Achronum

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

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Location: Mutant Friendly Clinic
Skills: N/A

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Saying the past five days fucking sucked would have been the understatement of the year and it was only two and a half months in. James had no idea where this illness came from but suddenly having six people bedridden―yes, that included Casper stubborn as he was through the whole thing―with five of them vomiting and struggling for breath and three of them bleeding spontaneously was not good for the nerves. He felt like he was pulled taut like a wire. He’d be the first to admit it was his own doing; sleep didn’t come easily to someone who was watching people who were like his family at this point succumb to something they could fix. He thought he could for a little while. His powers seemed to work for a bit but after a while, it just came back worse. So he was resigned to taking care of them best he could while they did it Sapphire’s way, the proper way really, but even then, they hit a dead end. There were definitely bags starting to show under his eyes and there was a seemingly permanent ache in his neck and a tightness around his temples. It had only been five days but the statistics weren’t inspiring. James couldn’t help but wonder what kind of timer they were working on.

“You’re right. This kinda sucks but we’re resourceful. We’ll figure it out if we need to.” James said to Sunshine as he helped Max and Luna out of the car. Jack seemed intent on maintaining his independence but James still kept a sharp eye on him. Sunshine’s concern had merits after all. With the illness induced violence, this clinic could quickly become a target if word got out it was mutant friendly. “We’ll see if they have a fire escape plan. It should show all the exits and we can put together an exit strategy.” James followed Casper in, supporting Max and Luna as best he could. Callie and Magik could still walk mostly on their own thankfully because he didn;t have enough arms to help everyone. He was tempted to get Max to whip up some wheelchairs but he put that out of his head quickly enough. Poor guy was sick as a dog and they didn’t need to announce their presence to any Purifier sympathisers.

Of course, Casper had a story about this place. James gave his boyfriend an incredulous look as he locked up the van. On one hand, James was absolutely not surprised. It was very Casper to have accidentally done something crazy and then forgotten about it. On the other hand, Casper what the fuck? But neither of those things came out. Instead, the knee jerk reaction that, had he been working at full, would have never escaped in front of the team escape his filter.“Babes, you never told me you like a guy in uniform. Think of all the fun we missed.” James deadpanned, not really registering the words came out as they headed inside.

“Sweetheart.” James groaned as he past Linda, thanking her sincerely as they did. Getting Max and Luna settled into seats, James looked around for that fire escape plan that should be posted on the wall somewhere. He returned Magik’s glare with a sympathetic look. Hopefully, it was just the regular suffering and not a sigh of it worsening.

Harry Potter and the Alchemist's Quest - Discontinued

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Artemis “Arty” Harrington

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Location: Great Hall, Hufflepuff Table
Magic:Legilimency

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“I’m totally mega!” Arty chirped, his good mood boiling over into jitters. He threaded his arm into his best friend’s as they walked to the Great Hall. He didn’t have the memory anymore, he wasn’t in pain, he got picked out specially by Dumbledore, and his best friend was talking to him again after the whole debacle. He couldn’t be anything but totally mega! He rubbed at his stomach when it protested its emptiness before they entered. “I can’t wait for this wicked feast! Sweets are not enough for a growing bloke!”

The Sorting was as exciting as ever and Arty cheered extra loudly for one of their newest, Chiara. He was glad to see her get accepted into the friendliest of the Houses, in his opinion. All her concerns would disappear once the feast broke and everyone had some time to greet the new comers at the dorm. When the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor took the stage, Arty stared in awe. Professor Bhengani was definitely confident in her abilities and wasn’t shy about displaying that. It was such an odd contrast to their other resident inspiringly terrifying Professor McGonagall that Arty couldn’t help a giggle escape. “You can do magic wandlessly? That’s so sick!” Arty leaned to whisper in Georgina’s ear. “But, uh, you don’t think she’ll actually do that, right? Like, no wands at all?” That idea made him a little nervous. After all, his wand chose him, right? Why wouldn’t he work with it?

Some movement at the Slytherin caught his attention once everyone could tuck in, making him pause halfway through scooping potatoes on his plate. Snyde was shoving first years already. He huffed a little and sent a meaningful look across the space between the tables at him. The pair had set up a system their first year that they sat across from each other at the same spot of the opposite tables, facing each other. Made linking up a little easier. ‘The daft cow is at it already. Synde’s shoving first years to find a seat. Can’t tell if her little cult finally kicked her out or if she’s just feeling dickish.’ He sent over their link with an eye roll and shoveled a spoonful of food into his face eagerly.

Of Blood and Magic

_{Time: 2:31 - Lord Pieron's Training Cottage}

When Salem placed the lantern, light bloomed inside it and the pit was illuminated. Victor’s sight returned as soon as it did, just in time to see it grow brighter and brighter and brighter until it shone with the intensity of the sun. Grass rose from beneath the pillar like a wave and rolled across the ground beneath their feet and past where the walls of the pit once stood. The forest shrunk away from them until the trees barely broke the horizon, the pillar and the lantern disappeared, and Lord Peiron Astorio’s training cottage burst forth from where it once stood.

Although Lord Astorio did command a lavish mansion far closer to civilization, Pieron favored his training cottage when his other responsibilities weren’t pressing. A simple one bedroom building with several secret panels hidden in the floors himself and any vampire he invited out to it, every Astorio was familiar with the home. Lord Pieron would randomly summon several of his family members and force them through brutal survival tactics to make sure the Astorio family was succumbing to the weakness persistent in the others during peacetime. Any Astorio’s first summons was a rite of passage and failing to perform well often led to a stake in the chest just before sunrise.

Lord Pieron Astorio towered over his noble counterparts, easily approaching seven foot five. He seemed perpetually exhausted and impatient unless there was a blade in his hand and something, or more preferably someone, to swing at. He came alive when he was one a battlefield in ways other vampires only could when they fed and only for brief moments. His brutality was legendary and was driven by a hunger for violence beyond even the thirst for blood.

He stood there now at the entrance to the cottage, in a simple brown tunic and breeches and his signature greatsword watching Victor and Salem impassively as he ran a hand over his intricately braided beard that matched the ones in his hair. He looked over to the otherside of the training field, where two other figures stood. Neither had faces but rather drama masks took their place. The smiling masked figure was standing confidently, an obsidian longsword in their hand. The frowning masked figure had a collar around their neck, their clothes little more than rags, and clearly missed a meal frequently. An old, worn wooden wand, or what passed as a wand, was in it’s hand.

A longsword, a glaive, and an axe jutted out of the ground around Victor and Salem. Each one was made of obsidian just like their opponent’s. Lord Pieron watched expectantly.

The only light source was from inside the cottage.

_{Interacting with: @ReusableSword @Trainerblue192}

Harry Potter and the Alchemist's Quest - Discontinued

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Artemis “Arty” Harrington

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Location: Hospital Wing -> Hufflepuff Common Room
Magic:N/A

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“Totally! Breaking bones is not on the agenda!” Arty said brightly. Handing over his brother’s memory felt like a weight off his shoulders and he could feel his good mood coming back like a freight train. He did a little twirl as the familiar bubbles of excitement brewed underneath his skin, stumbling a little and catching himself. He was just so excited to finally be at school, to finally be at Hogwarts, that everything seemed like it was just a very long bad dream. He sent Madam Promfrey a sheepish smile. “Well, I promise to try at least?” He chuckled and he turned to leave when the girl caught his attention.

She seemed a little worried. He didn’t recognize her even in passing so probably a first year. He felt a little pang of sadness at how different their experiences were. Learning about magic and wizards and witches and Hogwarts helped them. It gave them a reason why all the bad things happened, why it had been so difficult before, and here is this first year experiencing the exact opposite. Without really thinking about it, Arty pulled out his wand and tried to channel all those bubbles still floating around in him into the spell but they just made it harder to concentrate. “Expecto Patronum! Arty said in a sing-song voice. However, only wisps came out instead of the usual dog and Arty pouted, still sending them dancing around the gir; Madam Promfrey was talking to before he showed up.

“Hogwarts is the safest place to be and I’m a muggleborn!” Arty beamed at her as he bounded up next to her. The bubbles made it hard for him to stand still, all the excitement hitting him at once. “Hey, I gotta run but if you ever need a friend I’m Arty Harrington, Hufflepuff prefect! Just come find me if you need help, okay? Tonight was rough but the rest of the year is going to be smooth sailing! Make sure to eat lots at the feast! Dumbledore said the house elves made something special!” Arty waved a goodbye, sent his wispy patronus spinning around the room once more before it vanished, and bounced out the door, making sure to compose himself into a brisk walk down to the Hufflepuff dorm, tapping the familiar rhythm on the barrel two from the bottom, and popping into the dorm.

“Georgina! Gimme a shake of a leg and I’ll be out!” He bolted to his bed, picking up Nonna and dancing around the room for a second with her (much to her protest), and changed as quickly as he could, bursting out into the common room again with all the eagerness of his patronus. “Okay, okay, let’s get this show on the road!”

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

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Location: Second Floor: Cayden and James’ Room
Skills: N/A

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“Even if she did see me that way, I’ve got the best catch in the Underground. She’d have to pry me away from you with a crowbar.” James said, laughing at Casper’s joke. James worried as Casper’s shoulders slumped as he looked around. It was strange Casper wasn’t qiuping back at Ben. It was odd for the first bit. Adjusting a conversation around someone you couldn’t hear or see was… an experience but now it was just part of the package. He remembered when he first met Casper. He kinda thought he was crazy. Hot but crazy. “Maybe your powers are just exhausted? They’re normally just an extension of your normal senses but manifesting him may have exhausted you.”

The mention of Polaris’ death brought a thoughtful frown on his face. “I wanted to get Veil up to speed before they ran off because of it. It’s going to cause way too many issues if we just ignore it. Sapphire, as much as I respect her skills, is volatile on a normal day. Having that much guilt eating away at her is going to turn her into a ticking time bomb.” James sighed. There was so much to dissect from the other world, so much to consider, and James was already tired. He still felt disoriented from the reality reversion, he was still struggling to come to peace with his other self, Max was doing something, Luna could reach him from wherever it seemed, and Sunshine and Jack dropped a bombshell on the group. He just wanted to not deal with it for now and he leaned on Casper.

“I’m taking a nap when the team comes back.” James decided. “Maybe if you take one too babes, you’ll get that restart you need so join me please?”

Of Blood and Magic

_{Time: 2:31 - The Forest}

Lilie/Ben

The Beast looked unimpressed at Ben’s lack of response but reached around him nonetheless, sharp claws reaching for the helpless mage. It didn’t take note of the shifting water until it was too late. The creature Lilie managed to wash up shore tumbled across the ground for a second before latching onto the Beast’s foot. The Beast howled as the creature buried rows of teeth in it’s foot and tore. Nothing came out but the Beast screamed still, tearing at the creature. But instead of dying, each piece developed into exact replicas of it.

The Beast thrashed, stumbling as it did, and tripped over its own foot, crashing down over Ben and Lilie. It’s claws drove into Lilie’s face as it tried to catch itself…

And the clearing was back. The harp hadn’t moved but no longer played for them. A jade elephant carving shone faintly in front of it with a little piece of paper. On it, Lilie would find the familiar blue writing:

“With wisdom gained, your path diverged. Respite excitement for paths abandoned lay ahead. The moon’s own travels guide you homeward bound while it’s mirror offers a lesson.”

Salem/Victor

Salem told the GM he would place the lantern once Victor has a chance to react to the scene. PM if you don’t plan a reaction post to what Salem mentioned and I’ll update here; otherwise, the section is written and will be posted as soon as the victor post comes out (unless it is on Monday which then I’ll just post it with the update).

Maddie/Amaris

Maddie could only attribute the Countess’ enjoyment to her lack of sight. Anyone with common sense would be equally creeped out by a faceless mannequin with words on it’s face sitting at an empty table in the middle of the forest. She was personally of the opinion that avoiding more challenges was the better idea. Maddie could clearly use the spell for an extended period of time. A higher grade wouldn’t reflect that any better. Sure, she definitely appreciated the fact that the previous challenge brought some interesting things to light. Like a secret book with her father’s dead name in it. Or the fact this wicked raven was keeping secrets and using her but that surprised her the least. Nice or not, the Noila’s were still vampires and vampires were notorious for their political games.

“Of course, Countess. It’s a blue candle that seems to have glitter in the wax.” Maddie repeated as she passed it over to the Countess, holding back a sigh. Maddie would have to keep an eye on Amaris’ dealings with the Noila’s. If she was naive enough to miss the connection to whatever dealings she has with them, it was likely she hadn’t noticed whatever the danger the riddle was warning her of. Even if they hadn’t had a good relationship, Maddie would have had to intervene. Her vampire’s well being was her own after all.

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_{Time: 3:51 - Exam Staging Grounds}

“Cydril?” Ryner asked, her tone even but barely bothering to hide her skepticism. Her eyes darted past Eris, where a few royal guards were standing and watching Eris’ interactions carefully. “The only individual I know by that name is a legend long past, burnt at the stake in front of every noble centuries ago by the Queen’s hand.” Ryner dismissed Eris’ comment with a wave of her hand but she did soften her look sympathetically. “I know the challenges were strenuous but as a vampire and pillar of this society, you mustn't let your imagination run wild. However if it would put your mind at ease, I’ll have some time shortly after sunset tomorrow to talk through it. I’ll make sure my secretary expects you.” She put her hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture but the grip on it was with the barely restrained strength of a centuries old vampire. She breezed past to greet another pair that was exiting the forest but her warning was clear.

Meanwhile…

Varis didn’t bother acknowledging the boy as he approached the car, ducking in without a word and snapping at the driver to get moving. The driver pulled away barely a second after the boy shut the door and Varis seethed the entire way back to the noble dorms. The night had been humiliating. He was disgusting, his gloves were destroyed, the boy tried to kill him, and Ryner had laughed at the entire situation. It was utterly disrespectful and nothing could make the night worse short of a call from his Lady. Varis tapped his foot impatiently against the car floor as he stared holes into the driver through the rearview mirror.

It felt like an eternity but eventually they stopped in front of the dorm and Varis swept out of the car and up the path like a hurricane, his anger radiating off him in waves. Once they were inside, Varis turned to the boy. “Clean yourself up. Don’t bother getting dressed yet either. I expect you waiting at the end of your bed by the time I’m ready.” Varis snapped before he disappeared into his room, not bothering to unbutton his clothes and instead just shredding them until they were just tatters on the floor. The boy would dispose of these and whatever he wore that night; burning them would be an excellent catharsis.

Varis stumbled into the bathroom, eyes shut until he fumbled his way through covering the mirror. The sound of the shower coming alive put him a little more at ease and he stepped in immediately, scrubbing as hard as he could at the dirt and grime that covered him. The night had been a nightmare and he was ready to let it go for the rest of his existence but first, he had to use it as a lesson for the boy. His performance was far below his expectations, unsurprisingly, but Varis had expected his physical performance to be at least just subpar not dreadful. Clearly, he’d let the boy handle his own schedule for long enough. He was slacking on his training and that was unacceptable. He’d fix that quickly enough.

Harry Potter and the Alchemist's Quest - Discontinued

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Artemis “Arty” Harrington

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Location: Dumbledor’s Office
Magic:N/A

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“Of course, sir.” Arty said quickly, shifting on his feet as he watched everyone file out. He beamed at Mary when she said her goodbyes, sending her a not so discrete thumbs up as she filed out, and turned his improved mood on Georgina when she said she'd wait for him, happy she was feeling better than before. He watched the others―And by others he meant the downers not in their soon to be named study group.―leave as well until it was only him and his brother left behind. When Apollo mentioned the train incident, Arty gave a loud sigh of relief and threw his arm around Apollo.

“I already told him I had something!’ Arty whined dramatically despite his relief. Scurrying around his brother’s back wasn’t something he had any interest in doing. In fact, he didn’t want to be scurrying around anyone’s back. “I just didn’t want you to feel weird watching someone hand your memories over, you know?” Or a repeat of what happened on the train. Arty tried to keep his tone light and joking, keeping up the annoying brother act, but he was really worried that hearing about his memories would lead to a repeat and Arty wasn’t sure he would be able to make it through round 2. He was amazed he made it through a round 1 without incident. The flash of the blade ran through his mind and he shuddered.

“Anyways Professor, here you go! One bona fide Harrington memory!” Arty pulled the bottled memory with a flourish and placed it on his desk. “Do you know what the…” His eyes darted to Apollo for a brief second before returning to Dumbledore, “Word I mentioned means?”

Dumbledore picked up the memory and inspected it, as if he could determine its contents by the naked eye. "Yes, Mr. Harrington," he answered, looking a little troubled. "There have been rumors of a dark witch stylizing herself as the Chimera... But enough of that for now. You are both young wizards and ought to at least try to enjoy your first night back. I hear the house elves have prepared quite a feast for us tonight."

“Yeah,we’ll do just that!” Arty replied quickly, ready to drop that subject. He really didn’t want to consider why a knife belonging to a dark witch was seen stabbing him in the chest. “Thank you, Professor! We’ll see you at the feast!” Arty dragged his brother out of the office and shut the door behind them, intent on completely ignoring that for now. He didn’t need the night to get any worse. “Okay, you go on to Ravenclaw. I need to get this looked at and then I’ll be down to eat.” His stomach rumbled and Arty gave a pitiful groan. “Hopefully, it doesn’t take too long.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

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Location: Second Floor: Cayden and James’ Room
Skills: N/A

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“I think it was unintentional? Luna seemed as surprised as I was. She did say the last time she did it was because she nearly died.” James explained to Casper and Cayden. “But that was with her father. Why would she…” Speaking the thoughts out loud must have made something click because suddenly, he very clearly remembered what she thought would be her last request. James shivered at how easily she accepted it, how terrifying brushing against death felt, how empty everything felt. James never really paid attention to just how much motion and energy there was in everyday life but after what happened with Luna, it made him notice it everywhere. His hand went up to the back of Casper’s head, absently running his fingers through his hair as he considered the question.

“The others we were with suggested the Princess rewrote reality so mutants could be happy and in her mind, that meant twisting all of the prejudice and hatred onto the nonmutants. The world wasn’t kind to them, wasn’t kind to anyone who would have stood against Magneto unless they took our memories.” James added. He felt the panic seep up again as he spoke, the issues that distracted him no longer demanding his immediate attention. “It was awful. I’m glad to be home.” And away from everything he did and stood for but he didn’t mention that. He didn’t need more people to know what awful things Sapphire and he both did over there. Didn’t need them to know the creative skill set he’d acquired during his time with the Red Guard. Didn’t need them to know he was going to trade all of the lives in a city just to make it easier to catch the Hulk.

“Ben’s missing? That’s strange.” James frowned at it but shrugged. “Maybe he’s off hiding in another room because he doesn;t want to talk to anyone about setting Sunshine off.”

Of Blood and Magic

_{Time: 2:26 - The Forest}

Lilie/Ben

The Beast nodded along in agreement, not stopping in his lumbering steps to the sleeping girl. This time only his claws elongated as he drew nearer to her. “How bookish, little bloodsucker. For all your years, wisdom clearly is beyond your scope. It's a wonder your plaything sleeps so soundly.” It’s laughter rumbled across the island. The Beast stopped barely inches away from Ben. "Your move, leach."

Salem/Victor

The paper lantern pulled off the tree with as much resistance as an apple plucked from the boughs. Following the line of stones to the right led to a path through the woods that seemed frequently travelled. The path led to a pit twenty feet deep and smooth on all sides except for the small natural ramp that led down to the center. A single wooden post, just large enough to fit the lantern on top, stood in the center.

On closer inspection, footsteps could be seen in the dirt around the post and cracks and divots in walls of the pit that seemed out of place. The wall across from the post shone with a blue message:

“Ahead a challenge, a puzzle, a fight. Which you find is what you chose but no matter what, find the ” The rest of the riddle was missing. Just a single word but someone had carved a chunk of the earth out where the word should be. There didn't seem to be any bits scattered around either.

Maddie/Amaris

“Of course, Countess. It was just a little water.” Maddie’s voice was even and pleasant as she’d been trained to keep it but inside she couldn’t help the dread bubble in her stomach. She had been trapped in a box with water rising every second and Ari was having fun? Maddie wasn’t entirely sure she would be able to face a pool or a tub of water for a little while after this and the Countess was enjoying herself. Removing the concern of drowning really allowed the Countess to take a different perspective on this because Maddie wasn’t experiencing anything close to fun. She left locked in a leaking box at the bottom of an ocean firmly in the not fun column.

But the Countess wanted to continue and Maddie’s grades encouraged that approach so Maddie guided her over the stream and past the statue, giving it a wide berth. “I hope this next challenge is far less stressful that the last. I’m not sure I could handle another round of confinement again.” Maddie admitted. Hopefully, thus next one was a simple puzzle or even a complex one as long as she could move. The cold outside was barely anything compared to the water but a shiver rolled down her spine that she wasn;t certain she could attribute to the weather.

The path was simple and easy, a welcome reprieve after their last encounter. She didn’t notice any writings in odd places and followed them even if they seemed to deviate her from the actual path. It was slow going for a moment as Maddie carefully maneuvered Amaris through the undergrowth but it was worth it when they stepped into a circle of softly glowing lanterns. She let her spell fall with a relieved sigh. The pressure behind her eyes was growing and she was already looking forward to getting out of this mess.

The clearing itself was rather small, barely larger than her room at the dorms. Sft yellow lights hung from trees over a small curved table with two simple stools in front of it. On the other end, a faceless mannequin stood with what looked like a set of playing cards in its hands. Maddie looked around for any sign of instructions but sighed and cast the Dark Eyes spell again, wincing a little. The tell tale blue lit up across the mannequin’s face.

“Fame and fortune, wonder and glory, at the table all bespoken. But fates are fickle and luck so willful, can you find that which they claimed, given to you in an earlier game? Unless you fear you two to one at which a simple left lets you find the sun.”

“I think… I think the challenge is gambling.” Maddie said after painting the scene for the Countess and explaining the riddle she found on the… creepy mannequin. Whoever thought putting a mannequin in the woods was a good idea clearly didn’t understand horror stories. “But I’m not sure what this thing they gave us in an earlier game was unless it was that token the Serpent left us.”

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_{Time: 3:46 - Exam Staging Grounds}

“You’d find yourself hard pressed to find a vampire of my age who didn’t hold a special regard for illusion magic but no, I don’t hold any such sentiments for them. I’m far more partial to charms.” Ryner laughed quietly.

“Charming, I’m sure.” Varis spoke calmly, forcing his irritation down long enough to have a civil conversation in public. Once he got her behind closed doors however… “On a more pertinent note, I believe these should suffice to guarantee full marks despite our mages failing to discover any more challenges after this.” Varis pulled out the onyx eyes and deposited them in Ryner’s hand. Her confusion turned to disapproval quickly.

“I fail to see how vandalism and destruction of school property count as a reason to give you full marks despite your completion rate, or lack thereof.” Ryner said dryly.

“Technically, each one of those represents a number of full coins equal to the number of students here. I doubt you didn’t consider the unlikely fact that every student pair had a possibility of stumbling across it so I’m sure there are more than enough coins to complete our grades.” Varis explained, holding up a hand when Ryner tried to speak. She narrowed her eyes at him. “It will also go a long way towards convincing me not to bring you in front of the Council for attempted assault, subversion of the Treaty, and willful ignorance of Council authority but perhaps those are better left to private discussion?” Varis counted each charge against her on his fingers but kept a sharp eye out for anyone trying to eavesdrop. Meanwhile, the Ryner’s’ face went blank and a tense silence settled between them. It took a few moments of consideration but eventually, a predatory smile crossed her face.

“An interesting interpretation of tonight’s events. You’ll have our meeting time in the mail tomorrow night. Have a pleasant morning, Count.” Ryner dismissed him with a fake cheeriness. Varis bowed properly to her and made his way to the cars, where he expected the boy to be. Ryner focused her attention on Eris.

“My apologies for the unpleasantness. I expected the Count to have some objections.” Ryner gave him a calculating look. “Were there any issues you wished to discuss or did your time in the test fair better?”

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

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Location: First Floor: Entranceway -> Cayden and James' room
Skills: N/A

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The connection dropped and James was just confused. Unsettled as well of course but that was a given; he didn’t like people invading his head in the first place and much less so when he’d barely had time to process all the issues associated with the other world. What happened that she’d made a connection unconsciously? Not to mention the physical distance. He’d assumed she wouldn’t be able to contact him this far away. Apparently he was wrong. They definitely needed to talk when she came back. He’d add it to the list of things to break down about later.

It took him a few seconds of staring at Cayden for him to realize Cayden spoke. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. “I think so. A little confused but yeah, I should be fine.” James offered him a reassuring smile. “I’ll just be glad when we see everyone get back from this issue with Max and the innocent in one piece.” James fervently hoped everything would go fine. He didn’t need another emergency on their hands with everything that had been going on. He should have pulled Casper into a room, locked the door, and pretended it was just them for a bit rather than deal with everything all at once. And speaking of Casper…

James laughed at Casper’s comments and went to respond only for the urgency of Casper’s revelation to hit him full force. Jack was Sunshine’s… In all the chaos, James had completely forgotten about the time traveling incident. To be fair, he’d been rather skeptical of the whole affair and it had been shortly before the mess with the Morlocks and the attack on the original Underground headquarters so it just slipped his mind. “Oh that’s bad. I made a promise not to tell but I’m going to recommend we put some distance between us and the training room.” James said grimly. This could either go two ways: Sunshine accepts the fact he had to return to his own time or she violently rejects it. James had a sneaking suspicion the latter was more likely but hopefully Jack could prevent anything terrible from happening. James wrapped his arm around Casper’s waist almost unconsciously before steering them upstairs towards James and Cayden’s room, gesturing for Cayden to follow. He wanted that area as clear as possible.

“And Luna just made contact. I’m a little conflicted about that. On one hand, a gross violation of privacy. I hate it when people poke around inside my head.” James grumbled. “On the other hand, apparently the last time she did that, she was dying so I’m a little concerned things aren’t going too well up there. But that’s probably not something I can clear up until they come back. How are you feeling, babes? It looked like it took a lot of work back there.”