[IC] The Return of Magic - An Intro

[MagusDream]

Tristan Kingsley Parter

Location: 666 Mystic Lane, MA

Interactions: None

---

The forest expense was huge. The invitation hasn't been too specific on the conditions he was going to walk in, only giving him the directions necessary to get wherever he should go. Although no longer physically part of a rather noble family, he knew it was rude to deny an invitation. There was always that thing about "never talking with strangers" that his mother taught him when he was a kid. But he was an adult now. A lone, abandoned adult with little to no connections to her. So he decided to take the risk and just roll with it, not knowing what else to expect once he arrived. It wasn't like he had something to be worried about, he didn't have a future in the first place. To him, whatever happens, happens.

(It has been a while since I ever had something to actually do and look forward to. I mean, in the sense of anticipation.) He thought.

After traveling the whole way, he finally arrived at the house. The old, falling apart, victorian mansion which the "Benefactor" was supposed to be. Considering he lived in a mansion before, the surprise wasn't exactly the fact that it was enormous, but the choice of style taken by this mysterious sender. If he had the money to actually buy a house, why an old one? Was it because of its location, or because it was a personal choice of his own? Either way, he had to admit that it was pretty hidden from the public eyes. The forest itself felt like an even bigger maze, so entering or leaving without any directions was risky, if not completely hopeless.

"So... this is where I'm supposed to stay. It feels hollow... almost truly abandoned." He spoke to himself. Still, he approached the house and quickly saw the door open.

BGM: Mary the Magician (Ghostly Field Club)

That's when he finally knew he wasn't alone. After all, which sort of abandoned house would exude such a dreadful mix of curses right from within? Not that he didn't believe that objects also have their own spirits and could easily spread some malevolence here and there, but an entire house? Not to mention, whatever was emitting this energy certainly had emotion to spare. It wasn't just some empty and vague curse, no. That itself was proof enough that humans were inside that house.

(Nothing that I can do about it. Let's just go inside.) He thought.

He climbed the stairway and went through the next door, only to see what someone could consider a horror show. There was this eerie sound playing, like a piece of music, but it was too distant for him to actually know what was playing. Drinks were somehow floating in the air, and a broom and a dustpan were moving by themselves and cleaning a room. Not to mention, the whole house felt surrounded by mystical objects here and there. Tristan could be wrong, but he might've seen one or two art pieces looking back at him. Still, he didn't go into panic mode. He just went forward and entered a room.

Once he arrived, he could see a conglomeration of people. Were they residents of this house, perhaps? But soon, he could see one or two of them holding a piece of paper that was seemingly equal to his own. That made it clear to him that those were also invited by the same man... woman... person. That being said, he wasn't going to point out the obvious.

"Hi. I'm the last one to arrive, so I guess the Benefactor will show themselves to us now." He said to the others.

[Randomness]

Location: 666 Mystic Lane, MA

Interaction: @redraider1, @ColouredCyan, @MagusDream

---

As Xan was speaking with those who stood farther from the house, he failed to notice when some of those lingering around had become stiff and facing the door. However, he did not miss the violent opening of said door. A powerful gust of wind blew from the house. It was enough to blow the one who opened the door into the porch rails, which held surprisingly well for its condition. If Xan was wearing a hat, he’d surely lose it in the squall that emanated from the house. Xan watched as shortly after the burst of wind, four of the others were pulled into the house, rapidly, and maybe even violently. Xan couldn’t tell. One moment they were suspended in the air, and the next they were stashed away within the house's gullet.

As wood strained and snapped, and the tree groaned as bark splintered, the house was beginning to repair. The dilapidated house was steadily becoming presentable as bits of glass fused together into panes. The gaps and crevices rats probably made their homes in sealed. The paint brightened while it peel mended. The tree that once invaded the side of the house now carried a large canopy of lively green leaves. Xan stood speechless. Only moments ago did he comment on how magic might make house keeping easier, and now here it was. This left Xan with a thought.

“The house just ate them.” was the first thing that came to his mind. But as he pondered, it finally made sense. He clapped his hand with a grin like he just figured it out.

“The house ate them in order to repair itself. It needed the magical energy of us fledgling wizards to finally rejuvenate its aching boards.” Xan said dramatically. “It was all a trap, and here we fell for it, yeah?” Xan laughed. He felt a bit giddy. This was quite a first impression, and Xan wanted more. He watched as a couple of the others had already climbed the stairs onto the freshly remade and refreshed porch. One peered through a window and the other was still making her way up. Xan decided to join them.

With swift steps, Xan quickly followed the two girls up the stairs. Despite his size, he made only a faint sound with each foot fall. The music stemming from the house echoed louder than he steps. His quiet approach was further hidden below the shouting from the girl at the window. As he got behind them, he clapped a hand on either shoulder of the girls, holding them close to either side of him. He placed his head between the two of theirs’.

“Could you see any remains in there? I bet they were taken to either a boiler room, or maybe somewhere in the basement, yeah? That is probably where its stomach is.” Xan also peered into the window. To his slight disappointment, all he could see was normal interior furnishings and décor. Wooden cabinets with molded crowns, velvet upholstery chairs and lounges with studded gold rivets, large portraits of art surrounded in thick carved frames, and large smooth rugs over shiny dark wooden floors. A scene Xan was not unused to. Xan leaned back away from the window. He brought his arms back to his side, releasing his two female comrades from his hold.

“As far as predator houses go, this one is pretty nice, yeah?” Xan commented as he spotted someone in his peripheral vision. Xan took a step back to watch as the person walked on by. He thought he was the last to arrive, but this new figure casually strode right up the porch and into the house without any hesitation. Xan pointed it out to the girls next to him.

“Well, if he’s going in, we might as well, yeah?” Xan nudged Sally and Gwyn towards the front door before he ultimately walked in himself, not checking if those two would follow him in. Though the house had received such a miraculous makeover in the course of a few minutes, there was still an air of mustiness. He stopped for a moment to get a better look around. Yep, the benefactor had quite expensive tastes. Either that, or the house was really into fine dining. Xan followed the newest arrival into the next room. The spacious living area was decorated more or less the same to the entry hall. Not that Xan expected anything less. He looked to see that those who were taken against their will gathered together onto a wide ornate couch. Drinks were floating before them, and cleaning supplies were, well, cleaning. A faint waft of something cooking touched Xan’s nostrils. Xan had arrived in the new room just in time to hear Tristan comment the arrival of the benefactor.

“Oh, yeah?” said Xan as he walked next to Tristan, “Could still be the house, given what we’ve just witnessed. Though, it doesn’t look like you guys were the meal, yeah? At least, not yet.” Xan took a couple slow steps towards the four others on the couch. There was a sense of concern and confusion, which Xan could understand, given how they were abducted. But now that they were comfortable, perhaps things would look up from here.

“That said, I wonder if the other’s are coming.” Xan turned around to see if perhaps the two he was with followed, or anyone else who was still outside for that matter. Xan took a deep breath in, “Hey! I think it’s safe to come in!”

[NoriWasHere]

Mae and Sam

Mae stood in silence as the house consumed the mages. Nothing had prepared her to witness the haunting of the hill house. While her nerves were already primed by a real-life spell that portaled in, they unraveled more. There was no doubting the scene that unfolded before her and that made it harder to actually take in everything she was seeing.

"Holy shit," she spoke aloud. While she was someone who was online since she was young, she was never exposed to actual magic and actual ghosts. Was it ghosts? Mae followed the thought for a moment. If it was a ghost how would she know? Would it simply reveal itself, or would it try and possess her? Would it do something more extreme than the complete home makeover?

"Well, I still have no clue who this benefactor is, but I can tell you this much. They could make a fortune flipping houses."

Ghost girl joked but she had a point. Mae turned her body towards the young woman. "If the house is haunted, and if this person can see the dead, that means..." Mae paused as she brought her hand to her chin. "That means if something has our friends, they can handle it. Right? That's how talking to the dead works ?" Mae asked before another voice made its presence known.

"Hello? Mr. House?"

“Hey! I think it’s safe to come in!”

The others had all started to move inside. While there was still a small crowd outside, Mae began to think she needed to make her way in. Thoughts and doubts flooded her mind and began to take root. She lacked a familiar feeling of control in the real world. She could not back out of a sketchy situation by severing a connection. She could not hide behind anonymity. This was real, and it was happening right in front of her.

"All right." A single voice next to Mae pulled her from the spiral. She looked over and saw a young, gruff man that had arrived.

"That was all the proof I needed to know that this," he paused as he flashed his invitation, "was true. Magic. That's going to take some getting used to." His eyes darted across the remaining group outside the house. "If we're all here, and if everyone is safe inside then we should head in."

While he presented this challenging, and rugged exterior Sam's mind was also racked with the same fear that gripped Mae. Watching the house pull people inside through an invisible force made it so... real. Yet he still stood firm. Now was not the time nor the place to show his fear to the rest of the group. "I can have a moment alone to show my fear, but not right now," Sam thought as he took a deep breath.

"Anyway, I can control the wind."

"Wind?" Mae asked.

Sam pushed forth a gust from his hand. The burst was weak but was strong enough to blow through Mae's hair. "Yep, wind. How about you?"

Mae paused as she recoiled from the sensation for a brief moment. The wind carried with it a strange sensation. It felt like wind, but it different from a crisp autumn breeze or a warm summer gust. It felt unnatural. It felt magical. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, Mae shot her eyes down to the ground and then back up to Sam. "I call myself a technomancer. I can access electronic devices, and make them do stuff. Internet devices can be tricky but I have access to them all the same."

Sam took a step back. Taking a deep breath, he tapped his phone that resided in his pocket. "Please don't view my browsing history."

Mae let out an uncontrolled laugh that she reigned in after a moment. "I am not new to the internet, I know what you guys do in the dark. I value my sanity too much to ever give it a look."

Sam smiled in response. "I am Sam," he paused as he shot out his hand, "pleasure to meet you and know that I am not alone in this magical adventure.

"Mae, likewise."

Sam motioned for Mae to follow him and the duo entered the house together. As Mae walked and Sam and anyone else followed they would notice the lights would begin to flicker. With each bout of darkness, the house would once again appear to be in a state of disrepair. It would feel different than before. A strange sensation would hang in the air that would force everyone to remain alert to a possible unseen threat.

- - -

Alora and the group

Alora watched as the group began to enter the room. Again, as with the first few, drinks and snacks would float through the air offering themselves to the guests. Her breath still felt stolen from her as she took in the sight. One member of the group, however, decided to make a mockery of the situation.

"First, don't call me princess ever again," she paused as she flashed a finger. "Second, I haven't had magic long and I could not find even the smallest bit of information online about this magic. Forgive me if I seem amiss." Pausing again as she flashed two fingers. "Third, if wanted to hear your advice I would ask you for it." The third finger flew up as a dull thud could be heard. The noise was soft, almost rhythmic, and seemed to be coming from a far corner of the house. Alora paused as she turned her head back to the center of the room, back to the man, and back to the center of the room. "And fourth, and finally, why did the ghost stop sweeping?"

Alora's eyes did not move from the dustpan. It was held about two feet off the ground and trembled ever so as it held its position. As it shook, the lights would flicker with it with each flicker sending the house back into darkness. With each bout of darkness, the house would appear to be once again in a state of disrepair. The group would hear the soft thud reveal itself to be a heavy footstep. They would know that it had begun to make its way towards the living room. Step by step, the thuds closed in . They would each feel a collective dread fall over their room. This would be a sensation that they had never felt that would also feel known. It is as if their body and souls know something they do not.

*THUD* *THUD* *THUD* *THUD*

As the steps continued to get closer, the dustpan would begin to shake slightly. As they got closer, it would shake ever more so. As it shook, the lights in the house would start to flicker. The source of the footsteps would be revealed as a tall, well-dressed figure as he stepped into the room. He wore a dark three-piece suit that was tailored to him. We carried a cane in his off-hand and he leaned up against the frame of the door. The cane itself had a massive red ruby on its head that seemed to make up its entire length.

"Welcome," the man's voice bellowed. It was deep, and his accent sounded almost English but mixed with something older. "We have much to discuss. You may call me the benefactor." The group would feel that intense feeling of uneasy surge and would also find it difficult to keep their eyes on the benefactor. It was as if a long-since dormant part of their mind was screaming at them to run.

Alora would find her breathing and take a deep one. She had her eyes fixated on the benefactor despite the protest of her brain. His features were stunning. His chiseled jaw, his well-maintained and cared-for hair, and his eyes were so blue that Alora thought she could hop in a take a swim. Meanwhile, Mae would have her gaze averted. While she lacked the ability to ignore her brain like Alora, it did not mean that she was not also interested in who he was. With a breath, she closed her eyes and searched out for an electronic device on the benefactor. Finding one, she set about breaking in. Sam, meanwhile, also had his focus fixed on the benefactor. His look was more curious than Alora's. While he felt the same sensation as the rest, he could overlook it.

"You all must have questions that demand answers," the benefactor spoke with gravitas, "I intend to answer them in kind." The benefactor finished as he shifted his weight onto his cane.

[MagusDream]

Tristan Kingsley Parter

Location: 666 Mystic Lane, MA

Interactions: Xan (@Randomness), Ashe (@Timemaster), Alora and The Benefactor (@MagratheanWhale)

---

Drinks floated towards Tristan and the others who were the last to arrive. He'd seen too many "accidents" involving these drinks whenever he was around, so he opened it carefully. Once opened, he began to drink the soda calmly, while still paying attention to the room.

“Oh, yeah?” said Xan as he walked next to Tristan, “Could still be the house, given what we’ve just witnessed. Though, it doesn’t look like you guys were the meal, yeah? At least, not yet.”

@Randomness

"Meal...? What do you even mean?" Tristan asked Xan, as he was one of the few who had missed the timing on the house "eating" people to bring them inside.

" Chill down princess. It's magic. Haven't you seen any movies? Someone is flexing their magic muscles to show us they're the boss. Think about it, if they wanted us dead, we would be already. Have a drink and wait for it. Worst case scenario, hold tight to the couch. I can't promise where we'll end up but it'll be better than here. " said Ashe to Alora as she shouted.

@Timemaster

(She's already starting to nickname people... This can't be good.) Tristan thought, looking at Ashe. He already felt that she and him would definitely end up in trouble if somehow they were paired together.

"First, don't call me princess ever again," she paused as she flashed a finger. "Second, I haven't had magic long and I could not find even the smallest bit of information online about this magic. Forgive me if I seem amiss." Pausing again as she flashed two fingers. "Third, if wanted to hear your advice I would ask you for it." The third finger flew up as a dull thud could be heard. The noise was soft, almost rhythmic, and seemed to be coming from a far corner of the house. Anora paused as she turned her head back to the center of the room, back to the man, and back to the center of the room. "And fourth, and finally, why did the ghost stop sweeping?"

@MagratheanWhale

"... There was a *THUD* sound just now. I guess the host arrives to greet us." Tristan said to Alora.

With the house going bonkers as the *THUD* sounds grew closer and louder, he could only stand in anticipation. His prediction could be right in the money and the man... woman... whoever it was that summoned them was arriving just now. Normally, these sorts of events could be blamed on Tristan and his power, seemingly as if the curses that were being spread around were making this horror scene. But this time it wasn't. No curse was affecting the house. And then, just as he wondered...

BGM: The Forbidden Advent Garden: Salem (Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant)

"Welcome," the man's voice bellowed. It was deep, and his accent sounded almost English but mixed with something older. "We have much to discuss. You may call me the benefactor."

@MagratheanWhale

It didn't take long for the Benefactor to finally show himself to the group. Tristan looked at him and felt a shiver running down his spine as if the cold wind from the outside had extinguished all of the house's warmth. The man standing right in his front was no mere joke: he may look like a senior from a retirement house, but he had power enough to make the once moving objects stop and tremble. And not just the objects, the group was also paralyzed in fear. However, Tristan knew it was better than to be the first one to suggest running away. There was no escape, he was sure of it. Even if he tried to move away from that place, the Benefactor could bring him back in a blink of an eye. That was how much power he had in store, and it felt almost as if it wasn't even the beginning of it.

"..." Tristan breathed, grabbing his drink.

The second thing that Tristan felt from the Benefactor was related to his power: an absence of malevolent energy. Or, if not absent, it was very well hidden, to the point that he couldn't feel it. Whatever energy he had was nowhere near a curse. If it was, though, he wasn't able to absorb it. This sort of situation came as naturally as day and night, and yet... this was the first time and the first person in which Tristan's power wasn't working.

(Should I... feel safe around him? No, the fact he carries no malevolence can't be a good omen... or is he hiding it from me? I... this is so confusing. He's the first person I cannot feel anything. But why?) Tristan thought, in a mix of stupor and fright.

"You all must have questions that demand answers," the benefactor spoke with gravitas, "I intend to answer them in kind." The benefactor finished as he shifted his weight onto his cane.

@MagratheanWhale

His deep voice seemed to echo deeply inside his mind, enough to awaken him back to reality. He didn't know if the others had questions of their own, but he wasn't going to lose this opportunity to actually ask.

"How did you find all of us at once? What sort of... being are you to pull such a thing?" He asked.

[DELETED08740]

Jay

Wind. Technology. Well, if sentient houses that may or may not have ate people existed, then it hardly surprised Jay that more diverse domains of this... arcane influence existed. An uneasy sense of bitter irony welled up in Jay's stomach as she pondered on her own abilities, which Jay quickly stamped out. First, the house. Find those who got swallowed. Find out more about all this cult/collective hallucination/actual magic/magical cult. Then she could probably crawl into a corner and question her sanity.

Jay tapped her foot as she noticed the planks become more decrepit with each flicker of the light, the house becoming more and more hostile, more akin to what she had first seen outside. Was it growing impatient, or was it an illusion struggling to sustain itself? No matter - Jay was not to let her investigative proclivities root her at the entrance. Jay caught up to Mae and Sam with a few breezy strides, "Exciting, isn't it? A cannibal house~. Though won't houses eat planks if it was a cannibal?" She said, before catching herself in her usual non-sequitur. "I'm Jay, great to meet you all~. I can...sleep! Not really as exciting as you two."

She glanced backwards, with most of the crowd still hesitantly standing outside the house, and waved to them to show that she was fine. At least, for now.