A Midnight Masquerade PV: Group Closed

A MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE

W/C. 851 DATE. 12/31/2024 OUTFIT. Suit SONG. Young & Beautiful - Lana Del Rey

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@Meiyu Xiang .INTERACTIONS #564d2e .HEX Knight Manor, Cotswold .LOCATION @Gekko Phillips .OTHER

DANCING TO THIS NEVERENDING MUSIC

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Cirrus flopped on his bed with the letter, it was still clean and crisp signifying its freshness. It was unlike any letter he had gotten, besides the one he had gotten from Hogwarts, also he never got anything addressed to him. Cirrus would have claimed it was an accident if his name hadn't been written so specifically as the person of interest. Cirrus sighed as he rolled over onto his stomach before sticking his thumb in between the flap of the paper, ripping the seal open. He let his caramelized eyes scan over the parchment, seeping in the contents of the words. He set down the apparent invitation onto his pinstriped comforters, as he thought adjusting his newfound glasses. A lot had changed over December break alone; frankly, the 11-year-old boy was exhausted. Cirrus had only just gotten back to his home in St. Andrews, Scotland, after leaving Hogwarts and then taking several trips before arriving in Namhae. Only to spend a week and a half before getting to where he was now, and it being the holidays that week and a half was filled with many activities! But Cirrus didn't mind he loved making memories with his loved ones, but this invitation meant traveling to England. But yet again he had been invited to a New Year's party, he had never been invited to such events this could be a good chance to better his connections. He was sitting there contemplating what his next move should be when he had an epiphany. Without a second thought, the boy quickly pulled his phone from his pajama pocket with a grin. Cirrus scrolled through his contacts before stopping clicking on one named GEEK. He opened the messages typing quickly, sending a small message to his best friend. "Hey Gekks! Did you want to go to this New Year's party with me? :0 ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ Cirrus looked out the window of his family's matte gray mini-van, the dim lighting of the nearly set sun made everything seem more garish, a swirling of gray that clarified once the boy put his glasses back on. How had he never noticed how blind he had been? Cirrus figured that could've been the source of his clumsiness, a theory proved quickly wrong after tripping over his own feet more times than he could count. The boy refocused his mind, pulling himself out of his daydreams as he felt the car slow to a stop. The manor was vast and seemed to carry a sense of dignity, honor, and seemingly a bit of dread, but that could've been the England air seeping into the cracks of the estate. The estate was home to a mutual of his, Meiyu Xiang, they shared a club and had met on a few occasions but he didn't know her very well so it was shocking, to say the least upon receiving an invitation to such an event. His parents agreed as they also had plans for New Year's Eve, they planned to spend time with long-time friends, which he would most likely meet the following morning. The boy took a glance at his phone to see the time, 18:08. Cirrus took a deep breath through his nose and out his mouth, quickly re-adjusting his suit that was a bit too big for him. It was unfortunate really that he had finally been invited to a fancy event as he had just grown out of most of his clothes, including his suit. So he had to wear his dad's, of course, it's easy to imagine the size difference, but it was the best they could do on short notice. The black velvet jacket felt extremely on his neck and shoulders, and he had the pant legs of his jeans slightly rolled up as they were a bit too long. He feared he looked ridiculous but it was the best-case scenario in this situation, it was either this or his old tuxedo which he had ripped when trying to fit it. Cirrus felt puny against the large mansion before him, wow they must be rich, he couldn't help but think but to him, anything past 3 rooms seemed extremely fancy. Cirrus nimbly walked through the doors, the purposely and accurately curved patterns of the metal frame cold to his touch. Upon entering his ears were met with a melodious song that felt almost melancholic yet intriguing, so full of life, Cirrus had never heard anything like it before, yet again he had never heard a piano being played live until that evening. The room was decorated elegantly for the gathering, he was admiring the home and eating a peppermint when he was startled by the presence of another. Despite knowing full well that other people would be here and that it was not his own home. It was a face he knew quite well, a stoic expressionless face accompanied by cold dark eyes yet had the same sheen of sparkling glass. Her long burgundy hair seemed almost trademarkable, she was part of the hosting family. "Hello Meiyu..... Lovely home ye have,"1 He smiled politely not sure what to do next, he decided to continue to wander around the provided area hopefully awaiting for others to arrive.

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✩ ACTION ✩ Reducio Texted @Gekko Phillips Arrived and talked to @Meiyu Xiang

✩ OOC NOTE ✩ Reducio None

✩ POST TRACKER ✩ Reducio WORD

Yet again, a party invite that Oliver had wanted to throw away. He didn't know the sender, but the last name had stood out 'Xiang'. Yeah, it deserved to be burned just because of that. No way in hell would he be looking at that. The stupid girl who shared the last name had insulted him, and his family. And worst of all- made a fool of him. In his favorite class none the less. He didn't even bother opening it, sitting on the couch, he looked at the fire place, then the letter.

And he threw it to the fire, watching it gracefully float to the fire, flying to the flames. He had awaited the moment it would be caught unable to free itself from the burning that was soon to come. "Ollie! You get a letter?" Great. Just great. The letter had been 'saved' from the fireplace by his elder brother Aaron, who opened it, popping the seal open and reading the contents. Privacy much? Not that Oliver was going to read it in the first place, still. It was his and not Aaron's, he had no right to read it. Did he now? "Wow! I didn't actually think you had any friends, this is a party invite!"

Ignoring the comment about not having friends, a party invite? From the asshole girl that said he needed to 'appease' his family? "Pass, I would like to enjoy my winter break thank you very much." Oliver told him plainly standing up from the couch, planning on going to his room, Otis looking up from his toy that he had been playing with. Trailing after Oliver. He walked over to the staircase hand resting on the banister. He didn't want to give this any other thought. He wasn't going and that was that. He didn't like this girl. Didn't really know her. So why would he go?

"Come on Ollie," that blasted nickname, he hadn't minded it from Aaron before. Yet since school had started it had been tainted with the main annoyances using it. Novalie mostly. Though he was starting to not mind it as much. Still, using it without asking him first. He was holding a grudge for that. Didn't need to, but he had a reputation to upkeep. And worst of the worst in the nickname department. Aodhan Shaw. Liv. Just ew. "You need to get out of the house, you don't have to like it. Just go and mingle for an hour." Aaron didn't get it. The girl had insulted him, why would he ever go 'mingle' with her? "I get you don't like a lot of the people there, but maybe there will be someone you like? That Eric boy?" His rival that also sort of not his rival, Oliver was ok with him. "Or the redhead?" Nova, also annoying but still was getting barrable.

Oliver gripped the banister tightly, he hated it when Aaron made points. "I'll think about it." He said if anything to give some peace to Aaron's mind. He had already given it thought. He wasn't going. No way.

-----~-----

He had forgotten about it. Out of sight out of mind really, He had forgotten until Aaron came into his room with a suit in his arms. Of course Aaron remembered he didn't seem to forget anything. Dammed memory. "Ollie! put this on, you can take the floo." He said with a smile. Crap, crap, and triple crap. How was Oliver supposed to get out of this? The stupid party. Aaron had grabbed him a suit, and just assumed that he wanted to go. Oliver sighed. got up from his desk where he had been painting. As what else would he be doing? He took the suit from Aaron.

He could not lie, it was a nice suit. The pops of Gryffindor red, an ever present reminder of his stupid house. Despite that. "Alright, alright. I'll go." Aaron smiled at him and left so Oliver could change into the suit. It fit perfectly, He looked in the mirror and again sighed. Such a fool she had made of him, he tried to wash some of the paint on his fingers off but to no avail, he didn't care that much anyways. He left his room, walked down the stairs, adjusting the cuffs of the overshirt. Looking at Aaron, his parents were busy with his younger siblings. "Let's just get this over with."

Aaron walked over to Oliver and fixed his collar, making sure he looked presentable the suit looked nice, but it didn't feel much like him. Not really his style. "Remember to be nice, 'yes sir, no ma'am. please and thank you.'" Oliver rolled his eyes, of course he knew that. "I know your not looking forward to this, but be sure to not make that anyone's problem." Aaron told him with slightly raised eyebrows. Oliver knew he wasn't the best person to be around. Not the most cheerful or jolly to be around. When he was in a bad mood sure he could make it people's problems.

"Fine," He said again with an eye roll. Pushing Aaron's arms away from him, he looked fine. Aaron wasn't dressed up, he wasn't going was he? Most likely not. Aaron wouldn't know anyone there. It would just be Oliver. There of course was a sudden temptation to just use the floo to get there, then when he arrived there to use it to go somewhere else. Like the leaky cauldron, that would be nice. Sadly for him, Oliver was not that boy. Even if now he really wanted to be that boy. "Let me just get this over with." He walked over to the fireplace, if he had burned that letter when he saw it he wouldn't be in this mess.

He grabbed a bit of the power and walked into the flams throwing the powered down. Watching Aaron wave him goodbye. "Knight Manor." He spoke clearly and concisely, whisked away to the party that he didn't want to attend in the first place. Meiyu better be grateful that he bothered to make his appearance.

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The halls, were surprisingly empty. He let out a hum. His imagination making him think this could all be some sort of trap. Sending him a letter, making him think there was a part, dressing up for the event, only for there to be no party. They would cover him in tar and feathers. Take a photo of him and sell it to every newspaper. Headline 'Armani boy made a fool once again. Embarrassment to the family name.' No. No. Oliver shook the thought from his head. The Knight's were pureblooded, they had to be above such childish tricks.

Oliver figured that the reason the halls were so empty; only after he gave it all some thought. Thinking logically so he didn't psyche himself out anymore then he had already; the reason had to be the party wasn't there. Easy. Now was that really hard? He just had to find the party, he was no sooner regretting not asking Aaron to come with him. His brother was much more social then him. This was Aaron's element, not Oliver's. Aaron would m0st likely just end up embarrassing him.

After some wondering Oliver found her involuntarily his face twisted into something of a sneer. Meiyu. And... Was that Cirrus? Oliver didn't know much about him, clumsy, a little cringe maybe, his cat loved him more then he loved Oliver. Cirrus though, was quite. Oliver didn't mind him at all. Out of most of the people Oliver had meet at Hogwarts thus far, he hated Cirrus least of them all. He still didn't want to talk to this girl. He had to. Damned social convention was twisting his arm behind his back forcing him to. With Aaron's voice echoing in his head. 'remember to be nice.' he knew he normally had to be nice, it was a choice not to be.

He didn't bother trying to smile, but did take a deep breath and walked over to them. 'be nice, be the bigger person, don't be rude.' "Cirrus, didn't expect to see you here," He greeted with a head nod. Was it a little rude to not talk to the host first? Perhaps. Did he care that much? Nope. Not at all. He looked over at Meiyu. "Meiyu;" He said, pausing to think about how to say this. Biting his lip for just a second. "Thanks for the invite." Finally settling on saying that. He did do his very best to make his tone sincere.

OUTFIT & INVENTORY Reducio

OOC NOTE & STATS/ABILITIES Reducio Fearless - Oliver does not scare easily, not effected by terrible presence or unsettling aura { Stamina: 7 }{ Evasion: 5 }{ Strength: 10 }{ Wisdom: 3 }{ Arcane Power: 2 }{ Accuracy: 8 }

Interacting : @Meiyu Xiang, @Cirrus Nam |||| @Novalie Moon, @Aodhan Shaw, @Eric Kim : Mentioning

Action : reluctantly arriving to the party, talking with Cirrus and Meiyu

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Fingers delicately brushing the silk appearance of her gown, Elena stood before the imposant figure of Knight Manor, her breath rising quickly in short silver puff before disappearing in January's freezing air. Gathering the shimmering moonlight blue layers, she quickly made her way accross the stair, her navy gaze admiring her surroundings. Though the faint memories of the Thorne's estate seemed unrivaled in terms of opulence displays, she had to admit the Xiang had a particularly refined taste in terms of architecture. The manor's smooth stones were covered with growing ivy, yet it looked as if each leef was carefully positionned, and not left to the hasards of nature. The pristine floors mirrored her stance as she walked beneath the entrance's arch, a warm feeling overflowing the coldness she had previously experienced. A single letter had caused the young raven to stand here tonight, a delicately written invitation to a New Year's Eve party. Elena usually spent the evening with the company of her dear parents, yet the sight of a particular name - Xiang - had caused her to reconsider her opinion. She had met the lionness a while ago, on a moonlit night not unlike this one, near the shimmering surface of the Great Lake. What had started as a wary meeting had turned in a curious friendship, given both of their personnalities. Elena held a certain admiration, if not affection to the fiery girl, who never hesitated to bite back and show her claws. That, combined with the prospect of a newly found occasion to parade in a pretty gown had settled her mind, and she quickly ran to question her parents. So here she was, standing in the grand halls of the manor - strangely empty, as she would have expected an interior as lavish as the outside. Elena was never really one to party, as the young girl would more often find herself confined in a secluded corner, playing with the house's pet or staring out the window. Social gatherings usually implied an overwhelming amount of people that required interactions, and the raven was quickly overwhelmed with the conflicting amount of emotions she absorbed. Over time, she had tried to close herself to any emotions other than herself, but this saddened her as she would loose the connection she so desperately seeked. Her silver locket shaped in a delicately patterned heart rested on top of her dress, its weight a comforting sensation. The strange absence of population gave her time to compose herself, as a melodic music trailed down to her ears. Melancholic, a long lost soul slowly twirling under the moon. Softly smiling at the image, she made her way past a few eerily empty rooms. At a corner of the corridor, voices were suddenly audible. Two boys, if her ears didn't deceive her, and a girl - Elena's heartbeat quickened as she recognised the delicate yet harsh tone of her friend, an anchor in the middle of the tumultous sea. Hesitantly peeking behind the door, she made out indeed three silhouettes. A cheery coffee haired boy, impressively tall, seemed a tad lost as he conversed with the other two. The other boy had striking celestial eyes and hair the color of wheat fields, locks cascading down his shoulders. Both were dressed elegantly, one seemingly more at ease than the other in a fancy suit. Though what Elena noticed was the strange lack of spark in the lionness's eyes, her simple dress reflecting the silence the blonde haired girl felt echoing from her friend. Her navy eyes immediatly narrowing in worry, she nevertheless plastered a soft smile on her face as she entered the room. Her footsteps a soft thud on the marble floor, almost imperceptible, she reached for her friend's arms. Her fingers brushed slightly the soft skin of her friend, making her aknowledge the raven's presence. "Hey Meiyu," she smiled, sinceerly delighted to see her. She withdrew her hand back to her lap, before turning towards the other two strangers. "Hello," she greeted with a nod. "I don't I've met you before, I am Elena Clark. Pleasure to meet you." The young girl had never liked greetings, as they always seemed slightly fake to her, but she did her best to be pleasant. What have I gotten myself into ?

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date: 31st December time: evening word count: 1.015

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interaction: @Eric Kim | @Oliver Armani | @Meiyu Xiang | @Cirrus Nam | @Elena Clark mention: @Aodhan Shaw | @Evpraksiya Vinogradova

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Novalie felt like a princess. Quite literally. The moment she looked down at the dress Eric had given her, her breath hitched and for a long time, she was at a loss for words. Novalie had never worn a dress before - not once - and certainly never imagined herself in something as beautiful as this. Her usual clothing consisted of her brothers’ oversized hand-me-downs, practical and shapeless and .. boring, honestly. Pink had never ever been part of her wardrobe, making the soft blush tones of this dress feel almost ... unreal on herself. The fabric shimmered faintly, flowing effortlessly over her figure like a dream. She could hardly believe it was now hers. It felt as though she had stepped out of her own life and into a fairytale. Almost like she was now a Disney Princess. But the dress wasn’t too stiff or overly posh - its hem was sa bit frayed, giving it a playful, imperfect charm that mirrored Novalie’s wild spirit. It was just perfect. And oh, she loved it! Without hesitation, Novalie threw her arms around Eric’s neck, pulling him into a tight hug. Unbeknownst to her, her hair had already changed - turning the same pinkish color as the dress, showing just how much her heart had jumped in her chest. It didn't take long until they were on their way to Cotswold, sitting in the backseat of her older brother’s car. Eric had previously suggested using the Floo Network - it had sounded thrilling and Novalie was eager to try magical transportation for the first time - but Malic wasn’t having it. “You’re not jumping into some random fireplace and getting burned.”, he grumbled as he steered the car out of London. And so, the journey to the Knight Manor began and took nearly two hours, but Novalie didn’t mind at all. The Metamorphmagus spent the ride chattering non-stop to Eric, who listened with a quiet smile. “I still can’t believe this dress!”, she said for the third time, running her fingers over it, as if to confirm that it was still there, “And you! You look so good in that suit, too! Very handsome!” Novalie took a moment to gaze at him, admiring his attire. Then, her attention shifted as she looked out the window. “I wonder who will be there.”, the girl went on, “Do you think Ollie will come? I sure hope so - he’s got to be a good dancer and all, right? I mean, he just seems like the type! I’m, like, totally going to ask him to dance with me!” Malic sighed audibly from the driver’s seat, his patience waning as Novalie continued her rapid-fire musings. “About Meiyu - I think I saw her at Ollie’s birthday party.”, the girl said, not minding her brother at all, “And I think we share a few classes.. but I'm not sure about that. I wasn’t really paying attention. Anyway, I’m so excited to see who’s there! Ev and Ice Lord were so nice to tell us about it, right?” Finally, they arrived, the Knight Manor rose before them like a castle, elegant against the already dark sky. The light streaming from its large windows made the grounds outside glow with warmth. Malic pulled the car to a stop and glanced at them in the rearview mirror. “Don’t get into trouble.”, he said with a smirk, “And absolutely do not break anything expensive. I mean it, Nova.” Novalie nodded, giving him a wink before leaving the car, “Don't worry. I'm very delicate.” Grabbing Eric’s hand, she hurried toward the entrance and as they approached, she heard the faint strains of a piano melody drifting through the air. Then, they stepped inside and Novalie gasped audibly. The room was beautifully decorated! A place the Metamorphmagus just imagined rich people lived in. “Wow...”, Novalie breathed, her wide green eyes drinking in every detail. Her gaze swept across the place until it landed on a familiar figure, the one and only: “Ollie!”, she exclaimed, her face lighting up even more. Letting go of Eric’s hand, the girl dashed across the room, her dress billowing behind her. She threw her arms around her best friend in a tight hug. “You’re here, too!”, she said, stepping back to beam at him, “I was literally just talking to Eric about you! Oh - and look what he got me!” Novalie twirled in place, the dress swirling around her in a soft cascade of pink, and she gave him a shy smile, “Isn’t it beautiful?” Then her eyes fell on his outfit: a black suit with red accents and checkered pants. She grinned, “You look amazing! This really suits you!” Her attention flitted to the others nearby. Spotting Elena, Novalie instantly hugged her too. “Elena! I didn’t know you’d be here! You look stunning - like, absolutely stunning! That dress, it’s perfect on you!” Novalie’s admiration for Elena was endless. The way her blue dress matched her striking eyes..! Part of Novalie still suspected Elena and Evpraksiya had Veela blood - how else could they be so effortlessly enchanting? As her eyes moved to Cirrus and Meiyu, she gazed at them both with awe. Without hesitation, she hugged them as well in turn, her energy boundless. “My gosh, everyone looks so good tonight! It’s like a fashion show or something! Do rich people do this kind of thing all the time? Is this somehow part of the event?” Cirrus’s slightly oversized suit didn’t faze her - rather, it seemed cool and laid-back, like a statement. And Meiyu, in her simple yet elegant black dress, looked effortlessly radiant. Novalie recalled her mother’s words: true beauty didn’t depend on clothes. Meiyu was proof of that. Grinning, Novalie hugged Meiyu again. “Ah - and also, thank you so much for having us! I’ve never been to anything like this before, I- I'm, like, really excited!” If Novalie had a tail, it would have wagged furiously like a dog waiting for it's treat. She bounced slightly on her toes, the joy practically spilling from her.

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~♦~

To say that in order to get ready for this party, he had to plot this for the past week BEFORE the holiday was one thing. To say that he had to concoct an intricate lie as to why he needed a dress of all things was another. Well he could have asked for money to get the dress yes, indeed...but then it was the question of...why did he need so much money? Not that his parents would have refused that, it was more so that it was going to raise questions. And by then he couldn't really say he needed money to help a friend that so happened to be pureblood, it made no sense since he would have dug a hole for himself at that point.
So here he was... One could imagine how this whole conversation unravelled without much creativity being needed.

Some questions here and there about why the hell did he need a dress of all things, some lies here and there. Strict (even in his case which was by far not the strictest of parents) parents raise sneaky kids. So an excuse here an excuse there, and somehow he reached the basic idea that he could have done without the added details. That is, to make it seem that Nova was a pureblood friend of his who needed a dress for the party since her parents were out of town. Of course he figured that most likely his parents were either 1) not really paying attention to his excuses or 2) not really believing him but going along regardless as to avoid the other countless owls that he would send aside from the already 10 or so he did BEFORE the holiday. In his defense, he never claimed to be a GOOD liar or good at sneaking stuff. Not yet anyways....he had enough years to learn that.

Regardless...all's well that ends well. By the time he was over at Novalie's house, he already had the dress packed and ready to give it to her. In the nick of time to top it off since it ALMOST didn't reach in time. Very tight timing aside, the dress was beautiful, and he found himself smiling and chuckling along with Nova as she twirled a bit in the room before they would even head to the party. In a way he was privileged, which was no news. But even more so and because of that "privilege", something as simple as this was so fun.

~♦~

All throughout the way he was listening to Nova talk his ear off basically about predictions on whether some people would show up, or questions on who will show up, or starting to talk about who is who, how she met them, and all the details. Eric didn't seem bothered, if anything he was just silently listening to her excited theories and explanations. "Yeah it was very nice of them." It was by far one of the few things he said (or that he had really time to say with how fast some conversations were moving), all throughout the way, and it was really in regards to answering her last question before they would arrive at the manor.

He had a moment of debating how this evening will even end especially since hearing the same person say she is delicate...when he remembered quite well a few events where her "delicate" nature shined through extremely well by causing chaos. Chaos he was...more or less having fun hearing about or witnessing yes...but...chaos regardless.

Once at the party, he felt a sort of deja vu. The place was luxurious, and gorgeous in its own fair sense. But it also felt-.... His train of thoughts was broken as he noticed Novalie run off. Well...that is no news. With a sigh but quite the smile he ran off after her. Almost skidding to a stop seeing Oliver. Taking a sort of... double-take look. It was as if the two exchanged houses for the evening. With Eric being dressed with a green comfy turtleneck sweater with a dark overcoat and beige trousers, and Oliver dressed with a suit with pops of Gryffindor red. It was a moment of well...just trying to realize the chances of this happening. Did they both dress...in the houses they didn't get into? Was Oliver in a similar situation as Eric? He didn't know...not like he knew the Slytherin boy that well...but it was not out of question. Then again, maybe there was no in depth detail into the decision of clothes of all things. But when most of their time is spent in the respective house's uniform, one might overthink on whether the choice of clothing in such a setting was intentional or not.

"Nice to see you here." It was not that much of a lie. It was sure a formality as well. But also..it was nice to see a familiar face around as well. Before he would be left next to Oliver while Nova ran off to greet others. Oh this will be a long party. He tried not to worry too much, then again, he felt like they were so different, starting with upbringing and behavior overall. "Nova wait-" And off he went after her before waving Oliver a sort of...goodbye?See you later? Whatever that wave even was.

He waited for Nova to finish her greeting and compliments before introducing himself this time not with the "persona" he had to use during the game during the fall ball. (Whisper of the Dark). "Hello, I don't think we've met outside of the game we played before, I'm Eric, nice to meet you." And just as quickly Novalie moved to another person. At this point he wouldn't even have enough time to get to know anyone, not that it was his full intention here. More so his intention was to try to avoid Nova getting hurt, or causing too much chaos, or setting something on fire, or stealing cupcakes...ok that last bit was a fun thing, understandable.

The introductions continued, with him meeting with Cirrus and Meiyu, greeting them as well before the questions continued from Nova. Ok he found it slightly amusing now. Not in the sense of laughing at her, but more so finding her behavior overall endearingly amusing. "Yes...it is quite a common thing among purebloods at least. Though most parties are not as interesting as these. Then again, I haven't been to parties where it was just first years having fun without much formalities."

That joy that Novalie was exuding at this point was slightly contagious here. "Yes thank you for the invitations." He said almost in unison with Novalie towards Meiyu. With that...Eric turned a bit towards Nova, adding the next words which he may....or may not regret on a scale of how much mayhem would follow these encouraging words here. "Well since you have never been to such a party, may as well make the most out of it. All the more to find out how this life is." Or at the very least how it is on a slightly more superficial level since it is not ALL about parties like these.

LOCATION | Knight Manor, Cotswold, England DATE | 31st December 2024 INTERACTING | @Cirrus Nam @Elena Clark @Oliver Armani @Novalie Moon @Eric Kim

1,602 | WORD COUNT black dress| OUTFIT psycho | SONG

Embarrassment was an understatement. Meiyu's grandmother had only gone behind her back to invite peers back to the manor under the guise of some party she had not cared for. It was the last thing she needed, to forcefully interact with people, much to her demise. No deductions were required to figure out why she had done this, Meiyu's isolation over the past week had caused enough concern within her family to prompt such mingling into her matters. Cirrus was the first to arrive, much like he had arrived prior to her for the cheerleading meet, his cautious approach to her while she maintained a stilled expression, unable to figure out what exactly the invite had said to prompt his arrival. She was instinctively in defence mode, the Knight Manor had previously been a comforting place, the incident changed it all. Exactly a week ago, in the very same halls she once stood in with Evpraksiya, everything changed, Meiyu had become someone she never thought she was capable at being, particularly at the ripe age of twelve.

"Cirrus, nice of you to join us... for what exactly, I'm not entirely sure." She sighed, not anticipating an evening full of interactions, yet the boy appeared startled to see her, his mere reaction prompting her to share a small smile, much to her dismay, of course. In truth, she didn't mind the strange boy, yet his behaviour appeared out of place, as though he had never attended such events. It got worse. Fortunately, his attire of choice was a vast contrast to his appearance at the castle, suiting him perfectly. After all, such effort had to be commended. "I like your suit." She nodded, not bothering to question why it had not been tailored to match his build better, yet the slight awkwardness present in her vocal tone was likely to contrast her true intention.

For some reason, her grandmother thought it would be fitting to invite Troll Armani, with his sudden appearance her mood instantaneously soured. He was evidently bothered by her presence, much as she was by his, yet, his choice to interact with Cirrus first gave her slight satisfaction knowing he did not want to be here. "I would never invite a troll like you here, surely you got the address mistaken, the circus is only a ten minute drive from here." Meiyu responded, a grit evident that his presence disturbed her, her eyes trailed to his attire of the evening, it was laughable. The hints of red in his suit was clearly another attempt of proving he belonged in Gryffindor, clearly eager to terrorise the tower with his unfortunate looks rather than the dungeons where a such creature belongs.

Meiyu's desire to go home only grew, but she couldn't. It was rude, as ironic as the statement was given her personality, she couldn't behave as she wanted to like she would in the castle. Perhaps it was the ambiance of the Knight Manor that moulded her personality into a fraudulent one, it forced her to appear more couth, especially, under watchful eyes such as her grandmothers. Each minute that passed only began to irritate her, particularly with the troll's presence in such a graceful and calm environment.

She wasn't able to ease up until she noticed Elena, more-so the sounds of footsteps which piqued Meiyu's attention causing her to turn her head, the brief worry in her ocean like eyes made her heart pound. Another person, how... delightful. Though, the ease Elena brought was much desired, a familiar face was what Meiyu truly needed in an array of boys. She merely nodded in response, acknowledging her presence, basking in the brief silence, until she heard her sounds of the piano once more. Cyrus. He was home, she had to speak to him regarding this successful coup, one thing she could commend her grandmother for, her schemes. "Excuse me for a moment, feel free to... mingle..." Meiyu waved, her tone much softer contrasting the harshness in her previous response to Slytherin's resident troll.

After excusing herself with a gentle three quarter bow, she turned to the stairs which spiralled perfectly to the second floor, the urge to run up the stairs and briefly escape whatever this event she had been forced to host was, the presence of others quickly reminding her she couldn't. Taking her time to cascade up the stairs to the second floor, she followed the sound of the piano, he had switched to playing Frédéric Chopin's Sonata 2, clearly in some sort of mood. She briskly walked towards the study the piano was in, two doors away from the stair's landing, the door widely open and for once, Meiyu truly smiled. Cyrus was arguably her favourite uncle, a huge contrast to Alaric, who was much more intense than the middle Knight child. Meiyu clasped her hands together, a light applause to his piano skills, another strong contrast when it came to Cyrus' personality.

"I see you got the invite, can you believe she tried kicking us all out just for you and your friends?" He laughed, smiling has he continued to play the piano piece, his voice loud enough to pierce through the melody echoing through the halls of the manor. "Explains why you're suddenly playing that awful piece," Meiyu began with a sigh, finally entering the room and inching towards the piano, her gaze fixated on the black grand piano that decorated the dark study. "They aren't my friends." She reminded Cyrus as she sat beside him on the piano stool, her mind questioning how exactly her grandmother had known who she had interacted with within the fortress that portrayed itself as a school, yet it was to no avail, the answer was clear as day. Agatha Knight knew everyone, a frequent social gather, meant she knew every witch and wizard, quite different from her only granddaughter, who was pickier with whom she chose interact with.

"C'mon Mei, you can admit it is a nice gesture, one of goodwill. Anyway, it's New Years Eve for Merlin's sake, loosen up and have fun! I haven't even seen you in a week, even Bomi misses you, which is odd because he said your isolation was scary." He shrugged, focused on his own finger movements as he continued playing the sonata he secretly adored, previously confiding in Meiyu on his little secret. She chose not to reply, basking in the melodic tune playing from the grand piano, resting her head against his shoulder and sighing once more. The relationship she had with her family was far beyond complex, at times even burdensome, but, now was not the moment to dwell. Cyrus was right, admittedly, it had been a nice gesture, but Cyrus was not her grandmothers new victim she chose to meddle with, it was Meiyu. She had to face the reality of the situation she was in, unfortunately for her, it was the peers downstairs. As he continued playing, Meiyu rose from her brief comforting position, flicking the back of her uncles head as she moved behind him to leave the study and return to the hall. Reaching the landing, she took a deep breath, brushing her plain black dress with the palms of her hands, then making her way gracefully down the spiral staircase.

Meiyu had arrived in time for another set of guests to arrive, another nightmare that was in the form of Novalie Moon. The previous redhead, now supported a look with pink hair, which matched the gown she wore, one she had not taken Novalie to even be able to own, it was extravagant. She watched the girl as she hugged the hideous boy and greet others, swirling around in the dress that oddly complimented her appearance, that was, until she began hugging Elena. Meiyu immediately grimaced, suspecting she too would succumb that same fate, the suspicion quickly confirmed as she was engulfed into not one, but two hugs from the girl. Novalie was far too energetic, her gratitude and politeness suggested she had never attended such events prior, a mere shame considering the girl would make the perfect guest, a natural social butterfly.

A boy trailed behind her. Another somewhat, familiar face. She'd briefly seen Eric during meal time, trailing behind him a few times when returning to the Gryffindor common room, though not often interacting with him. Clearly a sheep when it came to Novalie, lingering around her like a guard dog was enough to identify his blood status even prior to him mentioning it through speech. Meiyu's lips pursed into a tight line, the list of invitees being odd enough to warrant Meiyu to merely leave the manor, what was her grandmother thinking. "I'd like to reiterate, I did not invite any of you here, particularly that troll standing there." She scoffed, her brows perking in Troll Armani's direction.

"Since you're all here, it would be a shame to shoo you all away, follow me." Meiyu urged, turning on her heel and walking towards the hall used for hosting such events, to her surprise, it had been decorated. The large hall equipped with a few tables consisting of drinks in the middle with a range of appetisers surrounding the champagne glasses that were naturally filled with a range of soft drinks to mocktails. Her grandmother went above and beyond, the hall being decorated with a banner titling HAPPY NEW YEAR!, floating balls consisting of candles scattered around the room for further ambiance, highlighting the centrepiece chandelier that hung above the table, a magical music box immediately playing an instrumental piece upon entrance.

A MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE

W/C. 1193 DATE. 12/31/2024 OUTFIT. Suit SONG. Young & Beautiful - Lana Del Rey

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

@tarots .INTERACTIONS #564d2e .HEX Knight Manor, Cotswold .LOCATION xx .OTHER

DANCING TO THIS NEVERENDING MUSIC

✩ ✩ ✩

Cirrus cocked up his eyebrow in slight confusion and questioning at the cherry haired girl, but just like @Gekko Phillips, it was almost impossible to read. But to be fair he didn't know the full extent himself why he was here, and more importantly, why had he been invited? This only made the situation and her response all the more puzzling, the boy's amber eyes were now bright with curiosity as he continued trying to read the expression of the doll-faced Gryffindor. Meiyu had invited her to party so why did she say she didn't know why he was here, unless she was just surprised that he had actually accepted? But that seemed unlikely. Cirrus's grinding gears in his brain stopped as Meiyu complimented his suit, this immediately made Cirrus break into a large toothy grin, his dimples poking out. She was so nice! "Thank you very much luv, I appreciate it,"1 He said his words filled with overwhelming gratitude, as he held his heart sincerely. "Ye leuk absolutely lovely an aw tonicht. Honestly, A wis a bit nervous aboot ma attire, A'v niver been tae a party like this before. It's beautiful."2 He said letting his eyes roam around the room once more, taking in the twirling decor that seemed to hug every corner of the vast room, yet the character of the Knight Manor still shone brightly through, even against the darkening sky. The two's conversation had been cut off with the arrival of another guest, Oliver. Cirrus with a second thought broke into another smile, his eyes scrunching once more into half-moons. So far everyone he had greeted, two people, seemed shocked by his presence at the party, did they really send him an invitation by accident? Only if Geek was here she would know what to do, she always knew what to do... The sadness of her not being here slowly began to dawn on him, he huffed quietly to himself knowing she had a self-less reason for not coming. Giving up a party to spend more quality time with her family, which Cirrus was now contemplating whether he should have done the same. No matter what he did he couldn't get the bobbed haired girl out of his head, her inky black eyes always haunting the depths of his heart whether he was conscious or not about it. "Nice ower see ye luv, hou's otis?"3 Cirrus asked fondly remembering the ginger cat with the cutest green boba eyes, as he awkwardly shoved his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans. "Ye leuk great!"4 To be honest he did look really great, they both did. Meiyu wore a simple black dress that somehow she made look like a designer clothing piece, her hair creating a stunning statement as she stood perfectly, much to the likeness of a model. Whilst Oliver looked extremely sharp, his suit a crisp black like Meiyu, yet with accents of scarlet red and gingham his champagne locks perfectly styled. Only then did Cirrus realize that they technically were wearing matching outfits, Cirrus was now beginning to wonder if he had missed a dress code or whether they had intentionally done it when he suddenly felt the increasing tension between them. Cirrus zipped his lips as he awkwardly stood watching their passive-aggressive exchange until Meiyu excused herself, disappearing up the long winding stairs. If he had liked architecture this place would be a dream come true, it's build unmatched in all it's glory. Cirrus glanced at his phone several times, monitoring the time. It didn't take long before Meiyu returned, as she did it seemed more guests flooded in, some familiar some he had never seen before. First to come in was a girl with hair that seemed to fall like dripping honey, the filtering warm light only further accentuating it's shine. Her midnight blue eyes like an accessory to her dress, that was like night sky itself, sprinkled with silvery stars. The girl then proceeded to politely greet them and introduce herself, Cirrus smiled with a small bow. Elena Clark. "Absolutely lovely tae meet ye miss Clark."5 The longer the time ticked away, the more Cirrus felt as if he was out of place as if he was Alice and he had stumbled upon wonderland. A whole world he had no idea to navigate. His was immediately taken aback by the entrance of Nova, her hair a blush pink that reminded him of falling flowers of spring. Her dress swirled around her in little ripples like pink water, by her side was a boy with a glass-like face perfectly framed by wispy waves, every hair like a brush stroke of black paint, purposeful and stunning. He almost wondered why he had never seen him before, considering his striking appearance. Cirrus returned the compliment to Nova, deeply appreciating her thoughtful words. But then was quickly taken aback by her sudden action of throwing her arms around him, he stiffened immediately sheepishly patting her back, having only ever hugged his family and Gekko, he still was awkward about physical contact like such. The boy at her side introduced himself as Eric, a fitting name for the boy, Cirrus politely introduced himself back also giving him a compliment on his attire. To be honest the two in his opinion had the likeness to the Disney movie The Little Mermaid, holding striking similarities to Ariel, and ironically, Eric. Cirrus didn't know Nova had a boyfriend, but to be fair it wasn't surprising considering her outgoing and sweet personality as well as he didn't know her that well in the first place. "Ye twa are a cute couple,"6 Unbeknownst to himself that he was extremely wrong about their relationship, an inaccurate assumption. But all the growing acceptance Cirrus began to feel plummeted, his stomach dropping as Meiyu explained she hadn't invited ANY of them. Cirrus quietly huffed to himself as he looked down at his feet, he should've known better than to believe he had been purposely invited and not just a random bystander who got in just for existing in the same space. He felt an overwhelming feeling in his chest which he quickly choked back down, now becoming what felt like a lump in his throat. Cirrus now really thought it may have been better if he had just stayed at home, but he was just being emotionally which he blamed on the exhaustion of the constant traveling during the holidays. Cirrus once more kept a calm and smiling appearance, the only small giveaway to how he was feeling was the small tinge of pink in his nose and ears, and the small extra shine to his eyes that were well hidden behind his glasses. I wish Gekko was here.... Cirrus followed like a sheep would follow a flock as they all moved to the next room, he felt as if he had been punched in the nose due to the heavy yet enchanting aroma of the following room. Candles float is a mystifying way, flickering with the soft ambience of live music, he grinned as he looked around the room utterly taken aback and amazed.

✩ ✩ ✩

✩ ACTION ✩ Reducio @Meiyu Xiang @Elena Clark @Oliver Armani @Novalie Moon @Eric Kim

✩ OOC NOTE ✩ Reducio None

✩ POST TRACKER ✩ Reducio 1. Pre-arrival, arrival, greeting

Cirrus words gave him a bit of a shock, not how he said it, but just what he said. Calling him 'Luv'. What did that mean? Did it even mean anything? No one had called him that before, sure his parents had said they loved him before he went to bed when he was younger. But not for a long time did he need to be tucked into bed. Even then his father seemed to say it as more a formality. 'I love you Oliver, sleep tight. he would normally say from the doorframe when his mother planted a kiss on his forehead. And that was simply telling Oliver they loved him, not calling him love.

"Otis is needy as always." He answered, with maybe the hit of a smile, as much as the cat annoyed him at times Oliver would sooner burn his home down then give him up. "Otherwise he's doing just good, I purchased him a new cat tree for the holidays." Did Oliver spoil him? For sure, absolutely. There was nothing that he was more sure of. He couldn't help it, he loved giving gifts. If he was close enough to anyone at Hogwarts he would bake them goods all the time. Alas, everyone annoyed him. So they got no gifts. Oliver loved Otis, so Otis got a cat tree. And he already knew where he could put it in his dorm.

Yet again Cirrus confused him with his words. He would have brushed it off as nothing normally, if not for his previous calling him love. He liked his suit. Oliver did have to admit, he did look good. But could someone be so bold as to call him love, then complement his suit in one night? As it turned out yes. "Why, thank you." Oliver looked at Cirrus's suit, it was slightly oversized and, he would be lying if he said it wasn't plain and rather boring. "I like your suit, it- er -matches your eyes?" Complements were never his strong suit. Especially lying about them. He just hoped it would go over his head, he had rather high hopes about it. As somehow the boy in front of him had managed to glue his hands to the table before.

Meiyu, Oliver had almost forgotten about her presence there. If only he could be so lucky. She had to call him a troll again, and tell him to go to the circus? He balled his fists, if he punched her could anyone blame him? No, no, he couldn't do that. His parents already dug into him for getting into a fight at Hogwarts. Though that time they gave him some leeway as it was some mudblood. So they could understand why. Here? In a very public setting, amongst fellow purebloods? They would snap his wand and throw him to muggle London no doubt. He had to be the bigger person however tragic that was. "Please Meiyu, allow us to try and be civil here." He doubted he was here for an hour yet, just an hour then he could try and sneak away.

A new face had arrived, Oliver wondering how many people would actually show up, gave a slight nod to the girl, Elena she had introduced herself as. He didn't know her, couldn't recall seeing her before either. They could have had a class or two together, but unless she had made a lasting impression on him, she would likely slip from his memory. He doubted it though, as she appeared to know Meiyu. Brushing her fingers on her arm, Oliver deduced she was a god awful judge of character if she was close enough to do that to Meiyu. "Oliver, Oliver Armani." The words were practiced and rehearsed. Easy to slip out and not mean.

He shouldn't have been surprised to find out that Meiyu was a terrible host. Leaving her few guests just standing there. Running of to who knows where. How this girl had anyone showing up willingly to 'her' party was beyond his understanding. "That girl pisses me off." He commented watching her back disappear. He had said to Aaron that he would be nice, but she called him a troll. All. The. Time. He looked over at the Elena girl. "What do you see in her?" He asked bluntly, he saw no good features in the Xiang child. "She's mean. And I haven't done anything, I'm trying to be nice even though I would rather be anywhere on the planet right now. Least she can do is not call me a troll for five bloody seconds."

He needed to calm down. Having just asked Meiyu to be civil and here he was talking behind her back. Oliver cleared his throat. "Sorry, Sorry... That was-" Completely called for. "A bit uncalled for on my part." He did not regret his words one bit. Not at all. But figured he should apologize. At lest for his appearance. He crossed his arms and let out a huff. "You can see where I'm coming from right?" He asked the two, looking from one face to another.

Soon again, the witch returned. Part of him hoped she would have just left forever and never returned so he could go home and continue his painting. Her reappearance came with the appearance of yet another bother. In the form of Novalie Moon. The Ravenclaw who was to touchy, and had the bat shit crazy idea they were friends. He heard her before he saw her, then felt her arms wrap around him in a hug. He tensed up at it, of course he did. He had almost a whole week to himself, with minimal toughing from his family. Most he'd gotten was a ruffle of his hair from time to time from Aaron. It was awkward but he gave her a small pat on her back in return. Yes, far to deep in now to tell her he didn't want to be her friend.

She was sporting pink hair, to go with her pink dress. How she got her hair pink? Oliver was almost positive she was a metamorph. Based on the evidence of changing hair and eyes. It matched up to well not to be the reason. Her words to confused him, Eric was there? His rival but also not a rival because Oliver had respect for him and could also sort of stand being in the same room as him but also couldn't like him to much because he may also be the only one to match him academically, Eric? He looked at her dress, and wow. It was pretty, he didn't understand why Eric needed to buy it for her. But the Gryffindor had good taste. "It is really pretty Novalie." He told her, skipping the greeting as she so commonly did when they interacted before. He looked at his suit when she gave her complement to it. It suit him, he would take her words as more confirmation that he should have been in Gryffindor. He gave her a nod, he had heard her. But commenting on it felt off, he didn't feel as it the colors suited him anymore. With the failure of the sorting.

He nodded at Eric in greeting as well. "It is nice to see you as well." He said also with a hit of a smile. Eric was also one of the people Oliver didn't mind spending time with. They seamed to have a shared interest in being the best in class. They had studied together before. If Oliver wand to his head, had to choose one person at Hogwarts that was his 'friend' he would most likely say Eric. Not like they did any 'friend' things together. But along side Cirrus, Eric annoyed him the least. Even when he stole the answer he was going to give in class. That was starting to not annoy him as much. Odd.

Oliver gave him an equally awkward wave goodbye. It was weird. Seeing all these people he knew around school in this type of setting. He was very much not used to it. He'd seen people at balls before, that was different, more often then not they had meet at the balls. And became something of friendly through that. So the academic setting was the weird one. He couldn't lie, he was quite curious to see how the night played out. The vastly different personalities in the room. He raised an eyebrow at Cirrus comment. Novalie and Eric.. Together? In that way? He had no idea. Also unbeknownst to him, this was completely wrong. He was oddly hurt by this...? With how much Novalie talked to him, and hung around him. He would have thought she may have told him. Eric, well he didn't talk much so he got a pass. Still. He didn't know why he cared. Because he didn't. Not at all.

He rolled his eyes as Meiyu again called him a troll. Letting out a slight huff. He had not done anything to her, not said anything to her. At least, not to her face. This was all undeserved hate that he was getting. At least she hadn't invited him, or well- any of them. That was confusing. Who had invited them then? This was feeling again, like some sort of trap. Like she was about to lead them to an oven, shove them all inside so she could eat them. Like that one story, Hansel and Gretel he thought it was called. He would not be surprised if Meiyu was some sort of monster witch that ate children.

Oliver followed the crowd going to where the part would actually be taking place. He looked over at Cirrus. And let out a hum. The boy looked like someone kicked his sandcastle over on a beach. Oliver was tempted to reach a hand out put it on his shoulder. But if the boy was crushing on him, as his words had made Oliver think. That might put the poor boy in a coma. So he settled for clearing his throat and spoke to him. "Cheer up Cirrus," He wasn't good at comforting either as it would turn out. "The night could still turn out better then we both think." He said with a small nod.

He walked into the party hall, and took in the decor and food. He wasn't sure if any of it was vegetarian from just a first glance at it. So would hold off on actually eating anything until he knew for sure. Eating any type of meet made him sick, and that would just be an embarrassment here. Throwing up at a party. He could feel the same from just thinking about that chance. He couldn't think like that, couldn't let the thought's of what could happen psyche him out. He was here, he could try to have fun.

And of course, he had to eat his words with the shout of one Aodhan Shaw. Ego big as mars, loud as an elephant. And his own words full of lies. Oliver rolled his eyes and walked away from him to the drinks, grabbing one and taking a sip. Silently wishing is was fire whiskey. Not that he had it before, but he felt he would need some to deal with everyone tonight. Perhaps he had spoken to soon.

OUTFIT & INVENTORY Reducio

OOC NOTE & STATS/ABILITIES Reducio Fearless - Oliver does not scare easily, not effected by terrible presence or unsettling aura { Stamina: 7 }{ Evasion: 5 }{ Strength: 10 }{ Wisdom: 3 }{ Arcane Power: 2 }{ Accuracy: 8 }

Interacting : @Meiyu Xiang, @Cirrus Nam, @Elena Clark, @Novalie Moon, @Eric Kim, @Aodhan Shaw |||| @Sandy Thompson : Mentioning

Action : Mingling, rolling his eyes, being a grump, hating everyone, also trying his best to be civil (failing?), getting a drink from the refreshment table.