PatientBean

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

---

---

Peregrine Mayfield

---

---

Location: Mansion
Skills: N/A
Fit Of The Day

---

Ok, Klara was cool. She was good people. Perhaps Perry was too quick to judge. "Oh thank you! I love playing around with fashion and mixing trends. Perhaps when this is all done we can talk shop a bit. I am curious what Asgardian's consider high fashion. Perhaps we can compare notes!"

Everyone else seemed ready, though it appeared Ed would not be joining them. Perry wasn't too surprised, he didn't seem like much of a joiner. "So are we doing standard Clue or updating it with our own rules? It never made sense to me to play a character that was the murderer and guessing yourself still won the game. Wouldn't a murderer be actively trying to throw people off? But since we have noobs here, the standard game would work too."

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

Sabine Bassard

---

Location: The Gym - Simulation
Fit of the Day: Gym Outfit
Skills: N/A

---

---

Every bit of information she learned about this game made her hate it more. Who enjoyed being scared out of their mind? And it was worse since being targeted by whatever ghost this was could result in death. Gideon and Mary Sue didn't have much left. Dorian, to his credit, seemed capable of leading them and did so linking arms with her. She felt a surge of courage.

As they walked from room to room, Sabine kept an eye out for the ghost. What exactly was she looking for? "So any other clear signs on what the ghost could be? I doubt it says its name and gives us hints." She was more concerned for Gideon who seemed needlessly reckless.

She was thankful to have Dorian there who was knowledgeable about games in general. She hoped she could be useful.

Held Roll

Sabine is going to keep an eye out whenever they enter a new room for signs of the ghost. Perception skill if applicable.

The Season of the Enlightened

Timeline

1462: The first Enlightened start showing their abilities. No one knows where or why these abilities originated, but it causes fear and uncertainty worldwide. Enlightened, for the most part, are feared and attacked outright. Many go into hiding.

1463: Many countries enact laws forbidding the use of Enlightened abilities. Punishments range from indentured servitude to death. Some countries begin studying Enlightened and call for subjects willing to be studied. Many of these subjects do not survive.

1480: The Enlightened War emerges throughout Europe. Many Enlightened and their allies take up arms against their overseers and end up turning the tide. This causes many ruling countries to change laws surrounding Enlightened and allow them into society, provided they are registered. This is also when the term Enlightened is coined.

1500; Raphael St. Eustace established a School for the Enlightened in Great Britain with the King and Queen's approval. At first, the school accepts only men. Many young men travel from all over the world to attend.

1512: An Enlightened attempt on the Queen's life causes chaos to erupt worldwide with many calling for Enlightened to be locked up further or killed. The Queen makes a passionate speech calling for peace and not blaming the Enlightened for the struggles they have endured. At the end of her speech, the Queen demonstrates her own Enlightened abilities, causing an uproar.

1514: St. Eustace's School For The Enlightened starts accepting women into its halls. This divides the school into men and women's sections. Women appear to be more monitored in the school, leading many of the women to feel unsafe. The King passes away, leaving the Enlightened Queen to rule.

1536: More schools pop up with St. Eustace's help, the first being set up in France. Eventually, a total of 10 schools are established throughout Europe and one in Japan.

1560: The Enlightened Queen passes away, leaving the throne to her son. Many speculate he is also Enlightened.

1641: Countries begin establishing Enlightened studies, hoping to find ways to manage Enlightened abilities and use them for war efforts. Most projects fail. Notably a German scientist is able to synthesize Enlightened blood into an elixir he claims will give average human Enlightened abilities. The elixir works briefly but leads many to die painfully.

1666: A drug from the elixir appears and grows popular. The drug is called "empth" and gives a quick high with a random Enlightened ability. It only lasts for a few hours and is highly addictive. The drug sweeps throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Many government officials begin outlawing the drug.

1700: The Enlightened use their power to start influencing world politics. Many sects are formed, attacking randomly throughout the world in an effort to see increased change in power for the Enlightened. These people are called "Dark Embers". They are classified as "highly dangerous" and are to be killed on sight. Their insignia is a raven with one purple eye and one gold eye and an amethyst in its claws.

1770: Lady Rosemarie's Haven For Wayward Girls is established and starts small. They eventually work their way up in numbers.

1772: Lord Ingram Poe takes over as Headmaster of St. Eustace's School For the Enlightened. This is after his father passes away and gives him the title. Lord Maleficar's Traveling Circus appears in Romania for the first time and is wildly popular.

1800: Our Game Begins.

The Season of the Enlightened

Notable Places

St. Eustice's School for the Enlightened: Opened in the late 1600s, St. Eustice's School for the Enlightened is an institution dedicated to helping those with Enlightened abilities better manage them as they enter society. Generally, the age range for attendees starts as young as 12 and goes up to as late as 21, though there are notable exceptions when needed. Both men and women are encouraged to attend, though the classwork differs. Once it is proven that the student has accomplished their coursework and has met the criteria, they are introduced back into society during the school's "Enlightenment Soiree".

Mr. Maleficar's Traveling Circus: An assortment of acts run together by Mr. Maleficar. Typically those in the circus are Enlightened members who have rejected society for one reason or another or those with Enlightened abilities that have altered them so that society rejects them first. Despite the kind nature presented, there is a dark underbelly with secrets screaming to get out.

Lady Rosemarie's Haven For Wayward Girls: A group home/school for girls ages 8 to 16 who have demonstrated Enlightened abilities but, for one reason or another, have not attended St. Eustace's. These are typically girls on the run from their families or from the law who need a place to stay and a space to learn how to manage their abilities. The place itself is hidden away and very few know its exact location. Rumors abound as to what exactly is taught there.

The Season of the Enlightened

Notable Figures

Lord Ingram Poe: The director and head of St. Eustice's School for the Enlightened. He takes his job seriously and with pride. He is Enlightened with the ability to sense when someone else, whether they have awakened or not, is Enlightened and pinpoint where other Enlightened individuals are. He is a wealthy man and is experienced in armed combat. He does not have a wife which leads many to speculate about him. Are his intentions noble or is there more under the surface?

Mr. Maleficar: No one knows his real name but many know him as Mr. Maleficar, the ring leader of his traveling circus. He is Enlightened and opts to travel rather than be amongst his peers. He can manipulate and move metal and always carries a metal cane that he can shape at will. Despite his kind presence during shows, there is more to him than meets the eye. Rumors speculate abuse amongst his crew, though no one says anything for long.

Lady Imogene Rosemarie: The headmistress of Lady Rosemarie's Haven For Wayward Girls. Despite initial appearance, Lady Rosemarie was not born into wealth, instead making it on her own after her Enlightened abilities manifested and she denied entry into St. Eustace's school. Her Enlightened abilities allow her to blend in by shifting her image to fit her needs. Lady Rosemarie ensures the wards in her care are treated fairly and are taught useful skills. But what exactly does Lady Rosemarie consider useful?

The Dark Embers: An organization filled with Enlightened members whose goal it is to see Enlightened have power and control world events. While many call this organization terrorists and villains, many also see them as heroes and a necessary evil. Members are often called after as no one knows where they inhabit with many speculating they travel. Disastrous events are often labeled as Dark Ember attacks, but is it true they are as dangerous as many claim?

The Dead Don't Die.

Location: New York City, Verity's Office
Skills: N/A

---

---

Trudy eyed the new candidate as Trudy spoke. He was younger than her though that didn't signify lack of experience. How many times had she been considered unable to do a job or task because of her age? She showed them, of course. "Of course. Please schedule the interview for later if you can Trudy. I'd like to get to know Mr. Atkins here." Trudy nodded and sped off to do as asked as Mr. Atkins stood there. Verity gestured to a seat in front of her desk.

"So Mr. Atkins. Or can I call you John?"

"John is fine, ma'am."

Verity wagged her finger. "Uh uh. If I can call you John, you can call me Verity. Tell me John, why do you want to work here?"

The interview went on as normal interviews do. John hit every typical note in the book. She looked for individuality in her employees. Pizazz. Something that set them apart from every other John Atkins that walked into an office for a job. He told his strengths and weaknesses (doing the whole 'this is a weakness but actually a strength bit that grew tiresome). Why couldn't one be honest and say they were a-holes while driving? Or they enjoyed hearing a child cry? Or that they sold a family heirloom to pay off gambling debts? That's raw honesty and it would go far in this work.

"Well John, I think I heard all I needed to hear. Thank you so much for coming and speaking to us. You should hear back within the week if you got the job but any longer and I am afraid it's a no. Please have a nice rest of your day." She gestured for John to leave, hoping she would have enough time to prep before her interview later.

The Season of the Enlightened

Dearest Sir or Madam,

It has come to our attention that your child possesses what we have come to call 'Enlightenment'. That is to say your child now possesses strange and bizarre abilities that which cannot be fully explained. How we have come to know this information matters not, but do not fear. Your child is one of many with such abilities. We are sure you have questions and we are happy to answer these and more in an upcoming visit at your homestead. We ask that you do not let your child know of this visit purely to ensure we prevent any mishaps or misinformation spread.

Suffice to say, this can be a challenging time for parents such as yourself. It is difficult enough to raise a child with good morals and judgment in this time, but we at St. Eustice's School For the Enlightened believe it can be done without fear or concern. Since our school opened we have trained many young lords and ladies in the fine art of Enlightenment as well as many other avenues of study. The students are taught such lessons as finances, mathematics, social decorum, and how to best find your place amongst society with one's unique abilities. We have dedicated programs for both the young men and young women who join us and rest assured, we ensure both receive proper training for their futures.

To prepare for our upcoming visit, we would appreciate if you could have your child ready and dressed appropriately and fashionably for our arrival. While tuition to our school is free, a reasonable donation is always appreciated to ensure your child amongst the many others are provided for. If you are to have any questions, please feel free to ask. If all is agreed upon, we can set the schedule for your child to begin attendance immediately. If you are unsure, we hope we can appease your mind. Rest assured, this is, and always will be, your choice.

Kindly and Respectfully,

Lord Ingram Poe

Commencement: A Foundation Institute RP

They sat in front of the teacher, him with clenched fist hidden from view and her with her hands folded delicately over one another to hide scars, invisible and not. The teacher smiled warmly though her smile didn't meet her eyes. Miss Fletcher, 2nd grade teacher, absolutely loved her job. She enjoyed getting to shape young minds and see how they grew. She loved talking to them and hearing their wild and wacky opinions on stuff. This part though, this was the worst part of her job. She loved the children but she found, more often than not, she hated the parents.

Mr. and Mrs. De León were no strangers to the school. When she got hired for this job she was told about them (warned more likely). She was also told about Calliope. She knew Mr. De León was a prominent politician in the state and Mrs. De León focused efforts on her work but also participated in school functions, but this was not the reason she was told about them. Other faculty warned her to tread carefully and to not make waves, but she couldn't help it. Not when she noticed the children acting a certain way. And the young girl with the long, blonde pigtails was holding something in.

"First, let me say, thank you both for taking the time to come here and talk. I love working with Calliope. She is such a smart, creat-."

"Just tell us what she did."[ Mr. De León spoke up, interrupting her. Miss Fletcher glanced briefly towards Mrs. De León for some comfort but received ice in return. Miss Fletcher took a deep breath before continuing. "She didn't do anything wrong. She is doing excellent in all her subjects. It's more so what I am noticing."

Mr. De León stared at her and made her somewhat uncomfortable. "What exactly are you "noticing"?" He didn't need to do the actual air quotes, his tone signified them. In all her years of teaching, she had never had a parent so....confrontational. She had angry parents, sure. Parents who assumed their child could do no wrong and went to great lengths to ensure she treated their little goblin-like he was the second coming of Jesus, but never hostility, outright or not.

Still, she wasn't a pushover. Despite his political power, she still was in charge of ensuring his child received the best care. "With all due respect, sir, I am not insinuating anything untoward. I just noticed Calliope tends to...not interact with the other children. Sure she's kind and cordial when working on a group project, but she doesn't seem to have any friends. At least none I see in the classroom. And there was a drawing she did recently that is the reason I asked for this meeting." Miss. Flethcer opened a drawer on her left and pulled out a paper. She laid it in front of them for them to be able to see clearly.

On the paper was, arguably, fantastic art work for a 2nd grader. It showed what could easily be assumed as Calliope surrounded by some....blue aura. It was spiky and jutted out. On the left was two figures, one with black hair and the other blonde, much like Calliope's. Miss Fletcher could only describe them as...demonic. Instead of a smile, both wore frowns, but that wasn't what was immediately noticeable. In general, the figures looked angry. And the little girl was clearly crying in her, she assumed, ice shield. The imagery spoke volumes. Miss. Fletcher was no artist but she felt...malice. Could a 2nd grader show this emotion so clearly?

She waited a beat as both the parents looked at the picture. She noticed Mrs. De León put a hand to her mouth and hold back...was that a sob? Mr. De León just stared. Nothing about his body language shifted.

Once it was clear both parents were not going to speak first, Miss Fletcher continued. "This was during our creating period. I noticed Calliope opted to draw this time when she usually reads or plays games. When I saw it she initially tried to hide it. I assumed it was because she was embarrassed over her skills, though I am sure you can tell she is quite good at drawing. My concern is the......imagery."

"What I see is the creative mind of an impressionable young girl. She probably read something in your....collection over there that scared her. I wasn't aware the children in your class were given material to read at their leisure. It wasn't in the school plan from what I remember. She probably also interacted with one of the other students who put this idea in her head. I can assure you it will not happen again." Mr. De León spoke with authority. Every word was punctuated with determination.

"I am not worried about it happening again Mr. De León, I am mor-,"

"It's Senator De León."

"Senetor De León. I am more worried about your daughter's emotional state."

"She is a happy young girl. To suggest otherwise makes me question your teaching style. I wonder if the principal is aware of this meeting."

"Of course he is."

"Then I assume he told you not to follow through and you went ahead anyway. Do you make a habit of questioning parent's abilities to love their children?"

"I was not suggesting-,"

"I hope not. To suggest we are nothing but loving parents would surely be grounds for a lawsuit and I am sure at your pay level we want to avoid that at all costs. I assume we are done?"

He stood up and made a grab at the paper. Miss. Fletcher put a hand on it. "I'd like to keep that for Calliope."

Mr. De León kept his hand on it. "Let. It. Go."

Miss. Fletcher couldn't tell from tone, but she saw in his eyes. A fire. She removed her hand and he grabbed the paper and rolled it up. He turned to leave as Mrs. De León stood up and walked with him. Miss Fletcher could almost tell the woman wanted to remain and speak, but left anyway.

She wished teachers could drink on the job.

---

Calliope sat in her room waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sure enough she heard the door slam. She would have run to hide in the closet or under her bed but hat only made things worse. She knew she should be still and accept whatever was about to happen. She had her arms folded in front of her and dug her nails in her skin deeper and deeper with every pound of footsteps she heard on the stairs.

Eventually her door was pushed open and he stepped in. He stood there, silently, waiting for her to acknowledge him. She did so with a glance. He held up the paper she recognized from school. "What is this?" he asked. He had a calm tone, but a darkness underneath it. "A picture," she started.

She heard the glass shatter before she saw it. She turned to see what remained of her glass fairy she was given by her grandmother. Now it was jagged pieces on the ground. She closed her eyes, willing herself to not cry in response. That would be bad.

"No! What it is is lies! You have a roof over your head, food in your belly, and the best education money can buy and you remain ungrateful! I should not be getting calls from your teachers and being dragged away from important work! These lies are not what is expected of you and you know this. If I so much as hear that you are anything other than a perfect student there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?"

Calliope nodded, hoping it would be enough for him to turn and leave. He stood there a moment longer. She could feel the heat from him. She wished she could freeze him out, but that would make him angrier. He turned finally and slammed the door shut. She released the chokehold she had on her arms, seeing the indents where her fingernails pierced flesh. She felt a weight inside her chest. She took some deep breaths, but couldn't control it. The room spun. She fell back on the bed, waiting for it to pass.

Was this what death felt like?

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: Southern Plateau, Dundas Island - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #2.007: Perfectionist

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): Banjo (@Hound55), Haven (@Skai), Rory (@webboysurf), Katja (@Zoldyck)}

Previously: Making A Memory

Calli woke up feeling warmth. It wasn't the weather necessarily, but the feeling of comfort and safety. After last night's events, she was starting to feel in control again. She sat up, noticing Banjo had moved. Normally, when together, she was nestled into him, but that wasn't so much the case. He had moved around last night.

He sat up and met her eyes, a warm smile on his lips. "Good morning love. I noticed you moved around a bit last night. Everything okay?"

Banjo looked at where they slept, seeing maybe what she saw, before answering. "Had another nightmare... Not anything that could be helped. In fact... I have a theory that when the present gets less 'noisy' you can hear the past a bit clearer. And... well, we knocked every thought, worry, and concern I might have for the present out last night."

She felt giddy again, happy to hear she could alleviate some worry for him. However, it still upset her that he continued to have nightmares. She knew his past was a fog with occasional glimpses, but those nightmares were ever-present. "Want to talk about it?"

"There's not much that can be done about it. And they don't make much sense to explain. I think it ties back into somethin' from back when I was small though. That stuff I told you about. So yeah, I don't remember anything about then either. Thanks, but."

Calli understood. She sometimes wished she could forget her past, but it was a part of her and always would be.

She stood up and got dressed, tentatively ready for the upcoming trials. She had to admit she was a bit excited to see her's, Harper's, and Mei's vision come to life.

Once dressed she waited for Banjo and grabbed his hand as they walked out of the tent and towards nourishment.

---

Their arrival at breakfast was met without much fanfare. Last night's events must not have been noticeable for one reason or another. Calli chuckled inwardly at the thought of the other people in their respective tents and what could have happened.

After grabbing some food for herself she sat and waited for Banjo to grab his before she began. She was hungrier than normal.

Something nagged at her though. It was like a sense in the back of her mind. Something was not right. She looked around, not immediately noticing anything. Was she worrying for nothing? Things were going well so it was only a matter of time for the other shoe to drop. But nothing caught her eye.

Until her gaze passed over three people altogether. Haven, Rory, and Katja. Not an unlikely trio by any means, though Katja joining the other two who had such awkward encounters recently was a bit surprising. But that wasn't it. No there was something deeper happening.

"What's up with those three do you think? I'm picking up weird vibes."

"No idea." Banjo said, as he drank his coffee nonplussed. "It'll all come out in the wash, anyway. Early morning, bad sleep. Probably just doesn't want people up in her business." He thought back to how much she glowed when telling him about how she was going to be bunking with Amma.

"She'll probably talk when she's good and ready."

Calli looked over. No there was something else. Calli took a good look at everyone.

Haven was trying her best to hide her feelings, but Calli couldn't help noticing there was...concern. Fear maybe? Or worry. Hard to pinpoint.

Rory on the other hand was worried. His bro showed concern at whatever was being discussed. This quickly diminished and turn to anger. That much was obvious to anyone with eyes. She wished she could hear what they were saying.

She didn't have to wait long as Katja stood up. Calli thought she might turn and leave, there was an intense anger emanating from her, but before she could voice this to Banjo Katja slammed her head on the table, breaking the plastic. Calli gasped and quickly put her hand on Banjo's arm. It was intuitive, the motion. What the hell happened? What did Haven and Rory say to her?

Though that thought left quickly too. It was clear by Haven's body language what happened was unintentional and triggered something. Rory looked....it was weird. He looked vacant. Empty. What happened seemed to make Rory...not Rory anymore. It was like he checked out.

Calli wanted to do something but was unsure how at this point. Katja was processing something, cleary, and she didn't want to make it worse. She didn't need to as the others got back into themselves and started helping. Calli sat back down, noticing she was halfway up out of her seat.

"What the hell..."

The first crack.

---

At the Trials things were...she wouldn't say great but at least this should be easy. After all, they built this. That gave them an inherent advantage. Calli stretched as others congregated. She was saddened to hear Mei and Pallyx had decided to leave, though she could hardly blame them. Especially Mei as it seemed Haven and Rory had some fun in the tent last night. "Good for them" she thought. Despite the awkwardness from before, a tender moment came from it.

They entered the Trials and waited for things to boot up. That nagging feeling came back. Calli looked around as the simulation started. Instead of the young adult novel adaptation, they put work into it looked....dreary. Sterile. It was like someone sapped the color and emotion from the walls.

Calli looked at the others who, in turn, looked at her, expecting her to own up to it or admit that she didn't do this. Her face fell. This wasn't what they wanted. It might have been a subtle middle finger to the Foundation but they ensured it wouldn't look like anything other than what the Trials should be.

“I slaggin’ don’t care for being a rat in a cage. Looks like the only way out is through." Leave it to Lorcán to step up when needed. She would have said so but she was finding words hard to get out.

Second crack.

Amma spoke but it sounded like gibberish to her. Amma walked off, determined in her gait. Didn't Lorcán say something about buddies? Why was it getting so hot?

"Perfect. It was all going perfectly...."

Last night, the announcement of their degrees, Haven and Rory, all seemed to warp into a dark mass in her brain. She fell to her knees. She could feel her pulse in her neck, every beat reverberating in her mind. She closed her eyes. She felt her check restrict. Her breathing quickening.

No, not here. Not now.

"Perfect. It was going to be perfect."

Of course it wasn't. Like everything she had a hand in, it went to shit. It always went to shit.

"I can't...Banjo..."

Fucking Foundation, she heard in her head, though not in her own voice. Did someone say it? She couldn't tell.

She only saw chaos.

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

---

---

Peregrine Mayfield

---

---

Location: Mansion
Skills: N/A
Fit Of The Day

---

Perry had to fight her eyes glazing over as Mira began to explain the characters for clue. Did it really matter if they followed the actual board game or not? Hell, they could have made their own characters if they wanted. Who was stopping them? Why not a Madame Magenta or an Inspector Ink?

Thankfully the situation took a pause as Ed rounded and brought with him a young girl who he introduced as Klara, one of the Asgardians. Despite Perry's colorfulness and general vibes, she often did not know how to interact with younger kids. She chalked it up to her childhood (as all trauma tends to stem from). Still, were Asgardian kids the same as Earth ones? She had to assume so.

"What's up Klara? We're playing a super cool virtual board game. What game's do you like..my dude?" Perry fought off the awkwardness she felt creeping up. How does one talk to a child? Fortnite? Was that a thing still? Did Asgardians play Fortnite?

Where was a villain attacking the mansion when you needed one?

The Dead Don't Die.

Location: New York City, First Floor -> Verity's Office
Skills: N/A

---

---

Verity was a bit taken aback. If what the office said was true, then the body in the bag should be dead. Verity wasn't a doctor or anything but she watched enough Grey's Anatomy and Chicago Med to know that if a body loses a lot of blood....well that's it. Verity waved it off though. If they weren't worried, she shouldn't be either. She turned and walked back into the building when she got a text from Trudy.

An interview would get her back into the mindset that this whole ordeal shot out of whack. Verity quickly sent off a reply. "Heading back up in 5. Send them in shortly after." Verity got into the elevator and quickly did some mindfulness deep breathing to calm her senses back down. Having been reminded of that car crash as well as whatever was in that ambulance had done a number on her mental state. Her chakras were probably all out of order now. She needed to center.

Back on her floor she beelined it for her office to ensure it looked nice. Once satisfied she sat down at her desk to wait for the interviewer.