Ana seemed to be as anxious as she was, but that made sense for how much seemed to be riding on her for planning on it. She smiled gently, squeezing the arm that was linked in hers just a bit to provide comfort. "It's beautiful. I've never seen anything like it, really. This is unmatched by the balls at Hogwarts even." It was true, while the Hogwarts balls had been outstanding, this was... something else.

Willow didn't expect the occasion to be so overwhelming. She didn't account for spending most of her time with the hostess where it would make sense that floods of people would look her over. She almost felt unworthy standing next to her. Willow idly fiddled with the dress she had been loaned, the hair that had been done by someone else, the diamond necklace suddenly weighing heavily on her neck than it did before. The feeling of being an impostor suddenly weighed heavy on her. She wasn't supposed to be here, she didn't know how to play the Pureblood game, or if there even was a game to play at all.

Among unfamiliar faces, Pericles was one of the first to approach. His smile in realizing her presence made her heart feel lighter, though the lack of title and stood out to her. Of course she didn't have one, but pretending to belong was getting harder by the minute as her friends accidentally made her feel like Ariel when she first got her legs. The announcements of families caught her attention every now and again, but slowly they began to fade out like white noise. As she watched people say hello to Ana, perhaps just a nod to her, and walk away. Her smile was strained, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

Her concern quickly moved from herself to Ana once again when her grip tightened at the approach of a certain girl. Willow didn't really know her besides knowing that she was on the Quidditch team, which was confirmed by Ana. Even though she didn't play anymore, she still liked to follow the games closely. She looked between the two with furtive glances, unsure of what was really going on. Was there bad blood between the two? If there was, was it family drama or personal? She'd have to ask Ana later, if Scarlett was someone she needed to keep an eye on. But currently there was no gap for her to really check in on her. Instead, she moved slightly closer. Their ballgowns were squishing together and she hoped it wasn't some sort of faux pas she didn't know about to squish someone else's ballgown. This seemed like a dire enough circumstance to do so.

Her attention was once again caught by someone that Willow had always found absolutely radiant. As Astrea's family was announced, her gaze stayed stuck to the staircase. She was an absolute vision of a spring breeze. The whites and blues that encased her seemingly highlighting her ever ethereal presence. Willow's breath got caught in her throat, and she had an urge to go talk to her. They hadn't really seen each other after the first time they met, only speaking at length a couple of times. Rarely privately. Willow, excited once more about the ball, turned towards Ana and opened her mouth to speak before realizing that Ami was saying hi. "Hi Ami, I didn't know you would be here." Implying, I didn't know you were a pureblood. It seemed she really didn't know a lot about some of her friends.

After the proper introductions, Willow gently tugged on Ana's arm like a small child. "Hey, Astrea just got here would you mind if I went and said hello? I'll be right back I promise." After permission was granted, Willow would slowly unlink her arm, give a nod to those that had gathered and scamper away to greet her friend that made her heart flutter with the anticipation of a hello.

Quickly, she realized that she had no idea how to introduce herself, luckily she had caught her father's name on the introduction. But Pericles had taught her once in the library about how purebloods generally introduced themselves, and she felt slightly more confident. She slowed her approach and cleared her throat just to get their attention. "Hi there Astrea~" She then turned slightly to address her father, doing something akin to a curtsy combined with a bow that was all too awkward. "Lord Neptune, I am Willow Anderson of the Anderson's in Willen, England. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Oh yeah, she killed that. That was perfect. Her bright smile showed how well she thought she performed. "Do you think I could steal you for a second Astrea?" She glanced to the dance floor, then back at her. "Maybe for a dance?" Her heart was filled with giddy glee. She never had the opportunity to dance with Astrea at either of the balls, and now seemed like the perfect chance. Except, she didn't really know how to formally dance. But that was a problem for when they got to the dance floor.

✿Interacting✿
@Anastasia Beckett, @Pericles Dralt, @Astrea Soleil Neptune
✿Mentioning✿
@Ami Procoppio, @Scarlett Aden
✿Post Tracker✿
1 ✿ 2

Open to interactions
Mentioning: Silvia Ventress _{@Jess Malters}
Interacting: @Katherine Labrouder | Iris Fields _{@Katrina Walker}

Action: Sitting with Katherine and Iris, making a deal with Katherine while creating some action with her to

For Mods: Stats: Stamina: 6| Evasion: 5| Strength: 10| Wisdom: 4| Arcpower: 5| Accuracy: 10| Total: 40
Abilities: Evasion Maneuver, Lovely Creature

_{Charles ~ Russian|French|Spanish|German|English|
Norwegian
Andrew ~ English|Russian}

"I already sold my soul to the devil so why not make a deal," Charles replied to Katherine before watching her pick up her drink and walk across the room. Which was when he heard Iris from next to him and looked over at her almost deciding what to say.

"It's always harsh, they have such expectations for us that no matter how well you do they always find something that is wrong or something," Charles replied before grabbing his drink and moving to the other side of Iris so when Katherine return Iris would be in the middle now. Charles would then take a slip of his drink before speaking again to Iris " I did finishing school as a child before everything went bad with my brother, so we were close and all which made things not as bad. However they always seem to find a way to make a point that I was awful or need improvement compared to," Charles hated remembering those times but continued as if for Iris benefit ad he spoke again "after Andrew was announced to be the next head, I started spending summer holidays with the relative in france for lessons which was worse but to get through it I focus on one good thing that will happen after the summer holiday and focus on that till school started again. "

Charles would smile at the girl a bit which was odd for him to do before speaking " just hold in there, it will get better," looking into her eyes for a moment before focusing back at the girl whom came over and started talking to him as he glanced at Katherine as he raised his glass a bit and spoke "cheers," which was the signal between Charles and Katherine.

| @Xailah Alptraum |
{Outfits - Art & References}

Xailah's reaction ought to have been familiar; Pericles himself had been raised to treat adults with a degree of submission and respect. Even most of the Hogwarts staff still sent him stammering and shying away, not to mention, it was months before he had become brave enough to raise his hand in class. Yet this was his father, and- even though the man's macabre aura had a tendency to inspire unease even in fellow adults- he was an exception. Pericles admired him unconditionally, and with the way he all but physically dragged the patriarch along to meet his friend, he evidently expected them to like one another in turn. "I've found you!" the boy proclaimed, his enthusiasm implying he'd been looking forward to doing so for the entire evening. The gala had undoubtedly been a subject of interest among the pure-blood crowd prior to Christmas Break, though with no former familiarity of the venue, it was difficult to determine how they might meet up. The watering hole had simplified his search. Never necessarily the handsy sort, Pericles wouldn't dash decorum to greet her with a hug, though he didn't answer the polite head bob either. He reached out a gloved hand instead, trying to establish a connection, a soft squeeze to cement the fact that they were actually meeting beyond school grounds. There was an uncharacteristic glow of liveliness to him as he looked between both faces, bright and expectant. "Xailah, meet Captain Dralt. I think you should call him Isaac."

The elder Dralt was a stark contrasting presence. Pericles was drifting, gentle, curious and mellow. Isaac's every move was deliberate, weighted, willful and controlled. Beyond the decorum demanded of his status, there was no shortage of accountability required from his ken when traversing polite society. Amidst it all was the attentiveness he owed his son. He was to watch his "performance", support him through any strumblings, and- at the moment- meet his friends. These responsibilities acted as many anchors; there was a resulting heaviness about him, and the way his stare seemed to pick apart its targets tended to send skin squirming. Yet as it met Xailah's- ghostly silver aligning with cattish gold- there was a telltale crease at the corner of his sunken eyes. A palpable effort was made to be as little of a dark shroud over the interaction as possible. As his thin mouth spread with a closed-lip smile, an odd spark in his eye javelined through the demure behavior he had been presented. His was the look of a senior outcast coming across a younger one, a miniature misfit with an air of mischief she was doing her very best to conceal, and a wealth of potential for crafty capers in her future. This was a nonissue. Dralts had a nefarious reputation for being allying with oddities, so at least his son was upholding one tradition. Pericles had stood aside and resumed cupping his hot bean juice with both palms, so the man bridged the gap with a bony hand. "Miss Alptraum." The voice was low and resonant, bearing an underlying rumble of good humor. "I have heard your name in excess over the summer."

The moment blinked by like a flash flood: the scrutiny, assessment, contentment and greeting. Then the presence withdrew, resuming his station as Pericles' shadow. "The night's treated us well enough," the lad was carrying on pleasantly, untroubled. It wasn't cause for embarrassment in his household to tell of one's companions, even if it had, evidently, been in excess. "I met our hostess, and we've done a bit of 'person watching', though there hasn't been much enticement to mingle 'til now...." He'd seen her stare stray off towards the crowds, and in a moment of misunderstanding, prompted "...is your family nearby?"

Formally introducing Xailah to his father, asking where her family is

Open to interactions!
Interacting with: Charles Alluring (@Henry Knight) and @Katherine Labrouder
Outfits:
The Father | The Daughter | The Mother
The Father: #000040 | The Daughter: #400040 | The Mother: #800040

If there was one thing Silver didn't appreciate, it was being ignored. If there was one thing she loved, it was people underestimating her. Some, like her mother, would disagree with that sentiment, Silver knew, but she herself saw it as a battle tactic. If someone underestimated you, they were sure to pay you far less mind than they should, and, in their false confidence, fail to be as cautious as was needed. Right now, the boy and girl in front of Silver were clearly doing this.

The young Ventress hadn't especially enjoyed being paid the same amount of attention that a hat stand would have received by the boy in front of her, but as he turned to the girl at his side and began to whisper in her ear, the child had to fight the urge to smile. See, she was American, and she was fully aware that everyone around her could tell this through her accent and thus expected her not to know any languages other than English. Those people, evidently, had not met Silver's parents. She had began her studies of Russian as preparation to go to the Hogwarts Halloween ball earlier that year with Alexei Petrov, but her mother had insisted she continue her lessons even after the end of that date. Silver had despised the seemingly useless addition to her daily studies then, but she silently thanked her mother for it now. The girl was not fluent in the language, not by any means, but she knew simple words and could pick up various phrases.

So, when she heard the boy whisper to the girl and mentally translated "deal," "spill your drink," "speaking," and "language," paired with the boy's expectedly cocky grin, it wasn't all too difficult for Silver to figure out what they planned to do. Very well, then. If they wanted a fight, it was a fight that they would get. But- the two clearly hadn't accounted for Silver's knowledge of Russian, and thus had no way of knowing that she now knew her enemy's exact plans. As the girl who the boy had called Kath moved off, Silver arranged her lips into a cold smile at him. This battle would be fought, but it would be fought on Silver's terms.

"That's alright, you can ignore me for now if you wish," she told the boy calmly, her voice holding no trace of aggression. "I look forward to making your acquaintance in the future." Shooting him one more smile as she said so, Silver turned on her heel and walked away from the bar towards the outer edges of the room, her mind spinning. She could try to avoid Kath for the rest of the evening and, by extent, avoid the spilling of any drinks on herself, but that would really be far too much hassle just to deal with two immature children, and seemed greatly impractical. Besides, Silver was a Ventress, and Ventresses didn't run. She could also duel Kath, as this insulting deal was clearly grounds for some offensive spell work, but that would cause too much of a scene and was hardly dignified. So, then, the answer was simple. Silver would allow the drink to be spilled on herself.

Really, this would only serve to help the girl. If Kath spilled her drink on Silver, then the other girl would be seen as immature and rude if people understood it to be intentional, and clumsy if they believed it to be an accident, meaning that either way it went, Kath was sure to be looked down on for it. Silver, on the other hand, might have to suffer some momentary shame and judgement, but in the end, she would be seen as the victim. Yes, this was technically a position of weakness that her mother would not wholly approve of, but it would certainly lead to the host of the party, Anastasia Beckett, having to come to tend to the young Ventress. So, having the drink spilled on her would lead only to Kath being disgraced in one way or another and Silver getting a much better chance than she had anticipated to get close to Anastasia, just as her parents had bid her to do. Besides, a simple cleaning spell was bound to remove any damage the drink could do her dress almost immediately, and even if it didn't, it didn't truly matter what Silver was wearing. She would be beautiful in anything.

So, then, that would take care of Kath, but there was still the issue of the annoying and frankly rude boy who had struck the deal with the other girl in the first place. Now, based on the way he chose to lean on the bar table and whisper, grinning, to his friends, rather than walk around the ballroom as he ought to, there was nothing this boy valued more than his own reputation. Lovely. Again, Silver let her mind slip briefly to the tempting option of hexing the boy right then and there, perhaps with a well timed Tarantallegra, but she discarded it quickly. Firing off a spell might be highly satisfying, but there was too much of a chance that somebody might spot her doing it, and this couldn't be allowed to be traced back to her. To make matters worse, Silver was sure that every single person in the room would be able to tell that the boy's flying feet had been affected by a curse, making him, too, a victim. No, that wouldn't work at all. Silver needed a way to humiliate the boy, but to make it seem as if it was nobody's fault but his own that he was acting the way that he was. As she spotted one of the ball's many caterers crossing the floor just a few feet away from her, her eyes sparked with a sudden idea and she quickly moved towards him.

"Pardon," she said as she neared him, her eyes bright and her smile as kind and hopeful as she could make it. "All this food is lovely, I'm sure, but if you wouldn't mind, could you please bring me something a bit more... suitable, for a child? A Pepper Imp would be marvelous, if you have any." The caterer promptly nodded and scurried away, though he returned mere minutes later with a plate of Pepper Imps, which were unwrapped and arranged in the middle of a number of small chocolates, none of which Silver recognized as magical treats. Perfect. She nodded at him gratefully, then smiled apologetically. "I'm so terribly sorry about the inconvenience, but could you please bring this to that boy over there, sitting at the bar? It's just... I kind of like him and I want to give him something nice, but I don't want him to know that. Could you just, maybe, tell him it's from a friend?" The caterer nodded and Silver's face broke into a wide grin, though it slipped back down to a cold mask almost the instant the man had turned away and started to head to the bar. This way, once the boy ate the Pepper Imps and started to have smoke spew out of his ears and nose, everybody would be sure to assume he had done it of his own accord and view him as immature. If Silver was lucky, he might even get in trouble with his family later for disgracing them so at a formal event. She smiled. Now that everything was set in place for the boy, Silver turned her attention back to Kath.

The girl was standing on the opposite end of the room, but soon starting walking purposefully back towards the bar. Calmly, yet quickening her step as she went, Silver headed directly for her. Soon, she was mere feet away from the other girl, and she made sure not to flinch in advance as Kath bumped into Silver and she felt the cold of the drink spill all over her front, quickly soaking through the thin material of her dress and spreading an icy chill along her bare skin. Now that the deed had been done, she gasped, low enough to not seem overly dramatic yet just shocked enough to make it impossible for anyone to tell she had been anticipating the seeming accident. She looked up to hear Kath start talking to her quickly in a language she didn't understand, but from the girl's regretting facial expression, she guessed it was meant to seem like some sort of apology. Well, Kath, Silver could also play at kindness.

"Oh, no, it's alright!" she told the girl, allowing surprise yet no anger to seep into her voice. "I'm sure it was just an accident." There, now her reputation as calm and collected was sure to be sealed for any onlookers. Kath couldn't be allowed to be left thinking she won, though. Silver stared stared straight into the other's girl's eyes, her gaze level. "Ничего страшного."

Ничего страшного: It's alright / Nothing too bad

Open to interactions
Mentioning: Iris Fields _{@Katrina Walker}
Interacting: @Katherine Labrouder | Silvia Ventress _{@Jess Malters
Permission given to godmode Katherine Labrouder by Katherine Labrouder}

Action: Sitting with Katherine and Iris, making a deal with Katherine and letting the action spiral with her

For Mods: Stats: Stamina: 6| Evasion: 5| Strength: 10| Wisdom: 4| Arcpower: 5| Accuracy: 10| Total: 40
Abilities: Evasion Maneuver, Lovely Creature

_{Charles ~ Russian|French|Spanish|German|English|
Norwegian
Andrew ~ English|Russian}

Charles knew that he was getting on the girls nervous by ignoring her if the blonde knew anything about pureblood's from his older brother then it was that they hated being ignored which gave some pleasure as he lifted his non alcoholic mojito in the air with a half smile as he spoke to the girl walking away, 1"your presence was tolerable American annoyance and I look forward to not seeing you in the future madame," Charles felt like Iris was judging him or would say something so he took a slip from his drink before placing it on the counter and leaning toward her as he spoke " it was all fun, those were just harmless games that pureblood kids do since we can't do anything else at these galas and parties."

Charles let his eyes linger back toward Katherine and the american girl as he watched her spill her drink a over the American while saying some swedish words but still watching the American to see if she would make a scene or if the thirteen year old would will the bet he made on her a few minutes ago.

And Charles watch the American take it good and continue the act he claimed as the perfect pureblood daughter act causing a eye roll of Charles as he smiled toward Iris and gave her a nod meaning that he would be right back as he left his drink on the bar top and strolled toward Katherine but was stopped by a waiter handing him a candy and saying it was from a friend for him.

Charles took the candy but was suspicious of it since he knew that his brother would like to make a mockery of him at the gala but then his mind lingered toward the American still he lifted the candy toward his mouth but stopped when he noticed Katherine giving him a signal to not eat it and also allowing him a second look at the piece of candy which was a pepper imp and from Katherine's signal was from the American girl.

Charles would purposely take a detour and walk toward the American girl as he pushed the candy into her chest while he whispered in her ear this time in perfect English, " nice try there but I thought American's were at least smarter then that," giving her a half smile before casually shoving her with his shoulder as he walk by and toward Katherine.

Picking up a non alcoholic drink in a cocktail glass from a passing waiter holing a tray of them as he walk next to Katherine and stood beside her. One hand in his pocket and the other holding the drink as he took a slip before placing the glass in a passing persons hand as he spoke " that was disgusting anyway everything went good for the most part," letting his eyes drift on Katherine before continuing " any problems through?"

Interaction Status: Open
Outfit

Interactions
@Anastasia Beckett @Ami Procoppio
Mentions
@Willow Anderson

The Silverwoods enjoyed being fashionably late, but Søren was concerned that three hours was overdoing it. By the time the five-membered brigade pulled up to the gates of the Beckett Manor, the clock was already ticking down to ten. It was odd that his family prided themselves on being late to events like these, hosted by families with old money, but when it came to those entrepreneurs and moguls like the Silverwoods, only a thirty minute grace period was needed. It seemed that his parents had some sort of aversion to the type of folks attending the gala tonight. Søren didn’t understand it, perhaps because he was too young. He was just happy to meet up with some friends from Hogwarts, though his parents would be sure to parade him and his brothers around the ballroom in an effort to make more connections. How hypocritical of them, one would think. The Silverwoods, who bore some antipathy towards those with regal titles, wanted their sons to network with these very people.

They were announced simply as the Silverwood family. A stark contrast to the dukes and duchesses, lords and ladies, and ambassadors of the night, Søren’s parents were sure. From the top of the staircase, Søren scanned the room. He spied many familiar faces, but none he was close to. His networking skills were failing him at Hogwarts, clearly. There was no best friend, no school brothers to speak of. His only close connection was Anastasia, and the two barely spoke at the school. No one looked to be on their own either. Everyone was paired or grouped and Søren’s parents would expect him to infiltrate every conversation on the floor. He was wholly unprepared for the night’s work.

As the family glided down the stairs, three handsome sons looking like a vision, and their sister locked away at the Silverwoods’ penthouse as usual, Søren could see Ana looking wonderful in red. Pretty-haired Willow Anderson was scurrying away and the lady of the night was accosted by the… equally-as-pretty-haired upperclasswoman, Ami. Knowing that he should not interrupt the host’s conversation was one thing, but wanting to interrupt it was another. Søren felt quite unwilling to speak to the unknown persons on the ballroom floor, and was rather inclined to start with someone he knew.

“Bonsoir, mademoiselle! Comment ça va ce soir?” he spoke with a thick English accent as he approached Ana, unsure of if his translation was even accurate. “And good night to you too, Miss Ami,” he nodded towards the taller girl and the small child being thrust onto Ana. He extended a pastel-hued gift box towards the host, the lingering scent of coffee beans likely giving away the surprise. “Ah, your hands seem to be full. Shall I pass this off to one of the butlers?”

Action
Chatting with the host and avoiding the night's work.

Post Tracker
1

Interacting with @Scarlett Aden and the bartender.
Mentioning N/A.
Actions: Feel bad for the late reply, leave the dancefloor, get a cup of water.

Reducio

"Oh, okay. That makes sense," Lucia replied when Scarlett told her how the lioness had only known about her parents last month. "Imagine never talking to your parents though..." she murmured to herself, so quietly that Scarlett couldn't have heard.

Scarlett proved to be quite a quick learner dancing-wise, but as Lucia attempted to speed up to the same speed as the other, more experienced, dancers, Scarlett's luck gave out and she suddenly stopped where she stood and Lucia crashed into her. The pair clutched to each other and luckily didn't fall over, but Lucia suddenly had the feeling she was being watched and looked over the top of Scarlett's head to find Ebony Fox's carefully neutral face. Ebony pointedly looked to the side of the ballroom, then back at Lucia and Scarlett, and the meaning was clear. Find another partner or get off the dance floor. It was a shame, Lucia thought, that her first dance at this Gala should end so clumsily, but hopefully she'd be able to dance with someone again later. Right? Lucia really didn't want to spend the whole evening without a proper dance again, like at the Autumn Ball. That had been a disappointment.

Luckily, Scarlett made up Lucia's mind for her and dragged the younger girl over to the bar. After watching her friend order a lemonade, Lucia paused and said, "I'll just have some water, please." The bartender pushed a cup across for her and Lucia took it. "Thank you. Happy new year."