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7 days ago
Current Damn I miss all the juicy drama...
22 days ago
As a reminder: Pride Month is every month. It will be so until we no longer need it because we have eliminated all of the 'factory default settings'. This has been my TED Talk, thank you
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1 mo ago
And I've always said that
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3 mos ago
And the two wolves are gay. And they are kissing. They are gay kissing wolves
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3 mos ago
And I've always said that
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Bio

Well now that I got the customary "post once" requirement out of the way....

HELLO

Welcome to my safe space. Well, about as safe as one space can be, I guess. If you are here looking for something, I am very sorry to disappoint you, but I made fresh cookies! Come sit a spell.

I guess I'll do some more in-depth stuff about myself. My name is Nick and I am 35 years old living in Illinois. I am a therapist and clinical responder (which is a fancy way of saying I go out on police calls to provide mental health assistance). Been doing therapy for a few years now and I absolutely love it!

I am a gay, cisgender man. I came out in January 2020 (smack dab in the middle of a pandemic. Timing was always my downfall). There is still much I am learning, but I am proud and happy to be who I really am and not have to hide it anymore!

I am an avid gamer, especially roleplaying games (cue surprised and shock noises). I also enjoy writing and reading, especially mysteries. I am not new to roleplay, I promise. I have been doing it for years now in different formats. I am experienced, even if it doesn't seem like it.

I use humor as a coping mechanism for sure, but I also like laughing and enjoying myself. Life can be pretty sad and upsetting for the most part and I don't want to add to it.

Whew! That got deep!

I will be poking my nose around in spaces and hoping to jump headfirst into this. Some interests I have in terms of roleplay settings include superheroes, DnD, science fiction/fantasy, mysteries, thrillers, horror stuffs, apocolypse, and espionage. And I am a fan of most things pop culture. If you have any suggestions or possible roleplays you think I would love, please let me know.

Otherwise, stick around! This is gonna get wild!

Most Recent Posts

Hello all,

I am opening this back up for new people. We haven't gotten far into the story yet and could use some fresh blood to help us move things along.

I am open to applications for any of the factions, but we could really use more circus people. If you have questions, let me know.



Millicent




Location: Château de La Lune
Skills: N/A





With questioning Felix done Millicent made to leave, waiting for Brendan to follow her. Once they were safely away she paused.

Lots of information was swirling in her head and she was putting some of the pieces together. It was clear that each of the nominees had received some sort of "blackmail" correspondence with information they would otherwise not want getting out. It had to be someone who knew each of the nominees coming which led Millicent to believe it was either a member of the family or staff or one of the nominees was made privy to that information, which again led to someone in the La Lune family. All signs pointed to Eleanor, though it very well could be one of the children or other family members.

Renee was more than likely attacked. Millicent had to assume it was because Renee had a secret she didn't want getting out and maybe confronted someone who attacked her. Or perhaps Renee was the person blackmailing them and one of them had a secret they didn't want getting out. Either way, Rennee was at the center of this.

And Miguel was still missing. Did he stumble on something or did he manage to leave, either after killing Renee or just getting out of here before he was next?

"We need to search Renee's room. There has to be something there. But first, we should inform Sam and Ralph with what we learned, even if it wasn't a whole lot."
We are down two players, so I opened this up for new people!

Please review and apply if you are interested. I am happy to answer questions. We are not too far along but we will be moving to a major scene at the Circus. We could use more circus characters, but you are free to choose whatever you would like!
Sabine Bassard

Location: Medical Bay
Gear:
Skills: Memory Manipulation





Sabine opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She wasn't in the arena anymore. She laid there, soaking in what had occurred. She had failed. She lost and now the rest of her team was fighting and she was here, because she failed. The Hex Girls were a bunch of cheaters and, quite frankly, a bunch of bitches, but even then what did that mean? After all, if she were to be a hero it wasn't like villains would fight fair.

What's more, no one on the team came to her defense apart from April. Their team dynmic was so poor. It never should have gotten to that point.

Sabine sat up slowly as her body ached. She was sore, bruised, but alive. And better off it seemed as she glanced over to see Prudence laying there, unmoving and unconscious. The medical staff was busy with someone else and a look saw that Thelma was there and on fire. A lot of fire. "Hell yeah Danni, way to go."

Now she would have to wait for her team to either pull off a win or lose and the Hex Girls become victorious. Sabine knew they were cheating, she knew it deep down even if she didn't quite know why. Vicky was, hopefully, trying to find something out about it, but did it matter? If she couldn't prove it it would just look like she was a sore loser. She could lose with grace, but to lose to a bunch of cheating morons? No, that stung.

Then....Sabine had an idea. She looked back to the staff who were trying to help Thelma out with that situation. Then she went back to look at Prudence. Defenseless Prudence. Sabine fought the urge to withdraw herself, she knew she had to. She wouldn't alter anything, just taking a peek. Sabien sent her conscious over to Prudence and entered her memories. It was easy as she couldn't fight back fully. She wanted to find one in particular. One from right before they were set to start the fight. Once she found what she was looking for she delved in.



Sabien quickly exited the memory and returned. She fucking knew it! That candy or drug or whatever was the cause of whatever they were experiencing. It had to be boosting their abilities. And if they were being secretive about it they likely didn't enter it when they joined the contest.

She needed to find it. Maybe it was in their hotel room? She didn't know where Vicky was or if she could hear her, but she tried. "Vicky, if you can hear me, I saw a memory that confirmed my suspicions. That candy is helping them somehow and I do not think they claimed it when they entered the contest. We have to find it or some shred of evidence left and I think it is in their hotel room."

Sabine stood up, again slowly. Would she be allowed to leave? Then she had another idea. She shot a message off to Vision.



She would wait, hopefully, to hear from Vision. So she sat back on the bed. She hoped she could figure this out in time.
Oopsy poopsie here I am!



Location: Hall of Ancients, Strange Academy
Grimoire: N/A
Skills: N/A
Current Outfit




Seeing Willow off she followed Cal back to where their room would be. Her heart was beating faster with each step. Cassie had to calm down. This was the first night here.

They came upon their door. The intricate work of it was something to behold. It seemed like magic itself. It shouldn't surprise her, but she continued to marvel at the things this school seemed to offer. All at once she felt...out of place. Yes, she had magic. Yes, if uncontrolled could be catastrophic of epic proportions. But was she Strange Academy material? She felt alone despite being near people like her.

Cal unlocked the door and stepped aside to allow her entry. She immeditaely saw a figure in the room and had to fight the urge to freak out as she remembered there would be another roommate. Made sense given the numbers.

Rohan was an impressive figure as well, though the energy he gave off was chilling. "Rohan, it's nice to meet you. You can call me Cassie. I look forward to getting to know you better!" Cal went off to the left side which meant she would be on the right. As she stepped towards her bed, bland though it was, the left shifted as Cal maneuvered his room. Cassie stared in awe as things shifted and placed themselves. Again, she was flabbergasted by something these men knew already.

"So, you mean to tell me I have my own space and can decorate it with a thought? Like my own Barbie dreamhouse just...college room edition?" Cassie squealed and bounced up and down. "Oh my gosh that's so fricken awesome!"

First she started with the bed. She had an image in her head and the bed shifted to a pink bedframe with white shets and plenty of pink pillows. There was also a little bench at the foot on her bed. She also produced a smal end table next to it that held a few candles, unlit. Her gaze shifted to one of the walls and a vanity appeared with a small stool to sit on. Lastly, a dresser to hold her things that matched the bed vibes.

She spun in a circle on her way to her bed as she flopped down upon it, allowing the comfort to take hold. "This is so cool! And I can shift it whenever I want? My parents never allowed me to decorate my room." Apart from the new window she made, she thought.

She heard something slip across the floor and sat up. There was a paper on the ground now and she walked towards it, picking it up. She opened it and read the contents. This was the gathering Cal mentioned. "Oh wow, my first college party! Is there a dress code? A theme? I know it says clothes should be kept on...is that a thing that happens often enough to warrant its own warning? What are you both wearing? Oh my gosh can we match! I am sure I have something nice to wear." She ran back to her new dresser and opened it before she realized she hadn't actually put her clothes in there yet. "Or, I will once I unpack."




Millicent




Location: Château de La Lune
Skills: N/A





Millicent was about to get up when Sam walked over and….wait did he not know who Brendan was? Millicent looked awkwardly between Sam and Brendan, wondering if she should say something, but was that outing Brendan? Millicent assumed it was obvious, but perhaps not.

And Ralph also confirmed Rhiannon was in the same boat they were. This was getting awkward. It was clear that a lot of them were in this situation, but everyone was tiptoeing around the point.

”That’s great, Sam. Yes, let’s discuss that later after Brendan and I go speak to Felix, especially as Brendan is so friendly with Felix.” Millicent made that last point apparent, hoping Sam would pick up on it.

She stood up and excused herself, waiting for Brendan to follow so they could grab Felix and question him.

Felix was in the kitchen, so was Aurélia, the pair sitting on a bench together. The woman had calmed down, her make up was ruined, but she wasn’t crying anymore. There was a faint hint of vomit in the air, but it was not actively in the room. Long cleaned up. Aurélia was sipping a cup of what might be hot chocolate, the smell of alcohol joined with the smell of chocolate.

Felix stood up as Millicent and Brendan entered the room. “Hello mademoiselle, monsieur. How may I help you?” Aurélia looked up from her cup that she held as if it was her only life line. She didn’t stand up though.

“Um…” Brendan looked at Aurélia, worried. “Are you okay? I, um. We’re…” Brendan looked around at everyone awkwardly, “Sorry for interrupting, we just um, wanted to ask Felix something…”

Millicent looked at Aurelia, unsure if she wanted to have a conversation with her in the room. She doubted asking her to leave would go over well. They would need to go about this differently. ”It’s terrible what happened. Are you both fairing okay?”

Felix gave the pair a sad smile. “This is not something we were prepared for. I do not think it was a failing. Being prepared for such things implies more than I care to think of.”

Aurélia sniffed. “I have never seen something like that before.” She shook her head. “I want to go home. But we can't. Nathaniel has taken the boat to contact the mainland.”

“He is the best equipped to make it. He has sailed around the world alone,” Felix said softly.

Millicent noted that they were stuck here then. Which means if this was more than an accident, unless it was Nathaniel, they were here with the person who killed Renee. ”I wouldn’t mind going home myself. Could definitely use more friendly faces here considering I didn’t know anyone before I got here. Did you all know Renee? Or got to know her? I fear I didn’t know her that well and now I feel guilty.”

Brendan nodded. “I spoke to Renee a short while the night before…I didn’t really know what to say. I wish I did. I wish I could have talked to her more.”

“I could not say I know any of your number,” Aurélia said. “I have spoken with Sam but not really anyone else.”

“While I have spent more time in some of the nominees' presence I would only be confident to say I know Ivanna.” Felix nodded towards Brendan.

”That’s wonderful. I imagine getting to know new faces around here can be enjoyable. I was curious, actually, about how nominations go. I know a little as was discussed with Eleanor, but I’ll admit I would love to know who nominated me.”

Brendan hesitated for a moment then also looked to Felix. “Do you have any way of checking who it was? It must be written down somewhere…someone must know, right?”

“I am sorry. I do not know. Elenore would, but she has always been tight lipped about it over the years. A hold over from how her father ran the ceremony. He did not enjoy pomp and circumstance but wanted to reward those who had done quiet things that changed the world. He wanted to encourage those people to continue their work. Elenore tries to hold to those ideals. If you win she might tell the story of what garnered her attention from the list of all those who are nominated. Traditionally dozens or more may be nominated and never know. Only the few out of those that were originally nominated get the invitation to come here.” Felix explained. “I do not understand what that has to do with Renee.” He admitted.

”Well, I was thinking if we knew what Renee did that was so memorable enough, changed the world enough, that she was nominated, we could maybe set up some crowd funding for them since Renee won’t….be able to help them anymore.” Millicent was definitely poking for information, but she did also feel bad. If Renee did help a lot of people then they lost out on something.

Brendan listened as Millicent spoke, then looked to Felix and nodded. “People would want to support that,” Brendan added.

“Ah, I understand. That is noble. I will ask Elenore to inform us of Renee's deeds so we can support continuing her work.” Felix gave them both a deep bow.

It didn’t seem like they would get any more information from Felix. Or rather, Millicent wouldn’t. Ivanna may have better luck. Eleanor was the head. IF they wanted to know anything, she would be the person to talk to.

Brendan nodded, also wondering if they would have any luck with Eleanor or anyone else. Someone else had to know something about something or another. “Thank you, Felix.” Brendan looked to Millicent, unsure what to do next.

“I am happy to help in any way I can,” Felix said, straightening from his bow.



Location: Hall of Ancients, Strange Academy
Grimoire: N/A
Skills: N/A
Current Outfit




Cassie was eager to get started, but a new presence came over, wrapping his arm around Cal and whispering into his ear. Or no...was he...Cassie blushed slightly. The warmth of the gesture followed by the playfulness made her feel....well fuzzy was the best term. Were the two of them dating? Cassie admonished herself. Seems Cal was off limits. Cassie nodded her greeting, wondering what Barty's deal was. Cassie sighed, at least she was here.

Cassie followed closely, but not too closely as to not make herself look like some crazed lunatic fawning over the first man she saw (she saw plenty of others before Cal, thank you very much!). She walked alongside Willow, thankful to have someone in her Coven that was not two men who seemed interested. Cassie also held her key firmly in her hand, anxious to see who she would be rooming with and what it looked like.

She knew from TV and movies that colleged typically had bedrooms shared. And Cal confirmed this. Thankfully the bathrooms would not be a shared space either. As much as she was open to new things here in this new school, she didn't want to get dressed in front of Cal or any of the other guys for that matter. Perhaps this school was different and she would get used to it, but baby steps.

Cassie tried not to look at everything with with wonder and amazement and found herself falling short. The school was wild in the best way possible. She wondered how Willow saw it. "So, what do you think so far?" she asked, excitement peppered in her tone. Her previous feelings now a short memory, she decided to make the best of it.

Wating for Willow to respond, Cassie wondered...what was Cal's deal? He clearly had some chemistry with Barty, why was he flirting with her too? Was it an open relationship? She had read about those, though she was sure truth was stranger than fiction. She couldn't imagine being with someone who was so open with others. She would feel left out or discarded. She couldn't imagine paying attention to everyone equally. Though, she supposed, that was what conversation was for.

She felt she was quiet for too long so she smiled in responde. "That's fine! Save the best for last. Not to say Willow isn't the best! She is! We all are! I mean....yes let's find out her room first!" Cassie shuffled a bit on her feet, the awkwardness filling her stomach with butterflies.
Sabine Bassard



The hits kept coming. It seemed no matter what they did, the Hex Girls had a counter for it. Granted, Prudence was out for the count, but look at how much it took to get there.

Something was not right. Their team was not the most strategic in this moment, but the Hex Girls seemed to just know what to do. And yes, she saw the strategy meeting when she saw Tatiana's memories, and their's was a good strategy, but this seemed more...attuned.

Something bugged her, but she couldn't do much about it now. She hoped Vicky would look into it more. "I saw Thuy at the hotel so I believe they are, but I am not sure. Whatever you can figure out. Something isn't right with them."

Sabine cast a glance at April who had been dealing with a lot in this fight. She had protected her before, but Sabine was moving around trying to get away from either of the Hex Girls who were coming after her and, apart from April, no one else seemed keen on ensuring she stuck around. Sabine wasn't a front fighter, but support was paramount to victory. The Hex Girls proved that.

And then she saw the punch. And a flare lit inside of her.

"Oh okay, fuck you! You're all a bunch of miserable fucks. Willing to bet you lot cheated, but whatever. Mess with her again and I'll see you after the fight!" She charged forward, but Tatiana, moving quickly, decked her hard. Sabine fell back. Wil had also hit her. April had it right.

Sabine gave the Hex Girls another middle finger, one especially to Thuy. "I don't know if it was real or a play, but I will never, even be fucking interested in you. I hope you die alone."

Sabine felt her knees buckle; she no longer had the energy to stand. The Hex Girls had beaten her. The only hope she had was that the others would make it hurt significantly. She looked over to Leah, "Fuck them up good for me." With that, Sabine fell to the ground unconscious.






Once Jo had exited his office, he fell onto his chair with a 'huff'. This job had come with all sorts of added stress he had not expected. Most of it comes from the looming threat of constantly having his funding pulled or the government deciding that Enlightened didn't need to be trained or educated and instead rounded up, locked away, or worse.

And now we have a missing man and a student worried about their father. That would not bode well. He had some sources he could pull or ask for, but it would be better to perhaps send someone over to investigate. Which means he would need to make contact with the one person who, he knew, never wanted to hear from him again.




Lady Rosemarie crossed the threshold of the school; something she had never expected to do again. She walked with the confidence of someone who could be accepted here, so students paid little attention to her. Perhaps she was a new teacher on her way to a lecture? Or was she a wealthy aristocrat who donated money to the school and wanted to see where her funds were being allocated?

She glanced around at the school, grown since she last saw it. She came upon the old, wooden doors and she took a moment, fleeting though it were, to reflect before she knocked. The doors opened quickly and she swept herself inside.

Lord Ingram Poe stood in front of his desk as Lady Rosemarie entered. "Lady Rosemarie, it is a pleasure to have you here. Would you like anything to drink?"

Lady Rosemarie didn't often let emotion play out on her face, but there was a small twitch of her eye as Poe spoke. Memory was a precious thing. "Do not do me a disservice by pretending this is a cordial visit, Lord Poe. I received your summons and found it intriguing enough to make the journey here, but this is not two friends meeting. This is business." She gathered herself up before she moved to the sitting area off the side and sat down. "Tea will suffice."

Lord Poe rubbed his temples as he summoned a servant to fetch them tea. He walked over and sat down. "Lady Rosemarie, I mean no disrespect. I would not have asked you here if I did not have a sufficient reason. I understand my father and yo-"

"Let me stop you right there, Lord Poe. Your father and I have history and that is not to be dredged up by you or anyone else. I will not speak ill of the dead, may he rest in peace, but you and I both know what your father did. So, please, be quick about why I am here or I will leave. I have my own matters to attend to."

Lord Poe understood. He knew of the Haven for Wayward Girls and knew it was a necessary...well was evil the right word? Wold he rather the girls be on the streets or in homes or orphanages that did not care for them? "Right, to business then. I have a matter with a student that I need looked into."

Lady Rosemarie watched as the servant came in, tea in hand, and set it down before her. She poured herself a cup and added some milk. She sipped delicagtely, elongating the wait before she responded. "And what can I do about this?"

"The student's father is Edward Montague. He left to visit Lord Sidney Campbell. By all accounts, Lord Campbell met with Edward and he left, but no one has seen of him since. And as I am sure you are aware, the authorities are not too keen on looking into this further."

Lady Rosemarie sniffed. "Yes, we either have those damned Bow Street Runners making a mess of things or those in the upper echelons of law who care very little about those who are not part of the gentry. I assume this student brought their concerns to you?"

Lord Poe nodded. "They did. I promised I would look into it, but I cannot leave my duties here."

"And you assume my duties are so cavalier that they can be dropped at a moment's notice?"

"I meant no offense, Lady Rosemarie. I do not expect you to drop everything for this, but I know you have connections where I do not. I know you have trusted sources that could look into this without it impacting our respective duties."

"I should say so." She took a moment, in thought. "Do you suspect anyone?"

"Well, either Lord Campbell is lying and he did not meet with Edward, or he did and did something to him afterward. Or someone knew where he would be. There's also the possibility of the Dark Embers."

There was an inkling of something playing on Lady Rosemarie's features at the mention of the Dark Embers. "They have not done anything for a while now. Why do you suspect them?"

"There's rumors speculating something coming. An attack, a threat, something of that sort. Perhaps they kidnapped him and plan to ransom him? Or use him as a means to an end. I would hate to speculate further." Lord Poe knew the Dark Embers were not shy in what they did for their cause.

"Some say the Dark Embers are a necessary force. You and I both know our kind is not accepted, even amongst those who claim otherwise."

"I do know, but that does not mean they can run around and cause harm. That is not how change happens."

Lady Rosemarie let out a small chuckle. A smile on her lips. A rare sight. "Oh, Lord Poe. You truly are your father's child. IF I may speak freely, that is a naive outlook. Look at any historical event and see that change did not come with a whimper, but a roar. Change in our history has often come hand in hand with radicalization, whether it was noticed or not. Now I am not condoning attacks or large-scale wars, but to think change does not happen without some blood being shed, figuratively or not, is silly at best and dangerous at worst. You would do well to consider this going forward, especially for your students. You prepare them for the inevitability that they will go out into the world and achieve their goals. And yet, the world sees them as villains, nuisances, dangers. While progress has been made, and I am not so blind to see that is in large part to your's and your father's efforts, we are not there yet. You do well for your students, but you also throw them to the wolves and hope they can fight back. Some will thrive, others will fall. How many success' do you share at meetings with financial backers? How many stories of those who do not quite meet those requirements do you hide from them? I am not the pinnacle of morality, but I never claim to be. I know what must be done and I do it because otherwise, the people in my care die. You and I both know being a woman today is dangerous in its own right, let alone a woman with Enlightened abilities. Men at least have a chance to be something, even when they lack all the skills necessary. So, Lord Poe, let us not pretend that change does not happen without a little bloodshed. At the end of it, I would rather my enemies bleed than my allies."

She stood up. "I will look into this disappearance. If you have any other information, please send it over. I expect this not to be the last time I set foot in your school. Perhaps one day we may see eye-to-eye on things, but you know I can never forgive your father. The sins of the father follow the child, or whatever the saying is. You have a good thing here, Lord Poe. I would hate to see it crumble before it can truly shine." With a turn, she exited the room and made her way out of the school.

Lord Poe sat there for a few moments, weighing the words.




The library was not a hub of social interaction. A few students were there, reading or writing. However, in a small corner of the library was a conversation. Rumors abound in this school. It was almost as valuable as money.

"Did you hear about the circus?"

"My mother said circus folks are not to be trusted."

"Aye, but it is so much fun to watch!"

"I heard it is a den of sin. That they do..unspeakable things with each other."

"I heard their leader has a whip and trains them like animals."

"I think you all are nutters. It is fun, pure and simple."

"Do not be naive! I heard the Dark Embers have members in their ranks."

"That does not surprise me. They are all freaks of nature."

Giggles and guffaws were heard throughout the library. Were the rumors true?






Big Bulma sighed heavily. She hated to hear any of her ducks put themselves down. She knew Alphonse was feeling it. If he needed to aid others to make himself feel better, she would allow him that opportunity.

"Well, so far as I can tell, the family is more or less ready. Genevieve could use some help with her act, I suppose." Genevieve was a contortionist and gymnast, able to perform great feats on the ground and in the air. She had been traveling with them for a while now since she was picked up my Lord Maleficar after a night at an inn where Genevieve was being beaten by her husband. Genevieve was beautiful, to be sure, but her Enlightened ability made her dangerous to touch. Skin contact can paralyze the other person. She often wore gloves to protect this, but her husband complained so much that he could never have her for fear of dying. He had wanted children and she could not grant him this. Big Bulma did not ask how Lord Maleficar handled this.

"You could also see Cassiel and Obasi. They are probably practicing in the storage area, if I were to wager a guess. Apart from that, I think everything is more or less settled." She looked at Alphonse now. "Lovey, please know you are a vital member of our family. If you need help, you know you can ask."






Skills Used: Stealth

Prudence kept an eye on Morris as he worked. She had long been curious as to what he got to when alone in his workshop. Or as alone as he could be. Lady Rosemaries trusted him almost implicitly. She watched carefully. He hadn't noticed her. She heard him work, move, and command...something. A vicar? And what were those tools and things he kept.

She peeked around before she heard someone coming. She nearly fell, but held firm. Melody had walked past. Prudence held her breath. What was she doing here? She never would expect Melody and Morris to have much interaction. Darkness and light were opposites.

But a visit to the circus? That was interesting. Prudence had heard some of the girls talking about it. She wasn't thrilled, but a night out could be fun. If anything, perhaps she could get some practice of her own in? She started to creep away when her foot hit something off to the side and she fell with a rather loud thump.

Her veil of invisibility faded. She looked up at Morris and Melody, who definitely would see her lying there. "I can explain!" But, could she?
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