14 Feb 2022, 21:31
TABLE 12 | Sweethearts Tea Party
14th of February, 2022
‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿
Valentine's Day had finally arrived, a holiday that celebrated both the longing the heart felt for that special someone and the sweet offerings that accompanied the bittersweet experience that was romantic love. Though in recent years, the holiday had expanded its demographic and was now more inclusive of all different types of love. It was a wonderful excuse to remind those you love, no matter what kind of love that may be, just how important they are. It was also a great excuse to eat sweets and enjoy oneself, which was what three of Hogwart’s professors had in mind when they had hosted a Valentine’s tea party, and what better room to host it in than the arguably most romantic room in the castle?
Hogwarts' ballroom had always been grand, with its beautiful arched ceilings that were the home to several intricately designed chandeliers that dangled a family of beautiful crystals that almost seemed gilded in the way they reflected amber hues across the room. The professors had decorated the ornate carved stone walls and floors with an array of red, pink, and white roses. The theme carried throughout the ballroom, as an endless flow of flower petals seemed to dance and twirl through the air, only to land on the stone tiled floor and vanish.
Along the walls of the ballroom, dozens of white-clothed round tables had been set up for the students. The center of the table served as a home to a large of roses, varying in hues of red, and a pastry stand that held the sweets the students hard put their heart and souls into creating. Each table held between four to six place settings, complete with the occupants’ names. If the student had received any letters from their admirers, they would be piled next to the floral pattern plates.
The morning before the Tea Party, each student had received a letter requesting their presence. The letters were quite generic so aside from the student's name and table number, they each said the same thing:
Dear [Student's Name],
Your presence is requested at this year's Valentine's Tea Party. We will be serving a wide array of sweets that have been specially hand-crafted by a special someone, either romantic or platonic. The tea party will take place on February the 14th, at 18:00. The evening is certain to be full of fun and laughter.
A seat for you at TABLE TWELVE has been reserved. We hope to see you there.
‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿
| Table Twelve was toward the ballroom's grand entrance, and attending students would not have to walk far to find their place cards in perfect intervals, accompanied by decorative plates and treats set aside for their individual consumption. Five seats and five corresponding names in clockwise succession: @Autumn Agapov, a Hufflepuff girl with fiery hair and a level head. @Aurelius Leeds, a social chameleon with a budding attachment to fellow Slytherin @Liana Kerr, a Defense Against the Dark Arts protégé. @Maggie Hawkins, yet another snake and known Quidditch chaser. Finally, circling around to the right side of Autumn was friend @Edme Achillian, a stylish Ravenclaw, as likely to form or break bonds as anyone else at this cursed romantic event. | ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━  ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ |
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RULES AND NOTES: ♡1. This is an official event, but threads will not be moderated unless necessary. Meaning that if students start to cast spells or physically attack someone, one of the professors participating will step in. If this is the case, the thread will be moderated as needed.
2. There will be additional surprises. Every few weeks a moderator will post in your thread to describe said 'surprise'. Surprises for each table may vary.
3. The site rules still apply. We understand things can get a little hectic, but please try to keep the site's rules and rating in mind. It is also important to keep in mind that there is a table full of professors at the event, so be mindful of IC rules.
4. The letters have been mixed up. As stated in the original sign-up form for this event, the letters that have been sent have been mixed up due to a mishap. There were also letters that the professors had to rewrite. A few can even be from faceless NPCs even. We are not trying to godmod players, the main point is to stir up some drama.
MOD NOTE: This is a reminder to please not meta-game. There is some information your character would have no way of knowing. It is fine to say your character knows X didn't write this letter to Y because your character has received a note/owl from them before and recognizes their handwriting, but your student has no way of knowing how exactly the letters were mixed up or who is to blame. They also would not know what is written in a letter without opening it. This is considered meta-gaming and we ask that you do not do this as it ruins the fun for others involved.
WHAT IS META-GAMING?
This is a term we use when writers use their real-life knowledge of a subject/situation and somehow allow their character to know without their character properly gaining the information. For example, you may know that a character is a werewolf because you read their biography/ency and somehow, despite never meeting said character, your character knows they are a werewolf.
Please note that this is just a general statement and we are not pointing fingers at any one individual.
"I am free and that is why I am lost."
STA 16 | EVA 12 | STR 15 | WIS 9 | AP 7 | ACC 11
STA 16 | EVA 12 | STR 15 | WIS 9 | AP 7 | ACC 11
14 Feb 2022, 23:47
TABLE 12 | Sweethearts Tea Party
@Autumn Agapov @Aurelius Leeds @Maggie Hawkins @Liana Kerr
The ballroom was even more beautiful than Edme had imagined. Roses of traditional Valentine colors danced on the walls and floor, the stone bright with the new color. The chandelier had been there before, Edme knew that, but it still complimented all the intricate decorations and beautiful hues. It even smelled nice, the baked goods and sweet treats allowing fragrant aromas to travel through the air and tantalize the tall first year Ravenclaw. Round, white-clothed tables lined the outskirts of the room, awaiting a guest to come and sit a moment.
Of course Edme was itching to get her hands on one of the baked goods addressed to them, as what young fool wouldn't? They were practically beckoning to her, and who was she to deny? It seemed their feet carried them across the room, though even still she had to stop and ogle the warm decor that littered the room.
Making their way to the table, it was surprisingly close to the doors she had just entered from. The tables themselves were just as ornate, an array of flowers surrounding a pastry stand that showed off all the beautiful and tempting sweets. They couldn't find the cupcake for Mercy, but decided it was too blissful of a scene for worry.
Five floral plates were set like constellations on the table, a perfect circle of beautifully painted flowers and name cards set above. Towards the other side of the table, Edme Achillian read in a pretty font. Taking their respective seat, the first year was anxious to read whatever may be written on the letters stacked beside her plate.
They hesitated before taking a seat, worrying it may ruin the beauty of the set up, but ultimately decided it was too tiring standing like this and plopped down onto the seat. Though she was tempted, they controlled any eager urge to dig in, and held it together until the others took their seats. Maybe it was some weird werewolf thing, like when you throw a pack of wolves a steak. Or it was just a 12 year old thing, she didn't know.
Snuggling into the seat and fixing the warm brown turtleneck that sat comfortably on their torso, she waited impatiently for the others to take their own seats.
WC:393
[quote] Fear grew in places unlit by knowledge
|Edme Achillean|
[/quote]
|Edme Achillean|
15 Feb 2022, 10:35
TABLE 12 | Sweethearts Tea Party
• ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ, ᴘɪɴᴋʏ ꜰɪɴɢᴇʀ ᴜᴘ •
──────────────────────────────────────────
The Ballroom - 14th February 2022
It was a formal event.
That demanded that Aurelius dressed for the occasion. He wore a fine black suit, pressed with ironed seams, and a flawless white-shirt with a Slytherin-green tie. His black dress shoes were polished to reflection, and he had a pair of cufflinks that displayed the snake symbol of his House at the base of each wrist. The Irish boy's hair was brushed and parted, his stride confident and his smile firmly in place.
And the moment Aurelius stepped through the ballroom threshold, he paused.
He looked around at the intricate decorations, the array of flowers and petals, in a range of hues that encompassed the staples of the occasion. He looked up at the reflective chandelier, as it sent beams of light and color throughout the large hall, and noticed the high arches overhead. The smells, the sweet and baked aromas, filled Aurelius' nostrils and he couldn't help but turn his gaze back to the mass of white table-clothed tables and chairs...
I've made a terrible mistake.
The Irish boy made a face, as he scrunched up his lips and sighed.
This isn't for me.
Aurelius went to turn around, but was stopped as more students stepped into the ballroom. And through sheer numbers, the Slytherin was walked further into the event, and didn't find personal space until he stood well within the space. Amid tables and chairs and flowers and petals, Aurelius looked around, unsure of what to do. Others were looking his way, some even greeted him, so he did the same in return - and with an internal sigh, started to walk around the tables to look for his name.
I can have a look, I suppose.
Table twelve was it. That was where Aurelius saw his name, next to Liana Kerr no less, and the place had some sweets and a letter neatly to one side. The table was occupied by another student, who looked a similar age, but Aurelius didn't recognize her. It was decided said individual was from another House, since the Irish boy would have recalled the student's face, due to his uncanny memory.
"Hello," Aurelius said as he nodded to the other table occupant. He pulled out his chair and took a seat, as he looked across the way at her. "I'm Aurelius. Nice to meet you."
It was a basic introduction, one that reflected the Slytherin's discomfort with the event now that he had seen it. The emphasis on love and romance was obvious, and those were things Aurelius hadn't really thought about - study and magic had been his attention - so when confronted with an unknown variable, he was hesitant initially.
Hopefully this won't be awkward.
With a cluck of his tongue, Aurelius glanced down to the sweet at his spot. He saw the letter, too. Tempted to open it, the Slytherin decided to wait, since it would be rude to look before everyone else had arrived. Besides, he was expected - from his upbringing as a pure-blood of the social elite - to make small talk with his fellow table guests. To do otherwise was improper.
"You look very nice," Aurelius said, even though the other student across the way was fairly casually dressed. It didn't matter, he wanted to be pleasant. "How was your day today? Productive?"
Aurelius continued to smile, as he looked at the other guests that walked in briefly. He wondered if Liana was actually going to arrive. Especially since it had been quite a while since the pair had really spoken, since the start of school; so on one hand, Aurelius was interested in seeing Liana, but on the other had some trepidation about how awkward it might be...
Open to table interactions
Note: Did a slight edit to remove banner, and adjust a spelling error that was bothering me.
Last edited by Aurelius Leeds on 23 Feb 2022, 03:57, edited 1 time in total.
15 Feb 2022, 16:11
TABLE 12 | Sweethearts Tea Party
Reducio
Dialogue: Liana - #09621b
Interacting with: @Aurelius Leeds | @Edme Achillian
Mentioning: @Della Barfield | @Avery Chen | @Vale Ashwood | @Hui Ming | @Hunter Argentum | @Maggie Hawkins
Outfit: Casual black robes (fancier than school uniform)
By the time the Tea Party started, Liana was feeling a rather intense regret about a few of the letters she had sent. Would Della take her note as a spiteful challenge to a duel instead of a friendly offer to practice together? Would Hunter be fine with an apology that came so late? Why did she even send anything to Ming? And most importantly, how would Aurelius react to a written invitation to rekindle the friendship she had abandoned so carelessly? All she could feel was her intestines tingling with fearful anticipation, as if she'd swallowed a handful of live moths and they were thrashing around, fighting to get out. That feeling grew stronger as she approached the door of the Ballroom, dressed in black velvet robes, more elegant than the usual uniform she wore but still plain enough to not render Liana overdressed.
Decorations that met her eye were a bit too flashy for her liking. Pink had to be the colour least suitable for anything to do with wizardry, yet it dominated the scene. Not even the cheesiest Hufflepuffs could find this attractive, right? The girl went in through the massive door, doing her best to ignore the sight of twirling petals that were bringing up unpleasant memories. So this was what Valentine's Day looked like. Flowers, hearts and sweets. None of those things were particularly attractive to her. The redhead did her best to suppress the mildly off-put expression she felt coming to her face, instead arranging her features into a neutral-positive mask. While looking for the table indicated in her invitation, she saw a few familiar faces here and there, even some of the people she had sent letters to - although, mostly to her relief, they were seated away from her. Once her eyes located the number 12, her heart leapt for a moment, then fell into a pit at the bottom of her stomach. She had expected to be placed together with the people she hung out with, like Maggie, Avery, Vale. Even Ming. Instead, Aurelius was seated there. In an ideal arrangement, he would have received her letter, but also would have been seated too far away to be able to approach her during the event. They would have met in the hallway afterwards, and started chatting as if the three-month pause in communication had never happened. Not even in her worst expectations had she imagined him sitting at the very same table as herself when he received her letter.
For a fleeting moment, turning around and exiting seemed like a fantastic idea. Unfortunately, she was almost sure that her presence had already been noticed, and leaving would not help her situation in the slightest. And what was the worst thing that could happen, really? Her request to be friends again would be declined, publicly. Embarrassing, yes, but she had survived much worse. Thus the first-year forced herself to keep moving forward and maintain the calm expression that had faltered for a few seconds. Luckily, there was another person at the table - one she knew only by sight, and whose presence would hopefully diffuse some of the awkwardness.
"Evening," she greeted both of her companions, a polite smile on her lips.
"It's been a while, hope you're doing fine?" was her inquiry to Aurelius, uttered while trying not to cringe at how unnatural and distant it sounded in her ears.
"My name is Liana Kerr. You're Edme, aren't you?" she then asked, directing her attention to the short-haired girl. "I'm Maggie's friend, she's mentioned you quite a bit. Nice to finally meet you," her eyes wandered down to the table, noticing the names that indicated seating order. Hers was right next to Aurelius, opposite to Edme. On her left-hand side there was a card that read 'Maggie', which flooded Liana with immense relief. Somehow, her best friend's presence always put her at ease. Today there might be a dire need for some ease. "And I see she'll be joining us," she commented with a slight grin as she sat down.
Her gaze continued travelling around the circular surface, finding an unexpected amount of treats that were meant for her, as well as four neatly arranged letters. Neither Aurelius nor Edme had touched theirs yet, so she also refrained. The boy seemed to only have received one note, and Liana knew only too well what it would say. She was ready to read all of hers slowly and feign deep interest in every word, just so she could avoid making eye contact with him by appearing distracted. Maggie had gotten ever more gifts, and frankly, the redhead was surprised that the pastry stand wasn't completely filled with chocolates sent to her friend by all the people who enjoyed her company. There should have been tenfold more presents sent to Maggie than to Liana, given how easy-going the young Quidditch player was, and how long Liana had been avoiding social interactions with her peers. If she didn't feel so anxious, she would certainly be curious to find out who still liked her enough to send her sweet tokens.
Tarja Akimovna Blavatsky || Kerr & Co. Banner Boutique
Prodigal DADA || Stamina: 5 | Evasion: 5 | Strength: 1 | Wisdom: 9 | Arcane Power: 6 | Accuracy: 9
Prodigal DADA || Stamina: 5 | Evasion: 5 | Strength: 1 | Wisdom: 9 | Arcane Power: 6 | Accuracy: 9
15 Feb 2022, 17:48
TABLE 12 | Sweethearts Tea Party
mentioning: @Autumn Agapov
In preparation for the event, Maggie had dressed the part. She had fitted herself in a pink overall dress over top of a heart-patterned sweater in white and red. A pearl necklace decorated her neck, and a pair of lacy white ankle socks peeked over her characteristic black Mary Janes. Lastly, an array of little charm bracelets littered both wrists, jangling when she walked.
Maybe she took Valentine's a little seriously, was all.
The Ballroom was set up with all the merriment that Maggie expected and wanted. Every single table was lavishly decorated with roses as a centerpiece and piled high with sweet treats for every student to enjoy. Maggie was searching for table twelve, it seemed.
After a bit of searching, she came upon it and quickly decided that whoever had put together the seating chart certainly deserved a couple of sweet treats for themselves. Examining the nameplates, Maggie could see that she had been put in between two of her friends. To her left, already seated, was Edme Achillian. To the right, also in her seat, was Liana Kerr.
The other two names, Autumn and Aurelius (already seated as well), were foreign to Maggie.
"Howdy, guys!" She greeted, taking her place in between Liana and Edme. "I'm really glad to see you both here. And you, too," Maggie referred to Aurelius here, nodding towards him and folding her hands atop the table. All in politeness, or whatever. Something of the sort. A little kindness went a long way.
The assembled treats were piled high, and Maggie took her time to examine each and every treat that had been laid out at their table, hers and otherwise. Edme boasted two pieces of bark. One for Autumn and Aurelius, each, and four for Liana. Maggie looked at her own spread. Five treats. "Popular, are we, Li?" She teased, itching to rip open the letters and take a bite out of every treat to test its sweetness. Nobody else had even so much as touched their sweets, though, and Maggie considered that it might be rude. Any longer, though, she may not be able to abstain. Turning her attention to Edme, now, Maggie grinned at the other and leaned forward just so, elbows pressed hard into the tabletop. "Fancy seeing you here, Parker. How goes it?"
I really value when people use violence for me, it's actually one of my love languages.
16 Feb 2022, 01:15
TABLE 12 | Sweethearts Tea Party
@Autumn Agapov @Aurelius Leeds @Maggie Hawkins @Liana Kerr
As more people began flooding in, Edme had a quick realization that this would be quite the crowded event. It wasn't that big of a problem, because if there's sweets involved, it was okay, but still it was a bit overwhelming as chatter began to fill the room. There would be no dismay on Valentine's Day.
A new face appeared beside her, a boy who seemed a bit overdressed for the occasion, with a rich looking suit, ironed down to near perfection. His shoes looked more pricey than Edme's entire wardrobe, maybe even more. Even his stance looked expensive, like you could only find it in the finest of shops that you had to pay to enter. He looked a tad hesitant, though greeted himself as Aurelius.
"Oh, hello." they gave him a wavering smile, leaving it behind as she turned back to the table, a bit impolite they'd admit. "I'm Edme. With a d, not an s." she used to have to use the correction in greeting a lot more, but it seemed this school was good with names.
The silence was a bit loud as she searched for something to speak about. The comfortable seat wasn't enough to bring comfort to the awkward moment. No matter, she wouldn't cede the joy that the decorated room brought upon them. There was no discomfort on a day such as today
At his words, they looked down at the old (yet, by her terms, quite fashionable) brown sweater that bunched around her waist and the skirt she had decided on because it was a decently formal event she they wanted to look nice enough, a bit subconscious about the choices. Turning back to him, she replied, "You too. You look very... sharp. I suppose it was good. Mainly just waiting for this to happen." they paused, "Not very... productive." she shrugged.
As more people came bustling in, another unfamiliar face began the short walk to the table. She was wearing fairly casual black robes, though a bit fancier than just the regular school uniforms every student got. She was a ginger, with fair skin and full lips. She greeted Edme soon after Aurelius.
"Has she?" Edme was a bit surprised at the fact, trying to recall if Maggie had brought up the other Slytherin. "I'm Edme- or, sorry, you just said you knew that. Uh, a pleasure?"
Speaking of the infamous floppy-named Slytherin, the Slytherin peaked out from the crowds, a bright and bubbly outfit pretty on part for the girl. The intricacy of the outfit went wonderfully with the decorations, colors mixing with the rose petals like they were just another flower in the garden. She came over and greeted the group happily. The Ravenclaw always had a fondness for the unique and bold style that the other first year always wore proudly.
Edme sat a bit straighter now that the group was nearly all collected, save for one last person who she couldn't say they knew the name of. "Hello again, Maggie. Glad to find a familiar face." they stopped a moment, looking to the others. "Not to say I'm not glad you all are here, of course. I just meant since I know her it's- nevermind, nevermind."
WC:553
[quote] Fear grew in places unlit by knowledge
|Edme Achillean|
[/quote]
|Edme Achillean|
21 Feb 2022, 19:28
TABLE 12 | Sweethearts Tea Party
SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED!
@Autumn Agapov | @Aurelius Leeds | @Liana Kerr
| @Maggie Hawkins | @Edme Achillian
As the students settled into their seats and confusion began to take over as they scanned the contents of their 'letters', some might notice several pale pink roses start to descend seemingly from the ceiling. The same hue as the petals floating through the air, these roses would gracefully glide downwards and land in front of someone at eight different tables; tables: 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 13, and 15.
Tables 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 14, and 16 would not receive any roses (yet), but they would not go without entertainment. It was from his position at the teacher's table that Orion would stand up and clear his throat, "Welcome students, thank you for attending our tea party! I have hopes to make this an annual event." If only the French man was aware of the chaos he had rained down upon the crowd of youngsters. He had not slept the night before after scrambling to try and correct his errors. The dark circles under his eyes might have been noticeable to anyone sitting close enough to him. "I'm sure you've noticed the roses by now. If you've received a rose that means you are now a bachelor or bachelorette, which means you get to help spread a little love around." His face broke into a smile as if this were a simply sublime idea. With the romantic heart Orion possessed, he likely believed it.
"If you did not receive a rose, do not worry mes amies (my friends), you will get an opportunity soon. Until then we are going to offer you an opportunity to show your love. This means that you can ask us to dedicate a song to a special someone in the crowd, or make an announcement to your peers. The choice is, of course, yours to make." The students received a playful wink before Orion sat back down at the table.
The students might notice the soothing sounds of the harp starting to play from the back corner of the ballroom. There was a shutter that blocked the view of who or how many people were playing. Whilst they would not see her, they could hear the Slytherin head of house, Hjørdis Jensen, had started to strum a harp to help set the mood.
Until people started to request songs, she would simply play random songs that she was pretty sure that the children would enjoy on the harp. Honestly, what did children listen to these days? She had no idea. But she was evidently trying in the fact that she had bothered to learn how to play all of these, specifically for this occasion.
It just so happened that occasionally, another instrument - such as a fiddle or guitar - could be heard in the background too, randomly chipping in. The sound of notes hit the air. It was not too loud but it could easily be heard throughout the ballroom if one stopped to listen for it. It almost complemented the chatter. [Click the music note for the actual playlist]
Confession Time!
Characters at your table have the ability to step beneath the spotlight and make a confession or dedicate a song to someone this round. To make a spotlight speech, simply have your character announce they wish to confess. You can lightly godmod Orion casting Lumos Duo on your character. Have them say what they wish to announce in your RP post, and make sure to tag the mod in charge of your table. Staff will post the confession into each thread (so keep in mind the entire ballroom will gain IC knowledge of what you are saying).
To request a song, simply owl the moderator of your thread with the song title, who it is going to, and what the message is. You will need to roleplay your character doing as much (you can simply say they took time to write a request down). Please keep IC rules in mind as if your character insults someone there could be IC repercussions.
"I am free and that is why I am lost."
STA 16 | EVA 12 | STR 15 | WIS 9 | AP 7 | ACC 11
STA 16 | EVA 12 | STR 15 | WIS 9 | AP 7 | ACC 11
23 Feb 2022, 04:48
TABLE 12 | Sweethearts Tea Party
• ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ, ᴘɪɴᴋʏ ꜰɪɴɢᴇʀ ᴜᴘ •
─────────────────────
The Ballroom - 14th February 2022
It seemed the other part of the conversation was withdrawn. Perhaps shy. It was hard to tell without more interaction. The Ravenclaw seemed polite enough, even if showing the basic reciprocation of social etiquette. Yet, the Irish boy wouldn't judge too harshly, as not everyone had been brought up in families like his, where that kind of thing was expected - even to a fault, some could say.
"A shame about the lack of productivity, I suppose," Aurelius shrugged. "Maybe tomorrow will be better."
For a moment, Aurelius sat there. He wasn't sure if he should press another topic. Still, something did occur to him, which caused the Irish boy to raise an eyebrow and incline his head as he asked:
"Out of curiosity, why did you specify your name? You don't seem to mumble, so I can't imagine why you would need to," Aurelius was momentarily perplexed. Then he realized. "Ah... is it because your name is spelled in an odd way? With a silent D? I wouldn't have guessed, Dedme."
It had been an odd distinction to declare. Aurelius had planned to say it exactly how Dedme had said it. But, alas, now he knew at least and could avoid making that mistake - which seemed important to her - if the name was ever written down... but, on reflection, Aurelius recalled that the name card had stated 'Edme'.
Curious.
"I noticed your placement had the name Edme there... you might want to inform the faculty, as it seems they are spelling it incorrectly." Then Aurelius looked down to his suit, and smoothed the front as he smiled. "And thank you. I take pride in presenting my best for these sorts of functions. Perhaps more out of habit, I do admit, from my family..."
It was not moments after that a familiar face appeared. Red hair gave Liana away, the long locks seen approaching between other students, to which Aurelius inhaled and leveled a look in her direction. It was like at the wedding in Scotland, where he had spied Liana through the crowd because of her hair, though this time she was the one that approached. She was dressed in black robes, though of a higher standard than the typical school ones, and seemed to have a pained expression on her face - at least for a moment. A sinking feeling was felt inside, as the Slytherin boy looked to his right... and saw Liana's name, on a card, at the same table.
Of course, Aurelius thought. I had looked around the table counter-clockwise. It hadn't occurred to me to keep looking at names.
And then Liana was at the table.
The redhead's brief, polite, accompanied with a smile. Aurelius nodded in return, a smile on his own face, despite the sensation of tingling at the nape of his neck. He couldn't associate a feeling to the response, but couldn't deny that there was some trepidation at his... friend's (?) approach. As it was, there had been no ill will or burned bridges between the pair, rather simply they had just drifted apart over the last several months. It wasn't uncommon, Aurelius supposed, since Hogwarts demanded a lot of time, especially for people like them, who worked diligently for the best results...
Though, Aurelius' contemplation paused, as Liana spoke to him.
Briefly.
Hm...
With a clearing of his throat, Aurelius offered a short nod in response. "Ay, it has. And yes, I've been fine," He said simply, as he reached out to straight the utensil before him on the table. It seemed the pair would continue to be distant, then. That was fine for him, too. "Hopefully you've also been fine."
At that point, Dedme seemed like a much preferred conversation partner. Aurelius had been anticipating a more personable greeting, maybe something that explained why Liana had pulled away - as it hadn't been him - but it appeared the sentiment was put to one side and discarded. That was acceptable, things changed, friendships shifted, and Aurelius wouldn't dwell on it beyond simply being polite throughout the night and doing what was expected of him as a gentleman.
It appears Liana is quite popular, judging by the number of letters and sweets. Good for her.
Aurelius remained quiet, as Liana spoke to Dedme. The redhead seemed far more open to speaking with the other at the table, so the Irish boy remained still and kept a passive smile on his lips, as he waited it out. The longer those two spoke, the less he didn't have to, so it all worked out in the end he supposed. However, another voice spoke up excitedly, as another girl sat at the table - dressed in pink and a heart sweater, no less - and began to greet everyone present.
"Hello, I'm Aurelius," The Irish boy said with a broader smile. "Your sweater is very appropriate to the function. It looks nice."
It seemed the new arrival would go without an introduction, though the name card for that place had said Maggie. So, one could only assume that was her name. Either way, Maggie was outgoing and friendly, from the sound of it, and even commented on Liana's seeming popularity with the assorted gifts. The three continued to talk amongst themselves, which Aurelius' attention wandered, before coming to rest on the folded letter beside his placement...
I wonder? Aurelius reached out and touched the item with a finger, before he glanced to the others. Who might have sent this? I don't recall being friendly enough with anyone else, honestly, save maybe... Liana?
But the redhead had made their stance obvious with her present disregard.
An anonymous individual, perhaps?
Either way, the conversation had lost the interest of the Irish boy, and he picked up the letter and looked to the others. "Apologies for interrupting your reunion," He said, though offered a smile by way of apology. "I hope you don't mind, but I might open my letter now. I admit to some level of curiosity, and you all seem happy to speak amongst yourselves."
While it was polite to wait for everyone to be seated, it had been a little while since the others had started talking, and it stood to reason that the last - Autumn - might not even appear. Some students could very well decide against attending in the last minute, for whatever reason.
"Don't mind me, ay. Again, didn't mean to interrupt, just wanted to mention."
With the envelope in hand, Aurelius went back to his proverbial corner of the table by himself, and unfolded the outer layer of paper. He pulled the note from inside out, then unfolded that and looked at the words written...
Uh.
And amid clear and obvious visible confusion on Aurelius' behalf, a Professor began to speak about roses and love loudly across the ballroom, while music from a harp began to emanate softly throughout the area suddenly...
The timing.
Impeccable.
@Liana Kerr | @Edme Achillian | @Maggie Hawkins
23 Feb 2022, 12:50
TABLE 12 | Sweethearts Tea Party
Reducio
Dialogue: Liana - #09621b
Interacting with: @Aurelius Leeds | @Edme Achillian | @Maggie Hawkins
Mentioning: @Autumn Agapov | @Vale Ashwood
Outfit: Casual black robes (fancier than school uniform)
It did not come as a surprise to receive a curt response to her inquiry - it was, after all, just a dull piece of small talk that did not deserve an extensive response. Somehow, though, it still hurt to only hear a handful of socially accepted words. Aurelius and her used to ditch all of the formalities and go straight to open discussion of borderline-taboo subjects. The contrast between what had been and what was now made her feel even more uncomfortable. It was up to her to bring their previous relationship back to life, and instead she just drove another nail into its coffin. 'It's been a while, hope you're doing fine?' Really, Liana?
"I have for the most part, yeah," she confirmed, her brain outright refusing to come up with an amicable, perhaps even amusing line that could make the interaction more natural. It was the self-conscious realization of how poorly she was doing right now, added to the guilt of having abandoned their friendship, that made it impossibly difficult to spring back into the easy and relaxed state of mind that was once usual when chatting with the Irish boy. "It's been a busy school year so far, I'm just now getting back on track with my social life," was what she finally managed to come up with. Perhaps if he kept these words in mind while reading her letter, he would be more willing to excuse her present lack of communication skills, as well as the almost four months of complete silence. In the meantime, she directed her attention elsewhere, to escape the uneasy feeling.
Edme seemed to be the shy type, something that Maggie was likely having a lot of fun with - extroverted people tended to enjoy teasing the quieter ones that attracted their attention. Speak of the devil; the dark-haired Slytherin appeared just in time to prevent the conversation from fizzling out awkwardly.
"Nice sweater, did your mom make that for you?" Liana asked in a deadpan. "You blend in nicely with today's decorations, I'll give you that," she added before finally curling her lips into a grin. "Pink does suit you well, although green still looks better." As always, Maggie's presence made her feel confident enough to drop her usual serious tone and even do a bit of light bantering. Today, however, the effects were short-lived - the redhead was pulled back into reality by Aurelius' voice announcing the intent to open his letter. Singular. The one and only letter that he got, the one that Liana felt indescribably anxious about. Soon she would find out what his response would be. Accept her request, refuse it, or just ignore it altogether?
"I'm actually fairly curious myself. Hopefully Autumn won't mind if we start opening our letters; most of the others seem to have gotten that out of the way already," she reasoned, vaguely waving around the ballroom. A lot of people had indeed opened their letters, the chatter was quite lively. Had she not been so preoccupied with her own worries, Liana might have noticed that quite a few people seemed confused or even irritated. In her current state, however, she barely registered the fact that someone received an actual Howler at one of the tables. The truth was that she was much less intrigued by the notes she received, and much more interested in hiding her face behind one of them to await the verdict.
Picking out one of the letters at random, she unfolded the parchment and tried to focus on the words. The contents were captivating enough for the girl to momentarily forget her predicament and focus on deciphering.
She just took both of the compliments without questioning them. 'Smart' would have been among the top 3 adjectives most people who knew her would use to describe her, anyway. 'Sinister' was probably on the lower half of the list, but coming from Vale it might as well have meant 'gracious'. The bit about hiding a body was probably an invitation to hang out together, much like the one Liana herself had sent to Vale. And then there was an actual invitation, to a party. Would that be taking place in the Ashwood mansion? The redhead's curiosity was piqued. She had visited over a dozen or so pureblood abodes by now, but she suspected that the Ashwoods would easily surprise her. She'd have to clear this with Father first, and then send Vale a response.You're very smart! And very sinister too. You and I should hide a body together someday! Oh, and you're invited to my party that happens during Easter break!
- Vale Ashwood
Once she was finished reading, the girl put the parchment back on the table, casually glancing in Aurelius' direction. Her hand was already retrieving the second correspondence, and froze in place momentarily as she did a double-take. The boy was almost palpably perplexed, which was not exactly a viable response to her simple, if somewhat cowardly, message to him. Disdain would have been more acceptable, or maybe - hopefully - joy. Or, even more likely, just a neutral expression.
Not knowing what to think, she slowly forced her attention back to the letter she had just picked up, unfolding it slowly. There was a bit more text than in Vale's note, but she could not focus on a single word even as her eyes traced the sentences. What in Merlin's name is Aurelius' problem? Did she leave some horrible spelling error that disfigured the meaning of the letter? Was it even her letter he was reading, or did hers get lost as she had wanted it to, and he got an unexpected note from someone else? Surely her desire to renew their alliance did not warrant such wide eyes.
Just then, Professor Rion began speaking, and she focused her gaze on the man, pretending to listen intently. Truth be told, she did not retain much of the speech. Something about roses, bachelors and songs. Apparently it was a call to action, because some people stood up and started moving about. Liana herself had no idea what they were supposed to do now, and hoped that it wasn't her turn to move. It wouldn't do to disappoint her favourite professor by showing lack of attention in an event he organized and seemed to enjoy quite a bit.
She dropped her eyes back to the parchment, only to yet again fail at reading it. From the corner of her eye she could still see the unusual expression displayed by Aurelius. Never had she seen him confused before. The girl inhaled deeply, put the twice-unread letter on the table and, before she could stop herself, looked straight at the boy, a slight frown of concern on her face.
"Is everything alright, Aurelius?"
Tarja Akimovna Blavatsky || Kerr & Co. Banner Boutique
Prodigal DADA || Stamina: 5 | Evasion: 5 | Strength: 1 | Wisdom: 9 | Arcane Power: 6 | Accuracy: 9
Prodigal DADA || Stamina: 5 | Evasion: 5 | Strength: 1 | Wisdom: 9 | Arcane Power: 6 | Accuracy: 9
28 Feb 2022, 05:02
TABLE 12 | Sweethearts Tea Party
@Autumn Agapov @Aurelius Leeds @Maggie Hawkins @Liana Kerr
The Ravenclaw would admit that it was hard to talk to Aurelius. He was just so... polite. Not that it was a bad thing necessarily, it's just that not everyone immediately asks about productivity when greeting another. Edme did appreciate that he was trying.
She cringed a bit at the mispronouncing of their name. Dedme was certainly a first. "No, they uh, they didn't misspell my name. It's Edme, like I said." they rubbed the back of their neck, "Some people jump to Esme when they hear my name. Cause it's more common." she felt bad correcting him as he was just trying to be polite.
As more people began showing up, it seemed the ballroom was nearly full of different kids from different houses, all stuffed together and sorted out around the room. It seemed most people were enjoying themselves, though from the puzzle pieces Edme had fit together about the different students over the past few months she's been at the school, it seemed many people looked misplaced, away from their inner circles. Maybe that was the teachers telling kids to spread their wings?
Strange.
As the last person didn't seem to be arriving, the others began to open their letters. Edme silently nodded their head, turning to the small stack of letters beside them and grabbing the one on top. Only one glance up said that Aurelius had read his letter and looked just about as perplexed as Liana was to see him that way. The tension caused the Ravenclaw's stomach to twist slightly. She didn't like seeing others worried.
Brushing it off and remembering to mind their own business, she planted their feet on the floor and opened a letter from none other than Aurelius. Had they met before today? They couldn't recall even seeing him in the halls before the party, much less saying or doing anything worth the words on that letter.
Valentine,
Hearts will never be practical, until they are unbreakable.
-Aurelius
Eyebrows shooting up, it seemed while they were reading the letter time had forgotten its very existence, and any words to indicate why people had begun standing from their seats was beyond Edme. Turning to Aurelius, her mouth slightly open from the surprise, they looked to him expectantly, as if he would break out into song and dance at any moment.
WC:403
[quote] Fear grew in places unlit by knowledge
|Edme Achillean|
[/quote]
|Edme Achillean|