Lord Wraith

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

From the boughs above the flames, a raven watched Lorcán with intense curiosity, hopping from branch to branch while the young man ran about the shadowy woods, tripping over exposed roots and scrambling away from the flames that seemed to block every exit from the dense overgrowth.

Smoke and flame filled the air as shadows belonging to his attacker were cast by the flickering source of light. The horrific screams and groans echoed through the thick rows of trunks as Lorcán tried to put distance from himself and the sound only to seemingly be swarmed on another side.

A pack, and they were hunting him.

Panic began to set in as his powers seemingly were tapped and unresponsive. He could produce even the smallest gout of flame to defend himself. Putting two fingers to his lips, he blew a sharp whistle. A deafening silence came in response, before another scream drew closer. Sweat dotted Lorcán’s forehead before he tried again, the sharp noise whistling through the trees.

But again, Rothschild did not come.

He patted his pockets, frantically feeling for his phone but came up empty. He had it in his hand to talk to Ripley. Then he was attacked, but wasn’t he rescued? Why was he still here?

Why did they leave him behind?

A feral scream put Lorcán on the move again. The black bird watched, turning its head seemingly in amusement as the young man scurried to and fro, finding the dark forest to be a maze that always seemed to lead back to the same clearing he had awoken in.

After what felt like hours, Lorcán slumped to his knees. His body felt weak, like he had been fighting all day. The sweltering heat of the fire was unbearable, even for him as he sat there, sweat pouring out of every pore.

It was beginning to feel like there was no escape from this place. His own personal hell, a penance for his actions during the Trial. After all, he had killed his best friend twice, abandoned his teammates to find Aurora and never once thought about helping Amma despite accepting her aid in his own time of trouble.

“I’ll be back though, I promise.”

“Aurora?” Lorcán yelled, his own voice echoing back to him.

“Aurora!” He repeated, louder this time, “Aurora, I’m here! Follow my voice Lady Dude, don’t leave me!”

“Please! Don’t leave me.”

But nothing came in reply, the crackle of fire filled the air, dulling the screams of the creatures lurking among the haunting trees. A cry of anguish filled the night sky as Lorcán jumped to his feet, tortured noises ringing out on all sides prompting him to cover his ears as tears began to stream down his face.

Admitting defeat, Lorcán looked to the smoke-filled sky and embraced the encroaching darkness.

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Northern Forest - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Take On Me #3.022: Right Next Door to Hell

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_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: Sweet Child O'Mine

While Cassander had fully been ready to hike the island, Aiden had instead opted for a pair of horses as the two men rode out from campus towards the North West peninsula. The former H.I.T. agent turned teacher had even managed to borrow some body armour for both himself and Cassander lest whatever had attacked his son was still lurking in the forest.

“Hopefully your year is off to a better start than Lorcán’s,” Aiden smiled, attempting a joke to break the tension while the pair rode dressed for a battle that Aiden hoped didn’t come. He wasn’t a fan of dragging his nephew into a fight, especially a fight where he didn’t know what they’d be up against.

“Vanessa and Calvin are having a hard time adjusting to both you and the Ripper Snipper being out of the house.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’re enjoying the chance to be empty nesters.” Cass replied, “Between raising you, taking on foster kids like me and then their own daughter, it’s not like your sister ever got to truly enjoy just time with her and Calvin.”

“Sometimes I forget just how seasoned you are,” Aiden replied, “When you’re not unloading snark. Did you know that Aurora has you in her phone as Sassy Cassy?”

“Unfortunately,” Cass deadpanned, “Yes.”

“What do you think of Aurora?” Aiden asked,

“For me or…?” Cass replied knowingly as Aiden shot him a look that confirmed he was asking for Lorcán before Cass continued.

“He’d be so lucky, she’s smart, funny, she’s a redhead,” Cass replied, “She’s basically part of the family and they’ve been inseparable since I’ve been here. Rippers took a quick liking to her as well.”

“Hard to argue with any of that, Aurora was Lorcán’s first real friend before he was assigned to his Collegiate Team and subsequently Canis.” Aiden agreed. “Tori seems particularly fond of her as well, but Tori has always wanted a daughter,“

“As far as crushes go, Lorcán could have picked far worse, bonus in that she seems to reciprocate if her worry is anything to go off of,” Cass added as Aiden nodded before speaking again.

“And what do you think of Amma?”

“Elvira?” Cass allowed himself a small smirk, “I take it you heard about the ‘incident’ at the trial.” He asked before Aiden gave a knowing nod.

“The Queen of Darkness herself is pretty easy on the eyes if you’re into the alternative look. I still don’t believe she’s not a vampire though.” Cass quipped, “But I don’t know, she’s not exactly citizen of the year, she’s a very different person from Aurora.” He cleared his throat before urging his horse forward and riding alongside Aiden.

“Though, word of advice Uncle Aiden,” Cass stated, “You can’t really pick Lorcán’s girlfriend for him. Even if one of them turned out to be the most toxic relationship in the world, you can’t shelter him from everything. I know he’s the world to you and Aunt Tori and seeing him hurt is akin to cutting your own arm off. But he’s going to spread his wings, and one day you’ll have to let the phoenix take flight.”

“Thinking about him having a future is helping me cope with the fact he’s fighting for his life,” Aiden explained, “But, I know you’re right,” He replied, “Doesn’t make it any easier to let go, let alone hear sage wisdom from my twenty-four year old nephew.”

“Hey,” Cass replied, raising a hand in mock defensiveness, “I’m being raised by the same woman who raised you.”

“Explains the familiar know-it-all attitude,” Aiden teased, “My sister is a wonderful woman, sage beyond her years.” He added, “But if you ever tell her I said that, they won’t even find the ashes of your body.”

“Your secret dies with me,”

“Speaking of secrets,” Aiden had a mischievous glint in the corner of his blue eyes, “The grapevine also says you asked Harper Baxter to the Senior Formal,”

“I asked a girl to a dance, it’s not a big deal.” Cass replied, “Better than going stag or third wheeling with RJ and Alyssa,”

“Don’t you typically run away from romance?”

“No,” Cass replied, “I’m just not interested,”

“So what makes Harper so special then?” Aiden pried as Cass rolled his eyes.

“I dunno, I wouldn’t say she’s special. She was just easy to talk to and she didn’t find me immediately repulsive.” Cass muttered, suddenly finding his face a little warm. “Hard to get a date when everyone thinks you’re Banjo at first glance.”

“Hah,” Aiden laughed, “I can imagine that’s quite the obstacle to overcome.”

“That blowhard is still telling people he stood up to Hyperion,” Cass shook his head, as Aiden shot him a look.

“So you like Harper then?” He asked, “Have you talked to her since the trial? I imagine she’s pretty shaken up like the rest of them.”

“I didn’t say that,” Cass retorted, “And not really, I talked to her yesterday about Lorcán, asked her a bit about how she was doing. She had a new haircut, that was a surprise.”

“A good one?”

“Stop fishing!” Cass had to mind his tone, he knew Aiden didn’t mean any harm and that his Uncle was mostly trying to keep his mind off his dying son, but he certainly didn’t expect to be cross-examined about asking Harper to the dance.

“Everyone knows she likes Gil anyways, I’ll probably never see her after the dance.”

“Not with that attitude,” Aiden replied, “Sure the dance can just be a one-off, or it can be a beginning. A crush isn’t a relationship even if one has made it one in their head. If anything it could just be blinders, she didn’t even know you were an option prior to the weekend after all.”

“Now who’s being all sage,” Cass grumbled before settling further into his saddle.

The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful with both men bearing grim expressions between the rest of their attempts at casual conversation. With a day already passed, whatever attacked Lorcán could have easily moved on. But if it was still on the island, then it was a threat to them all. Ahead of the two mounted men, Rothschild ran along the ground, his nose actively sniffing out the path he and his boy had taken the day before.

“Where did you ever get Rothschild anyways?” Cass asked, watching the border collie streak by before he slowed atop a hill waiting for the two men on horseback to crest before speeding off ahead in the distance.

The dog was considered to be owned by the Roths, but Aiden knew that no one truly owned Rothschild. He was an anomaly, even in the world of Hyperhumans, a dog with abilities that could rival Aiden’s own and many others. Most people believed it was an in-joke that Rothschild had abilities, fewer still had seen them in action. The prevailing rumour was that he was Hyperhuman trapped as a dog. That rumour only just barely kept ahead of the idea that Hyperion was turned into a dog form and kept on campus as a cruel joke by Jim.

“Rothschild came to us,” Aiden replied, “Showed up one day after Lorcán had an incident and was most in need of a friend. Before Aurora showed up, Rothschild was the closest thing Lorcán had to a friend.”

“But,” Cass started, his tone hesitant, “He is just a dog right?”

“I can assure you, he’s not a person.” Aiden replied, “I had him tested and he doesn’t have human DNA nor does he possess any presence of HZEs.”

“So the rumours?” Cass asked, “Are just rumours? But I thought he actually could, y’know?”

“I’ve seen enough things in my time to know I haven’t seen everything,” Aiden replied, “That dog has been one of the best things in my son’s life and I’m not about to call it into question.”

“Hey look!” Cass called, interrupting Aiden's thoughts as the pair pulled up on the trail overlooking the beach.

“His board is still there,” Footprints clearly made by Lorcán’s signature flip flops hadn’t been erased yet by neither rain nor wind.

“We’ll need to remember to grab any of his things that were left behind on the way back,” Aiden replied before clicking his heels to ease his horse up the slope towards the thicker brush.

“I imagine our ability to go by horseback ends up here,” He shouted back to Cass, “This side of the island is underdeveloped due to the proximity to the Black Site.” Aiden explained while dismounting. Hitching the horse to a nearby tree, he watched as Cass did the same before the two men followed the trail of trodden grass and broken branches. Cass felt unnerved walking through this part of the island. Upon entering the thicket, there was a notable drop in temperature, the thick canopy overhead blocking the island sun and leaving the forest floor soft and damp.

But it was the hives decorating the higher branches that unnerved Cassander the most as the insects hovered about, angrily buzzing as if telling both men to leave immediately. A few of the more agitated ones flew down, threatening to sting Cass before seemingly losing interest in their threat, realizing it wasn’t worth their life.

It still left Cassander feeling itchy all over, as he remembered the pain of his first bee sting. Thankfully he was given a reprieve as he followed his uncle into a clearing. The smell of burnt wood was masked by a powerfully putrid odour.

“Scorch marks,” Cass gestured, barely keeping himself from gagging as they entered the clearing. “Though these don't all look like Lorcán's,”

“No,” Aiden replied, “No, they don’t,” His distracted eyes wandered to where the ground was disturbed and turned over. Moss and leaves were raked away from the center of the clearing, a glyph or rune laid out with salt outlined a large pile of ash from which came an alarming odour that Aiden had only experienced during an investigation at a crematorium.

Numerous footprints told a story different from the one he had been fed as Aiden knelt down and examined the tracks left behind. Three distinct sets of prints, excluding Rothschild’s, none just stumbled upon this scene. All had participated in a fight.

A growl from Rothschild suddenly broke the silence.

“You need to leave.” The cocking of a shotgun further caught the attention of both Cassander and Aiden as they turned around to come face to face with a woman dressed in a leather jacket, a hood covering her dark hair while the strange looking shotgun with an axe blade on it was steadily held pointed in their direction.

“It’s not safe here.” The woman looked to be barely older than Cassander, but something about her eyes made Aiden feel she had lived several lifetimes. Rothschild continued to stay low, the hackles on his back raised like a dorsal fin, his lip quivering with the low rumbled in his throat.

“Is this your doing?” Aiden asked, gesturing with his head towards the strange rune beneath the pile of ash while his hands were held up disarmingly in front of him.

“Does that answer matter when I’m holding a shotgun to you?” The woman retorted, “These woods aren’t safe for the likes of you,” She gestured back to the direction the two men had come from. “I’m trying to do you a favour, you need to leave.”

“If it’s a favour, I’d think you’d be willing to explain.”

The light above the clearing suddenly started to diminish as a cloud of buzzing insects began to form, blotting out the sun entirely.

“I tried to warn you,” The woman snapped through gritted teeth, spinning around to put her back to the two men as she levelled the gun towards the cloud, her ears listening intently while her eyes scanned the woods on all sides. Rothschild let out a yelp, backing up as his eyes began to glow while looking towards the blackening sky.

“And now,” The woman whispered towards Aiden,

“She comes.”

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

E P I S O D E T W O A W A R D S:

Best Character Development: GM's Choice H A V E N @Skai Player's Choice A M M A @Rockette __________________________	GM's Choice: Haven Barnes - @Skai Player's Choice: Amma Cahors - @Rockette The 'Best Character Development Award' is given to the character who has been constantly improving and developing from the moment they first appeared in the IC. This doesn't mean the most improved, nor does it have to be positive changes in the slightest, this is the character journey you're enjoying the most whether it's a slippery slope or an uphill battle. In Episode 1, we struggled to figure out who Haven was as a person. She bounced off several characters and on one, but we never really got to know a lot about her. This drastically changed in Episode 2 once Haven was isolated from the other characters, we started to learn what makes her tick, her fears and how they came to be. We got to see some of Haven's backstory play out in action and then as a bonus, we even got to see Haven develop a rather enjoyable dynamic with a character she was previously too nervous to interact with, more on that below. Overall, of all the characters we really enjoyed seeing the growth in Haven through Episode 2. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Amma Cahors - @Rockette Amma has been an enigma since she stepped onto the scene. Rockette made the intentional choice to forgo the optional sections of the character sheet leaving players more in the dark with Amma, her motivations and who she was than a lot of the other characters. This has worked incredibly well so that when 'Amma Lore' drops in the IC, I eat it up. Amma is a fascinating character to watch grow and develop. Throughout Episode 2 she was forced into a lot more collaborative moments and she was pivotal in several plots if only through lending her powers out. But for every step forward, we see Amma's self-destructive streak come out and pull her two back as she ends the chapter after attacking Rory. Can't wait to see the next steps in her journey. Roman's Choice: Lorcán Roth - @Lord Wraith Episode 2 wrapped with more revelations for Lorcán and further exploration into his feelings about PRCU, Blackjack, Aurora, even his own family; Wraith continues to push Lorcán in bold directions and isn't afraid to put the character in uncomfortable situations. The Aurora/Lorcán slow-burn remains meticulously paced and well-crafted; the way Raze shook Lorcán's principles opened up potentials I'm very keen to see; and early into Episode 3 his worldviews are being challenged yet again. It's a delight to read.
Best Character Dynamic/Ship: GM's Choice A M M A & H A V E N @Rockette & @Skai Player's Choice A U R O R A x L O R C Á N @Melissa & @Lord Wraith A M M A & H A V E N @Rockette & @Skai __________________________	GM's Choice: Haven Barnes & Amma Cahors - @Skai & @Rockette Player's Choice: Aurora Mitchell x Lorcán Roth - @Melissa & @Lord Wraith Player's Choice: Haven Barnes & Amma Cahors - @Skai & @Rockette The 'Best Character Dynamic/Ship Award' is given to a pair or group of characters who display exceptional chemistry, and compatibility. They are who you genuinely sit there and cheer whenever they're on the page together. These two characters are each other's endgame, they're ride or die and you can't get enough of their highs, lows and otherwise cutesy antics. This is not limited exclusively to romance but extends to rivalries, platonic friendships and even a sibling-like relationship. Unlikely friendships are often the best to watch unfold and while the closing moments of the chapter may have left this blossoming friendship on thin ice, seeing Amma and Haven bond, if only briefly was truly a treat. You can't help but wonder who Haven reminds Amma of? And Amma warning Haven to stop asking so many questions was a great moment in and of itself. Haven may not let just anyone touch her wings, but seeing her allow for Amma to course her powers through them makes you wonder just what sort of a bond these two will continue to form. Provided of course Haven can look past the scratches left on Rory's arm. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Amma Cahors & Rory Tyler - @Rockette & @webboysurf Rory being his usual self while interacting with Amma was a fun read. Metaphors never go over Rory's head, they most slap him in the face and leave him dumbfounded much like when he asked Amma if she was a literal dragon. The idea of a guy dressed as one of the world's more notorious terrorists while coming to Amma's aid and promising he wasn't there to kill her only for Amma to end up attacking him instead was certainly amusing, if not unintentionally comedic leading to some of the best character dynamics this episode. Roman's Choice: Aurora Mitchell x Lorcán Roth - @Melissa & @Lord Wraith Honestly I've never really gotten the hang of 'will-they-won't-they' romantic see-saws, despite its staple across so much mainstream media (Sitcoms, romance novels, dramas, triple-A games). However I find Mel and Wraith's portrayal of their respective character's dance around each other so pitch-perfect that I'm hooked, even able to overlook how utterly saccharine it is. It's no small feat to break through my usual cynicism - I'm looking forward to seeing this egg finally crack.
Best Post: GM's Choice 2 . 0 4 6 @Melissa Player's Choice 2 . 0 2 7 @Rockette __________________________	GM's Choice: 2.046 Trainwreck - @Melissa Player's Choice: 2.027 asunder - @Rockette The 'Best Post' is given to the player and post that was found to be overall the pinnacle of the current episode. Did it break the tension with its humourous antics at the right time? Did it bring the characters closer together? Was it full of insightful reflection or did it extrapolate on previously unknown elements of that character's backstory and how it ties to the greater overarching narrative? Melissa had a lot of fun writing a simpler time between Lorcán and Aurora in the flashback of this post. But then compare that fun flashback to the latter half of the post where Aurora comes face to face with her mother and then is abandoned by her friends. Emotion is expertly conveyed throughout this post that you just can't help smiling along with Aurora when she's laughing and having fun while also feeling the gut punch that comes with her abandonment and the futile attempts to move through the invisible barrier. The feeling of utter dispair by the end leaves the post on such a defeated note perfect for where it falls in the episode. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: 2.049 the offering - @Rockette A masterful wordsmith, Rockette wonderful weaving of prose leaves one wanting more with each post and 2.049 is no exception. Following up on one of my favourite hooks in the entire episode, we jump back into Amma strapped down to a gurney, now again faced with her doppelgängers. This post ultimately ends on a sombre note with Amma being injected full of needles, harkening right back to one of her earlier posts in this chapter. Any post that gives a glimpse into how Amma views herself, and her shattered identities is always a treat and while Chapter 2 is full of them, I think this is the best of the bunch. Roman's Choice: 2.050 Wake Me Up Before You Dodo - @Skai Opening with a gorgeous flashback into Haven's sometimes-referenced but often-unvisited childhood was a brilliant insight into the character's history, her unique struggles with the manifestation of her hype-gene, and why she ultimately decided to abandon 'civilised' society entirely prior to her capture (and now I'm even more interested in Haven's experiences at the Foundation). Other-Haven was also delightfully vicious, and then we capped it off with the mother of all cliffhangers - even if it was ultimately a last-second-save fake out. Great stuff. Keep it up.
Best Flashback: GM's Choice 2 . 0 5 0 @Skai Player's Choice 2 . 0 0 4 @Rockette __________________________	GM's Choice: 2.050 Wake Me Up Before You Dodo - @Skai Player's Choice: 2.004 void - @Rockette The 'Best Flashback Award' is given to the post and player that contains an insightful or impactful flashback to a previous time outside of the current happenings of the IC. Maybe this flashback shed light on why the character has a deep-rooted fear of rejection, maybe it illuminated why that character has a verbal tic or perhaps it was the meet-cute of two budding lovers. Whatever the contents, this flashback found its way into the hearts or minds of the readers and continues to leave a lasting impact. We touched earlier on getting to know Haven in this chapter and this was the post that did it. The flashback with Haven at the foster home, the development of her wings and subsequent bullying were all beautifully written but ultimately heart-wrenching. Easily a stand-out flashback of this chapter and one that illuminated a lot about a character in such a simple way. Of course, there are still more questions about Haven and the journey that brought her to P.R.C.U., but we can all comfortably look forward to those being answered in the subsequent chapters. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: 2.003 I Want to Run and Hide - @webboysurf It isn't often we get to see Rory's dynamic with his whole family and even just knowing how Rory sees the world through other posts and the way he interrupts words and gestures around himself make this entire flashback so interesting. On the surface, we have a look at Rory's home life before the death of his parents and what we see is not pretty. It also tracks with the treatment we're used to seeing from his siblings. But, once you realize that Rory might not be the most reliable narrator, the whole flashback starts to drift into the uncanny, making you question if this is just Rory's interpretation of how he was treated, or if his parents truly were awful. It opens a lot of interesting faucets that I'm looking forward to seeing Web explore. Roman's Choice: 2.047 Lose Yourself - @Lord Wraith Jonas' continued time-desynchronisation shenanigans continue to charm me and the character is an absolute highlight every time he shows up. Add on top some of Lorcán's unique Dundas Island-based childhood/adolescence, some family interaction, and some father-son bonding over blowing up scarecrows with eye lasers, and you've got a recipe for 'yeah, Roman will like this'.
Best Collaboration: GM's Choice 2 . 0 3 3 @Rockette & @Skai Player's Choice 2 . 0 3 8 @Melissa, @Rockette & @Skai 2 . 0 5 8 // 2 . 0 5 9 @Rockette & @webboysurf __________________________	GM's Choice: 2.033 Feathering the Storm - @Rockette & @Skai Player's Choice: 2.038 A Name Unspoken - @Melissa, @Rockette & @Skai Player's Choice: 2.058 Dragon // 2.059 Devour - @Rockette & @webboysurf The 'Best Collaboration Award' is given to the post and players involved in crafting a collaborative narrative that goes beyond the regular back-and-forth posting of forum RPing. A well-crafted collaborative post should read as though it has a single author but artfully capture the interaction between two player characters and enhance both of their direct narratives, developments and the long-term relationships between those involved in the collaboration. Rockette and Skai both had a great run of posts this Episode, both in quality and quantity, but as with the dynamic between their characters, Skai and Rockette also proved they have great chemistry as writers, knocking out multiple collaborative posts together including 2.033 Feathering the Storm. 'Feathering the Storm' gave us the Amma and Haven dynamic but so many subsequent posts into play, including the threeway post between the aforementioned writers and Melissa, and ultimately the great crossover with webboysurf. 'Feathering the Storm' is a cornerstone of Episode 2 and we are more than happy to award it Best Collaboration. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: 2.038 A Name Unspoken - @Melissa, @Rockette & @Skai Building right off of 'Feathering the Storm', 2.038 A Name Unspoken is easily my favourite collaboration in Episode 2. The character dynamics are fantastic, you see multiple plot threads and nightmare sequences come together and you have the wonderful tension and chemistry between Amma with both Haven and Aurora. Anytime we get Amma and Aurora in the same room, there's always something interesting bound to happen and we got to see the two girls form at least a temporary alliance and Amma even lent her powers out to Aurora who subsequently was able to use her powers in a way she hadn't previously been able to. I think 'A Name Unspoken' will have a lot of plot candy carrying forward. Roman's Choice: 2.058 Dragon // 2.059 Devour - @Rockette & @webboysurf Amma continues to be a...difficult character, one I'm grappling with more and more. However that's not to say she by any means a bad character - far from it - and this collaboration features a pair we've not seen much (if any) of prior to this episode, delivering a unique dynamic, fresh perspective on both involved, and yet more tense scenarios fraught with danger - even better that that danger continues to come from within the team as our cast struggle with their trials. Rory/Amma wasn't a pair I was expecting much interaction between, looking at the cliques within Blackjack both characters run in, but the surprise was delightful to read when it came.
Most Memorable Moment: GM's Choice 2 . 0 4 2 @webboysurf Player's Choice 2 . 0 5 0 @Skai __________________________	GM's Choice: Rory putting on Hyperion's Mask from 2.042 You're No Good - @webboysurf Player's Choice: Haven's Nightmare Sequence from 2.050 Wake Me Up Before You Dodo - @Skai The 'Most Memorable Moment Award' is given to the post and players who set a fire in the social server with conversation, reactions and just generally put the dominos in motion with a post that did something so well, horrific or even just meme-worthy that it inspired numerous posts after it. This is a moment that stood out, when you think of this roleplay, this is the moment you keep coming back to. When share the game with your friends, this is the post you wait eagerly for them to read. Perhaps the hardest award to choose of Episode 2, we were not short in supply of great and impactful moments that will be remembered as the RP moves forward. Numerous fakeouts, tragic memories and torturous scenarios filled the posts of Episode 2, but the moment that Rory put on Hyperion's Mask, a plot thread was born that we're going to see continue into Episode 3 and who knows how far beyond. It's for this reason that 'You're No Good' manages to stand just ever so slightly above the other stellar options. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: "Thank you for bringing Tiamat home." - 2.038 A Name Unspoken - @Melissa, @Rockette & @Skai Personally, 'Thank you for bringing Tiamat home." from 2.038 A Name Unspoken is easily one of the most haunting lines in the entire episode. The utter despair of Amma being dragged back to a less than rosy version of where it all began, where the needles were injected, where she suffered and was experimented on, was the kind of dark and twisted I wanted to see in the Trial. That moment just was like a diminished fifth in the midst of a minor fall. It hit just right and is another great example of the gravitas that Rockette brings to her posts and her continuing threads with the Foundation. Roman's Choice: Calli losing her leg from 2.039 Monkey Wrench - @Lord Wraith & @PatientBean We all know Wraith loves curveballs, and also loves keeping us (yes, myself included at times) guessing in the dark about what quite is going on up in that peculiar, wonderful brain of his. So to say Calliope's attack by a simulated Butler was a dark surprise would be an understatement; however, Bean took it well in stride (teehee), and while it was ultimately revealed as another trick of the simulation, it kept us on our toes and reminded that our characters - loved as they may be - are still well at risk of actual mortal danger, and we should remember that this is the case.

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

Lorcán awoke to the smell of smoke and burning. All around him, the forest was enveloped in flame, the leafy canopy above replaced by dancing flames. The sound of the ocean was lost to the crackling of timber and explosions of wood too green to be burned shattering apart from rapidly evaporating liquid.

Rothschild was nowhere to be seen, nor Luce or Alyssa. Darkness hung over every edge of the clearing as Lorcán began to feel the heat of the flames, wondering if he was the cause of this.

Beyond the curtain of trees, a chorus of that horrific sound reverberated in the distance sending chills down Lorcán’s spine, he had barely survived one with a last-minute rescue. Alone, there was no way he could fight more of them.

He looked to his arm, bracing for the wound only to find it missing. The creature made lacerations gone, not even a scar left behind to tell the tale. In fact all of his injuries felt better, his chest and back no longer stung and as Lorcán raised a hand to his face, he felt the absence of the scar given to him by Raze.

Beyond the smoke and flame, a pale light cut through the darkness and once again, Lorcán’s eyes were drawn to the majestic form of the white stag.

He ran forward, nearly tripping on the uneven ground before navigating through row upon row of trees. The stag kept ahead of him, trotting along at a pace Lorcán couldn't match but yet not fast enough to lose him entirely.

The beast exited the forest, but Lorcán couldn't follow, his path blocked by flames that continued to rise higher and higher. He was pushed back, trapped within the fire.

He watched, resigned to futility as the stag disappeared over the bright horizon.

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_{Location: The Infirmary - Pacific Royal Collegiate & University}

Take On Me #3.013: Sweet Child O'Mine

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_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: Welcome to the Jungle

The doors of the infirmary flew open as a pair of medics wheeled a stretcher through the doors while Aiden Roth kept pace beside them. Stopping just outside the door, Alyssa and Luce looked at each other before opting to stay outside the building.

“I don’t think we should go in there, Lucille Calder.”

"Obviously, Aly," Luce replied sarcastically. "But someone needs to tell his team." She said, half-scolding, half-suggesting, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, eyes dodging Alyssa's earnest gaze.

"Lucille Calder! I was the one who told the family," Alyssa answered, "I think you should tell Blackjack - were they not your own team at one time?"

"Were indeed, Lyssa." Luce remained defiant, old avoidant patterns resurfacing. "I have to get back to my greenhouse. Last time I left it this long some freshman planted chrysanthemums in with my hydrangeas."

“Really? The garden?” Alyssa indignantly responded, “Sure, she fights a wendigo, but yeah the garden is the highlight of the day. Maybe if it had been a leshy.”

While the pair continued to bicker, they barely noticed Victoria Roth enter the infirmary before a medic came outside to gesture for both of them to follow. Ahead of them, Tori moved on a mission. Her features were pale, worry on every inch of her face as she pushed her way through the lobby before heading down the hallway towards where her husband, Aiden, stood.

Watching from behind the glass, Aiden’s jaw was clenched, his teeth practically grinding against each other as he watched the medics examine the unconscious form of his son. There were times where he felt powerless in life, and the last time was nearly in this exact spot just over twenty-one years ago.

Watching Lorcán’s chest struggle to rise up and down, Aiden turned his eyes away as Tori came up beside him and slid under his arm, placing her head against his chest. Her eyes were pulled to her son, squeezing her husband tightly while fighting back tears.

“He’s a fighter,” Aiden whispered, kissing his wife’s forehead softly before turning his gaze back to their son. “He’s got a lion inside of those lungs, our fierce little man is going to pull through whatever this is.”

“When can we see him?” Tori asked, looking up at Aiden’s blue eyes.

“They’re still trying to determine if he’s contagious. Whatever that wound is, it’s highly infected. They told me if it weren’t for his abilities, the heat in his body actively fighting it, the infection would have already spread through his entire body. It’s rapidly attacking the cells.”

“So it’s killing him.” Her voice almost broke as Tori replied, “And he’s suffering through every moment.”

“They’ve given him something for the pain and a sedative to help his body focus on healing.”

“There are times that life can be cruel, Aiden,” Tori replied, her hand reaching out to the glass as the medics worked on Lorcán. “We lost our daughter the same day that she and Lorcán were born. Now our son is just becoming a man and we stand on the cusp of losing him too.”

“We are not losing him.” Aiden’s tone was firm, but soft. “We are not losing him.”

Minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like days, the day itself was comparable to a week as the couple took turns rotating through a chair, watching students come and go looking for treatment for minor wounds while anxiously waiting for any news on Lorcán.

In the interim, Aiden had let both Ripley and Cassander know about Lorcán’s current state, while Cassander had informed Rory and subsequently the rest of Blackjack that Lorcán would be missing. Ripley had originally left to find Aurora but she instead found that Aurora was already with Jim who had pulled her from class after hearing about Lorcán. Returning to the infirmary with Aurora in tow, Ripley firmly planted herself down with her Aunt and Uncle while Tori made room for Aurora, welcoming her with an understanding smile.

“How did Leo get attacked again?” Ripley asked, reaching across Tori to give Aurora’s hand a squeeze.

“All we know is that he was in the North Forest, two students from Firebird brought him in, said they found him in a clearing with Rothschild and his arm was already scratched.” Aiden answered.

“Wait,” Tori interjected before raising her face from between her hands. “Why would Lorcán venture into the North Forest?“ She asked, her eyes darting from her husband to her niece. “He doesn’t surf on that side of the island.”

“Dog only knows,” Aiden replied.

“Maybe Rothschild can tell us?” Ripley suggested as her Uncle shook his head sadly.

“That dog is many things, but he can’t talk.” He answered, before suddenly looking at his wife. “We are sure he can’t talk, right?”

“At this moment, hun,” Tori’s voice was distant as she watched a medic begin to exit the room while Lorcán was left to rest on the bed. “I’m not sure of anything.”

“It was the weirdest thing, Uncle Aiden,” Ripley quickly piped back up, “I was talking to Leo on the phone and there was just this terrible noise as the call was cut. I could hear Rothschild in the background growling,” Ripley persisted, “I just feel like those girls aren’t telling you something-”

“Mr. and Mrs. Roth?” The medic interrupted, calling from the doorway as they entered the hallway.

“Can we see our son, doctor?” Tori asked, rising from her seat.

“Yes, you can go in and wait with him, we’re getting him transferred to a private room now that we’re sure he’s not contagious.” The medic answered, “Once he’s there, he’ll be allowed family and relatives during regular hours, immediate family and caretakers overnight. There will be a couple forms for you to fill out.”

“Is he going to be alright?” Aiden asked. The medic looked up at the athletic older man, a heavy exhale preceding the reply.

“It’s still too soon to answer that. This infection, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen and as far as our resources go, it’s unlike any one on this Earth has ever seen.” The medic let out another sigh, “I know it’s going to sound unprofessional, Sir, but given my experience, it’s very possible it’s not from this world.”

“While I respect that might be exciting for you, we are talking about my son’s life,” Tori snapped as the medic took a step back.

“I am so sorry, Ma’am it wasn’t my intention to sound like your son’s life wasn’t a priority.”

“Then can you cure him?” Aiden asked, “You called it an infection so can you treat it with antibiotics?”

“Not without trial and error,” The medic responded, “Without knowing what we’re trying to treat, it’s impossible to run a course of antibiotics. At this time, the infection has proven Hype-resistant, save for Lorcán’s own abilities. Right now, they are his best defense against whatever’s attacking his cells. We’re putting him on an IV drip with a healthy dose of HZEs to keep his strength up, but in the meantime, we took some samples to run tests against. But if you have any idea what he came in contact with,”

“We’re just as lost as you,”

“Then we’ll just have to hope the tests turn something up.” The medic offered a sympathetic smile.

“If you’ll all follow me, we’ll take him to his new room.”

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

^{| Earlier...}

The blonde woman sat knelt in the greenhouse. The light of dawn illuminated the panelled structure as she worked away, free of disruptions from new or younger students who hadn’t put the time or care into the immaculate condition of her gardens.

She was lost in her tasks, unaware of the redheaded woman who had entered silently. A task that was not easy given the leather duffle bag swung over her shoulder that nearly spanned the entire length of her torso.

The woman with fire-like hair walked up behind the other, before dropping the duffle bag beside the shorter-haired woman to announce her presence.

“Lucille Calder,” Alyssa started, her tone grim. “Grab your hunting back. We have a Conjunction.”

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Northern Forest - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Take On Me #3.009: Welcome to the Jungle

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: Monster

^{| Now}

Rothschild’s barking echoed through Lorcán’s spinning head as his eyes opened to the damp ground beneath him. Leaves hung to his hands and knees as he picked himself up, his body outlined in splinters and chunks of wood from the dead tree trunk that exploded upon impact.

A flash of red illuminated the shadowy clearing as Rothschild fought valiantly against the angered creature. The agile dog swooped through the air, before aiming its eye beams towards their assailant.

“That’s new.” Lorcán muttered before turning his own molten irises on the wiry creature that had batted him haplessly like no more than a housefly. It was vaguely human in shape, though easily as tall, if not taller than even Katja. Its torso almost appeared too small for the long, gangly arms and legs that appeared to be made solely of leather-wrapped bones.

Every vein, sinew and tendon underneath the taut skin was visible along its tightly drawn flesh. Its leather-like hide seemingly defied logic with each movement the creature made. Lorcán was expecting the skin to snap at any moment, pulling apart around its joints, but it moved fluidly with each movement, nary a wrinkle in sight. Wispy hair dotted its scalp, while sickly yellow eyes spun around in their sockets, seemingly autonomous of the creature’s head and neck. They swivelled around unnaturally, tracking Rothschild through even the solid bone of their elongated skull.

Rows of needle-like teeth filled its snake-like maw, unhinging as the creature bellowed a horrible noise. A putrid odour unlike the smell of decomposing flesh filled the air as the creature swung its haggard nails through the air against nearly catching Rothschild.

“Hey!” Lorcán called, ignoring the pain in his healing wounds, “Nobody hurts my dog.”

His eyes flared quickly before a flash of flame erupted in front of his face, the blast of flame and heat scalding the creature prompting a screech of pain. It flailed about wildly, charging Lorcán with its gangly, gruesome limbs. Moving to the side, Lorcán tried to escape the creature but his reflexes were still slowed from his injuries.

The creature’s nails dug into Lorcán’s forearm, the layers of decayed keratin splintering and cracking as it ripped his skin open. Searing pain radiated through his arm as the wound almost immediately spewed puss while slivers were left embedded in the mangled flesh.

A sharp inhale whistled through Lorcán’s teeth whilst he cradled his arm to his torso. He stumbled backwards, barely able to move out of the creature’s way were it not for the timely intervention of Rothschild, diving beneath the monster’s legs and taking hold of an ankle. The powered puppy dragged the creature back with all its might, the gnarled claws falling just short of reaching Lorcán.

Focusing his ability, Lorcán summoned a blade of plasma just like he had a thousand times before. Just like Ryan had taught him how to do since the time he was eleven. The hum of electromagnetic feels echoed through the force, harmonizing with the angry buzzing of the bees in the treetops. A snap and a hiss came from his hand as the orange blade came to life before immediately faltering as Lorcán was bowled along the damp forest floor by another blow.

The creature lunged for Lorcán’s chest, its gruesomely nailed hands targeting his chest like it was about to pry his ribs about. It suddenly howled in agony as Rothschild scorched the back of the creature with his eye blasts.

Roaring again, the horrific sound was cut short as a silver blade suddenly shot through its torso. The creature’s chest began to bleed a black ochre-like substance as the blade pulled back. Staggered, the creature stumbled backwards before being pushed further by a dropkick from a blonde-haired woman. The attack created enough space for Lorcán to scramble back to his feet as his eyes came to rest on a familiar pair of women.

Rothschild let out a couple of cheerful yelps before skidding to a landing beside Lorcán as Alyssa Townsend and Lucille Calder moved into action.

“Wendigo, Lucille Calder!”

“I have eyes, Uptown Girl!” Luce retorted, readying her weapon before lunging forward. Her assault was unpredictable, built on maintaining a form that put her in harm’s way almost as often as her attacks were aimed at her opponent. While normally Luce wouldn’t sweat a scrap, she knew better than to let the jagged fingers of the Wendigo so much as graze her skin, let alone its needle-like teeth.

Occupied with Luce’s assault, the wendigo paid no attention to Alyssa who put her hands together. From within her, her liquid metal flowed out through her pores, wrapping around her arms and hands before creating a large blade from her hands. Using her abilities to launch herself into the air, Alyssa swung her weapon hard, the blade cleaving through the creature’s neck before its head rolled along the mossy floor.

“Lorcán!” Luce yelled, “Burn the body, quickly!”

“Aurora?” Lorcán slurred looking at Alyssa, “What are you doing here?” He asked, wiping the quickly forming beads of sweat from his brow. The forest seemed to start spinning around him as Lorcán took another look at the two women.

“Hey, Lady Dude, now that you're here, I was wondering if you’d like to go to the dance with me?” He managed to spit out before his heavy eyelids fell over his molten-colored eyes. His body suddenly went limp and gravity took over.

Then Lorcán hit the forest floor.

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

Deleted

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Northern Forest - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Take On Me #3.004: Monster

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: I Want More

Brush and leaves snapped beneath Lorcán’s feet while his flip-flops slapped along the forest floor. Rothschild had landed upon entering the thicket, opting to run along the ground beneath the overgrowth rather than try to navigate the reaching branches that were twisted together. A shimmer of pale white in the distance was all the encouragement that Lorcán needed while he kept moving forward.

The North Western tip of Dundas Island was generally left alone by the school, its faculty and students alike. Pacific Royal had no buildings or structures out this direction, partly due to the nearing proximity to the former Black Site on the neighbouring Zayas Island.

The forest on the Eastern side of the island and towards the center of Dundas was vibrantly green, inviting and warm, like something out of a fairy tale, it beckoned students forth to climb her trees and sit under her branches. But here, the forest was almost cold, the sun barely able to penetrate the thick canopy overhead leaving the ground covered in damp and dead leaves that squished under feet while small trees struggled to grow. Stumps gnawed down by local wildlife dotted the various clearings while branches were snapped from trunks. Scratches covered the bark, and the deeper into the untravelled forest he went, the more Lorcán noticed buzzing hives decorating the higher branches.

A sticky combination of sap and a putrid form of honey from the hives dripped down the trees attracting the occasional fly and trapping the oblivious insects in the amber substance. Spider webs filled the nearby branches, the lazy predators taking advantage of the unintentional bait left by the hives hidden amongst the gaunt, finger-like branches reaching down from above.

Beside Lorcán, Rothschild dropped low to the ground, the border collie adopting a stalking position. The dog’s hackles rose rigidly like a dorsal fin. His nose began to sniff rapidly, his lip curling upwards, exposing his long, curved canines while Rothschild’s caramel-coloured eyes started to glow like a macabre sunset.

Gone were the glimpses of snow-white fur, and the subtle glow of the stag. Instead, Lorcán felt trapped by a creeping darkness, like something was clawing at his soul, desperate to drag him through the forest floor. Branches seemingly snapped in all directions and for the first time, Lorcán’s eyes were drawing to the thick vines that snaked along the forest’s floor and wrapped around the creaking trees.

Rothschild barked suddenly, a growl filling the throat of the dog. The nose echoed through the trees but not a single creature stirred. The forest had fallen into an unnatural hush the further the pair had travelled into it. Even the insects above had stopped buzzing, retreating to their hives as the shadows seemed to grow darker and darker.

♫ ♫ If you like Piña Coladas! And getting caught in the rain! ♫ ♫

Lorcán nearly jumped out of his skin as the music started to ring from his pocket. He almost forgot he grabbed his phone while chasing after Rothschild. The dog in question let out a quick bark as if to scold Lorcán who scrambled to dig the device out of his pocket.

♫ ♫ If you’re not into yoga! If you’ve got half a brain! ♫ ♫

Finally getting the device out, Lorcán quickly ran his thumb over the screen before holding the device up to his chin on speaker.

“Hel-”

“You didn’t ask Aurora to the dance!” A voice belonging to none other than his cousin, Ripley Jones screamed from the other side of the phone.

“Brah,” Lorcán replied, his heart still racing, “She told the bro she didn’t want to go with anyone, I’m trying to respect that.” He answered, “Besides, I told her I wanted to take her and she didn’t say anything, so I let the tide take it back out to sea.”

“You’re a moron.” Ripley deadpanned, “If she didn’t answer you, you didn’t ask it correctly and knowing you, you probably danced around it and then said something in your bro speak that only Rory would understand! So unless you’re planning on taking Rory to the dance, I suggest you spit it out in English!”

“Lady Dude knows how I feel about her, we don’t need to make a big deal of going together” He argued, his eyes still watching the treeline while Ripley’s voice echoed through the deadened woods. “She’ll save me a dance,”

“Yeah, she’d save you a dance on her wedding day too,” Ripley snapped back, “Doesn’t mean you get the girl! If you ever want Aurora to be more than a friend, then you need to COM-MUN-I-CATE!”

Rothschild yipped beside Lorcán seemingly in agreement with Ripley, prompting a raised eyebrow from the young man. He shook his head, nearly rolling his eyes as his little cousin berated him for his inability to tell Aurora how he felt. But didn't he? That night before the trial, in the tent? In a guilt-driven state, did he not lay his cards bare on the table and Aurora basically had picked up the deck and put it away. She either didn’t share his feelings or didn’t want to acknowledge them, neither boded well with asking her to dance, let alone anything more than that.

Lorcan’s thoughts were brought back to his surroundings as his phone suddenly vibrated, the ongoing call temporarily covered by text from Cass.

CASSANDER CHARON SAID: C’mon man, srsly? Rippers said you still haven’t asked Rora to the dance?!?!?

“Really?” Lorcán interrupted Ripley as he read the message, “You brought Cass into this?”

“I did!” Ripley retorted proudly, “Figured if both of us are, then you’ll fix this, Leo!”

“Don’t you have class?”

“This is more important, I like Aurora, don’t mess this up!”

“I obviously like her too!” Lorcán snapped back before the call suddenly dropped. He looked at his phone with a furrowed brow before out of the corner of his eye watching Rothschild’s hackles rise again.

The ground beneath his feet suddenly shook as the canopy above began to sway. Rothschild alternated between barking and growling, slowly rising up into the air, his eyes glowing a defiant crimson.

A roar echoed through the words in response and Lorcán was suddenly tossed across the clearing.

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

For the Episode 2 Awards, we reduced the number of categories just because of the episode's speed and as it's only been a month since the last awards. Which are both great problems to have, that's a phenomenal pace! Pat yourselves on the back. As with before, please send your votes to Roman and I, either through a PM on the Guild or through a DM on Discord. The categories this time around are as follows:

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E P I S O D E T W O A W A R D S:

Best Character Development: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Character Development Award' is given to the character who has been constantly improving and developing from the moment they first appeared in the IC. This doesn't mean the most improved, nor does it have to be positive changes in the slightest, this is the character journey you're enjoying the most whether it's a slippery slope or an uphill battle. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Best Character Dynamic/Ship: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Character Dynamic/Ship Award' is given to a pair or group of characters who display exceptional chemistry, and compatibility. They are who you genuinely sit there and cheer whenever they're on the page together. These two characters are each other's endgame, they're ride or die and you can't get enough of their highs, lows and otherwise cutesy antics. This is not limited exclusively to romance but extends to rivalries, platonic friendships and even a sibling-like relationship. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Best Post: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Post' is given to the player and post that was found to be overall the pinnacle of the current episode. Did it break the tension with its humourous antics at the right time? Did it bring the characters closer together? Was it full of insightful reflection or did it extrapolate on previously unknown elements of that character's backstory and how it ties to the greater overarching narrative? Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Best Flashback: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Flashback Award' is given to the post and player that contains an insightful or impactful flashback to a previous time outside of the current happenings of the IC. Maybe this flashback shed light on why the character has a deep-rooted fear of rejection, maybe it illuminated why that character has a verbal tic or perhaps it was the meet-cute of two budding lovers. Whatever the contents, this flashback found its way into the hearts or minds of the readers and continues to leave a lasting impact. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
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Most Memorable Moment: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Most Memorable Moment Award' is given to the post and players who set a fire in the social server with conversation, reactions and just generally put the dominos in motion with a post that did something so well, horrific or even just meme-worthy that it inspired numerous posts after it. This is a moment that stood out, when you think of this roleplay, this is the moment you keep coming back to. When share the game with your friends, this is the post you wait eagerly for them to read. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

^{| Three Days Ago}

Exiting the bathroom, Lorcán nodded a goodnight to Rory before venturing from their dorm’s shared common room into his bedroom. He paused, catching sight of himself in the mirror while removing his athletic uniform, the contrast of the white gauze against his tanned skin drawing the eye. His hand absently moved over his chest before rising up to his face. Molten eyes stared back at him, that cruel sneer haunting him as Lorcán quickly shut his eyes and pulled away.

Raze wasn't real, and he wasn't Raze.

Changing into a new pair of boxers for the night, he pulled back the covers of his bed, pausing to look at a photo of Blackjack. It was one taken at the end of last year, when Mei and Pallyx were still part of the team. Amma, Gil and Harper had all been newcomers last year and now Gil was fighting for his life in the infirmary.

Sleep was honestly the last thing on Lorcán’s mind, but at this moment it felt like the only option he had to make the time pass. His thumb hovered over Aurora's smiling face, a saddened smile forming on his own lips.

She got hurt today because he wasn't strong enough or fast enough. If he could have melted that door or even reverse engineered it faster she wouldn't have been put in harm’s way. A growl formed in his throat and Lorcán suddenly grabbed a nearby trophy and whipped it across the room.

No one should have been hurt.

At times, he had found himself almost sympathetic to Hyperion's mission, but after today, after senseless Hyperhuman on Hyperhuman violence, there was no way Lorcán could reconcile their mission with their behaviour.

Aurora had been staring at her phone for the better part of an hour.

She’d been back in her dorm for a while after getting assessed at the infirmary, where upon checking her over they confirmed she was indeed concussed. It was minor enough that they simply cleared her to go rest, but still was told to take it easy for the next while. That meant no running for the following few days and especially meant not overexerting her abilities - no teleporting excessively.

After showering and getting into her pajamas, the redhead was having a hard time turning off her mind as she lay on top of her bed. Everytime she tried to close her eyes, she found herself back in the simulation, whether it be face to face with her stepfather or watching her teammates abandon her. Over and over again she re-lived it, and she had no doubt that she would continue to do so for weeks to come.

She didn’t want to be alone tonight.

Which is why she had been hemming and hawing about picking up her phone and calling Lorcán for what seemed like an eternity. She knew he was injured too; he’d arguably gone through a more grueling scenario physically and needed his rest. But with how close they were, something told her he’d be more upset if she didn’t go to him when she needed him.

So she called him.

The phone rang once, twice, before he answered.

“Sorry, hopefully I didn’t wake you up.” Aurora hesitated, but proceeded. “But can I… come over? Would that be okay?”

“Shoots, Lady Dude” Lorcán replied, “I wasn’t going to catch any shut eye tonight. I’ll unlock the door for you.” He stated, walking towards the door.

But Aurora suddenly appeared in his room causing Lorcán to furl his brow slightly.

“Rora, you’re not supposed to be ‘porting.” He scolded slightly, immediately pivoting his body to turn the scarred side of his face away from her.

“It’s fine, I’m fine.” The redhead subtly leaned against his desk to stabilize herself and waited for the dizziness to subside, not wanting to admit that he was probably right and shouldn’t have used her abilities. “It was either that or attempt to get past my roommates and fail miserably.” She sighed, “They’ve been coddling me since I got back from the infirmary. I’m practically on house arrest.”

Aurora noticed how Lorcán had shifted, saw how he tensed as he hid his wounded face. She frowned, “You don’t have to do that, you know.” She stood up straight, taking a step towards him, “It’s not like I wasn’t there before they put the dressing over it.”

In her arms, she held his red Canis sweatshirt, the one she had technically stolen from the night before. She extended it towards him with an apologetic smile. “They threw this in with my stuff when they brought me my things from the tent. Figured you might want it back.”

Out of the corner of her periphery, she saw the light catch something on the ground, and her gaze fell to the broken trophy, recognizing that he had likely thrown it. Without saying a word, she set the sweatshirt on his chair and leaned down and grabbed the pieces it had split into, placing them on his desk.

She knew he was still upset about how things had gone down during the Trial; he blamed himself for what had happened and she didn’t understand why. Choosing to not mention it, she continued her previous thought. “Sorry again for taking it. When I went outside to get some air last night, it was a little chilly. Didn’t want to make too much noise and it was the closest thing.”

“What’s mine is yours,” Lorcán smiled briefly, “Possession is only like temporary, it was mine until you needed it and then it totally became yours and now it's mine again,” He explained, “But it's totally always there for you if you need or even like want it again.”

He chuckled slightly, “I guess I should totally keep my voice down so my bro, Rory, doesn't get like the wrong idea about you being in here, Lady Dude.”

Her bruises had begun to form, the colour changing slowly becoming more and more evident. Seeing them left Lorcán’s stomach in knots. He flinched again at the memory of her face being slammed against the window, the sound it had made echoing through his mind.

“I wish I could understand why the Trial was tampered with, were we targeted? Are we just doomed to hurt each other?” He asked, though not necessarily expecting an answer as he invited Aurora to take a seat beside him on the bed. “It doesn't seem to matter if it’s H.E.L.P. versus Hyperion or the Foundation versus Pacific Royal, we keep being pulled into the line of fire.”

He shook his head.

“Hyperhumans face enough adversity without fighting each other and yet we keep choosing to fight one another.” He let out an agitated sigh.

“Sorry, I’m ranting but I’m just feeling like I’m caught in a riptide.”

A blush pricked Aurora’s cheeks as Lorcán mentioned lowering his voice, not having even considered the implications of her being in his room at such an hour. To her, it just felt natural to go to him when she was needing comfort, no matter when it was or where they were. She sat down beside him on his bed, letting her legs dangle off the side.

“I know, Lorcán, I don’t understand it either.” She tried to reassure him, not minding his rambling in the slightest as it took the weight off of her own inner monologue. Her lips settled into a fine line and she looked up at him, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “The world already hates us, it will never make sense to me why we continue to find ourselves pitted against our own kind.”

“Today was scary. Really scary. But we’ll get through it, just like we always have. We’ll be okay.” The redhead said, reminding him but also reminding herself.

“But what will the cost be next time?” Lorcán asked, his tone low.

“I could have lost you today, that clucks me, like more than anything else, more than anything ever has.” He paused, taking a moment to swallow, “That’s what I keep seeing over in my head. Everything I went through in there was focused on getting you back,”

He shook his head, “This is supposed to be the safest place on Earth for Hyperhumans, but that makes it a magnet for trouble. Days like this, I just want to take you by the hand and disappear into the sunset, we could go our own way.”

“And what if we did that? What if we left right now, packed our bags and hopped on the next ferry. Would it change anything?” Aurora let her question hang in the air for a moment, looking deeply into Lorcán’s eyes before continuing. “If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that bad things can happen wherever you are. It’s not something we can control by leaving.”

She reached over and took his hand, squeezing it gently. “I know you want to protect me and I can’t even begin to tell you how much it means that you stopped at nothing to find me today.” The redhead felt a flutter in her chest at the thought of him going through hell and back during the Trial just looking for her. “But it doesn’t matter if we’re here or halfway across the world. Hell, Lorcán, some of the worst things that have happened to me happened in my own house.” She stated bluntly.

He knew she was right, as he hung his head in defeat. Running a hand through his hair, he looked up at the ceiling and then back at Aurora.

“I’m not used to feeling,” He waved both of his hands in front of his chest, “All of this,” He caught a glimpse of himself in a nearby mirror, a mirthless chuckle escaping his sore chest.

“I’m usually the one making everyone laugh,” He rolled his eyes, “And here I am ruining the mood more than ankle slappers on a balmy dawn.” Lorcán reached into his bedside table, producing a bag of red licorice before extending it towards Aurora,

“I read somewhere once that sugar helps with shock,” He explained, “Plus, I don’t think there's a problem on Earth that can't be made better with something sweet.”

The redhead smirked, gladly taking a strand of licorice from the bag. She was never one to say no to candy, especially given the day they’d had. She held the piece to her lips but hesitated, moving her hand back down to her lap for a moment to impart another thought. “I know you always like to be the one lifting everyone else up, making people happy, but it’s okay to put yourself and your emotions first sometimes.” Without elaborating further, not wanting to dwell, she took a bite of licorice, letting the sweet strawberry flavor coat her taste buds.

“New topic,” Lorcán smiled, pulling two pieces out for himself before placing the bag between them. “Did I seriously see Hyperman and Daytripper on campus?” He asked, the familiar amused grin returning to his face.

“What's up with those kook outfits? I mean, with that red coat, Hyperman may as well be wearing a cape. And then there's Daytripper’s mustache,” He shook his head before reaching for another piece of candy. “Pretty glad H.E.L.P. agents don't dress like that.”

Aurora laughed, although the speed in which Lorcán changed the subject was only slightly concerning. She pocketed that thought to mull over later. “It’s called fashion, look it up.” She playfully nudged him before taking another strand from the bag. “Hey, they can wear whatever they want, I heard they saved a lot of people today, including Jim and Tad.”

She said his name without even thinking, but her thoughts now were directed towards their advisor who was in critical condition. Her face fell once more, it seemed they couldn’t avoid touchy subjects even if they tried. “I hope he’ll be okay.”

“Tad survived Hyperion,” Lorcán replied somberly, “He’s a survivor, Jim will make sure he gets the best care possible.” He shuffled awkwardly on the bed, “I’m worried about Jess though, if anything happens to Tad I’m not sure what she’ll do. Not sure what I would have done if anything had happened to you. No pain worse than losing someone you love.”

The redhead nodded, although found herself stuck on his words.

Someone you love.

She knew that Lorcán cared about her a lot and she herself cared about him significantly. They were best friends, of course they cared about each other. But for him to describe that as love cut deep.

Because simply put, Aurora couldn’t remember what love truly felt like.

It was very possible it was this feeling, but doubt pulled in her gut. How could someone like him love her? Setting down her half eaten strand of licorice, she looked at Lorcán with a sad smile. “Jess is strong and we’ll all be there to support her, whatever happens.” She held out the candy to him, offering it up. “I probably shouldn’t have more sugar before bed, seems counterproductive to my already terrible sleeping habits.”

A smile of amusement spread across Lorcán’s face as he reached across the bed and snatched up the half eaten piece before devouring it and putting the rest back in their hiding spot.

“Speaking of bed, do you need anything?” He asked, standing up and stripping his shirt off, wincing as it caught on the bandages on his back. He paused as he brought the shirt over his head.

“Oh wait, would you prefer I wear a shirt? I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression, I can totally suck it up for one night.” He added.

Aurora did a double take, processing his words and actions after the fact. “Wait,” She looked almost confused, her brow raised.

“I can stay?”

“Duh,” Lorcán replied with a grin, “Best place for you is here.”

The redhead let her perplexed expression melt into a grateful smile. She’d imagined that this conversation would be terribly awkward, that asking if she could spend the night since she was so afraid of being alone with her thoughts would have been met with at least some hesitation. But Lorcán’s response, and the fact that he had simply assumed she would be staying, was all the more reason that she felt so fortunate to have him.

“It’s up to you, whatever is more comfortable with the bandages.” Aurora indicated, “Doesn’t make a difference to me.”

He reached around her, grabbing some pillows from the bed only now drawing Aurora's eyes to the large pile of pillows that Lorcán apparently was stockpiling.

“Choka, Lady Dude,” He replied, “Bed is yours, floor is all I need tonight.”

Aurora raised her eyebrows before shaking her head, clearly in disagreement. “Yeah, no, I’m not letting you do that.” She swung her legs up onto his bed, moving to the far side of the mattress and patting the ample remaining space. She knew Lorcán was just trying to be nice and gentlemanly, but that simply wasn’t going to fly tonight. “There’s plenty of room. Besides, you’re gonna aggravate your injuries if you sleep on the floor.”

“Either we share the bed or I’m teleporting back to my dorm.”

“You’re not allowed to teleport,” Lorcán repeated, taking one look at Aurora's expression and relenting. He put his pillows back on the bed and climbed up beside her, before hanging one leg over the side and keeping a foot in contact with the floor.

“Fine, Lady Dude, you win.” He said with his arms raised slightly, “I’m in the bed,” Lorcán teased before wiggling his way further into the mattress and stacking two pillows under his head.

Aurora smirked, satisfied with her small victory, and slipped under the covers, her copper locks fanning out behind her as she laid back. She instantly relaxed as she inhaled citrus and smoke, recognizing that Lorcán’s bed sheets smelled just like him. Her coy expression turned into a genuine smile. “Thank you.” She spoke softly, conveying her appreciation to him for letting her stay. Her eyelids grew heavier, exhaustion beginning to tug them down. Finally not on high alert, finding peace in his presence.

He laid back, his nostrils taking in her sweet aroma while Lorcán folded his hands together over his stomach, staring up at the ceiling above him. His tense body language might have given the wrong impression, but he loved that Aurora was next to him. He just never imagined that this would be the situation that led to her sleeping in his bed.

Lorcán had at least wanted to make her dinner first.

In contrast, the redhead drifted off quickly, indicated by the steady ride and fall of her chest as rest overtook her. Minutes passed, and the only audible sound was her slow and even breathing. But her stillness became short lived as she began to move in her sleep, shifting her body to find a more comfortable position. She turned onto her side, her back to Lorcán, but only lasted a few moments with her bruised face resting on the pillow.

In one movement, she flipped to her opposite side, now facing him, her extended arm draping across his torso, hand resting on his chest.

Lorcán’s heart skipped a beat as the cool hand came to rest on his chest. His mind raced as he tried to quiet the swirling thoughts inside his head, ignoring the based ones and focusing on that Aurora was here for comfort, nothing else.

They were just friends after all.

Weren’t they?

His eyes drifted back towards the ceiling as he intensely studied the stuccoed roof of his dorm. It was doubtful he’d sleep that night. No, it was most certain that he wouldn't.

Not a wink.

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Beach - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Take On Me #3.002: I Want More

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): @Melissa - Aurora Mitchell}

Previously: Riptide

^{| Present}

The mist off the ocean stung in his wounds, the salt creeping into his new scars. The healers said they could remove them, but Lorcán wanted to keep them. He didn't tell Aurora that, it would only upset her but he needed the reminder, the reminder that he needed to continue to train and the reminder of what he could become if he didn't get it back under control.

The open water was a welcome reprieve from the looks of pity he received across campus. Thankfully with the dress code abolished, Lorcán was finally free to wear his hat and a hood, keeping his face shrouded so as not to draw onlookers who gawked at the fresh scar. Memories of Raze still haunted his nightmares, his mother had insisted he return to seeing his own psychiatrist, but Lorcán was reluctant. Even after all these years, that same darkness, that inferno raged inside of him. He saw it in Raze and even if it was someone else's idea of who he could become, he knew his own mind is what had made Raze so real inside the Trial.

The swells were small today, but Lorcán just needed to be out on the water, away from the campus for a bit. He had visited Gil almost daily since the Trial, but despite the support of his team, Gil had slipped into a depressive state.

Then there was whatever was going on between Lorcán and Aurora. His feelings for her were stronger than ever but he was more confused about where they stood after waking up with her wrapped in his arms. Her body had been pressed up against his, his hand tightly gripping her hip, while she moved against him. The soft skin of her side touching his fingers that had slid under her shirt in the night. But as Lorcán awoke, and Aurora accidentally scooted her hips closer to his, he realized she was feeling all of him and panicked. Aurora awoke soon after and realizing what was going on immediately teleported to her room.

She had yet to acknowledge that morning again.

He looked down at his reflection in the water again before it disappeared as a small white cap disrupted the glassy surface. A bark from the shore caught Lorcán’s attention before he raised his molten eyes to see Rothschild waiting for him at the water’s edge.

“You can swim out here.” Lorcán teased as the dog barked back again. Rothschild turned his head, and Lorcán followed his eyes before they were drawn to a cliff overlooking the beach. Above the morning's waves, just outside the forest's edge was a creature Lorcán had never seen before.

White like a fresh snowfall, it almost seemed to glow even in the Dawn's early light. Large antlers stretched from either side of the majestic creature’s head as the place stag let out a powerful bellow that echoed over the water.

It wasn't uncommon for the island to have deer or even the occasional moose, but Lorcán had never seen one such as this. It appeared almost ancient as vines and moss coated its horns, small buds of flower interspersed across them.

Lorcán felt a pulse in his pocket, reaching for his phone only to remember it was still in his bag on the shore. Only then did his hand pat the object that Jonas had given him. It pulsed again, growing warm in his grasp.

Another bark from Rothschild brought Lorcán’s attention back to the stag, watching as it disappeared into the treeline before the border collie gave chase, kicking up sand before leaping into the air and flying towards the cliffs.

There was something about a flying dog that never got old.

“Slag it,” Lorcán muttered before dropping onto his stomach and paddling for show. “Wait up, dude, I’m coming too.”

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

“In today’s top headlines, a H.E.L.P. Albatross lost power while crossing the Pacific. Thankfully, no lives were lost as the Foundation Force was on scene within moments, Triton swimming to the rescue added by Daytripper and the Steel Shell.”

The man looked up from his drink, his eyes squinting towards the TV as he shook his head. There was something still bothering him from today’s rescue. H.E.L.P. was many things, but their equipment was top of the line, those aircraft didn’t just lose power. He absently swirled around the highball glass, listening to the ice inside clink against the tumbler.

The bar was mostly empty, the occasional regular sitting by themselves spaced out along the bar rail. Unfortunately, that made the droning sound of the TV even louder, agitating the long-haired man as he swung his drink a little too hard before dropping it with a dull thud against the bar.

“We go now to an interview recorded at the scene with the Foundation Force’s own Triton-”

“Can you turn that off?” The man suddenly roared as his own face appeared on the screen.

“Yo, buddy what’s your-” The bartender started before suddenly pausing and realizing who he was talking to. “My apologies, I didn’t realize I was serving a bonafide celebrity.”

“Would have preferred it stayed that way.”

“You’re a hero, practically a god to some people,” The bartender smiled, “Enjoy it, Triton.”

“Mack.”

“Sorry?” The bartender replied,

“My name is Makaio Tawhiri.” Mack replied, “But you can call me, Mack.”

“Well, Mack, your money is no longer good here. A hero drinks for free.”

“If I was any other Hyperhuman, would you say that?” Makaio challenged as the bartender faltered.

“Hey, if you want to pay, you want to pay,” He snapped back while raising his hands.

“How about I buy you a drink?” A woman smiled while pulling a stool up next to Makaio, “And not just because you’re him,” She added gesturing towards the TV, “I’m mostly doing it because I think you’re sexy.”

Makaio finished his drink, smiling as the woman winked her long lashes at him.

“I never turn down a drink from a beautiful woman.”

^{_{__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

The door to the bedroom flew off its hinges as Makaio backed through it, the woman from the bar wrapped around his torso, passionately kissing his bearded face. She wrapped her hands around his face, pulling his mouth tighter to her own, her tongue dancing against his.

She pulled at the buttons of his shirt, the small pieces of plastic giving way to the aggressive tug as they flew in every direction. Her hands traced his muscled body, feeling out every vein and scar, the lines of his tattoos.

“You probably get this a lot,” She whispered in his ear, panting in anticipation, “But you get me so, wet,”

Makaio stifled a chuckle before reaching around behind the woman’s back. The tearing of fabric echoed through the room as she excitedly squealed at his display. Placing her feet on the floor, she pushed him onto the bed before dropping to her knees and going for his belt.

A wave of sudden nausea fell over Makaio as his eyes were drawn to the necklace laid between the woman’s bosom as she knelt in front of him. A crimson cross hung on a simple silver chain. The strength rapidly drained from his body, his mind quickly connecting the dots, but still, it wasn’t fast enough.

The closet door burst open and from within two men lunged forward, each driving a spike through Makaio’s shoulders, pinning him to the bed. The Foundation Force member howled in pain, weakly attempting to fight back but the waves of nausea only increased and his abilities were non-responsive.

A cruel sneer was the last thing he saw before a click and a whir echoed through the bedroom. The weapon's hilt flew to her hand from its hiding place before the blade materialized - one quick slash severing Makaio’s head from his body.

A splattered arc of blackened crimson sprayed the wall as a deafening silence fell over the room.

^{_{__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

“This is a warning.”

Broadcasts all over the world were suddenly interrupted, their image becoming nothing more than gray static as a modulated voice-over spoke. Their tone was flat, yet starkly defiant.

“No more deceivers.”

An image of an attack on Times Square by Hyperion’s Children from five years ago flashed onto the screen. It was followed by images of a squad of H.E.L.P. agents intervening in an investigation. Another image flashed onto the screen, this time of the Human Hyperhuman Alliance counter-protesting for more Hyperhuman rights.

“No more heroes.”

The voice spoke again, the static image changing to display the severed head of the Foundation Force’s Triton. His long hair and beard were stained in his own freshly spilled blood. It glistened on the screen, still wet from the kill.

“No more false gods.”

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: Pacific Royal Campus - Dundas Islands, Pacific Ocean}

Take On Me #3.001: Brand New Numb

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: In The End

Prior to five years ago, the Homecoming Trials had always gone off without a hitch. Now again, for the second time in Pacific Royal’s history, the Trials had been disrupted. The student body was shaken, though thankfully the arrests of Naira Cameron, Lindsay Ainsworth and the rest of their House Orcinus associates had brought about a feeling of temporary relief. From the perspective of the bulk of the student body, Hyperion’s Children were dealt with, the only ones who were any wiser were the faculty and any remaining members hidden and laying low.

Staff at all levels had been briefed regarding House Orcinus, their greeting, and connection to Hyperion. They were splintered and disorganized now, without a leader and hopefully that would dissuade them doing any further harm. There was some welcome reprieve in all this, the attack by House Orcinus had taken some of the heat off of the Foundation during this tough transition.

That was bound to change.

A memo was sent out to the entire student body informing them of the uniform changes on campus. Understandably, this message was met with frustration due to the inconvenient timing. The majority of students packed only a limited wardrobe for wearing outside of academic hours. In the past forty-eight hours, the ferry to the mainland had been exceptionally busy with students of all ages venturing over to purchase new clothing, and the graduating class purchasing formal attire for their upcoming dance.

For the incoming students, Jim and the faculty had gone old school and replicated the first trial from the year the house system was introduced, back in 1990. Setting up both the Chimera’s Lair and the Thunderdome as a combination obstacle course, athletics and problem solving exercises. No augmented reality involved and medics were standing by in the event of any real world injuries. The low tech event had been a hit, and seemingly was more enjoyed than some of the previous spectacles brought about by the Hedge Trials on the Southern Plateau.

With the weekend behind them, the school had finally entered into its true academic year and the campus was buzzing with students moving between classes. It was still foreign to Jim to see the campus this alive without nary a blazer in sight. In all his years at Pacific Royal, from the time he was a student to being Chancellor, the uniform had been a constant. Scarcely updated from the day the doors opened until now, and a part of him was deeply saddened to see it gone.

Blackjack was still reeling from their experiences in the Trial, not that Jim could blame them. They had each been assigned time with counselors in order to work through what they had experienced. A team advisor had yet to be assigned and while Jim hoped that Rory would take up his offer to lead in the interim, he also knew that there was a very real possibility that Tad might not wake up and they would need to find a permanent replacement.

Most of the team’s physical injuries had been tended to. Some of the more severe injuries however needed time to fully heal and Gil was still bedridden due to the extensive damage he suffered. Even Hyperhuman healers had limits, and Blackjack’s wounds had found them. It was a surprise that none of them had been pushed into a state of Hyperpsychosis by the time they were rescued.

Initially, Torres had wanted to start Blackjack as her guinea pigs for a new sparring course, however given the state of the team and the fact that the Face of the Foundation had been called away to deal with an emergency, Jim instead had their courses rearranged to put the sparring later in the week. For the time being, they were simply attending their regular classes.

All that left was the Graduate’s Class homecoming dance at the end of the week. Calliope and Gil had made good headway, but with Gil currently still residing in the Infirmary, Jim knew Calliope would need a new hand. He had suggested that she reached out to Harper in Gil’s absence.

Hopefully, the team would get to enjoy a normal week for once.

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

The catwalk had collapsed that once held the Harbinger, though his body was likely no more than wall decoration at this point, Tad on the other hand stood a chance of surviving. His abilities allowed him to adapt, but Jim had never seen them proactively work, only retroactively and that’s what scared him.

There was one relief in all this, with the Harbinger gone and the Black Site destroyed, hopefully, Pacific Royal had finally seen the last of both House Orcinus and Hyperion’s Children.

Something hit Jim’s foot and he looked down to see the form of a man encased in stone. Focussing the last of his strength, Jim extended his field, covering Tad and dragging the younger man closer.

“I’ve got you, boy.” He muttered before pressing the button as Torres had instructed.

“Well I’ll be damned, you’re still alive,” Daytripper stated, announcing his arrival. “Let’s go, looks like they got your kids free.”

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Southern Plateau - Dundas Islands, Pacific Ocean}

Hope In Hell #2.060: In The End

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: High Hopes

Jim blinked and found himself in the fresh air of the Southern Plateau. Blackjack was being escorted out of the trial, every member of the team still alive though some worse for wear than others. He could see the bruises marring Aurora’s face, a fresh scar on Lorcán, one leg of Calliope’s A.R. suit was completely gone, the exposed skin of the leg underneath plastered in burns no doubt from the hard-light that was already blistering over her knee as she limped towards a care station. Though Calliope was in better shape than Banjo who’d likely be walking with a limp for the rest of his life given the wound he had received through his left leg. Gil had fared worse than the others however and was being carried out on a stretcher. Wounds covered his body, his breathing laboured on account of the punctured lung. Where others could be treated in the field, Gil was immediately rushed to the infirmary.

Leaning down, Jim rolled Tad’s stone-encased form over, checking for any signs of life. The chest was moving, slightly but the pulse was very faint as his body had gone into an almost hibernative state. Shrapnel and debris were lodged in his torso between the rock-like plates confirming Jim’s worst fears.

“I need medics over here,” Jim yelled as a pair ran towards him. Suddenly Tad’s hand reached out, grabbing ahold of Jim’s arm.

“Bla… Hyperi… K-kck!” He managed to spit out before beginning to choke as crimson bled freely from behind his teeth and pooled over his lips. Tad’s eyes began to roll towards the back of his head.

“We’re losing him,” A medic yelled, “I need transport immediately.”

“I’ve got you, gringos,” Daytripper interrupted, placing his hands on the medic and Tad before teleporting away. Jim watched them disappear in front of him, in five years it was the second time he had to watch his protégé fight for his life because of Hyperion, whether directly or indirectly and frankly, he was done with it.

“Jim, they’re in rough shape,” Miranda stated, moving towards Jim before being cut off by one of the techs from the control room. “Amma attacked Tyler, Calliope believes her leg is missing, and Gil’s unconscious and in critical condition. Most of the rest have burns and lacerations, and that’s not even beginning to unpack the psychological damage. Haven in particular got off exceptionally lucky, her neural uplink was ripped off seconds after Michael detonated the bomb. A moment sooner and she’d be catatonic right now.”

“I need y’all to take Friend and get to the hospital, the Foundation’s teleporter just left with Thaddeus, he’s not in a good state, Miranda.” Jim ordered softly, before leaning in close to Miranda’s ear, “Thaddeus tried to warn me about something before he went unconscious, do you know if he was chasing any leads.”

“He verified the Orcinus greeting, you don’t think a member of Blackjack is…?”

“I’d hate to, but at this point, it seems all too possible,” Jim murmured back before letting Miranda go, “Y’all best hightail it, best thing for Thaddeus right now is to be surrounded by loved ones.”

Jim bit down on his cheek, kicking his jaw to the side as he surveyed the team. He had known most of these kids from the first day they stepped foot on Dundas Island. It was hard to imagine any of them would align themselves with Hyperion’s Children and betray everything this school stood for.

“Sir, you need to see this.” A tech interrupted, handing him a tablet with footage from within the Trial playing on it. Jim felt his brown furrow as he watched Rory Tyler dawn the same garb that Hyperion himself wore. He knew Tyler, Tyler while a natural leader was not the type to want to harm anyone. There was context missing, but what it did present was an opportunity.

“Torres,” Jim called, approaching the woman and Hyperman who stood beside her clad in his long red coat.

“Can y’all spare a moment, need y’all for a little ride along.” He stated before showing them the tablet.

“I don’t think Tyler is guilty, I do think though we’ve been presented with an opportunity. Clearly, Michael wanted to recruit Tyler to his causes and I have reason to believe someone on Blackjack was loyal to that cause. We’re going to take Tyler on a little ride-along and explain to him what’s going on. There’s a pretty high chance he’ll cooperate and help us catch the true member of House Orcinus.”

“That seems like an actual plan, Chancellor, not very cowboy of you.” Torres allowed the corner of her mouth to turn into a smile before her face resumed its neutral expression. “Very well, Hank, if you'd please lead the way.”

“As you wish,” Hyperman bowed slightly before the three approached Rory.

“Tyler, you look no worse for wear, was wondering if you could give us a hand.” Jim stated, looking between Rory and Haven, the former having already been seen by a healer who had taken care of his lacerations.

“Sorry to pry you away from Miss Barnes, but I assure you she’s in good hands.” The surrounding company of Torres and Hyperman left little room for the request to be optional.

“We’ll bring him right back,” Jim promised as the four climbed inside a nearby Manticore. Jim was the first to speak, turning around to Rory, before presenting the tablet.

“Firstly, y’all aren’t in trouble, this isn’t an arrest or even an accusation. We want y’alls help,” Jim stated, “What we currently know is that a splinter cell of Hyperion’s Children was operating on campus as a secret house. Blackjack was specifically targeted by this sect and in our investigation we confronted the alleged leader and several of his followers. Unfortunately, he chose death by his own hand rather than to be arrested.”

“Based on the footage from the simulation,” Torres continued, taking the tablet from Jim and turning it towards Rory, “It would seem he was grooming you. Or attempting to. Your faculty representative unfortunately is in critical condition but according to Ms. Rivers was investigating the possibility of there being a member of Hyperion’s Children on Team Blackjack.”

“Tyler,” Jim paused for a second before starting again.

“Rory,” He spoke again, this time addressing the student by his given name, “We believe y’all have the rather unique opportunity to suss out this person. I’m hoping you’d be willing to be our eyes and ears, with Thaddeus in the hospital, you’re going to be without a rep until we find someone available and no one knows Blackjack better than you.”

“Take some time,” Torres interjected, “Don’t answer now, take some time, think it over but we ask that this stays between the people in this vehicle.”

Jim offered a weak smile.

“Including Hyperman.”

“Hank is fine, Chancellor.”

“Including Hank,”

Climbing out of the Manticore, Jim opened the door for Rory, motioning for the younger man to follow him back to Haven. As they exited the vehicle, Torres turned the engine over, the Manticore purring to life as the Foundation’s representative and her colleague headed towards campus. Jim broke the silence as he walked with Rory.

“Again, think it over, y’all can always choose just to be part of the investigation or just to be your team’s lead in the interim. Let me know.” Jim said, patting Rory on the back upon delivering the boy back to Haven.

Looking around the various students being treated for their injuries, Jim gave his head a shake. It wasn’t the tragedy of five years ago, but it was tragic nonetheless. These kids were supposed to be in the best year of their life and so far it had started with them being jerked around by their degrees being pulled, and now tortured by an enemy they didn’t know they had.

The semester had scarcely begun, and it had already been a year.

^{_{__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

The sliding door of Torres’ balcony opened as a man entered silently, He walked into the living room where Torres sat reclined in a large chair, a satin robe draped over her figure while she aimlessly swirled a glass of red wine held haphazardly in her hand.

Without a word, the man hung his jacket, exposing a well-tailored three-piece suit underneath before he approached the bar, picking up a decanter and pouring himself a neat Scotch. He took a sip of the drink, not a drop touching the neatly trimmed beard that accented his chiselled jawline. He remained expressionless while finishing his drink before Torres finally acknowledged her guest.

“Miguel, please help yourself.”

"I assume you brought me here to ensure the experiments don't start again." The Fist replied rhetorically before topping up his drink and taking a seat across from the woman. Torres in turn nodded solemnly before also shaking her head.

"I did," She answered. Hesitation hovered on her lips as Miguel’s keen eyes studied her with an intensity that was so familiar but yet escaped her at that moment. Finally, her lips parted, releasing the words she was so reluctant to speak.

"But I fear we're much too late.”