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Nicholas hadn’t quite finished potting all his plants; he figured he’d have enough time to deal with it once they finished dinner and then he’d get cleaned up for his evening activities. In the meantime, his stomach demanded his attention. Frequently, he cursed the fact his timelessness didn’t exclude him from his basic needs. He still required air, food, and water like any living thing and it irked him to no end. He’d much rather spend his days indulging in more interesting things like gardening and alcohol and tobacco and sex and yet here he was, washing away the soil from his hands as the dinner hour struck and his hunger made it clear he would not be permitted to ignore it. He shrugged his coat back on and let his brother know he was on his way to eat. He could eat at Haven but the early meals here were usually well portioned and well done, so it made no difference either way.

The Feasting Hall was already busy, people crowding in quickly, and Nicholas huffed irritably at tables long full even with it barely being a handful of minutes past 7. He scanned the space, nearly giving up and turning to head to Haven, when a familiar voice rang out through the crow and Nicholas glanced over to see Jake, waving his hand furiously in greeting. Nicholas looked around him, seeing if he could be talking to anyone else at all, but sighed and trudged across the hall to the table. “Calm down, calm down. Yes, I will sit with you. Now-” Nicholas paused as he settled into the seat next to Jake, eying the clothes he wore. That certainly wasn’t what he was wearing earlier. They seemed somewhat familiar, but Nicholas couldn’t quite place it. Something simmered irritably in his stomach but he ignored it for now.

“How was your class today?” Nicholas asked, picking up his goblet and murmuring into it. Stout filled the cup and the meat wellington and risotto filled his plate. "And sit down, Jake. In the chair, not on the table. You'll still be able to see everyone."

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After a long day of getting to know her classmates and coven members, practicing her magic, and working through things with Willow, Cassie found herself incredibly hungry. She approached the feasting hall with vigor, eager to get something to eat. She wondered how the set-up would be. In the movies, there were tables where certain cliques sat, and to sit there when you weren't invited or part of said clique was a social faux pas that could ruin the reputation you had built up or shoot it down before it even had a chance to form.

But this school would be different, right? She had already made some good friends with Willow and Jake. Connie seemed cool, also. Cal was....well she wasn't sure what Cal was anymore.

She entered and saw it bustling with students she didn't know or knew in passing. She looked around to see if she could catch a familiar face. She didn't want to be one of those who sat at the table alone and ate while crying into her Caesar salad. She spotted a ball of energy and knew it was Jake. Thankful to have a friend to eat with she walked over and clocked Jake wasn't alone. Nicholas was also there. Cassie paused her movement, uncertainty boiling up in her gut. He was part of her coven, sure, but she still felt he would rather be elsewhere. And the incident in the library.

She shook it off and continued. "Hey Jake! I am starving!" She sat down, not next to Jake, but across from him so she could still maintain eye contact. "And Nick, nice to see you too! So I was given the run down of how this works briefly from a staff person. So we just...say what we want and it appears? So cool! Still getting used to that!" She picked up her goblet and brought it to her lips as she whispered. The cup quickly filled with pink lemonade and she took a sip. "Also Jake, do you have make-up on? It looks so cute on you! If you're into that I'd love to give you a make-over. If you want, of course. I know me and Willow talked about doing mani-pedis at some point and you are welcome to join." She picked up the menu and looked it over, excited to see food she recognized. Some part of her still felt like it would be weird foods.

As she perused it she couldn't help but overhear a nearby conversation where....a head was found? A human head? And this appeared to be out of the norm? She shivered inwardly. What did that mean? Whose head was it, staff or student? Or stranger?

"Everything sounds good. What do you both think?" she asked the two of them, though she mainly kept her eyes on Jake. Nick worried her still.

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Rohan didn't eat much, not in the way most people did. For him, food was just that, food. Sustenance, fuel in the proverbial furnace, something done for survival. Dinners were a social construct, gatherings that were often more about connecting and touching base than actually tending to one's needs. The irony was that the food was so rarely the point of dinner. If he was hungry, he ate something. Food was just food, but sometimes, people need something to spice up their life and give it purpose. But it was time for dinner, and people that were relevant to him were around, so Rohan came back a few hours later after meeting Connie in here briefly. He didn't pay much mind to the extravagant, fanciful, and frankly tacky decor. He was familiar with the place, well enough to just grab a seat somewhere and sit down.

A light volume of wellington and some risotto appeared on his plate. His goblet was filled with black coffee. Rohan elected to sit somewhere away from the babbling wild magician he heard some catty gossip about. A whole table away, in fact. He looked around for anyone he happened to know. He saw that Cassie girl he was sharing a room with. But not Annika, or Connie, or anyone else in his Coven. Not yet, at least.

He took a long, contemplative sip of his drink.

This whole building was probably getting set on fire, or worse, before the end of the hour.

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Annika wandered into the dining hall shortly after seven. She was greeted with a barrage of sound. Laughter, yelling, and just general conversation. She stood by the door for a moment, simply taking it all in. It felt very different from yesterday's opening reception. After a moment, Annika moved. She saw Jake waving frantically and smiled, waving politely back, but she had also seen one of her coven members sitting alone. Annika walked over to Rohan’s table and stood behind one of the chairs.

”Did you want some company?” Annika figured Rohan was sitting by himself for a reason, but she enjoyed the silent one’s company. She knew this was supposed to be an opportunity to mingle with others, but she was a little overwhelmed from the day, as well.

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After Cal’s meeting with Mikkail, he returned to the library to gather the books he couldn’t take with him and deposited them in his room. And since this was the first time he had been in his room since yesterday evening, Cal took a quick shower and changed out of his day-old, tea-stained clothes.

The cool satin slid over his skin in a pleasant way, making Cal sigh happily. He paired his outfit with his usual rings and a gold bracelet before making his way to the dining hall. Cal greeted many people as he walked the halls, and stopped to say hi to people in the dining hall while he made his way to the mostly empty table. Callaghan tended to be a social butterfly, flocking to conversation and people like a moth to a flame. However, he did enjoy the company of certain people more than others.

”Mani pedis? Count me in.” Cal pulled out a chair to sit down next to Cassie. ”I went back to the library and got the books you found. I briefly looked them over, and I think we’ll have a good start on uncovering our mystery. Thank you, Cassie.” Cal smiled at the young witch before he picked up his goblet, his plate already full, and whispered into the glass. A dark red liquid filled the bottom third of the glass. Cal inhaled before he set the glass down and rested his arm on the back of Cassi’s chair.

”I hope Alfonse has a better selection of red at Haven. So, how was everyone’s day? Hopefully, it was more stimulating than the bodiless head found in the dungeons.” He glanced over at the nearby table before speaking up. ”Serena, did you hear who found it? Hi Betty.” Cal smiled brightly at them, ever the hungry dragon for knowledge.

Finley was in a very good mood. Their alone time with Dysphoria left them in a warm haze. They did not even necessarily want to leave the room; instead, they delayed going to dinner by curling up with Dysphoria as long as possible. They had bread and chocolate; they did not need to go to dinner. They could stay in the room in the wonderful afterglow. They should clean the room and move the wardrobe away from the door.

Finley stretched languidly. They figured out one thing they did not have but wanted. Hot chocolate. Very well. They picked up their leaves and spider webs, changing them back into an outfit.

They moved the wardrobe from in front of the door, returning it to its proper place. “I believe the others will be gathering for dinner. I was thinking that a hot chocolate with extra marshmallows sounded divine,” they told Dysphoria. Their fingers intertwined with a tendril.

Upon arriving in the Feasting Hall, they joined Nicholas. “Good eve.” They placed their order, meat on the rare side, the salad, and of course, a hot chocolate with extra marshmallows to drink. Marshmallows were probably one of the greatest inventions, other than bread.

They heard the conversation about a head without a body, and dismissed it. If it were a body without a head, they would be concerned someone would think them guilty of breaking a Rule. There was still a likelihood that Snikt! of Finley eating the cop’s head floating around, though no one had brought it up recently, maybe it was drifting into obscurity as the twins said it would. Since it was a head without a body, and probably not a fresh head, they had no interest in it.

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Connie had enjoyed her reprieve with Rohan. Between her conversations with her advisor and her friend, she felt more centered and ready to deal with the Mystery. She had some ideas that she wanted to go over with Barty and Jake. Her missing roommate and covenmate was still absent. Strange and frustrating. Where was he?

Connie spent the rest of her free time writing down her clean notes. When that was finished, she went to the Feasting Hall. Connie stood there torn between sitting with Rohan or Jake. She overheard Serena talking about a head being found. Connie frowned. Was this Pancho? Had someone found Pancho’s head? If they found a head, where was the body? This at least made her decision easier. She sat as close to Serena and Betty while still sitting with the coven group. She placed her order of roasted asparagus and water.

“Do you have a description of the head?” She had a missing person; maybe this was the solution. Well, if it was the head of her missing fourth coven member, it was a bigger mystery. What happened to him? “Who has the head? Is it available for viewing and potential identification?”

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Willow was feeling amazing after her conversation with Cassie, and honestly knowing that they were friends for real now. She still felt a bit off considering her visions, but thankfully nothing had happened since the library. She still had to talk to Connie, but she figured she could do that when they went to head to bed. She didn't really want to bother her over dinner with the tale of why she needed her to look at an egg for her every morning.

She walked into the Feasting Hall and looked around for somewhere to sit. She could hear the conversations going on, and paused as she heard someone talking about a head. A real human head. Willow found that a bit odd that people were talking about it as such an oddity, but then again usually heads were attached to people. She would have to find out more about this mysterious head later, because for the moment, she was hungry.

She spotted Cal and Cassie and waved, and then took the open seat next to Cassie and smiled. "Hello Cassie, hello Cal~ I hope you're both having a pleasant evening." She settled in and pet Luna gently and let her scoot forward a bit to read the menu for the night.

It was here that she felt a bit out of her depths. Meat wellington? Risotto? Frisée? What did any of those mean? She fidgeted for a bit as she looked over the menu a bit more, and then squeaked a bit as a little bit of each appeared on her plate, as if it knew she wished to try each before committing to more. She then saw others whispering to their goblets and leaned over and asked for chicha and watched as the glass filled up with the thick rice and milk beverage. She picked it up and took a long sip before signing. A familiar taste at last.

"So, have we made anymore headway on our mystery yet?" She gently picked up a fork and stabbed into the salad and took a bite. She melted a bit at the taste, letting it all melt into her mouth. If this was what food was like outside of her forests, she really could grow to love it.

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Barty had been enjoying a smoke, his covenmates were busy doing Harkness knows what, clearly caring about having fun more than solving their mystery. He’d already managed to piece a few things together and said as much to them should they wish to discuss it further after class. Yet there he was with no one to bother him, his own twin tending to the very garden needed to help keep their magic alive. When the time finally came for lunch, Barty snuffed out his cigarette and tossed it into the nearest trash can. Making his way down the halls until finally he spotted the now incredibly full lunch room. Normally he would’ve turned on his heel and left, but his brother seemed to be there and with company to boot. Wonderful. He sighed, making his way over towards the table before stopping by right behind Cassie and taking her goblet to have a sip. Sugary sweetness ravaged his tongue and he placed the goblet back before opting to sit next to Willow. ”Headway, what an interesting choice of words given the current mystery and rumours rolling about of a newly found head.” Barty looked over to see what was in Willow’s goblet, eyebrow raised in curiosity at the strange liquid. It wasn’t quite milk, but something akin to it.

He picked up his own finally, whispering for it to conjure him a Belhaven Black. The meal seemed hardy today, breads and meats and grease, all that to say it called for a good stout to drink it over with. Barty took a large gulp of his drink, feeling the smooth texture of the dark stout coat his tongue before finally setting it down. ”Cal, dear you are more than aware that we carry a better selection of everything there. If you start allowing trash in then it only invites the riffraff and that is a classy establishment.” His eyes moved over towards Connie then Jake, one of his covenmates wasn’t eating with them and it wasn’t the one he wanted. Barty huffed, placing an elbow onto the table before resting his head into his hand, the other tracing a finger along the edges of the plate. ”Jack, you seemed to have changed your appearance a little. I hope you had time to think about our mystery as you seemed to have the time to play dress up.”

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Franklin had joined in mere moments after Jake. He couldn’t apparate the way he did, so the path long trodden would have to do as he made his way over towards the dining hall. He’d wanted to sit with Jake and Rohan, but it seemed the two had different ideas. He could talk to Jake later, Rohan had needed his help and he was hoping they could expand a bit more on it. Frankie blew a tuft of his hair away from his face as he went and sat down next to Rohan. “ Well if he hadn’t wanted any company he certainly has it now. I actually wanted to pick your brain etoday on how soon you may want me to start on what we were discussing earlier Rohan. These things take time and I’m more than willing to start on it today so that the experimentations run their course. He’d almost not noticed Connie sitting near them, so focused on Rohan as he was, but her question caught his ear. ‘I’m with Connie on this one. Can we view the head? Can we work on the head? I may be able to help grant it some semblance of life and it can tell us how it came to be.”

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Serena Grimsbane’s eyes widened slightly, as the Conjuration witch realized she hadn’t been nearly as quiet as she’d thought. Both she and her “friend,” an abjuration wizard named Betty Hyong, had been attending Strange Academy since they were young teens, stumbling through their first spells. In a year or so, Serena and Betty would be ready for the Coven system - but for now, they studied in the Wandering Hall, having mastered the basics but not quite yet reached the advanced level needed for a coven.

“Oh, um, hi Cal!” Serena’s face was bright red.

Betty regarded the dragon with a flat, resting expression. She threw up her right hand in a two finger salute.

“And Connie!” Her blush only deepened, and she flinched, as Betty kicked at her under the table.

“Well, um, I heard from… I heard from…” Serena trailed off, confusion flickering across her face. “I… Sorry, I’m blanking on the name. Must be exam stress. Um. But the head is supposed to be in the dungeons still, I don’t think it’s been handled by the professors yet if you want to go and take a look - they said it was… it was… Huh. I know they told me where to find it but it’s… it’s gone. I’m sorry. It was somewhere weird and hard to find but I don’t…” She threw up her hands slightly in frustration.

Betty raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you a little young for dementia?”

Serena paled. “You think it could be dementia?”

“Probably,” Betty shrugged, before taking a bite of the wellington. “Hm. Beef tastes off.”

Dysphoria let their tendrils trace small, lazy patterns against Finley's skin as the ushered up hot chocolate. The excitement that buzzed through them at the prospect of hot chocolate dulled a moment however as their tongue flickered into the air. Curiosity took its place and Dysphoria flicked their tongue out again and again to try and identify it. “The scent in the kitchens is unusual. I have not tasted this one before.” Dysphoria picked up the wellington, tearing the pastry away and picking out a bit of the meat, tossing it into their mouth and chewing thoroughly.

“Hm. Lean, old, very active. Humans normally like plump, fatty goodness. I do not know what this is.” Dysphoria instead picked up the hot chocolate and sipped eagerly at it, a marshmallow getting stuck on the tip of their tooth as they held the goblet up to Finley for them to drink. “The chocolate though. You will love this, Darling.”

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Rohan zeroed in about the chatter surrounding a severed head. As long as it wasn't the head of anyone he knew, he didn't have much to worry about. If it was Connie's severed head, he would've been missing by now. Someone like Finely or the MacLeods, on the other hand, would've meant something strange happened. Clearly not much to fear, so he tilted his head to Annika, who had just appeared. She seemed nice, so he just gestured to a chair. He was perfectly content to socialize, as long as he didn't have to get within arms reach of that many new people right now. The instinctual creature in Rohan told him someone here was liable to poison something, either intentionally or otherwise. An emotional reaction to someone getting touchy-feely, Jake deciding to jump up and cast something wild on a whim, or maybe Finley would cause a bit of mischief. Inexperience and magic went together like flesh and maggots. Tragically.

"Don't let me stop you-"

Oh, there's Franklin.

"Either of you. Hey, Frank. Plenty of room." Rohan picked up a fork. ”I’m willing to let you take a look later, I need to dig some notes up anyway. Tomorrow’s gonna be busy, we’ll probably be in that room or deeper for hours, or longer if Marino’s feeling unhinged.” More than she’d seemed already, that is. Not that Rohan was going to say that part out loud, of course.

”I don’t have any of it right now, but there’s this stuff I can make that I call Flamepitch. It’s like Greek Fire, or holy water… It’s made of blood and tree sap- The normal kind,” He added. ”Burns like napalm, but it’s got to be something Infernal. Demons, and whatnot. Next time I make some, I’ll let you study it. Might help, since there’s a small bit of alchemy to it.”

He stuck his fork into his wellington and took a bite. Then he stopped, it tasted strange. It didn't seem like it came from a cow, it wasn't human... Could've been some sort of bird. Maybe something more mythical. The curiosity showed on his face for a brief moment, before he took another bite. "Hmm..." It wasn't bad, though. He had no notes. The risotto went well with it, in his not-so-professional opinion.

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At Nicky's request for him to calm down, Jake remembered what Cassie had said about the mantras from earlier - they were meant to help him calm down! He was so excited he got to try one in a real situation now! He could hardly contain himself! "Oooh, oooh, I learned about how to calm down today in class, Cassie showed me! You're supposed to say some special words, like - I am one with the force and the force is in me - I don't know what the force is but it's inside me apparently, isn't that so cool? Here, we can do it together and calm down! I am one with the force and the force is in me! I am one with the force and the force is in me! Don't you feel so calm? I don't! Not at all! I feel like I could run so fast. Like really fast. How fast can you run? I bet you can run really fast, you look like you're really fit."

"Class was really cool! I saw a statue that is actually a person, but it's okay because we are going to help him! Croan really wants to help him, too! I could feel Barty and Croan's magic get eaten by the statue as they tried to do things to it, and Connie gave me a present! I licked it, because I didn't know yet that you aren't supposed to put your mouth on things that aren't food. Frankie taught me that. Do you know Frankie? I really like him! He's really fun and he has friendly eyes and we played a game together! Wait, sorry, more class to cover - our professor didn't show up because he has a husband, so it was just me and Cassie, and she was really great and read the letter from him to me because I don't know how to read. We practiced the mantras to calm down and then we went outside to try out some magic, and I made sparkles!! Do you wanna see? I can show you!! And then after that is when I played with Frankie, we got pretty dirty though so he made me change out of my clothes and I didn't have anything else to wear so he loaned me his clothes, isn't that nice? And now I'm here with you and I'm so happy!!"

He slid off of the table and got into the chair as requested, but still made no move to get anything to eat or drink. But Cassie was here now!! He loved Cassie!! She was one of his bestest friends!! He wished he could give her a hug, but he knew that he wasn't supposed to. "Aww, thank you!! Frankie did it!! He said it's something called rouge!! That sounds so fun, I don't know what a mani-pedi is, does it hurt? Do you use blood to make it too? Frankie used blood for this!" he added, pointing at the blush on his cheeks.

Jake shrugged as Cassie asked what they thought. "This school has a lot of stuff written down, it's kinda funny - it's almost like you need to know how to read to be here," he laughed. And then, a new old person showed up! He had seen him last night, but he hadn't met him yet, and Jake waved his hand eagerly at Cal, a motion he had seen others do around the school. And he wasn't the only one to show up - a person who seemed to be two people was also here, that was so cool! And another girl who didn't really look like everyone else!!

"Hi, I'm Jake!!" he introduced himself, beaming at the newcomers. Barty was the last to show up, but he was talking to someone named Jack, and his name was Jake, so that didn't mean him. He was looking over at him though, so Jake turned around to look behind him, excited to meet his new friend Jack but... there was no one there! Weird! "Is Jack invisible? Hi Jack!! It's nice to meet you!!" he said to the air.

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Cassie smiled warmly at Jake's antics. Mainly because he was so adorable, like a little puppy, you couldn't help but like him and want to scratch his belly. And for the smaller reason that he was likely annoying Nick, which was a small benefit. "It looks so good on you! And no, mani-pedis are getting your fingernails and toenails done. They massage your hands and feet and scrape all the debris away and you can even have color on them!" Cassie chose to ignore the comment about blood, especially as there was a conversation happening about a beheaded body.

Cal appeared and Cassie fought the urge to blush, she was still sort of mad at him despite her and Willow talking things through. Even if he complimented her skill, there was still an undercurrent happening. One that involved the twins most likely. How the hell could Cal like them when they were so irritating? She knew college would be filled with all sorts, and a part of her knew she should try to make it work with them, but she couldn't help but feel like they were plotting every time they were in the same room.

Willow sat next to her and Cassie greeted her with a warm hug, happy the two of them sorted things out. "Willow! Cal said the books we found would be helpful so we have a shot. And Jake and Cal are in for mani-pedis! It's gonna be a fun night!"

The enjoyment was short-lived as the other twin, Barty, strode in acting like he would rather be anywhere else. Last time Cassie checked, no one forced him to come here. To make matters worse, as Barty approached he took hold of her cup and took a drink. Cassie's mouth opened in mild horror and she looked around the table to see if anyone else saw and would say something. Especially Cal.

Cassie was fuming. But her cup returned. She took hold of it and looked in as if the contents were poison. She took it back to her lips and whispered again. This time the contents changed into a light blue liquid. She swirled it around before taking a sip. She swished it around in her mouth briefly before she spit it back into the cup. "Mouthwash. After all, something nasty was just added to my drink. Can't have that." She whispered again and the contents returned to her pink lemonade, which she drank with relish.

But the conversation moved back to the headless body. Cassie's appetite was slowly waning (though she still wanted dessert). Cassie looked over to the girls speaking, particularly Serena. It was strange but Cassie felt like the hair on the back of her neck was standing at attention. The girl was struggling to remember, but Cassie felt like it wasn't just your average forgetful moment. There was more there, like the girl was looking through the library in her brain for the right books, but they had been moved elsewhere. Was it magical? Perhaps, but it was weird nonetheless.

"There's something weird going on with her memory I think. Something unnatural. Call it a hunch," she whispered to Cal.

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After Annika took a seat, Frankie quickly joined them. Annika smiled and waved at her other covenmate before taking a bite of her food. It wasn’t quite what she had been expecting. It was leaner then beef, which was typically used for Wellington, but the menu did say “meat.” Well, it was definitely meat, if not a little gamey. Well, Annika was used to eating strange things. She took another bite and mixed it into the risotto before eating.

”Any suggestions on what to bring to class tomorrow? Especially if we’ll be in the Neverish.” In the Everdark, Annika could conjure whatever she had needed. She didn’t think the Neverish would be as welcoming.

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Cal glanced at Connie, then Frankie, when they assaulted the girls with their twenty questions. He sighed, sitting back in his chair. ”Honestly, you two could use a lesson in subtlety,” He picked up his goblet and took another sip. He frowned and set it back down when Barty arrived.

When he reached over to drink from Cassie’s glass, he noticed the anger that came from her. He slipped his arm from the back of Cassie’s chair to rest on her shoulders. He could understand the annoyance from Barty’s inappropriate gesture, but it was behaviour Cal was used to. Cal knew Barty wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the twins liked it that way. However, Cassie’s response made Cal laugh out loud.

Her next comment had Cal leaning in. He glanced back at Serena and Betty. He nodded, eyeing the girls curiously while he let his senses expand to see if anyone else was listening in or interfering.

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Willow decided that risotto was her new favorite food, as she took a few more bites of the delicious food. It reminded her of creamy arroz con coco, but creamier and richer, and savory, and earthy with those mushrooms in the dish. The vegetable side dish was also interesting, the long stalky vegetable had been roasted and had this char on it that was delicious.

She heard snippets of the conversation around her and did perk up as the books they found would help, but did hear Barty's comment and blushed a bit. "Ah, I wasn't thinking when I said that. But I am glad to hear that those books will help, though I really don't want to read the journal alone. Nearly passing out once because of it was enough, thank you very much. Though I hope the charms will help. I really don't want to see those eyes again." Willow shuddered at the memory of the eyes all over the library.

Willow finally cut into the wellington and took a bite... and froze. Something was wrong. The meat was unlike anything she had tasted before in her life, lean, gamey, much like what she was use to in the jungle. However she felt like she was wrapped up in chains, frozen, constricting her movements and binding her in place. She had felt this once before in her life, just once.

As soon as it came on, it was gone, and Willow could move again and she nearly jolted from her seat. "W...what is that made out of?" There was the trace of fear on her face to those closest to her, as she dared not eat another bite of the strange meat. Everything else around her was purged from her mind as she recovered from that brief moment.

Finley ignored the conversation about the head. They did not care about it. They focused on Dysphoria. A smile played on their lips and they said, “I’ll take a sip in a moment, but first, you have a little something here.” They pointed at their teeth, leaned in, pulling Dysphoria’s face closer to make out with them, licking the marshmallow off of Dysphoria’s tooth.

“There I got it.” They sipped at the hot chocolate. “Ah, that is good. Very rich. The marshmallows are melting into it perfectly.” They sighed contentedly.

Then Finley turned their attention to their plate. They took a bite of the pastry that Dysphoria had dissected from the meat. Everyone else seemed weirded out by the meat, and Finley did not know why. Dysphoria did not recognize the meat. That was not an impossibility. Dysphoria had not been around very long. The types of meat the pair of them had eaten were limited.

Finley cut off a piece of the meat, examining it visually and smelling it before taking the bite. It was gamey and lean. Odd indeed. The rich flavors that usually accompany fattier meat were missing. The gamey flavor was not despised. It was like eating something from the wild. Finley chewed on the bite of meat and the thought.

“Do the staff hunt for the meat that is provided? If so, would they accept help? Hunting could be a nice diversion sometimes.”

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Connie frowned. She did not pick up on Serena’s blush or its implications. She did sigh a little at Cal’s admonishment. It wasn’t her fault that Serena had been talking loudly about the head. Besides, Cal had asked about it, too. Why would she have to be subtle when the conversation had already begun? She had a missing roommate.

“My roommate and covenmate Pancho is missing. So if there is a random head showing up somewhere in the dungeons, I would like to take a moment to see if it belongs to him.”

She turned her attention back to Serena, looking her up and down. It wasn’t a proper medical exam. She needed equipment for that. But Serena seemed physically fine. “Placement exams, I take it.” Connie tsked. “If it is Croan, just tell him he’s got a stick up his ass. Ravoux’s aren’t too bad, though you’ll be fine,” she tried to reassure Serena.

“If you do remember any details of where or who found the head, would you let me know? I do want to find my lost roommate. He is new to the school, and if he got lost, I will feel responsible.”

Connie took a bite of her food, avoiding the ‘beef’. If the others were saying something was off about it, she was certainly not eating it. She didn’t particularly have the stomach for mystery meat, especially today after cleaning rabbits. Connie poked the meat, wondering if maybe it was rabbit meat. Deciding not to risk it, she turned her attention to the asparagus.

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He regretted opening his mouth.

The deluge of information spewing from Jake's mouth felt like someone shining a light in his eyes: meaningless but overwhelming. People did not speak to him in such aggressive bursts, even Cal kept their conversations calm and on point with thoughtful, considerate insight when they weren't flirting, but Jake just said anything that came to mind. Nicholas checked out of the conversation after the first few sentences and an attempt to involve him in some strange calming ritual that he desired to have no part in. He patted Jake on the head as he finished up his story and turned his attention to the mystery meat everyone seemed so enthralled in.

Nicholas cut a piece off and took a bite, rolling it around his tongue to get the flavors. Finley was correct - it tasted like it had been hunted fresh. Nicholas shrugged and continued. It was not unlike the food from simpler times, before the age of refrigeration allowed for fatty animals to be slaughtered en masse and shipped around the world, when you ate what was local or you starved. He took a sip of his stout to wash down his meal and sighed at the news a head was found. He glanced at his twin, sending a thought across their link.

I knew we should have abandoned this place when we could. There was a contemplative pause. But perhaps, an opportunity. We have yet to gain a favor from Connie.

“My brother is playing a poor joke. He is speaking to you.” Nicholas grabbed Jake's hand, where he was waving it aggressively at anyone he could, and held it under the table. "Practice your breathing exercise and settle down. In fact, I believe Willow could use it as well. She seems particularly anxious again.” Nicholas nodded towards the moth girl. She'd been a nervous wreck since the library; Nicholas wasn't particularly knowledgeable in the Sight but what little divination he'd attempted early in his life was exhausting and he had no doubt she was overwhelmed with the ghosts that lingered in these halls.

“I have not seen them hunt during my outings into our woods nor have I seen signs of traps.” Nicholas offered in response to Finley.

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Barty simply sighed. Jake was far too much and talked more than any normal person should. It was absolutely insane how someone with so little going on inside of their head could have so much to say with so little meat to any of it. He would sooner find a more meaningful string of sentences out of a Dr. Suess book. Cassie didn’t help either, bringing up the idea of having a spa day in which they could all sit in a circle and do each others nails as they talked about their feelings. Disgusting. He did find her quip rather amusing, though factually incorrect. ”I can agree. Something nasty was added to your drink, both when you conjured up that sickly sweet pink beverage for something as hearty as a wellington, as well as when you decided to spit into it yourself before drinking more of the contents. It’s a wellington, not tenders and fries. Try a nice stout with it, something chocolatey and rich with a smooth flavour, you’ll find it compliments it better. At any rate, do as you wish far be it from me to try and educate those who don't wish to learn.” Barty cut into his food, taking in the first bite of his food as his brother's mind entered his own. A single head found in the dark dungeons of this place is hardly a reason to fret. A student probably got too cocky with their spellwork and did themselves in. You know how it is, they think because they’ve mastered the most basic of principles that suddenly they can take on any spell they wish to use, when in truth they don't understand the first thing about how magic works or is formed.

They were right about one thing however, this meal was a tad strange. The game meat didn’t lend itself well into the wellington they provided, not to the tastes he’d grown accustomed to over the centuries that is. But there was a tinge of nostalgia to be had for it, a taste of home and the meals one would make when they were merely a lad. Barty decided he didn’t care if it was unusual for the choice of meat, he liked the meal all the same. A taste of the past, of his memories. I see nothing magical about that girl, and can only assumed this blonde haired bimbo is wishing to get the better of Cal’s attention. Call it a hunch. Nevertheless, I’m not one to shy away from an opportunity to put others within our debt. Barty looked over towards Connie, taking a sip of his stout to help swallow the food before finally speaking. ”If only you know an enchanter who could aid a poor forgetful witch in her quest to recall information about a head you so dearly wish to see. Connie, you know all you need to is ask and I could aid you in your quest for knowledge. Just say the word and I can use my magic to the best of my abilities to help you, even if she can’t recall, I have a spell to help you locate what you are looking for regardless. Either way I’m of use.” He offered her a smile as he cut into more of the food, taking a careful bite.

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“I hope she is feeling unhinged. The more we can uncover the better we can learn and grow from our mysteries. Already I’ve thought of different applications for the way we had felt in that room, that energy coursing through us. But class aside, both that pitch and samples of you should help. It’ll let me see the way that your magic interacts with things while also seeing the base of it and how they may differ, if they differ at all. I have several working theories already but can’t really do much of anything till then.”

Frankie looked over towards Annika, a pensive look upon his face as he tried his best to consider her question. It was difficult to know given this was all their first foray into the place. “I suggest medical supplies in the event of injury. A light source of some kind, perhaps both one that runs on oxygen and another that runs on electricity should we find ourselves in a position where we need to conserve air to breathe. A weapon in the event of some dwelling creatures who may attack, and most importantly I recommend you bring your wits about you. Who knows what we are going to see in there. Oh and food obviously.” He waved away Cal’s concern for their need for tact. He didn’t need tact he needed answers, and Cal’s way would have them talking for hours before they eventually got the information or distracted enough for clothes to come off. “Oh…I hadn’t realized your covenmate was missing. That was the…boy with the strange creatures made of various materials right? Come to think of it, I don’t think he came to the Haven either, did he? Nicholas, Barty, did you two invite him that night?”

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Dysphoria was not satisfied with such a short display of affection and tilted Finley back, the possessiveness from earlier and the warm satisfaction of their time together still humming in their veins as tendril curled up. They licked into their fae’s mouth, savoring the taste of chocolate on their tongue, and nipped at their lips as they indulged their need for affection. Dysphoria glanced across the room to ensure they were in full view of the woodling so they could remind whatever lives inside his veins of its place. Dysphoria hummed pleasantly as they broke off the kiss, snuggling into the crook of their neck as they let out a concerned huff as Nicky’s statement.

“I have noticed that humans do not hunt. Are they concerned that when they are hunted, they will be weak and soft and useless? Do humans need help learning to run and hide and fight? Does our moth and the Cassie need practice? Maybe Nicholas can help; we hunt him and he sometimes escapes.” Dysphoria asked the table, concerned.

Though, the symbiote turned the idea of a mani-pedi over in their head. “I would like to join this mani-pedi activity. I do not understand what this activity is still, but our Dewdrop likes to have colors on their and we like our tendrils to massage them, so perhaps we can learn this thing and surprise our Dewdrop!” Dysphoria asked Cassie excitedly.

Serena’s eyes widened a bit, flustered at the implication of Barty helping her remember. She wasn’t in his crowd, but rumors swirled around the school and she would be glad to steer clear of any involvement with him. “Erm, yes, absolutely,” she agreed, nodding to Connie. “Betty, I think I see Rachel across the hall - should we…?”

Betty shrugged, taking another bite of her Wellington. “Whatever this is, it’s better than the garbage they served last term.”

”Betty.”

Serena kicked her under the table and Betty sighed, standing up with her plate. “Fine, fine, let’s go, come on, loser.”

Then, the hall doors slammed open, a gust of wind carrying in a torrent of brown, crackling leaves. Three chattering magpies dove in and circled the room. Their cries bounced and echoed into every corner before they swooped and settled -

On Rohan.

The three birds, one on each shoulder and one on his head, glanced around the room and then settled, their feathers fluffed up as they nestled.

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"Yeah, what he said," Rohan nodded, sipping from his chalice. "I'll be packing everything I've got, just in case. Magic bow, magic mask, magic staff, mundane sword and all. I like packing a back of tricks, helps when I don't always know what's coming." There probably wouldn't be any demonic beings in the Neverish. And if there were, it'd take a few days to make a jar of Flamepitch anyway. Any undead or odd barriers, though... That'd be workable. And he could always show someone else how to use one of his artifacts in a pinch. "If you think you've got an easy way to escape, I guess you'd run it by Marino first, just in case. I'm bringing Root, his best skill is being a scout to find where's safe and-"

Rohan was interrupted when the doors blew open. That wasn't so unusual, but it was the wave of brown, dead leaves that followed that made his heart freeze and sat his senses on edge. The school was located in a pocket dimension, there shouldn't be any way for-

Clank. His coffee-filled chalice was knocked to the floor as he was on his feet in a flash. The chair he'd sat in was turned over, and Rohan's left hand found itself on the hilt of his knife. He always kept it on him, even when he was here and not actively doing anything magical. He hadn't drawn it yet, but what he saw tempted him. Magpies. Three, swooping this way and that, only to land on him. Two landed on his shoulders, the third landed on his head. Then, he didn't dare move a muscle. He stood still as oak, eyes flickering everywhere. The door, the others in the room, the birds perching on him.

Magpies were messengers that delivered signs of something yet to come. They were related to crows, both ecologically and in the myth of what a group of the birds meant. He knew what they signaled, Rohan had heard the rhymes before, and for someone like him, it often mattered most to commit such things to memory...

One for sorrow, two for mirth.

Three for a funeral, four for a birth.

Five for silver, six for gold.

Seven for a secret never to be told

Three rested on him. Was it a coincidence that someone's severed head was found? No, Rohan didn't think so. He wasn't convinced they didn't him for something. Not yet, anyway.

There was another piece of story to them. That one could ward away the ill omens with respect. But that was said to only work on a single magpie, one for sorrow, and he wasn't aware of anything that suggested meeting three. So Rohan relaxed his grip on his knife, and did his best to remain calm. If they were really here for him, they would've done more than perch on him. And if it came to that, the whole school would be in an emergency state on account of intruders, anyway. And that, he told himself, was assuming the could even get inside.

"...Yōkoso, kasasagi san-biki, He greeted them. "What brings you here to us?"

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Cassie was getting really tired of the twins. Nick wasn't as bad at the moment, but Barty was proving to be a nuisance. She certainly hadn't invited either of them to sit here and yet they seemed to want to be elsewhere. "Bold of you to assume I planned on eating the beef wellington dish. And you know what they say about assuming. But then again, you would know more than I on being an ass." At that, she planned to ignore the both of them for the time being.

Her attention was soon drawn to Dysphoria. While Cassie had only seen them in passing, their presence was...uncertain. Cassie had never seen something like Dyphoria before, but she chalked it up to this whole thing being new. After all, she was in a school with moving furniture and books that made you go insane.

"Oh uh....sure! Yeah you can definitely come! The more the merrier!" Cassie stared briefly at said tendrils, wondering how one would massage them, but that was something future Cassie could deal with.

Willow began eating, but soon froze in place. Cassie had a sense of deja vu, without the book or the screaming, but Willow looked stricken with something. "Willow, you okay?" Cassie looked around, seeing if anyone else was having a reaction to their meal. Whatever it was, Cassie would not be eating it if it was causing this much hassle.

And as if this meal time didn't need more weirdness, the door flew open with a swirl of wind as some birds flew in. They flew around and landed on Rohan. Gven what Cassie knew about him (which was, admittedly, not much at all), this sort of made sense. "Okay, Rohan is a Disney princess. Didn't have that on my bingo card."

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Jake was positively beaming, the head pats from Nicky making him feel so warm and happy. He even explained the joke to him! He didn’t understand how Jack was anything like Jake and what made it a joke, but he made sure to note it. Maybe he could call Barty a fun new name some time to surprise him! He didn’t know many names though, he’d have to ask someone what sort of name they thought Barty should be called for a joke. But as Nicky held his hand under the table - it made him feel so tingly and hyper! - he was instructed to calm down and work on his breathing exercises. So he took deep breaths in and out, repeating the mantra over and over again - [i]I am one with the force and the force is in me[\i]

And it worked this time! The rush of energy swirling in him seemed to subside, enough for him to catch Cassie’s interaction with Barty. He was really confused why she would spit out something bad back into her drink, but from what Barty was saying, Cassie was being a little confusing so he didn’t worry about it. What did worry him, though, was that Cassie clearly didn’t like Barty. His lip pouted and his shoulders slumped a bit. He just wanted all his friends to be happy and get along! If Cassie didn’t like Barty and he made her upset…

“Why doesn’t she like Barty?” he asked Nicky.

And then, he paused, frowning again. “And what’s a Disney princess?” He hadn’t spotted the birds yet at the other table.