gooseberryhigh | BACK TO SCHOOL PARTY

BACK TO SCHOOL PARTY

Upon stepping into the Grotto, the first thing you might notice is that the once-crumbling building's been repaired. The roof has been remade with branches, and that one collapsed wall has been rebuilt with rough stones. The next thing you might notice is the heavy fog spreading over the grass, which can be traced back to two black cauldrons, one on either side of the stairs up to the stone house, which keep magically generating fog. Crimson red streamers have been strung through the still-green tree branches, and something about the way they've been charmed to shine in the fading light reminds you of dripping blood. After the sun's fully set, small matching lights appear in the trees: luminous blinking eyes, in red and purple and yellow and blue, that seem to watch you from above.

When the party's well underway, [Character A] sees a tall dark figure standing just beyond the treeline. When Victoria Powers goes to investigate, they realize it's just a hooded and black-robed dummy hanging from a tree branch. Goddammit, Micah.

By the bonfire, you'll find drinks: the ice chests have been Transfigured to resemble small black coffins, and are filled with smoking dry ice. Alcohol is widely available to anyone who wants it, and some thoughtful students also made sure there was plenty of water and soda. Nearby is a table covered with a blue silk tablecloth, behind which Micah St. Clair will periodically offer a game to any passersby: Mystery Shots, in which you shake a magic 8-ball and you'll get a different drink depending on your answer. (The shot can be very tasty, or very bad.) At 7:30 PM, a movie screening of The Blair Witch Project starts, projected onto a white sheet hanging from the trees.

RULES

If this is your first time at a Grotto party, welcome! Although the Grotto is forbidden in the school rules, you can assume your characters a) have heard about the party and b) make it past any adults who are walking the trails. Just be casual!

There are two routes to the Grotto: in the woods near Bear Trail, and in the woods near Ribbonfin campsite.

The party starts at 6:30 PM, and runs until 10 PM. The prefects are strictly enforcing curfew, and will start breaking things up at 9:30 PM.

If you signed your character up for either Spin The Bottle or Seven Minutes In Heaven, find their partners below:

Corrigan Bailey STB #1: Jeffy STB #2: Nisha 7MiH: Ariadne	Phineas Bones STB #1: Susana STB #2: Ennis 7MiH: Lachlan	Cameron Carney STB #1: Heathcliff STB #2: Charlotte 7MiH: Hazel	Jaime Castillo STB #1: Calvin STB #2: Todd 7MiH: Sofia
Avery Davenport STB #1: Yancey STB #2: Heathcliff 7MiH: Spencer	Sofia Delgado STB #1: Riley STB #2: Jade 7MiH: Jaime	Dinah Dixon STB #1: Quentin STB #2: Paris	Calvin Evercreech STB #1: Jaime STB #2: Lachlan 7MiH: Micah
Ariadne Flint STB #1: Webster STB #2: Jefferson 7MiH: Corrigan	Carolina Foster-Hayes STB #1: Concordia STB #2: Violet	Adeline Foster-Hayes STB #1: Heathcliff STB #2: Yancey 7MiH: Iliya	Lachlan Galbraith STB #1: Casey STB #2: Calvin 7MiH: Phineas
Ennis Harper STB #1: Hazel STB #2: Phineas 7MiH: Casey	London Holloway STB #1: Nisha STB #2: Micah	Paris Holloway STB #1: Cole STB #2: Dinah 7MiH: Concordia	Hazel Keating STB #1: Ennis STB #2: Spencer 7MiH: Cameron
Jefferson Key STB #1: Corrigan STB #2: Ariadne 7MiH: Essie	Concordia Knight STB #1: Carolina STB #2: Natalie 7MiH: Paris	Webster Knox STB #1: Ariadne STB #2: Susana 7MiH: Isabelle	Iliya Krum STB #1: Antonia STB #2: Spencer 7MiH: Addy
Heathcliff Lacey STB #1: Cameron STB #2: Addy STB #3: Avery 7MiH: Fern	Nisha Lewis STB #1: London STB #2: Corrigan 7MiH: Todd	Violet McGonagall STB #1: Tuesday STB #2: Carolina 7MiH: Quentin	Charlotte Meer STB #1: Isabelle STB #2: Cameron 7MiH: Antonia
Yancey Montgomery STB #1: Avery STB #2: Addy	Estella Morales-Tran 7MiH: Jeffy	Cole Moss STB #1: Paris STB #2: Paige 7MiH: Natalie	Fern Mufferaw STB #1: Paige STB #2: Casey 7MiH: Heathcliff
Tuesday North STB #1: Violet STB #2: Marie	Jade Otterwell STB #1: Victoria STB #2: Sofia 7MiH: Riley	Antonia Papadakis STB #1: Iliya STB #2: Riley 7MiH: Charlotte	Marie Patterson STB #1: Todd STB #2: Tuesday
Casey Patterson STB #1: Lachlan STB #2: Fern 7MiH: Ennis	Victoria Powers STB #1: Jade STB #2: Micah	Natalie Prince STB #1: Spencer STB #2: Concordia 7MiH: Cole	Paige Ripley STB #1: Fern STB #2: Cole
Isabelle Sargent STB #1: Charlotte STB #2: Quentin 7MiH: Webster	Todd Skynner STB #1: Marie STB #2: Jaime 7MiH #1: Nisha 7MiH #2: Susana	Micah St. Clair STB #1: London STB #2: Victoria 7MiH: Calvin	Riley Stamper STB #1: Sofia STB #2: Antonia 7MiH: Jade
Spencer Sweet STB #1: Natalie STB #2: Iliya STB #2: Hazel 7MiH: Avery	Susana Velasquez STB #1: Phineas STB #2: Webster 7MiH: Todd	Quentin Youngblood STB #1: Dinah STB #2: Isabelle 7MiH: Violet

RULES

Teen peer pressure (and player sadism) aside, no one is obligated to do anything they don't want to. Characters doing Seven Minutes In Heaven can spend the time just talking or staring awkwardly at each other, and characters playing Spin The Bottle can opt out of a kiss (although people will probably boo).

If characters get up to anything more racy than PG-13, please fade to black on that! This includes sexually explicit conversations. Many people track IC/OOC posts, so please have consideration for your fellow players. Talking about sex is fine (and part of the flavour of a teen game), but there's no need to get into detailed descriptions of anatomy or sex acts.

If you'd like to say two characters were partners in STB or 7MIH in addition to what's been rolled, go ahead! Obviously, get the permission of all involved characters first.

» Before the Party: It's the first party after a long summer, so throw on your best clothes, prep your hair and makeup, and get ready to sneak out of your cabins. Be careful not to get caught by any teachers or MACUSA agents! Going into the forest isn't against the rules, but the Grotto is still a forbidden area.

» Around the Fire: The large bonfire is warm and romantic. Pull up a log and grab a blanket, make some s'mores, or dance to the party music. There's beer and soda in the coffin-shaped ice chests, along with bins for empty bottles and cans. Don't litter. This isn't your home. (One of the chests is filled with ICEE slush pouches in either blue or red. First dibs go to juniors, sorry!)

» Movie Screening: Not too far from the fire, a white sheet has been hung up between the trees, and blankets and pillows have strewn around the grass. Starting at 7:30 PM, there will be a screening of The Blair Witch Project. Bags of popcorn are also served.

» Truth or Shot: Around the bonfire, there's a circle of students serving up shots and asking personal questions. The rules are simple: tell the truth, or take a shot. Post your characters to this comment with their name in the header, and other characters will ask you uncomfortable questions.

» Mystery Shots: Micah's got a table set up with a short black curtain he can hide behind and mix drinks. His proposed game: ask a question, shake the Magic 8-Ball on the table and see what says. Depending on your result, he's got a different horror-themed shot for you to down!

» Inside the Building: This may be where the kissing games are taking place, but there's still some room to just snuggle and chat. It's warmer than outside, at least!

» Kissing Games:

Spin The Bottle: Everyone sits in a circle and takes turns spinning the bottle to find their partner. Anyone who squeezes in (or happens to be accidentally standing behind a gap in the circle) gets a shot at a kiss. People can leave and enter the game at any time. Participants will be encouraged by their drunken classmates to kiss on the mouth.

Seven Minutes in Heaven: "Heaven" is a narrow, closet-sized room adjacent to the main party, and is dark except for some cracks of light from the doorway. There's now a proper wooden door on the closet, and people will magically lock it behind you for 7 minutes. You can use your wand to get more light, but really, you two should be making out.

» By The Woods: The prefects won't be letting anyone wander in, but why would you want to anyway? Still, the treeline is a good place to go if you want a quiet moment away from the party.

» After the Party: Between 9:30 PM and 10:00 PM, prefects will be clearing the party and guiding everyone home.

» OOC - Questions, comments & concerns!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Webster is LATE to the party. He knows this already, but it's only further confirmed when he sees how raucous and drunk things are. His plan was to drink tonight. Let lose. The New Webster. He's even undone a second button at the top of his shirt.

But seeing his drunk classmates changes his mind. Nope. Can't do that. Not tonight. But he'll still play the kissing games. Only sober. That's probably better, Webster figures. No need to say something stupid or plant an uncoordinated kiss. And nerves are a good thing. Why dull them?

Of course, then he gets Isabelle for Seven Minutes in Heaven. Webster doesn't really know her but immediately he can tell she's pretty and sweet and god he wishes he'd had something to drink.

Edited 2017-09-12 08:51 (UTC)

Isabelle is neither drunk nor sober. She's in a nice in between spot. Being the lightweight she is, it didn't take a whole lot to get her feeling a little happier, a little more confident. But, also being a lightweight - Isabelle knew not to drink a whole lot or she'd spend the entire night miserable. Besides, alcohol didn't exactly taste that great.

The point, too, was to mingle and participate and show everyone she Has. Got. It. Together. She's not Panic! Attack Girl, she's just Isabelle. Totally 100% O.K. Definitely not freaking out about being in the woods, seances, Brother, 2, nothing no one she is fine fine fine. It was working on the outside, definitely. Sort of felt good on the inside, too. People were actually talking to her and it was... actually the most fun Grotto party she'd been at yet?

Now, though, it was time for seven minutes in Heaven and Isabelle did not expect to be paired with Webster. Not that she knew him or anything - but he was a senior, so he was older. He was an Azurcrest, and she didn't have as many Azurcrest friends as she did in some other houses. She pushes some of her hair back before standing up.

It's not long before they are being shoved unceremoniously towards 'Heaven' and being shut in. In the dark, Isabelle steps forward. "I'm Isabelle, by the way. Just in case you didn't know. You probably didn't. Webster, right?"

"Yeah. It's Webster." He adds, "And I know who you are. I mean, I feel like I've seen you around." He takes a moment to store away that it's Isabelle and not Isabella so he won't make that mistake. He's learned people can sometimes be sensitive about that.

Somehow now in the dark he's able to see her better. Maybe it's because her hair has been pushed back. Maybe because there are just fewer distractions in here. She looks very... simple? Like she's not hiding anything? That she's herself? Genuine, he thinks to himself. Which he immediately feels is a weird thing to think and could be completely wrong. But he finds it appealing.

He gives himself a beat to think of a Cool Line. But all that comes out is his usual polite pragmatism. "This... is a weird situation." He laughs, some of his tension leaving him. Then with a shrug: "Should we kiss and then decide if we want to continue or just talk?"

Isabelle has never learned to be herself but this year she has learned to calm things down a lot. She's just trying to live in the moment, not focus on all the negative and bad things that had happened in the last few years. Particularly last year. It seemed to be working so far. This is probably the most fun she'd had in a long time. And, it looks like it was working - he knew her already!

When he points out the situation being weird, Isabelle laughs. "I did my first game of this last year and I spent the entire time talking because I got so nervous." Her second one had gone much better, but the first one had definitely been a bit of a disaster.

"I think the kiss-and-see strategy is logically sound, though." She agrees, standing up a little straighter and letting out another small laugh before taking a small step forward.

"Cool," he manages.

As Isabelle takes a small step forward, Webster realizes this is his cue to do... something.

He wants to further clarify things about the "kiss-and-see" strategy, like what type of kiss will it be? how will they debrief? any tips for a first-time kisser?

But, thankfully, he has the better sense not to ask any of these. He takes a breath, moves forward half a step, gives Isabelle a "can you believe we're doing this" look, and bends down to bring his mouth to hers. Her lips are soft and exciting and give slightly under the pressure of his kiss. He stays there for two seconds -- or at least he hopes it wasn't any longer than that -- then pulls his head back.

He opens his eyes and can't help but smile. "Cool," he says again.

Edited (Don't feel pressure for Isabelle to have liked the kiss!) 2017-09-15 16:48 (UTC)

Any hesitation on Webster's part went unnoticed by Isabelle. That's what's nice about the dark in the make-shift closet, and the fact that usually eyes were closed during kissing. Only the brief time between her closing her eyes and Webster kissing her was noted by Isabelle and it wasn't long enough to cause any concern. Overall, it was a rather pleasant experience.

Except, maybe, that the kiss was a bit brief. Nothing wrong with it, soft and it felt kind. Maybe that's why she enjoyed it, even if it wasn't the best kiss of her life. It was a two-second peck but it was sweet, and Isabelle smiled as she stood back a little, straightening up again.

"Definitely cool." She agrees, glad he can't see her blushing in the dark (or maybe he can? She just hopes he can't!). "So, I mean - do you maybe want to... kiss again or?" This was weird, she didn't know how to ask that. Any time talking was involved in Heaven often meant it was going to be an oddly awkward time.

"I mean, that was okay right?"

Edited (sorry for the delay, i was packing + moving + without internet!) 2017-09-20 02:42 (UTC)

BACK TO SCHOOL PARTY

Isabelle + Webster

Isabelle + Webster

Isabelle + Webster

Isabelle + Webster

Isabelle + Webster

Isabelle + Webster