner of the dance area. Something about betrayals. How dramatic for people so young. And yet she was staring at a Slytherin deviant for a bit too long. Maybe the girl flirted with disaster. The Headmaster would breach her line of sight, screaming and chasing a youth that was stuffing his face full up cupcakes with his shirt half buttoned. The scenario and how it reached that point was something that was better to not ask. But it broke whatever trance Ami was in. It was just in time @Scott Alexander had not stood Ami up.

Scott was wearing highwaters but everything about him despite this fact screamed money. Another blossoming (ha!) romance. The ambiance would have been idea and perhaps for them it was. When near one's paramour it was often hard to see anything but them. The rest of the world just becomes a haze. There was a fair amount of students still dancing, some socializing, a number bickering and Solomon running about in his armor almost cartoonishly, clanking as he hastily traversed the dancefloor brandishing his spraybottle. At the very least there was no fire, no explosions and if one did not know any better they would think that Solomon did not even bring his wand. Reduced to primarily muggle strategies of division and conquering their loud and somewhat ridiculous Headmaster graphically rebuked the occasional youth. Warning them blunter than most would in polite company the dangers of their youthful lust.

@Cecily Quinn, yet another late arrival was left alone in a crowd of strangers. Well, not everyone was a stranger, there were people she likely recognized by reputation. There were others that she knew and even spoke with, but they were otherwise potentially romantically engaged. That left Miss Quinn alone. Her only fortune this evening being her cupcake, blueberry goodness. She would catch the Headmaster's eye, he would shout out to her -- "keep away from these boys!" With a squirt of water to the face of one student. "Scat!" He address her no longer, that spray to a girl's face but not because she was making out but because she was accosting another young girl. 

A kleptomaniac with an exceedingly annoying name to spell, @Xailah Alptraum would arrive late like many new-comers. The punch was starting to dry up, but she was not here for a drink. apparently she was here for the silverware. There was not much, nobody eats pizza or cupcakes with silver, but there were a few bits of cutlery here and there for the freaks that found such necessary. Eating pizza with one's hands and face hole alone was just.... just so pedestrian. Xailah hid beneath the table, she would miss some of the more dramatic ongoing bits and have a great view of everyone's ankles. If nothing else she would hear some interesting tidbits of gossip, apparently most people were not really as good of friends as they professed if she heard the words right. More important than that, she would hear a girl and a pair of guys talking. She would not see their faces, just their shoes. Their very casual shoes. The guys were wearing a pair of sneakers, they looked new and in good repair. The girl, a pair of worn but in good condition black boots with a short heel. Dress slacks covered the legs of both of the guys in some dark color and as for the girl, a shimmery skirt in a reddish color. 

"Looks like they had enough of the Kool-Aide, eh?"

"Man, whadda damn mess this place is turning out to be."

"Anyone stand out?"

"The cute redhead over there."

@Nico Shymane out-classed @Kaegen Deathmote by a far margin, in a few years he would give his left leg to have a girl as pretty as her interested in him. He would regret it later as he ran off. Unknown to gawkers, because yes, multiple people noticed the boy run off after he spent a bit longer than was casual watching @Eris Fawley enjoy her date with @Adam Harrington. Jealousy? That was a fair possibility. Maybe the kid with some sort of cancer had a thing for the midget metamorphmagus. That would be the likely rumor at the very least, the tears in the kid's eyes something that at least a few of the others could see as well as the embarrassed and lonesome look on his date's face as she was left alone at the table nursing a cupcake and a likely broken heart. Solomon was not around, he would not see the little girl left alone at the table to cry, but someone else was. 

However, her sudden departure just then thwarted what would have been their ideal scenario. she would never know how close she came to a disaster just then and Kaegen how close his thoughtless abandonment was to causing this young girl more than emotional duress.

Nico has left the Thread

The chaos was starting to die down, a number of students (all NPCs) had found themselves with a sentence of detention. Solomon was looking frazzled, he was sweating and tired by the time he took a seat and watched the ball. "Where are the other Professors..." Solomon muttered out loud. It was as if he was the only chaperone here, mostly because he was.

@Arc Perscivious was very late to the dance, he would have missed most of the chaos. He would come upon an exhausted Headmaster sitting in a chair. He also likely passed several students complaining about the 'lack of fun' the dance was and how they 'should have gone to the lake instead.' While Arc might have seen an intimidating guardian of safety, many of the second years saw Solomon as a harbinger of chaos and trauma. Solomon had this luck about him. Some of it was self made and absolutely his fault, but the youth here had this uncanny skill. This ability to see a problem, or a difficult situation and magically compound it in ways that defied all natural laws to make things worse. Arc would give the Headmaster a bow and Professor Lear would return with a weary salute from his chair. "For the love of god, don't make me get out the spray bottle..." he complained, not intending the words to be spoken out loud even if the effects of the potion were starting to wane.

@Anatole Evans, @Finley McGill and @Erin Ryan could have made an interesting trio. The deviant, the not deviant and the weird kid. Well, that was before Anatole ran off, abruptly and without warning stealing a tablecloth as he vacated the dance area. Erin had no interest in Finley and she wandered off in search of someone new to victimize. Solomon should have used his water bottle on her, saved some poor soul from her but he didn't.

Near @Xailah Alptraum's table, those same three voices would narrate. 

"How about the blonde over there?"

"I don't think she took the punch."

Apparently they were looking for a student for whatever reason. A student that had drank the punch. Also, they seemed to be identifying those left alone, potentially abandoned. Little did Anatole know that his abandonment stunt actually drew them to the girls he had left behind. 

"The other one?"

"The weird one nobody is talking to?"

"Uhh--"

"Please, no."

"Too late anyways. Looks like she is chasing some other guy."

Erin Ryan had decided to latch onto @Andrew Vance. How long was this one going to last? Probably not much longer than the last.

"Slim pickings."

Somehow, despite the dance being half over, students were still finding their way in. Perhaps it took them longer than it should to primp and preen the way that they needed to. Even the guys seemed to have that problem. @Summer Hearst would be the next to arrive. The cupcake supply was dwindling, half the wrappers were lies anyways. She managed to find onion favored cupcakes, luck not being on her side it would seem. With a gulp of tainted punch she would approach a boy. His name was @Arc Perscivious and well... maybe her luck had changed. He seemed enthused by her presence. The awkward, verbose interaction between the two caused Solomon to tighten his grip on his trusty spray bottle that was half full. 

Solomon was not going to survive this night. More students were coming in still. @Talia Piper needed a much longer skirt. Solomon's palm impacted his forehead.

@Raine Sage was a late arrival to the party, the young Gryffindor would take in the setting. Her friend @Arc Perscivious had already attracted some lady friend making her the third wheel in that scenario. Instead she did what any out of place teen would, stand near the buffet table and keep her hands and possibly her mouth busy until someone else initiated a conversation. She was lucky and got one of the 'good' flavors of cupcake. She almost drank from the Kool-Aide also, but the fact that the punch seemed to be a bit off was traveling among the students. Word of mouth had reached her just in time and prevented her from making a terrible mistake. Yet the action also caught the notice of Arc's uh--- let's call her 'new friend.' @Summer Hearst called out to the new arrival. The students were for the most part grouping. Finding small units and staying together. 

Little did Solomon know that the truth potion would prove to be one of the more superficial problems that they would encounter. Those students had to have gotten that potion from somewhere, it was not the sort of thing that was stored en mass in the potions storeroom nor was it something that a student could causally produce or even purchase. Settling a lover's quarrel was not even close to a good enough reason for a friend in a high enough of a place to intercede. In truth, the students were just pawns, someone to slip the potion in the drink and get the kids a bit more loose-lipped.

Of course the question to be asked -- what could a kid possibly know that someone with these sorts of connections could possibly want?

The answer was: they didn't. They were found and given an offer with no foreseeable consequence. Learn the truth free of cost, just place this tonic in the drink. 

@Rosie Turner would step onto the dance floor. She was a standout, always was. She came from a year full of gingers but her hair was probably the biggest, even when ironed 'flat.' She had disappeared towards the end of her first year, shortly after one of the other students (Anatole) had set her on fire, turning what should have been a memorable event into a rescue mission. It was another incident of a student knowing incendio too early. It was like using a blow torch to clear the snow from their driveway or killing a spider by setting off a bomb. 

Rosie would take a drink from the punchbowl, it was tainted with Veritaserum, a powerful truth potion. Solomon would see the girl look at him, he would have an awkward wave and with the great, universal language of the mime he would try to poorly communicate that she should find a dance partner. In reality it looked like he was mildly drunk and teetered in a half circle. Solomon was far from fluent in the language of the mime.

While Solomon likely failed miserably in convincing Rosie to dance, there was someone else that might have gotten her attention. It was not Howie, he was drunk and being miserable elsewhere at the moment. There was someone else that had noticed Rosie after she took a drink. 

By @Xailah Alptraum's table, those same three voices would narrate.

"OK, how about that one?"

"The redhead?"

"Yeah, she just took a drink. She looks nervous and is alone."

"You think anyone is going to meet her? That anyone is going to miss her?"

"Seems like a risky move"

"Yeah, but it is getting late... You have no idea what I had to do to get that potion."

One set of sneakers would move from the table and leave @Xailah Alptraum's line of sight.

"Hey," a rather tall boy said as he tapped @Rosie Turner on the shoulder. He stood at almost seven feet, it was obvious that he had some giant's blood in him. His face young and his hair a medium brown, his skin an olive color. He looked more like a football player than a student and next to the other students everyone else looked so small. He was dressed well, not as well as some of the pure-bloods but he was wearing a deep blue suit with a grey dress shirt and heavy silver jewelry. "He has no idea what he just missed out on," he smiled as he extended his hand. "I am so very pleased to meet you, and it is my hope that your truant date's loss might be my gain" he smiled and would attempt to shake her hand.

If successful she would note that her hand would not be able to reach around his, while his easily encased her own. He had a confidence that a lot of the other students seemed to lack, most arrived with someone they already knew or they stood near the food and awkwardly waited for someone to interact with them first. Of course nobody did. Perhaps that came with being a bit older. "Third year, Hufflepuff," he claimed. She had never seen him around before and considering how this was going that was a mighty shame. "My name is Edwin Aldrin. I know that you are lovely enough to be an angel, but you are here with so at least heaven sent... what is your name?" Yes, he was laying it on thick.

@Howard White was going to regret missing this dance.

"Hello!" "You look pretty smart. Wanna join us?"

Raine looked up at the sudden invite from the girl talking to Arc. She shyly raised her own hand and waved back at the girl when she waved at her. Taking in the girl's appearance, Raine noticed that her long hair was blonde with pink tips, her eyes were gray-blue and almond-shaped, and the black dress she wore just accentuated the young girl's pre-adolescent beauty. Raine's internal self-conciousness about her own looks slowly began to rear its ugly head as she compared herself to the beautiful girl in front of her.

'Her hair is so bright and silky looking. I don't my hair would ever get like that. And her eyes...it's such a nice color, much better than my plain old gray ones.' The girl sighed as she lowered her hand from the wave she was giving. She needed to give her mind a distraction, so she did what she did best.

She observed the other students.

Allowing her eyes to wander, Raine took in some of the drama that was happening around her. Drama she hadn't noticed before when she was eating pizza or her cupcake. Mostly dealing with upperclassmen. She did notice a group of students whispering conspiringly a bit of a distance away, but it wasn't any of her business. A few students she didn't know or recognize were either dragged off by the headmaster, left the party on their own, or were sprayed with a...was the Headmaster using a water bottle to ward off students?

'I hope the man doesn't try to spray me.'

Shaking her head and pushing her negative thoughts from earlier to the back of her mind, Raine walked over to stand closer to the other two first years. She bopped Arc on his head playfully as she said with a smile, "I already know you," and then she held out her hand to the beautiful girl standing before Arc.

"Hi, I'm Raine Sage. I'm in Gryffindor. What's your name?"

The ginger with the big hair waved back at the older man. Though it was hesitant. She narrowed her eyes and canted her head to the side. What in God’s name was wrong with him? Rosie came from an ultra religious muggle family and had only ever heard stories of drunkenness and the dangers of. So the girl didn’t recognize it when it was in front of her. Slowly she turned back to the scene before her. Fighting, gossip, a general out of controls event. No, she hadn’t missed it.

Rosie saw the students looking at her at her and whispering. She glanced down towards her chest. Were her scars showing? She didn't see any, but tugged at her dress nonetheless in an attempt to hide anything peaking out. Not for the first time tonight, she was kicking herself for being here. Whether she was mad at herself for going to the ball, or Hogwarts entire, the jury was still out.

As Rosie looked back up from her game of cover up, she was startled by a tap on her shoulder. Anyone that had known the young girl would likely see that she was a bit more skittish now than she had been even previously. She turned her attention to the boy, but of course, her neck was craned upward as the boy was a good bit taller than she. "I... don't have a date." She looked ashamed and was fast turning the very same shade as her hair. "I was actually looking for someone."

When he offered his hand, Rosie only hesitated a moment before shaking it. She may have been timid, but she wasn't rude. Her eyes went a bit wide over the size difference. "I..." He head canted to the side in utter confusion on his words. A far cry from angelic, the ironed hair was beginning to again frizz and threaten to curl. The teenager's hair was a beast that refused to be tamed. "I... Uh... Rosie Turner. Second year Huffle. Nice to meet you, Edwin." Her voice had a very unsure note to it. Was it nice to meet the boy? Really? Regardless of her own self doubt, she found herself drawn into the boy's easy confidence.

Even as the two spoke, Rosie's eyes were constantly flicking about. She might have been dateless, but she was clearly looking for someone.

Interacting with @Arc Perscivious and @Raine Sage

Summer had called the girl over, and was waiting to see if she'd join them. When the darker haired girl paused and glanced around rather than coming over to speak to them, Summer nearly smacked herself for yelling at her to come over. The blonde's excitable nature scared people away sometimes, this may have been one of those cases. She reached up to twirl a strand of blonde hair around her finger, a nervous habit she had.

When the girl decided to approach them, she smiled and dropped the strand of hair again. "Good, so I wasn't too scary after all. And here we go again, saying what I'm thinking. I sound like an idiot, blurting out any words that come to my head. Is truth serum supposed to work like this? Hmm, interesting." Another mental face palm at her comments.

As the girl got closer, Summer gave her a quick once-over. She was pretty, the blonde noted, with dark, wavy hair and uniquely steel colored eyes. The girl looked put together as well, wearing a dark blue dress and a cardigan, with flats that hinted the girl preferred comfort compared to the other girls in heels. She empathized with that.

First, the brunette spoke to Arc.

"I already know you."

Then, she turned to face Summer.

Hi, I'm Raine Sage. I'm in Gryffindor. What's your name?

"Summer Hearst." She took the girl's extended hand and gave it a firm shake. "Nice to meet you. I really like your accent... people seem surprised when they hear mine. But then again, I do suppose it's kinda weird to be an American attending a school for magic in the Scottish Highlands. And now I'm ranting."

Summer glanced around, watching as the Headmaster sprayed the... fond...students with water. Laughing a bit to herself, she glanced at both Raine and Arc. "You two know each other already? That's cool! Y'know what's kinda funny... we're three out of four. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin! We just need, like, a Hufflepuff!" She gestured to each of them in turn, ending by pointing to herself.

Scott wasn't going to lie, her hug had helped prevent any potential heartbreak due to his friend's harsh critique. In fact, he'd like to say that was the first hug she'd ever given him. Well, he wasn't sure... He welcomed it, anyway, with a little self-conscious tug at his tie and then at the end of his vest. It wasn't what he would have picked, either... very Gretchen-esque.

"Honestly, I'll give you that one. The tie. It's been strangling me all the way down here... I thought I'd grab a cup of punch but I seriously don't think it'd fit down! It's a wonder I'm able to talk with you... Still, I couldn't very well have worn the dress you-"

He closed his mouth suddenly, and to his surprise, he noticed how Ami seemed a little unsettled where she stood- looking around her strangely. He wasn't used to seeing her like that. Scott tilted his now roughed-up head of hair to the side curiously, as if about to ask what the matter was, when she promptly proposed the two of them danced- and he quickly forgot all about it as he shone up.

With a big smile, he left his leaning position and stood up excitedly. He really liked to dance, Scott, to whatever music. And, as he'd missed the Blossom Ball last year, all the chance he'd gotten to do so before was with Ami. Which he'd really liked, as well.

In his exhiliration, he did manage to sweep a glass of punch standing behind him, contorary to his previous belief. It tasted like apple cider, and thinking about it (which Scott did not do) it had probably belonged to someone else.

"Sure thing! Yes. Do you.. ok!"

At first, he went to do what he'd been taught to do since he could walk- which was reach for her hand. But he stopped himself quickly and with a short, nervous, laugh, as he turned around instead and began walking around the buffet table to reach the dance floor on the other side. Last time, Ami had been the one to grab his hands. So he couldn't exactly say as to why it felt strange to do so this time.

He first got the impression that things were stirring up under the night sky when he got to the floor. Headmaster Lear was watching everything like a hawk and it seemed like people were getting themselves into trouble... Scott wondered how that could be possible, but didn't think too much about it...

He turned around again to Ami, and smiled as he instinctively flattened his hair once more. He was happier than he'd thought he'd be, to dance with her again. And this time there would be music!

Landon hadn't planned to go to any sort of party or ball or celebration tonight.

In fact, the only thing he had planned was to stay in his dorm and do nothing. But yet, here he was. Somehow, somewhere along the lines, the boy had received a suit in the mail from his parents. Parties back at home were no joke to the Riley family, but prestigious events that were of high importance. So, truthfully, Landon should have expected them to encourage him to go. And so he did. Not because the boy was ever good at listening to his parents, but because he figured the ball might be an opportunity to do something remotely entertaining that wasn't pulling a prank for once.

And once he entered the area, adorned in all sorts of ribbons and party decorations, the place felt so familiar to Landon. Almost as normal as home itself, and definitely his natural realm. There was so much potential for fun and trouble at parties, wasn't there?

Walking over to the food, deciding that was a good place to start off, Landon recognized a certain brunette. Tal! He approached the girl, gently pulling on a piece of her hair. "Hey, Bunny! What's our favorite princess up to?"