#archambault academy

[hpowellsmith]

is archambault exclusively for the upper class or can people attend through other means such as scholarships (like in gallatin)

Archambault is primarily for titled aristocrats. There's probably a scholarship here and there, but much less frequent than in Gallatin (which is still pretty rare) and probably only involving partial tuition being paid rather than the entirety of it, in order to make sure the demographics are kept narrow and exclusive.

Freddie and Trevelyan would have probably preferred to go to Archambault than Gallatin, and maybe they applied there - I never ended up specifying - but because Gallatin is for the upper-class and very-upper-middle-class rather than aristocrats, it has more of a reputation for allowing a slightly wider variety of students.

[violet-stormbringer]

The Princess and The Thorne, Chapter Four: The Winter Ball

Ras loved Autumn, especially near the end. That just meant it was closer to Winter, and that was her favorite season. 

Outside, the Autumn season brought crisp, frost-edge leaves and a bright, fiery treeline to the mountains. Students donned cashmere scarves and woolen coats, and were allowed to wear heavier boots in order to step gracefully through puddles and fallen leaves. Whenever they finished their meeting, the Birchmeier Society was met with the night sky, thick with stars. Each time, Freddie exclaimed over the constellations dotting the sky above.

But the idyll didn’t last long. A storm kept Ras and her fellows awake one night, and everybody was groggy and sluggish on their way to the assembly. One of the ornamental cherry trees had lost a branch, and the Groundskeeper, Karson, was seen hauling the fallen branch away with a gardener. The leaves were mushy and slippery; more than one student slipping on them with a shriek.

Hartmann kept crackling sheets of notes in her blazer. “I’m announcing the Winter Ball this morning,” she whispered to Ras while they walked. “It’s the first time I’ve ever done it. It’s such an honor.”

Despite the honor, Hartmann looked pale. Gonzalez asked her if she was fine, and Hartmann claimed to be perfect well.

After the hymns and the usual announcements, Hartmann stepped up to the stage. “I’m pleased to announce the Winter Ball next month,” she said. “We shall entertain the Archambault Academy students and ensure they have a wonderful evening. Voting forms for the theme will be placed in common rooms, to be collected by the Prefect Commitee. Thank you, Lady Renaldt, for this marvelous opportunity to show just how welcoming Gallatin College can be.”

There was applause and excited cheering. Beside Ras, Gonzalez whooped. Hartmann sedately exited the stage.

Max leaned up against Ras, grinning. “Excited to see your one true love again, hmm?” Her tone was teasing.

Ras rolled her eyes. “Of course I’m excited to see Princess Rosario again. But not for any reasons you might think. She’s a nice lady to talk to, I’d like to be her friend.”

“I dunno…” Max teased. “After that confession of yours, I think you wanna be more than friends with her.”

Ras groaned. “Please don’t bring that up, there’s no way I’m in love with her after just one meeting…”

Max jostled Ras’ shoulder and the pair of them headed to class after the announcement. Later in the day, at a meeting with the Birchmeier Society, Lucien gathered the members around a table in the library.

"We're voting for turn-of-the-century glamour for the Winter Ball," he said. "It'll be appropriate for the Archambault people, and we’ll get to wear something nice and interesting. Plus, the Prefects should enjoy it since it’ll be traditional and appropriate."

Meanwhile, gossip was sparking about which of the other groups were voting for. The Gallatin Swans, the lacrosse team, were wanting traditional Hearthlight revelry with ballgowns and suits; The Prefects were officially impartial, but rumor was going about that Hartmann wanted a fire and ice theme; Max suggested a ghostly theme with the claim that her Starlings were behind her; and some students were gossiping about the Children of Hecate aiming for a fairy tale theme.

The common room ballots were carefully guarded when Ras arrived, and she was told that the voting would be completed with a great ceremony, and that someone was to count them in the middle of the night.

Lucien’s idea for turn of the century glamour was definitely interesting to Ras, though she wished she could’ve suggested a mythological theme. She would’ve loved to theme an outfit around one of Westerlind’s Heroes. She could imagine it now, a suit emblazoned with Erdrick’s Seal, accompanied by a crown accessory like he wore when he fought.

She shook her head, snapping herself out of her imagination, and she cast her vote. Lucien’s idea was interesting enough, no need to go against it.

When Ras returned to her dorm and lights-out was called, she listened to her fellow dormmates discuss the options, all until Mr. Griffith rapped on the door and sharply called for quiet.

“Unless you want a five o’clock start tomorrow.” He threatened, and that got everybody suddenly in the mood to go to sleep.

When the morning came, and it was time for the assembly, the college held its collective breath while Lady Renaldt opened an envelope to read out the theme for this years Winter Ball.

"I'm pleased to announce," she said, leaving an emphatic pause for suspense, "that we shall enjoy a historical theme for our Winter Ball at the end of the month. Preparations shall begin shortly."

As soon as the announcement was made, the obsession with themes translated into who would be escorting who to the ball. Notes were passed, friends were consulted, and whispers followed the more popular students down the corridors. Naturally, everybody was also interested in knowing who Ras would escort to the ball, whispering when they thought she couldn’t hear about who she’d invite; or who she wouldn’t invite.

“So.” Max said, leaning up against Ras after Philosophy one day. “You takin’ anybody to the ball? Oooor,” A pause, and a sharkish grin, “are you planning to go alone so you have the best chance of woo’ing your beloved Princess Rosario?”

Ras groaned, rolling her eyes as she did so. “Max, don’t you have things to do? People to invite?”

Max looked offended, putting a hand to her chest in a mocking gesture. “Ras! I’m hurt! I’m just looking out for my best friend!”

“By being a nuisance?”

“Would you have me any other way?”

Ras deflated, sighing in defeat. “...No.”

“Exactly!”

Eventually, Max relented in her teasing, and went on her way to invite her chosen partner to the ball, and she left Ras alone. Ras, of course, was going to go alone. 

‘ Not because I want to spend time with Rosario, ’ she tried to justify it to herself. ‘ But because it’d give me a chance to stand out. I’d be able to talk to some of the others from Archambault, too, it wouldn’t just be Rosario. ’

With that, Ras made her choice, and excitement rose through the college. It was rumored that even Mr. Griffith said he didn’t find the idea as distasteful as usual; and everyone was talking about who was going to wear what to the ball.

The trip to Archambault was uniformed, but this was a more flamboyant affair. Bustles and corsets, along with frock coats and smoking jackets were the dress code for the occasion; guests were to wear masks, though how elaborate was usually left up to them.

Ras had decent evening wear in her wardrobe, but most of her more expensive clothing was sold after the incident involving her Mother, and she’d have to reach out to her Mother for extra money if she wanted something magnificent.

And unfortunately, she did. So she wrote a letter to home.

‘Dear Mother, As you are no doubt aware through our repeated correspondence over the year, the Winter Ball is approaching soon. In my various attempts to restore some semblance of cleanliness to our Family Name, I have made a significant amount of progress by socializing with the right people and keeping my grades as high as can be. In addition, I’m sure you will agree with me when I suggest that a proper outfit for this wonderful occasion would do much to improve our standing in the eye of the public. As such, I would request a tidy sum of money so that I may commission myself a suitable outfit for the Winter Ball. Your beloved daughter, Ras Thorne.’

Ras sent the letter out with the morning post, and spent the rest of her day in her classes, hoping against hope that her Mother would be able to spare a pittance for something Ras could wear.

When she awoke the next morning, Ras was approached by Mr. Griffith in the hall on her way to Philosophy. He passed a letter to her and bid her a good morning. The letter was marked with the Thorne Family seal, as well as a priority stamp. Her mother spared no expense in replying, at least.

‘Beloved Daughter, It was a pleasure and a relief to hear you were doing well. I could not be prouder of the work you’ve put in to restore our Family Name. In regards to your request, all you need do is send the tailoring bill to the address listed, and I shall see it paid in full. Regards, Matilda Thorne.’

Ras huffed as she folded the letter and tucked it into her pocket. At least her mother’s writing was as awkward as her own, and she’d been given leave to get herself an outfit for the ball.

It’d be hard to arrange a tailoring visit, but Ras managed to write to a tailor in Fenburg and put in an order. Many of her peers had the same idea, it seemed, for in the days leading up to the ball, more and more parcels arrived by courier, and the excitement was building.

Ras’ own parcel arrived with three days to spare, and she couldn’t have been happier with how it looked. 

Ras had ordered a crimson-colored brocade smoking jacket with white culottes and a dark red mask with a feather attached to it. The left sleeve was missing, and instead attached to the left side of the jacket was a capelet matching in color to the jacket, upon which the Thorne Family sigil was emblazoned.

Max whistled when she saw the outfit. “Well, that’s going to look very smart indeed. Princess Rosario won’t know what hit her.”

By the time it was the week of the ball, most of the teachers had given up on their attempts to teach anything of substance, and instead allowed their students to read and review textbooks and previous tests. Until finally, the night of the ball was upon them.

During the day, the first snow of the year arrived, sending the younger students into paroxysms of excitement. At night, however, an odd, hushed feeling had descended upon the dormitory whilst everyone prepared; the noise and bustle had faded, replaced instead with a tense focus. Eventually, everybody was ready.

Dressed in a severe black suit and tails, Mr. Griffith led Clemency Dorm out. Delacroix and Max walked arm in arm, both wearing black; Max wore a close-fitting suit that was just on the edge of too scandalous, and Delacroix’s bustled gown was beated with jet in bewildering geometric patterns, making her glimmer as she moved. Hartmann fell into step beside Ras as they were led from the dorms in a procession towards the banquet hall.

A vast Hearthlight fir tree nearly reached the ceiling, covered with simple white candles. Wreaths bursting with berries were draped along the windows, and the scent of spiced fruit filled the air. The light from the chandeliers’ was warm and inviting.

Miss Dalca was wearing a long lilac gown with a daring asymmetrical neckline that made it look as if she’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine; Mr. Blanchard wore a respectable suit and tails that looked similar to Mr. Griffith’s. Lady Renaldt presided over the hall from the teachers’ dais, wearing a sapphire blue gown. 

Just as Ras was about to settle in with her fellows, the doors were thrown open and the Archambault students arrived, led by Lord Haberlin, who strode to the dais and bowed as though to a monarch.

“We are delighted to be here at Gallatin for this lovely little party,” he said, voice ringing across the hall.

“And we are delighted to return your hospitality for the wonderful dinner earlier in the term, Lord Haberlin,” Lady Renaldt replied, a cool smile on her lips.

With that, the duty of greetings was done, and it was time to mingle.

Princess Rosario wore a burnt umber gown and her hands were dripping with rings; a golden sheen sparkled in her dark, tightly-curled hair. Auguste Renaldt smiled graciously as she spoke to Mr. Griffith. She wore a perfectly tailored gown in a pale grayish blue that contrasted dramatically with her own dark skin.

The musicians struck up a stately waltz, and students moved to take their places on the dance floor. Ras caught Lady Renaldt’s eye, and with a formidable look from the Headmistress, Ras knew right away that the dance was not optional. Disappointing, but she figured as much.

Which only left the question, of course, who was she to dance with?

Not that it was a question, really. She took a deep breath, adjusted her tie and ran a hand through her hair, ruffling it and allowing many a few strands to fall out of place. 

With a confident stride, she approached Princess Rosario, who was surrounded by an entourage of Archambault hangers-on. She was chatting away happily with said entourage, even as Ras approached. At her side, a heavyset, stony-faced woman stood, glowering at a hopeful Archambault student who’d been attempting to ask Rosario to dance.

“Princess Rosario will not be partaking in the dance,” she said in a low, flat tone that suggested the dance was a moral failing. “It’s not appropriate.” 

Rosario sighed, taking a sip from her glass. “Ibarra, why do you never let me have any fun?”

“Because, your Highness,” she said in a tone that made it obvious this was an argument they’ve had before. “It is my duty to keep you safe.”

As they spoke, Ras began to rack her brains, trying to place something. Her frown must have caught their attention, because Ibarra cleared her throat.

“You there.” She spoke, her tone level. “Say your piece.”

That’s when Ras had it. She snapped her fingers, and gave a sly grin to Ibarra. “Correct me if I’m wrong, m’lady, but your accent. That places you from the north coast, does it not?”

A flash of surprise in Ibarra’s eyes, but she quickly collected herself and offered a nod, a small smile gracing her lips. “Indeed.”

“I’ve only ever had delicacies from that area, though I’d very much like to visit. Tell me, is the wine still as excellent as I recall?” Her tone was nostalgic and wistful.

“It is,” Ibarra nodded again. “In fact, my brother owns a vineyard in that region. He sends the Princess and I bottles of his latest to sample, and it is a treat every time.”

“Wonderful!” Ras smiled. “If I may have the name of your brothers vineyard, that I may procure some wine in the future?”

Despite herself, Ibarra’s smile returned, a bit wider, though still small. “Certainly.” With that, she pulled out a card, passing it to Ras who tucked it into her pocket with grace.

“Alas, while I would love to remain and discuss the pleasantries of wine, I fear I can feel Lady Renaldt’s gaze turning my back to stone. May I borrow the Princess Rosario for a dance?”

Ibarra’s expression cooled, and she looked Ras over before inclining her head, another smile gracing her lips. “You may. Enjoy yourselves.”

Rosario passed Ibarra her glass as Ras offered a hand to her, and while the two moved away, Rosario whispered to her.

“I’ve never seen anybody get by Ibarra so smoothly. Well done.”

“Nothing to it,” Ras admitted. “I was genuinely excited to meet someone from the North, and Ibarra seems a sweetheart. Just gotta remind myself she ain’t as scary as she looks.”

Rosario giggled at that. “Well, still, it’s lovely to see you again.”

Everyone's eyes were upon Ras and Rosario as the pair passed on their way to the dance floor. Rosario was a prestigious dance partner, of course; Lady Renaldt looked faintly dismayed, a thought that gave Ras a smug sense of satisfaction. Likely, Lady Renaldt had designs on Rosario for her daughter, Auguste. Unlike her, however, Ras’ motives were far less complex.

She was in love with Rosario. No she wasn’t. She wanted to be friends.

‘Face it,’ she thought to herself, the inner monologue dangerously close to becoming outer monologue. ‘You’re into her. Just roll with it.’

She hated arguing with herself, she was always both in the right and in the wrong. This time, she was in the right, and there was a part of her that was smug about it.

Rosario's dark eyes sparkled when she met Ras’ gaze, watching her with frank curiosity. 

The pair made their way through the crowd of students, dodging elbows and occasionally pushing people out of their way.

They took their places, with Ras facing Rosario, head held high. The music struck up, and the pair began their dance. 

As they danced, Ras moved closer to Rosario, tilting her head to show off her neckline and allow the Princess glimpses of her skin; shifting so that the other got a rather good look at Ras’ pale visage. Rosario’s eyes widened in surprise, and there was a faint blush on her face; she was surprised, but altogether flattered at Ras’ movements.

As the pair circled past the musicians, Rosario spoke. “Auguste told me about your family situation. I have to wonder, has it been difficult for you?”

Ras felt a tinge of irritation, and had to resist the urge to scowl. She really wished Auguste would mind her own damned business. She cleared her throat, and offered a smile.

“It has certainly been…interesting, being under so much scrutiny as a result of my Mother’s actions.” Ras admitted, and she kept her eyes focused on Rosario. “Alas, there isn’t much I can do about it, and I do rather wish people would keep to themselves on this subject.”

Rosario nodded. “I meant no offense, of course. My apologies.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Ras assured her, still smiling. “Let us just enjoy ourselves, yes?”

Rosario smiled in return, and more pleasant conversation was brought up as the pair danced the night away. Rosario’s beringed hand was warm on Ras’ shoulder, and when the pair parted, she looked back to Ras with a wistful expression.

“The dance was wonderful, Master Thorne. Thank you.”

Ras bowed her head gracefully, still smiling. “Worry not, the night is not over yet. We may yet share another dance before we must away.”

Before Rosario had chance to respond, Lady Renaldt called for silence before speaking.

"A marvelous Winter Ball dance," Lady Renaldt said, "and a wonderful entry in our winter tradition. Lord Haberlin and our illustrious teaching staff have been observing the progress of our Crème de la Crème competition, and I am pleased to note that Gallatin College is in the lead. May the finest college win!"

After a small round of applause, she went on to announce the next stage of the evening: a formal tour of the grounds, showing off the beauty of the Gallatin surroundings. 

“The snow,” she said, “is perfect for tonight.”

Alongside Rosario, Ras was led in a procession to retrieve coats and scarves, ready to face the outdoor cold.

The groundskeeper, Karson, was in the cloakroom, briskly handing out warm clothes. She wore a simple black suit, her dark hair tied back. 

Once Rosario had retrieved her coat and she joined the procession ahead, a teacher from Archambault pushed ahead of Ras. She was a middle-aged woman in a charcoal-colored suit, and she fixed Karson a disdainful glare.

“Karson, yes? The cashmere scarf. No, the green one.”

Karson ducked her head. “This one, Lady Serafin?” she asked, holding it out.

Lady Serafin let out a huff. “No. That’s obviously turquoise. What sort of staff is Lady Renaldt employing these days? Hurry it up, else I’ll tell her about your poor service.”

Karson’s face turned wan, and she murmured an apology as she passed the correct scarf.

Ras, however, was seething, and she couldn’t let this slide. She cleared her throat and spoke.

“Personally, I think Lady Renaldt would be more sorry to have invited a poor guest. What sort of woman takes her anger out on someone as kindly as Karson? You should be kissing the boots she polishes, not disparaging her for a mistake involving the color of your ridiculously gaudy scarf.”

Lady Serafin whirled around, eyes widened and mouth agape at Ras’ scathing commentary. She touched her hair and gathered the scarf to her chest. “Y-yes, well…” She spluttered, as if searching for a defense. Under Ras' scathing glare, she folded, and with a huff, she strode out, leaving Karson and Ras in peace.

Karson took a long and shaky breath. “I hate these special events, you know…” She spoke, her voice barely a murmur, yet filled with rage all the same. “A-At least normally it’s just the Gallatin lot, and they’re fairly kind. The Archambault ones are so much worse, though…Students and staff alike.”

“Honestly, I agree. Why do they have to be so…obnoxious?”

Karson snorted. “That’s…It’s nice to hear someone else say it. Thank you, Ras.”

A pause, then Karson’s lip began to tremble, then her face crumpled. She covered her face with her hands and burst into silent sobbing.

Ras took a deep breath, and from her pocket she pulled a handkerchief. Karson looked startled, but she took the handkerchief gratefully and wiped at her eyes.

“I’m sorry…” she muttered.

Ras only shook her head and wrapped her arm around Karson in a hug. “‘Swhat friends are for, y’know?”

Karson looked surprised, but she returned the hug. Her shoulders were trembling, as if she were about to burst into tears again. Then, she withdrew, a soft smile on her face.

“I don’t wanna mess up your outfit,” she said, voice quiet. With a glance at the students gathering in the quad, she spoke again, “You ought to go, Master Thorne. Thank you.”

Ras inclined her head at Karson, before gathering her coat and heading into the snow. Rosario caught her eye, and waved Ras over to her. Her breath steamed in the air as, in a brightly-colored procession, the students from both schools walked to the barouche carriages for a tour around the lake. The driver tipped their hat to Ras and Rosario, and the pair stepped aboard.

Rosario was shivering despite her heavy fur coat, and fumbled with the fastening as she stepped aboard. Just after Ras joined her, Ibarra entered as well, sitting down opposite of Rosario, a looking presence in the carriage with the pair. As the carriage began to move, Rosario groaned.

“You don’t have to come everywhere with me, Ibarra. It’s just a formal tour. What would happen here?”

“It’s my job, your Highness,” Ibarra said in a flat-tone that left no room for argument.

Rosario sighed, bundling up in her layers of clothing. “Sorry about this,” she whispered. “She’s being ridiculous, and she knows it.”

Ras chuckled. “Ah, it’s not so bad. I’m sure that once Ibarra warms up ‘ta me, she’ll allow us all sortsa freedoms.”

Rosario Rosario sighed, her breath a cloud in the cold moonlight. “It’s better than at home, at least,” she said, “but you’re right–I should be allowed to see more of the world while I can…”

“Under appropriate circumstances,” Ibarra muttered ominously.

“Ibarra! Stop eavesdropping!” Rosario snapped, then more quietly, she leaned against Ras and spoke. “Maybe we can arrange something at the next joint event…I’d love to make up for her nonsense.”

As the barouche wound around the lake, Rosario talked about her plans at the palace for Hearthlight; Zaledoan royal tradition involved the Crown Princess singing in front of hundreds of spectators. Rosario, surprisingly enough, was not pleased with this, and was not looking forward to it.

Meanwhile, the frozen lake sparkled in the moonlight; the snow giving everything an unreal, bluish cast. Beyond the college loomed the mountains, pale and huge in the distance, and Ras once again fantasized about scaling those mountains and declaring herself to the world below.

She was interrupted as the barouche paused, and a firework shot into the sky at the far edge of the lake, exploding into sparks. Rosario’s face shines in the golden light, gasps and applause ring out from the other carriages as more and more fireworks erupted.

“You know, I was wondering…” Ras whispered, leaning against Rosario. “...if you had any ideas on how you’d make it up to me, as you promised. We don’t have to wait…”

Rosario looked over to Ibarra, then back to Ras, and she nodded before she drew Ras closer to her, bringing her lips to Ras’ and smashing against them in a heated, passionate kiss. Rosario’s chattering teeth made it a little difficult to be too swept up in the moment, but Rosario was warm and enthusiastic; her hand resting lightly against Ras’ cheek before running her gloved fingertip round to the nape of her neck and sending tingles down Ras’ back.

When they parted, Ras looked over to see Ibarra looking pointedly at the treeline, a faint flush on her cheeks, entirely embarrassed at having watched the duo kiss. Rosario stifled a giggle behind her glove and rest her head on Ras’ shoulder as they watched the rest of the fireworks.

As the night came to a close, and the pair said their farewells, Ras was suddenly overcome with fatigue, and she was relieved when it was time to retire back to the dorms. The moment her head hit the pillow, she was unconscious.

The aftermath of the ball felt anticlimactic: everyone was exhausted the next day and none of them could muster any enthusiasm for the fact that Gallatin was in favor for the Crème de la Crème contest after the students' conduct for the evening. Ras’ dormmates’ demeanors ranged from grouchy restlessness from Max to constant yawning from Gonzalez. Some people buoyed up by the end of the term, while others were moody at the prospect of going home for the holidays. Suitcases were packed and hauled downstairs by porters; people constantly chattering about their holiday plans.

One morning when Ras was fetching her bag from the dormitory, she caught Hartmann meticulously folding her spare uniform into her suitcase. Her suitcase was only partially full, without many personal belongings inside: just clothes and her Athletics kit.

“Home soon,” she said, her tone neutral and guarded. “Are you looking forward to it?”

Ras groaned. “No. I really don’t want to go home and see my Mother. You know my situation, yeah? It’s bloody awful.”

"Mmm," Hartmann said, her tone bright and brittle. “That can be difficult indeed…”

Soon enough, the final day of the term arrived. Ras and the rest of the Gallatin students were herded by carriage, and then by train, to Fenburg. Just as when Ras had made this journey the other way, the platform was chaos: full of noise and bustle from hugs, tears, excited whoops, and reassurances about staying in touch.

Crowds upon crowds of Gallatin students poured from the train onto the platform, met by guardians and relatives. While Ras waited to disembark, she spotted a tired-looking Karson hauling a shabby suitcase from the guards’ carriage; she was on her way home too it seemed. Ras’ mother was, of course, nowhere to be found because the woman couldn’t bear to be on time for once. Fortunately, this meant that Ras had a moment to say goodbye to a friend or two before she eventually showed up.

Ras’ first choice, of course, was Max, who pushed off the rail she was leaning against to give Ras a hug, despite the large backpack she was hauling.

“See you again, Thorne,” she grinned as she reached up and ruffled Ras’ hair, “when we’re back in prison.”

Ras snickered. “Don’t forget the snacks this time, Meyer, sitting in my cell listening to you and Hartmann bicker like a married couple is worth at least a couple fistfuls of popcorn.”

Max’s only response was to stick her tongue out at Ras as she was called over by her own parents, waving a farewell to Ras as she walked.

Next, Ras picked out Freddie, who threw her arms around Ras in a big hug. “Have a good holiday, yeah?” She grinned.

“I’m more excited for what sorta things we’ll get up to when we get back.” Ras returned the grin. “I’m sure the Society has all kindsa secrets an’ stuff they’ll be willing to show us when we’ve proven keen.”

Freddie’s eyes widened, as if she hadn’t thought of that. “Goodness, I hope so. It all sounds so exciting!” A pause, as Freddie’s parents called for her. “Sorry, I have to go! See you back at Gallatin!”

Ras waved Freddie off, and then turned just in time to see her mother standing on the platform, watching her intently.

“Hello, Ras.” Matilda Thorne, Ras’ mother, stood before her. Her tone was as cold and detached as ever.

“Hello, Mama.” Ras struggled to meet the same level of coldness that was given to her, and her voice cracked almost imperceptively.

Unfortunately for her, that was still enough to displease Matilda, who let out a ‘tsk’. “Come.” She commanded, whirling around. “Our taxi awaits.”

Ras followed after, and kept her head low, doing her best to ignore the stares of those who recognized her mother.

This Hearthlight was going to be something, for sure.

[choiceofgames]

New game! Royal Affairs by Hannah Powell-Smith, author of Crème de la Crème

New game! "Royal Affairs" by Hannah Powell-Smith is now available on Steam, iOS and Android. It's 40% off until April 6. Please reshare this with friends!

Return to the exclusive boarding schools of “Crème de la Crème”—this time as a royal! Work hard, study hard, and play hard as a royal in training at the exclusive Archambault Academy. Will you rule the roost, or be a royal disaster?

https://www.choiceofgames.com/royal-affairs/

Royal Affairs is a 437,000-word interactive novel by Hannah Powell-Smith, set in the world of "Crème de la Crème." It's entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

As the middle child of the Queen of Westerlin, you've led a sheltered life in the palace, but now you must spread your wings and prepare for your royal responsibilities with a year at the exclusive Archambault Academy.

Everyone knows your name, everyone has an opinion on what you do, and everyone views you as the face of the new generation of royalty. Your every move is reported in the press, a word from you could make or break a teacher’s career--or the fate of the school itself. You’re being courted by every club and social group on campus; and there are countless students who would love to be in your orbit.

In luxurious armchairs behind ivy-covered walls, you and your fellow students debate political theory—but outside, real trouble simmers across the realm. There are activists fighting to open voting rights beyond the aristocracy, and you can use your influence to sway the government’s decision in either direction. Relations are growing increasingly uneasy with your country’s neighbors, and there are conspiracies around every corner. Why is your mother whispering behind closed doors with the Prime Minister? Have the leaders of the protests really disappeared? Which allies can you trust? There are some secrets that only your royal authority can uncover.

Will you honor centuries of royal tradition and follow the path that your mother the Queen has laid out for you? Or will you be a force of change, leading your country in a new direction as you break free of a lifetime of expectations?

Oh, and speaking of expectations—there’s also the foreign royal that your mother wants you to marry. Who is in your class. And who happens to hate you.

-Play as male, female, or non-binary; gay, straight, or bisexual; monogamous or polyamorous; asexual and/or aromantic. -Find love and/or friendship with your free-spirited childhood companion, a firebrand radical, a dreamy dancer, a financier haunted by tragedy, your devoted bodyguard, or a rival foreign royal. -Cuddle and train your pet: a horse, dog, or bird of prey. -Put on a lavish play, become a sports star, or run Student Council; and represent Archambault Academy against its rival Gallatin. -Become your classmates’ confidante and help them solve their problems—or make those problems worse. -Embrace your royal responsibility and carry on your mother’s tradition—and perhaps even take your sister’s place as heir to the throne. -Forge a path to the future by supporting revolutionaries’ calls for change, or stamp out the movement with scheming and deceit.

When this tumultuous year ends, will you be Archambault Academy’s crowning glory?

[junostwistedworld]

RSA Staff Headcanons/OCs

Some characters I feel would be fitting at Royal Sword Academy. I'm not really great with picking names, so there probably won't be much sense or reasoning to them.

♤♡---◇♧

Arnold Rennison

Twisted from Roger Radcliffe (101 Dalmasions). Music teacher.

Homeland: Queendom of Roses

Hobbies: Writing sheet music

Every time I try to remember the movie, the first thing that comes to mind is him stomping the floor playing the piano and trumpet as loud as he can while Cruella's downstairs. I can just imagine, if he gets word of Crewel visiting the school for whatever reason, he always makes sure band practice is in the parking lot so he gets an earful when he gets out of his car.

Don't ask me what those two have against each other, maybe something went down while they were still attending their respective schools. Either way- they don't like each other.

Claude Archambault

Twisted from Clopin Trouillefou (Hunchback of Notre Dame). Theatre director.

Homeland: Shaftlands

Hobbies: Flower gardening

The man literally narrates the entire movie and pretty much hosts the Feast of Fools. If anyone qualifies to direct a theatre, it's him. And even if he's got a darker side, he's warm with kids and his family. Spread some joy and watch out for the kids (adults...?) enrolled at the school, it doesn't sound too outlandish for someone based on Clopin.

Professor Moreau

Twisted from Maurice (Beauty and the Beast). Science teacher.

(I couldn't find a first name I felt would fit)

Homeland: Shaftlands

Hobbies: Tinkering in the school basement

Maurice was literally called crazy for all the weird things he was inventing, if anyone could teach kids science and make it interesting, it's this guy.

Students learn early on to stay out if the basement- no, not because it's haunted, not even because it's staff only. It's because Moreau turned half of it into his personal workshop and it is anything but safe. He's happy to share his work with the students... just be ready to run if something goes wrong.

Murphy Heinrich

Twisted from Milo Thatch (Atlantis: the Lost Empire). History teacher.

Homeland: Queendom of Roses

Hobbies: Battle reenactments

In charge of all the 'socials' like Trein is. If anyone can make a history lecture interesting, it's him. The excitement, the theorizing, he enjoys teaching all of it- not just the bare minimum and you have to fill in the blanks (I had one too many teachers like that). Oh, everyone's falling asleep? Rather than hand out more homework, why don't they have a historical costume party to liven things up a bit! Or take a field trip to one of the reenactments he attends!?

He's the odd one out in a long line of adventurers: teaching history rather than making. And he enjoys his job... but there's still plenty of time to hold up the family legacy.

Coach Aegis

Twisted from Philoctetes (Hercules). Athletic coach.

Homeland: Sunset Savanna

Hobbies: Antique collecting

Who better to whip a bunch of greenhorns into shape? An older centaur (referencing Charon from Greek mythology) that sort of got arm bent into the job as a favor. If there aren't centaurs or the like in Twisted Wonderland, I guess a big horned ram beastman. He has a giant list of rules when it comes to training: they worked for the professional athletes he used to train, they'll work for the students too!

♤♡---◇♧

Just a few ideas, feel free to add to this or make a better suggestion- I'm sure there are characters that would fit these rolls better. There were some characters I considered that I just wouldn't be sure how to write for.

Masterlist

[thornfield13713]

Creme de la Creme MCs

Since my original tag got wiped, this seemed like a good opportunity to re-do this list, to include some of the ways my ideas (but not my basic inability to play a character with a low intelligence score) have changed. So, without further ado:

Miss Leontine Adeyemi - she/her - Sweet, dorky theatre kid and budding occultist who has literally never met someone she didn’t want to be friends with. Leonie is flamboyant, strangely charming despite her awkwardness, and very clever, but has the worst poker-face known to man, and can be rather clumsy and over-eager to boot. She transferred to Gallatin from Rochat’s Academy after her parents lost their entire family fortune to their gambling addiction, where she soon befriended scholarship student Freddie Crawford and fellow occultist Patrice Delacroix, and developed a romance with Princess Rosario of Zaledo, who was attending the nearby Archambault Academy. Leonie soon found a place for herself among the Children of Hecate, where she developed her occult interests further, and paid very little attention to the Crème de la Crème competition, beyond her own obligatory participation in events and passion for fencing. Ironically, this made her indirectly responsible for Gallatin’s victory, after her defeat of Rosario in a fencing-match at Sports Day. She was similarly disinterested in currying favour with Lady Renaldt, and so ended up working to protect her favourite teacher, Miss Dalca, from Lady Renaldt’s investigations into her radical political beliefs and how they might be affecting her teaching. Despite this working against her, Leonie achieved good marks in her exams, and secured a place at Gessner University, where she intended to study literature, before accepting a proposal of marriage from Princess Rosario. When she learnt about Lady Renaldt’s human-trafficking, Leonie first attempted to lie to Lady Renaldt that she intended to help her, hoping to use her position as Rosario’s fiancée and general credibility to bring the authorities down on Lady Renaldt, but couldn’t bring herself to have any part in taking Delacroix, her best friend, to the mines, and so was imprisoned there herself, where she conspired with Mr Blanchard, the dismissed Athletics teacher at Gallatin, and Blaise Marechal to escape the mines and reveal Lady Renaldt’s crimes to the world at graduation, leading to her arrest. Gallatin remained open, under Miss Dalca as headmistress, and Leonie went on to begin her first term at Gessner, and her preparations for her future role as Queen Consort of Zaledo.

Mx Remy Broeker - they/them - Basically a young Grantaire. Or, if not Grantaire, Endverse Cas. Since the two are very similar characters anyway, you might as well pick your poison. Cynical, hedonistic, here for a good time not a long time but still with a core of essential decency that they are as much annoyed by as anything else. Remy transferred to Gallatin from Holtsfield’s School after their parents lost everything to their gambling debts, after a childhood that was one long study in hypocrisy and neglect. Charming, clever and more cunning than they appear, though physically negligible and prone to embarrassing outbursts, Remy is a creature of extremes at the best of times. They soon found themselves befriending the much more idealistic scholarship student Freddie Crawford, as well as troublemaker Max Van Meyer, although that relationship was strained somewhat by Remy’s sexual, though not in any way romantic, entanglement with the Honourable Florin Kraemer, against whom Max carried a decided grudge. They paid attention to the Crème de la Crème competition only as an opportunity for mischief, and soon found a place for themself in Max’s clique of rebels, the Starlings. They had no interest whatsoever with currying favour with Lady Renaldt, and so undermined her investigation against Miss Dalca, as well as working with Annick Leuzinger to gather information on Lady Renaldt’s activities. They didn’t achieve particularly good marks in their exams, having never particularly applied themselves academically, and instead of going onto a university, decided to found a commune with the rest of the Starlings, with the intention of living outside society for as long as they could, less out of sincere belief in the idea than just because it seemed like the decision most calculated to horrify their parents. They did not form an engagement during the Gallatin engagement season, but instead planned for a holiday abroad with Florin, and a continuation of their friends-with-benefits arrangement. Despite all their cynicism, they were horrified to learn about Lady Renaldt’s human-trafficking operation, and unable to conceal it, leading them to be thrown into the mines. They escaped, with the aid of Blaise Marechal and Mr Blanchard, and revealed Lady Renaldt’s crimes to the public at graduation, leading to her arrest and imprisonment. Gallatin was subsequently closed, and Remy chose to spend the summer with Florin, before joining their fellow Starlings at the commune they planned to build, having developed some rather more concrete ideas about the sort of anti-establishmentarianism they wanted the commune to stand for.

Miss Aurora Duval - she/her - Conniving, two-faced, social-climbing viper of a prefect and Horse Girl of the first water. Aurora is scheming, desperately poised, but not especially eye-catching or charismatic, preferring to blend into the background wherever possible. A former student at the strict religious Holtsfield’s School, who transferred to Gallatin after her parents were found to have been embezzling from the family business, Aurora developed an infatuation with Head Prefect Eugenia Hartmann almost at first sight, as well as an equally immediate sympathy and affection for scholarship student Freddie Crawford and Gallatin groundskeeper Emily Karson. Aurora was an active competitor in the Crème de la Crème competition, mostly for the sake of proving her own cleverness by sabotaging Archambault, and thus was able to secure Gallatin’s first victory in the contest in a decade, as well as serving on Gallatin’s Prefect Committee. Her schemes to seduce Hartmann were also successful, leading to their engagement, and, due to a combination of good marks and her assistance in helping Lady Renaldt remove Mr Blanchard, the athletics master at Gallatin, from his post, she was able to secure a place at the prestigious Gessner University. When she discovered Lady Renaldt’s human-trafficking operation, Aurora acted as a double-agent, gathering evidence to reveal the plot and Lady Renaldt’s involvement, and to see Lady Renaldt imprisoned for her crimes. Gallatin remained open, under new headmaster Mr Griffith, though it may be assumed that his partners Miss Dalca and Mr Blanchard retained some degree of influence, and Aurora married Hartmann that summer, before the two of them began their first year at Gessner, where Aurora intended to study history.

Miss Sebastian Graythorne - she/her - A painfully direct, open-minded aspiring archaeologist with no time for social niceties and no interest in petty social climbing or the marriage market. Sebastian is highly intelligent and a very physical person, with neither the patience nor the interest for any form of scheming or subterfuge. She was forced to transfer to Gallatin from Olmstead Valley School after her parents lost everything supporting the corrupt Prime Ministerial candidate Lord Krause, and soon found that she made a poor fit for the refinement and focus on social attainments of Gallatin. She soon befriended scholarship student Freddie Crawford and lacrosse player Zuri Gonzalez, along with occultist Patrice Delacroix and school troublemaker Maxim Van Meyer. Her relationships with Max and Delacroix eventually took a turn for the romantic, however, and the three of them formed a happy polyamorous triad, with Sebastian eventually getting a tattoo of three stars to symbolise their relationship. Sebastian was more-or-less indifferent to the entire Crème de la Crème competition, beyond enjoying the athletic events, and was an enthusiastic member of Gallatin’s Birchmeier Society, enjoying its focus on both physical and intellectual achievement. Sebastian achieved excellent marks in her exams, and was able to parlay her strong coursework and connections with the Birchmeier Society into an internship with noted archaeologist Beatrix Wahner, despite having earned Lady Renaldt’s ire by protecting the school’s philosophy teacher, Miss Dalca, from Lady Renaldt’s investigations. Sebastian did not secure an engagement during the school’s engagement season, but instead encouraged her partners, Max and Delacroix, to marry, intending to live with them thereafter as an unofficial third in their relationship. When Sebastian learnt of Lady Renaldt’s human-trafficking operation, she was unable to conceal her distaste, and so ended up thrown into the mines herself, where she conspired with Blaise Marechal and Mr Blanchard to escape and reveal Lady Renaldt’s crimes, leading to her arrest. Gallatin was closed as a result of the scandal, and Sebastian went on to begin her archaeological career.

Master Thea Karali - they/them - Practically Perfect In Every Way on the surface, but a roiling mass of imposter system, childhood neglect and desperate need to please underneath, Thea had not been anything but universally approved-of right up until their parents lost the entire family fortune to their support of the corrupt Prime Ministerial candidate Lord Krause. As a result of the scandal, Thea was obliged to transfer from the Harrovian School, where they had been a well-respected prefect, to Gallatin for the final year of their education. Poised, clever and charming, but hopeless at anything involving subterfuge, Thea was not naturally inclined to make friends easily, but nonetheless made friends at Gallatin, most notably with the Head Prefect, Eugenia Hartmann and scholarship student Freddie Crawford. They also developed a romantic connection with the groundskeeper, Emily Karson, the first time in their life that Thea had ever done anything that went outside what their family would expect of them. They competed dutifully in the Crème de la Crème contest, and joined the Prefect Committee, more because it was what was expected of them than due to any real investment in either, but worked to protect Mr Blanchard the Athletics teacher from Lady Renaldt’s investigations, as they felt it was inappropriate to ask them to spy on their teachers. Thea achieved good marks in their exams, and could very well have gone onto a reasonably prestigious university, but chose instead to apply for a post as a teacher at Gallatin, the better to stay close to Emily, to whom they proposed marriage shortly thereafter. When they discovered Lady Renaldt’s human-trafficking scheme, and Emily’s coerced involvement, Thea was furious, and unable to conceal their disgust at the whole affair, leading to their being thrown into the mines. They escaped, with the help of Emily, Blaise Marechal and the fired Philosophy teacher, Miss Dalca, and revealed Lady Renaldt’s plans to the college inspectors, leading to her arrest and imprisonment. Gallatin was subsequently closed, although Thea was offered and accepted a place as a teacher at the rival Archambault Academy, where Emily had also been offered a position as the school groundskeeper, thus allowing them to stay together as planned.

Master Aubrey Monroe - he/him - Friendly, affectionate, kind-hearted and dumb as a box of hammers, Aubrey is probably the platonic ideal of the word ‘himbo’. He transferred from Olmstead Valley School to Gallatin after his parents were found to have embezzled a small fortune from the family business. Athletic, and strangely charming despite his general cluelessness, Aubrey quickly made friends at Gallatin, developing a particular closeness to fellow athlete Zuri Gonzalez, occultist Patrice Delacroix and school troublemaker Max Van Meyer. He also quickly developed a crush on Blaise Marechal, despite Blaise’s obvious dislike for him, though it took him a while to realise it was a crush, rather than simply wanting to befriend someone who had been nothing but hostile towards him since they met on the train to Gallatin. He was an enthusiastic participant in the Crème de la Crème competition...at least, the parts of it that involved athletic activity...and a member of the Gallatin Swans lacrosse team.  He also worked to protect Mr Blanchard the Athletics teacher, and his favourite member of the Gallatin staff, from Lady Renaldt’s investigation. He achieved about average marks in the exams, and applied to attend Reisinger University, hoping that decent enough coursework and a good social network might be enough to let him squeak in. He did not form an engagement during the Gallatin engagement season, but encouraged Delacroix and Max’s fledgling relationship. When he found out about Lady Renaldt’s human-trafficking scheme, he couldn’t conceal his disgust, and thus ended up thrown into the mines, where he reunited with Blaise. While plotting their escape from the mines along with Miss Dalca, Blaise and Aubrey ended up cautiously forming a romantic relationship. Upon escaping, they revealed Lady Renaldt’s human-trafficking operation to the college inspectors, leading to her being dismissed from her post, although she faced no criminal consequences. Gallatin remained open, under Mr Griffith as headmaster, and over the summer before his first term at Reisinger, Aubrey and Blaise formed an engagement.

Mr Philippe Navarro - he/him - Rather haughty, perfectionistic artist who would much rather devote his life to his art than pursue the sort of social success encouraged at Gallatin. Philippe transferred from Rochat’s Academy to Gallatin after his parents lost the entire family fortune gambling, much to his annoyance at being forced to leave the art-focused school where he’d been praised by his teachers as a very promising new talent for a school whose focus was on the social attainments that Philippe generally regarded with indifference or disdain. Poised, cunning and clever, though physically unimpressive, Philippe nonetheless developed a close friendship with athlete Zuri Gonzalez, as well as occultist Patrice Delacroix. He was almost entirely indifferent to the Crème de la Crème competition, but soon found a place for himself in the Children of Hecate, due to a passionate academic interest in occult traditions. He also began a fake relationship with Gonzalez, upon discovering that they were both aromantic and asexual, but both under pressure to marry well from their respective families. He was repelled by the notion of helping Lady Renaldt fire one of the teachers, and worked to protect Miss Dalca from the investigation largely out of spite against Lady Renaldt, as well as speaking to reporter Annick Leuzinger about Lady Renaldt’s activities in order to get back at her for putting him in that position. He achieved good marks on his exams, and earned an internship at an art gallery under noted art critic Jerome Clay, before agreeing to marry Gonzalez in order to placate their respective families. When he learnt about Lady Renaldt’s human-trafficking operation, Philippe resolved to work against her from within, enlisting Delacroix’s help to infiltrate the mines in order to prove his loyalty to Lady Renaldt, then revealing her crimes to the college inspection at graduation, leading to her arrest and imprisonment. Gallatin was then fused with Archambault for greater oversight over both schools, and Philippe went on to begin his artistic career.

Ms Ximena Santiago - she/her- Brilliant, troublemaking gremlin with no particular regard for society and absolutely no use for the expected virtues being taught at Gallatin. Ximena transferred from Holtsfield’s School to Gallatin, and was about equally out-of-place in either, after her parents lost the entire family fortune to their support of the corrupt Prime Ministerial candidate Lord Krause. Highly intelligent, vivacious and capable of being very charming...if she isn’t irritating people with her over-enthusiasm and disregard for social conventions...but with the world’s worst poker face and about as much subtlety as a bull in a china shop. Ximena quickly befriended fellow troublemaker Max Van Meyer, occultist Patrice Delacroix and scholarship student Freddie Crawford, and surprised herself by developing an instant infatuation with Lady Renaldt’s only child, the Honourable Auguste Renaldt. She quickly found a place for herself within the Starlings, Max’s clique of student rebels, and paid almost no attention to the Crème de la Crème competition, despite her fondness for archery, seeing the whole thing as a scam and a waste of effort. She also did nothing to win over Lady Renaldt by siding against her to protect Miss Dalca from her investigation, mostly out of plain contrariness, and working with the reporter Annick Leuzinger to uncover information on Gallatin. She achieved good marks in her exams, but chose to attend the younger and more progressive Reisinger University over Gessner. At the beginning of Gallatin’s engagement season, Auguste proposed to Ximena despite their mother’s disapproval, and Ximena was delighted to accept. Shortly thereafter, Ximena learnt of Lady Renaldt’s human-trafficking operation and, after refusing to have any part in it, was dragged away to the mines. She escaped, with the help of Mr Blanchard, Karson and Blaise Marechal, and revealed the scheme to the college inspectors, leading to Lady Renaldt’s arrest and imprisonment. Gallatin remained open, under Miss Dalca as headmistress, and Ximena spent the summer helping Auguste come to terms with their mother’s crimes, and coping with her own experiences in the mines before the beginning of her first term at Reisinger.

Ms Quinn Van Rossum - she/her - Butch Elle Woods. Possibly butch Galinda. Yes, this may well be a contradiction in terms. Blonde, beautiful, charming, rather flighty and decidedly over-privileged, but much cleverer than she initially appears, Quinn was forced to transfer from the Harrovian School to Gallatin after her parents were found to have been embezzling from the family business. Quinn is highly intelligent and academically gifted, as well as possessing the sort of effortless charm that made any sort of social interaction a breeze for her, though lacking physical stamina or any real inclination towards physical activity. She quickly made friends at Gallatin, developing a particular closeness to class troublemaker Max Van Meyer and occultist Patrice Delacroix, as well as beginning a romantic relationship with scholarship student Freddie Crawford, whom Quinn attempted to take under her wing a little in navigating the social expectations of life at Gallatin. Quinn soon found a place at Gallatin in the Birchmeier Society, though she was more comfortable with the intellectual side of their activities than the physical, and was an enthusiastic competitor in the Crème de la Crème competition. She assisted Lady Renaldt with her investigations into the teachers, and was thus responsible for Mr Blanchard being fired from Gallatin, largely because she disliked Athletics as a subject, and was hoping to be able to fall through the cracks while Lady Renaldt found a replacement instructor. She achieved good marks in her exams, and was admitted to Gessner University alongside Freddie, and the two became engaged towards the beginning of Gallatin’s engagement season, seriously disappointing Quinn’s parents, who had hoped that their charming daughter might make a much more prestigious match. When she learnt of Lady Renaldt’s human trafficking operation, Quinn was able to convince Lady Renaldt of her desire to help, even convincing her friend Max to go to the mines voluntarily in order to keep her cover, before revealing Lady Renaldt’s crimes to Inspector Burgin and Annick Leuzinger in dramatic fashion at graduation. Following the scandal, Gallatin was officially merged with Archambault Academy, with greater oversight at both schools, and Quinn prepared to begin her first term at Gessner alongside her fiancée, with the intent that they would marry after graduating from Gessner.

[hellsgatevn]

Attention Students!

Hello! My name is Starboy (@senpaimutual​) and I’m the current head writer, programmer, and director of a fanganronpa called Danganronpa: Hell’s Gate!

Our story takes place in an abandoned church, where 16 students from Hope’s Peak Academy have just awoken; St. Jude’s Basilica for the Desperate and Needy, to be exact, which has been out of use for over 200 years. Tristan Stieber wakes up with his 15 classmates, confused and unable to remember his own talent, and after getting to know his classmates again, they find themselves trapped in the church with no means of escape. Propositioned by a robotic stuffed bear and his porcelain doll nun accomplice, a Killing Game is set into action, where the students must fight one another to the death in order to escape alive.

Can Tristan find his talent and save his classmates, or are they doomed to die in St. Jude’s Basilica?

We are currently looking for artists, editors, and potential co-writers for this project!

Death order has already been determined, mastermind status has already been determined, and much of the plot has already been decided. We just need sprites, backgrounds, assets, music, and editors/animators for executions!

Payment at this time is not guaranteed, but will be in the near future, as I’m planning on getting a job on my college campus to be able to save money to pay my staff!

Without further ado, I will now tell you the names and talents of our cast, and leave links to all of our important social media!

Tristan Stieber - SHSL ???

Kanti - SHSL Belly Dancer

Reine Archambault - SHSL Waltz Instructor

Aika Jumonji - SHSL Lucky Student

Shou Maeda - SHSL Bassist

Hoshiko Maeda - SHSL Chiptune Musician

XxNightstalkerxX - SHSL Video Game Streamer

Cian Plum - SHSL Detective

Ryuunosuke Yasuda - SHSL Playwright

Anzu Gensai - SHSL ???

Talon Garnett - SHSL Daredevil

Evanthe Murasaki - SHSL Wedding Planner

Parthenope - SHSL Astrology Blogger

Sunao Kenmotsu - SHSL Prosecuting Attorney

Joji Onishi - SHSL Marksman

Go-Mi - SHSL Spam Email Robot

And featuring, the Judge, Monothea, as our new mascot, along with our lovable headmaster and Executioner, Monokuma!

Casting Call (for staff only) - https://www.castingcall.club/projects/danganronpa-hell-s-gate

Discord - https://discord.gg/3MXqNez

Twitter - https://twitter.com/hellsgatefangan

Thank you for showing interest in this fan game!

M a y   H o p e   s h e d   i t ‘ s   l i g h t   u p o n   y o u .

- M o n o t h e a

[npc-guy]

Elf Sorcerer

Hello all, hopefully two posts this week! Gonna do my best! ….Really! *cough* Anyway, elf sorcerers! First thing that comes to mind is their lifespans, and by that I mean that an elf of an older generation might actually have met the entity or witnessed the event (or what have you) that is the source of the sorcerer’s bloodline. Although, they’re not the focus here, just something I was thinking of. The sorcerer may have support from their elven community, especially if the bloodline aligns with their community’s beliefs or such. If the elves are nature worshippers and the sorcerer has an elemental bloodline they might find some guidance from druids. Heck, there is literally a Fey bloodline and elves are often considered to have a connection to the faerie world. Perhaps such a thing would be an arcane manifestation of that bond. Also, elves have a natural magical proficiency which manifests as a bonus to overcome spell resistance and to Spellcraft checks. This could indicate a trend towards magic similar to gnomes, when you think about it. Perhaps sorcerers are even common among elves, especially ones with well traveled ancestors. How many crazy experiences does an elf’s adventurous parent go through? How many places of power, spells taken to the face, potions consumed, and even just standing in the presence of certain entities? Also… would the sorcerer resent them for it?

Tovah Stormchild [Elemental Air Bloodline]

Born to nomadic elves in a desert-filled region, it was known since just before her birth that Tovah was special. Mere days before her mother went into labor, the most powerful sandstorm in their people’s history racked their caravan. But they survived in a cave, and the child was born while the winds drove the storm just outside. The howling of the storm did not seem to bother her, even as a newborn, but it was not until about a decade later that Tovah’s magic began to manifest. Training it over the course of several years, she is now a leader amongst her people and one of their greatest protectors. Bandits and warlords have tried to assault them, but her magic whips up the sand and smashes through any armor with crackling green lightning.

Bharata of House Nelemahn [Blue Draconic Bloodline]

The elves made a deal with a blue dragon long ago in exchange for assistance in a deadly conflict. For this, the dragon was made a full citizen of their society with all rights and privileges, as well as being given the right to create a noble house. Soon, the dragon was making deals, accruing influence, and then courted and married an elf. In time, this house would become one of the most powerful but also the most reviled for its creeping control and corruption of their culture. A child of this house, Bharata is never openly despised but is never invited to any function where the host can afford to refuse him, and no child at the noble academy will be friends with him. Worse yet, his draconic parent is continuously pushing him to develop his abilities and even throws him into dangerous situations as “training exercises.” If nothing improves, Bharata will likely use his few developed illusionary spells to run away from home.

Eleonora Archambault [Abyssal Bloodline]

She’s heard the story many times, of how the demon lord attacked while her mother was in labor and the blood splattered across her mother upon its death. But it doesn’t make it any better for Eleonora. Growing up the child of famous adventurers means that you are automatically famous yourself, and that made her childhood difficult by itself. Now she’s finding out she has these powers, but it’s from the demon blood instead of any of a thousand other things that would have been a million times less awful. Her parents try to console her, but there’s nothing they can say that can make this better. In Eleonora’s eyes, it’s their fault, yet at the same time she wrestles with the fact that they never wanted it either. The internal battle is taking its tole on her, as her powers begin to activate uncontrolled with her increasingly emotional outbursts.

[elmfamilydentist-blog]

About Elm Family Dentistry

Dentistry with HeartCreating smiles as big as our personalities. 

Adapting to Your NeedsCaring for you as an individual while you enjoy a superior dental experience.

Some patients prefer ultimate clarity with an academic explanation of treatment before we start. Others require shared storytelling and a good belly laugh before we begin. We’re happy to provide all of these, so you get a truly personalized experience. Our dentists have big personalities, and laughter can often be heard in our modern West Springfield dental office.

We look forward to helping you achieve your goals and making your visit enjoyable.

One-On-One CareWe are a customer service business that happens to specialize in dentistry.

Five Star Service

When you visit Elm Family Dentistry, your family’s oral health and well-being is our main priority. Our team focuses on making your experience both enjoyable and worthwhile. You’ll benefit from innovative dentistry in an atmosphere typified by positivity and genuine care.

Convenient Visits

Life is busy, so we understand dentistry can be another checkbox on the “to do” list. The good news, we do our best to make your visit comfortable and convenient. How? By offering extended opening hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and have an easily accessible office location.

Savvy Dentistry

Well-thought-out dental care makes all the difference to our patients. Before starting each treatment, we consider your age, comfort levels, and personal goals. This helps us adapt each visit to your individual needs and give you access to the best possible care.

Meet Our West Springfield Dentists

Benefit from three experts sharing one common philosophy.

Dr. Gary Archambault

D.M.D degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine

Has a passion for minimally-invasive dental technology

Dental educator and speaker

Dr. Cole Archambault

D.M.D degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine

Earning a Fellowship at the Academy of General Dentistry

Committed to continuing dental education

Dr. Betsy Boig

D.M.D degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine

Received the Academy of General Dentistry Senior Student Dental Award

SPEAR educated dentist

[capecoddaily]

Massachusetts Maritime Academy recently named the following local students to the President’s List for the Fall 2018 semester:From Hyannis, Cadet Mona Boumghait (02601), and Cadet Spencer Jones (02601); from West Barnstable, Cadet Olivia Benoit (02668), Cadet Vincent Reynolds (02668), and Cadet Eric Martir (02668); Cadet Miah Archambault of South Yarmouth (02664); Cadet Michael Shaughnessy of Yarmouth Port (02675); from Harwich, Cadet John Blute (02645) and Cadet Matthew Hall (02645);  [...]

[secretlymysti]

Geneviève Bujold Biography, age, weight, height, movies, net worth, family

Geneviève Bujold Biography, age, weight, height, movies, net worth, family. Geneviève Bujold is a Canadian actress. She was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on July 1, 1942. She was nominated for Academy Award for Best Actress and appeared in the films including, The Trojan Women (1971),  Earthquake (1974), Obsession (1976), Coma (1978), Murder by Decree (1979), Tightrope (1984), Dead Ringers (1988), The House of Yes (1997), and Still Mine (2012).

Geneviève Bujold Biography, age, weight, height, movies, net worth, family

Birthday: July 1, 1942 Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Age: 76 years old Sign: Cancer

Geneviève Bujold Movies

1980 The Last Flight of Noah's Ark Bernadette Lafleur 1980 Final Assignment Nicole Thomson 1982 Monsignor Carla 1984 Tightrope Beryl Thibodeaux 1984 Choose Me Nancy 1985 Trouble in Mind Wanda 1988 Rough Justice Unknown 1988 The Moderns Libby Valentin 1988 Dead Ringers Claire Niveau 1990 False Identity Rachel Roux 1991 Rue du Bac Marie Aubriac 1992 The Dance Goes On Rick’s Mother 1992 Oh, What a Night Eva 1993 An Ambush of Ghosts Irene Betts 1994 My Friend Max Marie-Alexandrine Brabant 1996 The Adventures of Pinocchio Leona 1997 The House of Yes Mrs. Pascal 1997 Dead Innocent Suzanne St. Laurent 1998 Last Night Mrs. Carlton 1998 You Can Thank Me Later Joelle 1999 Eye of the Beholder Dr. Jeanne Brault 2001 Alex in Wonder Natalie 2002 Chaos and Desire Colette Lasalle 2003 Jericho Mansions Lily Melnick 2003 Finding Home Katie 2004 Downtown: A Street Tale Aimee Levesque 2005 By the Pricking of My Thumbs Rose Evangelista 2006 Disappearances Cordelia 2006 Délivrez-moi Irène 2009 The Trotsky Denise Archambault 2011 Pour l'amour de Dieu Soeur Cécile (72 years) 2012 Still Mine Irene Morrison 2013 The Legend of Sarila Saya (English version, voice) 2013 Northern Borders Abiah Kittredge 2015 Chorus Gabrielle 2018 Two Girls In post-production

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[hpowellsmith]

Play Royal Affairs - Out Now!

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As the middle child of the Queen of Westerlin, you’ve led a sheltered life in the palace, but now you must spread your wings and prepare for your royal responsibilities with a year at the exclusive Archambault Academy.

Everyone knows your name, everyone has an opinion on what you do, and everyone views you as the face of the new generation of royalty. Your every move is reported in the press, a word from you could make or break a teacher’s career–or the fate of the school itself. You’re being courted by every club and social group on campus; and there are countless students who would love to be in your orbit.

In luxurious armchairs behind ivy-covered walls, you and your fellow students debate political theory—but outside, real trouble simmers across the realm. There are activists fighting to open voting rights beyond the aristocracy, and you can use your influence to sway the government’s decision in either direction. Relations are growing increasingly uneasy with your country’s neighbors, and there are conspiracies around every corner. Why is your mother whispering behind closed doors with the Prime Minister? Have the leaders of the protests really disappeared? Which allies can you trust? There are some secrets that only your royal authority can uncover.

Will you honor centuries of royal tradition and follow the path that your mother the Queen has laid out for you? Or will you be a force of change, leading your country in a new direction as you break free of a lifetime of expectations?

Oh, and speaking of expectations—there’s also the foreign royal that your mother wants you to marry. Who is in your class. And who happens to hate you.

Play as male, female, or non-binary; gay, straight, or bisexual; monogamous or polyamorous; asexual and/or aromantic.

Find love and/or friendship with your free-spirited childhood companion, a firebrand radical, a dreamy dancer, a financier haunted by tragedy, your devoted bodyguard, or a rival foreign royal.

Cuddle and train your pet: a horse, dog, or bird of prey.

Put on a lavish play, become a sports star, or run Student Council; and represent Archambault Academy against its rival Gallatin.

Become your classmates’ confidante and help them solve their problems—or make those problems worse.

Embrace your royal responsibility and carry on your mother’s tradition—and perhaps even take your sister’s place as heir to the throne.

Forge a path to the future by supporting revolutionaries’ calls for change, or stamp out the movement with scheming and deceit.

When this tumultuous year ends, will you be Archambault Academy’s crowning glory?

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[violet-stormbringer]

The Princess and The Thorne, Chapter Ten: A Sporting Affair.

The days after the final exam, the rest of the students were lethargic, exhausted from the late nights and intense studying. Even Miss Dalca’s absence failed to gain as much attention as it would’ve at any other time of the year; perhaps Lady Renaldt planned it that way.

But as the weather grew warmer, a sense of anticipation settled over the college. The end-of-term Sports Day was approaching—and with it, the opportunity to show Gallatin’s prowess against Archambault Academy.

During that morning’s assembly, Isabelle Favre stood proudly on the dais. “The Crème de la Crème competition isn’t over yet! If we rest on our laurels, we could fail to secure victory!”

Cheers spread through the assembly hall. Mr. Griffith applauded tolerantly; Mr. Blanchard looked distracted.

Ras, meanwhile, joined the others in cheering, her voice rising to meet the loudness of the others. When the applause faded, they were filed away to their first class of the day. During Athletics, Mr. Blanchard put up a sign on which students wrote which activities they wished to perform for Sports Day.

“Can I be excused from it?”

Mr. Blanchard shook his head. “This is a college activity,” he said. “We’re providing a well-rounded education steeped in tradition, and Sports Day is part of that.”

He sounded like he’d just spoken directly out of the prospectus, and Freddie bit her lip. She signed up to throw javelin. “At least I won’t have to run,” she muttered as she walked past Ras.

As for Ras, by the time she approached the sign, there were few events left unassigned. They were designed for a single person to show off their skills, and the success of one student affected the fortunes of Gallatin for the rest of the Sports Day.

Hartmann read over the list with a frown. “Auguse always does dressage,” she said. “And I heard Princess Rosario is going to do fencing.”

“Archambault always cheats,” Max spoke. “Florin did archery last year, and practically stabbed Blaise in the arm. Blaise still beat her, though. Almost makes y’miss her.”

Hartmann sighed. “Archery was her favorite sport. I remember that.”

Ras raised an eyebrow. She didn’t exactly hold a grudge against Blaise, but she did recall that she’d tried to have Ras expelled.

“Whatever happens, I’ll just make sure to outdo Blaise.”

Max gave a lopsided grin. “Maybe you will. That’s the attitude, Ras. School spirit and all that.”

Ras turned her attention to the list. Dressage would put her up against Auguste; archery meant she’d face against Florin; and if she chose fencing, she’d have to fight Rosario.

Ras, unfortunately, had no assistive items in which she could perform Archery, and she wasn’t particularly a good rider. So that meant she had to pick fencing. Which would put her up against Rosario.

When she signed, Mr. Blanchard raised an eyebrow, and Max whistled. “Fighting with your beloved, are you?” She teased.

Ras rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s the only thing Mama trained me for before, y’know…”

Max’s expression darkened, and she nodded. “Right. Sorry.”

“Naw, don’t be like that. Besides, what better way to profess my love for someone than by swinging at ‘em with a sword?”

“You could, I don’t know, be normal about it?”

“I don’t think I should take advice from the person dating a woman involved in the occult.”

“Your loss. I always have wonderful advice to give~” Max gave Ras a grin, and the two went off to prepare.

The following weeks, Ras and her classmates were set to training. Mr. Blanchard supervised Ras’ fencing exercises, giving her a few fencing tips, and by the time it was Sports Day, she felt reasonably confident in her own abilities.

Bright sunshine sparkled over Gallatin College that morning, pleasantly warm despite the snow atop the distant mountain peaks. The sports fields were pristine, carefully mowed by Karson and ready to be scuffed and muddied by a flood of students. Colorful tents and flags lined the field, and the marching band was playing cheerfully.

The teachers herded the students onto the field, all of them dressed in their most pristine Athletics kits. Soon, Lord Haberlin and the Archambault students arrived in a sweeping train, met with less-than sincere applause from most of the Gallatin crowd. Ras caught Rosario’s eye, and waggled her eyebrows, causing the princess to break her serious demeanor and giggle. Auguste glared at Ras’ direction, clearly unamused by this development.

Lord Haberlin and Lady Renaldt greeted one another with careful, cordial politeness, and both gave a brief speech wishing good fortune to both colleges.

Ras’ event wasn’t until later in the evening, so she had some time to kill underneath the bright sunshine. With that, she decided her best course of action was to seek out and help encourage her classmates.

She found herself at the relay runners’ tent, where a cluster of runners and spectators were milling around. Lucien edged over to Ras with a tense expression.

“This is ridiculous,” he said. “I hate Athletics, and I hate running. Can’t I just sit this one out?”

“Aww, c’mon Luci, what’s the worst that’ll happen, eh?” Ras elbowed him gently in the side.

Lucien looked haunted, though mostly annoyed at Ras’ sudden nickname for him. “...We’ll lose.”

“Buuut,” Ras lifted a finger, twirling about so she was in his face, grinning, “will y’break yer leg?”

“...No.” He conceded.

“Then shut up! Stop sittin’ around like you will,” she encouraged. “It’ll be fine, and you’ll have a grand old time in the end! Honest!”

Lucien groaned, then he finally offered Ras a smile. “...You’re right. Yes, of course you’re right. Thank you, Ras.” With that, he headed for the starting line.

When Ras finally caught the race, it was just in time to see Lucien race ahead, passing the baton well before his Archambault rival. Anything could happen from here on, but for now the team was flourishing. She grinned.

Once the applause had died down, Ras made her way towards the tent where the fencing students gathered. Outside of it, Gonzalez approached Ras, speaking breathlessly. “Princess Rosario’s your opponent. You mustn't hurt her. Imagine what would happen if you stabbed her.”

‘Oh, I’d like to take a stab at her alright,’ Ras kept that thought to herself, and merely rolled her eyes at Gonzalez.

Inside, Rosario pulled on her fencing jacket and gave Ras a cheerful wave. “Ras!” She called. “I hoped I’d match against you! Isn’t this terribly exciting!?”

Around the princess flocked an entourage of onlookers, as well as Ibarra, who looked displeased about the entire event. Several of the onlookers gave Ras venomous looks; competing against Rosario earnestly was likely not going to win her any friends.

Ras merely ignored their glares, and offered a grin to Rosario. “May the best swordswoman win, yeah?”

Rosario nodded, and just like that, they threw themselves into a couple practice bouts, during which Ras figured out quickly that Rosario wasn’t that skilled. The referee, a stocky woman who was a teacher at Archambault, called for a brief recess to adjust Rosario’s mask; Ras suspected that if it weren’t for the fact she was royalty, there’d be no such concern. Whilst waiting, Isabelle appeared at the edge of the tent and beckoned Ras over to her.

“You need to throw,” she said urgently. “We can’t have you win against the princess of Zaledo, it’d be awful.”

“What about your speech?” Ras raised an eyebrow.

“F-Forget all that,” Isabelle snapped. “We can catch up in the other events. But you cannot win this one!”

The referee blew her whistle. It was nearly time. Isabelle grabbed at Ras’ left sleeve, holding her in place even as she turned to leave.

“Promise me,” she said, “or I’m not letting go.”

Ras’ face took on a stormy expression, and she spoke in a cold tone. “Isabelle, I am going to ask you once. Let me go.”

“Promise me.”

“I refuse to throw simply because Rosario is a Princess. I aim to meet her on an equal field, as friends.”

“You’re more than friends! And she’s hardly an equal opponent to you! Just throw the match.”

Ras stepped close, leaning towards Isabelle with a fire in her eyes and an edge to her voice. “The only thing I will throw around here, is you, if you don’t let go of my sleeve by the time the referee blows her next whistle.”

The pair of them glared at each other, but eventually it was Isabelle who gave in, releasing Ras. Just in time, because the referee blew her whistle and Ras whipped around, stormy expression still on her face. With that, she stepped up to face Rosario.

The tent fell completely silent as they began; Ras could almost hear people breathing, and her own breath echoed loudly in her protective mask. Through the mesh, Ras couldn’t see Rosario’s face, but she could still picture her earnest, cheerful gaze.

Ras rushed forward; Rosario parried and danced back, leaving her left side. Ras took this advantage to lunge forward with perfect form. Someone in the crowd gasped; someone else cried out.

Ras caught Rosario in the shoulder, and the crowd cheered wildly.

“Master Thorne wins!” called the referee.

Rosario pulled her mask off, stepping forward to shake Ras’ hand. She was beaming. “Well done,” she said cheerfully. “That was good fun!”

The Archambault referee looked expectantly at Ras. “Congratulations, Master Thorne,” she said. “You have anything to say?”

“Personally,” Ras said, whipped her own mask off and grinning. “I’m just pleased to see the Archambault Academy’s skills in action! It’s rare that we get to push ourselves like this.”

Rosario went from beaming to absolutely radiant. The crowd applauded enthusiastically, and there was even cheering.

Gallatin had a solid lead, now, in part thanks to Ras’ fencing. With her event over, however, she had one more opportunity to help out the others finish their own events. So she sought out the relay race tent once more, and once more she found Lucien.

He’d just finished his first leg of the relay race, and looked wan and exhausted, barely smiling as Ras approached. “That was dreadful,” he said. “I’m going to refuse to do the next round. Who cares about this thing, anyway?”

Ras raised an eyebrow. “Luci, I didn’t just stab my girlfriend simply for you to give up. Now get on your feet.”

Despite his grumbling, Ras managed to get Lucien to stand up and gently stretch; the rest of the Gallatin relay team coming to join in. By the time the referee called the runners to the line, Lucien looked far more cheerful.

Even on his second go, and despite his earlier complaining, Lucien passed the baton swiftly and gracefully, giving Gallatin their small victory.

Soon, the day drew to a close. With a combination of a loudspeaker and the blaring strains of the marching band, both colleges were gathered to a stage in the center of the sports field. Hartmann caught Ras’ eye, nodding to her, looking dignified despite being drenched in sweat. Lady Renaldt and Lord Haberlin stood side by side, looking as neat as refreshed as genteel springtime holidaymakers in the country. Lady Renaldt wore a faint smile.

“We are delighted to announce,” Lady Renaldt said, “that Gallatin College was victorious today, by a lead that was absolutely stunning. We take pride in everyone of our students and staff for this stellar achievement, while, as always, maintaining appropriate humility.”

Lord Haberlin’s smile was forced as he shook her hand. “Congratulations to all of you,” he said a bit stiffly. “We’ll meet again on the field next year, I’m sure of it.”

The Archambault students clapped politely, but the Gallatin students whooped and cheered, bursting with joy. The win gave Gallatin a good lead in the contest. Gonzalez and Isabelle had their arms around each other’s shoulders as they jumped up and down, pumping the air. Max was cheering, and, when no teachers were looking, she flipped a rude gesture at a group of Archambault students. Freddie sequestered herself in the shade of a tent, clapping with the enthusiasm and expression of someone who wanted the day to be done with. Delacroix was clapping politely, looking overheated, but pleased nonetheless.

Though she was trying to frown at Max’s behavior, Hartmann couldn’t help her own smiling. “You were absolutely brilliant,” she said. “We haven’t won for years. Years! And you did so well!”

Ras shook her head. “Naw, it wasn’t all that. I just did what any self-respecting woman would’ve done, and I fought fairly.”

As Ras was sheepishly denying any praise Hartmann gave her, a pair of shy-looking first-year Gallatin students stepped onto the stage to receive the cup amidst more applause. Florin looked bored; Rosario was clapping enthusiastically; August looked politely benevolent. While the crowd mingled, Rosario wound through the students towards Ras. She was hot but smiling, and her hand was warm as she took Ras’.

“I knew Gallatin would win after your performance,” she told Ras. “You practically won it for them. Congratulations.”

“Oh, no, no, really it was—”

Rosario glanced over her shoulder, suddenly self-conscious. A small circled had cleared around the pair, and a cluster of Archambault students were watching them with smirks and narrowed eyes. One girl, a hanger-on of Rosario’s, murmured. “Gallatin only won because of Ras walking out with Princess Rosario. Lord Haberlin let Renaldt win. Look at the way they’re holding hands.”

“That’s not true at all!” Rosario protested, and made to pull her hand away from Ras’. Only for Ras to grasp it tighter, and pull Rosario behind her, standing up straighter and with a grin.

“Imagine being so jealous, and yet so wrong. What’s the matter, mm? Upset you don’t have a wonderful knight in shining armor ready to take you when the mood fancies her? A shame, that, but perhaps a result of how damned vile you are.”

The girl’s eyes widened, and she shrunk back into the crowd as the others exchanged uneasy glances. They hadn’t expected her to defend herself with such venom. Eventually, they dispersed.

Rosario sighed. “Here I was trying to be nice,” she said. “I’m so sorry about that.”

Ras smiled. “It’s nice ‘ta spend time with you, even so. And I must say, thank you for speaking for me…”

Rosario’s cheeks dimpled with her smile. “Please, you were the one who spoke up for yourself the most. Something about a shining knight…”

“Ah…” Ras merely leaned forward. “What is a knight without her beloved princess, mm? A woman who inspires me to be brave, what more could I ask for…?”

They were close now, and Rosario reached carefully over, brushing a leaf from Ras’ hair. Her fingertips were light.

“It’s lucky to catch a leaf,” she said softly, gazing into Ras’ eyes. “Did you know that?”

Rosario’s gaze was hungry, she looked as if she wanted desperately to kiss Ras, but didn’t know whether or not to do so in front of everyone.

Ras merely tilted her head in unspoken question, eyebrow raised in unsaid challenge. Rosario’s smile broadened. She leaned into Ras, kissing slowly along her cheek all the way to her mouth. Her curly hair tickled Ras’ neck as they drew close, and warmth bloomed in her chest. The fabric of her fencing jacket was rough beneath her hands.

She tried to break away, only for Ras to grab her, pull her closer and push her lips against Rosario’s in a passionate reciprocation of the kiss just offered, and as Rosario melted into Ras’ embrace, the pair were vaguely aware of the crowd around them.

“Get a room!” Max shouted, and the pair suddenly broke apart, a flush on their cheeks. Rosario’s hand lingered on the back of Ras’ neck, sending a shiver down her spine.

A moment of silence, then another. Then the band struck up once more, and the crowd began to move. 

Max offered Ras a teasing grin. For better or for worse, the annual Sports Day was over. Verdancy Holidays were closer, now.

The mood grew relaxed around the college. The sun was warm enough to go out in shirts and blouses rather than bundled in sweaters, and the birdsong was loud and excitable; bees were beginning to buzz around the blossoming trees and flowers. The bellflowers Ras had asked Karson to keep around were settling in nicely, and Ras smiled everytime she passed the patch of them.

The students of Clemency Building were starting to pack their belongings for the Verdancy Holidays, some more enthusiastic than others. Verdancy was a celebration of the warming of the year, traditionally a time to join with family and discuss intentions for the coming months—of course, that didn’t suit everyone.

The day before the end of the term, Karson handed out letters during breakfast. One was for Ras.

A letter from Uncle Gerald.

She tore it open, reading it anxiously.

The letter opened with a selection of the usual pleasantries, then:

‘Master Thorne, I’ve received word you returned to Westerlind. I only just now got a letter out to you after your Mother had called off the search for you. She seems more tired than angry at this point, but I still not dare suggest you return home just yet. As such, I have been in touch with Lady Renaldt and made arrangements for you to stay at Gallatin for Verdancy.  Stay safe, Uncle Gerald.’

Ras took a deep breath. He was safe, and her Mother didn’t know she’d returned, or where she went. There was nothing left to do but enjoy Verdancy, she supposed.

The surrounding chatter brought Ras back to the present. Perhaps she could ask one of her friends to stay with her. She figured at least Max would agree with it, maybe Hartmann if she could also convince Freddie.

Thinking about it, she probably could’ve convinced all of them. Or none of them, if she wanted to spend the time alone.

She shook her head. She wasn’t going to ask any of them, they likely had their own family troubles going on, no need to get them involved in hers. She folded the letter neatly, stuffing it into her pocket, and then she finished her breakfast.

The end-of-term speech from Lady Renaldt, the chattering, the rush for the carriages…it was the same as ever, but for Ras, it felt disconnected. Everyone was gone, and the college was silent and empty, save for her. Without the usual crowds, she noticed the scuffmarks and dust on the parquet floors. With every step her shoes echoed; the occasional voices of the servants ringing out in the quiet.

The afternoon after the students leave, Mr. Blanchard did too. Lady Renaldt gave Ras a faintly indulgent talking-to before departing. “I’m sure you know appropriate behavior for staying over the holidays, so I shan’t belabor the point,” she said. “In my absence, Mr. Griffith is acting as Deputy Headteacher, and you’ll treat him as such.”

Ras nodded, offering Lady Renaldt a smile. 

She smiled back—though, as usual, the smile did not reach her eyes. “Enjoy Verdancy,” she said, rustling away to her private carriage and leaving Ras alone.

The first evening felt very odd indeed; the quietness and emptiness only grew more intense as the hours progressed. When evening fell, the usual twinkling lights from the dormitories and class buildings were absent, making the quad dark and forbidding; as Ras approached the banquet hall for the Verdancy meal, the wind whistled through the drafty buildings, sending chill through everything despite the springtime.

The banquet hall was dark and empty, and as Ras looked around for a place to go, Karson called out from the kitchen. “Master Thorne!”

A cheerful glow, and the scent of cooking food, originating from the doorway. Ras made her way through only to see Mr. Griffith sitting at a long table. He’d rolled up his sleeves and for the first time since Ras saw him, he wasn’t wearing his tie.

“Thank you, Karson,” he said affably, then, he looked to ras. “We don’t use the banquet hall during the holidays. Gets freezing, and there’s no point lighting the fire for only a few of us.”

Despite his habitual severity, Mr. Griffith was unusually friendly today. He helped Karson serve up the lamb roast, didn’t frown when she accidentally spilled some wine on the floor, and he didn’t even bother to pry into the reasons why Ras was here instead of with her family. Rather, he discussed the meal—which, Ras had to admit, was delicious.

Regardless of how delicious it was, however, Ras kept her guard up, eyeing both Karson and Mr. Griffith; she noted that Mr. Griffith treated her with brisk friendliness, while Karson was more relaxed around him than other teachers.

Karson caught Ras’ eye, and ducked her head. “Sinclair—sorry, Mr. Griffith—was friends with my uncle,” she said. “I’ve known him since I was about ten.”

“Pretend you didn’t hear that name,” Mr. Griffith said, pointing his fork at Ras with mock severity. “It’s a state secret.”

Over dessert, an almond cake with honey ice cream, Mr. Griffith sighed suddenly. “This is Miss Dalca’s favorite,” he said. “She was planning to stay here over Verdancy, but…obviously things changed. With that family emergency.”

From his tone, Ras suspected that he didn’t believe Lady Renaldt’s excuse for the departure. Not that he should.

Ras had to change the subject. Anything. Then, she recalled a news story about the political dissident Revekah Vasile, who’d been imprisoned for illegal activites and property damage. “Do you think Revekah Vasile should be released?” Ras asked, causing Mr. Griffith to raise an eyebrow and steeple his fingers.

“...I think she’s a very intelligent thinker,” he said, “but I’m not convinced her methods bring much value beyond unrest and controversy.”

He shook himself.

“Anyway…Let’s enjoy the dessert. Karson, you’ve outdone yourself.”

With that, they made their way through the cake and ice cream, and were comfortably full by the end of the meal. Ras headed to the Clemency Building dorm, which had managed to stay cozy and warm, and got ready for bed.

After the meal, Ras saw Karson around frequently that week. Without the college students around, she was happier to pause for chats, and excitedly went on about the bellflowers Ras had asked her to spare.

One sunny afternoon, Ras was strolling down the corridor past Lady Renaldt’s office when she heard a voice. Karson, having one half of a conversation. She must’ve been using the phone; the office has the only one on the grounds. She paused, just outside the slightly opened door.

“Yes, of course, I’m sorry about the mine troubles,” Karson was saying, her voice tense. Through the crack in the door, Ras saw her hunched over. “I didn’t think she’d—”

A pause.

“I didn’t mean to make excuses, Lady Renaldt,” she said wretchedly. “Should I call the bank and cancel Schroeder’s payment request on your behalf? Or…”

Ras sidled up against the wall beside the door, sticking close to the shadows so she could listen quietly. There seemed to be a problem with Schroeder; Karson thinks she might try to blackmail Lady Renaldt for money, but Lady Renaldt was adamant that Karson not give in. Certainly her Etiquette classes and Lady Renaldt’s book never mentioned the socially correct course of action under such circumstances.

When the conversation began to wrap up, Ras made a hasty exit, moving out of sight before Karson could notice her.

After that, Ras never saw much of Karson the following week, leaving her at somewhat of a loose end. 

One afternoon, she decided that she’d visit Gallatin Town, figuring she could at least talk to the locals and pick up interesting tidbits of things to talk about. Karson actually had errands in town, and offered to take Ras in the bumpy card, one she accepted.

The sun shone brightly over the mountains, and the sky was cloudlessly blue; Gallatin Town nestled comfortably in the valley below, looking more than ever like a painting on a box of chocolate. As they arrived, the sound of animals and bustles signaled out market day.

Karson leapt from the drivers seat. “I’ll be back here at two o’clock,” she said. “Please be here by then.”

With that, Ras made her way to the nearest stall. 

Between the farm animals and stallholders shouting to sell their wares, the market was loud and busy, with the smoky scent of food drifting over everything. Ras enjoyed her rushed, yet exciting time; she got to see monumentally ugly ceramic pots, a set of displays of insects and butterflies pinned and framed, and a goat that nibbled at her sleeve.

She bought a button with a butterfly emblazoned on it, and ate her fill of crepes and drank her weight in various fruit juices, relishing the taste of the delicacies.

Tired, and with ears ringing from the grocers’ yelling, she returned to the cart, where Karson was waiting. She looked preoccupied, and mostly didn’t speak on the ride back, but she did give Ras a quick smile when they disembarked.

She helped Karson secure the horses, then headed for the college buildings. Just as Ras passed a cluster of trees, a woman called her name.

She stopped, frowning, and looking around. 

She turned just to see her, a smartly-dressed woman in a navy skirt-suit, incongruous in the woodland. She looked to be in her mid-thirties; her brown hair tied sleekly into a bun.

“Annick Leuzinger,” she said with the flash of a smile.

Ras recognized the name: she was a journalist with the local paper. The college and the Gallatin Times have a polite but wary relationship. A college rule stipulates that students shouldn’t speak to the press without teachers present, but journalists knew that college events sold more papers in town, so they put up with that policy. Ras couldn’t figure out what she was up to now, lurking around the college during the holidays.

“Ras Thorne, isn’t it?” She asked casually. “I’m writing an article, and I’d love to print something about you. Perhaps something about how you’re overcoming your familial obstacles, and bringing glory back to your name?”

Her teeth were very white.

Ras wasn’t interested in any of that, but she was interested in figuring out what this woman wanted. So she stepped closer. “I’m listening.”

“Ooh, someone’s eager. That’s good.” She nodded. “I’m looking into some points of local interest. You were placed at Mrs. Benton’s tea shop, yes?”

Ras couldn’t exactly deny it.

“Then we both know how much she likes to talk,” Annick said. “About former students like Gaspard Breiner. Since you were with her, she’s been saying all sorts of interesting things.”

She put a hand protectively on her satchel. 

“My theory,” she said, “is that Lady Renaldt has some unsavory connections, and Gaspard Breiner found out about them. Could he have been”—her voice dropped with a thrill of horror—”shipped off somewhere?”

Ras stared at her. “...Lady, you do realize this is a finishing school, not a mob hideout?” Not that she was too convinced either, not after what happened to Miss Dalca.

Annick shrugged. “You can be cynical if you like,” she said, “but the fact is that Gaspard is gone. And I wonder whether anyone else is, too. Besides, according to Mrs. Benton, Lady Renaldt had financial issues recently. No sign of that anymore, is there? Where’d the money come from, I wonder?”

A gleam of intrigue sparked in her eye.

“Everyone knows who I am at the college,” she said, “but you—you’re an unknown. If you find something useful about Gaspard’s location, I can help your social prestige.”

A pause.

“Or I can destroy it,” she threatened, “not that I need to do much on that. Your Mother seems to have handled that pretty well.”

Ras met Annick’s stare with a cool glare of her own, inclining her head. “Fine. I’ll help you. But only to prove that you’re full of it.”

Annick grinned. “If I’m not, I get gloating rights.”

“As well as your story.”

Annick reached her hand out, to which Ras grasped it firmly.

“You have a deal, Master Thorne.”

As she pulled away from the handshake, she gave a rakish grin. 

“Send a letter to the office if you find something,” she said, then slipped off into the woods. Ras was left alone.

First, she was being recruited to investigate her own teachers. Now she was being recruited to investigate her own damned school. What next, investigate the queen!?

She groaned. This was not how she saw Verdancy going. What she did know, however, was that there wasn’t much she could do tonight. After dinner, she tried to sleep, but it did not come easily.

When she did begin to drift off, she would startled awake every so often with the horrible feeling that someone was in her room that shouldn’t be there. The morning came too quickly and uncomfortably for her liking.

Shaking off the restlessness of last night, she figured she might as well get to work on her investigation. Best way to do that was the same way she did for Miss Dalca.

She was going to sneak into Lady Renaldt’s office.

Not that it was difficult, Mr. Griffith’s morning routine was predictable: after breakfast, he spent half an hour sunning himself on the lawn outside the teachers’ building, reading the newspaper. It gave Ras a sliver of time to sneak into Lady Renaldt’s corridor.

The hallway was dark, and as she slipped through the heavy door, it took her a moment of blinking to grow used to the darkness of the office. She rifled through the largest filing cabinet, getting to work.

She leafed through books and papers, separating what was irrelevant—a great deal—and what was of interest.

In the pile, she found a set of Gaspard Breiner’s college reports over the years. They were decent enough, sometimes edging into excellent.

Still, a few notes about the company he kept; his parents, apparently, were concerned that he was not fulfilling his full potential. After he resigned, he went to live with his Uncle Julian, but despite Mr. Griffith writing a couple of formal notes to Gaspard and his uncle, they were returned unopened.

That’s when she noticed something else. Something odd. Three more students resigned that year, for a variet of reasons. One was failing Athletics, another was found sneaking out after curfew, and another simply couldn’t fit in. Ras recognized their names from society pages and social events, but like Gaspard, they fell off the map when they resigned.

Ras realized that Blaise fit this pattern, too. Amongst the papers, she spotted a letter from Blaise’s Aunt Violette which thanked Lady Renaldt for the “charming” garden party; from the date, it happened during Hearthlight, but there was no mention of Blaise, even though Ras had heard she was to be staying there.

Ras shook her head. Shit, maybe Annick was right. Where the hells were they going? She didn’t know, and she hated not knowing. She wished she had the answers. Gods she wanted the answers.

All of this made her uneasy, but she needed to know more. She dug deeper.

As she read through more, she went over the facts in her head. Logic suggested that the students could’ve all gone overseas, or gone to ground to recover from the scandal of being removed from Gallatin, but the numbers before her made it decidedly strange that there’d been no word or sign at all. More information was required, but there was nothing she could find here. Nothing she could look for without drawing attention to herself. Was that Schroeder person from earlier involved somehow?

Footsteps crashed through her thoughts. Time had run away with her, and Mr. Griffith was on his way. Ras leapt to her feet, stuffing everything back into it’s proper place, and in the nick of time she swept out of the office…right into Mr. Griffith.

He looked nonplussed, though he wasn’t angry—yet. She could work with this. He inclined his head with raised eyebrows. “I’m going to trust you can explain yourself.”

“Sure! I thought I heard someone in here,” she lied, “I was worried, and I couldn’t find you,” lyingly, “so I came to have a look. Turns out, just a bird! Got to set it outside, though.” Like a liar.

Mr. Griffith glanced to the office, then raised his eyebrows again. “...Alright,” he said. “But come to me or Karson next time, please.”

He locked the door and waited pointedly for Ras to leave, to which she raced down the spiral staircase and out to the sunny quad. Safe, finally.

She waited for her heart to slow back down, then she slunk back to the dorm while her mind raced over and over what she learned.

The biggest question, of course, was what—if anything—she was going to tell Annick about her discoveries. She could make life difficult for her if she didn’t handle this carefully; on the other hand, so could the Gallatin administration.

After a moment of mulling it over, she took a deep breath. Annick wasn’t part of her plan, and though it was only slowly coming together, she couldn’t risk another moving part, especially one she couldn’t control.

She wasn’t entirely sure what her plan was, actually, she just knew that she needed to get one over on Lady Renaldt, and on her mother, and this was not the way to do it.

So, it was time for drastic measures.

Ras grabbed a pen and took to writing. She wrote three letters; one addressed to Lady Renaldt, one addressed to her Uncle Gerald, and the last addressed to Matilda Thorne. She tucked the two to her family underneath her mattress, then she sent the letter to Lady Renaldt out with the post.

Whatever she was up to, she was more powerful than Annick; Ras may as well be seen backing the right horse for now. She wrote to Lady Renaldt’s spring home, detailing a concern she had about the press having far too much access to the college grounds.

After only a day, Ras received a reply. Lady Renaldt wrote in a clear and concise, albeit warm hand, detailing that she was grateful indeed for Ras’ concerns, and that she was going to have a stern word with the editors of the Gallatin Times .

Whether her Summer Term was as eventful as the holidays remained to be seen. Regardless, best for Ras to keep an ear out for the news. Annick may just well be the next to fall foul of whatever schemes were afoot.

The growing sense of dread that weighed her shoulders down only grew heavier.

[westernmanews]

(WWLP) – The City of Chicopee and Town of West Springfield welcomed their newest officers to the police force Monday.

According to a release sent to 22News by Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos, seven new officers were sworn-in during a ceremony at City Hall. The seven new officers, William Kelly, Joseph Kozlowski, Steven Sawyer, Christina Obert, Joel Martinez, Christopher Kuenzel, and Robert Archambault, graduated from the Western Massachusetts Police Academy on Friday.

Chicopee also welcomed Benjamin Austin, who transferred from the North Adams Police Department.

“I would like to welcome these new officers to the department,” said Chief William Jebb. “I thank Mayor Kos and the City Council for their continued support of public safety and the police department.”

In West Springfield, Patrick Kelleher was sworn-in as the town’s newest police officer. Kelleher also graduated from the Western Massachusetts Police Academy on Friday.

On Facebook, Mayor William Reichelt posted a congratulatory message to Kelleher and thanked him for his service.

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[hpowellsmith]

Wishlist Royal Affairs on Steam - out early 2023!

Return to the exclusive boarding schools of Creme de la Creme - this time as a royal! Work hard, study hard, and play hard as a royal in training at the exclusive Archambault Academy. Will you rule the roost, or be a royal disaster?

Royal Affairs is an interactive novel by Hannah Powell-Smith, set in the world of Creme de la Creme. It's entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

As the middle child of a royal family, you've led a sheltered life in the palace, but now you must spread your wings and prepare for your royal responsibilities. Term is about to begin at Archambault Academy and it's time for your big entrance.

Everyone knows your name, everyone has an opinion on what you do, and everyone views you as the face of the new generation of royalty. You’re being courted by every club and social group on campus; and there are countless students who would love to be your friend - or more.

Meanwhile, outside your school’s ivy-covered walls, trouble simmers across the country as activists fight to open voting rights beyond the aristocracy. You can use your influence to sway the Parliament’s decision - but in which direction?

Will you flaunt your fame, or retreat from the spotlight? And if you do seek publicity, will the papers love you or despise you? Will you honor centuries of royal tradition and follow the path that your mother the Queen has laid out for you, or be a force of change, leading your country in a new direction as you break free of the expectations laid on you all your life? How will you navigate intense family ties and political upheaval to come out on top?

Oh, yes, and there’s also the foreign royal that your mother wants you to marry. Who is in your class. And who happens to hate you.

Play as male, female, or non-binary; gay, straight, or bisexual; monogamous or polyamorous; asexual and/or aromantic.

Cuddle and train your pet: a horse, dog, or bird of prey.

Put on a lavish play, become a sports star, or run Student Council - and bring fame or disrepute to your school.

Help fix your classmates' problems, or make them worse.

Make a savvy political marriage, fall in love with the wrong person for the right reasons, or make friendships that will last for life.

Help rebels work for a different future, or stamp them out with scheming and deceit.

Will you embrace responsibility or forge your own path?

[hpowellsmith]

What’s the timeline of the games so far like how many years apart are each in the series

This is the timeline:

1761: Honor Bound starts

1757: Royal Affairs PC starts attending Archambault Academy

1755: Noblesse Oblige PC moves to the Isle of Teteriuk

1753: Creme de la Creme PC starts attending Gallatin College

So there's eight years between the start of Creme de la Creme and the start of Honor Bound. There's a more detailed timeline here with some more events and the births of various characters!

[hpowellsmith]

hello! i'd like to ask about the timeline of your games.

i was playing the cdlc series under the assumption that the games closely happened after the other so when i got to royal affairs and read the reminder of the previous games in the stats menu, it said noblesse oblige happened six years ago (?)

but also when you start a new game it says the events of noblesse oblige happened 2 years before royal affairs

i was very confused and wondered if you could clarify this? thank you and so sorry if this doesn't make any sense 🥲

Ooh, thank you for pointing that out! Those numbers aren't quite right and you were right in your assumption - they'll be updated soon.

The exact dates are:

Autumn 1753: Creme de la Creme PC starts attending Gallatin College

Winter 1755: Noblesse Oblige PC moves to the Isle of Teteriuk

Autumn 1757: Royal Affairs PC starts attending Archambault Academy

Summer 1759: Royal Affairs expanded epilogue happens

Spring 1761: Honor Bound PC is assigned to Ozera School

(in case anyone wonders, as I've been asked this before, the dates are unrelated to dates/chronology in the real world, they're just the years in the Creme setting)