[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/SR52k84p/54b4e63d635603b22d80f72a4ba2be54.png[/img][hr][img]https://neworleanscitybusiness.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2025/01/2.-MAIN-Bourbon-St-Depositphotos_258972442_XL.jpg[/img][hr][@BlueSky44][@Nallore][@Trainerblue192][@Achronum][@PatientBean][@Forsythe][@Blizz][@Kirah][@Natsu][hr][h3][color=AC3EFF][b]3:10 PM - Sun. December 12th, 2038 - New Orleans, Louisiana[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr][@Forsythe]: Vicky's initial reaction to the magic of the French Quarter, combined with the portal, was just the beginning. As she continued to stand on the edge of the portal, it was like the breeze carried more of the magic on through - or perhaps it simply had enough time to permeate her systems. A thousand error messages popped up at once, initially in her default system language, before glitching into an odd mixture of French and runes, her voice similarly going through a series of pitches - at one moment she would sound like herself, the next like Darth Vader, the next like a chipmunk, and so forth. Her limbs began to no longer respond, half of her body already shut down, and the other half about to go into critical failure, if she did not take action to remove herself from the environment. Agatha had been able to revive her last time without erasing who she was - could Mr. Gray do the same, if her systems went completely into failure?

[hider=Team Assignments]Excelsior, with coach Ser Nemo[list][*]April
[*]Danni
[*]Dorian
[*]Zelda
[*]Sabine
[*]Mads[/list]

Uncanny Avengers, with coach Lady Nimue[list][*]Percy
[*]Zari
[*]Andy
[*]Diana
[*]Leah
[*]Mary Sue
[*]Gideon[/list]

The Young Avengers, with coach Vision [list][*]Billy
[*]Tommy
[*]Teddy
[*]Eli
[*]America
[*]Cassie
[*]Kate[/list][/hider]

[hider=Housing Arrangements]Sorcerer's Inn: [list][*]Room 1 - Billy, Tommy, Teddy, and Eli 
[*]Room 2 - Cassie, Kate, and America 
[*]Room 3 - Sabine, Leah, and April 
[*]Room 4 - Diana, Zelda, Mary Sue, and Gideon[/list]

Kingston-Gray Residence: [i]room assignments will be given out by the NPCs[/i][list][*]Andy
[*]Danni
[*]Dorian
[*]Percy
[*]Zari 
[*]Mads
[*]Vicky[/list][/hider][hr][hr][center][h3][b][color=42A9FF]April Flynn[/color][/b][/h3][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d6/92/80/d6928017c3826e20629dcdf0dfe3641c.gif[/img][hr][b][color=42A9FF]Location:[/color][/b] Bourbon Street, New Orleans - the Sorcerer's Inn
[b][color=42A9FF]Skills:[/color][/b] Hydrokinesis
[b][color=42A9FF]Outfit:[/color][/b] [url=https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/06/07/56dd11b6-7b39-4a99-b4a8-058c18f4a3fc_7390c88c.jpg]Khaki-Colored Work Jacket + Grey Tank + Light Wash Jeans + Combat Boots[/url]
[hr][hr][/center]	Danni answered the call, his voice coming through a bit staticky, and she couldn't quite make out what was going on in the background of the call. She was too frazzled to really tell if it was just her own inability to focus, or just more problems with the audio quality. It was an old hotel. The reception was probably bad in here for a number of reasons. But that wasn't what was going through her mind as he picked up, no - it was that he sounded so happy, so excited. 

	And she was about to ruin that. 

	She bit her lip, silence on her end of the call as she fought a quiet war in her mind - if she ought to just pretend everything was fine, and let Danni be happy and having fun with everyone else for a little while longer... What right did she have to be sad over Ser Nemo, anyways? Had she ever even had a proper conversation with him? She was being selfish, making his death all about her. And she would be fine dealing with this on her own, really. It was probably better for everyone, quarantining her mood away from them all. Even Mads hadn't bothered to go stay behind with her. And how could April blame her? How could she blame anyone for choosing to go to the Kingston-Gray house, and leaving her exiled behind at the hotel with people who pretended she didn't even exist, less than weeks after promising that they could still be friends?

	Maybe she ought to just tell them she was calling to let them know she'd made it to the hotel, and that everything was fine, and that everyone was being so friendly and so chill and she wasn't miserable at all - that Nemo was completely fine, he wasn't dead, and she couldn't hear Leah screaming at Vision in the lobby. 

	That was how she had survived for years. She lied to others and she lied to herself. 

	She had made a promise, though. 

	April pinched her eyes closed, her breath shuddering in her throat. 

	[color=42A9FF]"It's Nemo,"[/color] she said softly. [color=42A9FF]"Viz just told us, he's - he's... He's dead."[/color]

	For once, the pipes in the bathroom did not burst, even as the water within them rapidly froze and thawed. [color=42A9FF]"I-I'm so sorry, I know you're all - you're all having a g-great time over there but... but I thought you'd want to know. They said - they said it was a heart attack. L-Leah's yelling at Viz about it now, I don't - I don't know if they told him anything else, though. I'm so sorry, Danni."[/color]	
[hr]	In the hotel lobby, Leah's shouts were beginning to draw attention, employees at the front desk unable to help but sneak quick glances over at her, and other guests going about their day being less discrete about their interest. The Young Avengers were shifting uneasily - even if they were first class superheroes by this stage, they were still children, for the most part. Billy Maximoff whispered something to Teddy Altman, and Tommy Shephard's eyes narrowed at Leah, clearly unamused with her shouting at his father. 

	"Ms. Jordan, I understand that you are upset," the Vision said, his tone gentle but firm. "But I will remind you once again that even though we are no longer at the Margaret Carter Institute, you are representing our school right now. The school's policy for foul language still stands. Yet given the circumstances, I will not be issuing you a detention... this time," he warned. "Nor will I be prohibiting you from participating in the Contest tomorrow."

	Having taking the small bit of disciplinary action out of the way, he then continued. "I understand that you are grieving - it is only natural. I know that some of you have spoken before with a therapist the school has a relationship with, Dr. Whitehall, and I can attempt to get in touch with her should any of you wish. You may also speak to me, if you would prefer, or one of the school counselors... I unfortunately do not have many details that I may disclose to you as to what happened, merely that it is important to have informed you now, rather than hide this fact from you. As for your question, Ms. Novikova, he was rather old. At his age, the risk is high... and compounded by other factors, such as lifestyle choices."

	Cassie Lang pulled out her phone, her eyes a bit misty - she didn't know Nemo, yes, but she wasn't heartless. She shot off a quick text to her sister - [i]Nemo passed away :( [/i]

	Meanwhile, Gideon glanced up from her phone, where she had been swiping away on GrindHer, confused - had Vision said something?[hr][hr][center][h3][b][color=ed1c24]Percy Novikov[/color][/b][/h3][img]https://i.scdn.co/image/ab676161000051748a415cc649022ca4d5582ed8[/img][hr][b][color=ed1c24]Location:[/color][/b] New Orleans - Kingston-Gray Residence 
[b][color=ed1c24]Skills:[/color][/b] N/A
[b][color=ed1c24]Outfit:[/color][/b] [url=https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/0d589277-9f3d-4fdd-9f52-2e1e122326d2.jpg]Dorian Approved Outfit #2 - Sunglasses, Flannel, Skinny Jeans[/url]
[hr][hr][/center]	The contents of Percy's stomach lurched dangerously, his head aching as Mr. Gray approached him.	Even with the sunglasses on, everything around was far too bright, and he had to resist the urge to squeeze his eyes closed. It was pure nerves and adrenaline that was keeping him standing, that was preventing him from collapsing to the ground as an unconscious, hungover mess. His gaze flickered over briefly towards Dorian, and then towards the others who were still on the other side of the portal, as if waiting at the threshold for a more explicitly formal invitation. He couldn't tell if anyone had noticed his state, and he desperately didn't want to disappoint Dorian, at the very least. The others... Percy wasn't as concerned about.

	But as Mr. Gray mentioned the museum, and Percy's mind immediately snapped back to the events of that day - the shopping trip, the bus ride, the bathroom, the heist, the food trucks, the dessert, meeting with Morgan... His panic skyrocketed to eleven. He didn't know how to react to this. Was Mr. Gray angry at him? Was he impressed? The more he studied Max's face, the less he was able to sus out, and the more the Louisiana heat seemed to rise all around him. What did he say to his boyfriend's father? He had already introduced himself, and Max had brought up a date - and all the research he had done indicated that he needed to be respectful and polite. How did he apply that here? What was the polite thing to do after his boyfriend's father alluded to their heist? Why hadn't he thought to be more specific around this exact scenario in his searches?

	[color=ed1c24]"Dorian told me a lot about you, too, Mr. Gray,"[/color] Percy settled on, before his brain froze again - what [i]had[/i] Dorian told him about his father before? What was something polite and respectful he could say that his boyfriend had mentioned before? [color=ed1c24]"He said you're very good at clothes."[/color] He winced, immediately regretting it, but it was too late. He was incredibly thankful that Vicky was trying to pull Max's attention away from him. 

	Ben Gray hadn't noticed really yet that Zari and Andy were on the other side of the portal - he was usually observant, but having his son back home caused him to focus his attention on Dorian - and on Dorian's boyfriend. The poor kid seemed incredibly nervous. [color=silver]"Yeah, my husband does make nice clothes,"[/color] Ben agreed, before rolling his eyes slightly at Max. [color=silver]"And he has an incredible taste in colors - with a matching sense of humor..."[/color]

	Casper Kingston, however, tilted his head slightly as he saw his son answer a phone call from April. He'd never really met April before, but he'd seen photos of his sons with a blonde girl before. And kids changed how they looked so fast! So when he'd seen a blonde girl on the other side of the portal, he had just assumed that was their friend. But clearly that wasn't, unless she was secretly skilled a ventriloquist? He'd completely missed the part where Max had called her Ms. van Dyne, as he wasn't very good at paying attention. He'd never been. He used to have a ghost with him to help out, sort of a Seeing Eye Dog of sorts, but for paying attention to things. He probably could have found another ghost, but... He'd been too lazy to do it. And too distracted. And James usually prompted him when they needed him to do things. Like he still wasn't too sure what was happening in the family D&D campaign, but James made sure to nudge him when he needed to have his fighter (was he a fighter?) kill something. 

	But before Casper could ask Danni why April was calling, when she was just standing over there, his eyes finally fell on two kids he hadn't seen in ages. Andy and Zari. He gasped, his hand going up to cover his mouth. [color=DBA1DE]"Oh my fucking god, where have you two BEEN????"[/color] Casper practically sprinted through the portal, his head comically pivoting back and forth between Andy and Zari for a few seconds, before he pulled them both into a tight hug. [color=DBA1DE]"We thought you died!! Like, you ghosted us, but for real!! As actual ghosts!! Are you ghosts? Hmm, no, can't be, I'd be able to throw you around like a bouncy ball. Zombies? Nope, you don't smell anything like what Avery dragged into the house one time... Really good skin care routine?? Also, so fucking hurtful that you just bailed, after everything we'd been through together!"[/color] he squealed. 

	And then his eyes widened again, as the cat bag next to Andy began to scream... 
	
	"I recognize the stench of Maximilian Gray [i]anywhere![/i]" Selene hissed, before making her best imitation of the sound of spitting, as the doll she inhabited lacked saliva. Not that it was truly a doll, after all. It was an acheron, a mystical object used to trap beings of immense power, such as herself. It was only what little magic that remained to her that had allowed her to warp her trap into something that resembled herself, albeit in the form of a doll - and through her mutant gift to control inorganic matter, she could roughly puppeteer it, giving her limited freedom of movement. 

	But should the warlock who had betrayed and confined her all those years ago (well, last year really, from her perspective - to be honest, only a few months ago) wish to, he could easily lob her prison into the sun - or devise some means of [i]actually[/i] harming her. And Selene would not allow that - not without a fight! 

	She focused the totality of her mutant power and her magics, lashing against her prison, the most aggressive and powerful attempt she had made to escape since her capture - to those watching, the cat carrier was thrashing violently, falling out of Andy's grip and hitting the ground, where it continued to jump, spin, fall, and jolt as if possessed by some wrathful ghost. 

	[color=DBA1DE]"DID YOU BRING FUCKING SELENE?!?!??!?!?!"[/color]

	Firestar then coughed politely, trying to get the attention of Mr. Gray, so that way she could discuss something with him. He had more experience working with children than she did, and the news she had just received was heavy... And she wanted an adultier adult to be the one to figure out how to broach the subject to them all - to tell them that their coach had just passed away.