#threadedwheels

[99lostsouls]

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

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

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

❝ ah— i see something ! ❞

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

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

the owner of the bag, very displeased.

@hyaina @vipetriol @threadedwheels @troisfleur

[troisfleur]

It was rare Ember found himself anywhere near the science club. Fates- outside of Board Game Club and the occasional Pop Music Club event, he practically avoided every other club like the plague.

Still, he had some questions about plants, and, if rumors are true, he knew just the student to ask.

"Trey, correct?" He called out to the third year, walking towards him, "The names Ember. I heard you have a lot of scientific knowledge and I had some questions I would appreciate answers to. How knowledgeable are you on growing plants?"

“GUESS THAT'S ME.” Trey only pauses in his path for a moment, following a well-worn path in the botanical gardens over a little plot of crops tucked into a corner. There’s little signs at the head of each row, stylized little pictures (not by his own hand) of their yield. “I’d say pretty decent—haven’t had a crop fail to yield something early last year.”

He’s watering, hose in hand, nozzle pressure low—more of a gentle spritzing over his current crop, the prized strawberries he’s been cultivating routinely since enrollment.

“You’ve come to the right club, Ember. I’ll answer the best I can—I do have one or two trade secrets you might not get to leave with, though.”

A beat. A smile that reaches his eyes. Mostly. And a chuckle.

“What can I help you with?”

[99lostsouls]

everything happened so fast.

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

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

and ortho was not designed foolishly.

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

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

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

PAINTING GHOST'S HP: 0/3

ORTHO'S HP: 5/5

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

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

❝ let's go. ❞

hyaina​:

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

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

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

Ruggie rolls a 1: Miss! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Painting Ghost’s HP: 2/3 

Jamil’s HP: 4/5

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

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

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

[citrus-perfume]

Read Me

@threadedwheels

Nightraven University housed a very high end selection of students. Among them were princes, heirs, celebrities, not to mention Clementine himself.

He had heard of him around school. Ember Parca. Apparently he was to become the next Oracle, blessed with the gift of powerful clairvoyance. And apparently, he was open for readings.

Clementine didn't care how much he had to pay, he wanted a reading, just to be able to say that he got one. A reading from the future Oracle... what an honor, what an occasion, what a talking point at dinner parties for years to come.

He wasn't really taking this all that seriously. It was a novelty to him, at best. He was kind of curious to hear what would be said about his future, because he didn't have any plans for it himself (except for maybe one), so maybe he'd hear something interesting. But he wasn't sure if he believed in stuff like this, honestly... he was open to the idea of it, but definitely not sold.

When he got the tip that Ember usually hung out in a secluded corner of the courtyard, he got ready immediately, and quickly went over to see if he was there. Someone was. It looked like Jinxie's little boyfriend. So it was true. Were they seriously the same person...? That was interesting and a half.

Gracefully, he strode over to where Ember was seated. "Good afternoon. Ember Parca?" He tilted his head sweetly, smiling softly. The picture of innocence.

[silverknightpiece]

continued from here with @threadedwheels

He has heard good things about Ember in turn, well, in Sebek's own way, which he's seen many times before. Silver had heard Sebek here and there, and seeing Ember around had not changed his mind about his fellow student from Diasomnia. He did hold Embers in good regards, and he's glad that he decided to ask the others for help because he might need it on the way back.

While Silver can claim he and his father spread out the most amongst their inner circle into the student body, he does thank his father for telling him his shortcomings with his tone and actually expressing what he wants. This school life will be a team effort, not unlike how he trained to sync so well next to Sebek, and their recent growing pit of circumstances has amplified this. He has begun this task with a mission in mind, which he shares with his companion. 

He looks back at his fellow student and answers him with an easy stride, waiting for the door to open before them, and he does note what Ember said before. "You've had an issue with the storage closets around campus after the ghosts appeared?" or at least the malicious ones. "I wish to look amongst the old storage for books out of use, collect anything we see, and mostly to get any information we might need from… the forbidden section."

Technically, the school had no forbidden section that the students could access to Silver's knowledge, but Silver had seen this door slam open and shut for a while now. The room beyond the door was heavy with reading material, with layers of dust, maps between pages so yellow they rivaled a dandelion, and some boxes he hadn't dared touch. After his discovery of the library-like closet, he had to get some help back to the dorm.  And here he was. 

[howlighte]

continued from this with @threadedwheels​

LEGS CROSSED ON THE GROUND,   they worked on different  portions  of the same entanglement of lights.   ripping them apart felt like a better option at that point,  the only thing stopping him was that  any  aggressive movements he made would mess up the other’s handiwork  —  something that he attempted to avoid.  teamwork was never his strong suit,  but this was the perfect  example  of,   the better they  worked  together,  the faster they got done.  a bit of group complaining was only a part of the team building,   really.  

decorating the dorm was far from his own idea,  likely  far from ember’s own idea as well.  however,   when it came to helping out  —  jack supposed he struggled to say no.  just a shame that they handed off such  cautious work.  meticulous work that took  patience & care,  he couldn’t pretend to be suited to it.  in offering his own help,  he expected to move furniture,  carry boxes.  instead,  hunched over a set of lights that must have resided in a box of  decades. 

“  least we are in agreement.  ”  he said with a nod,  ripping at the lights a  tad  too harshly,  an apologetic look as he almost ripped them straight out of ember’s hands.  “  dishes could get done in an hour.   this,  i dunno if i can even promise we’re gunna make a dent in them.  your’s ain’t lookin’ too bad though …  man  —  ”   looking at his own work with some distain,  this was a  real  lost cause.  

[prince-kalim]

Kalim was listening, nodding gently along with Ember's thought process. But when Ember asked about Jamil's role in this Kalim seemed a bit confused at first.

"Oh Jamil always cooks my food. His food is really delicious! He always knows the perfect amount of spice to add to make it delicious but not overwhelming." He was about to babble on when the second question sprang to his mind. "Oh...Jamil does have his own team...but I'm not allowed to handle knives and really cook my own food in case I hurt myself. I wouldn't really know where to start when it comes to rations.” The silence around the pair felt a bit suffocating. “I mean I’m sure Jamil won’t mind if I do it myself just this once. It couldn’t be that bad if I do it myself.” He hesitated a little knowing it likely wouldn’t be that good. 

[ RATIONS ]  "Ember! Seeing we are partnered for the trip I was wondering what food you like or if there is anything you don't like or can't eat? I was going to ask Jamil to make me some of these ration things and I thought if I ask him to make enough for all of us....well bar Ortho seeing Ortho doesn't really eat but maybe there is something we could grab for Ortho so he doesn't feel left out...got any ideas on that front?" He rambled barely breathing as he got started.

Ember’s head snapped in the direction of the noise, startled by the sudden dialogue. To be fair, to anyone walking by he was just staring into space.

But it was a rude awakening out of his attempts to see the future.

“Rations?”

He hadn’t even begun to consider that they’d need food. He thought they would be in, they would retrieve the stone, then they’d leave.

Of course, he knew it wouldn’t work that way, but part of him lately had begun to turn towards more… wishful thinking.

“I was thinking,” that was a li, “we should make sure that anything we have is ready to eat in an instant. There isn’t anything I can’t eat, of course, but anything that requires items such as water would be inadvisable… why are you asking Jamil to do this, though? Doesn’t he have his own team to worry about as well?”

Ember vaguely understood the relationship between Jamil and Kalim, that Jamil’s family worked for Kalim’s at home and he essentially was in charge of his well being, but he did not know to what extent that went.

[piquuse]

⸻ There’s something in the water.

More accurately, there are several somethings in the water that encapsulate the Octavinelle dorm, and the sheer depth of the lilac reef that extends around Deuce as he heads towards the Monstro Lounge is a perfect setting for the assortment of personalities that lounge in its wake. Endlessly vast, unsettling, and always with a threat of something dark lurking around the corner; that was Octavinelle to the core, and it made Deuce feel small in comparison.

That feeling remains even as he hurries to the cafe, patting down his uniform coat into something more presentable as he steps up to the host’s podium and explains his reasoning for being in the lounge. Though even that, it seems, is of minor importance when they wave him off after the first sentence. Azul’s already let us know, the rather bored looking host says to him. Your partner is already here. With a simple nod of his head, Deuce steps inside the lounge.

It’s a quiet afternoon in the cafe today, but even if it was busy Deuce had a feeling that it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. The aquarium wall is hard to miss, with the way it almost seems to light up the far side of the lounge with an aquamarine glow that’s in a cool contrast to the warmer purple lighting in the rest of seating area.

It’s also bigger than Deuce expects, much bigger in fact, but in hindsight he supposes that it would only make sense for it to be that big if they were expected to put on a show in the water outside of it. It was an incredible feature; though dorm pride dictates that it wasn’t nearly as beautiful as Heartslabyul’s own Rose Maze.

Peacock green eyes shift suddenly toward a quiet corner to the left of the wall, and after a moment, he realizes that the movement he caught was indeed a person. That must be Ember, he thinks as he makes his way over with careful steps; the last thing he wants to do is accidentally knock into a waiter carrying dishware, after all. The repercussions would be awful.

          “Hey,” Deuce says once he’s closer. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you waiting. You said that you wanted to take care of the fish before we planned the actual show, right?”

EMBER PARCA has been issued by Azul to perform a show in the OCTAVINELLE AQUARIUM with DEUCE SPADE. ( @threadedwheels )

ADDENDUM: The fish are hungry, uncooperative, and there’s only ONE SECRET SNACK to attempt pacifying them.

[brashnbolt]

continues from here @threadedwheels ⚡⚡⚡

“It is weird, isn’t it?”

With the personalities at this party, it doesn’t shock Sebek to hear that some have dared to try the dish. Hell, Diasomnia’s contribution wasn’t much better! He watches from the corner of his eye as Azul offers an unfortunate cup of the brew to Kalen, apologizing in his head for whatever terrible effects it might bring to his stomach.

The cauldron of Diasomnia’s offering bubbles away, now somehow generating heat since he mixed the ingredients together. It looks even more menacing now, and surely tastes twice as fowl. Sebek looks down to the plate in his hands and back over to the roiling concoction on the other side of the dining hall, a curious thought running through his mind.

God, could the addition really make it all that worse?

“Excuse me for a second, Ember,” the half-fae excuses himself, weaving between the crowds as least suspiciously as possible. Everyone now was steering clear of the cauldron—thankfully—and he takes the opportunity to dump the meat into the pot, a few droplets of punch landing on his uniform.

He stands there, and watches, observing how the meat sinks down into the liquid. At least it stopped bubbling so viciously. Now, he needed to find a long pair of tongs or something of the sort to see the results of his experiment.

[rove-bogge]

Rove relaxed a bit and smiled, reaching out a hand to Jiji giving the small mantis a light touch with his forefinger. "It's alright...Jiji seems to want a lot of affection but unfortunately Dollface is getting very territorial..." He chuckled softly at the mantis nuzzling his finger slightly.

"It will do them good as well as you and I trust you to look after them well." He nodded to Ember. "I will look forward to seeing the photos especially when you have personalised the terrarium too." His eyes glanced over the room taking note of the type of things Ember had out on display. Gathering an idea of the type of things the other enjoyed.

"I should let you two get to know each other without me hovering around.."

"Yeah you can do...I breed feeder insects so I will have enough." He huffed as the tank was more than a little uncomfortable to carry but he continued to carry it through to Ember's Room.

It took a little bit of time to set up the Terrarium on a basic level. Making sure the heating pad was plugged in and working and then setting up the basic needs. Once done he stood up looking to Ember. "You can add in extra flora and stuff to it as much as you want. The basics are all done, anything else is enrichment and environment stuff which I can leave to you. Um...here..." He picked up his phone quickly searching somethings then sending the link to Ember. "That's a pinboard of some people's Orchid mantis's setups if you want inspiration."

He looked over to Jiji who seemed settled on Ember's shoulder. "If you have any questions I am only a text away or you can ask at club." Part of him wanted to snatch Jiji back and run back to his room but he was sure Ember would take good care of the Mantis. Ember seemed to like his bugs after all. This surely wouldn't be a long game ruse to do something horrific to the creature in front of him. He gripped the fabric over his chest at the thought that made him uneasy to his core. 

[99lostsouls]

THE END IS NIGH

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

everything happened in such a blur.

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

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

and before he knew it–

❝ ARREST THEM! ❞

❝ IT'S THE MAGESTONE! ❞

ah shit.

…

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

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

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

[halefinne]

[Saganaki] A dish of cheese … that is apparently on fire. Composed of a variety of Greek cheeses and a little bit of brandy, the fire appears to change its color as it burns the whole night through. It pairs well with a lightly toasted baguette, a twist of lemon and a little bit of parsley. It’s tradition to break a dish every time the flame abruptly burns brighter, though no one quite understands the tradition; courtesy of Ignihyde. 

Ember held the plate out to Floyd. It seemed only fair to give him some food as well, at least in return for the waffles. There was some of the cheese, still burning, and a piece of bread to go along with it.

“Have you tried this yet?” He asked, “The fire is quite beautiful, though I don’t know if you’re supposed to blow it out before you take a bite.”

Floyd's eyes lit up to match the plate's contents as it was held out to him as an offering. "Woaaaah. Can you light any dish you want on fire?"

Stuff like this wasn't possible under the sea, as far as Floyd knew. Not without burning a ton of magic to keep the fire going, and that was just a waste of energy. But on land, you could just do that! Set things on fire!

Floyd needed to tell Jade about this. He had to get his brother's help in getting Azul to put this on the menu. Floyd's hands were already twitching at the thought of experimenting with it in his own recipes.

"You eat it while it's on fire, right? Why else would they send it out like that." Besides the fact it looked dope as hell. Floyd considered the food carefully and reached for a piece of bread before scooping up some of the cheese. The flame shifted and wafted in the breeze as it moved, but the flame kept burning.

Floyd grins wide. "Time to find out!" He declares before opening his mouth wide and eating the piece hold. The flame burns the top of his mouth quickly before, cut off from oxygen, it fades out. It doesn't stop Floyd from wincing though at the new painful sensation in his mouth.

"...not great." He decides around the mouthful.

[mostrum]

Azul, give me a task please!

The smirk that skirts across Azul’s lips isn’t preventable— The Octavinelle housewarden chuckles, then makes eye contact with his new client. Something is amiss in the atmosphere, an aura that can almost be described as sinister as the merman flickers his gaze back down at the paper once more, then hands it to Ember. 

“I’m sorry to announce that this shall divert away from the usual game of fetch,” Azul begins, “Mostro Lounge has a special night planned for the weekend… and you and another shall be the stars of the night!” This would be the perfect time for fanfare, had there been any available instruments in the VIP room. “Please perform your best aquatic show using Octavinelle’s aquarium and its inhabitants. I should also remind you— Our poor pelagic neighbors have been lacking a sufficient meal recently. The headmage said he’d order a new issue of food stock for them but alas, no further word has been said. If trouble arises, I’m certain a secret snack or two shall keep them at bay, yes? Now, off you go. Don’t disappoint me… or our patrons.” 

Conveniently, Azul leaves out mention of the shark. 

EMBER PARCA has been issued by Azul to perform a show in the OCTAVINELLE AQUARIUM with DEUCE SPADE. (@piquuse) 

ADDENDUM: The fish are hungry, uncooperative, and there’s only ONE SECRET SNACK to attempt pacifying them. 

Complete the task by June 30th.

This task is worth 20 thaumarks.  

NOTE: if your partner is unavailable or if you would like a longer deadline, report back over DM.

[99lostsouls]

❝ you want to...spar with me? ❞

ember's ever-present confusion was understandable, to be honest. despite his small height and doe like eyes, ortho shroud wasn't a foe to be messed with.

considering the many incidents where he either threatened to explode the school or shoot someone within it, it's amazing he was still here to tell the story— but this wasn't about that!

this was about training.

though ortho hadn't been too active during the halloween season, his one visit to the altar was evidence enough. these ghosts wanted these students dead, plain and true and they needed to be prepared.

❝ I know this isn't something you're used to, an opponent like... myself, but considering I've been put on the defense team alongside you, I figured this would be the best way to prove myself useful. now, I've already set up somethings— ❞

just as he spoke, ortho would soon turn to point down to a small rock placed on a makeshift surface of gym uniforms. don't critique, he worked with what he had.

❝ you'll be pretending that it is the mage stone we need to steal from the ghost realm. you'll be trying to take it, and I'll be flying behind trying to stop you by any means. how does that sound? ❞

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

“You want to spar… with me?” Ember asked, looking up from his book to stare at his defense teammate. It seemed like...

Well, it seemed like a bad idea.

Ember believed in his magical abilities, there was no way he couldn't, but he also believed that Ortho was someone who could easily kick his ass. He had quite a few things Ember didn't- namely blasters and flight.

Ember just... couldn't turn down a challenge. Besides- it was sparring. How much damage could Ortho do?

"Alright. It will certainly help us prepare for the ghosts."

[rove-bogge]

continued from here @threadedwheels ___ Rove listened to the other, his stomach dropping when the other pretty much told him that he didn’t know what to do. His face fell, eyes meeting his knees as he felt the lump in his throat tighten.

“Me traumatised? Nah!” He scoffed. Shaking his head as he thought over his life. He couldn’t be traumatised, nothing traumatic had happened to him. Right?

Denial was strong.

“Ok…let's get back into something easier to work with.” He sighed heavily. “Ortho…I said a shitty thing to him…how do I fix that?” Shame boiling on his face as he remembered what he said. “I told him that he was just programmed to be nice to me. That he would just delete all memories of me when he and Idia leave.” He groaned, burying his face in his hands.

Ortho was the chosen family he desperately wanted to claim but something just held him back every time.

[pollychatter-moved]

you're a mean one, mr. grinch !

@threadedwheels squacked :

❝ i don’t want to be a grinch, but untangling lights isn’t exactly my favorite pastime. ❞

Ember bemoaned as he sat on the floor of Ramshackle’s common room and worked at the tangled lights. The dorm was undecorated for the holidays and he got dragged into decoration before he realized what was going on.

“In fact, I think it may be the worst part of the holidays”

“ Really? No kidding! ” Ilam laughs, leaning his shoulder comfortably on the couch's armrest, cup of hot chocolate in hand. “ I'm havin' a great time. ”

He takes a long, drawn out sip, further cementing his role as the local jackass when he took all the time in the world to wipe the chocolate mustache from his mouth. As fun as the holidays were, Halloween was his time to go all out. Though, if someone wanted ( or was forced to, in Ember's case ) to decorate the dorm from head to toe he wasn't gonna be the one to stop them!

“ It's all such hard work, isn't it? ” Fake sympathy practically oozes from his words... he wants something. “ If ya' need help, just ask. I'm not doing anything too important. ”