howlighte

[howlighte]

BEING ON A PIRATE SHIP should not have been such a bad outcome — after reading plenty of stories in his youth about the bandits of the sea, he was fond of them. exploring what was likely a true, sunken ship, there was some excitement behind his previously defeated eyes. it didn't last long, ears perking up to the sound of snapping wood. beneath their feet no less, it seemed that with all of the water damage, it couldn't possibly hold the living. crashing down into the lower levels, all they could do was pick themselves up & continue onwards. brushing off dusty, splintered wood from his uniform. " we can't catch a break. "

the area beneath the deck was void of the ghost realm's natural moonlight, leaving their entire team in darkness. jack's eyes adjusted quickly, before he was off of the ground. though, there wasn't much to see. no split paths, no decisions to be made, just one straight, dark tunnel, through the depths of the ship. " no point in stoppin' now. i'm gunna check it out. " keep up, or be left in the dust.

NEXT: @galacticemperorsolaris

galacticemperorsolaris​:

Almost instinctively, Solaris raised his left hand for Ace to high-five. Call it a basketball club reflex. “Leaving right away would be a waste. Perhaps this ghost was guarding key clues as to where the magestone is.” He commented, looking at Jack as he also heard the chirp of birds. Before he could say anything he felt himself being transported, yet again, to another area of the ghost realm. Though he couldn’t quite make out where they were now, at first.

The fog almost seemed to dance unnaturally, giving him a glimpse of a long-forgotten ship, not too far off from where they were currently. He began walking towards it, with caution. After all, they had walked right into the librarian ghost’s hands, quite literally.

“This ship looks like it could fall apart at any moment. Let us proceed with caution. We have already sustained injuries from our last encounter.”

Next: @cardhearted

     “Thanks for not leaving me hanging, unlike some people.” the redhead said, quickly glancing at Jack who was looking through one of the many books surrounding them. Ace was able to catch a twinkle of a mirror shard that was situated between its pages, before his surroundings changed once more. 

     His nostrils were met with a whiff of salty air, and his ears with the distant sound of waves. It took him a moment before he followed the rest of the group, trying to adjust to the new area. “All this teleporting is making my stomach turn…” he mutters, taking note of Solaris’ cautionary tone. The wood under their feet creaked as they ventured deeper inside, causing the first-year to feel uneasy. “This doesn’t sound goo-” he attempts to comment on a particular sound, but is cut off by wood cracking beneath them. 

     Darkness surrounds the group soon after.

[howlighte]

WITH THE GHOST DEFEATED, a silence fell over the library. seemingly safe for the time being, he couldn't bring himself to answer any of trappola's gloating; knowing that he had been the first to make error in battle. instead, taking it upon himself to further inspect the books in front of them. reaching out to grab one out of the air, jack blew dust off of it's cover; unearthing the words THUMPER as the title.

opening the book didn't ring any alarms in his head, not at first. the moment the pages were shown to him, there was a blaring issue with the book: it had no words. instead, he was able to hear what the book's name might have implied: the thumping of a rabbit's feet against fresh grass, birds crying against the wind, the unmistakable smell of flowers to his nose — his first reaction to lift the book, looking for signs of any of this existing in the spirit realm. turning the pages further, a shiny item caught his eye, touching it on reflex; the world began to change around them.

WARP: THE GHOST SHIP COVE.

NEXT: @galacticemperorsolaris

galacticemperorsolaris​:

Well, this was going splendidly….

He glanced at Jack, noting his expression and gave him a quick nod and a small smile of encouragement. “It is not over yet. Next time.”

Between Ace and Davaa’s sparkler show and Jack trying to punch the thing, it seemed as if the entire team was cursed to do very little damage. At this rate, the ghost would end them all if someone didn’t do something. Unfortunately, Solaris was also subjected to this curse.

Solaris rolled an 11 and 5 for damage: It hit for .5 damage

Librarian Ghost rolled a 17 and 8 for damage and hit for 1 damage

Solaris finished his turn with 4 HP

Librarian Ghost HP: 1.5/5

He clicked his tongue in disappointment as his spell did not quite get the power to back it up, barely harming the ghost, though he had little time to be annoyed as it made a follow-up attack this time, causing him to take a few steps back from the force of it.

“The ghost is on its last legs, Ace. Take it down!”

Next up: @cardhearted

     It seemed as thought the librarian ghost was tougher than it initially appeared, dealing far more effective blows to his team than vice versa. If someone didn't take care of it any time soon, the situation could take a turn for the worst. With a sudden wave of confidence and determination, Ace sprung forward ready for his next attack. "On it!"

ACE rolls 16 & 17 for DAMAGE: 2 DMG HIT! 

CRITICAL HIT!

LIBRARIAN GHOST HP: 0 HP

     This time his magic pen erupted with flames that were far greater than the pathetic excuse of a spell from earlier. In mere seconds, the ghost was consumed by the fire and its silhouette disappeared from their sight. 

LIBRARIAN GHOST DEFEATED!

     "Yeah! We did it team!" he proclaims triumphally, going for a high five with the closest victim person to him. "Not too shabby for a rookie, huh? Anyway, let's get going before more of these things show up." 

// @skysteppe

[howlighte]

HIS OWN ATTACK COMES ON REFLEX, forgetting to consider the spectral natural of their enemy as he goes for his self - proclaimed most reliable weapon — his fists.

JACK HOWL rolled a [ four ] and MISSES.

reeling his fist back, aiming for the face of their enemy, an expression of pure surprise overtakes his features when his flesh goes through the ghost's transparent being. stunned, he's unprepared for the counter.

LIBRARIAN GHOST rolled a [ twelve ] and HITS.

LIBRARIAN GHOST rolled a [ nine ] for ONE HP DAMAGE.

stumbling back from the attack, jack's eyes meet the first one of his teammates that he can find — solaris. " sorry, blew it. " he huffed. struggling to shake off the sting of making the worst move yet out of his group. sometimes, instincts do fail. learning the valuable intel that it was true, you could in fact not punch a ghost. next time, he would have to be faster on the draw.

JACK HOWL finishes with FOUR HP.

LIBRARIAN GHOST finishes with TWO HP.

NEXT: @galacticemperorsolaris

Can't say he was all too thrilled to be foisted into the fray by this small, sassy child. But at least he was more lively than the other two. Davaa watched the pathetic display of a dying sparkler when the red - headed devil called for him to attack like some sort of (Twisted Wonderland branded) Pokemon.

" Alright. "

DAVAA rolled a [ 20 to hit ]

He whips out his pen, smoothly twirling it with his long fingers before outstretching his arm to point the ghoul right in the chest.

and [ 3 for damage. ]

The same attack was preformed that Ace had just done. Small sparks and all. He twirls the pen again, dramatically, before jamming it back into his pants pocket as if it were a holster.

LIBRARIAN GHOST misses it's attack!

LIBRARIAN GHOST HP: 2

A smooth dodge out of the way of it's horrible, clammy hands. " Okay your turn again Ace. "

@howlighte // actually its jacks turn

[howlighte]

BEST COURSE OF ACTION TENDED TO BE NOT TO GET INVOLVED — jack had learned this lesson time & time again. each time that he would stick his nose where it didn't belong, it bred trouble. that still applied when the situation at hand was childish, schoolyard bullying. not even their prestigious academy was clean of immature affairs, the headmage's wishes for them to act like model students would fail to reach the ears of those who were unwilling to listen. trying to act the part of the hero tended to only fuel worse bullying, for both parties. he was no stranger to having his own fair share of issues, for different reasons all together.

hearing honestly from one party, mixed with the lax dishonesty from the other — his gut was never wrong, trusting the one who was being held at ransom for his belongings. done waiting for ortho to take his headphones willingly; unsure whether he worried for a repeat of the student's behavior, jack pushed them into his open palms. " next time someone takes those from you, don't be so nice about it. " should he have gone so far as to encourage the other to beat up his bullies when they hadn't started anything? that wasn't necessarily the sentiment that he was going for. knowing that ortho didn't lack the bite to look out for himself, it was disheartening to watch him sit back & grit his teeth while other students stole seemingly important components; all for the sake of pointing & laughing at him. " just don't take nothin' from anyone that you don't deserve. "

suppose both SAVANNACLAW & IGNIHYDE’s reputations greatly preceded them.

it was a system akin to a food chain. some would always remain on top, while others suffered at the bottom. thus was the carnal nature of NRU.

ortho himself was growing more and more agitated by the second. he was working on borrowed time and yet he was being made to grovel as entertainment for these meat heads??

desperation filled, he’d swing at the student holding his headphones high above only to be met with a quick dodge follow by cocky laughter.

the soft features of the android’s face would hold a grimace, all until a sudden action. jack howl, taking a step in! ortho was admittedly…confused. he didn’t have enough energy preserved to process this all properly.

it was only when he glanced between the first year and the two delinquents did he truly grasp it. both of them looked nervous, small beads of sweat clung against their forehead like dewdrops.

❝ hey, no trouble here! just messing around y'know. ❞ real cool, trying to play it off.

at least they had common sense, in a way. with jack’s strong build, trying to fool around with him in such a way would be foolish. he wouldn’t really hurt them… but they didn’t know that did they?

ortho then directed his attention to jack, closely eyeing his dangling headphones. he wouldn’t reach for them quite yet.

❝ I need to go to my dorm and they are preventing me. I do not know them. ❞

[howlighte]

AND SOMEHOW IT CIRCLED BACK TO HIM. his sense of leadership had yet to fail, even in the change of scenery, hardly feeling disorientated with the shift at this point. it was becoming the difference of stepping through a doorway. ignoring their quarrels, he walked towards the castle doors like a man possessed - knowing that this was what they had come there for. it wasn't about deciding who would lead the pack, or who was in charge; it was about finding the magestone. if jack had to make a guess, this was as good of a start as any other. being led there by the dimension brought natural suspicion, wondering if it was apt to help them, or lead them astray.

pushing open the doors with an eerie howl, it wasn't an entrance hall that they were met with, but instead a library. " you guys are seein' this too - right? " he asks out, to no one in particular. his eyes are following the books, not holding a position on the shelves, but instead floating across the halls. tilting his head up, his ears pressing down with the motion, he stares at flames in the sky - the only light source within the entire room; following the same route as the books, as if invisible strings were pulling them.

NEXT : @galacticemperorsolaris

Why is everyone so mean to him? He did nothing wrong! It was obvious there was no one else around living or otherwise. And he was just about to make a very astute comment about why there's stained glass in an entirely monochrome world. But now everyone has been miraculously transported elsewhere. Again. Davaa didn't let the jeers of his peers get to him though, nonchalantly turning his chin upwards to scan the landscape before them.

"Lame." a mumble. He moves to right, latching onto Solaris' arm in a teasing display of helplessness, "See? We get a do over! You don't haveta' be so grumpy, Jackie's got that covered." - before detaching himself and giving the other a firm slap on the back. "Speaking of, I think Jack should lead the way here. If anyone is gonna see or hear odd shit it's him."

@howlighte

[howlighte]

THE SUDDEN SWITCH UP DOESN'T DAMPER HIS MOOD - no issue with the matter of a team when the concept of teamwork holds little weight. in his mind there might be an idea of the value, but the execution goes painfully amiss; thinking that by handling his own right, he was doing what was best for the group. because clearly, someone had to be the responsible one.

the initial monochromatic scheme of the world is not very startling to him, wondering if it's just him - or if this is a sight that is shared by his teammates. after the brief taste of this world he had in the halls of the school, jack is relieved to have no accompanying smells to make him crinkle his nose up in disgust.

though, what does bring him a surprise is the sudden yell from his dormmate - ears perking up & tilting rapidly to match each location his voice echoes from off the walls. it's disorientating to say the least. " so much for not lettin' the whole place know we are here. "



STATUS: EXTREMELY FUCKED UP STAIRCASE IT'S NOT LIKE A NORMAL STAIRCASE IT'S CURLY >>> new team assemble! @howlighte , @galacticemperorsolaris , @cardhearted

“Yikes.”

Yikes is right. He wasn’t even prepared to fight ghosts with his own team, now he’s gotta battle the ghoul realm with this guy, that kid, and Jack. Davaa’s deadpan exclamation of dread and frustration did little to portray he was actually perturbed. He was at least 2% perturbed.

The following deep sigh did more to get across the exhaustion. He scratched the back of his head, then craning his neck to survey his immediate surroundings. More tacky architecture. Super! 

Davaa cups his hands around his mouth as if about to shout. “YOOOOOO!” then he shouts. Just the three of them, and himself. “Huh. This sucks. Bet we're not even getting financial compensation, what if I develop a disease in 20 years?”

[howlighte]

THEIR GAME OF CARDS HAD ENDED QUICK, a little too quickly for his tastes. when it came to playing these games with someone as tricky as ace - he could practically smell the cheating from the other half of the table. watching as his opponent perked up at the sound he made, he was fully prepared to start with his accusations, uncaring to let him goad him into whether or not his growl was up to par.

" no way, buddy. you best start shaking out your sleeves. something is off here, i know it. " he was no professional when it came to playing cards, but when there was foul play in the air, he trusted his gut. " save the big talk for later. "

howlighte​:

                        “  grrrrr.  ”    —    jack  grrrrred.  / @cardhearted​

     The low sound that came from the beastman’s throat was more than enough to startle the red-head. Despite being conscious of Jack’s subtle differences ( namely consisting of animal ears and a tail ), Ace proved to be narrow-minded at times when it came to some aspects about Jack. Though, there was one thing he knew for sure — that growl didn’t exactly sound the friendliest. 

     “I-I heard better from you before.” he comments on the noise, trying to cover up his initial reaction. “Oh common Jack! I won this match fair and square.” the first-year exclaims defensively reshuffling the cards in his hands. “You just need to get good.”

[howlighte]

＼ラギー先輩！！／

[howlighte]

[ NRC ] [ TAG ]  -  Recreate a ghost chase. Sender chases the receiver around to help them practice escaping from an enemy. ((Silver chases in good faith! 🤙))

AGREED UPON BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM,  he was unsure of what to anticipate from a member of diasomnia  —  well aware that they were the  only  other dormitory that could give savanaclaw issue in a  spelldrive  tournament.   though,  whether that was as a  collective,  or merely because they possessed the super - player,   malleus draconia,  he was unable to witness first - hand.    whether or not he was a suitable  partner  for training,  jack wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to make an effort.   their headmaster was being  incredibly vague  on what was to come  —  but many students were  getting antsy,   creating ideas of their own;  it was falling to  chaos  very quickly,   a mess of  theories  being tossed around.   without one  sole  leader,  everyone was prone to their own beliefs.  if one thing was  consistent  between each of these conspiracies:   ghosts,   a prime cause for the disorder. 

“ i’ll run on  three.  whenever  you’re  ready.  ”  silver insisted that  he  would be the one to chase.   hoping that he wouldn’t leave his upperclassman in the dust,   he waited for him to be ready before he would take off running.   they had placed a  handful  of obstacles in the way prior to setting up the start,  hoping it would serve as a  realistic challenge.    with plenty of practice jumping over hurdles for the track team,   but jumping a desk  —  there was few situations where it was  appropriate  to play around like that.   supposing that this was one of them,   they made sure to push quite a bit of ramshackle’s unused furniture in their path.  

[howlighte]

I have been known to indulge in a glass of water

[howlighte]

[ BREAK - IN ] - Break into the school’s dorms, checking to see the status with the poor weather and destruction. 

“Ya think we’re gonna find anythin’ useful if we check?” Weariness shrouds over Ruggie as he glances at Savanaclaw’s mirror, ears pressed down against his head. “I don’t think any repairs were done to th’dorm before we had to evacuate ’n all…” His voice trails off with uncertainty. Though silent, an obvious question settles between them— Was it even safe to enter Savanaclaw’s realm? 

BREAKING INTO THEIR OWN COLLEGE GROUNDS FELT LIKE A BAD OMEN IN ITSELF,   stranding in front of the savanaclaw mirror only amplifying that feeling.  the last they had seen of their dorm,   it was in complete shambles,   what seemed to be an irreparable mess.   with magic,   nothing was impossible  —  nor with hard work by hand,  they had proven that time  &  time again.   the last time,  the weather conditions were still  so  volatile that there was no chance to  consider  the thought of beginning to fix anything;   with the strange happenings on campus,   jack didn’t know if that would have changed.   not yet confided in his senior,   he was  catching  the smell of decay every so often  —  dizzying to his keen nose.   

the mirror gave no hints to the state of the dorm,   staring into a  pool  of nothingness.   eerie  &  unlike the usual state of the hall,  they both stood at a standstill,  waiting for one another to make the first move.   “   not sure,   but it don’t hurt to take a look. ”  crossing his arms over his chest,   feigning some  brand  of confidence in their decision to come.   turning around now would have made their trip a waste.   by now, �� rules  were broken.   going the extra mile was not going to change that fact.   if they wanted to dive head - on into it,   the consequences wouldn’t change.   “ can’t say i’m not  curious.   not like i’m expectin’ it to be fixed or anything,  but — "   everything  else  that happened so far felt so  unreal.   seeing it with his own eyes,   post - rush,   it would have made the fact that savanaclaw was truly destroyed sit firmly with him.   

“ the longer we stare at it,  the less we know.  guess  there really is only one way to find out. ”   —  there he goes again playing  leader,   taking the first step into the mirror.   

[howlighte]

INFILTRATION PREPARATION!

Each defense team, under the decree of Headmage Crowley, has been given a week to prepare for infiltrating the Ghost Dimension. Bond with your team and fellow residents of Ramshackle Dormitory as you prepare for infiltration, or spend the time investigating circumstances around campus. A week hardly gives any time to prepare; choose your next actions wisely.

DEFENSE EXAM TEAMS. 

[ SPAR ]   -  Test your skills through an organized practice match with a classmate. 

[ DISAGREE ]  -  Have a disagreement with a member of your appointed Defense Exam Team,  whether you are able to mediate this is up to you! 

[ TAG ]  -  Recreate a ghost chase. Sender chases the receiver around to help them practice escaping from an enemy.

[ CHASE ]  - Start chasing after what you believe is an “apparition”,  only to be disappointed.  

[ WARP ]  -  Get warped across campus alongside the receiver.  Neither of you are able to figure out the cause of your sudden appearance in a new location.   

[ TRAPPED ] - Explore a closet with the receiver,  only to find that the door has closed,  and the two of you are now trapped inside.  

[ ARSON ]  - Play with fire together. 

[ MISHAP ] - Have a spell go wrong during practice, either causing damage to campus grounds or to your  own team. 

[ PIECE ]  - Create a pair of communication mirrors together,  preparing for the upcoming excursion. 

[ CHARM ]  - Craft protection charms together, hoping for some good luck to come your way. 

[ RATIONS ] -  Prepare emergency rations to ready yourselves for the excursion. 

SNEAKING AROUND AFTER CURFEW. 

[ RAID ]  - Scavenge the campus after hours for any potential supplies for your ‘trip’.

[ BREAK - IN ] - Break into the school’s dorms, checking to see the status with the poor weather and destruction. 

[ TRESPASS ] - Break into Night Raven University’s faculty area with the receiver,  hoping to find clues.  

[ MIRROR ] - Break into the mirror hall with the receiver to see where it can take you. 

[ LEAVE ]  -  Make an attempt to leave campus alongside the receiver,  only to find out that you cannot.  

[ PATROL ] - To make rounds patrolling the campus at night with the receiver,  keeping your eyes out for any suspicious activity.

INTERROGATE YOUR PEERS.

Communication is a vital component to success. Retrace the events that have occurred across campus in order to size your enemy and evaluate the state of affairs on campus. Each of your peers have had at least one encounter with the opposing forces. Only a fool would choose to embark into the ghost realm blindly– Be prepared. 

Click here for a comprehensive timeline of events.

NOTE: Some clues are locked behind certain muses.  Each muse can only answer a question twice. If a third person were to approach with the same question, the answerer will not be able to respond and the inquirer will have to select a different muse from the category to question.  

This event will run until April 10th, 11:59PM PST. All posts will count for activity check and house points. Please do not reblog this meme after the deadline.

[howlighte]

WATCHING IN AWE AT HER COMPLETE SET UP,   it almost looked like she was packed  ready  to hit the gym with him  —   unlikely  though,   he was wiser than to believe that bag was packed with a change of clothes  &  sneakers.   no,  her  declaration  was more than enough of a hint as to what she was packing;   an assortment of accessories that to his eyes,  the colors weren’t as  vibrant  as most,   but the patterns  &  glitz were not lost.   most of the accessories,   he couldn’t   help  but wonder how yuyu was going to try  &  get them to stay with hair as short as his own.    she had plenty of hair to stack all of her accessories in  —   and man,  she really stacked them in there,    his own hair wasn’t as forgiving.   it was  thick,   ideal for clips;   but if she tried to put a  scrunchie  around his ears,   he wasn’t going to be amicable to the feeling.  “  don’t say it like that,   i  didn’t  agree to any of this anyways.  ”   arms already crossed over his chest,    and  yet his eyes were still on the bounty in front of him.   a couple hair clips may have come in use to keep his bangs out of his face;   that much,   he could agree on.  her ability to go overboard with accessories was unlike any other.  the moment that he gave in for  one barrette,    he was giving into ten.   

with a sigh,   like anything else he  unwillingly  signed himself up for.   jack grumbled.   “  careful  of the ears.  ”

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚ starter for @howlighte ˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

" RAMSCHAKLE HOUSEWARDEN YUYU REPORTING FOR DUTY! About to make YOU the cutest boy in school !! " and from the size of her carryon bag she was serious. The gyaru dropped the tote onto the table, proceeding a dense thud and rattling. Full to burst of barrettes and scrunchies and beads and ribbons and miscellaneous other accessories. A curated glitter disaster! She takes pride in it though, having to completely rebuy all her stock of hair memorabilia. A mere fraction of what she had stored in her many drawers back home. And today, Jack, you will be graced by all that it pink and leopard printed. Yuyu's faux serious façade dropped near instantly, unable to hold in her giggles. " I've been waiting for this day to come Jackie boy~ " That came out strange and somehow ominous.

[howlighte]

cardhearted​:

     The black smoke that lingered around them threatened to take care of them before they could do the same with the beaker. Keeping it away from them as far away as the beastman’s arm allowed him to, wasn’t enough to stop the tears from forming. Catching a glimpse of his partner’s pitiful state through his own blurred vision, it was obvious that he was barely holding on. The sensitive sense of smell that Jack was born with, appeared more like a curse than a blessing in this situation. It wasn’t difficult to imagine just how much the awful stench was affecting him, given that it was clearly showing on his face. Tear-filled eyes, irritated from the smoke was the tell-tale sign that Jack’s well-being was at risk. Besides, if they didn’t manage to get the situation under control before Professor Crewel came over to their station, they would meet a far worse fate than feeling nauseous. That is, if Ace makes it out alive after the much-dreaded confrontation with his lab partner.

     “Really funny, Jack.” the words that leave his mouth are laced with sarcasm as he searches their table for a rag that wasn’t stained with mysterious chemicals. “I didn’t know you were a comedian until now.” comment from his peer almost goes unnoticed, feeling displeased with the attitude with which it was said. It wasn’t his intention to boil the solution and then burn it when their grades were at stake. He wasn’t that much of a fool to even attempt to think of pulling such a stunt, and yet somehow he ended up with a foul smelling beaker anyway. His gaze followed the direction in which Jack was pointing, noticing that the burner was turned all the way up as the other had claimed. Upon the discovery, Ace’s eyebrows were raised in surprise. He doesn’t remember touching the knob to adjust the temperature, let alone turning the heat up drastically. When put in charge of watching the beaker, he thought of doing just that — watching without touching it. Even the instructions insisted on keeping the burner on a lower setting so as to not cause the solution to burn. He couldn’t have overlooked such an essential detail, right? “This doesn’t make any sense…” he mutters out loud, trying to wrap his head around the whole thing.      At last, he finds a rag that was acceptable, not quite pristine but much cleaner than the rest. He waves it around in the air to disperse the smoke, hoping it wouldn’t be so harsh on Jack’s nose ( as well as his own ). “I didn’t miss it! I did everything right. I didn’t even touch the damn burner.” even with the flame dimmed and the beakers replaced, the redhead couldn’t help but feel frustration build inside of him as Jack continued to make jabs at him. It was difficult to blame the beastman for throwing around harsh words, when time and time again Ace proved to be more unreliable than not. He didn’t have a reason to trust the words of someone who’d spent most of his free time slacking off or coming up with his next excuse to get out of doing any work. It seemed logical that he’d question him on his mistake. “Dude, seriously, lay off. ” by the tone of his voice, it was clear he was getting agitated. “I kept it on low heat the whole time. Nothin’ changed since you left. I had my eyes on it the whole… time?”

HAVING A STRONG SENSE OF SMELL WASN’T ALL IT CRACKED UP TO BE,   leaving him dizzy the moment anything became too potent  —  be it perfume,   chemicals,   or puffs of smoke from an over - cooked potion.    joining in to wave a dry towel to dissipate it to the best of his abilities,   in the end, he opts to turn on the overhead ventilation  —   all while fighting back tears  & coughs.   the less noise they made about it,   the less attention that it would garner,   as if half the class with their human noses had not picked up on the charcoal - scent.   jack’s own pride couldn’t handle the possibility of remedial lessons,   had the offer been brought onto the table  —  he might have actually  snapped  on his partner.   so long as there was a chance they could fix it,   taking over and being bossy was no problem of his own;   if ace thought that he was being obnoxious about it,   he would not hesitate to meant that his grades were at risk here.  while savanaclaw didn’t withhold the culture of their housewarden commanding heavily over the dormitory’s grades,   jack’s ego wouldn’t allow him to fall behind.  besides  —  when he could avoid having to deal with professor crewel,   he would gladly do so. 

“  have to have a plan ‘b’,   for when we fail this lab.  ”   the comment is dry,   hardly to be considered sarcasm.   his usual means of dealing with ace when the two of them were at odds,   prodding with drier & drier statements until someone gave.    despite seemingly giving into the fact that they were done for,   his actions didn’t match his words.  giving it his all regardless to make a save.   the longer that his partner feigned confusion for his mistake,   the more frustrated that jack became.   the possibility that another student had sabotaged their project did not occur to him  —  it was outlandish,   considering that this was an assignment that no one would have gained anything from tampering with it;   not unless they had a penchant for chaos.   if the goal was to watch the two of them argue with one another & question each other’s words,   they certainly had succeeded at doing so.   using low heat was common for these types of projects;  because otherwise you were going to end up with a smoking mess  —  exactly like their first attempt.    paying attention to the temperature when adding specific ingredients was learned early on,  as well as the instructions were clear on when to switch between.  

finding them a new beaker from the cabinet beneath their workstation,   it was time for them to start from the beginning.   now,  with absolutely no time to spare.   if they wanted to poke at one another,   it was important that they did so while making use of their time  —   multi - tasking.    letting it drop would have been ideal,    but he couldn’t deny his own curiosity when ace was making it sound like some kind of ghost had come in & tampered with their project.   “   the whole time?  ”    an indication that he was willing to hear him out;   but nothing about his tone sounded apologetic for getting irritable with him.    filling the new beaker with water,   he double - checked the burners,   before placing it.   with low - heat,   it would take some patience on their end to bring to the boil required once again.  precious time to ensure that the instructions were understood clearly this round.  

[howlighte]

hyaina​:​

There’s hesitancy in Ruggie’s step as he approaches the door. Jack Howl is no spineless cub of the pack, and is far from being the most incompetent. To hear his pleads for help is, well– unnerving. 

Ears folded, Ruggie braces for the worst. There’s a nervous chuckle caught in his throat, he thinks of a travesty that could even best the tenacity of Jack Howl. Armed intruder? Alchemy mishap? Food shortage? Speculations run a mile in Ruggie’s mind, yet—

“Eh?” 

Nothing could prepare him for reality. 

“No way–” The words are uttered half breathlessly, half in a stupefied snicker, and in full disbelief.  He moves closer to the door. “– What happened?” 

THE TRUTH IS FAR LESS HORRIFIC,   and yet all parts embarrassing to the troubled party.   not a whole lot could shake jack at the core,   having to admit to his senior that he was in a pinch  —  it was close enough to a real horror.   it took a few tries of pulling at the tangled fur,  which was not in an easy place for him to reach by himself to realize that if he could get the help of one specific person,   that he should.  

that one being ruggie.  

the reaction he received  — while expected,  was no less embarrassing in the moment.   prompting him to break his hushed tone,    “  ENOUGH LAUGHIN’.  ”   jack snapped,    crossing his arms over his chest.   letting go of his tail,   it swishes behind him in irritation  —  the comb holding firm in the knotted up fur it was stuck in.  “  my tail was shedding,  so i went to brush it out.  must’ve gotten a knot in it when i was out for a jog this mornin’,  and now  —   i can’t get it out.  ”   

[howlighte]

thecoachman​:

Luciano didn’t really know why his classmate was staring at him when he was making to make hot chocolate for himself. Maybe it was his sweater placed over a vest? The smell? However, when he saw Jack come over, the exchange was curt.

{What are you making?} Hot chocolate.

{Are you making some for yourself?} Yes, of course. (The beastman did have eyes, but he held his comment.)

And then he asks if he wants some. {I mean, if you’re offering.}

The awkward conversation ended with Luciano slowly turning his chin away so he can continue with the hot chocolate. Jack is a decent beastman, and he is a hard worker. A proper mug would be fine. That said, it wouldn’t do to pre-fill his hot chocolate when he doesn’t know anything about him aside from the fact that he exists.

So he just prepares his own for now and just adds some cinnamon to his own to cut back on the sweetness.

He then places the mugs and the additives on the side, gently placing it at the table. A humble smile flashed his lips when he heard Jack saying he went all out. Unless he was dining with his enemies, he wasn’t going to ruin a perfectly good cocoa break.

“This is basic courtesy,” he says. “The polite thing would be to not assume your cocoa preferences.”

TRUTHFULLY,  HE’D SMELLED THE COCOA LONG BEFORE HE SET EYES ON IT.    but in that exchange there was little expectancy for the offer to be extended to himself.   the students at this school were rarely known for their striking hospitality;  in the case when they displayed capability of such,   it was always met with surprise. 

finding himself to be of little use to his fellow freshman,   he opted to wait for him to finish.   it was more polite than standing over his,   staring down at his hands as he worked.   sure,   there was no true art to boiling water;   but to set up a tray & make it look presentable;  it was something that jack had little experience in.  being a last minute addition to his break,  he was expecting the bare minimum of hospitality & he would have accepted it graciously.   making the other have to go out of his way for him,  it only left the taste of needing to repay him in his mouth.  some way,  in the eventual future.  if his intentions were to make a small ally out of it,  then he may have succeeded in doing so.  

pouring his own mug,  with a dash of milk  —  sparing the sugar.   he was relieved not to have something that was painfully sweet.   granted,  it was hot chocolate.   however,   he’d drank tea given by the other’s housewarden before & felt the burn on his fangs.   the occasional sweet - based drink was appealing,   but he couldn’t stomach something that was basically as good as sugar floating in liquid.    taking his first sip,   the warmth alone radiating from the mug was nice in his hands.  maybe he did prefer the cold;   but that didn’t mean he was allergic to warming up either.   “  is the weather botherin’ you,   being stuck here?  ”   it was a fair assumption  —  or so he thought,   seeing luciano making hot chocolate of all things.   most from their dorm seemed accustomed to temperatures akin to the savana.   jack’s knowledge of the other was little - to - none,   unsure of where he came from.  

[howlighte]

threadedwheels​:

Ember continued helping Jack find points to pull at, eyes flickering between their parts of the strands.

“Honestly? I wouldn’t be surprised if no one did notice,” He said, “But it’s a matter of pride at this point, as foolish as it may be. And if anyone did notice, I’d rather not risk them pointing it out.”

His eyes fell to the rest of the strand as they made progress.

“Whoever put these away however long ago it was really did not care for organization. Fates, it’s like they intentionally made this worse.”

DROPPING HIS HALF OF THE LIGHTS FOR A MOMENT,   he moves to pull the rest of the box towards him.    tipping it barely,   all of decorations inside shuffling to one half  —  a small crash as they did so.   wincing,  he really hopped there was nothing valuable in there.    if there was,  it was likely just as tarnished as the rest of what they had going on.

“  if anyone notices,   they’ll be sure to give us  an earful on it. ”   —   how he managed to get placed on the decorations team was beyond him,   as if he had a shred of him that screamed interior decorator;   not that many of the others held a much higher stake in that draw.  

turning his nose up at the box,   the whole lot smelled stale  —  dust & dirt,   just like the rest of ramshackle.   pulling out a handful of stockings,   a wreath,   and even a very small - sized tree.   he found the source of the crash;  a couple of spare,   cracked ornaments loose at the bottom of the cardboard.    between that &   the ornaments still in the process of being de - tangled,   they didn’t have much to work with  —  not unless one of them was apt to make anything by hand,   to which jack would have to back down from.    “   just hope they work  —   who knows how long this stuff was packed in there.  ”   

resigning himself back to plucking away at the lights,  the excitement of checking out what else they had to work with was short - lived when it was revealed to all be just as lack - luster as the current situation.