Conquest Plotting Room - Conquistadores solemente! (Conquistadors only!)

A large medieval like room, with tall armchairs all forming a circle... not too far from the Round Table of King Arthur!

It is lit by torches, magically charmed to remain bright and to not radiate heat.

Nicolas chambered into the Room. The small smile on his face meant he approved of the room. He rounded the room and sat on one of the chairs waiting for the others.

Boris managed to find his way to the fabled Room of Requirement. It was said it could be difficult to find sometimes. But, as a Conquistador, Boris prevailed! Baltasar was no more than three feet behind him.

"Nick's waitin' for ya," Eddie stated cheerfully when he saw the two approach.

"Ve can't keep him vaiting, now can ve?" Boris remarked and strode on in, ruffling Eddie's hair as he passed. 'Balt' followed suit.

Twin smiles formed on both boys' faces as they took in the sights of the room. Their countenances widened upon spotting Nick already seemingly at ease in the room. "Impressive little room you have here," Baltasar commented to Nick in greeting.

Boris took a seat next to Nicolas, and Balt a seat next to Boris. "Oktav and Marco said they vould be on their vay shortly. I believe Dionysus vos trying to break into the Headmaster's liquor stores ven I left him..." Boris explained with a distinct mischievous in his voice.

Nicolas' grin grew as Boris and Balt came in. He nodded to each of them.

"Good then we won't be thirsty!" Nicolas exclaimed.

The wooden door opened again and like a storm, Maria came in.

"Bloody ghost!" She said carrying a purple jumper that was wet. Well, wet might have been understatement as what looked to be a bucket full of water fell out when Maria squeezed it. "Do all of them pour water on you? --"

Maria's booming entrance was contrasted by Dolf's quiet one. He was already seated to Baltasar's otherside when Maria put a drying charm on her beloved jumper decided to sit.

Boris and Balt both snickered at Nick's exclamation. They also both jumped when Maria entered like a whirlwind.

"I vould not know, Maria... perhaps the ghost likes you," Boris offered with a snicker.

"Be awfully difficult to 'snog' a ghost, though, wouldn't it?" Balt joined in on the teasing. "Probably not impossible, though..." The Grecian barely even flinched when Dolf approached despite the near-silence in which the other lad moved.

"Ah, and here's Dolf!" Balt exclaimed and, leaping out of his chair for just a moment, attempted to catch the older German lad in a headlock. The rough-housing was all in play, of course, hence why Boris barely blinked at Baltasar's sudden movement.

- - - - - - - - - -

Marco and Oktav approached the door being safeguarded by Edvard Kaiser, also known as Hermes. Marco was leaning heavily on Oktav - not exactly the smartest thing to do - and seemed to favor his right foot.

The Italian mafia-child often made the butt of 'Marco Polo' jokes initiated a special handshake with the boy that gained him entrance. Like Eddie wouldn't let a familiar face into the Conquistadors' midst... honestly. Oktav 'bribed' his way in with a 200 fluid ounce bottle of Ogden's firewhiskey, which he'd picked up in Hogsmeade on his last trip into the village.

Both boys awkwardly made their way inside...

"Guess who finally believes me when I ssay not all shtairs are solid? Marco's twishted his ankle..." Oktav announced to those assembled in explanation for why they were walking as close together as they were. His words were slightly slurred, the only available explanation sticking out from the pocket of his robes: the neck of a liquor bottle. And Merlin knows there had to be more than one of those in his magically-expanded pockets! Oktav didn't do anything small when it came to getting into someone's liquor supply...

Marco rolled his eyes. "Tell the whole world the obvious, why don't you?" he muttered.

Dolf accepted Baltasar's greeting, it would have looked cold to an outsider but, to the Conquistadors that was as warm as Dolf got... unless of course something slips a few drinks down his throat.

Maria ignored Boris' comment and watched as her twin brother came in with Oktav - and surprisingly, it was Marco who needed help walking. Usually it was Oktav considering he had a fondness with the drinks.

"I should have known," Maria pouted. "With Marco being a klutz and all... I automatically assumed that... well I assumed that you'd be calling Marco, 'Coco' from now on." She smirked as she used the nickname that Marco's girlfriend used implying a more than friends relationship between Marco and Oktav.

Nicolas chuckled and even Dolf couldn't refrain from a small twitch of the lips.

The door opened once more and the last of their number entered holding a cauldron filled with... something. But you wouldn't have known it was filled as Stefan was carrying it as if it was light as a feather. He probably used a charm to do that. He headed straight for the table and put the cauldron down, down for everyone else to examine before, he took the last empty chair in the round table.

"Is that it then Stef?" Nicolas said staring fixatedly in the salmon pink liquid.

Stef nodded, "Yep, the laughing serum."

Balt and Boris chortled at the implication. "Marco and Oktav sitting in a tree..." Balt remarked in a sing-song voice, and then glanced around for someone else to recite the next line.

Marco's eyes widened and narrowed at Maria's suggestion, and immediately snapped a warning in Italian at his sister before relieving himself of Oktav's support, which - as stated earlier - wasn't a whole heck of a lot. He hobbled slightly and took a seat before tending to his ankle. The duo had foregone a trip to the Hospital Wing.

"Nah - He'sh shtill Marco Polo to me!" Oktav laughed, earning a glare from Marco while Baltasar and Boris snickered. "I'd rather call you 'Coco' instead..." he added in a halfhearted attempt at flirting. It was common knowledge that Maria was 'one of the guys' and hardly interested in such a relationship from any of the Conquistadors.

Heads turned when the last of the group entered carrying a cauldron. Oktav got out of the way by taking wobbly strides to sit next to Nicolas. With a lopsided grin, he placed four tall bottles on the table - red wine, whiskey, rum, and vodka - all from Headmaster Orlov's personal stores aboard the Durmstrang ship. Of course, he wasn't expecting any attention to be paid to the bottles right yet as the object of their mischief was placed on the table first. The drinks could always be acknowledged later.

Grins lit the faces of Oktav, Marco, Balt, and of course Boris at the declaration. This prank was sure to be a great one!

Nicolas made a mental note to enjoy the drinks later turned to address the group. "Boys... and er... Girl," He added hastily as Maria repositioned herself to face him. "As Hogwarts is my new school, and thus I am it's host, I would like to do the gracious thing and welcome my guest." He paused and grinned. He loved making a show out of these meetings.

"But of course, I cannot greet everyone from Durmstrang or Beauxbaton, short of going into the Great Hall and announcing welcome, it's just impossible. Besides, a Sonorus in the Great Hall is obsolete, overdone and... well that's just isn't our style, is it Boys?... and Girl."

"Besides, Christmas is just around the corner and I'd like to work with that. Christmas Cheer. That's what everyone needs and we can never have too much of it. Thus!" He held the cauldron with two hands. "I purpose we give everyone a healthy dosage of Laughing Serum as a Welcome and early christmas present from the Conquistadores!"