KazAlkemi

Camp Lava Lake

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Ezekiel Kel

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Location: Main Building
Skills:

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Ezekiel opened his mouth to respond but Aster beat him to the punch. Zeke nodded in confirmation. ”I’d honestly just leave your stuff here for now until Aster and I can do a deep clean of the cabin. We’ll try to divide and conquer but I have a feeling Aster will be hyperfixated on the one for hours.”

He ran a hand through his hair, sighing from the thought of the cleaning he was going to have to do. Zeke smiled at Demi and nodded. Nancy wanted to explore with Emily anyway. ”Ya, there’s something I need to talk to you about, too,” Zeke said, glancing at Nancy.

Zeke’s easy demeanour quickly slipped when his sister started to fuss about him. Zeke turned red and groaned. ”Nancy…honestly.” He grabbed Demi’s hand and pulled him into the room that held the HAM radio, quickly escaping everyone.

Strange Academy: Journey into Mystery

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Location: Primary Artificer Laboratory, Strange Academy
Grimore:
Skills: N/A
Fit

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What was with Annika’s coven wanting to dissect themselves? Annika stared as Frankie cut into himself. He did so with more precision, like a surgeon, but it was still shocking and a little disturbing. However, Frankie seemed to understand the concept of first aid better than Rohan. A wadded-up cloth inside the gaping hole of his chest did not seem hygienic. Annika glanced back at Rohan’s chest, frowning slightly.

”I’ll take the right side then,” Annika responded after Rohan volunteered to shape the left side. ”If we are making something that connects to flesh, something that would adhere to flesh would be better, but titanium won’t work because of Finley.” Annika looked at Finley before glancing at the empty glass container that was set before them. Perhaps Annika was overthinking this. They were using magic and their powers to form everything after all. Any precious metal would probably do.

Annika pulled the glass container closer, sighing. She could tackle this problem first. She would have to cut herself; there was no way around it. Even if Finley was coming on a little strongly with their interest in everyone’s blood.

”How much blood do you need?” Getting a drop was easy, but if the fae required more than that, Annika would have to make a deep cut or even something as extensive as a blood draw.

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Location: Library, Strange Academy
Grimore:
Skills:
Fit

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Callaghan smiled at Cassie, walking a step closer to her as she questioned him about the professor. ”He and I have worked closely since I started coming to the school. Being a dragon from a different world, it is nice for us to compare notes, plus, Mikkail has a wide range of knowledge from his travels that I eagerly question him on as often as I can. I think you’ve impressed him Cassie. Honestly, you have nothing to worry about. Just be you and be engaging.” Cal nudged Cassie with his arm and held the library door open for his companions.

Cal walked the familiar aisles of the library, even though they shifted and curved. The library had been one of the first locations Cal had discovered during his first year at Strange Academy. And he had spent nearly every day in the library since. Wandering the rows of books, fingering the pages, and seeking comfort between the lines. If Haven was the twins' sanctuary, this was his. He helped Willow and Cass navigate the library's unique features until they reached their destination.

”These sections house religion, history, and politics. Unfortunately, we don’t have access to Grimories, or I would suggest looking there first. Cassie, you seem the most familiar with the trials Mikkail mentioned. Why don’t you see what you can find? Oh, and find anything on the planet Krodha. I know a bit, but a refresher never hurts.” He glanced at Willow, thinking about what she could look up when Nicky spoke. ”Mikkail was writing in his native tongue. He refuses to teach me the language and has nothing in his office for me to learn from. I’ve checked.” Cal crossed his arms, still looking at Willow. ”Willow, do you think you could look for books related to Heinrich Krammer? I’d start with the history, but you might also find something relevant within the politics section. Nicky, could you help me over in the language department? I have a theory, but could use an extra set of eyes,” he lied. Truthfully, Cal had nothing, and that frustrated him, but it also empowered him. Callaghan never shied away from a challenge.

The language section was further over and would provide some distance from the others, so Cal could bring up his concerns with Mikkail.

Château de La Lune

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Rihannon Linx

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Location: Graveyard
Skills: N/A
Fit

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”Well then, maybe we should split the family up if we are splitting up. We can’t all start questioning them. We could split them up and the house to search. If we can search the family members' rooms, that might lead to something.” The prospect of sneaking around and finding things that should stay hidden seemed to brighten Rhiannon’s spirits.

The wind and the rain did nothing to help their hair. A particularly strong guest whipped Rhi’s hair into their face. ”We should definitely get out of the rain,” Rhi agreed with Ralph. They were happy to remain with him. He had been a good friend to them over the last couple of hours.

Camp Lava Lake

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As they walked back inside, Zeke spotted Nancy walking out of a room. Zeke assumed that was were the ham radio was. ”Oh hey, Nancy. You got a minute?” he asked, squeezing Demi’s hand before he let it go and jogged over to his sister. He didn’t mind if Demetri followed. If Nancy was busy, he would ask Demi how to work it. ”I wanted to ask about the ham radio and talk about the rooming situation.”

Nancy raised an eyebrow, noting the fact that Zeke had been holding Demi’s hand. That had developed quickly. Although, she hadn’t noticed much hesitation on Demi’s side, so if her brother had given him the signal to go-ahead… she was a little surprised she was seeing Zeke at all, that the two of them weren’t exploring one of the other cabins together. “What about it?” she asked him, crossing her arms. “I’m sure Demi can catch you up on the radio when you’re rooming together.”

Zeke's face fell a little. ”Oh, I thought you could teach me, and we would room together… Besides, Aster and I are trying to clean up the main space today. We might get another cabin done today, but I'm not sure.”

She blinked, stunned for a moment. Had she read the entire situation wrong? She’d been confident that her brother would want to share a cabin with Demi, they’d walked back in here holding hands after all. And if he had wanted to learn the radio, he would have come to get the information from Dobbs, right? The bubble of anger in her chest deflated somewhat. “You want to room with me?” she repeated back at him. “Why? I thought you’d want to spend time with your boyfriend. If it’s because you’re scared I’ll seize, I’m fine. I’m not a porcelain doll.” She kept her arms crossed.

Zeke glanced back at Demetri, smiling a little and shrugged. ”I'll spend time with him, too, but I don't know. You've always been my roommate.” He smiled a little at his sister. ”I know you aren't, Nanc but I still worry.” It was like they could te her seizures. They sort of came and went.

“So he is your boyfriend then?” Nancy raised an eyebrow, as she smirked slightly. “Good to know. I’ll start looking for wedding venues. Maybe there’s a nice spot here on the lake.”

Zeke grinned, looking at Demi before his face flushed. ”Oh my god, Nancy no. Why!?” Zeke whined.

Nancy couldn’t help but cackle slightly. “I’ve always wanted a second brother,” she teased. “And romance isn’t in the cards for me, so I’ll have to live vicariously through you.”

Zeke threw his arm around Nancy's shoulders, grinning. ”I wouldn't expect anything less from my favourite sister.”

”Nor I from my second favorite brother.”

”Second favourite!? You've replaced me that quickly, huh?”

Nancy shrugged. ”Demi learned how to use the radio.”

Ezekiel pouted. ”Well ya, but you can teach me. Do you honestly think I'd let anyone be next to you while you seize, and have some stranger there when you wake up?” Zeke shook his head. ”Never in a million years, but I am glad so many learned to use it.”

She smiled slightly at that. There really wasn’t anyone else she wanted around when she was seizing - or when she woke up. She was pretty lucky, Zeke had almost always been there. And even though it would have been too easy for her to be seriously injured, she never had been. She leaned her head on his shoulders. ”Demi even took notes,” she added. ”Would you trust him?”

”Really?” Zeke looked out after Demi, impressed by his initiative and attention to detail. ”Ya, I think I might. As long as you do.” Zeke glanced at his sister, smiling. She was the most important person to him. He wouldn't trust many with her care.

“I know. I didn’t even know he knew how to write,” she joked. As to whether or not she trusted Demi? Unclear. He knew how to use the radio, yes, but she doubted he knew much else. “If you teach him how, then maybe.”

”I can let him know if you're comfortable with that,” Zeke said with a smile and a nod.

She shrugged slightly. “Sure - why not? If he’s going to be crashing our trips, he might as well know.”

Zeke chuckled and nodded. ”I mean everything is still new, but you never know.”

“I’ll have to take a look into your love life, then. We can do some tarot readings later.”

Château de La Lune

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Rihannon Linx

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Location: Graveyard
Skills: N/A
Fit

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”What if it was one of the kids? Worried about their inheritance being taken or something? We should try and talk to them.” Eleanor was abrasive, even seemed to shove the thing off, but she was upset like Ralph said. Rhiannon would have bet money it was one of the kids. Everyone was trying to get ahead somehow.

Rhiannon also agreed they shouldn't travel as a pack, but they didn't like it either. At the very least everyone needed to be in groups of two.

”I ripped my note up as well and threw it away,” Rhiannon confessed.

Strange Academy: Journey into Mystery

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Location: Primary Artificer Laboratory, Strange Academy
Grimore:
Skills: N/A
Fit

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Annika’s eyes widened as Rohan literally stabbed himself in front of everyone. Her eyes flashed to his face before looking back at his very wooden chest. Annika suddenly had flashes of The Wizard of Oz in her head. She likened Rohan to more of the Tin Man than the Scarecrow…and definitely not the Cowardly Lion.

Her eyes roamed freely over his torso, taking in its unique composition. He was literally turning into a tree. It wasn’t like Annika hadn’t believed him, but seeing it was something she would have never been able to picture, and she had seen a wide range of creatures in her time. She felt foolish now, after talking about how connected she felt to trees and nature the night before. Rohan was a tree.

Annika scoffed at the wadded-up fabric Rohan shoved into the literal hole he had in his body and dropped his shirt. She looked up at him once more.

”Unbelievable,” she said outloud. Annika’s eyes widened, and she turned her head, realizing she had just spoken out loud. She stared at the glass where a piece of Rohan sat.

She ached to touch it, even if Rohan advised them not to. But magic and unique items like this had always fascinated her. A bad habit she had picked up from her father, but you couldn’t learn unless you explored. And sometimes exploring meant making questionable decisions.

Annika’s fingers twitched, reaching out to the jar…just as Nochella appeared and slid her shadowy form under Annika’s hand. Annika frowned, watching her familiar slink across the table. Her ears twitched as she looked at Rohan and sat down in the middle of the table. Her cat eyed Rohan, and Annika wondered just exactly what she was seeing.

”So a heart?” Annika questioned, rocking back on her heels. ”I guess that makes sense with our blood running through it. If your gift is organic, Frankie, could you make a literal heart?” What could she add to such a thing that would represent her? A pretend pacemaker? Those contained precious metals.

Annika heeded Nochella’s warning, though, and shoved both hands into her pants pockets.

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Location: Mikkail’s Sitting Room —-> Walking to Library, Strange Academy
Grimore:
Skills:
Fit

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Callaghan grinned at his favourite professor. More access to a wide range of knowledge was just what he needed. Cal would probably spend all his time in the library if he could. Plus, there were so many hidden, shadowy corners for other activities. He glanced over at Cassie, wondering if she had any aversion to being pinned to a library bookshelf.

”Thank you professor.” He bowed his head respectfully before leading the group out of the room. He made note that Willow didn’t follow them right away, but Cal was okay with that. He handed his notebook to Nicky. The words on the blackboard still flashed through Cal’s mind. If only his mentor would share that language with him. And there was nothing in the library about it. At least not that Cal had found. Whatever Mikkial’s subconscious had written on the board, it was important. A warning perhaps. Something niggled at Cal, telling him that his beloved mentor wasn’t exactly all there.

”The professor seemed to be in high spirits today; he was practically glowing at some points,” Cal said vaguely. As much as he enjoyed Cassie and Willow’s company, he did not fully trust them yet. Nick…Nick was different. Even if the witch would never trust Cal. Cal glanced sideways at Nick. ”He seemed almost ready to fly away,” he said, hoping Nick would take the hint.

Held Rolls

Is Predatory Instinct still active?
Perception check - does Cal notice anything else from Mikkail’s words?
History check - navigating the library and leading the group to the right section for history, religion, and language

Château de La Lune

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Rihannon Linx

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Location: Graveyard
Skills: N/A
Fit

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Rhiannon paced. They couldn’t believe this was actually happening. They looked over at Miguel a couple of times, shaking their head in disbelief. The rain was really coming down now, and Rhiannon was soaked all the way through. They rested their hands on their head and kept pacing.

”Lawrence might be strong enough, but there’s no way he was smart enough to pull this off,” they declared. He was too hot-headed for something like this. There had to be more than one of them at work to blackmail and murder. Then Millicent spoke up, and Rhi paused their pacing.

The truth of Renee’s identity wasn’t exactly shocking. It was more heartbreaking that she would be killed when she was so close to finding her father. Who may very well have been the filthy rich bastard who sired this family.

”This is all so messed up,” they said. ”I don’t know what Miguel could have been blackmailed for, but I heard a rumour his work was fake. Maybe he was trying to confront whoever and cover it up?” They looked at Sam, the only other ghost hunter here. ”Why don’t you do, like a seance or something,” they said, waving their hand at the dead body being pelted by rain.

Strange Academy: Journey into Mystery

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Location: Primary Artificer Laboratory, Strange Academy
Grimore:
Skills: N/A
Fit

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Annika shifted slightly away from Finley and Dysphoria. They seemed far too eager for blood…and brains. Finley sounded more like a zombie than a Fae creature. Then again, Annika couldn’t recall coming across Fae in her travels. Maybe Dysphoria was a zombie?

So, they had to create an anchor for protection, to draw power on, and to bring them back should they need it. Annika liked the idea Frankie came up with to create a tree with a branch to represent each of them. She pictured something quite large and grand, but when she saw the vault, Annika quickly shrank that image. Annika was thinking about creating some sort of silver bobble for her branch (could she contain some shadows within it?) when Rohan said he didn’t have blood.

She looked over at Rohan with a bit more intrigue. He was cursed? Incredible.

Annika felt more comfortable knowing the relic they were to create would be destroyed after the term. Blood was a powerful substance and shouldn’t be given carelessly.

”A tree sounds interesting, Frankie. Do you have an idea of how it should be constructed?” She glanced at the wood Rohan was placing out. Of course, that was the obvious answer, but how would they fill it with blood? And to have it move throughout the tree would be interesting. Like it would be truly alive.

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Location: Mikkail’s Sitting Room, Strange Academy
Grimore:
Skills: Predatory Instinct; History; Investigation; Perception
Fit

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Mikkail handled Nicky just the way Cal expected he would. With words meant to bring comfort more than anything else, however, Cal didn’t understand the words beyond them being in the Twins’ native tongue. Nor did he understand why Mikkail looked as if he had tried to shift but couldn’t. Why would he want to move into his dragon form, especially when he was significantly larger than Cal’s dragon form and this room?

When Mikkail placed the book on the shelf, Cal paused and turned his head slightly. There was instruction in those words, but no instruction was given. At least not one that Callaghan understood. He glanced at Nicky while Mikkail rewarded Cassie. Would he share with Cal what Mikkail said?

The notebooks Mikkail placed Nicky’s with didn’t yield any answers for Cal, but he could always return later and pull them aside. There was a reason he placed that book there. Perhaps they were from past students, or Mikkail’s own recollections about this strange planet he had visited that exhibited similar magic to the one Mikkail wanted them to uncover.

Callaghan shifted on the couch, setting his empty tea cup down. He was buzzing with the anticipation of research and knowledge yet to be uncovered. He felt electric. Even when he looked at the blackboard and saw a language he recognized from his time with Mikkail but failed to understand, even with all his pleadings to his mentor. Cal looked at Mikkail, then back at the board. He felt eyes on him and glanced at Nick. He gave a slight shake of his head before looking back at Mikkail. Several things were amiss, but Cal didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that he had noticed Mikkail’s strange behaviour.

The single word in English didn’t bring any comfort to Cal. Could escape be a warning, what was to come, or what was to be avoided? There were so many different possibilities, but language wasn’t something Cal could decipher easily. Maybe he could talk to Connie. He did recognize a few of the words, having seen them before, but he didn’t understand a thing beyond that. Cal cracked open his notebook, located a pen, and jotted down the blackboard writings well enough. Even though he didn’t understand, he did know how to copy Mikkail’s words, and with his strange behaviour, anything could be a clue. He shut his book, smiling brightly.

”The only way to figure that out is to start researching. Look at what we have and work from there. So, I recommend we move to the library,” Cal said and stood. His pants still felt damp from where Cassie had spilt tea on him earlier, but some discomfort never bothered him. ”Is there a section you recommend we start with, Professor?”

Camp Lava Lake

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Ezekiel Kel

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Location: Hiking —> Camp
Skills:

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”Ezekiel, Nancy’s my sister,” Zeke clarified once they made camp. He tossed his arm around her shoulders and survived the camp. While he looked, in leaned in closer to Nancy. ”Do you want to share a cabin? Or would you be happier with Emily?” It wasn’t strange for Zeke to share a room with his sister, or a bed for that matter. But he didn’t want to take that choice from her.

He moved his arm back to catch the keys from Dobbs, the feeling of responsibility settling over his shoulders comfortably. He grinned, wiggling the keys in front of Nancy’s face before he snatched them back. Aster demanded that he follow to unlock the door, and Zeke rolled his eyes.

”Marco! If you need help, let me know. I make a mean mac n’ cheese,” he said proudly. As for the rest of it, Zeke imagined he would be the main guy for slave labour. No offence to the others, but he looked the most capable and fit. ”I’ll just put our stuff in the main cabin. Then we can look at the other ones and see what could work for another living quarters,” Zeke suggested, looking between Nancy and Demetri before he followed behind Aster.

He opened up the door and pushed it open before stepping aside and gesturing for Aster to go in first. ”After you.”

Strange Academy: Journey into Mystery

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Location: Primary Artificer Laboratory, Strange Academy
Grimore: Summon Animals
Skills: N/A
Fit

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Annika watched her professor’s movements, hanging off the woman’s every word. All of this was fascinating to her. Annika thought about the professor’s question and listened to Rohan’s answer as they all entered the next room.

Annika gravitated towards the furnace and anvil. She knew these instruments intimately and set her bag on the table nearby. She had a feeling she would be stationed here. Maybe with the jewellery as well. Especially if she had to stay away from iron for Finley’s sake. She would have to create a comprehensive list of metals that were acceptable to work with while she was in this coven.

Annika caressed the anvil like it were a lover. ”Infusing magic into an object could be good if you need to pull on the magic of that place, as well. In a way, that can provide a bridge or a connection. As for crafting something... I could infuse silver or gold. Both are powerful, precious metals that can enhance magic, as well. Unless you would advise, I didn’t,” Annika said, turning to look at Finley fully. She didn’t want to make enemies here.

It was the first time Annika had worked with others aside from her dad or Uncle Max. She wanted to do both of them proud, but she also wanted to make her own connections. Her own mark.

”Also, I can make portals if we need them,” Annika added as an aside.

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Location: Mikkail’s Sitting Room, Strange Academy
Grimore:
Skills:
Fit

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Nicky’s subtle reaction to Cal’s words was pleasant, even if it was lacking. Cal knew Nick always made up for his indifference behind closed doors. Besides, the indifference was sort of a turn on for him. At least from Nicky.

Cal flipped through a few pages of the book until he realized it was a notebook meant to contain his findings for this year’s task. Ah, a shame. The knowledge would have to come later. Cal tucked the book into his seat’s cushion, resting an arm on the back of the couch. He crossed his left leg over his right and tapped his foot along to an invisible beat until Mikkail walked in with a flourish. Cal grinned. He had a thing for the theatrics. Honestly, Cal had a thing for everything.

Malleus Maleficarum. Cal ran the Latin word around in his head before he spoke it out loud, trying it out for size. Cal knew the translation of the word; he also knew it carried a dark past and was not, at all, a good thing. And that was all he knew. He turned his head, listening to Cassie speak out about the book. He smiled, leaning slightly forward as she divulged more of her knowledge.

While she explained, Cassie poured him a cup of tea before doing the same. The gesture was unnecessary but kind all the same, and Cal found Cassie adorable for it. His eyes drifted from the girl to glance at Willow and Nick to see what they thought. Cal always hoped to tease a little. It always made the release later on better. Then Cal felt a slight burning followed by vigorous patting. Cal looked down, quickly learning Cassie had spilt tea onto his lap and was trying in vain to clean it up. At least he was wearing black pants.

He started to laugh when she realized what she was doing. ”It is quite alright, Cassie.” He picked up the towel and patted the spot once more before he tossed it away. She quickly divulged more information, trying to recover the moment Cal imagined. Once Cassi sat back down, apologizing once more, Cal patted her knee.

”It’ll dry. I run warm,” he said with a wink at her before he picked up his cup of tea. He added a lump of sugar and stirred it briefly before taking a sip. His lips froze on the rim of the teacup when Nick started to talk. His tone was decidedly not okay with the task Mikkail presented to the group.

Cal shifted in his seat, uncomfortable, uncrossing and crossing his legs before he just left both feet firmly planted on the ground. Nick, Barty, and Cal had talked briefly about how times had changed. He had some of that knowledge, but he didn’t have the twins history. However, he had a collective shared history that reminded him of why some things remained buried, but also, the knowledge Cal craved had him desiring to push back. He wanted that information. Needed it. It was why he existed.

Cal decided to remain silent, even though he wished to speak in defence of his mentor. However, Nicky was a friend. And Cal had enough sense not to speak against Nick. At least not in public.