#//strixverse

[theodorefauntleroy]

* it’s truly a wonder that you’re still alive

Theo drew in a breath to respond, but it caught in his throat. A jest was on its way our, or perhaps a dismissive comment. Alas, the bouncy energy and the bright smile begun to fade, and the jovial words with them.

"I... yes. I suppose it is."

He leant back on the cobblestone fence that bore his weight, looking up at the stars. They were all different in this universe. The shades, the constellations... even the moon had an unfamiliar face.

"To be honest, I don't know how I got out. A joint effort between many royal guards and loyal citizens, perhaps..."

He didn't verbally add the thought of why it was him that survived the fall of his homeland. Such questions were reserved for the gods, and Theodore was reticent to challenge their whims when he had so little grace left.

Breaking a difficult face with a smile, he looks to the fellow Paladin.

"Not that I wish to make your story pale in comparison. Your own country and Empress betraying you... 'Tis a disgrace. I had a mind that all Oathbreakers were evil, but... "

He looked to the tiefling. Bright eyes with a smile that hardly looked insincere or painted. Unlike his own. In many ways, Cherish was everything he wasn't. Even when faced with a similar abandonment, she found a way to make the power hers.

"Regardless, the logistics of how I survived aside, I would not have met many people without this life... present company inlcuded."

He pushed off the wall, turning to face his new friend and comrade.

"Thank you for listening. I look forward to spending more time with you."

[eruditionkythos]

What what how how why why why blahblahblahblah……

Erudition stared off into middle space, wishing he could dissasociate from his earthly coil. As he sat, outwardly euding despiar, Srennan was mseying about his study, asking what this does, or how does this work, ect, ect...

"...This is the sixth, and most likely not the last time I'll ask this, but... Please get out."

Erudition had been up late, penning out his latest papers regarding multiverse travel. His time in Strixhaven has been fruitful, and it was pleasing to see his hypothesis proved correct. It was at this time that a burglar snuck in. Only after she was caught trying to nab some scrolls, she began to act like a friendly acquaintance.

And so, Eruditions office has turned into a carnival for the little brat.

"How many more shattered windows will it take to realise that yes, it is a Wand of Magic Missles. Do you not trust me when I tell you these things?"

"No, I can't see you. Yes, it's a Cloak of Invisibility, it does that. Yes, I can still hear you."

"That is a Immovable Rod. No, it is not used for that kind of pleasure."

He was reaching the end of his patience. Were this his world, Erudition would have blasted the girl through the wall and be done with it. But multiversal travel entails mulitversal laws; one of which was the harsh repurcussions of harming those from another world.

Erudition slumped in his chair, a Scorching Ray shooting out of a circlet striking the stonework above his head. Aunn and Rosie were one thing, but Srennan was another. Erudition would prefer the Quarrots, or the hugs, or the naivety displayed by the former.

This fucking brat, I swear...

[raeltherevenant]

@stargirleffy

The sniff was an alarm. Rael felt the sensation rise up the nape of his neck as he turned to the starry girl. And when the tears fell... so did his stomach.

Regret.

"H-hey now, it's fiiine! I made peace with it long ago. This is just who I am, yeah? We all got a role in our lives. Mine's just... reoccuring."

He pushed forward another glass smile. One he's cerain has always been his companion. It was a reflex; muscle memory beyond the grave. No matter how tired his eyes were, the smile was always lax and cheery.

It's not something he felt often. Dissasociation often walked hand in hand with an emotional deficiency. There wasn't much room for him to feel as such. He knew the ephemeral nature of his undeath, and the lack of any attachments that he learnt to develop. In the end, regret was meaningless. He would forget eventually, and it would disappear with the memory.

But it wasn't that way for others.

Even if his memory were to crumble into the ever-hungry abyss, hers would not. Effy would remember for him. Remember his pain, and make it hers. It wasn't a legacy Rael wanted. It was one of the many reasons why he rarely opened up like this. To be remembered as a tragic man who lacks an end or identity... It was too melancholy. He'd much rather be remembered as the Ranger who cracked wise and brought a chuckle here and there.

He placed his hands down on the smaller set, hoping to end their trembling. He squatted down and gazed at her at eye level.

"I'm okay. I'm happy now, see? That's all that matters. I've had loads of super cool adventures this time. I've made so many irreplaceable friends, and seen so many cool places! I--"

This time.

Something ran down his cheek, halting his words. It took Rael by suprise, but the smile thankfully retained its shape.

They were all going to disappear. His own words loomed over him, an otherwise hopeful statment now a reminder of the emptiness that awaits. He had always accepted that fate, but seeing someone feel for him made it a much more apparent.

Effy had such an intoxicating innocence. It made it hard not to feel with her. A simple mindset that saw things without the haze that people create over the hurt. And Rael had a lot. He chuckles, standing up straight in an attempt to break the eye contact we worked to make. He casually ruffles the nebulous hair, fingers receeding from an ebbing ocean of stars.

"It's fine. It's just the way it is, y'know...?" He repeated, his words no longer for her.

[aldensirius]

❝ come on, get in the spirit! dance with me. ❞ 

"As I have been saying, I am not the Alden that you--"

With a less than manly yelp, the professor's protests were cut off. He lurched forward, forearm first, as Iris pulls him into the ballroom proper. The dance was in full swing (no pun intended) as many Strixhaven students paired up, sharing a night of rythm and tradition together.

"Th-th-th-this is a terrible idea! U-U-Unhand me at once!"

Alden knew full well how to dance, but when latched on to something you fear more than your passive desire to come off as put-together in the public eye, things are bound to get dicey. Alden stumbled and pulled, his movements akin to a cat who wants to escape manhandling cuddles.

This didn't seem to bother, nor peturb the red haired Aasimar, who giggled along as they 'waltzed'. All the while, all Alden could think about was...

"I-I-I-Isn't your hand in marriage with a KING? I-I-I cannot be seen dancing with you, or on my head be he consequences...!"

[virostrix]

“My fear of abandonment is so strong, because if I could I would abandon myself too.”

"My friend, what you need is to celebrate yourself more. These emotions are bad, yes, and can be quite severe. But I assure you, I can be very persuasive in helping your acknowledge that. At any time, too. I will never abandon a work in progress, hm?"

Viro unlocks and swings open the door to his dorm, having met Kaspar at the Bow's End. Candles had been lit, and rose pedals scattered around. Of course, Viro did not plan this. But it helps to decorate before a night in the bar in case this happens.

"I realise we planned to just talk, but, well, your emotions are a tad more entrenched than I thought. So how about we take the night to fix some of that, hm? I shall worship you. Now, lay back, and let me work my magic..."

[raeltherevenant]

This place was all kinds of strange.

It was more confounding that Miaraim Palace, or any of the Alesselan Incarceration Facilities. It was even more mystifying and enchanted than the lower sections of the Grand Consortium in Pantipa. A muliversal school fitted with secrets and technology from several different universes? Talk about noisy.

It hadn't been a day since Rael had awoken. While he's no stranger to waking up cold-turkey in an environment wholly unfamiliar to him, this iteration was different. He could still recall the faces of his companions. Of Forbes, Roxie, Koda, Felyxs, Grinny...

...And Lyrin.

Where the hell are you all...?

Any searches yeilded no solace. Even the inhabitants of this strange plain saw nothing outlandish over Rael's story, and even upon eavesdropping, none of them seemed concered at all of a new arrival.

Thankfully, when people fail, secrets will always succeed. And so it was that Rael had begun a plan to infiltrate the main building, searching for anything that would help him understand exactly what this place's deal was.

Secret tunnels were a good sign. Strangely, it was these kind of things that summoned the feeling of 'home'. Deft movements hardened by repitition, muscle memory taking over even if the mind was still befuddled... It did him a lot of good to recenter himself like this.

The sentries had been relentless. Constructs, magical beings... It was like he was walking around in Vereor Nox in the Deific Age. His frame hampered by stone walls, Rael slid further into the belly of the beast until...

❝ I was expecting many things from this school,  a cute boy in a secret wall tunnel? That definitely wasn't on the list for today. ❞

"Wha-"

No sooner had the end of the tunnel swung open when a figure appeared. Holding his tongue, he studied her frame, and the sassy hip pose she held. Judging by her expression and cocksure words, she was some fins and scales short of the kind of brat Rael had come to appreciate. Just not in this situation.

Relaxing his posture, Rael looked to the honey brown eyes of the girl.

"The flattery's appreciated, but you're kinda short to be my type."

She clearly wasn't any kind of employed enforcement. In fact, Rael sensed a kindred spirit. Remembering his training, he began to scrutinize her gear. Thieves tools, daggers... Had she a Specialist Stone, this kid was a bonafide Rogue. Sensing her not to be a threat, Rael began to shuffle forward, his intent to pass by her into the main hallways.

"Listen, I'd love to chat, but--"

An arcane whirr stood the Revenant's hairs on end. His danger sense activating, elven ears perked up at the sound of one of the constructs approaching the area. Had it heard their exchange? Or was this simply part of the patrol route?

"Quick-!"

Without so much as an explanation, Rael grabbed the girl, pulling her into the crawlspace. His elbow must have caught a mechanism as he heard a click! before the tunnel began to close up. He held the girl to his chest, arms grappling her to ascertain silence from any intended movement.

A heartbeat...?

Rael felt the strange thumping in the place of his own, holding until the whirring noise passed by. A strange melancholy washed over the Revenant, but he let it go with a sigh.

"Looks like this way's a bust. Sorry for dragging you in. Literally."

He cautiously released the girl, eyes sharpened to her blades.

"Looks like Lady Lucrezia's fate is working in this world. Guess we're in this together."

To be fair, the security in this place was actually insane. Every corner of the Strixhaven campus that Srenann had studied thus far was covered by some sort of construct, entity, or sentient magical item that felt the need to greet her like she was the center of the universe. Which, for all she understood about this place, could be exactly where they were in truth. Her mind was still fuzzy in regards to how she wound up her, separated from her team and known life, but she wasn't exactly torn up about it... like most people were. For Srenann, there wasn't much to go back to. A wealthy heiress to a clueless family, a military fighting one of many wars that will no doubt be lost to history at some point. A godless world on the brink of collapse...? Okay, maybe she was being a bit melodramatic in her thinking, but she also hadn't been able to sit still long enough this morning to drink her coffee — which bizarrely, tasted the exact same as the kind she drank at home. Not military home, either. Home-home. As if she was given her favourite blend out of nowhere.

❝ This place is too weird... ❞ She said quietly to herself, approaching a painting at the end of the hall quietly. It was a rather small percent chance, but she figured she'd test it nonetheless. Being the only thing of note in this odd hallway, Srenann had a mind to check behind the large portrait for a secret passage. As she felt along the outside of the frame thoughtfully, her finger grazed over an unusual bump in the metalwork. A self-satisfied grin decorated her face then as she pressed it, causing the painting to swing open suddenly.

Imagine Srenann's surprise when she was greeted with the visage of another person, blond and elven it seemed, crouched uncomfortably in a tunnel just beyond the entrance where this portrait would lead. From her guess, he had found another entrance somewhere and was doing some exploring himself when he'd met a sudden dead end and lacked the space for his larger frame to turn around in. With the portrait open though, he could potentially get out. If Srenann let him.

❝ I was expecting many things from this school, ❞ she said, folding her arms over her chest and jutting one hip to the side as she shifted her weight, ❝ a cute boy in a secret wall tunnel? That definitely wasn't on the list for today. ❞

infiltration: half success (ft. @raeltherevenant)

[soot-and-snow]

“Friendships are like trees. You have to water them to make them grow, and we each have only so much water.”

The half-orc gives a grunt, somewhere between approval and disinterested, as he sits along the bar of The Bow's End. The night was late, and the atmosphere had mellowed since the departure of the more rowdy crowd. He took another sip of his drink, which had been brewed a world apart from his, before swirling it in his hand and eyeing the mixture as it moved. He had a bar back home, after all, and all good artists steal.

"Yeh, ain't that the truth. Makes it hard for dry folk like us, eh?"

He finally replies, shifting his gaze to the stoic woman sitting beside him. People remark that he himself carries as much presence as a stone wall, but this girl seemed even more lifeless than that.

Ah well, he thought. No chips off my boulder.

"Ehh, true friendship is very hard to find. It has to be a mutual thing, no? You can water a tree all you want, but if it is not going to give any back, you will soon dehydrate."

The articulation of a stone wall too, apparently. Grey silently exhaled as he returned to his drink, content to leave that analogy half-baked as he thought of a way to redouble and save the conversation.

"I was born somewhere where there weren't many trees. Naturally, that meant I did not know how to proceed when I encountered people that were. They gave me water, and I did not know how to reciprocate. I was... worried they'd forget about me once our shared interests we achieved."

The ventures they took. The challenges they faced. The arguements they shared. The friendship they shared. It all came flooding back.

"...But they didn't. I do not have a lot of water in me, but I have my blood. And I would give every drop to repay what they gave me. Blood is thicker, after all."

[thaddeuscromwell]

“How dare you do exactly what I would do if I were you.”

Thaddeus turned his head from the brew in front of him. Sitting on one of the bar stools in The Bow's End, he was nearly eye-level with most of the patrons there. And despite the heavy traffic in his immediate area, he immediately found the source of the statement.

Bright coloured garb with familiar patterns, the jubilant expression. A familiar glowing orbis on the neck. A posture that exuded a certain thriving in this merry atmosphere. And was that a lute? Thaddeus found himself making a hearty cackle, as if he had just reunited with a friend he'd not seen in a long time.

It was a long shot to find someone even of his world in this hub many universes, but so find someone from his home country?

"You! You're from Vita, right?!" He exclaimed, delight pouring from his words. He raised his tankard in invitation. "The Hearth's Home! Want me to order another one?"

The moniker he gave his drink was one from an old Vitan song. The song itself was about many other things, but a throwaway line mentioned that the quickest way to get a feel for a tavern's atmopshere was to drink all of it's house brews at once. A terrible idea, but made a great excuse for the merry-doers in a city of colour to drink. And while it's wasn't an overly popular custom, this extreme feeling of misplacement calls for the extreme traditions to find solace.

"It's so good to see a friendly face! Come, take a seat, let's chat!"

[rapidaswildfire]

“You know we’re going the wrong way, right?”

"No, it's this way! Definitely this way! Now hurry up, or we'll be late!"

Huo stepped quickly down the cobblestone road, her exotic garb clashing with the uniformed masses. Behind her was another figure, this one in uniform, but very much against the grain amoungst the others. From what world he hailed, Huo hadn't a clue, but it sure wasn't this one.

An emergency assembly had been called for those who had been swept along the spacial and temporal currents and into this crossroads betwixt. The assembly was to take place in the Bibloplex, a grand building situated in the central area of the university. The busybody that she was, Huo picked up this new arrival on her way over and insisted that he tag along.

"Aha! Here we go! Through here!" The thoroughfare was intercepted by a marble arc framing what seemed to be some sort of portal. Huo hurried through, dragging her helpless victim along with her...

...Only to emerge in amoungst a dank landscape of mushrooms, trees and ferns.

[eruditionkythos]

Is that something we should worry about?

Erudition raised a dismissive eyebrow at the hubbub. The patrons of the Bow's End Tavern had all run out in a panic, while several ran towards the danger. Several eruptions of steam were seen as the two watched a battle unfold through a half open door.

"Of course not. Reel in that anxiety. We are fine. Now, where were w-"

"Uhh... guys?"

BOOM!

The back room explodes. If Erudition were curious, he would say that it sounded like a Fireball spell. But he wasn't.

"Do not mind that. It will be sorted. So, in your world, dragons lay with mortals to produce Draconic Sorcerers?"

[eruditionkythos]

"If you're a piñata, how about you let me hit on you?" ♥ //strix

"Unless it is a solid backhand to put me out of my misery, then no."

[virostrix]

“You’re such an idiot. I will literally kiss you on the mouth.”

"Ohoooh? Don't threaten me with a good time. How shall I embarass myself more? Incorrectly recite the times tables? Get the names of historic figures wrong? How much of an idiot must I be before I end up in your bed?"

[virostrix]

“I’ve made a huge mistake.”

Medea was not joking... she was a morning person. Viro, on the other hand, was struggling to stay concious in the dim light of his dorm room. He sat up, his flaming hair dim and flat, as his eyes squint to see his classmate in the morning light.

"Come now, dear. There's nothing wrong with a bit of 'friendliness' between peers. The word 'mistake' is reserved for things far more serious."

"We were simply celebrating your new role, yes? And a few drinks later at the Bow's End, there was a whole other type of roleplaying I had mentioned. If you must blame anything, blame me for suggesting such a thing to someone deep in their cups."

Viro flashed a smile - one not wholly sincere. He had been in this situation many a time in his past. So long as he can save his partner from cutting all ties with him, disparaging himself was means to an end.

"Now then, a morning cuddle never hurt anyone. Or, if you so choose, we can sneak you back to your room and never speak of this again. How's that sound, hm?"

[raeltherevenant]

‘I’ve blocked that from memory and do not want it coming back.’

"I don't think you should."

Rael took another swig of his waterskin, looking over the Witherbloom complex of Strixhaven. It was the one place here that felt somewhat close to Vasitas. Sure, it was a lot more green, but the bogs and swamps count for a partial match.

He looks over to his drow aquaintance. Two souls crossing paths betwixt the woods and vines. Two who are at home in this environment, yet wholly unfamiliar.

"Sorry if I come off a little ignorant. Can't really relate and all that, but... Memories are what make you. Bad or good. That path to accepting them is painful, but super worthwhile. A sword always comes back stronger after repairing a crack, yeah?"

"What happened to your people... It sucks. Like, uber sucks. And finding the corpse of one of your brothers, too. I've seen events like that break people. And maybe this shit has all been said to you, over and over... But it's the getting back up part. It's the looking back and using that pain, that anger, that regret to stoke those flames. Then using them to reforge yourself as something better."

His mouth opens to continue, but he draws his lips shut. In the place of words, a fake smile pushes forward.

"Jeez, what am I saying? Not like I can really talk. Every time I make memories, I lose them. I don't know if 'Rael' is even my real name."

He sighs, pushing off the fallen log with a huff.

"Sorry for the lecture, but I think I'm just... jealous. Experiencing pain like that is grounding. Solidifies what you hold dear. Really puts a Hunter's Mark on who you are as a person. Just... make sure you don't forget, okay? Use it as a reminder of a world you don't want, and let it give you the power to substitute your own."

[aldensirius]

❛ just because i’m too short to reach the lowest self in the cabinet doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch out for your kneecaps. ❜

"EeeurrGhh!"

The fully grown man makes an audible shriek and physically flinches from the small apparition in front of him. A moment passes and he manages to compose himself.

"W-well, points for creativity, but um... p-p-p-p-perhaps a little less aggressive?"

Effy was a recent arrival in Strixhaven, and due to her Lightless nature, she was to be taken for questions. Until everyone could gather to ask said questions, the faculty had assigned Alden to watch over her. A sick joke, if you ask him. They all knew his disposition towards women.

While Effy wasn't... what Alden was used to when dealing with womenfolk, it was undeniable that she had a feminine form. Sadly, his gynophobia overtook any academic interest in her anatomy.

Much to Alden's suprise, Effy had noticed, and was doing her best to help him through his fears. She was to act agressive or otherwise boisterous, and hopefully though exposure therapy, would alleviate the severity of Alden's phobia.

"I'm sorry... I-I-I-I-I thought this would work, but I... ugh...

[eruditionkythos]

Life is but a meaningless cycle of anguish and despair.

Golden eyes spark towards the vampire across the bar, catching Erudition mid sip. He examines the man, trying to derive any insightful readings from his mien.

"And just how long have you been constructing that line? Don't think I haven't seen you making ga ga eyes across the way. I know your aim, here."

He takes another sip of his liquor before finally lowering it, straigtening his back as he corrects his posture.

"You are not incorrect, though... I recently escape a cycle, and I soon found out that another extends on a much more personal level. Even if my world is saved, and I am no longer needed, I keep getting drawn back and--"

"...What am I saying? Waxing woe at a bar to a stranger. Oh, how far you've fallen, Erudition. Business it is, then. My room, 2 hours. I'll see you there."

And with that, Erudition tosses a coin to the counter and takes his leave.