TABLE 7 | Sweethearts Tea Party V-Day Event

With one holiday having passed it seemed there was always another one around the corner. This time around it was Valentine's Day. A time for young love and heartbreaks around Hogwarts it seemed. Annie had found herself writing her name down for the little event that happened every year. It was always something different yet the young witch only had fond memories, even if she didn't like the holiday itself. Last year's included having a relaxing afternoon with Calli, but alas their current situation was more than undesirable it was awkward.

A little while earlier in the day Annie had been seated in the great hall simply working on homework as chatter drifted by and a particular group of girls' conversation caught her attention. It seemed they were reading a letter about the event. Ah right of course they sent something with information on a letter of which she couldn't see or read. Her own letter appeared prior to coming to the Great Hall and she quickly put it in her pocket, not too concerned with the contents inside. Pausing her studies, she'd rise from her seat and call in the directions of the girls. A few words were exchanged and Annie got all the information she needed. It would be in the ballroom at 18:00 and she would be seated at Table 7 was what her letter said.. Alas finding the table would be easier said then done.

When the time came Annie would dress herself up in an off the shoulder yellow flower printed dress. Quite odd for a red and pink themed holiday in the midst of winter but she wasn't trying to impress anyone and quite frankly it was comfortable. She'd then head to the ballroom, navigating her way through the halls, having to hug the walls to not get lost in all the curves as she hadn't been to the ballroom for a long time. She'd find the smooth doors and push open them. A flood of quiet talking entered her hearing and she'd feel a flower petal tickle her shoulder before she brushed it off onto the floor. Annie bit her lip for a second wondering where table number seven was. Time to ask around.

After a few awkward interruptions of conversations she'd be directed towards one of the many tables, seeing it was almost centered in the hall. Taking a seat, possibly in the wrong chair she'd relax and let out an unexpected breath she had been holding. The table was quiet. Was she first to arrive? It had seemed so. She'd raise her hand to fidget with the sleeve on her dress, awkwardly rubbing her shoes together as she waited. Who was going to be accompanying her at the table anyways? How many other chairs were there? Would she know the people? It would all be unraveled soon enough either to her joy or horror.

@Callista Lovis, @Bridget Collins, @Ivy Bellamy, @Felix Jeong, and @Lindsey Springhall

Interactions: @Annie Morgan
Mentions: Alan Vanes, Lindsey Springhall, and Felix Jeong

Valentine's Day. It was a holiday that meant little to Bridget. She didn't celebrate it, her plans for the evening didn't branch past the normal homework. There was a part of her that felt a little, well... sad wasn't the word for it. Left out, maybe? It seemed everyone else had someone the day made them think of. Of course, it wasn't everyone, and at fourteen, she could hardly be behind, right? What would come of thinking of love at their age? It wasn't like she had the time, anyhow, not even spending time with her friends every day with the pressures of schoolwork and duelling. So it was nothing to worry about, and she was just going to treat this day like any other.

Emphasis on was. A letter inviting her to this 'Valentine's Day Tea Party' had come in the morning. She had felt no rush of excitement at receiving it, but it didn't necessarily sound so bad, either. Listening around, it seemed like a school-wide event, and there were much worse arrangements than a tea party. She wasn't swamped in homework, so she decided she'd at least check it out. Maybe it would be a chance to see her friends, she could say she understood the mentioned platonic love.

Staring, indecisive, at several options for outfits thrown out on her bed had not been where she expected to find herself. Usually she took very little time picking out what to wear, opting for whatever was practical. It wasn't even like she was trying to impress anyone. Maybe it was just that this was a nicer occasion, and she wouldn't want to be conspicuously underdressed if others were dressing up. In the end, deciding the whole debate rather ridiculous, she went with something not too far from what she would usually wear, jeans and a nice appropriately-colored cardigan [x]. It looked fine, and if this was going to be a night of drama, she would at least be comfortable.

She didn't know what to expect of this, having not attended any of these events in years past. Did she need to bring anything? Just her wand, tucked into the holster Katrina had made her as usual, was surely sufficient. She never went anywhere without it, a little like a Muggle teenager's attachment to their phone, perhaps. Even if her wandwork as a mere student could only do so much, she wouldn't feel safe without it. Beyond what to bring, what was the table set-up even going to be? If it was anything one-on-one, she was out. She was not here for anything romantic, and that would surely be nothing but uncomfortable.

Entering the room, she was relieved to find good-sized tables with several chairs around all of them. Groups, perfect. She picked her way through them to the one labeled seven, a table near the center of the room. Near the edge would have been nice, she was really just a spectator in most of this, but it was alright. On her way, she noted familiar faces. Flash was at a table with Willow and Evelynn, among others; hopefully he would have a good time. There was Henry, and there was Alan... Alan. Her scan of the room snagged on him, and the thick cardigan was a regretted choice at the moment. Alan, right. She needed to talk to him! How had it totally slipped her mind? She was always busy, but that was no excuse at this point, this was much too important. But this was not the moment. She should let him have a fun night, and approaching him while he was talking with people would be awkward; she promised herself she'd send him an owl as soon as this was over.

Pushing up her sleeves just a bit to fight the spike in temperature from panicked remembrance, she set her sights on her table, the people she would be hanging around tonight. So far, it was just Annie, wearing a lovely flower-patterned dress. "Hi, Annie! It's Bridget." Noting the name cards, she slid into her designated chair. It looked like Lindsey would be next to her. Bridget knew her as a duellist, so that might be something they could talk about, though the duel she'd moderated for the third year had not exactly gone well for her. Hopefully it wasn't a sore spot. To her left would be a Felix, apparently, though she couldn't say she knew any Felixes.

The other things of note: a box containing cupcakes, and a letter. The invitation she'd received this morning said there were things from a 'special someone', but there was no signature on the note. Reading it didn't exactly narrow it down, either. It was sweet, she liked the comparison to a 'soaring' or 'rising' star. She did try to be the best she could. Though the last line... maybe whoever it was felt like they didn't see her enough? She knew she was bad about that, there were times when it felt like everything else crowded out her friendships. Mouth tilted downward in thoughtful consideration, she resolved to be better about that. The success didn't mean very much without people to be at her peak for.

Realizing her silence was probably a little rude, seeming like she was ignoring Annie, she directed her attention back up to the one person there. "Everyone has cupcakes and a letter next to their plate." She hoped Annie was fine with her describing the setting a little bit, not knowing exactly how she felt about being blind and if she needed the help. But she should know there were things for her, and surely this was better than never realizing they were there or accidentally reaching into cupcake frosting. "So, how have you been doing?" Annie was at least someone she felt decently comfortable around, familiar as a classmate. They'd talked before, and Bridget had in fact stumbled on part of her personal life. Speaking of which, she wondered how that was going, for that probably dictated a lot of how she felt about today. She certainly didn't expect Annie to share that, though, and it was unlikely it would be just the two of them much longer anyway.

SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED!

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; 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.

As no one has posted in the last round, there will not be a mod post this time around. If you wish to continue the event, please post before the next mod post to do so. Thank you.

@Annie Morgan | @Bridget Collins

Last year’s Valentines event wasn’t that bad for Lindsey. Alright, it was quite a weird event, but it at least provided her with an opportunity to socialise with others, and that was agreeable to the young girl. This year however was different. Having nobody in mind to celebrate the holiday with, she refrained herself from joining the sweets making errand held by several over-enthusiastic professors even though it did offer tasty desserts, which the Hufflepuff loved a lot. Really, at age thirteen, why would she put her effort into amusing some other people merely because a strange feeling towards them when there were more important things to do? That’s not a good bargain, obviously.

So the days just went on, without any expectations for the upcoming festival. She really didn’t care that, whether there would be some secret admirers watching around or not. This holiday would pass and things would eventually get back to normal. And she’d be left out, no doubt.

Left out. That’s what she had thought.

When an invitation note appeared, words could not describe Lindsey’s astonishment. She would carefully read it over and over, confirming that it indeed was for her. There wasn’t any mistakes made. She was the exact addressee. Confused as she was, Lindsey still decided to check the tea party out. She was invited, which meant she was expected to be there, and she would stick to the appointment. And it was a lie to say that she wasn’t curious. She would go and see what’s going on there, and it wouldn’t be too late to determine if it’s a waste of time or not.

Dressing in a light coloured jacket and casual jeans, she made her way towards the ballroom. This wasn’t an unfamiliar place for Lindsey, yet still distant. Chocolate brown eyes scanned around the famed Hogwarts ballroom curiously, and she was satisfied to see that students were yet again assigned in groups. That was so much better, similar to last year’s event. Table seven. Ah, there it was.

Upon her arrival at the designated table with six chairs placed around, she found two already occupying seats. There was Bridget Collins who moderated her very first duel - and who witnessed her being the first one out - and Lindsey found her own name written right besides the elder Slytherin. The other was Annie Morgan, whom Lindsey knew as a celebrated chaser and later on keeper of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team as well as ex-prefect. Seeing Annie somehow brought back her memories of being on the Quidditch team during her second year, and a small smile was brought up to her lips.

“Hello Collins.” feeling that first names were too straightforward and rude, she greeted the brunette in her last name while taking her seat. “And greetings Morgan.” - giving her senior housemate a friendly nod - “Lindsey Springhall, third year Hufflepuff. It’s nice joining you two.” she added, introducing herself in case Annie had forgotten her. (I am not sure if it’s publicly known that Annie’s blind or not, so I am leaving it blank here.)

Turning her attention to the things piled up on the table, chocolate brown gaze fixed on the box and a short note. Strawberry flavoured - not so bad, though they certainly didn’t know that mangos were her favourite - and a confusing letter with no signature. A pretty cool girl, that description was rather appealing to her, and keep smiling sounded like a nice encouragement to hear. Putting the note off, her eyes wandered briefly on the name cards - Callista, Ivy, and Felix. They’d be expecting them to join.

The love note - as it’s said so, she supposed - did not make much effect on her countenance, which remained calm and collected. That was obvious not a confession letter, and Lindsey was quite certain that she wouldn’t be shiny enough to catch anybody’s eye. Knowing that someone regarded her as a cool person was already satisfying, and you couldn’t really ask for more, could you?

Hearing Professor Lécuyer announcing certain ways to confess to your significant other, she couldn’t help but raise her eyes up curiously. That sounded…romantic, indeed. “It seems that they have put a lot of effort in organising this event.” she remarked to her two tablemates softly. Silence wasn’t really a thing for Lindsey, and clearly she couldn’t bear that. With the hope of striking up a conversation, Lindsey was determined to make her night here worth it.

MOD POST

CONFESSION AND SONG REQUESTS

"Anonymous would like to dedicate the song, Single Ladies, to Hanako Tone! He's single, ladies and gents! So if your heart belongs to him, don't forget to tell him as much!"

HOW YOU LIKE THESE CUPCAKES?

Although the children had decorated the cupcakes (for the most part) the night prior, Orion had made the cupcakes himself on the night of the 12th. He had put a lot of work into the dozens upon dozens of sweets. Thankfully he was a competent baker after years of crafting late-night pastries. Unfortunately, he was also sleep-deprived, which seemed to be a common problem throughout the night. If anything were to help Orion realize he needed help with his restlessness, it was the Tea Party.

That being said, there was something... Special about a few batches of cupcakes. As the night of the 12th wore on, Orion had become tired and had accidentally used a different ingredient. Amortentia. He had realized his mistake and had gone to toss the batches out, but unfortunately, his sweet tooth got the best of him and he took a quick snack break to munch on some of the sweets the house-elves themselves had made. A common ingredient in their food being a forgetfulness potion. Oh dear, it seemed the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had forgotten all about the cupcakes' secret ingredient.

If anyone were to bite into their cupcake, they might notice it smelled quite possibly like their favourite thing. They just may find the next person who met their gaze to be rather appealing...

Amortentia Rules
1. Consent is important. Please ask your character's victim new sweetheart if it is okay to have your character become obsessed with them.
2. Seeing your own reflection in a teacup is a valid option.
3. For this round only, the length of the effects of the Amortentia is up to you. Taking a bite after this round means accepting the chance that your character might have received an Amortentia cupcake, and your character will be affected for the entire round.
4. If I have missed your character biting into a cupcake, please let me know. From this point on we are asking that if you eat a cupcake, you place the information on the bottom of your post to make it easier for mods.

PLEASE NOTE: This will be the last mod post as our next in-character event, the Blossom Ball, will be starting within the next few weeks. You may continue to roleplay and feel free to state that your character ate a cupcake and ended up under the effects of Amortentia but we ask that the effects stay strictly within this event. This means you cannot claim your character stole Amortentia laced cupcakes from this event.

However, Orion will be keep an eye on the threads, and there is still a table full of teachers, so please try not to do anything he wouldn't do!

Thank you, and we hope you all enjoyed yourselves!