99lostsouls

[99lostsouls]

THE END IS NIGH

TEAM 3, STARBURST CRUSADERS : @vipetriol, @hyaina, @troisfleur, @threadedwheels, LET'S GO!(one last time! )

everything happened in such a blur.

one moment, ortho was searching the contents of the forbidden laboratory alongside his teammates— then suddenly a bright light engulfed them, spitting them out onto a castle bridge.

when the android opened his eyes, cobblestone was underneath him. the wind whistled and howled like it was living…

and before he knew it–

❝ ARREST THEM! ❞

❝ IT'S THE MAGESTONE! ❞

ah shit.

…

the plan was relatively simple, at least for their team, all they had to do was distract the guards and buy everyone some time! only there wasn't much time to think things over– so ortho would do what he did best.

taking head of the charge, ortho could be found soaring through the air, blasting lasers at the castle walls. he would shoot holes in the wall, setting fire to or breaking several items in his path.

through the incoming ruin, ortho would shout down to his teammates. ❝ let's do what we do best, mess stuff up! ❞

[99lostsouls]

the final hour.

You don’t know how long you’ve been in the Ghost Realm. Time seems to unravel here and, with each new terrain that your team explores, a sinking feeling fills your gut. The search for the magestone seems to be a hopeless endeavor. Doubts have begun to fill your mind. 

Does your team even know how to get back?

You think, perhaps it's time to turn around. The odds aren’t in your favor. It’s only time until your rations run out, until your team turns a foul path, and you find yourselves as fresh citizens of this realm. Screw the magestone! 

You turn on your heels— Then, a bright light engulfs you. 

You find yourself atop a castle bridge, the wind howling.  It’s not as shocking as the first warp that you’ve experienced. What is shocking, however, is the increase of familiar faces around you. Your teammates, all of your schoolmates who’ve embarked on this dauntless task, have been gathered here. You stare at each other in astonishment, but the reunion doesn’t last for long. 

“There they are!” You hear a shout from afar. On the other end of the bridge, a squadron of ghost-knights barge in. “Those are the living folk that have been terrorizing our citizens! Arrest them!” The knights begin to charge, everyone has no choice but to run. 

The only exit throws everyone into the castle’s audience chamber. It’s grand, it’s spacious. There’s plenty of routes for people to run, plenty of objects to hide behind, but most noticeably–

“It’s the magestone!” You hear someone gasp. You turn your head around to the end of the hall, where the stone rests caged and atop of a pillar. It gleams beneath the firelight, a beautiful shimmer. You’re about to make a run towards it, but then every door slams open. More troops pile in. They begin to surround everyone— It’s time to think fast!

OOC INFORMATION BELOW THE CUT.

 Somehow, you've made it to your end-goal, but you’re surrounded! In order to retrieve the magestone and escape safely out of the ghost realm, every team has been assigned one major task. Each group has been given a general prompt they must complete by the end of the event period. You’re all free to plot the interaction as you wish, or have your team roll a 1d20 to decide how successful they’ll be in the final stretch. Your muses may run into as many obstacles as you see fit— but, the job must get done!

TEAM #1: FIND AN ESCAPE ROUTE

The main entrance has been sealed, leaving you without a way out! As the rest of your classmates fetch the magestone and distract the guards, you should conceal your presence and sneak across the castle. Your objective is to find a way to operate the castle gate, or to find a new escape route. Don’t alert anyone of your presence…if anyone should become privy to it, make sure to silence them at once.

TEAM #2: RETRIEVE THE MAGESTONE

This is it. The moment of truth. All of your training has led up to this. NRU’s fate rests in your hands. No pressure, though. Just hide from the guards, get to the end of the hallway, bypass the different layers of security, and get that magestone out. All in a day’s work. Succeed through any means necessary. No need to sweat the fact that a single wrong move could botch this mission up. 

TEAM #3: DISTRACT THE GUARDS

The ghosts have been alerted to your presence — there's no other way around it, someone has to act as bait. Unfortunately, you’re up! Try to get as many ghosts as possible following your trail in order to buy the rest of your classmates some time. Run across the castle, creating as big a commotion as you possibly can…remember, it's imperative you don't get caught!

[99lostsouls]

❝ it feels strange being so...cold. the warmth left us a long time ago. ❞

putting those doll like eyes to use, ortho fixed his most mournful expression.

the ghosts would continue to squint at the group until pointing to the side– back on the trail! ❝ you youngins better get going, stay outta people's hair. ❞ and with that? he disappeared.

what a relief... ortho sighed, then reached inside the "leaf pile" to claim their findings. only... his fingertips would hit a glossy surface.

the world began to warp around the team. ( 🌀 )

opening their eyes would grace the team to their new surroundings. luminous lanterns, bubbling tanks, barred windows nearly covering a moonlit sky. THE FORBIDDEN LABORATORY.

@hyaina @troisfleur @vipetriol @threadedwheels

AFTER finding nothing of note from that ruined castle, leaving the area was a given but— the venture only led the group into another strange place.

the remains of a dead forest surrounds them. the path ahead was dark, decorated with dried leaves & torn off tree bark. utterly perfect for alerting anyone nearby of their location with just one misstep.

ortho did his best to assist by shining a light ahead for the group to see. reflecting on the path like bright flashlights from the android's eyes— it made the trek just a bit easier.

❝ ah— i see something ! ❞

ortho had mostly been quiet during their walk, but when he spotted an old backpack among the ruins he brightened up.

reaching down for the bag, the miracle was proven to be TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE when ortho's light highlighted another.

the owner of the bag, very displeased.

@hyaina @vipetriol @threadedwheels @troisfleur

[99lostsouls]

Ember doesn’t know if it’s the ghost realm or the sheer fact that so much has happened at once, but he finds himself incredibly confused.

Ruggie hiding behind him, an angry ghost in front of him, and the rest of his team staring between Ortho and the ghost.

“…Yes, we’re lost, is all,” He agrees, hearing Ruggie sneak around behind him. Whatever he just found is a question for later, right now he needs to practice his worst skill-

De-escalation.

…or let Trey take control of the situation. That was probably for the best. Right now he just needed to make sure Ruggie didn’t steal anything. He spins on his heels and looks for the Savanaclaw student, sneaking around in the dark.

the moment ortho locked eyes with the ghost, he froze. like a prey gazing into the eyes of a predator, trying not to move to live.

unfortunately, this was no poor sighted dinosaur they were dealing with but— trey's trick gave him an idea.

❝ I'm sorry sir...I don't know what you mean. what bag? ❞ slowly reaching down, ortho picked up the "pile of leaves", holding it close to his chest.

❝ my friends and I are new here... but when we were livin folk we'd use to play in the leaves! you understand the search for nostalgia, yes? ❞

the ghost seemed to be considering until-

❝ ...oho you ain't getting the best of me! I can see the color on you youngins! plus, that little scraggly one's stealing right now! you're after my bag– wherever you put it! ❞

a fixed smile. ❝ what color? ❞

@hyaina @troisfleur @threadedwheels @vipetriol

AFTER finding nothing of note from that ruined castle, leaving the area was a given but— the venture only led the group into another strange place.

the remains of a dead forest surrounds them. the path ahead was dark, decorated with dried leaves & torn off tree bark. utterly perfect for alerting anyone nearby of their location with just one misstep.

ortho did his best to assist by shining a light ahead for the group to see. reflecting on the path like bright flashlights from the android's eyes— it made the trek just a bit easier.

❝ ah— i see something ! ❞

ortho had mostly been quiet during their walk, but when he spotted an old backpack among the ruins he brightened up.

reaching down for the bag, the miracle was proven to be TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE when ortho's light highlighted another.

the owner of the bag, very displeased.

@hyaina @vipetriol @threadedwheels @troisfleur

[99lostsouls]

AFTER finding nothing of note from that ruined castle, leaving the area was a given but— the venture only led the group into another strange place.

the remains of a dead forest surrounds them. the path ahead was dark, decorated with dried leaves & torn off tree bark. utterly perfect for alerting anyone nearby of their location with just one misstep.

ortho did his best to assist by shining a light ahead for the group to see. reflecting on the path like bright flashlights from the android's eyes— it made the trek just a bit easier.

❝ ah— i see something ! ❞

ortho had mostly been quiet during their walk, but when he spotted an old backpack among the ruins he brightened up.

reaching down for the bag, the miracle was proven to be TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE when ortho's light highlighted another.

the owner of the bag, very displeased.

@hyaina @vipetriol @threadedwheels @troisfleur

[99lostsouls]

everything happened so fast.

to blink, and suddenly have your teammates— your upperclassmen on the ground brought about a dizzying confusion.

but there was no time to be confused. that would only seal a gruesome fate - it would be foolish.

and ortho was not designed foolishly.

in a string of bad luck, after the spirit had successfully taken down jamil— its path of screeches and wails seemed to be heading straight for ember next.

in a quick effort, ortho charged forward, shooting out a laser from his palm.

ORTHO ROLLS A 12 AND 20 FOR DAMAGE: HIT for 2 DMG!

PAINTING GHOST'S HP: 0/3

ORTHO'S HP: 5/5

the stench of flames and burnt oils wasn't pleasant, but being killed wasn't anymore agreeable.

once the flames of the burning painting went down, ortho reached to help up his injured colleagues.

❝ let's go. ❞

hyaina​:

Ruggie has no qualms following Ortho. If there was anyone on this team best equipped to march on towards unknown terrain, it was undoubtedly Idia Shroud’s robotic brother. Ruggie finds a sense of ease walking alongside their humanoid companion; as long as Ortho’s tech gear remains working, aren’t they practically indomitable?! Steely resolve lets the hyena trek onwards, taking on the infinite staircase until a vivid light pierces his eyes.

“Augh–!” He gasps, instinctively taking a step backwards. He nearly missteps, heel going past the ledge, and Ruggie’s mid-maneuver as a strong force suddenly grips him. It prevents the hyena from tumbling, yet successfully discombobulates him as he’s practically spun onto cobblestone. Ruggie nearly topples from the drastic shift of terrain, eyes flying open in shock– Then a body thuds besides him. 

“T-Trey?!” The hyena yelps, barely processing what in the great Seven’s just happened, when he notices a specter charging at him from the ends of his vision. Quick reflexes enables him to wield his pen—

Ruggie rolls a 1: Miss! 

Painting Ghost rolls a 14: 1.5dmg incoming! Ruggie’s hp: 3.5 / 5 

—But he hardly has time to cast a proper spell as their assailant comes for him next.  The ghost’s spell crushes his shoulder mid-cast. Ruggie’s thrown back as black paint-ooze splatters onto his uniform, the gale that he summons goes off-kilter. It whirls past the ghost and slices the painting behind it. The intricate portrait slams onto the ground, echoing into the abyss. 

@threadedwheels / @vipetriol / @99lostsouls​ / @troisfleur

A morphing world. A dry thud. A stifled yelp. A gust of wind.

Trey is on the ground in the blink of an eye.

Jamil’s mind hasn’t quite caught up with the barrage of stimuli, but his body moves on instinct all the same— he doesn’t need another second to know they’re under attack.

Jamil rolls an 11 and a 9 for damage: Hit for 1 dmg!

Painting Ghost rolls an 11 and a 10 for damage: 1 dmg incoming!

Painting Ghost’s HP: 2/3 

Jamil’s HP: 4/5

A fire spell cast on reflex finds its mark. The foul smell of burning oil paint rises into the air, and a shrill, inhuman wail reverberates across the castle’s stone walls. As it writhes against the frame it had presumably gone out from, the ghost seethes, now settled on its next mark.  

Jamil prepares to retaliate, but the earlier soreness returns with a vengeance, sending painful jolts across his right arm. He’s half a second too slow in casting a defence spell, and the incoming strike sends him crashing onto the cobbled ground.

@threadedwheels / @hyaina / @99lostsouls / @troisfleur

[99lostsouls]

threadedwheels

Ember idly listens to the group while they debate their options, trying to use his sight to see what was to come. It didn’t work before but… it was worth a shot now, right?

He tries to focus, to even shut out the voices of the others, but… nothing. All he can see is the monochromatic tones of the world around them.

“…I think the stairs are our best choice. At the very least, we can look for more items there,” He says, walking towards them. By no means is he going to be at the front of the group, but at the very least he will act confident in his decisions.

Even if he is unsure of every step he’s taking.

“We should get going either way. I feel as if standing here is going to start attracting trouble.”

though ortho could surely display his own ideas on how to proceed— he saw no need considering they aligned well enough with the rest of his team. 

once everyone came to an agreement, ortho nodded. ❝ I'll scout ahead! ❞ 

it only seemed natural, being able to travel faster than the rest. without another word, ortho began to fly up the twisting stairs to see what lie ahead. as the android flew up he began to brighten– his connection was growing stronger, allowing him the ability to detect magical energy. 

it was strong, beginning to warp his surroundings but before he could inform his teammates, ortho had flew straight into a flash of light. before he knew it he was outside of a ruined castle, falling apart at the seams.

@threadedwheels @vipetriol  @hyaina  @troisfleur

TREY CLOVER manages to hold onto his hat for the descent, the only thing he has to his name as dignity falls in time with his body free-falling through the air for a landing most unfortunate. It's not the first time he's taken a tumble—three years and middling (by his own measure, if asked, and as far as anyone will know) ability to balance on a broom's made him no stranger to heights and the bruises and sprains that come with them—but this is the strangest one in recent memory.

It's only by quick thinking on impact that his glasses don't go flying off his face, but breath certainly leaves his lungs as Trey stays flat on his back for a good few minutes.

A few more, and eyes open to a world devoid of color.

"...Everyone alright?" When Trey pushes himself upright, something... crinkles?

↳[X] 🅰🅼🅱🆄🆂🅷— @hyaina / @threadedwheels / @vipetriol / @99lostsouls. ♣️

[99lostsouls]

Book 6 is finally here~

[99lostsouls]

❝ please, stop. ❞ a gentle request made as ortho would push ruggie away from trey.

the hyena's behavior wasn't surprising in the slightest, but it did remain inconvenient. ❝ we just got here. your stomach will have to wait I'm afraid. saving our resources is more important. ❞

he'd look up when ember called his name– further questioning their means of communication.

ortho then summoned one of his holographic screens, typing away at something until— he closed it with an expression of disappointment.

❝ my connection is faulty… my systems are picking up on some type of signal somewhere, but we have no idea where that is. ❞

or where they were right now…

hyaina​:

“‘’Course I’m worried about my gummies, every scrap of food’s important!” Ruggie’s brows furrow defiantly, a frown tugging at his lips. They were premium quality, too! The good stuff that all the rich kids got that had frost-apples and artisan sugar and it was supposed to keep him afloat since the teams were gonna share their rations, but now they don’t even have rations to share! This sucks! 

The sound of a wrapper crinkling immediately sends Ruggie scurrying to Trey’s side, eyes wide and transfixed upon the bar. He only spares one second to check his pockets.

“I only got my magipen, no mirror.” Ruggie says. His peels dart from the ice cream, to Trey, to the other students, then back down at the ice cream. “An’ I’m also kii~iinda hungry…” 

@threadedwheels / @vipetriol​ / @99lostsouls​​ / @troisfleur​​

“I lost my bag, so gummies would be preferable to nothing, really,” Jamil admits. He doesn’t have the mirror either, and with his supplies gone, every scrap of food does matter— doubly so with Ruggie around. He shoots an all-too-knowing glare at the beastman. “You? Hungry? Never would’ve guessed.”

On the bright side —if there’s one to be found— having Ortho in their group means one less mouth to feed, but Jamil refrains from voicing the thought out loud, lest Ortho find offence to it.

“As both our senior and Heartslabyul’s vice-housewarden, I believe we can entrust Trey to ration our resources,” or so Jamil says. His tone is perfectly cordial, if not borderline sycophantic, but it was Trey who crushed the miserable bar in the first place, so he should take responsibility.  

“At any rate, we should take a look around. There might be some more stuff we dropped.”  

@threadedwheels​ / @hyaina​ / @99lostsouls​ / @troisfleur​

[99lostsouls]

*THREAD STATUS TRACKER

LAST UPDATED: May 11th, 2023

— LOADING MAY'S MONTHLY GOAL: KEEP ORTHO ALIVE DURING NRU: STRIKERS, EXPLORE CHARACTER DYNAMICS WITH TEAM MEMBERS.

- LOADING JUNE'S MONTHLY GOAL: N/A

WAITING ON ME

SEALTH CHECK DC 15 ( ROVE )

DEATH BY ROBOT ( EMBER )

FETCH QUEST ( IDIA )

STOLEN BELONGINGS ( JACK )

MAKEOVER ( CLEMENTINE )

WAITING ON THEM

NOT AT SOUP ( NRU STRIKERS: RUGGIE, TREY, JAMIL, EMBER )

CRITICS IN THE MAKING ( TREY )

PARTY PLANNERS ( KALIM )

DOUGH ( RUGGIE )

THE GLITTER GLUE CASE ( ACE )

TREES N' WISHES ( AZUL | MINI )

ORTHO X CRATE COLLAB ( CATER | MINI )

OPEN STARTERS

ITEM NOT FOUND... TRY AGAIN?

[99lostsouls]

ART CRITICS IN THE MAKING! // @troisfleur

❝ trey clover! ❞ a bright voice called out from nearby.

if the third year would turn around, he'd see none other than ortho shroud, fast approaching in flight. he'd make his way over quickly, coming to a haul to hover next to trey.

❝ hello ~! I hope the day's been treating you well. I recently saw your bulletin listing— and well, I'd love to peruse the galleries with you! ❞

it would be an understatement to say ortho admired trey, it went somewhat deeper than that. through all his time spent observing other students on NRU, clover stuck out like a green thumb.

his attentive and caring traits were certainly a breath of fresh air compared to some of the more…dicey students here. trey was easy to look up to in a way! as a new NRU student, ortho surely wanted to be a little like him come his third year.

ah he only hoped they could have a good time together at the art instalation!

that is if trey accepts of course…

[99lostsouls]

there was a certain vulnerability layered within ortho's action of exposing himself fully to rove.

but— that was the mark of a true friend, was it not? to be honest and open with one another. it was rather foreign to have someone other than idia to be vulnerable with but….ortho liked it.

it felt good to be real, to be open, and to especially see rove smiling like that again. ortho would make a mental vow to not fight like that ever again… it was far too taxing to keep up.

but something else seemed to be peeking rove's excitement! ortho watched with an attentive gaze as the other fished out a thick packet from his coat.

inside were…felts and fabrics, plenty of tools used to create! you could see it in his eyes how ortho lit up as it was being explained. ortho may not be human himself— but he certainly is alive. for someone to feel and love so deeply? he had to be.

he took the packet as it was offered. finally, with that mask removed, rove was able to see the pure warmth that was a smile from ortho. this…this was personal.

for rove to even remember his passing desire meant near everything to the android. before he even breathed a word to respond, ortho would lean in to hug rove.

a firm yet affectionate hold. ortho's head would rest against his dorm mate's shoulder.

❝ I love it. I love it a lot…! can't wait to craft with you…. ❞ he whispered into rove's ear, followed by the soft crashing of waves.

he was content.

he was whole.

let us gaze upon the stars. // @rove-bogge // continued from HERE

GUILT ;

/noun/ a feeling of having done wrong or

failed in an obligation

guilt was one of those distinctly human emotions ortho had little grasp or understanding of.

he was custom designed with nearly every scenario possible in mind with abilities like no other. with all at his disposal, making a wrong decision or failing wasn't something he planned for. especially not like this.

this wasn't glitching calibration or broken parts. It involved his friend. he was hurting and.. maybe ortho was too, but there was seemingly nothing he could do about it

rove always got up and walked away before the android had a chance at properly understanding.

days, and weeks thinking over their initial

conversation led ortho to the conclusion that he reacted incorrectly. it was his fault rove acted in such a way, and he should alter his speech patterns to cause less distress, and yet..that was wrong too?

he couldn't wrap his head around it. with how every conversation had gone so far, it seemed he would never be given the chance to.

embarrassing. to be a highly intelligent Al but to be just as lost as a child in a store without their mother for guidance and comfort

ortho's eyes loosely focused on the falling snow as they stepped back outside... he wondered if his brother was okay back in ramshackle.

it was easy to tell ortho wasn't really invested in the lantern making as he was before. placing the candle into the lantern was more like a side quest to earn extra game currency instead of the large main objective to learn & conquer.

at the sight of rove's phone, ortho suddenly snapped back into focus. standing with his lantern he'd pose, making two peace signs with his fingers, smiling underneath that mask of his.

it was easy to assume the two would venture back to campus once ortho was done with his lantern, so rove's proposal for the beach was met with a surprised expression

❝ okay. ❞ simple acceptance in response.

rising from his position, ortho would fly alongside rove's audible steps. he'd glance

between the town in front of him, back to his dormmate time and time again.

yet another silent trek to their desired location. it would be a plain faced lie to say the awkward tinge in the air wasn't uncomfortable.

no one else was present, but they alone. the distant sound of rolling waves filtered through ortho's audio processors. a backing track to the start of rove's monologue.

he could have easily searched and downloaded at least 10 articles of information on these blister bugs within a few seconds but instead— he would listen to rove.

the sheer nerves the student carried in his speech spoke volumes. this wasn't about bugs, if it was he'd be much more comfortable dare even fast paced while conveying such information.

his own cantharidin…

it was somewhat silly to describe his mechanisms in a way, but it made complete sense for someone like him. suppose that's what ortho admired about rove the most.

slowly the young shroud approached, taking one of his friend's hands to hold within his own.

❝ I… I do not want to be called human because I am not one. I do not deserve a title that does not belong to me. ❞

his digits brushed against rove's open palm, tracing alongside the aforementioned marks.

❝ but I do know that I'm very bad at living. I'm overemotional, reckless, obsessive and so many things— I do a long wrong but I always want to do right by you.

you've always made me feel seen and connected despite not being a student. some people here don't even know I exist, really, but I've always been able to have you in my corner. so for whatever I do wrong, I'm sorry. and for whatever bothers you…. please talk to me. I want to help however I can, but I can't if you don't let me. ❞

[99lostsouls]

THE TWO-HEADED DOG — ; ORTHRUS

* light card and chapter 7 spoilers for eng server

CERBERUS — an awfully well-known character across greek myths and adaptations, dubbed "the hound of hades" or more recognizably, "the guardian of the underworld."

cerberus even makes his appearance in the disney movie " HERCULES! " it's clear as day by now that the cast of Twisted Wonderland are nearly all inspired from a specific character from their movies.

nearly being the keyword, as some remain as utter outliers. take ORTHO himself. with many characters to argue to be his origin, there is one that exists outside of the disney movie, and instead within greek mythology.

would you ever guess the grand cerberus ever had a brother of his own?

ORTHRUS — a two-headed hound, serving as guardian to geryon's herd of red cattle in the "sunset" land of erytheia.

the name connection is obvious enough. orthrus easily translates to orthos, plural.

in most art that exists, orthrus is often shown dying pierced by one or two arrows from heracles or as most viewers recognize him, HERCULES.

stretching back to the translation of the name, orthrus to orthos — this two headed dog can be equated to the two orthos we encounter in chapter 6.

the first being the original— the one who died very young and the second being the a.i. version we're better equated with.

during the events of this chapter these two emerge in two separate instances— firstly when they work together to take over S.T.Y.X, with the primary ortho taking control of the a.i's body and secondly near the end when the a.i ortho is given his counterparts memories, resulting in a heart of his very own.

ortho shroud's connection to these guard dogs will likely become even more prevalent with his upcoming title card— "GUARDIAN OF THE UNDERWORLD."

I'm excited to see what his involvement in chapter 7 brings. perhaps malleus will damage one of the dogs, bringing the 3 headed group down to two like orthrus— but who's to say, we'll have to wait and see.

ΔΕΝ ΜΙΛΑΤΕ ΚΑΚΟ, ΔΕΝ ΑΚΟΥΣΤΕ ΚΑΚΟ, ΔΕΙΤΕ ΚΑΝΕΝΑ ΚΑΚΟ.

[99lostsouls]

the fall was certainly a bumpy one, sending each student hurling towards a realm without a spot of color.

the suddenness of the transportation in truth startled ortho as well. quick blinking allowed ortho to realize he was indeed falling. thank the seven or– idia himself that the android was granted a faster reaction time than most.

ENGAGING EMERGENCY THRUSTERS—

in a quick effort to avoid damage, bright blue flames would eject from ortho's hands and feet, allowing a safer descent to the ground.

these…weren't his teammates, but when where things ever that simple here? ortho would then scan each student for damage while offering a hand to use to stand up.

❝ you may experience soreness and bruises, but I don't detect any serious injuries from you all. ❞

team 3: You Are (Not) at Soup. ♣️

TREY CLOVER manages to hold onto his hat for the descent, the only thing he has to his name as dignity falls in time with his body free-falling through the air for a landing most unfortunate. It’s not the first time he’s taken a tumble—three years and middling (by his own measure, if asked, and as far as anyone will know) ability to balance on a broom’s made him no stranger to heights and the bruises and sprains that come with them—but this is the strangest one in recent memory.

It’s only by quick thinking on impact that his glasses don’t go flying off his face, but breath certainly leaves his lungs as Trey stays flat on his back for a good few minutes.

A few more, and eyes open to a world devoid of color.

“…Everyone alright?” When Trey pushes himself upright, something… crinkles?

���[X] 🅰🅼🅱🆄🆂🅷— @hyaina / @threadedwheels / @vipetriol / @99lostsouls. ♣️

[99lostsouls]

ortho certainly shared kalim's sentiments when it came to yuyu and grim. this way of living was certainly unfair, and to a student completely stripped from their world of origin? he couldn't begin to imagine the struggle. but before he could respond —

don't worry though ortho! I'm sure no one minds the power use as long as you're alright.

so….who was gonna tell him.

kalim's response practically confused ortho. had he been living under a rock this whole time?

❝ I do enjoy that outlook…but I can't imagine it true. no one here on campus would put me before their conveniences and entertainment— despite my brother and rove of course. ❞

after all, he was still new to being a student, meeting people and making connections. even then… this was still NRU. even the optimist within the android had to be realistic about this.

Spirits had been low in the shared Ramshackle house as the time taken to return to the dorms stretched out into the new year. He had been lounging in the living room fidgeting with a loose thread on a cushion trying to think of a way to get everyone smiling.

That's when the Idea came to him. Of course it was so obvious! A party!

Excitedly he rushed past the room Jamil was shouting something about preparing a feast for the evening as he headed to Sam's to get decorations.

After dropping no small amount of Thaumarks he was now balancing on his tippy toes on the edge of the sofa trying to pin up some bunting stretching as far as he could to get the angle right when the door opened causing him to jump.

"Wah!"

He braced to hit the floor but luckily it never came. Greeted by golden eyes he chuckled slightly.

"Ah thanks Ortho! It was, wasn't it! Good job you were here." He rebalanced himself dusting himself off. 

[99lostsouls]

the android's eyes would sparkle at epel's response. he'd been well used to nagging and convincing [ SOMEONE ] into doing things, so the acceptance came as a relief.

but— his words…epel would text him. they could call, and send funny videos like friends, real friends! before or after, ortho was practically glowing with the joy he felt.

❝ I … can't wait then! ❞ ortho would exclaim. he leaned in for a quick hug before stepping back towards the door.

❝ I'll talk to you soon or– I'll text you! ❞ chuckling at his mark, ortho would wave before exiting through the door.

TECHIE VS FARMIE — mission complete!

epel was an endearing boy himself! such a curious case, presenting himself kind and earnest to most and yet...word of mouth says he has some fierceness to him.

now, ortho shouldn't "study" people he wants to be friends with ( he learned that the hard way. ) but it was too tempting... taking in each stammer through dialect and mannerisms, all of it would be served to memory.

ortho followed epel inside the dorm room once prompted, giving the phone he presented a quizzical look. he's never seen any thing like that before...

but not to worry, a quick search with keywords [ LADYBUG ] and [ CELLPHONE ] should do the trick!

.....

EH?!

❝ ....this phone is recommended for young children in a 5 - 11 age range and or senior citizens. ❞

blunt‐ but overall true. that is what the website for it clearly states! but moving on from— that. epel's request was simple! pictures was a base ability on all cellphones.

❝ well... this phone can take pictures I assure you, with high resolution as well! let me show you. ❞

entering the base password to unlock the device, he opened up the camera app for a proper demonstration.

after a quick glance around the room ortho found his muse! that meaning the view of the outside through the room's window.

he pointed the phone towards the windows, zooming in for the perfect shot.

and....click! once it was taken, ortho showed the photo to epel. not only did the phone pick up on the texture of the glass pane, it showed the view outside clear as day.

❝ with this cellphone you can do all kinds of things like texting, pictures, customization, listening to music, social media– would you like me to walk you through it? ❞

[99lostsouls]

the strength that little android harbored was frightening in a way…such a small build yet he could lift such things with ease.

it was second nature to ortho. that much was apparent by that puzzled look he gave cater. ❝ yes, I did. I didn't damage anything if that's what you mean. ❞ he spoke so casually, as if it was a no-brainer…

but speaking off the crate, these packages needed to get transported. ortho would nod at cater's suggested idea.

❝ good idea! the crate can be taken care of later. ramshackle needs more firewood, right?❞

ortho then began to scoop up some of the baskets into his arms, carrying them inside. shame the robot didn't have any magic himself…~

....oh.

did he really not think of that?

for being an advanced AI, this was a strange lapse in judgment. maybe it was a count on how much he wanted to keep this a secret...

but ortho wasn't afraid to laugh off his own mistakes. ❝ we can! it'll take a few trips though...❞

cater's questioning of the box's contents was understandable enough. so when inquired ortho would finally give up his answer.

❝ ramschakle living's been a little difficult, so I wanted to get everyone something special. ❞

a hand hooked underneath the latch to the crate's opening. with enough force ortho was able to snap it open without much trouble.

inside was a collection of neatly wrapped gift baskets. they were all full with sweet treats or items protaining to the student whose name was attached to said basket, all tied together in a neat shiney bow.