Yes, Haraldur was there for the kids, but that didn't mean he couldn't have fun. Although his definition of fun didn't include a ballroom or dancing, it was apparently what the kids deemed fun. SO there he was, to connect on a spiritual level with the students.

The newly appointed groundskeeper and flying instructor slowly made his way towards the middle of the dance floor, greeting the students he passed by. He stood awkwardly for a few seconds, bopping his head to the music. Music he didn't recognize. Actually, it was just a lot of noise to him. What a blessing his hearing wasn't what it had once been.

Then something happened.

It started in his knees. His feet were firmly in place but his knees bent and suddenly his whole body was bouncing (off beat) to the music. He hadn't figured out what to do with his arms so they were just hanging limply at his sides for now.

WELLLL, kids, what's new? There were only a few minutes left of this movement before he would go sit down somewhere with something to eat. But still, look at him GO. His feathers swayed and he silently wished there was a mirror so he could see how he looked like.

Quite proud of himself.

It because she does appear out of nowhere. Maddox did not hear her or even see her appear next to him. All he knows is she is talking to him and she was looking good as well. Not bad Ambrosia.

"Pls, i am an above average dancer. Thank you very much. AND Ambrosia guess what...guess what...IM ON A BOAT AND."

oh he was waiting to say that.

He hoped he looked nice and at least picked a better suit than his brother. Which is not that hard since Jayce did not care, at least he thought he didn't.

"Thank You and i will try"

AND THERE WAS HIS DATE.

"Nothing much. Thank You. You are lookin amazing yourself. Someone has to cheer Kyle up. ALSO do i get a kiss if im good tonight???. you ready to dance?"

Important questions.

Irene always looked so pretty. Maybe it was an American thing. Etta beamed as she watched her walk in, wishing she had her grace. The Hufflepuff felt rather clumsy and awkward with her heels and her knee-length dress but she really had tried to look as pretty as she could. She had to, yeah? Anywaaaay. "Thank you." Compliments were always welcome and Irene always seemed to be full of them. She beamed and gave her a hug. "You look gorgeous. Pretty sure you have a lot of eyes on you tonight." .. but when she started to talk about the challenge, Etta's smile faded. Yeah, no. That was the very last thing on her mind right now. She planned on enjoying this night and.. well, Etta intended to. "I think this ball is so beautiful. I plan on dancing the night away." Her smile returned before giving the other girl a small nudge. "What about you, hmm? Who's your handsome date?"

.. Was it just her or did Kyle seem rather awkward? Oh, gosh. Did he not like socialising? Did he not like the look of her? Not that it mattered or cared about but.. Etta sighed, suddenly feeling that rather self-conscious. But -- hey. He did seem to make an effort at conversation so she smiled, eyeing him curiously. "Why, thanks. Congratulations to you too. I'm just glad it's over, you know?" She refused to let anything from that day enter her mind right now.. nope. Especially the dementor.. she pushed those thoughts away, instead trying to concentrate on the person next to her. "So.. are you having a good time?"

And.. there was Maddox. Etta eyed him out of the corner of her eyes.. huh. He did clean up rather nice, didn't he? She gave him a wave before her attention turned towards the other new entrants. Olivia, though. She looked so lovely. It was weird how her friend never gave herself enough credit. She was about to wave her over.. but Olivia seemed to be in conversation with Noelle, who looked pretty too. Anyway, she hoped her friend remembered their date for later.

Hey.. there was Althea as well. She looked stunning as usual. Etta still wasn't sure if there were on talking terms or not but her dormmate still got a smile. It was always nice to be polite, yeah? There were a few other people too.. like her fellow IMPS competitors but she didn't recognise the others. It was quite a turnout, though.

Handmade dance card in hand - thank you Levi Kenning for teaching him the ways! - Derf bounced his way around the dance floor in hopes of crossing off as many names from his list as possible. He also was not opposed to ADDING to the list and had even packed a quill in his trouser pockets so he could make official additions. Thankfully for the Hufflepuff loads of people on his list were already on the dance floor...but that just made the task of WHO to officially start with SO MUCH HARDER.

Bright blues scanning around, they NATURALLY fell on Valerie Gray and he turned into that awkward duck just like the day he had happened to run into her and Natalie outside the Great Hall. Tongue somehow stuck to the roof of his mouth and making weird noises definitely included. He should stop staring. And gaping. HE REALLY SHOULD. But her American Veela powers were too much for his fragile love stuck Hufflepuff heart to BEAR. Of COURSE she was already dancing with someone else...and another CHAMPION at that.

Maybe he could...kind-of-sort-of beg for the other guy to share?

Or maybe he should just go join the Groundskeeper? He was the only adult thus far to not do something to make the second year question his morals and he SUPPOSED he could trust him. He had no cause not to at least...so the Hufflepuff started making his way over towards the man. If for no other reason than to ask what he called that dance of his and if he didn't have a name for it then Derf would help him figure that out.

There was also a WHOLE BUNCH of Ilvermorny students about and he recognized SOME of them but not all. He totally had this American talk down and knew JUST how to handle this. "DuuuuUUUUuuuuUUUUDes! Good evening!" Yup. Nailed it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shanners

Pheeley was at a loss of what it was that she was supposed to be doing tonight. It was oh so wonderful on this ship and it drove her crrrrazy to see how beautiful everyone looked. Although, dealing with two student bodies meant that she had lost her twin as soon as they had joined the crowds and this Robertser girl was now stood at the edge of the dance area, swaying side to side. She really wasn't good on her own. In fact, she had barely left the side of her sister, except for when she had put up a poster around the Ilvermorny temporary dorms for dates for both Jessie and she.

No luck though.

These Robertsers were not their Aunt Elodie with boys falling at their feet at school. And Ophelia was SURE that Jessie would be asked to dance first, so it was natural for her to wait around here for her womb friend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazinga

It didn't take long before more nd more people were coming in and Madelyn realized that most people had a date. She was starting to feel more self concious about not, but she hadn't asked anyone in hopest someone would ask her, she was bit old fashion that way and her hopes had been on one boy, but he hadn't asked her so now she stood alone quietly wantching.





She couldn't help but feel a bit of relief when Irene came over to her and she smiled brightly at her friend. "This is amazing isn't it. Hogwarts truly outdid themselves for us. We have to get our picture done with that background." She had been watching it change as she stood. It was really neat and honestly, she could go for some of those props, how fun!

Looking down at her dress and then back up to Irene she beamed, "Thank you, I'm so glad I brought it in hopes we could get to dress up for something." With two schools getting together how could you not have something fancy to celebrate the occasion. "You look amazing too. Did you come with someone or am I not the only one that decided to just come alone and hangout with everyone?" She didn't want to seem self concious about it and coming alone did mean she could be with everyone not just one person, so maybe it wasn't all that bad.

SPOILER!!: Maddox, Felicity, and Vivian

When Maddox walked in and complimented how she looked she felt she should be use to this, but she still blushed a bit and smiled. "Thank you, you are looking pretty good yourself." He was looking very handsome this evening. All the boys were. "Save me a dance, won't you?" She hoped to spend most of the night on the dance floor so having people to dance with was a good idea.

Turning to Felicity she smiled brightly, "This is amazing. I just love the idea." Hogwarts might be an ocean away, but Madelyn was so happy it had given her a chance to hangout with her friend again. "Hi I'm Madelyn." She smiled at the girl with Felicity. She had seen her with Brent's new girlfriend during the competition, but honeslty Madelyn was fully trying to forget about that entire event.



Seeing the twins walk in Madelyn gave them a wave, wow did everyone look so beautiful. She should have maybe tried to find a full-length dress for herself after seeing how beautiful they looked on everyone else, but she did like her dress so she wasn't going to overthink like she normally did.

"You both look amazing. I love this event just to see everyone so dressed up. Where did you get your dresses?" Asking where was just her making small talk, but she was loving all the fashion. Looking around she spotted Jesus and smiled. Maybe she'd go over and ask him to dance, but then her smile fell when she saw who he was with. He had a date and she fully assumed Khalil had a date as well. Chewing on her lip she tried to make eye contact with him and turned back to the girls. "Have you looked around the rest of the ship?" She hadn't explored yet, but maybe she would soon.


Spotting her sister she smiled and waved at her. She hadn't a clue what she saw in Miles, he was an interesting boy that was for sure, but she was happy her sister had come with a date and seemed to be having fun.

Whyyyy didn't they hold hands or something? Why did they think they'd be fine being crammed onto a ship full of two school's worth of people?

Jessie followed the music to the ballroom, slinking around the edge until she spotted Ophe. "Ophie!" The blonde lifted her dress to better walk over to her twin. "It's crowded," she stated once close enough. How did they feel about that?

She looked around to see Madelyn waving and waved back. "Thank you! So do you!" Jessie looked over Madelyn's outfit, from her hair to her heels and..everything. Everyone looked amazing. Students cleaned up well.

Bentley's eyes dropped to hers and his eyebrows furrowed just a little bit. " yeah. You seem surprised. Mum's never had a problem with you coming over."

Granted a whole lot of things had happened since the last time Chloe came over for an official visit...like their breakup...and that time in between....and them getting back together again. Thankfully his over protective mother was not aware of most of that.

"Would you like to dance?" Asks with a twinkle in his eyes and dimpled smile.

Just like Bentley knew that some arguments were not worth having with her, Chloe understood any Rhea talk was complicated. So when he spoke again she nodded instead of questioning it further. She knew for a fact that Rhea did have problems with her visiting. For reasons. And she didn't blame her, it must have been difficult as a parent to watch her and Ben's extremely tumultuous relationship. But because Chloe understood that she also was a little trepidacious about, well, this upcoming visit.

She pushed all of that aside when he asked her to dance. Her lip turned up in the smallest kind of smile and she nodded, "Sure."

It was nice to see a friendly face, but even better to see TWO of them in a matter of seconds. First her twin came to her side and then Madelyn greeted them both. Ophelia gave Jessie a nudge with her elbow and a smile, pretty identical to the one her sister had given her...since they WERE identical twins and all. "Our Aunt Tamzin made them, Madelyn. She's great with clothes... has her own company too!" But that was just sounding like she was bragging about her connections and that wasn't what she did. She did hope that Madelyn didn't think anything of it. It wasn't a huge secret that Tamzin Bronwyn was their Aunt, right? Perhaps Jessie hadn't told any of the people they were friends with...

"Besides, you look LOVELY. Where is your dress from? I really like it. Flattering!" Pheeley flashed her shoes to her sister at that point with a grin. "I can't walk in heels, your feet must be hurting already, Madelyn!"

As for the rest of the ship... Ophelia shook her head. "I haven't had a look around, no. I lost Jessie and came straight here. Have you had a look?" With that, her eyes surveyed the room and the crowds spotting other students from her school who she gave waves to and smiles also. Hi hi hi.

If a certain Ellsworth Bott Toussaint had been in attendance at this gala (and really, she was through her sister-in-law on the Board of Governors), she'd be appalled at the way Katy Toussaint stomped down the gorgeous staircase, swishing the skirt of her dress a bit violently with one hand and clutching the frosty bright drink she'd snagged in the dining area with the other. No holding onto the railing. Railings were for quitters.

At the bottom of the staircase, the agitated Slytherin ignored the happy dancing couples, scoffed openly at the professors looking hopefully to be approached by polite (POLITE) students, and rolled her eyes at some ickles. Nope, nope, and NOPE. Instead, she resumed her stomping in the direction of two older girls, girls Katy actually admired a great deal and who she felt might be the only people she didn't want to murder at the moment. No. Boys. No.

"Hold this, please," she thrust the frosty drink at Althea and Aslan, trusting one of them to take it before she let go of the stem. Perhaps more appalling than the stomping, Ellsworth Bott Toussaint would have a genuine heart attack over how Katy then hitched up her dress to remove the wand from her thigh holster. "Sweet Circe, that's better. I was about to blow off a butt cheek. Hi! You ladies look marvelous. Don't you sort of want to strip off your clothes and throw yourself into the lake, though?" No? Just her? Give back drink, mmmk?


Will looked like a waiter. He was sure of it. Like some guys looked amazing in suits and tuxes, and some looked like the help. Will Healy happened to be the latter, and he was feeling pretty sure someone was going to tip him and ask for help finding their coat in a few minutes. That was the sort of crap the Brits did for fun, right? Mock a guy for trying?

He stopped fidgeting with his clothes once he had entered the ballroom properly, opting instead to gape at his classmates in their fancy get-up like the Boston rube he was. Some of these dresses... and actual tuxedos... and wow. Wow.

Like Aslan. Wow. He moved on, though, since that prickly pear gave up porcupine vibes and he wasn't in the mood for rejection. He turned his attention to Madelyn, who was more a cuddly bunny and never rejected a guy in her life. Or at least, she didn't go around stabbing them through the ego like some people.

"Hey, Blondie. Let's boogie." He offered a hand to Madelyn and wiggled his fingers at her. "Please, I mean." Manners.

Sean hadn't bothered to get a date to this shin dig. Because why Bother? He just wanted to have fun and meet people and dance. He wondered if Willy had a date.. Or if any boys had asked Maisie. On the one hand he knew his sister was awesome and should have been asked.. On the other he didn't want any fresh Hogwarts boys getting any ideas about his baby sister.

But for now he was just trying to figure out what to do with himself. Maybe he'd ask someone to dance? He was a good enough dancer. Maybe Layla was around. He was trying to make more of an effort to be a better friend to her.


For now he just scoped out the room, trying to see if there was anyone to ask.

Felicity giggled at Vivian's curtsy, and offered her a semi low bow in return. "You do look indeed like a proper Princess," she said as she grinned, the biggest compliment she could give her friend right then. She felt awkward in her own pink dress, fiddling with the short front train-thing and wondering if she shouldn't have dressed up more. But this was the dress her Dad had chosen for her, and she did know his choice had never failed her before.

"I'm sure they are." She nodded as her thoughts wandered to the other two girls. "But you're right." Because who else was going to be prepared to leave early and head back to the dorm, getting hot chocolate and marshmallows on the way? Taking Vivian's hand, Felicity twirled her out into the middle of the dance floor amongst a fit of giggles. "I'm glad I've got you," she grinned back. "Do you not have a boyfriend... Or, a boy you're interested in?" So, maybe it was a bit forward, but these were the things you discussed with friends. And if the answer was yes, well Liss would be honoured that her friend had chosen to be with her instead. As for herself, right now she wasn't particularly bothered: of course, it would be nice to have someone call her pretty and like her, but she had her friends for that, and aside from thinking that multiple people were cute, she wasn't sure she actually liked any of them, and what was the point of a boyfriend if you didn't really like them?"

Speaking of, that was when she spotted Skylar and Brent who got a wave, which they might not have noticed amidst her dancing.

More grinning ensued as Madelyn joined them. "Isn't it? I feel almost like royalty." Which was an odd concept for the Wizarding World, of course. As her two friends introduced themselves to each other, she looked between them, willing herself to keep her smile wide and not look awkward. There was no need for it to be, right? Although obviously Skylar was with Brent now, and Madelyn and him had had a ~history~ she was sure that both of her friends wouldn't let something like that cause a rift in friendship.



Another voice saying her name cause Flick to turn, and again she flushed when she saw who it was. "Thank you," she gushed at the older girl, pushing her hair from her face for fear of looking childish. After all, Louise was stunning and a champion and, like, ridiculously clever. She was surprised that someone as cool as her had remembered little old Felicity Harrington. "You look amazing, too."

Her friendliness just added to it. Seeing the twins, they got big smiles and waves, as did Derf and Etta who she knew vaguely by association with her dormmates and from around the school.

Being dateless didn't bother Althea, not at all. It was more dramatic attending a grand, formal event alone - give the people more to gossip about, and the fifth year was all about having the spotlight trained solely on her - and her dress completed the look she was going for. A forlorn, goddess trapped on earth to watch her mortal ex-lover be with someone else. It was tragic and it was unnecessary, but Althea would play the role with gusto.

She'd considered straightening her hair, throwing it up in a very sleek updo -
to give the impression that she no longer had any warmth within her, and was, instead, a cold and terrifying beauty - but that was just too much work. When Aslan had finally noticed her, she stifled the bit of laughter that was fighting to erupt from within her. "It's okay," she said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. It really was; Aslan seemed to always be in her own world, and Althea respected that. Oh, she hadn't actually liked her dress; the fifth year looked her over again and was confused as to why Aslan wouldn't like it. Maybe it wasn't her style? Well, far be it from her to tell the older girl what to do, but she did think that maybe Aslan needed to look at herself carefully. She was stunning.

"I had no one to ask, and I like the freedom of being alone." It was the truth. That way, if she wanted to leave or wanted to go somewhere else, she wouldn't be bogged down by someone else and she could do as she pleased. When Katy Toussaint came over, Althea didn't even have time to process her entrance or what she was saying. Hands grabbing at the drink - she had so many questions to ask - Althea watched her friend hike up her dress and procure her wand. The Hufflepuff laughed at the sight; Katy was the sort of distraction that she welcomed with open arms. "Hello to you too," she greeted and handed the Slytherin her drink. "I don't know about that, but what I do know is that you look great."

this was... welcome. Very much so and Aslan felt herself relax, the shoulders slumping, she took a deep breath. better, yes. Warmer and soft, like golden honey pouring from an unmarked jar. Perhaps she would stay with Althea, spend the night watching others and talking about something trivial or serious, ether really- as long as the topic wasn't directly on herself, she didn't usually care but this week was the kind that made her feel like forgetting.

She'd like a drink, however. Firewhiskey, maybe, the heat would be good. "there is something wonderful about being alone at times." Aslan knew that feeling well, even if tonight she didn't feel it at all. "Your dress is... " She paused, the words were an afterthought. "it's celestial." yes, that was the word. Aslan quietly mused on it for a little time, the word, not the dress and all the connotations it brought and left behind. It was common for people of color to be deemed god-like for their natural beauty, unique features and fierce eyes. A strange turn, meant to flatter, but unconsciously alienating-

There was a figure stomping their way and it just so happened to belong to Katy Toussaint. Was she furious? the demeanor said so but her features were clear except, perhaps for annoyance. "Katy." She said in greeting, taking the glass from Althea and eying the content with mild disappointment, but it shouldn't have been surprising. Of course Katy wasn't actually drinking. She was brazen, but not in that way. "I'm drinking this." She simply said, taking a draught and pretending it was something stronger and sweeter.

Aslan was sure Katy wouldn't be poisoning herself tonight for giggles, and the drink tasted just as it was supposed to, and so the Gryffindor assumed, quite foolishly- that there was nothing in this particular goblet. "I considered it." she briefly said, raising an eyebrow at the blonde. Glancing to the dance floor her dark eyes caught sight of Will, she watched him quietly, and considered, but ultimately she only flashed him a mild, but almost playful smirk.

"Did you come alone too?" Aslan wasn't looking at Katy but the question was certainly directed at her.

"I do look great," Katy sighed and petted the spangled skirt of her dress. It was quite the most grown-up dress she'd ever been allowed to wear to an event like this, and the only one who'd seemed to appreciate her in it was stupid Sean Healy and his smirky smirk. At least he'd noticed, though...

AND ANOTHER THING... it annoyed her that she cared who noticed. She looked good, and she dressed for her own enjoyment theendamen.

Aslan was sipping her drink, and Katy flashed on annoyance and amusement briefly before stealing it back. That particular Gryffindor was her own type of lion, and there wasn't any going and getting upset about it.

"I'm annoyed." Obviously. "At everyone, I think. At my ex-boyfriend for being clingy, at Healy for his wandering hands, at every one else for failing to acknowledge my presence in the universe, at your brother," this to Althea, with a significant sort of nod, like Althea would KNOW what she meant, "for having dimples. At the weather, at the drinks, at the water in the lake. I'm furious at the squid for not murdering someone yet this term for my amusement. I'm... annoyed." And now she felt better for her rant, and Katy smiled hugely at them both. "I want to dance. So much."

Ever the gentleman (and caring friend, honestly) Jesús would never let her know that he'd caught her slight change in expression. His own confidence (arrogance, really) picked up quickly at that; and he tired hard (read: did not try at all) to keep the smug expression off his face. Very hard. "That's why I have you," he replied honestly; he realized, as soon as the words slipped out of his mouth, that he needed to clarify just a bit. "To keep me in check, and all that." A smooth recovery for a smooth-talker; he was very proud of himself (he was averting crises left and right.) "I feel like no matter what answer I give you, you won't be satisfied." And, besides, Jesús didn't feel like humility was the answer there. He'd done nothing wrong.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his thoughts focused; he was used to Valerie's presence, was used to her whims, and was even used to her invading his personal space whenever she felt like it. But for some inexplainable reason, Jesús Gualtiero Rodríguez Dávila could felt like he was trudging into unknown territory. He should be at ease but at the present moment he was very, very aware of her presence. Because of that, Jesús didn't did fight the spin that Valerie had initiated, or the second one that came right after. "I don't doubt that," he said under his breath, and then, after scrambling to string together a coherent response, he looked back at the cause of his current distress: Valerie. "Not think," he started, a sly smile inching its way onto his lips, "I know that I can pull it off."

Pretending not to notice anything about her laugh (what was there to notice? Certainly not that it was entirely different from how she laughed normally,) he quirked an eyebrow upward and positioned his hands back where they were originally. "Translation: you are excited," he teased, finding this to be incredibly interesting (only because this was a rare moment and it would be a long time before he'd have the opportunity to do so freely.) "I'm excited too." What he was specifically excited for, he didn't really know.

Brent hadn't even been paying attention to the time, but apparently Skylar had. He grinned at her when she apologized---again for who knew what reason. "You know you don't have to keep apologizing, right?" he asked her. "For one, everything's just fine, and for two, I really don't know why you're apologizing for." Call him just an another oblivious guy, but it was the truth. He could see the ship in the distance, and it looked awesome. "Pretty cool of the Board of Governors to do this for us."

He was in awe as they boarded the ship. He'd really never done anything this nice before. They stopped at the top of the grand staircase, and he suddenly got nervous. This was a real date. He turned to face her when she complimented his suit. "Thanks," he said. "You look beautiful, Skylar." All of her. Not just the dress. Was this really the same girl he'd called Miss Sarcastic just last school year? They sounded so grown-up toward one another now!

He started to lead her down the stairs when she asked for reassurance that he wouldn't let her fall. "Hmm. I'll have to think about that one," he joked. He followed that up with a grin. "Of course I'm not going to let you fall. Come on. I'll lead you down." He looped his arm around hers and started the descent down, wondering only a second later if they really would make it down the stairs without crashing.

The urge to find something to eat was growing little by little, but she wanted to keep up the waifish aesthetic, so she suppressed the urge. She smiled, again, at Aslan's words - they felt so cryptic, but she understood what the older girl meant - sometimes Althea preferred to be alone, and didn't think there was anything wrong with that. "My dress is?" She didn't know why, but because it came from Aslan, she felt even prettier. "Thank you." Celestial was a new level for her; she would strive to be that every day from now on.

Katy never failed to deliver. Her energy was infectious and Althea found herself feeling a lot more relaxed. In the spirit of sharing, Althea plucked the drink out of Katy's hand and took a sip (because, why not?) before giving it back. Nothing special about it, but she didn't want to be left out of the fun. "Annoyed?" Well, not surprising considering Katy seemed to always have a bone to pick with everyone and anyone. "Ah, Levi, he's a pain and impossible to deal with, especially even more so now that he's hanging around Daisy," she'd said the older girl's name with air-quotes, "just so annoying."

Huh. She considered the implications of her words. It wasn't unusual for her to casually badmouth her brother, but that last bit wasn't something that people needed to know - especially not Katy who clearly had a crush on him. Whoops. "Honestly, you could easily steal him away from her, y'know. He's weak like that." Again, not appropriate. She frowned, and decided that it was best she kept her mouth shut. It must've been the atmosphere.

Oh, this could work out even better than she thought. Maesi returned the mischievous smile Miles gave her with one of her own, delighted with how things were beginning to play out. She'd clearly get noticed by one hottie while getting all the attention of the hottie she came with in the process. Perfect. She definitely asked the right person to go with her.

Dipping was expected of course, but Maesi relished it and she tossed her blonde locks over her shoulder as he pulled her back. "Of course he does." What kind of a question was that anyway? Everyone knew who she was. "Didn't you see the way he was looking at us when we came in?" Mm, twerking... she matched that with some of her booty slapping moves (without touching any booty, just dancing here, mkay?). And she pulled out her favorite push and roll hip-hop moves, followed by some Single Ladies hands, pausing only to start a slow clap for that death drop. Because damn, boy. That deserved some applause.

Truth be told, Maesi was a little more familiar with Shrek: The Musical, having played the part of young Fiona in a community theater performance years ago. I know it's todaaayy. Unfortunately, there was no choreography in her bit. But she had seen the movies several years ago. It took her a moment to picture that scene though and she covered it with an extended vogue pose as she thought about it. "We should have choreographed this ahead of time," she said leaning closer. Next time, buddy. But she thought she remembered the gist of it and could probably improvise the rest. Or follow his lead. "But that will work nicely," she grinned widely and held out her hand for him to take.

Oh they hadn't seen her?


She glanced at Maesi again and brought her hand down that she had waved. It was alright though she was busy. Jesus hadn't seen her either, but honestly she figured if any guy was with Valarie they wouldn't see her and she was not going to go over there after the stands so she just turned her head back to Irene.

SPOILER!!: Irene

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irene Avery

Irene nodded several times in agreement with Madelyn. Yes, yes, photos would be fantastic. She liked the sound of that. "Yes and we must use these props! I know they're silly but it'll be fun." And who didn't like having fun? They were at a ball. They were here to enjoy themselves and not worry about the competition nor ex-boyfriends. Irene wanted to make sure that Madelyn had a great time here even after the awkward encounter with her ex and Irene's first year crush.

Irene smiled at Madelyn's compliment. "Thank you, that's very kind of you to say," she said as she twirled a long strand of brown hair. Irene grinned a little more at Madelyn's question. Heh. She had come with the best date ever. "I'm here with Isaiah Collado," she exclaimed with a bright grin and a blush. She was proud and happy to be going with such an awesome person. She really enjoyed his company and when he had asked her to dance with him at the feast.... *SWOON*. It made her feel very, very special. The smile paused on Irene's lips when she realized the second part of Madelyn's statement and worried if her friend was upset about coming alone. She hoped that. Instead of addressing that, Irene did what she always did best and looked to the future. She was an optimist. "You'll have to save me a dance. I should go congratulate Kyle and Henrietta. I can't believe he got a perfect score." Promise? "Want to do photos in ten minutes?"

Irene smiled at Kyle's wave. She would definitely have to go talk to him. She decided to make her way over to him to congratulate him. Knowing that her loud nature sometimes threw people off, she decided to go for the quieter approach. It was probably the best to do in the long run, especially since they were at a fancy ball. "Hey Kyle. I wanted to come by and say congratulations. I didn't get to watch you in the competition but I know that you were awesome," she said with a genuine grin. Irene truly meant every word that she said. Then she turned to Henrietta and beamed, "Congrats to you too, Henrietta. Love the dress!" She couldn't wait to continue competing with them. Her mind wandered to more places.... What was the next challenge going to be? Were dragons going to be involved? More dementors?

She didn't want to think of it at the moment. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy the night. "I can't believe we made it through that..." She was still in shock about the whole task. Irene glanced down at her hands, thinking of the task more so and the little girl... the dummy. She glanced up and offered both competitors a small smile. "But I guess we shouldn't think about it. What do you think of the ball?"

Oh she had a date too. So Madelyn was the only one, well maybe Maddox, because she figured he'd like to be alone so he had options? Though maybe Blakeney might have asked him. She hoped he said yes if she did. She didn't want Irene to think that she was a lame loser though so she smiled brightly, "Of course, I want to dance with everyone. There is a plus to being alone."

Alone... what a word...


"Oh yeah, have fun. Tell Kyle I said hello." Yep, pictures in ten.

SPOILER!!: Maddox and Lousia

Quote:

Originally Posted by oh its Erik ok

It because she does appear out of nowhere. Maddox did not hear her or even see her appear next to him. All he knows is she is talking to him and she was looking good as well. Not bad Ambrosia.

"Pls, i am an above average dancer. Thank you very much. AND Ambrosia guess what...guess what...IM ON A BOAT AND."

oh he was waiting to say that.

He hoped he looked nice and at least picked a better suit than his brother. Which is not that hard since Jayce did not care, at least he thought he didn't.

"Thank You and i will try"

AND THERE WAS HIS DATE.

"Nothing much. Thank You. You are lookin amazing yourself. Someone has to cheer Kyle up. ALSO do i get a kiss if im good tonight???. you ready to dance?"

Important questions.

She felt more relaxed when Maddox came over, because honestly she figured he wa either with Blakeney or alone and both options were good. She could be the third wheel to them if needed. Bestie wouldn't care! Though Lousia coming over and she was here with Maddox, well that changed things. "Thank you Lousia, it's not as pretty as yours though. Everyone just loves so gorgeous." She couldn't believe how nice everyone looked and she was back to worrying about how lame she must be not to have been asked or even gotten the courage to ask anyone.

Sigh...

SPOILER!!: Jessie and Ophelia

Quote:

Originally Posted by HaRoHeGiNeLu

Whyyyy didn't they hold hands or something? Why did they think they'd be fine being crammed onto a ship full of two school's worth of people?

Jessie followed the music to the ballroom, slinking around the edge until she spotted Ophe. "Ophie!" The blonde lifted her dress to better walk over to her twin. "It's crowded," she stated once close enough. How did they feel about that?

She looked around to see Madelyn waving and waved back. "Thank you! So do you!" Jessie looked over Madelyn's outfit, from her hair to her heels and..everything. Everyone looked amazing. Students cleaned up well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shanners

It was nice to see a friendly face, but even better to see TWO of them in a matter of seconds. First her twin came to her side and then Madelyn greeted them both. Ophelia gave Jessie a nudge with her elbow and a smile, pretty identical to the one her sister had given her...since they WERE identical twins and all. "Our Aunt Tamzin made them, Madelyn. She's great with clothes... has her own company too!" But that was just sounding like she was bragging about her connections and that wasn't what she did. She did hope that Madelyn didn't think anything of it. It wasn't a huge secret that Tamzin Bronwyn was their Aunt, right? Perhaps Jessie hadn't told any of the people they were friends with...

"Besides, you look LOVELY. Where is your dress from? I really like it. Flattering!" Pheeley flashed her shoes to her sister at that point with a grin. "I can't walk in heels, your feet must be hurting already, Madelyn!"

As for the rest of the ship... Ophelia shook her head. "I haven't had a look around, no. I lost Jessie and came straight here. Have you had a look?" With that, her eyes surveyed the room and the crowds spotting other students from her school who she gave waves to and smiles also. Hi hi hi.

Oh these two were wonderful and they seemed happy to see her. Plus she didn't see any other date around them. Could they be the three musketeers? "Wait? You have an aunt that designs clothes? Oh my gosh y'all are the luckiest girls ever. I would die if I had someone that could do that. My mom can sew but only buttons and holes." They had done a few projects, but clothes as a new ballgame.

She blushed when they both complimented her dress. She always was appreciative when people complimented her. "You two are sweeter than sweet tea. There is a dress shop in the town over from where we live. I found it one day with my mom and just had to have it." Looking down at the short dress she did love that she had gotten it. "Would you two want to do the photos or dance?"

SPOILER!!: Hi Will

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

If a certain Ellsworth Bott Toussaint had been in attendance at this gala (and really, she was through her sister-in-law on the Board of Governors), she'd be appalled at the way Katy Toussaint stomped down the gorgeous staircase, swishing the skirt of her dress a bit violently with one hand and clutching the frosty bright drink she'd snagged in the dining area with the other. No holding onto the railing. Railings were for quitters.

At the bottom of the staircase, the agitated Slytherin ignored the happy dancing couples, scoffed openly at the professors looking hopefully to be approached by polite (POLITE) students, and rolled her eyes at some ickles. Nope, nope, and NOPE. Instead, she resumed her stomping in the direction of two older girls, girls Katy actually admired a great deal and who she felt might be the only people she didn't want to murder at the moment. No. Boys. No.

"Hold this, please," she thrust the frosty drink at Althea and Aslan, trusting one of them to take it before she let go of the stem. Perhaps more appalling than the stomping, Ellsworth Bott Toussaint would have a genuine heart attack over how Katy then hitched up her dress to remove the wand from her thigh holster. "Sweet Circe, that's better. I was about to blow off a butt cheek. Hi! You ladies look marvelous. Don't you sort of want to strip off your clothes and throw yourself into the lake, though?" No? Just her? Give back drink, mmmk?


Will looked like a waiter. He was sure of it. Like some guys looked amazing in suits and tuxes, and some looked like the help. Will Healy happened to be the latter, and he was feeling pretty sure someone was going to tip him and ask for help finding their coat in a few minutes. That was the sort of crap the Brits did for fun, right? Mock a guy for trying?

He stopped fidgeting with his clothes once he had entered the ballroom properly, opting instead to gape at his classmates in their fancy get-up like the Boston rube he was. Some of these dresses... and actual tuxedos... and wow. Wow.

Like Aslan. Wow. He moved on, though, since that prickly pear gave up porcupine vibes and he wasn't in the mood for rejection. He turned his attention to Madelyn, who was more a cuddly bunny and never rejected a guy in her life. Or at least, she didn't go around stabbing them through the ego like some people.

"Hey, Blondie. Let's boogie." He offered a hand to Madelyn and wiggled his fingers at her. "Please, I mean." Manners.

As she was feeling really awkward with Irene who had a date and was now watching Maddox head off with Lousia. Honestly she might have to just head out and go back to the beetle. All these couples and Oh lord yes it was Brent and his girlfriend. That's it she was going to leave.

Turning she was going to make her exit before Brent saw her, but then someone was there wiggling his adorable fingers and calling her blondie. She couldn't help but smile. "Say.." and then he did say please. "I thought you would never ask." She placed her hand in his and headed to the dance floor. Did he know how he just saved her from so much embarrassment that was only happening in her head?

Moving out to the floor she started dancing with Will, "Thank you for asking."

SPOILER!!: Vivian and Felicity

[QUOTE=Harron Peasley;12224319]

SPOILER!!: Vivi & Madelyn.

Felicity giggled at Vivian's curtsy, and offered her a semi low bow in return. "You do look indeed like a proper Princess," she said as she grinned, the biggest compliment she could give her friend right then. She felt awkward in her own pink dress, fiddling with the short front train-thing and wondering if she shouldn't have dressed up more. But this was the dress her Dad had chosen for her, and she did know his choice had never failed her before.

"I'm sure they are." She nodded as her thoughts wandered to the other two girls. "But you're right." Because who else was going to be prepared to leave early and head back to the dorm, getting hot chocolate and marshmallows on the way? Taking Vivian's hand, Felicity twirled her out into the middle of the dance floor amongst a fit of giggles. "I'm glad I've got you," she grinned back. "Do you not have a boyfriend... Or, a boy you're interested in?" So, maybe it was a bit forward, but these were the things you discussed with friends. And if the answer was yes, well Liss would be honoured that her friend had chosen to be with her instead. As for herself, right now she wasn't particularly bothered: of course, it would be nice to have someone call her pretty and like her, but she had her friends for that, and aside from thinking that multiple people were cute, she wasn't sure she actually liked any of them, and what was the point of a boyfriend if you didn't really like them?"

Speaking of, that was when she spotted Skylar and Brent who got a wave, which they might not have noticed amidst her dancing.

More grinning ensued as Madelyn joined them. "Isn't it? I feel almost like royalty." Which was an odd concept for the Wizarding World, of course. As her two friends introduced themselves to each other, she looked between them, willing herself to keep her smile wide and not look awkward. There was no need for it to be, right? Although obviously Skylar was with Brent now, and Madelyn and him had had a ~history~ she was sure that both of her friends wouldn't let something like that cause a rift in friendship.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kimothy

Vivian couldn't deny. At least some of the guys she knew from school and that pupil stand-off event looked even better today. The sight of everyone in absolutely gorgeous and formal attires just made things better, in a sense. But honestly, the Slytherin didn't come here to stare at the dudes in suits... nor was she present to stare at the heaven-sent blessing that was Professor Hirsch, either. Her main goal for the night was to have a great time with Liss as her friend!date and to probably make friends. Though, of course, the inevitable thought of not having Andrei around -- as he always was whenever it wasn't summer -- kept dawning on her. It even made their meet-ups more special, which the blonde cherished wholeheartedly.

The fourth year beamed at her friend!date. She didn't want to be all sad that she didn't have Andrei tonight, so she pushed the thought away just for now. "Why, thank you," Vivian said and curtseyed, all princessy like what her outfit was aiming for. She felt like the ice princess tonight. Also, whoever that guy Liss was having a staring contest with, she didn't know. Probably another Ilvermorny lad. Liss used to be from Ilvermorny, yeah? But the blonde totally loved that Liss was in Slytherin. The four of them from their she-snake squad had a tight bond.

Yeah, probably not. "Hope they're having fun," Vivian said. "We will have to be the first ones to respond whenever trouble comes." That was a given, because they always had each other's backs. After all, she was sure they were in it for a great time tonight, regardless of having a date or not.

Dance time? Vivian beamed. "Definitely! Let's go," she said. The middle of the dance floor was theirs. Plus, the song that was playing was too good to not dance to. "It's great having you as a friend!date, y'know?" Because the blonde was comfortable with her, and it didn't even bother her the slightest that they were the only two left from their dorm buddies who didn't have boyfriends. Having one... wasn't necessary, anyway. They were just going to have fun fun fun all night long!


Vivian was dancing along to the beat when she turned to see another unfamiliar face talking to Liss. Oh, wait. This one wasn't that unfamiliar. The blonde could perfectly remember she was Brent's ex-girlfriend from the viewing area during the first round of the competition. Who hugged her dorm mate's boyfriend, to be straight forward. Vivian offered a smile, because now that Skylar and Brent were together, there wasn't supposed to be any more issues with the latter's past relationship. "Vivian," the Slytherin said with a nod. "Nice to meet you. You were the cheerleader, yeah?"

The cheerleader notion stuck to the blonde's memory. Besides being Brent's ex-girlfriend, that was how Vivian remembered Madelyn. Obviously it was better than being called his past lady love, right?

Vivian saw her stunning dorm mate, Skylar, and immediately waved at her with a smile. She, too, gave the brunette a thumbs up because she was with Brent and she looked amazing.

-------------------------------

Oh... wow. Dana was so amazed with the outcome of the social event. She wasn't always one to go to these sorts of things, but she made an exception for the night. She had never been to a formal event on a cruise, of all things! And what was its name again? Merlin's Pride? It sounded just as fancy and elegant as it looked. Still holding onto Sam's hand, the sixth year made her way to the grand ballroom. "It's beautiful here," she said to her date. Her date. Can you believe it?

The number of participants made Dana a little more nervous than when she and Sam met at the grounds before coming here. Not to mention this was her first time wearing such an elegant gown in front of people whom she wasn't even familiar with. However, she can't deny it. The dress Layla had lent her was beautiful, with the intricate details and gems sewed onto the fabric. Tonight, Dana really felt pretty.

She looked at her date and was pretty much amazed too. Sam looked great, no doubt. Dana could already tell she was going to have a splendid night. "Sooooo...." The blonde started, and turned slightly pink. MEEP. "What shall we do first tonight?" No need to rush. They had all night to enjoy the food and facilities offered aboard the Merlin's Pride.

Royalty was a good word for it. She felt like a princess tonight. She thought everyone did look like they were at a Cinderella-like ball, only on a ship. "Who knows maybe someone will find their prince tonight." She wasn't expecting to find hers, but it would be so romantic if one of them found theirs. How adorable would this be if couples formed because of this dance?

Her eyes hit the love birds again and she quickly turned back to Felicity and Vivi, "Oh yes I am a cheerleader." She beamed as the girl recognized her. [b] "I always have so much fun doing it and I get to cheer everyone on!" Watching other's dance she smiled at the two girls. "I'll catch you later, I'm going to go over and grab some food." She figured they wanted to dance and she had to get out of this area with the two love birds here.

"Had to ask, really. You look great!" Will gave her hand a squeeze and let himself be pulled through the crowd to the dance floor. Mads was fun - uncomplicated and kind without seeming to want anything in return. If she wasn't impossibly hung up on his best friend...

But she was. So.

"Not to be super nosy, but you don't seem to be having a good time." Nope, that was absolutely nosy. Will gave Madelyn a spin.

She was being spun. She loved being spun and she giggled a bit. Now, this was a good time. 'b]"Where is your date?"[/b] Everyone had a date, so of course, Will would have one. He was super cute and one of the popular kids like Khalil. Putting arms around him as the song slowed she gave a tiny smile.

Oh and then he asked that question. "I'm having a blast. I mean this place is beautiful. How can you not have a great time here? Have you been around to the other parts of the ship?" She hadn't been yet, but she was hoping that could distract him from why she wasn't having a good time.

"You look really good tonight." He knew that though, didn't he?

Was the apologizing too much? Skylar just felt like she'd been taking so long, but it wasn't exactly an easy feat to walk in heels without falling. If there was one thing she learned it was that heels required delicate care as they appeared. "I just ... i thought I was taking too long," she bit her lip, nervously. This was all such a new experience, the dance, the boyfriend, but he didn't seem bothered, or he was just being oblivious. "It really was awfully kind. Nice break from the monotony of classes and the usual hogsmeade visits."

Not to mention, a first real date. Technically they had the date in muggle London over the summer, but that was as friends. This was their first real date as a couple. Their debut. When he faced her and complimented her, she felt her cheeks growing warm. It was so genuine and honest and was this real life? "Thank you," wow. Never in a million years did she think this could be happening to her. Well, the dress and shoes maybe, but with an American who asked her out while battling a dementor because he thought of her?

Following his lead down the stairs, she grinned when he joked with her. And that was the Brent she recalled. "Watch it, or I might just find my heel in your shoe," she teased back, as she gazed ahead down at the ballroom floor. Oh look, there was Vivian and Felicity, who looked pretty as ever. With her hand not looped with Brent's, she lifted it slightly from the railing and gave a little finger wave back. Hmm, they were talking to Madelyn too? Suddenly dizzy, she kind of hoped Brent didn't see her, but then the blond seemed to have found a male suitor to dance with, for wish Sky was rather grateful for. Although, despite it, she also thought if he wanted to have a dance with his ex, it wouldn't have been so bad. He was with her now, now Madelyn and a dance was just as harmless as the hug. And his patronus was for her, anyway as she discovered, so she would be okay. Changing one's patronus was something that wouldn't happen from one dance.

"Well, if I do fall, you'll at least go first so you can you catch me?" Maybe a possibility. Carrying her was also a possibility, but he didn't seem bothered by the fact that they were missing half the dance due to taking their time walking. Truth be told, she wasn't either. It was actually nice to enjoy the quiet night air before arriving to the ship.

The change in Madelyn's features, from tense and watchful to delighted at the spin, was so remarkable that Will grinned himself in response. There weren't many quick and easy ways to immediately improve someone's mood. Dancing... well. That was now on the list. Who knew?

"Where'd they even find this boat, and how'd they get it on the lake? I mean, it's a lake." And magic aside, there was a limit to levitation charms. "It's amazing, though. You ever seen anything this fancy?" He certainly hadn't.

Will's gaze dropped to his jacket and shirt at her words, and he went pink. "Thanks. Let's explore the ship later. See what we can find."

IT WORKED!!

She was thrilled that she got the attention off her and the question he asked.
She didn't want to seem like a ridiculous girl that was upset that she was dateless and felt awkward around all the couples or that seeing Brent with Skylar pushed some buttons, OR that Khalil NEVER asked her to this and UGH maybe he wasn't really into her which made this so complicated and she didn't want to think about it.

No, she was just happy to be dancing now with a very cute boy. Will was cute and they both looked good so of course she was smiling and enjoying dancing. "I don't know but it's amazing and I'm so glad they did."
The idea of it was just thrilling, but coming inside and seeing everything was even better. She danced around with him letting the rest of the ballroom slip away, she hoped he didn't realize how big she owed him.

Was he blushing? Well Will, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that turns pink so easy. Though pink is a good color for you."[/b] She laughed, but honestly he looked great in his outfit. "Exploring the ship sounds exciting.
Yes, lets do that in a bit."

Nothing much? There was never a nothing much when it came to Maddox Allen. After sharing a common room with him for six years, she'd learned that.

"Why thank you, Maddox." She smiled coyly when he asked for a kiss if he was good tonight. "Well, that probably all depends on how much of a sugar high we obtain by the night's end," she mused. She almost felt guilty, hogging him as a date, but she did it more the formalities of being an IMPS champion and Maddox was a good friend like that. "Am I ready? The question is are you ready?"

Just then she heard a small child (Derf), announce a very loud duuuudess followed by a good evening. Yes, about that sugar. It was going to be needed sooner rather than later, Louise suspected.

Smiling when Felicity complemented her looks, as did Madelyn, she was not going to point out the fact that the younger witch totally botched her name. Her name didn't have an 'a' at the end of it, but she sensed the blond seemed to not be having a good time, so no need to add more fuel to the fire. She would just overlook that, because this was a dance and the night was still young. And fortunately, Will came over and offered to dance with her. Thank goodness, because she doubted she could handle a mopey Madelyn hanging around. Sure her ex had a new girlfriend, but did she need to remind the Wampus that she broke up with him? She couldn't expect to come waltzing into his new school as if nothing had changed. Some people could be so naive and immature, which was probably why she found the conversation with the librarian to be so refreshing.

Right, dance. Focus, Louise. On what it's front of you.

Taking Maddox's hand, she placed her other hand on his shoulder. "So, do you have any requests for songs you hope they play?"