Location: Hall of Ancients, Strange Academy
Grimore: Find Familiar
Skills: N/A
When Annika received the puzzle box she hadn’t been surprised but she was relieved. Her adoptive father and uncle had prepared her well; besides, she had been a former Sorcerer Supreme in a past life. Dr. Strange knew her in a way, still, cracking the code had made her deliriously happy, and she started packing her modest supplies right away. Nochella watching from the shadows all the while.
Now, as she stood outside the Hall of Ancients, the nerves started to settle in. She was here alone, Nochella never far away, but the cat did prefer the Everdark to modern Earth living. Annika hardly blamed her friend. A part of Annika would always prefer the Everdark. It was her home and where she felt most connected to her late father. Jack had died, moved on, and although it wasn’t surprising, moments like these always left Annika feeling alone and missing her guardian.
”Okay, Dad, let’s do this.” She took a deep breath in before passing through the doors into her future.
The room buzzed, Annika felt the excitement and nerves of the students around her heighten her emotions. She followed a tide of people to the fish tank that resided in the middle of the room, her attention torn between taking in the very real and solid walls of the building and the luminous tank that would decide where she would room for the rest of the year.
Annika hung back, watching students of all ages walk up to the tank with mixed expressions of confusion and confidence before using powers, or not, to pull fish from the tank. Each time a fish was exposed to the air, it shifted into a key. Annika’s eyes widened with pleasure as she revelled in the power the school had. This place would be a perfect fit for her to enhance her craft and make her father proud.
She walked around the tank, judging the best way to approach the challenge and reminisced about the tests her father put her through. Part of her wished her Uncle Max were present. The school probably wouldn’t seem so daunting if she at least knew one person, but surely she wasn’t the only one alone here.
Stealing her courage, Annika walked up to the tank. She glanced at the waiting professors and bowed her head to them in shy acknowledgement before Nochella appeared and wound around her legs.
”Do you want to go fishing? We need one for our dorm assignment.” Nochella flicked their tail, debating on if this was an activity Annika should complete herself before they disappeared and reappeared in the tank. Noch quickly secured a fish and jumped from the tank. The cat placed the
key in Annika’s hand before meowing and disappearing once more.
The key reminded her of an hourglass or a lighthouse. It seemed happy and inviting. Annika smiled and glanced around the room, looking for any pairs; however, she quickly became distracted by the statues and wandered off, looking like a tourist in New York City.
Location: Hall of Ancients, Strange Academy
Grimore: Predatory Instincts; Partial Transformation
Skills: Investigation (+2)
Callaghan waltzed into the Hall of Ancients, past curious and frightened-looking first years. It was the beginning of his third year at Strange Academy, and Cal was feeling pretty good about it. Until the light in the room seemed to brighten, the sounds of excited conversations filtered into his ears, and the scenery of the room sharpened.
Cal paused in the middle of the room and cocked his head to the side. Interesting. The feeling of his predatory instincts coming to the forefront without warning was always a cause for concern, especially when it came on this prominently. Cal rubbed the back of his neck, trying to shake off the suffocating feeling of something being dangerous.
As he made his way to the tank of colourful fish, Cal noted most had been taken. Well, that was what he got for waiting until nearly the last minute. Still, Cal wasn't worried. He walked up to the professors, smiling brightly at them all before he bowed before Professor Sariel and presented her with an apple he had gathered from the kitchen.
”Working hard I see, Professor S. Taking a break wouldn't kill you,” he teased her before turning to Professional Mikkal. He smiled brightly at his favourite teacher.
”My mother helped me pen some of our history over the break, Professor M. I think you'll be interested in reading it.” "The old age getting to you, Callaghan? Breaks are for weaker minds; ingenuity isn't the result of laying around." Sariel shot back, taking the offered apple.
"Wait one second! I'm older and I certainly like to think I can keep up with you whipper snappers!" Mikkail protested with a laugh. "And that would be delightful, Cal! I stumbled across an old journal that might help you as well; we'll trade over tea after everyone is settled in.
"Looking forward to it," Cal said and turned to Croan, still smiling brightly.
Croan regarded Callaghan with a mix of irritation and disgust, the edge of his lip curled in distance. "Ah, you'd made it. I'd hoped Lady Luck had grown weary of you."
”Pleasure as always Professor C.” Even though it wasn't.
Cal moved past some people and stuck his now clawed hand into the tank and waited for an interesting fish to pass and speared it with a talon. Once the fish was exposed to the air, Cal took the
key and shoved it into his pocket without looking at it.
”Time for another adventure,” he said to the Profs before moving off, hunting for more enticing company.
Cal slid in behind the twins, resting an arm on either shoulder. The black silk shirt he wore half buttoned pulled slightly to reveal more of his tanned chest and tattoo.
”Boys, what do we think?” He scanned the crowd, the suffocating feeling of something wrong still enhancing all of his senses. He shifted uncomfortably and whispered into Nicky's ear.
”Something's wrong.” 
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