Achronum

Harry Potter and the Alchemist's Quest - Discontinued

---

---

Artemis “Arty” Harrington

---

---

Location: Compartment 3
Magic: N/A

---

“Yes, ma’am!” Artie agreed to the trolley witch’s demands before immediately diving into the compartment, plopping down as close to the window as possible as he removed himself from further possible confrontation. Blimey, what a horribly exciting start to the year. Trust the snake gang to make everything totally topsy turvy before they even managed to make it to school. And Fae. Nice girl on most occasions but going absolutely mental only made the whole situation worse! The whole gryffindor/slytherin rivalry was so grody. But Artie had no doubt that Professor Flitwick would see it as a load of codswallop and Mary was only standing up to a bunch of tossers as a prefect should and they’d put the whole situation behind them. After all, they had the celestial ball to focus on and unpleasant business had no place anywhere near it.

When Mary asked, as any best friend should, Apollo about his dusty books, Artie groaned. She asked about his summer which was books and books and books and copying books and copying books and more reading and even hanging out with his totally kick ass twin turned into magical discussions. Not that he minded entirely but he would have loved to do more things outside and not school related, magical or otherwise, with a touch more frequency! So, although he may have been feeling… petty, Arty did his damnedest to keep his mouth shut.

Maybe.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Artie interjected before his brother steered it into academic territory. He may have played up the eagerness, more interested in getting rid of the sour mood the confrontation brought about. “Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaary, we have exciting news for them! Tell them about what we volunteered for! Tell them, tell them, tell them!” Artie bounced on the seat eagerly. “Actually, I’ll tell ‘em! I’m about to explode! Listen up, you wankers! Guess the pair in charge of planning the raddest Celestial Ball of the century! Mary and me! And that means, we’ll be taking inspiration for the bestest friend and twin too! Isn’t it totally tight?” He asked Georgina directly, practically begging for some positive attention about it.

Of Blood and Magic

Maddie watched out if the corner of her eye as the others nearby took their places. Lilie was bubbly and energetic though the nervous sort apparently. Adorably skittish. Aaron seemed energetic during their conversation but the pleased note in his voice disappeared after crossing paths with the one next to her. Max. But the real question was why would they record cinnamon? Ari had mentioned that the Sinnenodel mage was bred for royalty so that meant… She covered her mouth to muffle the laugh that escaped. She had to admire the guy's boldness; she was certain if any Sinnenodel found out about such a blatant display of disrespect, much less Varis Sinnenodel, they'd have the poor guy's head on a spike. If his vampire didn't get to him first after their social standing was destroyed. She'd stay clear of him but keep an eye on him at least. It should prove rather entertaining.

She didn't get much about Lilie's companion but he seemed pleasant enough. Not enough information to consider. Aaron seemed to know them all well enough. If they crossed paths again, she'd try and ask him about Lilie and their other neighbor, the Astorio mage. She barely knew anything about them but at least she had something in common with one out of three.

Maddie watched as Lilie’s partner didn’t wait for a guiding hand but rather reached out on his own. He seemed the proper sort, if not a little dreary, but that opinion very quickly disappeared as his hands roamed his mage’s face. That seemed rather forward for a public setting, blind or otherwise. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her face before. She averted her eyes, instead fixing her eyes forward before she could start drawing conclusions about the pair.

Her attention was brought back to the present situation as Amaris made her way down the line, a royal guard guiding her. The Countess had her eyes shut and Maddie shook her head. Ari was probably a little afraid to open her eyes and she couldn't blame her; losing your independence must be an awful experience after having it for so long, especially when pride is as natural to vampires as breathing is to mages. When the guard stopped in front of her, she reached out her hand and the guard guided Amaris' hand into it, gave a brief salute and went back to assist another.

It hadn't really hit Maddie yet but right now, looking at the blind vampire she was supposed to lead, the enormity of the situation hit her all ag once. There was a blind noble that she was supposed to guide and protect when she had a single arcane spell and enough life magic to mitigate a headache and she had to pass an exam. What a fantastic situation. She doubted Ari would be a handful. She was easy going and relaxed most of the time but what if she missed a root and face planted a noble? Accident or not, she could already imagine the outrage from others. Ari probably wouldn't be upset but what an embarrassment it would be. All the ways she could mess this up ran through her head but she took a deep breath and exhaled.

Those were later problems. They had some now problems to handle and handle that she would. She gently pulled Amaris closer so she could keep her out of the next guard's way. "Stay close to me, Countess. We don't need you getting trampled." Maddie said, gently guiding Amaris with gentle touches to her side as if they were dancing so her back was to the forest. "Just so you're aware, Lilie and her partner are next to us and Aaron Starag one over from here. I'm sure their partners will be here shortly." Maddie wanted to keep Amaris as aware of the situation as possible, knowing she couldn't tell who was nearby. "Did you have a way you wanted to handle your condition or would you prefer I figure it out?"

Interacting with: @WeepingLiberty

The Gifted - Concluded

---

---

Beta Team

---

---

Members: Negasonic, Spirit Box, Colossus, Glimpse, Caduceus, Blink
Location: the Lab -> Elevator Room -> Mutant Underground Hideout / Hallway #2
Skills: Mediumship, Telepathy

---

Casper didn't really know what to say - nothing seemed appropriate. He could have cracked some sort of joke or maybe he might have had the realization that no matter what happened, he would still be able to talk to Glimpse any time he wanted to. He didn't know how to comfort James, having no idea what had happened. James seemed to have force healed Glimpse, like he was the mutant version of Baby Yoda. "It's probably for the best," Ben said, breaking the silence even though only Casper could hear him. "There's only room for one snarky bitch in the afterlife - me."

"Kurt, it is good to see you," Colossus said softly, picking up his old teammate gingerly. It might have been the shock or maybe it was from all of the drugs Sinister and Shaw had pumped through Nightcrawler's system, but he didn't seem to be able to move at the moment. Even in his steel form, he could still feel the fuzziness of the blue elf's fur - though a fair portion of it was matted with blood.

"Everyone out, move it then - Glimpse, why don't you hold onto that bomb?" Negasonic said, trying her best to look expressionless but she couldn't help but be a little bit happy that Glimpse was okay. She pretended to be tough as nails, but she was a marshmallow at her core. "I'll blow this place. Glimpse can flag down one of the teleporters, get the mutants out of here."

Casper bit his lip slightly. "James?" he said quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Do you... Never mind, I'm going to help you walk out of here, okay? You can lean on me, I don't use Axe body spray or anything so I don't smell awful like my brother does."

James head was still fuzzy but the mention of the other mutants drew his attention away from his hands and to the door. He was so fixated on a teammate dying, he left them behind with... Casper. Casper was here. Casper was someone he knew. He disentangled himself from Glimpse hug, trying really, really hard not to get more blood on her. There was already so much blood. Why did people have so much blood? He couldn't help pressing his hand against where the stab wound had been, just to ground himself a little. She was okay, everyone was okay. He took a shakey breath and he pushed to his feet, using Casper as leverage when his legs shook.

"Thank you." He croaked out, words difficult right now. Though, he fixated on the axe comment. Jack used Axe? Scentless stuff was better. "Axe is gross. Tell him to try something better." James muttered, taking Casper's offer to lean on him as he walked slowly out of the lab.

Luna nodded at James, a confirmation that yes, they had to go and yes, she was okay. Thanks to him. She managed to get to her feet, grabbing the bomb as Negasonic instructed and nodded. "On it," she agreed and looked back at Colossus who had picked up Nightcrawler. "You got him okay?" she asked before turning and headed for the door with the others. She would enjoy a conversation with the X-Men mutant later on. The rapid change of dying and then being thrown back into the mission gave Luna a bit of a head rush and she had to keep her focused narrowed. One foot at a time. It was good that James's healing capabilities was more advanced or she wasn't sure she would be able to walk right now, especially from all the blood loss. She made it for the hallway, following behind James and Casper to the main chamber.

"Da, Miss Braddock," Colossus confirmed. He moved towards the front of the group, not because he felt an urgent need to leave or that he had some sense of self importance, but because he was the most combat capable member with Negasonic hanging behind to blow up the lab. Glimpse had nearly died and James had exhausted his reserves healing her. Casper was... well, Casper.

Casper continued to support James, hearing some loud noises that must have been from another group's fight. "What body spray should I tell him to get?" he asked James, hoping it would keep his mind off of everything that had just happened. He would have offered him some drugs, that always helped him to focus on something else, but he didn't have any on him thanks to Jack. It wasn't too long before they emerged into the circular room, seeing the victimized mutants still there.

There was then a gigantic !!!BOOM!!! as Negasonic did what she did best - demolitions. She emerged from the smoke and rubble a moment later, looking like she just crawled out of hell. "Lab is dead."

"Its so extra. Just use deodorant like a normal person." James muttered. The shock was wearing off, the exhaustion turning his muscles weak and he had to lean a little more on Casper. Apparently, pushing himself like that was exhausting even if he hadn't done anything other than piece Glimpse back together. The thought of her sent a spike of panic through him. What if someone else hurt and he didnt see? What if someone else was bleeding out and he missed it? He made a quick head count, to tired to jump at the explosion and only satisfied once he saw Negasonic come back.

"At least these guys are behaving. James sighed. James rested his head on Casper's shoulder. "We're getting them out next, right? I need a fucking shower."

Luna looked over the mutants as well, happy to see that other than being shaken from being trapped in a lab, that they were all right. She heard noises from the other hallways the rest of the Underground went down and hoped they were fairing well. She heard the great bomb, confirmation that Negasonic had done her job and done it well by the looks of her when she emerged. Luna shut her eyes and tried reaching out to Magik and Blink. She was having zero luck with Magik but on the third push managed to link with Blink. When your hands are free, we have a group of mutants who could use a portal out of here. Luna breathed out, relieved she got her message across and looked at the others. "I contacted Blink so hopefully she will be here soon."

"I don't know about a fucking shower, but Jackie's apartment has a shower shower in it," Casper offered up. His brother had an office/apartment in D.C., since he ran a business as a private investigator. Unlike the rest of the Morlocks, Jack actually had a place to call home beyond the sewers. And from what he had seen of the new Mutant Underground hideout, it didn't strike him as the sort of place with running water. Though the more he thought about it, the more the idea of a hot steamy shower was enticing.

Blink then popped on through a portal. "Alright, portal to base coming up," she said, throwing a portal out that opened up in the Mutant Underground hideout. "Quickly if you can, I have to go send someone else to the Savage Land."

James chuckled weakly at the joke but nodded his understanding to Blink. "Let's get going then. I feel like I've been hit by a truck." James said, stumbling through the portal. There were others who could get them settled. James really just needed to be anywhere but here; he needed the blood off and he needed to put some space between him and everything that just happened. The jokes were helpful but some physical separation would be nice.

"Thank you for helping me. Just let me know if I'm too heavy or something." James offered Casper a weary smile. "Colossus, do you know where we're setting these guys up?"

"Nyet. I believe dining room will do for now."


Casper went through the portal with James, supporting him as best as he could. "I think we can stay here," he told him softly. "You've done enough today."

Luna looked over at James and Capser, listening into their conversation while she waited for Blink. "I could give you the key card to my hotel as well if you need it but Casper's idea might work," she noted. When she had first arrived in D.C. she had gotten a hotel room and had it paid up for a month. She was going to have to work free for her father for awhile. Blink showed and Luna looked at the mutants. "Don't worry, it's safe on the other side and there will be a few people on the other side to greet you, give you some food and shelter until we all get out of here," Luna encouraged them. She wouldn't be leaving with the others though, she would be setting off the bomb in this very room once everyone else had done the task of destroying their hallways and saving mutants. Although, she very much wished she could shower as well and get this blood soaked t-shirt off.

"Shut up - you have a hotel?" Negasonic said instantly. She supposed that it made sense. Glimpse wasn't like anyone else in the Mutant Underground - she didn't need to be there. She didn't have to wonder about where she was going to sleep or what she was going to eat. Negasonic wouldn't have been surprised if Glimpse announced that she had been an intern for the Avengers at one point.

"Language, Negasonic," Colossus scolded, as the freed mutants slowly made their way through the portal, appearing in the dining room. They'd have to figure out what to do with all of them later, as they still needed to finish trashing this facility and ensuring that Sinister and Shaw couldn't hurt another mutant soul like this again. "Kurt, I will return for you - rest, please," he pleaded to his friend, going through the portal and lying Nightcrawler down on the table, before reentering where the others were.

"You three, in or out, what's it going to be?" Blink asked Glimpse, Negasonic, and Colossus. She was holding the portal to the Mutant Underground hideout open for now, but she really needed to get back to the others in her group.

"Stay safe, please." James said to the group staying behind with Blink. He was more than a little uneasy letting Glimpse out of his sight but Casper's offer of a shower really kept his attention. He waved at them and then turned his attention back to Casper. "Let's find Feedback. She can take care of these guys. Hopefully, that offer of a shower is still valid."

Luna nodded at Negasonic. "When I first arrived I didn't come to the Underground right away. I had to meet up with the professor and then get my barrings of the task I was given as well as the city," she explained. Luna looked at Blink. "I believe we are staying. I have a bomb made to blow up the main area here once we are all out of her. I'll need your assistance then so we can get out of here quickly but we still have to finish destroying some of the other rooms," Luna informed Blink. She looked at Colossus who returned and gave James a reassuring smile before he and Casper disappeared. Back to work.

"Then come on, we've got Riptide to handle," Blink told Glimpse. She opened a portal and ran on through it, leaving it open for Glimpse to follow her as well.

"Negasonic and I will destroy other rooms and hallways," Colossus told Glimpse. "Go. Help others."

Of Blood and Magic

“My apologies, Princess. I was out of line. Good evening.” Varis said cooly. Varis’ temper snapped but he swallowed his next outburst at Ryner’s threat. He could feel his hands tremble as he gave her a short bow and stalked off to one of the lines, ignoring Victor completely. He wasn’t surprised the Astorio couldn’t grasp the severity of the situation. They weren’t known for their intelligence. Savages, all of them.

Varis took his place at the back of a line, staring holes into the mage assigned to stripping him of his senses. Ryner had all but slapped him in the face, treating him as if he was some common noble for her to shove around and threatening his reputation with his Lady despite mostly knowing how serious the consequences were. And recommending he speak to the head of the royal guard and general of the Council’s forces? She was out of her mind. No one questioned Nox about her decisions and policies and found themselves in an agreeable conversation. He may as well stab himself in the foot for all the good that would do.

Nerves and helplessness were a poor combination for Varis’ attitude and with every vampire lead away, the worse the dark cloud over his head got. If Ryner thought this was going to be settled so easily, she had another thing coming.

Pointedly ignoring [@ReuseableSword]

---

Madalyn Vazquez

“Hollyfield won. Rijker lost her focus and her evocation spells lost a bit of their punch. Not to say Hollyfield came out too great. Broke a leg on a bad landing but by then, Rijker was practically out of steam and Hollyfield knocked her head first into the dome. Out like a light after that.” Maddie shivered at the thought of hitting her head hard enough on anything to knock her out. She hadn’t missed the little spark of light on his fingertips and the gears in her head started to spin. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and light magic. She had a suspicion but she’d have her confirmation soon enough. “If Rijker hadn’t gone down with that, I think Hollyfield would have forfeited. He lost all of his mobility and that was what kept him competitive the whole game. But it worked out in the end for him.” It was fun talking to him about this, her idea about his identity aside. She’d kept her distance from the rest of the student body since classes started while she figured out her place in this whole mess. She was a little concerned that she was a third mage in the Marivaldi dorm and she didn’t want to make the wrong friends if she was just going to be torn away from her new home soon.

She turned her attention away from her companion when a flash of white caught her attention. A girl ahead of them was pointing at the names nearby but what held her attention was the pure white hair. It was really pretty and Maddie wondered if it was dyed. It had to be, right? The chances of it being that color at this age were practically nonexistent. When she saw her name near where the girl was standing, she was tempted to ask her about it but she opted against it. If it was a sore point, she’d come across as incredibly rude and that would be a terrible first impression. She looked down the line, seeing only Lilie Dionne, Aaron Starag, and Salem Spellman left. She hadn’t seen where the girl in white, Lilie, pointed at her companion but it definitely confirmed her hunch. Now if only she could remember what Ari said about him and his vampire. She only remembered he served a Sinnenodel, of all houses, and that definitely put her on edge but he was also just as into the League as she was and it would be nice to have someone to talk to about it consistently. “Well, it seems this is me. Thank you for the conversation. Since we’re in the same cul-de-sac, maybe we can watch the next one together? That way, you could see it on something bigger than a computer monitor.”

Interacting with @Obscene Symphony; Admiring @Hero

Of Blood and Magic

_{Time: 11:15 - Staging Grounds}

“You forget your place, Count Varis. While I may afford you a free tongue out of consideration of our professional relationship, you are currently under my authority as both the heir to the throne and the headmistress of this Academy. If you wish to continue abusing your privileges, I have no problem revoking them.” Ryner’s voice was low enough that only the two vampires could hear and her smile never left her face. “As for your concerns, you needn’t worry. Like Count Victor said, Princes Nox hand selected the personnel who cleared our area for the exercise today, although she is not personally present, and if that fails to satisfy you, I recommend you forward any further complaints about the security to her. I trust that conversation will be absolutely delightful. For the time being however, you will participate as intended.” Ryner raised her voice for the next part, making sure she was heard by everyone nearby. Not that it was difficult; most vampires had focused their hearing in an attempt to catch the Princess’ rebuttal.

“In the event you do refuse, I’ll have no choice but to fail your mage. Since you share this grade, this means I’ll be assigning you a failing grade as well, Count Varis. I doubt your Lady would be pleased with that result.” Ryner patted him on the shoulder comfortingly. “Now that we’ve settled that issue, please take your place among your classmates. Enchantments will be going out in a few moments. Good luck to the both of you.” She turned to overlook the assembled vampires, scanning the crowd and stepping forward.

“I’m sure many of you share the same concerns that Count Sinnenodel just shared with me. This is probably the first time since your childhood that you’ve had to rely on anyone so completely and nerves are understandable. However, your partner here at the Academy isn’t just anyone. This is someone who you will come to rely on more and more as your relationship with them develops, just as they’ll come to rely on you. It’s only been a few short months since you’ve met but I have no doubt that your mage will treat you with the same dignity and respect you’ve shown them.” Ryner beamed at the vampires. “This is just the first in a long line of trust exercises you’ll participate in order to grow closer to your mage, develop an appreciation for their support, and cultivate a deeper understanding of their skills, magical and otherwise. Now, without further ado, let’s start preparations for the practical!” A line of mages stepped forward, including Professor Hayes, in a neat row in front of the vampires. Royal and Academy guards stood ready to escort the vampires to their mages.

“Entem Vera Ambudatio.” Manuel murmured to himself before clearing his throat. The sound filled the entire clearing effortlessly, rising above any ambient noises so everyone could hear his voice. “Welcome to the First Year Practical Exam for the Dark Eyes Spell! I am your head proctor, Dr. Manuel Arjin. Some of you already know me from our thrilling Spell Theory classes and to those I haven’t had the pleasure of teaching, hello! The primary purpose of this exam is to test your mastery of the Dark Eyes spell. Once every vampire has been escorted to their mage, you will be teleported into the forest and expected to find your way back using the spell to read the instructions along the way. Even with guiding your partner, the task is simple enough which is why successfully exiting the forest is only 80% of the grade.” Manuel said cheerily. “Inside the forest, you’ll come across additional riddles and challenges that can also only be uncovered with the Dark Eyes spells. They’re quite fun, if I do say so myself! Successfully completing one of these challenges will add an additional 5% to your grade up to 110%. Mages, your partner will be an invaluable resource in solving these but you’ll have to gauge your magical stamina carefully. Focus too much on the challenges and you may find yourself unable to escape!”

Now, vampires! Please form a single file line in front of any of the mages standing before you. While under it the enchantment, your vision will remain dark and your capacity to judge distance and direction will be compromised. You will need to rely completely on your mage; otherwise, you may find yourself lost and if your mage returns without you, your team will be assigned a failing grade.” Manuel explained as he gestured for the mages to start casting. “As the enchantment is cast, you may feel a mildly uncomfortable tingling in your eyes and ears followed by a momentary bout of dizziness. Do not be alarmed. This is normal and it will fade within a few minutes. In addition, a pendant will be placed around your neck. Do not, at any time or for any reason, take this off. It is a special focus that will allow our Summoning specialists to call you and your partner back from the forest in the event you fail to complete the practical within the allotted six hours. Now mages if you would be so kind as to quickly find your places, we are set to begin a little early which means a few minutes of extra time for you! The first few vampires were already haltingly making their way across to the mages even as the guards expertly maneuvered them around a few rougher spots.

Max, Maddie, Lilie, Aaron, and Salem would find their names furthest from the vampires along the line in that order.

Harry Potter and the Alchemist's Quest - Discontinued

---

---

Artemis “Arty” Harrington

---

---

Location: The Hallway -> Compartment 3
Magic: N/A

---

Oh bullocks. Everything was totally chill not even five minute past and now everythings gone pear shaped! Merula’s gang, the posers, turned any and every pleasant situation into a shambolic mockery of it all. They acted like a bunch of cornish pixies, taking the piss out of any bloke unlucky enough to cross their paths. Well if taking the piss was all they did, then maybe the bloke was lucky. Arty shivered at a few of the worse memories he had of their little gang leader. There really was no lucky when it came to Merula Snyde, the tosser she was.

But he turned his attention back to the present. The sooner this was all over, the sooner they could have a kickin' time. “Come on guys. Just give her your names and we’ll wash our hands of this whole mess. Any miscommunications can be cleared up with your head of house afterwards, right?. Professor Flitwick will totally understand once you explain it to him, Mary.” Arty pleaded, silently asking for support from Madalyn since she was the senior prefect here. It was absolute rubbish that he was already getting in these situations. Why couldn’t he have the ride to hogwarts to enjoy? They’d been with muggles their whole summer! He just wanted to have fun with his friends. He barely kept the pout off his face at the utter injustice of it all.

ＦＩＮＡＬ ＦＡＮＴＡＳＹ Ｘ｜Ｖ： Ｔｈｅ Ｂｌｅｓｓｅｄ Ｔｗｅｌｖｅ

Well, all’s well that ends well! With a successful first venture under their belts, Kajin was more than happy to scurry out of the Thanalan sun and clambered up into the carriage. A bath sounded fantastic and lunch… His stomach audibly appreciated that but Kajin was far too excited to care. He was bouncing in his seat the entire ride, watching E-Siri excitedly hang out of the carriage. He chuckled to himself at the view: a Padjal, a highly respected member of the Gridannia community, taking in the sights like a boy on his namesday. He imagined they would be scandalized; Kajin thought it was endearing.

Admittedly, Kajin was just as excited as the Goblet approached. He’d heard stories of how beautiful it was but housing there was both inordinately expensive and selective so he’d never had an opportunity to explore. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped at the splendor of the place. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think he was in the richer districts of Ul’dah herself. It was everything he heard and more and he wanted to live here forever. He knew his family was attached to their place in Drybone but… he was going to have a place here of his own if it killed it him.

He was so absorbed in his surroundings that he barely noticed Lyveva call a halt to the carriage but she had his attention when she mentioned an orphan. He frowned. As much as his family got on each other’s nerves, he couldn’t imagine not having them. He’d probably die if he was cut off from them. A little pang of sympathy pulled at his chest and he was going to volunteer when E-Siri popped out of the carriage like an arrow from a bow and he wasn’t going to lose his prime resera- new friend so quickly. Kajin clambered out of the carriage after him and propped his hands on his hips.

“Well, what are we waiting for! Let’s gather up the rambunctious kid before he hurts himself. The Twelve only know what mischief I could get up to here. Could have I mean, definitely past tense.” Kajin giggled and started heading off in a directon before pausing. “Follow up question. Where is the Brimming Heart?”

Of Blood and Magic

“While I appreciate your ill advised attempt to offer comfort in these trying hours Count Astorio,” Varis snapped, turning away from Ryner for a moment. “This lunacy is an affront to our way of life! We fought wars just to sign into effect the very pillar that supports our entire society and here we are making an absolute mockery of it. We wield our authority, shoulder our responsibility, and uphold our obligations because we are stronger than them. Our image must stay strong, resolute, and infallible and stripping us of the basic means to maintain our awareness is the exact opposite of doing so. I’m not suggesting I sit this out; rather, I’d like to actually see may mage in the process of his struggles so I know where to shore up his shortcomings. There are bound to be plenty. I’d rather not be at the mercy of them. Varis scoffed in disbelief.

“What are you doing? He asked. Why in the world would Victor wear something too long just to roll it up here. What was the point? Meanwhile, Ryner hid a laugh behind a poorly disguised cough at Victor’s teasing but Varis missed it now that Victor was the target of his ire.

@ReusableSword

---

Madalyn Vazquez

Maddie turned at the tap, confusion turning to a polite smile as he asked about the match. She took the time to look him over, noting the quality of clothes and the way he held himself. Clearly not someone cut off the common cloth. “That’s too bad. They had us on the edge of our seats.” Maddie shook her head at the memory. “I was certain they would hit overtime. They traded blows at the beginning, the usual testing the defenses, but Rijker broke out of that earlier than normal and nearly covered the entire arena with fire. It was intense.” Maddie shook her head at the memory, her jaw hitting the floor at the display of raw potential.

“Of course, Hollyfield took to the sky. You could see him sweating but he kept trying to blow holes in the fire but Rijker wasn’t having any of it. She’d bring it back as fast as he could blow it out. It seemed like a bit of a stalemate until Hollyfield tried touching down and an arcane lance came hurtling out of the flames! Apparently, no one noticed Rijker holding like ten or twelve of them in the fires. She’d been placing them everytime she brought back the cover fire!” Maddie chuckled at the memory. The magical stamina that must have taken was incredible. “So we all think Holyfield’s done for. I mean, he can’t land long enough to get his bearings and he must be exhausted between the heat at the top of the dome and the drain on his magic but suddenly,” Maddie paused for a moment, leaning in. Her normal passive personality fell away the longer she talked, the adrenaline from the match coming back.

“All of it disappeared. Just gone. In the blink of an eye. No fire, no traps, nothing. Maddie chuckled. “Apparently, Hollyfield learned a new trick since his last match. He neutralized everything at one time and while Rijker was trying to process it, Hollyfield dive bombed her from thirty feet. Nearly had her too but she managed to deflect the brunt of it. The crowd was going absolutely wild.” Maddie shook her head. “Did you not at least record it so you can watch it tonight? I watched it live and I still did.”

@Obscene Symphony

Of Blood and Magic

To say Varis was displeased with this turn of events would be an understatement. The second he discovered what participating in this inane mage assessment required, he’d nearly marched over to Ryner’s office and gave her a piece of his mind. Leave a vampire blind in the hands of a mage? The commoners were understandable. They infested this sad excuse of an establishment and could be replaced as easily as rats but the nobles? She collected the irreplaceable ones and now had the audacity to send them stumbling about in the middle of the night when their mages couldn’t see the tip of their noses? No matter that’s the point of the exercise. The fact still remained, the boy would be in charge of his safety and Varis was barely ready to let him be in charge of his correspondence, much less this.

On the bus he wanted nothing to do with anyone so where he would have normally invited Eris to sit, he sat Aaron on the outside and refused any sort of interaction. He kept himself together in public, even as he still wanted to murder, and focused instead on how to handle the situation with Ryner. She’d probably politely “insist” that he accept it because everyone else has to. Varis would tell her that was unacceptable because not everyone else was a noble and had a hand in council matters. Anything that resulted in his injury would ultimately reflect poorly on her tenfold considering the situation during revel. That’d be his angle. She couldn’t use some second rate news broadcast to hide anything happening to him and he’d make sure to remind her of that. As if Varis was going to rely onthe boy of all people.

But Varis was prepared for the inevitable. As he expected, the royal dogs planned on magically searching each of the students and right after the boy was done, Varis immediately offered his phone to the inspector. “Don’t bother. Just take it.” Varis snapped as the man took it, stashed it away, and put his hand out in front of Varis before he could leave. Varis gave the man a look that would have killed anyone else but he continued with his job without batting an eye. It wouldn't be the first time handling an upset noble. He had children at home too.

“Compass, map, and pen light please.” The guard held out his hand. Varis’ jaw worked as he reached into his coat and pulled out the pen light, pulled the compass out of his pant pocket, and lifted his pant leg to fetch the map he’d folded so carefully out of his sock. He stormed past the guards and off the bus, furious that his ploy to get through this nightmare as quickly as possible was ruined, and scoffed at the words being blasted from a megaphone. Herding vampires around rather than mages? What a disgrace to vampire kind. These other sheep may be perfectly content being at their mage’s mercy but Varis would rather take a long walk at dawn than let any of them lead him anywhere.

Ryner caught his eye and he stormed through the crowd, not bothering with avoiding people as he made his way through. She was making conversation with some nobody as if she wasn’t practically sentencing him to death and that just riled him up more. He made little effort quieting his approach and Ryner broke off the conversation with a sigh when he snapped her name.

“Do you really expect me to think I’m safe after your little slip up during Revel? You want to put vampires, the nobles, and me at the mercy of mages barely even trained in their magic when for all we know there could be another deraigned killer on the loose. Varis snapped, having at least the forethought to keep his voice down despite the situation. “I will not allow this nonsense to happen to me while the security of your campus is in question! They’ve had their magic and actual training for a few months! Vampires are the superior race― our entire body of law revolves around that particular concept, in case you’ve forgotten―and here we are, surrendering ourselves to the whim of mages? I will not be made to look like a fool, Princess, so you’ll either wave my need for this enchantment or cancel this whole thing all together, do you understand?”

---

Madalyn Vazquez

Sleep did not come easily that day. What if she lost Ari somewhere in the woods? What if she got tired, ran out of magic, and had to forfeit the exam? Why was she being put in charge of a vampire’s safety so early on? She was a life mage. She didn’t really come with the skills necessary to escape a forest. Sleep came to her in bursts at first but eventually, she succumbed to sleep and resumed her normal routine of snoozing at least the first three alarms. There was definitely a process to her waking up and the sinking feeling in her stomach wasn’t making it any easier for her to face the day.

But eventually, she couldn’t ignore the alarms any longer and she hauled herself out of bed, stumbling into the kitchen where―and thank the Queen for whoever had the foresight to give them this―the preprogrammed coffee maker already had a pot of coffee waiting for her. She pulled out her favorite mug, poured herself a cup, added a healthy dose of cream and cinnamon, and leaned against the counter for a second while her brain caught up with the morning. She made sure to hurry up, being a little behind schedule, and launched herself through her morning routine. She picked out warmer clothes: A thick long sleeved shirt, pair of insulated pants, a plain jacket, a pair of sturdy hiking boots, gloves, and a scarf. When she shopped, she aggressively went for plain and nondescript in her clothing. She had no intention of standing out and only wore the nicer pieces that caught her eye to places that she felt comfortable with the people she was with. She tucked her focus into it's sheath and attached it firmly to her hip. Hopefully, she wouldn't need it but it was better to have ti on hand just in case.

“I wonder if it would look bad to have something confiscated.” Maddie thought out loud to herself. She really wanted another cup of coffee and she did bring a thermos but she wasn’t sure how far away the grounds were and leaving a half full thermos of coffee would be kind of gross. So, with a sigh, she opted against it. She left with Ari and trudged onto the bus, taking the seat next to the Countess. “This is more than a little nerve wracking.” She said softly to the Countess as the bus pulled away from the school. A name caught her attention, a fighter from the most recent Titan match. Another pair next to them was talking about the move one of the fire mages pulled, hiding a nasty evocation spell beneath the fire they started, that nearly won them the match when the air mage launched himself over top of it. Maddie listened in intently, adding her own piece or two when it felt appropriate.

When the bus stopped and it came time to seperate, she squeezed Ari’s hand discreetly before they stood. “I’ll see you soon.” She said as she followed the mage she was talking with on the bus ride. They kept up a conversation about the match, grabbing their bags and hand warmers before they split up looking for their names.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: The Mutant Underground's New HQ
Skills: N/A

---

---

James watched things unfold and calm… down? Apparently Ben could do something but he probably got into something over his head by Casper’s reaction. Watching Casper lash out at whatever entity was bothering him was an odd sight but if that’s what it took to make him feel better, then who was he to question it. James watched with just a prickle of satisfaction as they booted Vulcan out of their immediate area. He was loathe to think of what the savage lands were though. They mentioned somewhere in South America earlier but he really didn’t have a point of reference. Hopefully, it was far enough away that he wouldn’t be making his way back anytime soon. He turned his attention to Viel when she spoke about the mission.

Shit around this place got serious real fast didn’t it? Ever since coming here, it had been a non-stop action packed adventure and while that sounded like a great time, James would like to chill for a few days. Even if they still had stuff to do, nothing life threatening would be nice for a while. He wouldn’t even be upset if it was just a day at this point. Ever since he got caught up with Max and Sunshine, it had been a rollercoaster and only one of them was still on the same ride. He refocused on the mission, putting those thoughts well aside because they didn’t have time to unpack all that, and nodded his understanding at the group assignments.

A suicide mission, huh? Well, good thing Colossus and Negasonic were there. He felt more comfortable with the heavy hitters around. James could hold himself decently in a fight and Casper was a really clever dude but neither of them could clear a room or take a few bullets if they needed to. And Glimpse he hadn’t really had the opportunity to get to know so she was kind of a wild card for him. All things considered, James felt that their chances of survival were pretty good. At least, he hoped they were.

James stepped through the portal and cocked his head curiously at Cayden. “Viel said the job is both. Rescue the captives and destroy the lab.” James reiterated Veil’s comment for him. James bounced on his heels a little, ready to get going. Hopefully, Veil’s warnings that not everyone may come back turned out to be wrong.