Hiya, AChronum here! Although I'm relatively new to rping, I have plenty of writing experience and love trying new genres and styles. I absolutely love high magic fantasy RPs and am pretty much willing to do anything so long as I can create a charaxter, not play an existing one, and develop lots and lots of backstory! I'm perfectly comfortable with all mature themes as well, although smut for smut's sake is out of the question.
Interested in an RP? Send me a PM and have a magically marvelous day!
The hands shook with a loud grinding as they closed slowly around the scepter and retreated into the bush. The trees slowly shattered into glittering particles of light. Four square columns took their place, alternating black and red, and the brush retreated into the ground as if growing backwards. A rectangle of black marble sat on a wide base but the grinding sound returned as portions of it retreated into the ground. Red and white marble was buried beneath the black marble and pieces of that melted right before their eyes until a perfect statue of Geoffry Noila stood in front of them. The black marble robes covered most of him, carved from white, and the red marble in his eyes seemed to glow. The scepter was now in his right hand.
The Statue cracked his neck before staring at the pair in front of him, his well known frown deepening as he judged them. He stepped forward but stopped at the edge of the base.
“Beyond the mortal lifetime did a threat tear us asunder. Tooth and nail widen gaps few of us remember. Our meals in peril and lands ransacked, the Families nearly cracked. Family Noila bore the burden of tying them back together.
First knelt those who revel in slaughter. Their kin cared not for ruling lands so long as their metal stained red. Their sister shied away from it, content with scrolls beyond, while those who walked between the feuds knelt next to us. The whispers of the second brought the next to heel soon, those who dallied with dulled blood and earned our rightful scorn. Eventually the Council rose with time we did not have and bound the threat away again with chains of ink and pen.
But one single truth still simmers to this day: your friends are close and your enemies are closer. Found the Council and be set free but fear the one that doesn’t fear me.” As he finished speaking, his left hand opened like it had been before the bush disappeared.
The mage sighed and with a flick of his wand, the ground rumbled briefly and the trees on the edge of the horizon trembled and shuffled closer. Meanwhile, the vampire lunged at Salem with his sword out. His sword arm was twisted oddly, like it had been placed on upside down.
Maddie frowned at the set up, looking over the images. Frankly, seeing the vampires younger and… happy made her feel uneasy. She’d been trained to expect vampires to be stern and serious and maybe even a little cruel for the betterment of humanity. The unease compounded with the idea that they’d be playing with people’s lives. These challenges were so odd, Maddie wouldn’t put it past their proctors to have one exam affect another. What if they bet wrong and in doing so, made that person’s challenge more difficult?
Maddie chewed her lip at the Countess’ suggestion. The only reason a vampire couldn’t give their heart away to someone would be social obligation but ultimately, the only people who truly couldn’t afford to give their hearts away were mages. It made more sense to place a bet on a mage rather than a vampire but she wasn’t sure which one. The only one she’d had any interaction with was Aaron and he was a Starag. Of all the people, he would know better than to fall in love. Maddie was certainly not in love with anyone so that cut it down to the other two nobles mages.
“I think a safer bet would be one of the mages. Vampires can fall in love with anyone with some exceptions while mages have no rights to that whatsoever.” Maddie leaned into the Countess to whisper in her ear. “And Aaron definitely has more sense than to do something so silly, especially since his partner is Count Sinnenodel, so that leaves us with the Astorio and Eve mage.”
“If you did, you did it poorly. Sullen silences are not indicative of proper conversation. Another weakness in the Starag line apparently.” Varis rolled his eyes. Did Ryner not teach them how to carry a conversation for longer than five seconds without irritating their conversation partner? That’s what he gets for picking up this caged lapdog. INo experience in anything other than polishing boots of those who treat him as a pet rather than the resource he is. Irritating but if the boy couldn’t do better on his own, Varis would enroll him in some sort of socialization program. If there was one.
“If you don’t improve, I’ll have to dedicate more time to your training and that would displease me greatly. I expect a fruitful conversation the next time I see you two together.” Varis demanded. He tapped his fingers on the desk. He couldn’t shake the concern that Ryner found a loophole and the gnawing uncertainty in his chest grew at the thought. “What did you discuss while Eris and I were occupied?”
“We traded theories on the methodology of the skull challenge, discussed the probable use of mental mages for the exam.” Aaron answered simply. It seemed a little odd for Varis to arrange a new training schedule for him if such a thing bothered him, but maybe he meant specifically social training, though Aaron wasn’t sure why one would be more irritating than the other. Did Varis just expect every mage to come ready-made and prepared for subterfuge, and was frustrated that he didn’t? Actually, that probably wasn’t far from the truth. Mages raised by the Sinnenodels were probably taught to socialize with the same enthusiasm as Starags were taught the Treaty. “Mr. Alderman was also interested in the various uses of each of our affinities after I told him about what his clone was capable of, although he wasn’t fond of having to wait the few years it would take to reach that level.”
He mentally ran through the full challenge again, and suddenly remembered something. “Oh, pardon me Master,” he added abruptly, “before we stray too far, you wanted me to contact Malek for something from your vault.”
Varis nodded along absently as the boy spoke. So despite his general abrasiveness, Eris’ mage wanted to progress. Manners he may not have but at least Eris’ mage had ambition. It was so much more entertaining to manipulate people with actual passions rather than bland loyalty. Loyalty that, it seemed, had reason to be questioned after tonight. Maybe he’d make the boy detail his days from start to finish in addition to his normal chores. It would add another thing to his list and keep him out of trouble since apparently his punishments weren’t enough to dissuade the boy from keeping secrets from him.
“Oh yes. I do need Malek to have quite a bit sent to me. I recommend you write it down; maybe then you’d remember how to serve your master.” Varis said, pulling out his phone and tapping on it for a bit, scrolling as he spoke “I need the files from Events 12 through 27, History 266 and 345, and all of Training. Training and History can be mailed but I expect Events in my hand when I walk out of my room tomorrow.” Varis locked his phone and put it away when he had a most interesting idea. Maybe adding things to his list wasn’t punishment enough. No. He knew an excellent idea. One he fully expected to make the boy think twice.
“Now, I’ve been considering how to augment your punishment. Lines are important. I think 1500 repetitions of “I will not lie to my Master” will pound it into your abnormally thick skull but after our last session, I’m not sure it will be enough. Especially since this time, it was lying and not just being an idiot.” Varis shook his head in disappointment. “So, I was thinking then maybe I’d have you write a full report everyday about your activities with as much detail as you can on top of it all. Make you so busy you wouldn’t even have the time to do anything that you could lie about. But by the crown, I don’t want to read that on top of all my work. At that point, it’s my own punishment and I haven’t done anything wrong.” Varis waved the very concept of his wrongdoings away. He acted as perfectly as ever and no one could say otherwise. Plus, reading the boy’s work every day meant seeing him for longer and frankly, that idea exhausted Varis even more than the reading would.
“Since you like to keep secrets, I clearly don’t know you as well as you do so I’ve come up with a better idea. In addition to your lines, I want a two page minimum apology for lying to your better and a paper on punishments you believe would be far more corrective to your behavior. And if I don’t think they’re suitable enough, well let’s just hope you don’t mess this up like everything else. What do you think?”
Kneeling on the floor as he was, Aaron obviously couldn't write anything down, instead listening carefully as Varis rattled off everything he needed from his vault. At least he had a good memory for this sort of thing, a list locking itself away in the back of his mind until he could contact Malek.
It was just as well, as Varis’ next order of business got very overwhelming very fast. Aaron’s chest filled with dread imagining the sheer volume of busywork in store for him as Varis spoke, only for him to long for that very tedium when the Count changed his mind. Dammit, it was Dawn all over again! Varis had a talent for tormenting people, that much was clear. Hell, he made a sport out of it. Being forced to arrange his own punishment was about as potent a deterrent as Aaron could think of - not that it stopped him before, apparently - and lightened Varis’ workload besides. The efficiency was impressive, and he hated everything about it.
Not that he'd voice as much. Besides, Varis could probably guess that anyway. Instead, he bowed his head, resigning himself to the worst, as always. “An elegant solution, Master,” he agreed appropriately, “I will begin tonight as soon as I'm able.”
“Considering I expect you to start thinking about your assignments immediately, you should have started as soon as you heard it.” Varis replied, an unamused look directed the boy’s way. “You’re dismissed. And while you’re leaning on yet another person to cover your ineptitude, ask how to develop some degree of resistance. Blemishes on a Sinnenodel’s property are so unbecoming and I expect you to avoid them in the future.”
“Yes, Master,” Aaron replied dutifully, standing with letter in hand and offering a proper bow before he took his leave. He tarried only long enough to grab his phone from his room before promptly quitting the place, knowing Varis would want him gone for some time. Just as well; maybe the infirmary had painkillers.
James gave Casper a look, one suggesting the matter wasn’t up for debate no matter how cute he was, and gave the doctor his full attention. He would have some words with Sunshine later, even though they probably wouldn’t help anything. “Thank you so much. It means a lot to us.” James thanked her with a relieved sigh. It may not be a cure but if it would help them feel even a little better, he’d take it. The bonus of not having to clean up blood laced vomit every time one of them upchucked their guts was a major plus too but he wouldn’t admit that out loud. He made sure to repeat the instructions to himself a few times so he didn't mess them up, which must have been why he missed Sunshine going to open the door when they heard the scream.
And he immediately yanked her back, hissing through the pain. It really was like someone poured hot sauce in his eyes and then ground some dried chilies in there for good fucking measure! He’d been electrocuted before but fuck, at least as soon as he let go of the wire, it just tingled for a while after but this wouldn’t st―
Relief bloomed in his eyes and mouth and nose almost immediately. The building irritation on his exposed skin suddenly vanished, replaced by a flash of coolness. James blinked as the instinct to rub his eyes died away with the pain and he looked around. He felt… damp and gross. Like the humidity had been turned up to 110% and he’d just finished a workout. He looked down at his hands and gaped at the sheen across his skin. “What the fuck?” James swore. Nothing like this had happened before. Maybe he did have m-pox and the symptoms were just showing up? He didn’t know but it would have to be something they dealt with later. James pulled Sunshine away from the door and slammed it shut again.
“Okay, everyone out the emergency exit! Don’t rub your eyes Casper! You’ll just make it worse!” James said, running to the door and throwing it open. James shoved the medicine in his pocket so he didn't accidently leave it behind. “Once we get out of here, we’ll find somewhere to wash this shit off. Hopefully, we can get to the car.” He started guiding everyone out, starting with the loopiest of them. Hopefully, the rest would follow instructions.
“No, no puppies. Only medicine to make you feel better.” James rubbed Luna’s shoulder comfortingly. James watched as even the overwhelming threat of death failed to curb the inevitable awkwardness of people whose personalities clashed surfaced. Amazing truly. James couldn’t curb the sigh as Sunshine took her opportunity to verbally attack anyone who showed even the slightest opening. And of course, Casper had his priorities in order which made James laugh. “Sure, we can. As soon as you admit it’s more than a cold, you rest properly, and recover, sweetheart. It’ll be a present.”
James actually laughed out loud when Doctor Chan called Casper out on his previous shenanigans. It reminded James of the mermaid story from their first date and he couldn’t keep the fond smile off his face. No one could say being with Casper was dull. James knew not to expect anything from the clinic other than what the Doctor already said but a pang of disappointment ran through him anyways. The other team was in charge of hunting down someone who could help them with a cure; James prayed they didn’t run into any problems along the way. He couldn’t help but feel paranoid. With the rise of violence against their community and only two healthy members, they wouldn’t be able to help themselves much less the others. He wished Veil had left them with someone else as well because as great a defense Sunshine was, he was sharply aware of how vulnerable they were. Point in case, the puddle of vomit from Magick.
James leveled a withering glare in Max’s direction before he just sighed again and the tiredness crept back in. “Let’s not, Max.” James said tightly, sharper than he intended. James needed a roll of duct tape for him. James liked Max, he really did, but his propensity to foot in the mouth comments quadrupled while he was out of his mind sick. James could see this going poorly very quickly and he shot Sunshine an imploring look for her just to ignore Max. The sooner they were out of this and back to the Underground, the better. They didn’t need to deal with a dead body too. James had to wonder if this is what herding children was like and if so, why the hell did anyone have any?
Name: Artemis Harrington Aliases: Artie Age: 15 Birthday: November 25th, 1968 Birth Place: Kingston, England Gender: Male Blood Status: Muggle Born (Muggles) House / Year: Hufflepuff/ Fifth Year Alignment: Neutral Good Wand: Laurel, Dragon Heartstring (sibling core to Apollo's'), 14 1/2", Whippy Flexibility
A P P E A R A N C E
Height: 170.1 cm Weight: 59.88 kg Build: Lean Eyes: Green Hair: Dirty Blond Skin Tone: Tan Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: During his last holiday, Artie recently begged his parents into letting him get his right ear pierced and wears a little bell earring when he isn’t in uniform. Typical Outfit: While in uniform, he dresses like a model student. Not a crease in the wrong place and his tie done up properly, a struggle when he first started. His hair stays up in a tight bun and he uses a simple charm every morning to take off Nonna’s hair that gets everywhere. His prefect badge is always kept on display, just so his first years know where they can find help.
Despite his silly and carefree behavior, Artie dresses in sensible clothing outside of uniform: button ups and polos with jeans and boots. He prefers vibrant and bright colors, greens and yellows and pinks, over the dark ones of his birth season and enjoys clashing rather than complementary colors. He rarely dresses that way, only when his parents aren’t there to lecture him on the importance of appearance. He loves accessories, rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and his small collection is in absurdly bright colors.
Artie is known for dancing to his own tune, literally. Staying still has never been his forte and this bubbling energy extends out into all parts of his life. There is always a good side to things and focusing on those makes the world’s troubles fade away, instead preferring to move from one good thing to the next. He loves group gatherings and flitting his way around a room just to meet new people. Artie’s first concern is everyone around him, making sure they are taken care of and enjoying themselves.
However, leaving Artie alone too long is a dangerous thing indeed. His excitable ways hide his own demons: frustrations at the unachievable academic expectations of his parents, the need for constant validation from anyone, and the demand for casual physical affection sometimes drives even the most understanding away. When he feels isolated or left out, he tends to latch onto anything that shows him the smallest amount of appreciation and proceeds to drain it, sometimes forgetting that doing so exhausts the person in question.
Sexuality: Pansexual Relationship Status: Single Fatal Flaw: Dependency Hobbies: Cooking, Dancing, Swimming Patronus: Golden Retriever Animagus: Golden Retriever (If he becomes one) Amortentia: Strawberries and cream puffs and a salt sweet breeze Mirror of Erised: His parents more proud of him than his brother. Boggart: His mother, exasperated and on the phone. Dementor: The car crash, his mother’s thought, his inability to speak, and Apollo’s sensory overloads.
M A G I C a n d K E E P S A K E S
Core Classes:
Astronomy - 2
Charms - 5
Defense Against the Dark Arts - 5
Herbology - 3
History of Magic - 2
Potions - 4
Transfiguration - 3
Electives:
Muggle Studies - 4
Care of Magical Creatures - 3
Talents:
Patronus
Cooking
Legilimency
Possessions:
Wand
Bag with school supplies (books, quills, ink, parchment)
Small pouch full of muggle candies (usually butterscotch)
Jewelry box of accessories, including his favorite bell earring
Additional school supplies
Moving picture of the family from their first time at Diagon Alley.
Secret stash of muggle candy
H I S T O R Y
How did you come into your magic: The twins displayed their natural talent for mind reading almost from birth. They’ve lived longer in each other’s head than out and that ability quickly developed into reading other’s minds. Their speech development suffered for it; while their language comprehension developed at a rapid pace, being able to communicate instantly between each other slowed their interest in speaking. It wasn’t until just before the twin’s fifth birthday that they began to speak.
However, events that were more difficult to explain occured as well. Artie’s mother hit the wrong pedal and shot their car into the middle of an intersection, causing a truck to slam into the small car and sent it toppling. Artie’s distress caused his magic to trigger and the car slowed almost immediately, the debris dropping as it mimicked the arresto momentum spell.
General History:
As early as the twins could remember, separation was a forign concept. The twin sons of James Harrington and Olivia Harrington, the boys grew up in a world full of myth and magic of the muggle variety. Olivia Harrington, maiden name Evans, was a well known archaeologist, assisting Barry Cunliffe in his excavation of the Roman Villa, the Fishbourne Palace, in west Sussex and assisting the University of Jerusalem's Yohanan Aharoni in excavating Cave no. 8 (Cave of Horrors), that worked out of King’s College in junction with the British Museum on several Greek history exhibits.
James Harrington grew up in a family of historians. Like his mother, he inherited a deep seated curiosity and a sense of adventure. His father developed a focused mind and the fiery determination that drove him through his school years, despite a variety of financial and emotional setbacks, and resulted in him graduating from Oxford University with his Doctorates in Greek history. He caught a full time position at the British museum as a museum curator and would eventually ascend to director while continuing as a part time lecturer at Oxford.
An event at the British Museum brought them together, a showcase of the many artifacts that British explorers have brought back from their travels. The pair collaborated on the Greek section, working long hours with little time for other social interaction, but like they often said, it was a match made in heaven. The pair quickly fell in love, their busy schedules complementing each other well, and married a few years later. When they discovered they had twins, one boy and one girl, they decided on their names immediately: Apollo and Artemis. They painted blue wolves and dolphins and pink dancing bears, an homage to the source of their names and a blend of modern and ancient imagery.
Only to be wrong. In a surprise twist, both babies came out male. The first one, named Apollo, was born fifteen minutes before his brother and the parents kept the name, pacified by a nurse who assured them it sounded unisex enough. The tired but ecstatic pair returned home when Olivia was released, only to realize they needed to make some adjustments. The clothes and toys were returned and replaced but the nursery stayed the same. Painting was a chore neither parent wanted to go through again so soon.
The twins were inseparable, going everywhere together. Their speech facilities developed much slower than expected, to the bafflement of most doctors. They could comprehend as well as any child their age, possible even better, but they seemed reluctant to put those ideas into words and when they did speak, it was almost incomprehensible until 4 years old when they made sudden leaps and bounds past the standard development. It pleasantly baffled their parents and the pair set out on catching up the twins on an appropriate level of education.
The reason was, in fact, the pair displayed magic incredibly early. The twins were both Legilimens, wizards with an instinctive knack for the Legilimency spell. The pair practically lived in each other’s heads which removed the primary motivation to communicate verbally, negatively impacting their early speech development. It wasn’t until they realized not everyone could hear others thoughts that they stepped out of their heads, partially, and interacted with their peers.
They were still mostly silent at home and until the age of seven, the pair struggled to differentiate between the ‘inside voices’ and normal voices. Even once they did, it still wasn’t unusual for them to babble in response to an unwitting stranger’s thoughts. Their parents chalked their impromptu conversations to imaginary friends and encouraged their active imaginations. It was that trait that first drove both their parents into Greek History and it made them proud that their children also displayed it. But as time went on and the conversations turned darker and the twin’s supper questions more uncomfortable, the Harrington’s had to admit that possibly their children were a tad touched.
Their parent’s opinion took second place during the summer of of their eight year, when Apollo caught the flu and Olivia went to pick up his medicine, bringing Artemis along with her after he whined his way under her skin. He’d been bouncy all day, after the first few days of fretting over his quiet brother and being assured he would be okay with medicine, and it didn’t stop in the car. He talked about everything they passed, peppering the stressed woman with a million questions and the second she turned to snap at him, it happened. A truck collided with the passenger side of the car as she accidentally drove into an intersection after tapping on the gas. The force of it rolled the car twice before it suddenly stopped upright. Olivia was sliced with glass and metal. Artemis made it out with nearly no damage, his magic instinctively replicatiing the Slowing Charm on everything around him. And while the child made it out with only a few cuts, Artie still has nightmares to this day about the incident.
After the accident, Artemis regressed to the silence he maintained when the twins were younger and Apollo took the role of the pair’s mouth. Guilt wormed its way through him, eating Artemis alive as he blamed himself for the accident after overhearing a short lived thought that if only he’d been less annoying. Of course, the thought was dismissed as quickly as it came as completely unreasonable, his mother couldn’t shift the blame on him when it was her fault for taking her eyes off the road anyways, but the damage was done. Artemis sunk into his depression, barely sleeping through the night and avoiding other people as much as possible.
Apollo struggled then as well. Apollo often got overloaded with voices, struggling to keep himself out of other’s thoughts, and when Artemis started having nightmares and crushing guilt, it was a snapping point. He frequently stopped in the middle of public areas and crouched, covering his ears and trembling until it stopped. Or he could become irritable and confrontational, devolving into temper tantrums when everything became too much. Olivia and James had little option but to have a doctor see them, entering family therapy on a recommendation.
It was a rough climb back to some semblance of normalcy but family therapy helped. The therapist, although a muggle, their therapist picked up on the twin’s “highly empathetic natures”, noting that Artemis felt the accident was his fault and that Apollo was anxious about the growing rift in his family. Olivia and James were horrified to hear this but it was the largest step the family managed and with the help of carefully controlled medications, the pair managed to smile again and feel comfortable in their own home. Their grades and friends returned and life seemed to go on with the occasional episode.
And then the ministry official appeared, Hogwarts letters in hand. The twins accepted it in about five seconds flat, a barrage of questions that had the man wide eyed. But he could also explain that the conversations the twins had, the voices they spoke to, and the things they did were all very real. Their parents, still dealing with the aftermath of the crash, kept their thoughts well in order despite the initial discomfort of knowing their thoughts were not as hidden as they’d assumed. Apollo and Artemis could barely contain themselves, the younger one dancing around the house ecstatically as he screamed at the top of his lungs and Apollo gaped at the man and then promptly fainted.
Diagon Alley was an entirely different experience. Artemis got separated from the family no less than four times as he darted from shop to shop and returning to demand of the ministry man, a very helpful Mr. Hopkinson who Artie still writes once a month, explanations for every little thing that caught his eye. Which boiled down to… everything. His parents and brother seemed mildly concerned about knuts, sickles, and galleons. Why they were discussing plumbing stuff and ships he wasn’t sure; Artie was too busy begging and crying for the most adorable cat he’d ever seen. He won that fight but sadly lost the color changing robes. His new cat, Nonnie, comforted him through that trying time. Discovering his wand wiped the memory of his lost robes and he couldn’t help waving it around until Mr. Hopkinson finally made him put it away.
The train ride to Hogwarts was a trying time for his soon to be classmates. Artemis could hear the exasperation other students had when he would bounce around the train every few minutes, eagerly greeting everyone and everything, talking a mile a minute to the trolley lady, and to anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path. The normal weight that built through the day from all the oppressive thoughts couldn’t even knock his mood. Once his brother made him sit down, he was more than happy to continue chatting the ear of the nice girl in the car with them.
He felt his world shatter around him that same night. The sorting ceremony, one of the most exciting things about the whole days, separated the twins. It was the first time they’d have been significantly apart without a clear time they’d be together in the future. Artie wasn’t sure if he screamed out loud but he definitely did internally as he sat shell-shocked at the Hufflepuff table, on the verge of sobbing. All through his first year, his depression flared again, he struggled to voice his thoughts and opinions unless his sibling was around, and he clung to Apollo harder than he ever had, going so far to skip some classes to hide when everything just got overwhelming.
The end of the first year brought some progress, though it was absolutely obliterated when he got home and his parents were overjoyed with Apollo. Artemis was found… lacking. They acted empathetic but the thoughts. Again, they were just initial reactions. The tinge of disappointment when their son couldn’t meet their academic standards, the flare of irritation at Artemis’ waterfall of disappointment. All gone and replaced with the logical conclusion that he needed a longer adjustment period but the damage had been done. He couldn’t wait to get away again.
The second year made it better. Apollo’s research over the summer unearthed the Patronus charm and after many, many late night talks with both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff heads, and an equal number of tears from Artemis, they learned the Patronus charm in order to send a piece of themselves to each other when the separation weighed too heavily on them. Learning the Patronus was a point of pride for Artie and it gave him a much needed sense of accomplishment to instill a sense of care in his work. His grades in the fun classes, Charms, Defense against the Dark Arts, and Potions, rose almost overnight but the not so fun classes dragged brutally. History of Magic, dramatic sigh. Astronomy, who cares. Herbology, a necessary evil. Thank goodness for his sibling.
Returning to school the next year was even better than the last. Celebrations went on as news of Voldemort’s defeat was carried across Great Britain and the world was a better place for it. Those who supported him were on the outs, his ideals and views unpopular, and another one of Artie’s problems fell away. Though, not all survived the dark, friend and foe alike, and a certain solemnity fell across the campus. Although he didn’t lose anyone himself, he could empathize with the pain of an unexpected separation and he made it his goal to help others through it. He recruited his brother and those who were willing in making a bit life a little more merry that year so at least for a while the seriousness of life didn’t make school room corners quite as dark.
The third and fourth years found Artie growing more into his magic and his confidence in his place in the wizarding world. His love for his favorite classes grew, his dislike for his others grew too, and his days of rolling out of bed disappeared. He put himself together, took pride in how he presented himself, cared more about his grades and put serious effort into even the ones he loathed, and actively made sure other like him and his brother, muggle born, were taught the ropes and given the same opportunities as those born into the magical community.
Artie assumed that was what earned him his prefect position. Though honestly, he didn’t really question it. It marked a tangible milestone in his growth as a wizard and a person and, as a grown and mature teenager, ran around the house screaming at the top of his lungs. It satisfied a jealousy that had been building inside him, a ugly feeling aimed at his brother for always being more successful and smarter than he. Artie was the prefect, not Apollo. For once, someone acknowledge he was more than just a fun kid, a joker, the accompaniment. But he shook that line of thought form himself, ashamed that he felt that way since he knew Apollo never thought of him like that. So he pushed it aside and got ready for a new, exciting year like always. Nothing could go wrong now.
*By submitting this CS in its completion I am stating I have read all the rules for this Rp and am agreeing to follow them to the fullest with respect and courtesy. I acknowledge that I can and will be removed from the RP without warning if I break a rule or cause problems with my fellow Rpers or the GM.
True to the direction’s words, the path to the next challenge must have been abandoned at some point. Where previous paths were relatively easy to maneuver, here the undergrowth was dense and the ground uneven. Directions were tucked away behind bushes and on the backside of trees. The trekk was slow but the pair would eventually reach a flat surface, noticeably more well groomed than the rest of the area, surrounded by dense trees.
Inside the trees, the clearing was nearly empty. A bush of some sort, six feet tall and nearly just as wide, dominated the center and had been carefully trimmed into a perfect rectangle vertically. Four trees stood three paces away from each corner to the bush and five items lay on the ground between the closest trees, each one carved of marble: A tome open to a blank page, a scepter with a single ruby in the pommel, a hand mirror with petals engraved around the edge, a morningstar the size of a regular person’s arm, and a plain flat disk twice the size of a dinner plate.
On further inspection, two mable hands jutted out from the bush just past the wrist. A rolled up piece of parchment sealed with the Niola crest, once opened, read:
“History remembered not quite the same as that to those who lived its page. Chose your teacher and follow close, for some are fraught with dangerous truth.”
The mage twisted his wand while the vampire stepped back, sword at the ready. Green and purple wisps followed the tip of the wand before drifting down into the grass, seeping into the blades. The grass grew rapidly, until it reached Victor’s knees.
As Maddie guided Amaris to sit, her vision would return just in time for the world around them to change. Plush red and gold carpeting unravelled from beneath the table and the trees were replaced by slot machines, gambling tables, and other patrons. Lively music played and the sounds of jubilation and despair sounded equal loud as Luck took its fare. The mannequin in front of them turned into a man, spindly and greying. Gold framed pince nez glasses tinted a dark red covered his eyes but the man chuckled as he shuffled. The table had changed into a standard dealers table with the exception of the maroon color with 13 green rectangles. The formed two even rows of six with one at the right end placed evenly between them. An abacus hovered next to the dealer, with thirteen rows and four counters on each row.
“House choice I’m afraid, m’lady. No worries though! I expect a Countess of your stature comfortable playing with the lives of others.” The man chuckled, continuing to shuffle. “Take a gander at the Lay-Out while I get us set up. I’ll explain the rules in a moment.” He nodded his head at the green rectangles which had suddenly filled in with images. Each one had taken on the appearance of a vampire or a mage: The current head of the family (Except the Marivaldis. Ralmevik sat in that image rather than Salizar), the noble attending the school, and the partner of that noble in that order. The top row was Astorios and Eves, the bottom row Marivaldi and Sinnenodels, and the last card was Ryner.
Interestingly enough, each of the Academy students looked as they did on the first night they stepped on Academy grounds but not Ryner or the Lords and Lady. The five of them looked younger, each one around the same age was the appropriate mage. They appeared happier and healthier. The images of the Lords, Lady, and Princess almost looked as if they were alive in the mortal sense. Their smiles were genuine and their postures incredibly informal despite the official outfits they were wearing.
The dealer put the cards into the dealer box and gave the pair his undivided attention. “Tonight you play the Cards of Fate. Simply, I will give you a situation in which these depicted will be involved and you’ll have to come up with the outcome. Merely place however many chips you wish to bet on the appropriate faces and I will draw two cards. The first is the kill card. Picking the dead man loses you your bet. The second is the Fate card. Picking the lucky one is how you win. Each card has four copies in the deck and if I draw a duplicate, the round breaks even and no one wins. If none of your choices win or lose you the game, you take back your bets and we go again.” The man explained cheerily, going to draw a card only to slap his forehead with a gasp.
“But whatever are you going to gamble with? You still need chips, of course! Let me just take care of that!” With a snap, ten yellow chips appeared between Maddie and Amaris. The candle they claimed before appeared in a candle holder at the right side of the table. “Unfortunately, you have to pay for them somehow but if you win you get it back! And I’ll even throw in a special prize.” The dealer drew a card off the top of the box and with a flick of his fingers, sent it skittering across the table to stop at the candle. A Ralmevik card stared up at the ceiling and one of the counters on the abacus flew from the left to the right. The names of each vampire and mage marked which row was for which card and the top of the abacus now read “Coffin Driver”.
“Now our first clue is this: With stars above and sand below, the midnight swell of rolling slow around the fire did these two dance as this one gave away a heart not theirs.” The dealer intoned, watching them as he did. “Place your bets carefully now.”
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.
Location: Great Hall, Hufflepuff Table Magic:Legilimency
“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.
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.
Location: Hospital Wing -> Hufflepuff Common Room Magic:N/A
“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!”
Hiya, AChronum here! Although I'm relatively new to rping, I have plenty of writing experience and love trying new genres and styles. I absolutely love high magic fantasy RPs and am pretty much willing to do anything so long as I can create a charaxter, not play an existing one, and develop lots and lots of backstory! I'm perfectly comfortable with all mature themes as well, although smut for smut's sake is out of the question.
Interested in an RP? Send me a PM and have a magically marvelous day!
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Hiya, AChronum here! Although I'm relatively new to rping, I have plenty of writing experience and love trying new genres and styles. I absolutely love high magic fantasy RPs and am pretty much willing to do anything so long as I can create a charaxter, not play an existing one, and develop lots and lots of backstory! I'm perfectly comfortable with all mature themes as well, although smut for smut's sake is out of the question.<br><br>Interested in an RP? Send me a PM and have a magically marvelous day! </div>
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