[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]3:40 PM - Sun. December 12th, 2038 - New Orleans, Louisiana[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr][@PatientBean]: "A contest rookie, beating us? Big talk pretty girl. Hope you aren't too disappointed when I have you on your knees, all tied up like the present you are." Thuy laughed. "But why wait until after the contest? We could have a little fun tonight. You, me, your girlfriend, dinner and drinks and maybe a little more fun if the night takes us that way. I know you have curfew and all that jazz, but you won't be the only student out on the town." Thuy pressed another kiss against the inside of Sabine's wrist before letting it fall away. "I typically hangout at Beach on Bourbon, so come see me if the two of you want to live a little." Thuy offered, one hand in her pocket as she stepped back and sauntered towards the opposite end of the hall. "And heads up rookie. If you're late to the exam, you're disqualified!" [@Blizz]: Leah's father tutted slightly, shaking his head. "Marya, I raised you better than that - snarling, really? So juvenile." He strolled calmly towards her, not a single weapon or piece of armor in sight. Perhaps he really was unarmed, defenseless. Perhaps this was all just a dramatic show, to emphasize how much power he had over her simply because she believed it to be true. Or maybe he really was the nightmare she feared - maybe the weapons and strategies he had at his disposal were ones she could not see, a trap threatening to spring at her first misstep. "I had wanted to afford you a bit of dignity that this... charming hallway doesn't afford you, but I suppose you're quite low on that these days anyways," he chastised. "Very well. I've come here to tell you this - your silly game, dressing up and playing hero? You have only been able to play it because I have allowed it. You will complete this school year, work diligently in your course, and then you will [i]come home[/i]. If you do not, there will [b]not[/b] be a school to return to. Do I make myself clear?" He smiled. "Good." He hadn't waited for her to respond. "Good luck with the competition, Marya. I expect nothing less than greatness from my child. I'll be watching." And then, as quickly as he had appeared, his form flickered and he vanished. [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] N/A [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] April didn't look at her phone for a few minutes, even as she felt it vibrate with an incoming message. It was probably from Danni or Dorian. They were probably worried about her - not that their fears were unfounded. She'd been a danger to herself. Maybe she still was one, as she shook with tears in the bathroom stall of the hotel, a swirling black cloud occupying her brain, a self perpetuating storm of fear and self-hatred and guilt and grief. It was supposed to be a good day. She was supposed to be happy, excited. She was competing with her friends - with her very best friends - but instead everything felt so incredibly wrong. She wasn't where she was supposed to be. She wasn't who she was supposed to be. When she looked in the mirror, she didn't recognize the face staring back. Her hands felt like ice as she rubbed them against her eyes, her face already swollen and puffy. And as she got up the courage to take a peek at the message, her heart shattered. Why did she run from the people who cared - from the people who mattered? [s]What was wrong with her?[/s] [color=42A9FF]"I'm... I'm sick,"[/color] April whispered, a bit hesitantly. She stared at the screen of her phone, as if another message would appear - as if Danni would be able to reach out again, even with his phone taken away. She could only guess that was her fault too. [color=42A9FF]"I'm sick and that's okay."[/color] Maybe she hadn't been ready to leave CAGE. Maybe she should have still been there. [s]Maybe that was where she belonged.[/s] Slowly, she started to type, deleting each message before even sending it: [s][color=42A9FF]I think I need help. I'm really struggling, and I'm scared.[/color][/s] [s][color=42A9FF]You didn't do anything wrong! I'm just losing my mind.[/color][/s] [s][color=42A9FF]Sorry I didn't want to scare you! I just hate that everyone is there but me. I'm jealous.[/color][/s] [s][color=42A9FF]I'm in the bathroom at the Sorcerer's Inn. Can you come?[/color][/s] [s][color=42A9FF]I think I need to go back to CAGE.[/color][/s] [s][color=42A9FF]Everyone seems to hate me, and I think I hate me too.[/color][/s] [hider=@Danni + Dori][color=42A9FF]im so sorry!! please don't be mad. i love you too! i hope i didnt get you in too much trouble with your dad :(([/color][/hider] And then - [hider=@Danni + Dori][color=42A9FF]im scared im having an episode.[/color][/hider] And - [hider=@Danni + Dori][color=42A9FF]sorry i know he took your phone away. its not your fault at all! please don't think its your fault. i was already upset bc sabine spent the entire trip making a huge deal out of ignoring me, and then nemo died and how you were so calm about it made me scared that if i had died, you wouldnt have cared. and then vicky getting to be at your house and i cant go there really fucking sucks.[/color][/hider] [s]Maybe they liked Vicky more than her.[/s] There was a gentle knock at the door to the women's bathroom. "Ms. Flynn?" the Vision called out softly. Her uncle, technically. Well, ex-uncle. She stiffened. As much as she knew she needed help, hearing an adult put her on edge, bringing all of her defenses online. Was the night at the pool about to play out again? She both did and did not want Vision to tell her that she was going to be taken to the hospital - that she wouldn't have to struggle against her own mind, that she could let the doctors and the nurses and the pills do it for her. "We need to leave for your examination at Strange Academy momentarily," the Vision then paused. "Are you alright? My sensors indicate that you are in distress." [color=42A9FF]"I'm..."[/color] She could lie. She could tell him that she was fine. If she didn't lie, would he take her away? Would she watch everyone else compete in the contest without her from a medical ward? Would her parents pull her out of school? The thought of them made her nauseous. She never wanted to see them again. [color=42A9FF]"I'm having a hard time,"[/color] she admitted, her voice breaking. [color=42A9FF]"But... I'll be okay,"[/color] she added. She didn't want to miss the examination. It was part of the agreement to participate in the contest - a moment where they could be checked to make sure that no one was trying to cheat, that no one had hired a super skrull to pretend to be them or were abusing mutant growth hormone to get ahead. She took a deep breath, and dried her eyes on the sleeve of her coat, before unlocking the stall, and then opening the door to the woman's restroom to face the Vision. April avoided eye contact with him for a moment - and when she got the courage to meet his expression, it was surprisingly tender for a robot. [s]Was he pitying her, seeing the familial curse play out once more?[/s] She had never really interacted with him - he didn't teach any of her courses, and she had never been picked for his team for the Contest of Champions. He was a stranger, the ex-husband to an aunt that April had never really known. "You're not alone, Ms. Flynn," the Vision said gently. "Remember that." They did not speak, as April returned with Vision back to the lobby, where only a few remained - The Young Avengers, Gideon, her sister, and... April's jaw dropped. [color=42A9FF]"What the fuck?!"[/color] she stage whispered, her eyes wide. [i]Evanthe Moore and Harry Simmons?![/i] They were both just... just [i]casually[/i] here in the hotel?! It wasn't even a particularly nice hotel, it was one of the cheapest ones on Bourbon Street - that was part of the entire reason why they could afford to stay here, after all. The school wasn't paying for the rooms. Her brain short-circuited, the intense feelings of sadness and self-loathing and fear and insecurity vanishing for a moment, replaced with starstruck awe. "Language, Ms. Flynn," the Vision chided. He then blinked, and text messages would appear on the phones of all of his charges: [i]Please proceed to the lobby. We must depart for your examination or you will risk disqualification.[/i][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] Casper tilted his head slightly, a little perplexed. He could have sworn there was something going on between Andy and Zari, but technopath hadn't made a single move to go off after Andy. It wasn't something he could relate at all to - even in his own marriage, he whined a bit every time James went into a different room. He still "pretended" to be bad at pool and other activities, just for an excuse to get his husband to put his arms around him and guide his hands. The honeymoon phase had never really ended for him - so whatever was going on with the little lesbians, it was... He just couldn't understand it. It was so confusing that he completely missed his husband's slight irritation, still trying to figure out what was going on between Andy and Zari. Had it been another set of tiny girls on Genosha he was thinking about? Was he mistaking them for Sunshine and Marrow? Where were Sunshine and Marrow, anyways - weren't they coming to see their nephews compete? He spun around on his heel, trying to see if there were any half-feral adults breaking into the house, as was their custom, but he didn't spot anyone. And as he finished his spin, he [i]did[/i] catch his own name. [color=DBA1DE]"What?"[/color] He replayed what Max had said. [i]Casper you heard James, this can wait until later.[/i] But what had James said? He furrowed his eyebrows, concentrating as much as he could. Max went on to talk about the seance. So it must have been that James didn't want the seance to happen now. Or did he even want it to happen at all? Was he not supposed to summon ghosts for children? Was James worried that the kids would be scared of the ghost of their dead teacher? Casper had been terrified of ghosts as a kid - and as an adult, too, well into his thirties. [color=DBA1DE]"... Right. No summoning ghosts on the lawn... Or before dinner,"[/color] he said very sagely, nodding his head. He wished Ben was here - he was always so much better than him at paying attention to things. He then gasped slightly. Ben [i]was[/i] here. Casper then desperately tried to capture his eye, hoping his ex-service ghost could give him a brief rundown on what he had missed while he was... What had he been doing, again? What had distracted him? He couldn't remember. It had been important, right? Right? It had something to do with... He had no idea. Meanwhile, the portal to California had finally closed, after Firestar had promised to send Max a text as soon as she found out if a seance was okay - ordinarily, she would have consulted with Lady Nimue, the magic professor, on this but with her off in Otherworld after Nemo's passing... Firestar was going to have to spend some time combing through the teacher handbooks and pray that there was a mention on whether or not students were allowed to commune with the dead. As for Percy... He turned a faint shade of pink as one of Dorian's fathers remarked that he was having issues with his key. All of this magic, it was very new to him. He didn't understand it. He didn't intuitively know what he was supposed to do with a glowing key, and his lack of knowledge being advertised by Dorian's father made his skin crawl with a bit of shame - shame that compounded on top of the fact that another one of the parents [i]knew[/i] that he had been extremely hungover. He'd barely said a word to them and already, he was messing it all up. He just wanted Dorian's family to like him - to make a good impression for his boyfriend's sake. A few months ago, he would have bitten back with a snarky comment, likely snapping that he wasn't having issues with his key, that he was having issues with the over zealous use of magic - that there was no reason to use a magical system to find a room, instead of just telling people where they were. But he'd changed since then. Instead of lashing out a bit to hide his insecurity, Percy sat with it. He was both grateful and embarrassed as Dorian took his hand, and guided him into the house, and along the glowing path lit by the key. Once the door opened, though, his eyes narrowed in confusion. [color=ed1c24]"Is this... supposed to look like your half of the dorm room?"[/color] he asked. It was like a carbon copy of Dorian and Danni's room at Avengers Academy, only with Danni's space mysteriously missing, as if it had never been there. The same decorations were up on the wall, the same bedding on the bed - even the same nicks in the desk, worn in there by either Dorian or some student before him. It was a magic house. His eyes widened, as a deeper blush hit his features. [color=ed1c24]"Dorian... Are these rooms enchanted beyond the keys?"[/color] Agatha had told him on the first day of school that he was hopelessly in love with him. Was the house saying the same thing? Or was this a mind game from Mr. Gray, a way to let Percy know that he knew how obsessed he'd become with his son? Or was this just Dorian's room, and the key had made a mistake? He wouldn't have been entirely surprised if his boyfriend had recreated his room at home at school. Percy was still feeling flustered as he put his bag down - not on the bed, of course, he didn't want to let the dirt from the suitcase's wheel touch the sheets - and stared around the room for a moment. It made him feel strangely calm. He didn't know how to examine that feeling - didn't know what to do with it, instead turning his gaze to meet his boyfriend's eyes - and in the moment, that sense of peace spread all the way across him. Agatha had been right, of course. He was hopelessly in love with Dorian Gray. He leaned forward and kissed him gently, softly. Meanwhile, Ben and Casper were both still out on the lawn, as Danni hauled the stragglers into the house. Ben let out somewhat of a sigh of relief, all of the children finally sorted. It had taken a [i]shockingly[/i] long time to get everyone inside. He walked up to his husband, and propped his chin on Max's shoulder for a moment. [color=silver]"You're going to have to open up portals beneath their feet to get them anywhere on time,"[/color] he murmured. Danni and Dorian were already enough of a handful. But at least most of the time, they weren't outnumbered. And now they were. Three adults and Casper against six children. [color=silver]"Are we allowed to use those backpack leashes? Or one of those long ropes they use to escort a group of preschoolers around with?"[/color] [color=DBA1DE]"Beeeeeen we can't put kids on [i]leashes[/i] that's inappropriate!"[/color] Casper chided. [b][i][color=silver]"Not those kind of leashes, Casper."[/color][/i][/b] Moments later, the lawn of the Kingston-Gray residence was finally empty, as the adults - and Casper - reentered their home.