Estylwen

Iris Ascendis

Ciara Ventura

Wingram Academy, Girls' Dorm Rooftops and Grounds
@Nanaya

---

"They say the gift of a perfect red leaf on the first day of spring brings good luck."

She simply stared at the gift, admiring it, before glancing with a confused expression at the janitor. This... was for her?

She couldn't remember a time when someone had given something to her of their own volition.

"...Thank you." She said, an awestruck note in her tone as she held the leaf in her hands. It really did shine in the light, not a single imperfection.

"Are you... busy tomorrow? I uh, I... I got into a fight." She said, avoiding his glance, instead busying herself with setting the leaf between the blank pages of her conjured Adapa.

Her lips pursed before speaking again. "It would be nice... if someone was on my side when it goes down."

She glanced at Michael as the Adapa shut, disappearing into thin air. "I usually fight on my own, but... it's the first time I've had to fight... someone I... admired."

She swallowed painfully, straightened up, and gave the janitor a polite bow. "Sorry."

It wouldn't do to bother him with her troubles. No one deserved that, even if he was more than he seemed.

After that, she dismissed herself, finding the remainder of her items. By the time she placed the last stone in her satchel, her stomach rumbled with normal hunger. Back-tracking through the grounds of Wingram, Ciara looked for signs of food. Surely, they had something set up for the students on their first day.

She passed by the red buildings, the plaza, and the bridge. There were scorch marks in certain areas that she didn't remember existing the first time she flew through here. The fighting outside must had been quite intense.

The warm smell of sweetened apples wafted through the air, and Ciara's eyes turned to the red buildings.

Oh, of course. The same buildings where the chef Mannekin had emerged from and ganged up on her and Otis. Of course the cafeteria was here. The cooking utensils made sense now. Ciara had to stifle a dry smirk, thinking of Gulliver's multi-level battle, as she made her way towards the buildings. Inside, she could see food being prepared. Out of the wide assortment, she took some simple provisions: soup, bread, and cheese.

A few moments later, she was sitting against the wall of her little hideaway on the rooftop of the Girls' Dormitory, a crackling fire in front of her. The soup was finished, and she chewed on the bread, feeling her hunger ease into a happy satisfaction.

Every bite, her hunger lessened.

Every mouthful, she felt something like relief.

Half-baked relief that painted her other Hunger in disgusting hues of need.

She took another biteful, and felt a raging fire, an empty pit in her stomach that would never, ever be satisfied with food like this.

A black, aching pit that never ceased its screaming in her mind, day in, day out.

She took another bite, staring at the sky blankly, ignoring the tears rolling down her cheeks.

---

It was some time later when the fire had died down, her glass bottles filled and stitched into the inside of her jacket. Her eyes were still red from her tears, and she struggled to keep them open. She took her blanket and pillow, curled on her side, and tried to sleep.

"Ma'am... you're going to sleep outside tonight?" A light, whispery voice spoke in her mind. The Adapa.

"I slept outside last night. Don't really see a difference."

"But you have a soft bed waiting for you downstairs."

Ciara was silent at that, still refusing to move.

The Adapa paused before speaking in her mind again. "Ma'am?"

"Yes?"

"It would be best not to let your pride get in the way of a good night's sleep. You're going to need your rest for tomorrow."

"Who said I was being prideful?"

"Why do you want to sleep outside by yourself?"

"I..." Ciara stammered, at a loss for words. "I don't want to get talked out of this fight. I don't want Hildegunde to smother my anger."

"What's the real reason...?"

"I... if I see Iraleth- how can I hurt the light..."

"Now. Ma'am. What would happen if you backed out?"

"I'd have to... I'd-" She instinctively flinched, her mind clouding with fear.

The Adapa tried to hush her, creating a calming sensation in her mind. "You're not going to back down, and you won't be talked out of this. You've made up your mind, haven't you?"

Ciara took a moment before she nodded, her eyes resolute.

"Then there's no fear on you if you sleep in your proper bed tonight, Ma'am."

Ciara considered the Adapa's words for a long, long moment, the wind rustling through the grounds below before she finally sighed.

"Fine."

Moments later, her items, blanket, and pillow, were wrapped under her arm. With her free hand, she withdrew the key for room 07. She stood silently in the hallway, steeling herself, before entering the shared dorm room softly. What Iraleth and Hildegunde would say, or think, Ciara was ready.

Nothing would talk her out of fighting for her life tomorrow.

Iris Ascendis

I have a question. :o How does feeding all the students at Wingram work?

Edit: (The banner on the first page really does look lovely.)

The Dark Beyond

@Lexisheeps Sounds good! And don't worry, I do the same-

The Dark Beyond

New post is up! :)

The Dark Beyond

HiveMind Underwater Research Facility, Abandoned Maintenance Rails

@WhiteAngel25

---

Indeed it was as Stella said. Not too far from them, below the grate of the air ducts, a security technician stood in the hallway, on duty, making his rounds. He checked his watch, awaiting shift change that would cue his turn for a break. The keys to the prisoners patients' compliance collars jingled as he turned, eyeing another guard approaching to relieve him.

In the maintenance sector, Stella spoke. "We're going to get Nick out and get that collar off your neck. As soon as they finish making their rounds."

Subject #3 nodded, pushing her silver hair away from her face as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding as they sat. Something felt off. Surely, she should feel relieved since Stella got what she needed to help Nick be 'himself.' Especially after everything the doctor had done to him.

Surely, right?

As they sat against the railing of their uncharted area of the research facility, the light flashed a bright white before shorting out, plunging their world into darkness.

No sounds except their breathing. The tinkle of water hitting a cement floor. Echoes of what remained of a haunting, dust-covered maintenance sector.

Then, a single red eye opened in the darkness.

"H-...hell-O?"

Its laser eye moved forward, cutting swaths of red into the darkness, scanning, searching.

"Are you th-ERE?"

The red eye slowly moved forward, approaching their area. Subject #3 held a hand over her mouth, shivering against Stella as the thing approached closer. This was the first time something had come into the abandoned maintenance area. She didn't know how it knew, or if it was just a stray AI machine with a strange directive, but she could guess only one thing - they were running out of time to remain unnoticed in the oppressive underwater facility.

Below in the hallway, the two security technicians exchanged a few words before one urged the other to take some rest. In a few moments, the guard with the keys would walk down the hall and turn the corner, out of sight of any other employees and off-guard for the 30 seconds it would take to reach the breakroom. Stella's window of opportunity had maybe a few precious minutes left before it would shut closed for another 12 hours.

---

Hivemind Underwater Research Facility, Contained Lab

@Lexisheeps

---

There was a long, drawn-out silence as the doctor chuckled to himself. A long, heavy silence.

Then, a string of beeps as the code to the lab's security door was unlocked. In stepped a man in a dark business suit, tie a striking red. The doctor would recognize him as a division above his own in the HiveMind hierarchy - an Internal Affairs officer. He walked in, two other officers following close behind with their heavy frames blocking the hallway light at the frame of the door, hands clasped loosely in front of them.

"Sir?" The leading officer asked, his voice deep and gravely. "You've been requested. Please, follow me."

Requested. By the IA officers, no less. If something like this was happening, they would only be interested in a few key things. Hush-hush things when there was loose talk around the employee breakrooms. If people spoke too much about their request orders, they quickly found themselves relocated, or worse...

The two officers behind the one who spoke shuffled lightly on their feet, eyes staring down the doctor, watching every movement carefully. It seemed they were used to employees trying to run or evade them.

A nurse and two security drones would slide in behind the IA officers, and the nurse, her face friendly and warm, would approach the doctor.

"You needn't worry. I will ensure your patient remains stable and on schedule while you meet their request."

There was warmth and genuineness in her eyes, no doubt. But there was something... off. Like her smile was a bit too wide, her eyes too crinkled. Everything was just a bit too forced.

Strange.

If the doctor followed the IA officers, they would lead him through the labyrinth of hallways in the facility until they would turn down to a quiet, more ominous-looking area. A steel door would slide open, and a dark room would be revealed, showing none other than Von Galloes sitting idly in one of the two metal chairs. He would smile coldly and gesture for the doctor to sit across from him, his hand resting on the wide steel table.

"Doctor, what a pleasant surprise."

The Dark Beyond

@Lexisheeps That's a fire post!

I will have a post up sometime this evening. I'm quite excited. :)

Iris Ascendis

@Sifr That's a fire post.

The Dark Beyond

@Lexisheeps I GM'ed a roleplay about 2 years ago where most locations were google-able, but I didn't know if people enjoyed the effort or not. Good to know I was on the right track. :> And yes, sounds good!

@WhiteAngel25 The additional characters are great! Can't wait to meet them.

The Dark Beyond

@Lexisheeps Don't worry, that all sounds just fine. I like having CSs because it helps me write in a more informed way as GM, but I also enjoy a bit of mystery.

Let's move forward like that. If you like I can start using more pre-existing places as well.

Looking forward to the post!

Edit: I just changed the location of the meeting in New York!

The Dark Beyond

@WhiteAngel25 Sounds good! The CS is great, approved. :)