Students shuffle across the grounds towards the Founders Garden in front of the Quodpot Pitch. Above their heads, the trees burst in red, yellow, and orange. Banners of the emblems of the three schools hung on poles beside the large buffet table at the end of the garden. Small white-clothed tables with centerpieces of an open pumpkin filled with autumn flowers were spread out on the right side of the garden. On the left side of the garden, a wooden dance floor and stage stood not yet occupied by the warm bodies of joyous students. The crisp open air was only broken by the occasional thump or tuning of Flaming Rumors, one of Ilvermorny's popular student bands, setting up on stage. A string light canopy hung above the dance floor, twinkling like bright stars in the night.

[img align=left]https://i.imgur.com/HulcVuz.png[/img]Bianca Thomas, the head chef, pushed a cart of different autumn delicacies in the direction of the buffet table. Amongst the spice cakes, caramel apples, and pumpkin pies unloaded for the feast, Bianca pondered the menu in sight. She shrieked, realizing she had forgotten something. "Take the apple pies out!!! They're going to burn!", she shouts to no one in particular. [img align=right]https://i.imgur.com/dYBzVBC.png[/img] In her frantic state, Bianca ran not paying particular attention to who was in her way, which, unfortunately, was Professor Bishop-Hermann, the No-Maj Studies Professor, carrying a cauldron filled with piping hot apple cider. Surprised by his sudden lack of balance, the professor lost his grip on the cauldron, sending it flying through the air behind him. With a quick flick of his wand, Finnick was able to stop the cauldron midair, saving most of the apple cider from spilling. [img align=left]https://i.imgur.com/I1gMO5a.png[/img]Professor Bishop-Hermann, who wasn't so fortunate, yelped in pain, his fingers burning from the spilled apple cider. He glared at the cook who apologized profusely, embarrassed by the mess she caused. Finnick flicked his wand again, moving the cauldron of apple cider onto the beverage table and walked towards the pair. "It was only an accident, Richard. I'm sure Madam Davis has the right ointment, to heal your burns. I'll take you to her myself," Finnick told the No-Maj Studies Professor. "I just don't know what came over me," Bianca continues. Her eyes widen with renewed realization and she shouts "OH NO THE PIES!", running off towards the kitchen.

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/330196.png[/img] Ivy was overjoyed at the fruits of her labor in arriving to the party early. She hadn't laughed so hard in a long time, and seeing the faculty and staff in disarray was hilarious. At least they had managed to save the hot cider because Chef Thomas' recipe was her favorite. The adults had been floating on cloud nine since Ilvermorny won the Triwizard Tournament, and truthfully they deserved to finally cut loose too. Hosting so many guests in the castle must have been hard work.

She admired their handiwork while she waited for more people to show up. The lights looked magnificent in the dark, and really showed off her outfit to its full advantage. Her attire for the evening was much more fun and casual than what she had worn to the Fall Formal. The thigh high boots and short frock were perfect to frolic around outdoors in. Her only accessory was a glamour that swirled out from her whenever she twirled her skirt.

All about her, the crisp fall air was filled with delicious and heady scents. Ivy breathed it in deeply. An outdoor feast and dance was just the thing for the Hogwarts and Alexandrian Academy students to remember them all by. She was psyched to have fun and was looking forward to making mischief. It was going to be a night for the ages.

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Lenore steps out into the clearing and looks about. The sights and smells are intoxicating in the warm, spiced way that only Autumn can truly be. The breeze is mild and she's glad she brought only a light cloak.

Walking across the space, she stops underneath some distant orange and gold clad trees. She likes the way the light plays through the leaves and listens to the rustling sound they make before taking out her wand. She conjures a think quilt of brown, tan, and gold which spreads itself on the ground. She takes out her standard pink and gold teacup and fills it with coffee with a tap of her wand. Now she's ready to enjoy the evening.

((OOC: I'll be back on when I can be. For the moment Lenore will just sit and watch the proceedings))

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Tiferet walked out into the clearing and smiled, looking around at all the bright lights and festivities.

She'd never been so far away from home before, and now it was time to leave. Everything had gone by so fast!

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/330266.png[/img] On her way to grab some pie, Lydia caught the eye of a student she wasn't familiar with. She stopped to compliment her: "'Scuse me. I just love your hair." Lydia ran over to Ivy and shook her shoulder from behind. "Hey Quadpot Buddy! Long time no see." She smiled, knowing it hadn't really been that long. "How've you been? Have you tried Bianca's pumpkin pie yet? It's amazing!" With that last word, she rolled her eyes back in pleasure and wiped some saliva from her mouth.

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"Thanks--" Tiferet smiled as Lydia ran past, then followed. "And hello, Ivy..."

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/330440.png[/img] Zala shuffled over to the beverage table for a warm cup of apple cider, her cat following her like a little duckling. The arrival of early autumn had colored the leaves beautifully and a light breeze cooled them down. She shivered and pulled her quilt tighter around her. Zala sat down on a stool near one of the tables and softly blew at the warm cider to cool it down to a more agreeable temperature. The tournament had been a close race and in the end Ilvermorny pulled through and won. At least she had done pretty well too and Alexandria came in second place. She was proud of the result though and she felt a celebration was needed. Zala looked around, but only a few students had arrived at the festivities. She hoped some of her friends would be here soon. Mara plopped down at her feet and began grooming herself, occasionally rubbing against Zala's legs.

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Rain smiled as she looked at the hanging, twinkling lights. She had worn some accessories that almost mirrored the way that the hanging lights were winking, and they glinted in the light. Hoping to dance, this time she wore something that was a bit easier to move in that what she wore to the fall formal. Smoothing her outfit carefully, she observed the other students who had arrived so far.

She was happy that her school had won the tournament, but she was also a little bit disappointed that the end of the tournament meant that she would have to say goodbye to some of her new friends. Rain noticed that a few of the other school's champions had already arrived. She also spotted Ivy and fellow Thunderbird Lydia , so she thought she would go over and say hello. "Hi Ivy, Lydia, I love your outfits!" she beamed. "That little sparkle that follows your twirling skirt is a really nice touch, Ivy, " she said, quite impressed. "And that bright green is one of my favorite colors, Lydia, nice choice! I haven't tried any of the food yet, but it looks delicious, " she said, noticing how much Lydia was enjoying the pie. "You both earned a lot of points for Ilvermorny, I think we did a great job" she smiled. "Are you two disappointed that the tournament is over? The school is going to feel a lot smaller when everyone else goes home," she said, a note of sadness in her voice.

[img align=left]https://s26.postimg.org/iotav2czt/Seb_HAagain.png[/img]Seb strolled past the Quod Pitch toward the garden trying not to shiver. The air was crisp and reminded him of winter back home. But still, it was a little hard to imagine it being much colder than this. Other students had gone into great detail about snow and all the activities they enjoyed after it fell from the sky in glittering flakes. In a way he was sad he was going to miss it.

Above the festivities were lights twinkling in the trees that made him feel maybe slightly warmer. As well as the scent of the food and drinks that had been sprawled out covering the long table. After eyeing most of the options skeptically, Seb opted for a warm mug of hot cider while contemplating trying an orange pastry he suspected was actually pumpkin flavor.

[img align=right]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/330266.png[/img] "Thanks," Lydia said when Rain complimented her appearance. she tugged at the drawstrings around her neck. "I like your outfit, too, Rain. I didn't realize so many girls were going to dress up for this -" She looked around hesitantly and then shrugged. "But I prefer a good ol' pair of jeans over a dress any day." She kicked her legs up to prove her jeans' functionality and went on to answer Rain's questions: "Yeah, I'm a little sad to see this giant event over and to have to say goodbye to so many new friends. But also, the campus has been just a little too busy for me lately. It's generally a lot more quite around here, or at least in the places I'm used to hanging around, and I think I miss that."

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"Oh, Rain, you look super cute," Tiferet says quickly. "I had a hard time finding dresses that my parents wouldn't hate seeing pictures of, so I ended up buying two and adding sleeves to both!" She laughs. "I just wanted to wear the other one. People dress very differently here than they do in the parts of Jerusalem where my family lives, or in Egypt, you know? I will keep these dresses but I'm not sure when I will get to wear them again! Maybe in Tel Aviv, or when the family goes on vacation... I can wear a hoodie whenever I want, though I usually wear a skirt with it."

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Aliya the serval has decided to come out and investigate the festivities as well. There is a table, and it appears to be covered with FOOD!

And Tiferet is busy talking to some other girls...

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/330230.png[/img] Lenore hears a rustling above her head and looks into the tree above her. Pallas, her large stygian owl has landed there with a mouse clamped in his sharp beak. He drops it onto the branch beside him and hoots softly.

"Glad you're enjoying yourself." she smiles up at the owl. "I think I might get a snack too before it gets too busy over there."

Lenore gets up and moves to where the students are gathering. There aren't too many here yet and the noise hasn't gotten out of hand. Over to one side she can see Rain , the Ilvermorny girl who was wearing the most gorgeous purple dress. The light on it were brilliant. Lenore took a moment to admire the effect and gave a small smile and nod in the girl's direction.

Moving to the table, Lenore took a cup and filled it with the hot apple cider. The cinnamon scent wafting up from it warmed her and made her think of Autumn back home in Barons Hollow. There were too many pies that looked tempting and she had trouble making up her mind. Gosh, she was a sucker for a good pie! Finally she just admitted defeat and took half-sized slices of both pumpkin and pecan, along with a rather large slice of the berry one she had been introduced to on her first day here. She topped all three with a good dollop of whipped cream and took them to one of the white-clad tables.

Sitting with her treats, Lenore looked out over the festivities again. The dance floor shone and she wondered if she would find herself on it tonight. She knew how to dance of course, her traditional pure-blood upbringing had ensured that. But who would she wish to share a dance with? She took a bite of the pumpkin pie and contemplated the possibilities.

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/330651.png[/img] Ivy felt someone on her shoulder, it was Lydia (). "Hey you! I've been well, really happy that we were able to win the tournament we hosted. Corvus () and Bran () did such a good job representing for us." She shook her head and smiled. "I haven't had a slice yet, but her hot cider is awesome. Especially with a little kick," she said under her breath. "All the smells are making me hungry though. I'll have to have a piece soon."

"Hey," she said brightly to the girl with the pretty lace sleeves ().

"Thanks Rain (). One of the students from Hogwarts taught me the charm. You were a star for Ilvermorny too." She thought the question over before she answered, "It is bittersweet to see our foreign guests off, but I'm looking forward to things getting back to normal for fall and winter here. A lot of 4A is probably relieved to be leaving before the real cold sets in too."

"I think your outfit is trendy and stylish Lydia. Athletileisure is having a moment, you know?"

She was enjoying the girl-talk but had to wonder where the boys and students from other schools in general were. Ivy wanted to congratulate the champions. The guys had worked so hard to bring home a victory for Ilvermorny.

Smiling, Lydia listened to what she had to say. "Huh, I hadn't even thought of the clothing difference. That's definitely interesting. I feel bad that I hadn't even considered that. So, what kind of future events would you be able to wear this dress to? And how would you have to wear it differently?" She was honestly curious and wanted to know more. "As we've already discussed, I don't wear dresses. I have like one nice dress that I wear to all formal occasions, so I'm curious to know what people do with the different dresses and such."

Lydia raised her brows and couldn't help but laugh in surprise when Ivy admitted to spiking her cider. "Love it!" She wasn't really one to drink, but she certainly admired the rebellious streak of boozing it at a school event. "And I don't know about 'Athleteleisure' - I don't think I'll ever stop wearing my jeans and sneaks. They're like home to me."

"Oh thank you," Rain smiled at Lydia's compliment on her outfit. "I agree with Ivy, your outfit is stylish, and it looks comfy too! I just went with a skirt because I personally feel more comfortable in them, and I like excuses to dress up," she explained, winking. "Skirts and dresses aren't everyone's cup of tea though, and that's fine! I did try to at least wear practical shoes," she said, displaying her plum, sparkly flats. "I just can not dance in heels," she giggled. Listening to Lydia's answers to her questions, she nodded "That's true, it has been much busier than normal lately, so I suppose it will be nice once it is a bit quieter again. I guess I am just not quite ready for all of the excitement to end," she chuckled.

"It's very clever, I might have to ask you to teach me the charm sometime," Rain winked. "Oh thank you, I did my best. Everyone from our school did so well!" She considered Ivy's answer to her question, "That's true, it will be nice to relax a little, and I bet you are right about our guests. I don't think they would be prepared for our harsh New England winters. Heck, our winters are a bit much for me," she laughed.

Rain looked around to see who else had joined the festivities, and noticed one of the Hogwarts champions glance her way. Lenore had on a lovely feathered hat and drape that really caught her eye. She beamed and returned the girl's nod.

((OOC: you pinged , but I think you may have meant to ping me, my character is Rain :D)) "Thank you, Tiferet," Rain smiled, "I really love your dress, too! Adding the sleeves yourself was very clever, and I think they go beautifully with the sheer, floaty skirt. I hadn't really considered the cultural clothing differences, but that must have been very difficult for you" she said, thoughtfully. "I really hope that you are able to use the outfits that you got here again, wearing them on vacation sounds like a good plan" she nodded.

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Who would have ever thought that it would take him as long to get ready as his sister or some other girl? Certainly not Bran Calder! But it was true in this case. Clothes had been tossed on the bed and chair and though he could easily spell them back into their proper places, it was a testament to how Bran had struggled to dress for this event. It was the final time he’d be with the 4A and Hogwarts students who had become his new friends. He had rejected the more formal clothing but his choice of spooky attire to start celebrating his favorite holiday seemed too common. He tossed it aside for an outfit that had Ilvermorny colors but after pacing back and forth, that too got removed. He wanted to look nice but still be informal enough to have some fun; he also wanted certain people to remember him…hopefully. Going through more of his clothes, Bran was about ready to give up when he found it. His parents had insisted he have the shirt, doublet, and cape even though they weren’t his normal favored colors or his usual causual type clothes. It was only right and proper for his pure-blood lineage they had said and the boy had rolled his eyes and accepted it since his parents weren’t really the type to play the pure-blood card often. Now he slipped into the shirt and doublet with a grin, mentally thanking them. Pants in his favorite color and one of his many pairs of boots completed the ensemble. Bran looked at his hair and decided to leave it his usual way…no fancy, formal hairdo for him tonight! Tossing his cloak over his shoulder, he ran down the stairs and outside to join the fun.

The air was crisp and ruffled his hair and tugged at his cape as Bran made his way through the splendid autumn foliage. He took a deep breath, drinking in the sights and smells of his favorite time of year, with a huge smile on his face. The shimmer of lights and laughter and excited voices beckoned him onward to the Founders Garden. It had been transformed into a perfect autumn dreamscape, complete with goodies that had Bran’s mouth fairly watering at first glance. But he manfully resisted the alluring call of the spice cakes and caramel apples and instead went to mingle with his friends, old and new.

Waving at Seb (), Bran made his way to the cluster of Ilvermorny girls. Slipping an arm around Ivy () from behind, he grinned as he gave her a twirl, liking the way her skirt blew out with an enticing shimmer. “Hey pretty lady, did I hear my name?” he said teasingly. “You’re looking good tonight.” Glancing over, Bran smiled at the other girls. “Hi, Rain. () You look lovely. Good to see you, Lyd! You look ready for action and adventure.” () he greeted his fellow Thunderbirds and then gave the girl he wasn’t familiar with a smile. ()

Then a sparkle of light glistened on something golden and Bran momentarily forgot to breathe as his eyes found Lenore () As stylish as ever, he thought to himself and gave her a smile. Now came the big question, should he go over and ask her to dance? There were some things that seemed daunting even to a Tri-Wizard champion.

[img align=left]https://i.imgur.com/NXgN4Rg.png[/img] [img align=left]https://i.imgur.com/sYVM2T3.png[/img]

Followed by a quite long talk after the second task of the tournament, Corvus and Elizabeth walked down towards the founders garden. Curiously, Elizabeth looked around and seemed to be amused. "I thought things would be more formal", she stated and stroke over the black fabric of her dress before looking amused at Corvus. "And you really insisted on using Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. For what reason?" "Important people from different ministries and making a perfect and decent first impression.", Corvus replied with a grin. "You know your choice of clothing looks quite dark then?", Elizabeth said cheekily, "no offense though. I think it looks well." Corvus grinned and shortly waved at Bran(), but quickly noticed that his co-champion seemed somewhat busy and decided to not disturb him more.

"Ilvermorny looks great in autumn. They have really outdone themselves with the feast.", Elizabeth stated. "Well, it's the first triwizard tournament feast after years...last one didn't work out so well", Corvus said with a chuckle, "I bet the ministries and headmasters are exceedingly grateful for no inconveniences this time." He tightened his jabot a bit and lowered his voice. "You've been lucky that they didn't investigate on that last spell you've used at the Second task.", he added with a more serious tone. "I've thought we had settled this", Elizabeth replied with a glint in her eyes that only made Corvus grin. "We did. But it's amusing to mention it to you now and then.", he replied and waved at Ivy Lockwood() and some other students when he spotted her( ). However, he didn't raise his voice. "I love your dress!", Elizabeth said while looking at Rain, "it looks so magical with the small lights! I'm quite jealous that you can pull off purple dresses so well." She chuckled. "Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Elizabeth Covington from Hogwarts. Pleased to meet you all.", she explained then and smiled at the rest of the small group. Corvus however noticed a student he did not know by name and felt the need to introduce himself as well. "Corvus Farlan Montgomery", he said, looking at Tiferet, "I was one of Ilvermorny's champions."

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/330659.png[/img] Ivy could certainly understand the appeal of jeans and sneakers. She liked being comfortable in her own way. Alcohol wasn’t a huge vice of hers, mainly because she was very social about it, only imbibing with family or at parties. She couldn’t resist bringing out the applejack her brother Perry had sent her though. Her family always pressed cider and made apple moonshine in the fall.

She listened to Lydia (), Rain (), and Tiferet () until another person approached her from behind. “Woo!” Ivy giggled as Bran () gave her a spin. He was such a flirt, but even better, a good sport. “Why thank you handsome,” she replied archly. Ivy was delighted by the nervous look on his face when he spotted Lenore () in all her golden finery.

Now was her chance, she grabbed Bran and spun him closer to where Lenore was sitting. “Thank me later,” Ivy whispered devilishly in his ear. Dipping herself, she then twirled out and away from Bran and called out behind her, “Lenore! Do me the favor of leading the champions-only dance with Bran to kick off the dancing please. I think one of the Flaming Rumours is making eyes at me and I just have to get up close!”

She shimmied her way back to the girls who were now chatting with Corvus and a striking young lady () who looked like she had dressed to match him. “Hey.” Ivy smiled warmly. “I’m Ivy Lockwood. Introduce your guest please Corvus, she’s a catch! You may want to join Bran and Lenore out there if they manage to get the dancing going with some champions out on the floor.”

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/330230.png[/img] Lenore continued to watch as more students arrived. Her pie was long gone and her plate had vanished of its own accord. Now she was contentedly sipping the coffee that she had summoned over from her more remote hideaway under the trees. The gold of her cup glinted beautifully under the string lights.

As she watched, Corvus () arrived along with a girl she recognized from Hogwarts, Elizabeth. She didn't really know her well but thought that she might like to change that once she got back home. She caught Corvus' eye and nodded a greeting. She would introduce herself more formally to the couple later on.

After a while, Bran () joined the festivities, looking rather dashing with his gold-brown cloak. He was one of only two boys amid a growing group of girls but this didn't seem to bother him. Quite to the contrary, he took to flirting with a small cluster of them right away. Lenore chuckled as she watched him spin Ivy () around. When he finally looked her way she smiled but wasn't sure that he noticed. He looked a little dazed. And rather cute, Lenore thought.

At that moment, Ivy gave the boy a twirl and pushed him in Lenore's direction. Her instructions were quite clear and Lenore grinned. This could be quite fun.

Standing up, Lenore took one last sip of her coffee and set the cup down. She walked calmly to where Bran was and smiled up at him as she held out a hand.

"You heard the lady."

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Aliya the serval moves closer and closer to the table, sniffing curiously. Tiferet doesn't let her eat much human food--she's allowed to hunt small animals as long as she stays out of No-Maj territory and Tiferet feeds her meat, which is what she is supposed to eat, but there are many interesting and unfamiliar smells.

Some of the things on the table smell more delicious and others more strange. Will curiosity get this cat in trouble?

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Tiferet smiles. "Well, we wear whatever we like around the house, but we live in an area of Jerusalem where there are many traditional, very Orthodox people. We're pretty traditional ourselves, but of course we're wizarding, and that makes things a little more relaxed at home. I'm supposed to have my elbows and knees and collarbones covered, but my parents don't really care about the collarbones as much. I do wear pants, especially for flying, but like I said, I can wear hoodies anytime, I can't wear a dress like this very often! I'm glad you like the dress. It really hasn't been difficult at all except for finding party clothes."

"So ... you spiked the cider? Is there enough to share? It's our last night, I might be feeling just a bit mischievous." Tiferet winks. "Oh, and congratulations to Ilvermorny of course--everyone did their best!"

&

When Bran walks in he looks different from the way he usually dressed in class. Of course Tif notices but the way he looks at Lenore is just a little obvious. "Look at Bran's outfit! That's really something else. I think he wants to talk to you, Lenore."