Secrets of Spruce University | Part 1-The End-

Anara · Oct 10, 2022

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XXXXX A Forward | Clues XXXXX

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XXXXXXNotes XXXX

XXXXXXX Lore & Locations

Clue 1

Secrets of Spruce University | Part 1-The End-

Character Name: Jon McNeil & Gordian Alva. Player/Group: Madeline Abbott (@Rheya). Location: Spruce University Gymnasium/Parking Lot. Time: December 14th, 2022. Other players besides Harj and Vergil slowly made their way out of the locker rooms and back onto campus grounds after the game...

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Clue 2

Secrets of Spruce University | Part 1-The End-

Character Name: Jon McNeil & Gordian Alva. Player/Group: Madeline Abbott (@Rheya). Location: Spruce University Gymnasium/Parking Lot. Time: December 14th, 2022. Other players besides Harj and Vergil slowly made their way out of the locker rooms and back onto campus grounds after the game...

bluemoonroleplaying.com

Clue 3

Secrets of Spruce University | Part 1-The End-

Character Name: Lilith Morgan / Elin Morris Player/ Group: @Kosmik_Khaos @Kassia Location: The Party December 14. Another thing Lilith had missed due to having emerged herself in the movements of her body to the beat of the music was the way Valarie and Scarlett had danced, with and for...

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Main characters

NPC's
Alicia Morgan// Witch
Age: 38

Studies: History, Anthropology

Family: Mother of Lilith Morgan, Owner of Morgan's Herbs and Remedies.

Hobbies: Local history

Positive attributes: Confident, strong.

Negative attributes: Can be a bit defensive about her daughter at times.

Ryan Colson// Human
Age: 26

Career: Mechanic

Family: Local townie family

Hobbies: Tinkering, fishing, cars, camping, hiking

Positive attributes: confident, outgoing, fun to be around

Negative attributes: short temper, arrogant, can be self-absorbed

Camilla Luna// Witch
age:31

Teacher at Spruce University// Horseback Riding/ Ballet/ Art

Family: Aunt to Scarlett Luna- Good relationship

Hobbies: Horseback riding, ballet, painting, reading

Positive attributes: agreeableness, accepting, confident, creative, determined, discreet, driven
Negative attributes: conscientiousness, argumentative, impatient

Nero Alva// Vampire
Age: 45

Studied: Political Sciences

Family: The powerful Alva family, a *nouveau-riche* vampiric clan from England, who migrated to Rockford, America in the 1800s, bringing with them their immense family wealth, which they used to immediately inject themselves into the core of Rockford dynamics. While the line is generally law abiding, the current scion and head has aspirations for something more.

Hobbies: Manipulation and web-weaving. The perfect crime.

Positive Attributes: With his vampiric trance ability, is able to persuade and sway weak minds to his will and point of view. Especially useful in his political aspiration to become Mayor of Rockford.

Negative Attributes: Uses his trance ability to manipulate and extort individuals without their consent. May or may not have done so to many young women during his tenure at Spruce University in his youth, for which he may or may not have been investigated by one Alannah Best, who he may or may not have made…vanish.

Gordian Alva// Vampire
Age: 23.

Studies: Finance.

Family: The powerful Alva family, a *nouveau-riche* vampiric clan from England, who migrated to Rockford, America in the 1800s, bringing with them their immense family wealth, which they used to immediately inject themselves into the core of Rockford dynamics. While the line is generally law abiding, Gordian's father has aspirations for power and control, to which Gordian is a dedicated soldier in it's pursuit and obtainment. He suffers no trash talk about his family.

Hobbies: Fuck-boy behavior. Basketball. Gambling.

Positive Attributes: Gordian is a go-getter and seemingly generous with his family wealth, though only to bribe and extort others into doing his bidding.

Negative Attributes: Prideful, to the point of violence.

Chet Bailey // Werewolf
Age: 24

Studies: Currently is not studying-- a tree trimmer for Spruce tree trimming & co

Family: Chet currently only lives with his mom in the rundown area of Rockford. He spends his days working, drinking, and attending the occasional party. He looks up to Leo's father and wants to be in line for Alpha.

Hobbies: Drinking; partying

Positive attributes: Hardworking, Great at tracking

Negative attributes: Rude, condescending, standoff-ish. Confrontational.

Timothy Anders
Age: 21

Studies: Computer Science major, Digital Media Production minor

Family: The Anders have been in Rockford for 3 generations now and are a middle class family with little influence on the greater scale of things.

Hobbies: All things nerd, and surprising to most, being outdoors, he even can occasionally be caught surfing with Corey if his friend can drag him to the beach with him.

Positive Attributes: Very patient and kind, highly observant of people and their feelings.

Negative Attributes: Abysmal self esteem due to his stutter, which gets worse when he is nervous or in a stressful situation.

Corey Taylor
Age: 22

Studies: Business and Economics

Family: Parents moved to Rockford after they married and a couple years later had Corey. Parents both come from old money and have a successful beach front restaurant.

Hobbies: Surfing, sports, partying

Positive attributes: Team player. Generous. Genuinely a decent guy most of time.

Negative attributes: A bit dense and comes across as a braggart and is know for saying things that can come off as dickish.
[/FIELDSET]

Family Tree

Luna Family	Keoni family	Wilson Family	Neith Family (Extended from hero Island)	Morgan family
Camilla//Scarlett	Valarie	Leo// Evalyn	Tallulah //Kimeya	Lilith

Teachers | Residents | Classes

HeadMaster	Teachers	Rockford Residents
Ferdinand	Camilla ( Horseback riding, Art, Ballet)	Tallulah ( not attending college)

English/Theater Class	Scarlett (english)// Leo (english)// Kahoni (drama)// Lilith( English)// Kimeya(Major in Theatre)
Camilla's Class	Scarlett ( Ballet/ Horseback back riding) // Valerie // Kahoni( ballet)// Lilith ( art major)// Kimeya (Minor in Music and Dance)
[Free spot]
[free spot]
The arts ( Art, journalism, photography)	Valerie( photography) Kahoni(Theater (major) Culinary (minor)) // Madeline (Journalism)
Core classes ( History, psychology, etc)	Vergil (History Major / Anthropology Minor)// Vesper (Psychology Major / Social Work Minor) Josephine (Anthropology major)
Sciences (economics, biology, Healthcare etc.)	Harj (Economics // Leo ( marine biology)//Evalyn(marine biology(major)Economics(minor) Josephine(Economics minor)
Sport majors	Harj( Basketball)// Alaula (Sports Medicine)

Clubs

Taxidermy	Sports	Horseback riding	Secrets of Spruce University Club
Madeline// Scarlett	Harj// Vergil	Josephine	Scarlett// Evalyn( Leo's brother)//Maddy

Student Notes

Key	Students	Notes
Roommates	Harj//Vergil
Roommates	Leo//Kahoni
Roommates	Alaula//Vesper
Roommates	Madeline//Evalyn
Roommates	Scarlett// Valerie
Off-campus Housing	Lilith,
Friends	Leo// Tallulah//Alaula// Kahoni //Kimeya	Leo and Tallulah have been friends since childhood and had a relationship at one time// Leo and tallulah know Alaula and kahoni from their coast guard days. Tallulah and Kimeya are cousins.
Friends	Harj// Evalyn//Vergil//Vesper	Evalyn knows Harj from class and knows Vergil because she is dating his sister, Vesper.
Friends	Scarlett// Lilith//Madeline//Valerie	Scarlett knows Madeline from her taxidermy club// Lilith and Scarlett have been friends since childhood.// Scarlett friends with Valerie as they are roommates
Dating	Vesper// Evalyn
	Harj//Josephine

Species

Werewolves	Witches	Vampires	Angels	Apparitions	Sirens	Human	Serpent	Harpy
Leo//Evalyn	Lilith//Scarlett//Madeline//Valarie	Ferdinand	Vesper//Vergil		Talluhla//Alaula// Kahoni //Kimeya		Harj	Josie

Locations

Joe's Gas station
Joe's has been open and in operation since 1921 with only a few aesthetic changes over the years. It is still a full-service gas station and garage as it was on its opening day, the Keoni's refusing to get with the trend of a self-serve station. Inside, one can see the history of the place through its eclectic collection of goods on offer, snacks and drinks, some basic automotive necessities (batteries, sparkplugs, gas caps, windshield wipers etc.), a corner dedicated to the goods produced by the locals and of course the protections they make.

Alicia's Herb Shop
Lilith's maternal ancestor settled in Rockford when the town was founded and started a small business selling medicinal herbs and various potions. The shop is still around and is today run by Lilith's mother Alicia Morgan, who is also a member of the town's council.

Luna
Family
Lore
Camilla comes from a long line of suspected witches; however, this was never proven, and her family escaped to Rockford unscathed. Through the generations, the women of her family were deemed natural witches and used their resources around them to create tinctures and salves. Growing up, Camilla was included in several events, such as ritualistic bonfires under the full moon and gatherings of the women in the family for prayer circles cloaked in blood-red capes. Even though most of her family is estranged, except her niece, who keeps in contact as she attends the university, she still continues these rituals. In Rockford, the Luna family remains fabled, and it is said that they used black magic to spur their way in society. However, another side says the Luna family are light witches and use their magic to heal. Camilla refuses to indulge in these rumors.

Scarlett was only introduced to the Luna family lore when she entered the University. However, she found more history than she bargained for with her many hours of reading in the library. While the family had been known for their supposed witchcraft roots, they had their hands in some of the more societal events around the flourishing town. They often donated to the University and assisted and rallied for town officials. However, it was recorded that they would hold seances in favor of that new town official. While they practiced these seances, it was also documented that strange creatures were spotted in the forest and that if a Luna ventured into the forest, they would leave unscathed. This caused an uproar, and the family was forced to renounce their practices-- Which they did for a short while before secretly picking up the practices again.

Keoni
Family
Lore
The Keoni family has been part of Rockford since it's creation, they were on of the few families that stayed behind when the settlers arrived and helped establish the town. They knew of the monstrous inhabitants that could be found in the depths of the forests. For generations the family has played warder of sorts for the city, keeping the worst of the forests inhabitants away with talismans and rituals of old. These protections only work against creatures of evil with nothing but malicious intent in their souls. The kind of creatures that feed on men and spread fear and hate like disease. Those with deep family connections know the importance of the Keoni family even if they are not sure exactly what it is they have been fighting for so long to keep out. The family service station, now simply known as "Joe's" is also known for selling protective fetishizes and totems.

D'or
Family
Lore
Ferdinand comes of a vampiric dynasty that stretches back millennia, to the time of the celtic druids who ruled over pre-Roman Gaul. Much of this family history and awareness however was lost when the clan made the move to North America, leaving behind much of their ancient shrines and legacies. His family eventually scattered to the four corners of the New World, in pursuit of their own definition of home and structure. A nocturnal blood-sucker by definition, Ferdinand's own encounters with prosecution has endeared him with a sense of empathy, having forgone preying on innocent, unsuspecting victims in lieu of more ethical means of nourishment.

Khanna
Family
Lore
The Khanna family comes from a line of serpentine shapeshifters, notable in ancient histories as {in}famous poisoners and brewers of other such toxins and hallucinogenics from their own blood. Quite justifiably, they became persecuted and more pressured as the world became more interconnected, and the places where such beings unlike their fellow man became more and more rare and dangerous. As a shapeshifter, Harj is capable of transforming himself into a snake-form, able to slither and sneak if necessary, though he cannot quite control himself in this state, and may have been responsible for a few snake-bites that have led to…fatalistic complications for unfortunate victims.

Wilson
Family
Lore
The Wilson family comes from a long line of Werewolves. These wolves lived in a large pack of 35 and prowled the mountains and spruce forest, keeping the city safe from any intruders. It was said that witches turned these creatures. However, these wolves were born with the mutation, allowing them to become lycanthropic creatures resembling man and wolf; this provided them with great strength and additional abilities that standard wild wolves could not provide. They are secluded to turn only in 4 moon phases, New moons, Full moons, First quarter moons, and Last quarter moons. These individuals who have the ability to turn into wolves continue to have human strength until the last week before a change where their abilities become stronger and senses heightened.

Neith
Family
Lore
The Neith sirens didn't mind the fishermen from Rockford all that much. A few times over the years, superstition of sirens luring fishermen who didn't respect the sea and its inhabitants were whispered about. Illegal trapping and killing of ocean life was met with boats capsizing, and some of these fishermen even going missing - their bodies never to be retrieved. Those who sought to pollute the waters were rumored to suffer similar fates. The last few hundred years, however, the Neith sirens have tried to stay rather inconspicuous to avoid any discrimination and maintain the safety of their community. That said, there are sightings every so often that keep the rumors fresh in the minds of the locals.

The Neith family arrived on the shores of Rockford centuries ago. No one recalls seeing them arrive by wagon in the small town leading to rumors they appeared by way of sea. The family practically owns the docks, operating the largest maritime shipping and fishing company in Rockford. They belong to the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, and actively participate in the town's politics, particularly when it pertains to over-fishing, polluting, and illegal whaling. They have been accused by local fisherman of using mysterious witchcraft to scare off their catch and drive the any competition out of town.

The community of sirens that live around the islands by Rockford are the Neith Sirens. For centuries, the Neith sirens have lived in this area of the ocean - long before Rockford was a settlement let alone a city. They were the protectors of the ocean around the islands, guarding a special area deep in the ocean. They had very little contact with the land dwellers, only have the vertebrae interactions with the native population that first lived in the area. In the beginning of the new settlers taking the land to colonize it, the Neith sirens were rather aggressive to them. These settlers had little care for how they impacted the ocean. This aggression didn't change up until the early 1900s, giving a long history to the rumors surrounding the ocean by Rockford and its nearby islands. Fisherman have long whispered warnings about disrespecting the waters by Rockford, overfishing, or polluting them. Boats of fishermen who did such things have either gone missing or their boats have sunk. In 90s and 2000s, these incidents seemed to have stopped with the rumors over the decades having created a kind of peace between the sirens and fishermen. However, despite there barely ever being any incidents, the warning rumors continue to circulate Rockford.

The Neith Siren Community is very cohesive and close. Everyone is important and has a task that aids the community. The community has a leader that was voted in by the sirens. When a new leader needs to be chosen, certain individuals are nominated by the community and eventually voted on to choose a new leader. Despite their past dislike of land dwellers, they no longer hold much aggression. In fact they rarely, if ever, use their siren voice. Other than being capable of using a siren voice that enchants and can manipulate people, they've also capable of minor water manipulation, and communication with sea life. Outside of water, they can assume a human form where their tail and find disappear, and their gills close. They can then only turn back into their siren form when in water. They still have their powers when they change into a human.

Morgan
Family
Lore
Lilith is the youngest in a long line of witches with roots in Wales, descendants of the enchantress and seductress Morgan Le Fay (Morgan the fairy), adersary and lover to the prophet and enchanter Myrrdin Wyllt, better known as Merlin from the legend of King Arthur. Quite possibly the lineage leading to Lilith began with a daughter born of Morgan Le Fay by Merlin. Somewhere down the line the line of witches took the birthname of their ancestral matriarch as their family name.

Angnolos
Family
Lore
The Agnolos are a rich, upper-class family of Nephilim - individuals who have an angelic bloodline. Valerius Agnolo was one of the first students to attend Spruce University when it first was established, and those of the Agnolo family have gone to Spruce University since then, even when the family moved to Italy more permanently. Thus, the Agnolo family has a long line of alumni and history with Spruce University, and are also among the top donators to the college.

The Agnolo family goes back centuries. In every passing generation, they have always been important philanthropists and humanitarians. The Agnolo family has been traced back all the way to the late Roman Empire before records cease. As Nephilim, beings with an angelic bloodline, they have tried to use their powers of good to do positive things in humanity. With angel blood, they are able to manifest wings of light so long as they are in good health, can manifest light, can tell when people are lying, have enhanced speed and strength, and can cast wards and blessings using light-based magic.

From the many years, the Agnolos have been a rich, upper-class family living in Italy. Valerius Agnolo was one of the first students to attend Spruce University when it first was established, and those of the Agnolo family have gone to Spruce University since then, even though the family lives in Italy. Thus, the Agnolo family has a long line of alumni and history with Spruce University, and are also among the top donators to the college. They are well known for their anthropological and archaeological work, as well as being renowned philanthropists.

Kelekolio
Family
Lore
Kahoni's grandparents are Sirens that moved from Kauai, Hawaii, to Rockford in the early 80's after their family was nearly discovered. They started up a small fishing business with their five children. Being a family of Sirens it was no surprise their business quickly became a success. The family chose to live in the open as humans rather than trying to hide like they once had, they are very selective of who they allow to know what they are.

The Town of Rockford was founded in 1801 when the land was full of dark evergreens and harsh, seemingly neverending, Winters. The Keoni family had known the ground; they had raised their families here, braved the most brutal weather, and knew the ways of the land. Next came the Luna and Morgan families, who used the resources of the land to heal and provide knowledge to those who had made this fantastic trek. It was the five founding families who brought the town together. With unique transforming gifts, the Wilson family vowed to protect the land from those who wished it harm. And in the great distance on Hero Island lived and flourishing Neith family, who defended their island with care and fierceness in the raging, cold seas.

Together the families built up the town, providing lodging and establishing a fishing port that had grown in popularity that nearby other cities had yet to see. With the funds they had gained from the thriving business, they founded Spruce University. Because their energy, time, and finances had gone to this school, all classes from grade school to high school also attended the massive castle-like building. However, as the years wore on and the town continued to strike it rich with their primary commodity, they were able to invest in additional schools and focus on Spruce University as a school for unique interests.

Spruce became the school for those looking to escape everyday life and join those with often frowned-upon abilities, boasting a substantial library, dining hall, and substantial dorms.

As 1920 approached, the boom for travel did not miss Rockford. Five of their leading archeologists from the university were called upon to travel to Egypt and discover the Egyptian remains that had been buried for hundreds of years. Plans to build a history museum were underway, and the archaeologist set sail.

Upon returning, the Winter seas had raged violently on, and as the crew returned, the sea swallowed them just a few miles from the shore-- sinking the valuable treasure within. It was challenging to uncover; the items had fallen so deep within the waters that even Siren-kind couldn't touch them. So the treasure was lost, only one piece having been recovered and hidden within the university. For the longest time, The legend of the Scarab remained one of the most talked about town history events.

As the tired years rolled on and 2022 descended upon Rockford, the town prepared for the annual Winter Festival to commemorate the solstice. However, danger lurks within the halls.

Anara · Jan 9, 2023

[information=Episode 1]

December 14th, 2022:
The annual Holiday celebration kicks off without a hitch, however, not without a murder. It's difficult to see through all of the lies and accusations. Each character is a suspect; the university is under investigation. It's starting off as a winter vacation to remember.
[/information]

Character Name: Leo/ Evalyn

Player/ Group: Tallulah @ThatGeckoGirl// Kahoni @Kosmik_Khaos // Tagging for visability: @Rheya @BennyQ @MsBloom

Location: Spruce university garden

Adventure: Siren's Call

- 1 Week before the Rockford winter festival -

Leo Struggled to fall asleep. He had other things on his mind: School work, Tallulah. It seemed like he couldn't shut his brain off. Turning his head, he looked over at the laptop resting on his desk and watched the power button's light breathe with its usual glow. Outside the dormitory wall, he saw the golden light stretch inwards, and then two dark shadows obstructed it. Sitting up, he watched. His roommate was already in the room and could be standing in front of their door. Just as quickly as they came, they were gone, replaced by the shadow of a... box?

Pushing the blanket off his body, he shuffled forward. Slipping slightly on the wood floors with his socks and then catching himself on the wall. Once he regained himself, he unlocked the door and peered out, the halls were empty now, but the wooden box sat there. Reaching down, he picked it up, quickly moved back into the room, locked the doors again, and moved to his bed. Grabbing his phone from the nightstand, he texted Tallulah "Tala" Neith.

Tala and Leo had gone back years. They had a complicated relationship. Having met when they were younger, they had been attached at the hips. All of life's major accomplishments, she was next to him, experiencing it with him. So, of course, he would text her first; she was first for everything, regardless of their current status. He knew she might be working-- or sleeping-- but he still wanted to check in to ensure he could rule her out.

11:59 PM
Hey, I just got this box at my door. Did you drop something off?

He paused, turned the flashlight on his phone, so he didn't disrupt his roommate, and slowly opened the wooden box. The smell of cedar filled his space, and he held in a sneeze. Every scent was strong now that he was nearing the moon phase and needed to shift into his werewolf form.

Inside the box, he saw a leather-bound book over 200 years old. The pages were rough, jagged as if cut by hand, and the leather spine cracked and well worn. He picked it up, and in the process, an ornate key landed in his lap. He inspected it with the light, a crest had been carved into it, but he didn't recognize it.

12:03 PM
Nvm, It's not something you would send me. It's like... a book and key. I'll explain more tomorrow at the festival or after class. Whenever you're free-- you're gonna be at the festival, right?

He stared down at the book and opened the first few pages. The first page was the usual information about the copy of the book and the title "Rockford History and legends." the next was a dedication. "To my lovely wife, may you always hold wanderlust." and then the prologue about when Rockford was founded. Turning the key in his hand, he read through a few sentences and then looked back to the legend. The crest was of a shield. All except one corner was carved, while the other held what he couldn't only determine was the Rockford town flower. Closing the book, he placed the key between the pages and gently placed the book back into the box. Tomorrow would be the annual festival, and he wondered if anyone he knew had left the box at his door. With enough pondering, Leo had fallen asleep on top of his blanket, the box haphazardly set on the end of the bed.

Leo sat on a bench outside of Spruce University, finishing the last bit of his cigarette and looking down at his backpack, which he had stuffed the box in. He then looked around at the students who shuffled around, talking about their parts in the festival, the dates they were taking, and their excitement over pouring.

"Why are you just sitting here looking sketchy." The voice belonged to Evalyn Wilson, his sister. She was smaller in stature, dressed in a tan peacoat, black leggings, and brown knee-high riding boots, and her darker brown hair had been pulled up into a neat bun, signaling she must have ballet or horseback riding soon. She ended her sentence with a period, as she wasn't genuinely asking why he was hanging out outside the university. It indeed wasn't her business.

"Shouldn't you be annoying someone else, Eva?" he asked, dropping the cigarette button on the ground and stomping out the embers with his boot.

"I had some free time, so I penciled you." She sat down next to him with a sigh and placed her elbows on her knees and then her chin in her palms. "The moon is phasing soon. Did you move classes around?" Eva asked as she watched the students mill around as well. Leo nodded and leaned back. It was well below 45 degrees, but with the impending change, the wolves' body temperatures struggled to regulate.

"Why are you just sitting here?" Eve asked with a scoff and looked back at her brother.

"Waiting for friends. Class ends soon. I got something to talk to them about." Leo said, kicking the backpack slightly, Eva looked down at it, but she didn't move to open it.

"You better not be doing something sketchy. I don't want to have to tell dad. Oh god! You're doing something sketchy, aren't you? I just know it! Leo, dad's going to kill you--you'll get kicked out of school" Her voice was a whisper, and he looked at her with a brow raised. "Tala is a cop! I don't think she can protect you, Leo--" Leo held up his hand and opened the backpack to reveal the box.

"I'm not doing anything wrong. Someone just dropped off this box at my door. I'm asking the others if it's theirs. Calm down."

Eva scrunched her face and lobbed a punch into her brother's arm. "I am calm, jerk!" Standing, she put her hands on her hips, then scoffed and crossed her arms. " Fine, I'll stay here with you till the others come. Obviously, I need to know what's in the box."

Leo nodded, patted the spot next to the bench, and crossed his arms, returning to his people-watching state.

ThatGeckoGirl · Jan 9, 2023

Character Name: Tallulah Neith

Player/ Group: Leo/Evalyn @Kassia , Kahoni @Kosmik_Khaos , Tagging for visibility: @Rheya @Retrojapan @BennyQ @MsBloom

Location: Tallulah's House, Ryan Colson's House -> Spruce university garden

Adventure: Siren's Call and Mystery of Alannah
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

~1 Week Before Rockford Winter Festival~

It was the vibration of her cell phone that drew the attention of the siren lounging in her steaming bathtub. A small tendril of water was swirling around in the air, following the absentminded movement of her pointer finger tracing designs. Tallulah Neith peered over at the bathroom counter, contemplating if she should really get up and see who it was. Given that it was the middle of winter, she had opted to soak in the warm water of her bathtub rather than taking a late night ocean dive. Regardless, she still shifted into her tailed form. The iridescent scales of her tail glittered like slivers of glass beneath the water. The large fin at the end was lazily dangling over the end. Her height was longer with her tailfin than when she was in her human form. Following the lines of her ribcage were three parallel lines on each of her sides. They looked like the faint indication of scars, but were in reality gills - allowing her to breathe underwater should she so wish to when in this form. Tala churned on her options for a moment, deciding that the chances it was her work won out over her own comfort. The transition back to having two legs, zero scales, and no gills wasn't painful, nor did it last all that long. The first year or so she had done this, it felt as though she had crawled into a foreign skin. Now, after so long, this land dwelling form felt natural.

Tala lifted the drain of the bath before stepping out. Water ran off her body, and she gave a small shiver from the chill of the air hitting her bare skin before she wrapped a fluffy light blue towel around herself. Drying herself off a bit, Tallulah opened up her phone to see the message she had received. A light smile instantly curved on her lips when she saw that it was from Leo. The two of them went way back - far enough that she liked to say he was her other half. They had done everything together. Each high and low point in life seemed to have been shared between them. As time went on, that close friendship had become...complicated. It never took away how close they were, but it added small confusing elements like the quickening of her heart rate when she saw a simple message from him. She was happy it wasn't work, as she had already worked a long shift that day.

11:59 PM
Hey, I just got this box at my door. Did you drop something off?

12:03 PM
Nvm, It's not something you would send me. It's like... a book and key. I'll explain more tomorrow at the festival or after class. Whenever you're free-- you're gonna be at the festival, right?

Tallulah narrowed her eyes a little at the messages. Someone left a box at his door with a book and a key? It sounded...weird. Certainly odd, but then again, oddities weren't exactly uncommon at Spruce University. It was the cop in her who was blaring the alarms in her head. The academy had taught her to always be speculative. Naturally, Tala wasn't a pessimistic person, but she was smart enough to know that her kindness was something that could be manipulated or make her naïve. She has had to train herself to question things like this. Tala gave a small shake of her head to empty the leading questions in her mind. She wouldn't know much more about this until she saw Leo tomorrow at the university. There wasn't any use trying to speculate something she knew very little information about. Besides. Maybe it was some weird club initiation or something!

12:10 PM
You better explain! Detective Tala is on the case Anyways, yeah, I'm definitely going to be there for the festival. I also just worked a long shift today, so I should be able to meet you tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing you and Eva!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I told you I didn't want you to go hang out with that ex of yours! What are you all dressed up for anyways? Trying to impress him or something?"

Tallulah was stopped in place as her current boyfriend, Ryan Colson, grabbed her wrist to keep her from leaving. She was just at the door, about to head out to meet Leo at Spruce University. She winced a little at his tight grip, feeling annoyed and frustrated by his burst of jealousy-driven anger. Most of their fights seemed to revolve around her spending time with Leo, or any other male friends of that matter. It made it rather hard to get a beer with her coworkers since the vast majority of them were men. At the moment, Tala was wearing a light bluish gray sweater dress with a small belt at her waist. Sheer black tights traveled down her legs, but were cut short from view by the black boots she wore, which came up to her knees. Being a siren, the cold never bothered her too much. It didn't tend to compare as much to the chill of the deep ocean unless the windshield came into the picture.

"I'm going to be with a group of people, Ryan. Is this about my plans for the festival? I already told you about it, and you were invited to come with," Tala said, using her calm tone to try and defuse the situation.

"Yeah, and I told you I have to work that day," He responded thinly, "Why do you need to go seem him now before the festival when you can spend time with me?"

"We're just meeting up for a little while. It's not a big deal. I'm allowed to see my friends. Now let go of me, please," She said firmly, meeting his eyes unflinchingly. He stared at her for a few tense seconds before releasing her wrist with a scoff and roll of his eyes.

"Whatever, Tala."

Tala chewed on her bottom lip for a moment as she watched him storm off into the depths of his house. She had stopped by to spend some time with him before work. Having it devolve into an argument hadn't exactly been her plan. Even though she knew she wasn't doing anything wrong, a sharp intake of guilt rose up in her. Swallowing it down, Tallulah left the house and closed the door behind her. A long sigh released from her lips as she drew her fingers through her hair in exasperation. The jealousy was getting to become too much. Any mention of Leo, even just Ryan seeing that she received a text message from him, turned into an argument. She wasn't about to throw away her friendship with Leo though. He was her best friend. However, it didn't take away from the stress caused by the rising tensions in her relationship.

She walked down the sidewalks towards Spruce University. That was where she would be meeting Leo since he was a student there. In her common clothing, Tala didn't give off the impression that she was a police officer, or her past military background when she joined the Coast Guard with Leo. She wasn't domineering or an intimidating person. In fact, she didn't look like the kind of person who would harm even a fly. The saying of not judging a book by its cover was especially true regarding the siren, who could burst into action at a moment's notice if she needed to. The locals of Rockford knew who she was though, whether it was for better or for worse. As far as Tala knew, it was for better as she waved and nodded to those she passed in a friendly manner. Most did the same back to her. Tala was known for being a calm and warm recruit of the police force - a master of de-escalation despite being so new to join the ranks.

"Leo!" Upon arriving at Spruce University, Tallulah spotted her best friend right away and rushed over. Though he was sitting on a bench, she leaned over and gave him a huge hug, not leaving much time between saying his name and attacking him with affection. It was in her bubbly personality since she was a young kid. The stress she had been feeling seemed to have melted to the back of her mind. Being around Leo always seemed to help put her at ease.

"It's so good to see you!" She beamed as she pulled back before waving at Evalyn, "Eva, hi! It's excellent to see you too, sis!" After all the years she has known Leo and spent time with him, Evalyn started to feel like a sister to her as well.

"Alright, you know exactly how to grab my attention, Leo! Honestly, it's kind of criminal. Do you know how curious I've been? So, out with it. I gotta know! What's the deal with this mysterious box?" Tala then paused for a moment, her eyes going wide and she leaned towards Leo as she raised her hand to the side of her mouth as though she was trying to hide what she was saying, "Oh shit, you told Eva, right?"

Kosmik_Khaos · Jan 13, 2023

Character Name: Kahoni

Player/ Group: Leo/Evalyn @Kassia , Tallulah @ThatGeckoGirl

Location: Spruce University Garden

Adventure: Siren's Call

Kahoni danced through the light crowd of people navigating the campus being very conscious of not bumping into or accidently slapping someone as he did, but not giving a single solitary care about the looks he was getting. Along with his dramatic dancing and pantomime Kahoni was singing. The Theatre group was going to put on Chicago and he was rightfully excited. He had a few minor rolls to do, some background dancing, and a lead role as Billy Flynn.

It only took him a handful of minutes to make it to the garden where he saw three of his friends, so naturally he made an entrance, stepping up the complexity of his dancing, adding a couple extra spins flaring out his coat before coming to a stop posing. "What's going on here?" He asked, Tala's behavior instantly catching his attention and making him forget why he had approached in the first place. She looked like she had said something she might not should have which only made him more eager to know.

Glancing from Tala to Leo to Evalyn then to the bag Leo was holding he put some pieces together. "Is this about whatever it was that you got in the middle of the night?" He was barely awake for it but he remembered Leo getting up to get something from the door and messing with it before he fell asleep. "I was wondering about that today. Did someone confess to you or something?" He asked with a slightly teasing tone.

Anara · Feb 19, 2023

Character Name: Scarlett// Mentions of Camilla

Player/ Group: @Kosmik_Khaos @Rheya @MsBloom

Location: University Library->Courtyard

Scarlett had met Valarie in the Spruce University library to study. It was crunch time. She knew her teachers would be posing pop quizzes on several subjects before they left for winter break, and truthfully... she was unprepared despite her Aunt Camilla nagging her into reading her coursework. She did... but she had only read the Entomology portion of it. Camilla had worn Scarlett down with additional ballet training as Scarlett had been slipping during class while they practiced for The Nutcracker. Scarlett had made it on the list and was one of the many sugar plum fairies she was thankful for, as she didn't want to stand out in the group. So once she reached her room the night before, she couldn't fathom reading new information, so she settled on old. It was easier to chew on. But now she was hunched over a leatherbound book trying to make sense of the words over the pages. Her black and white hair created a curtain over the sides of the pages.

"I...don't understand any of this." She groaned, and her forehead hit the book almost immediately. " It's so boring and so dumb. It seems dumb to read all of this, and it doesnt even pertain to my degree." She looked to valorize then, what was she reading? Was it more enjoyable?

Glancing up at the clock caused Scarlett to perk up. "Lilith is out of class!" She exclaimed happily and started stuffing her books, notebook, highlighters, and pens into her backpack.

"The Solstice is coming up so quick. I don't even think I have everything I need to host a bonfire for the evening. Honestly, I haven't even thought about it. I wonder if her mom is doing something...." Scarlet trailed off as she slung her backpack on her shoulder. "I wonder if Maddy is coming too... she's been so deep into her journalism recently. I know it's very important to her."

Pulling a hair tie from her wrist, Scarlett wrapped her long hair around her arm and placed it in a ponytail, plucking out small strands on the top to frame her delicate face. "Ugh, I know the wolves will be in the forest leading up to the solstice, too. I wonder if they will even let us gather wood or plan something..." She rolled her eyes. The Luna family had always had a weary viewpoint on the Wilson Clan. Wolves in that family always seemed unstable.

Scarletts mind switched to the thought of Lilith waiting in the courtyard for them, and then she looked to Valarie. "We should get going!"

Scarlet and Lilith had been friends since childhood, attached at the hips, two minds but very much of the same even when they were apart for a considerable amount of time. She knew the excitement for the friend had been renewed once she returned to Rockford after being away. Scarlet could feel that this next semester, despite her frustration with the classes she was forced to do before her major started, would be great and full of excitement. She could feel it in her bones. She could feel her abilities became more potent in the end. She knew that was due to her tremendous support from Lilith, Valarie, and Maddy.

BennyQ · Feb 20, 2023

Character Name: Harj Khanna.
Player/Group: Spruce University Lancers Basketball Team // Vergil Agnolo (@ThatGeckoGirl)
Location: Spruce University Gymnasium.
Time: December 14th, 2022.

There was only ninety seconds of play left in the fourth. They were losing. The university gym swelled with the noise and cheer of a small crowd of a hundred, both locals and those visitors who came all the way from Pinewood University out west. It was a special league, for certain unique students of both institutions, and today was the final game of the year before the new year and lead up to the tournament finals next spring. And the SU Lancers, the reigning champions, were looking to retain their crown.

But it had been a difficult game. PU Matadors were not push-overs. Though, after some forty-five, forty-six minutes of game time, with small teams and few substitutions, everyone was running on fumes. Tempers were running high too. A few elbows there, a slap to the arm during a shot, several missed calls by the referees, coupled with high testosterone males who didn’t take no shit from anyone was a recipe for disaster. But they, especially the Lancers, needed to make this final drive for the win. And that required a cool head. There was a legacy to maintain, not to mention the usual bragging rights and triumph. And the series of after-parties and celebrations in the lead up to Christmas would be all the more sweeter.

Harj’s head was certainly not cool. SU’s star player, with almost thirty points in just this game, he was determined not to let it be a wasted effort no matter what. Tempers were running high. Down by six, with only a minute-thirty to go. He was already sitting at four fouls, the refs seeming to pick and call on him because of his high scoring prowess. Their way of…arbitrating the game to make it fairer. He was joined on the court by fellow guards, Stanley Farrel and Gordian Alva, and forwards Jon McNeil and Vergil Agnolo. They only had four subs on the bench though, and everyone was exhausted after a long, tight game of running and pressing.

Sweat dripped down his forehead, into his eyes, burning a little but he dared not risk wiping at it, needing his hands to be ready for the ball. Farrel inbounded it, starting the clock, passing to Alva who started to dribble it up. Two PU players pressed them, trying to intercept or steal the ball while still in the SU’s court. The clock was ticking. A minute twenty-eight, a minute twenty-seven… Harj pushed up the side, with McNeil and Agnolo hopefully in place under the PU’s net. Alva swung the ball back to Farrel, who bounce-passed it past a defender to Hary, who crossed the center-line. Now the shot clock started to run, twenty-four seconds to shoot the ball. Farrel rushed up to join the others, trying to split up the defenders, find an opening for a drive to the net.

Alva lagged behind, taking his sweet time, in that reckless I-don’t-care-anymore state of exhaustion. The defenders pressed hard in that time, five on four, hands around Harj’s body, trying to whack the ball, steal the ball, get it by any means necessary. What, no foul? Where was the fuckin’ call, ref? Harj managed to dribble along the three point line, shedding his defender with a nice cross-over, but immediately another defender took his place. The one who was supposed to be guarding Vergil, abandoning him to risk a double-team and hopefully get the ball…

”De-fense!” The visiting crowd chanted, stamping their feet and clapping their hands. ”De-fense!”

Sucks to suck. Harj feinted a pass back to Alva but instead bounced it up to Vergil around the defender, right under the net. Easy bucket, whether lay up or an outright dunk. The visitors chants would be drowned out by the home crowd cheering at the score.

104 – 100. A minute ten to go.

The Lancers fell back to their net, while the Matadors inbounded the ball and began to push up. They couldn’t let them score and build a greater lead. It was a classical formation, two defenders in the key, three on the outskirts, with the Matadors passed it around, seeking an opening, moving around and hoping to spread out the Lancers to find it. It didn’t work out. The crowd noise swelled to an ear-splitting level as the Lancers managed to intercept a pass, get possession, and move up rapidly down the court to the opposing net. Harj found an opening on the three-point line, received the ball, and shot it…

…and scored. 104 – 103.

Less than a minute to go.

The Matadors called their final time-out. Oh my god, much needed breathing room. For thirty seconds though. They were conjuring up a play, while the Lancers gathered around their bench and Coach Patterson, who was a vampire, and playing basketball since they used to have wicker basket nets, laid out the plan. Hard defense, a foul to put Matadors on the free throw line, and hope they miss at least one of two, before using the next possession to gain the lead. Hopefully. Made sense, right? No substitutions though. The Lancer’s bench was worse off than the current line up. Everyone was breathing hard, hands on their hips, trying to suck in as much oxygen. The time out was far too short. The ref blew the whistle and they were back on.

The Matadors came hard, but their offensive fell short, missing their jump-shot. The Lancers got the rebound. Forty-two seconds to go. They pushed up, but Alva, exhausted, mis-stepped and mis-dribbled, losing the ball back to the Matadors. Their star player seized the ball, drove on the Lancer’s net, and dunked it, before standing and staring challengingly at the home crowd that booed him. But good basketball players thrived on that.

106 – 103. Fuck…

Half a minute to go. Farrel once more on the inbound, but Harj came up to help out Alva who was struggling to get the ball past half court. The Matadors pressed them, making them struggle and fight just to move up. Everyone was sluggish with their exhaustion but they managed, everyone forming up on the PU’s side. Harj gestured at Vergil for the give-and-go, driving up under the net but instead of going for a lay up, passed it back towards Vergil, who could drive against the two defenders under the net and hopefully put a bucket up. They needed this, badly. They would get it.

106 – 105. Less than ten seconds to go. Next bucket was either the win or a tough loss.

The crowd was cheering hard as Lancers moved back to their net, Harj slower than the rest. He had a plan. He moved to wipe his forehead with the hem of his jersey, lifting it up over his abdomen to wipe his brow. But the Matadors, eager for the win, thinking they could build up their lead for some safety, inbounded the ball before Harj had even walked off. He turned and quickly moved to intercept the pass, catching it mid-air and having a clear drive to the net. This lay up would put them in the lead. He held the ball, took the two allowed steps to get under the net, and jumped to put it in-

-and his wrist was promptly slapped by an alarmed defender, knocking the ball out of his hand and away from the net. It was a clear foul and Harj turned, expecting the whistle and the call. But…nothing. The ball went out of bounds and the ref called it for the Matadors. Their possession with few seconds left. The gamble had failed. It would have been the win! Harj lost his temper and rushed to the ref. “He hit me, what the hell.” He demanded of the ref, who tried to walk off. “Where’s the foul, ref? Where’s the foul? How is it their ball? What is you doing?” Harj continued to go off, moving to get in the referee’s face. Farrel and McNeil both rushed up to try and calm him down, pull him back. The refs would tolerate a little, but too much…

Well, Harj went well over that. “What game are you watching? Huh? What the fuck was that, where was my call?” The crowd seemed to cheer in his support. Many had seen the blatant foul but it was easy for the referee to miss it with the cluster of bodies that had been around Harj. Can’t call what he couldn’t see, right?

”Chill out, dawg.” Farrel tried to calm Harj.

”That’s our ball, man. What the fuck? Are you blind?” Harj didn’t know when to stop. The referee didn’t take no more, blowing his whistle and signalling with a vicious gesture down the court. Technical foul. You’re outta here!

The crowd booed hard. And Harj couldn’t look anymore surprised. “What?! You’re ejecting me? You fuckin’ miserable little-“ but he didn’t get to say it as his teammates dragged him away, before he got them in more trouble. Snarling, hissing, Harj violently yanked his arms out of his buddies’ grip, not wanting to hear it, stomping off the court with a foul expression. The game went miserably after that. The Matadors got two free throws because of the foul, both of which they hit, and even with a few seconds left, there was no way the exhausted Lancers would hit a three to tie it up. It was a loss, unfair, but a recorded loss all the same. Matadors, 108. Lancers, 105. So close. So fuckin’ close…

The Matadors cheered and bounced about in a huddle, celebrating their win over a difficult team. The Lancers walked back to their locker room, shaking their heads and exhausted. That was a bullshit call and they knew it, but the referees and officials kept the call, or rather, the lack of one. In the locker room, Harj threw his fist full force at one of the locker doors before slumping down on the bench, fuming and glaring, hands clenched. They almost had the win. Who cares about his amazing stats, if it was all for a L. And there wouldn’t be another game until next year. Fuck.

MsBloom · Feb 21, 2023

Character Name: Lilith Morgan

Player/ Group: @Kassia

Location: Spruce University

Adventure: Siren's Call

~1 Week Before Rockford Winter Festival~

It was close to noon and having put the last finishing touches to the painting she would exhibit with the other art students at the Winter festival, a rather large canvas of four Water Nymphs bathing in the winter, she had no more classes for the day. It was a cold day but one with clear skies and a bright sun shining down on Lilith's face as she stood outside the school's library in her warm dark grey sheep's wool coat and a deep red knitted scarf wrapped several times around her neck, turning her face towards the bright yellow orb in the sky with her eyes closed behind her sunglasses and half a cigarette resting in the corner of her mouth, her arms stretched out in a welcoming embrace, not to any one person in particular but to the sun, the birds chirping in the trees over in the university garden, a few crows cawing, to the naked trees resting and preserving their life force until spring, to the Earth Mother in all her glory.

She was doing her daily praise to nature outside the library while waiting for Scarlett to finish her studying, at least long enough for them to have lunch together and most likely also their mutual friends Madeline and Valarie, as much as they could be said to be mutual friends. Lilith really only knew them through Scarlett and very rarely hung out with either of them without Scarlett whom she had been friends with since kindergarten and with whom she shared just about everything. Even during the five years when they had been separated in middle school they had kept in touch through text messages and emails. Scarlett was the first Lilith had told that she had a crush on a girl who sadly didn't feel the same way. It was Scarlett she had written a 2000 word email to about her first kiss both from a girl and a boy within just hours of each other in the summer before Scarlett returned.

Due to her usually easygoing personality Lilith had many close acquaintances but only one friend like Scarlett. The bond between them had been forged through thick and thin, through scraped knees and mischief, and seemed to them both unbreakable. If Lilith was entirely honest she had had a crush on her friend since she returned to Rockford. It had been a major one at first, one that for the length of a school term had been all-consuming. Even this they had felt they could share with Scarlett, even though she sort of already knew that she did might not have those same feelings for Lilith. Their friendship had survived even such a profound confession and had for the most part remained unchanged.

She slowly opened her eyes at the sound of footsteps coming from behind her, took one last drag on the cigarette and put it out in the silver pocket ashtray she always carried with her for when there wasn't an ashtray available, let the smoke out slowly and then took a deep breath of fresh cold winter air.
"Scarlett," she said without turning her head to look.
"And let me guess ... Valarie?"
It was of courses not fair to call it a guess since Lilith, like her mother and grand mother, and all Morgan women as far back as anyone seemed to remember, had the gift of prophecy. Even behind her closed eyes she had already seen the two friends walk down the stairs of the library.

Kosmik_Khaos · Feb 22, 2023

Character Name: Valerie Keoni

Player/ Group: @Kassia @Rheya @MsBloom

Location: University Library -> Courtyard

Across the table from Scarlett, Valarie more perched than sat in the large chair. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and her chin rested on them. One arm was snaked around her legs hugging herself, while the other was holding her book open. The only movement on her stoic face were her intense eyes flitting across the page. She was reading Ansel Adams autobiography, he was the subject of her Photography final. Despite the flat expression on her face it was clear by how intently she was reading that she was very interested in what she was reading unlike her poor roommate.

Scarlett's sudden pronouncement startled Valeria out of her intense focus. It didn't reach her face but she did jump just a little. "Oh, Okay." She replied her voice deep for a girls, but rich even if it was a near monotone. Following Scarlett's lead she packed up things before unfolding herself and rising from the chair. Sliding her arms into her backpack she gripped the straps and pulled them across her chest keeping her arms tight to her body. With her head down Valeria kept her long pace equal with her friends. "Don't worry about the pups, I know how to keep them in line." She said coolly in regards to her friends worries about them. "We can get Grandpa to get the supplies together for the Solstice, he dotes on you more than he does me and I'm his favorite." What she said and how she said it didn't quite line up. Her years of repressing her facial expression affected how she spoke, she couldn't allow herself to speak to cheerfully or she would end up smiling, and nobody wanted that.

As soon as they stepped outside Valerie took a deep breath, her back straightening, shoulders relaxing, arms falling casually to her sides. Lifting her head she stood at her full height, towering over most of the student body. It was as though she had been pressed down by the ceiling of the library and could finally be her glorious self under the freedom of the sky. As good as she felt in the embrace of the Mother she remained stoic and let out the stress of being 'trapped' indoors with her exhalation.

Turning her attention to the girl who spoke Valerie raised her hand and wiggled her fingers in a wave to Lillith. "Good guess. You should open up a fortune telling shop." She deadpanned to her fellow witch.

Rheya · Feb 23, 2023

Character Name: Madeline Abbott

Player/ Group: @Kassia, @Kosmik_Khaos, @MsBloom

Location: Spruce University Lecture Hall -> Courtyard

"How does a bat sense light? Anyone?" A tall, pale woman who appeared in her mid-fifties and had a regal quality about her tapped at the podium in the front of the classroom.

"Photoreceptors," came a voice from the left of the large lecture hall.

"Right, it senses light through photoreceptors..." The professor continued.

Tick tock, tick tock...

Siting just below the clock at the other side of the classroom was Madeline Abbott, or Maddy as she preferred, tapping her pencil while thinking of notes to jot down. Was it about bats or photoreceptors? Certainly not. This afternoon was the big game, the PU Matadors vs the SU Lancers, and your girl was going to be the one covering it. Sure, she knew very little about basketball, but she'd wing it like she always did. This was her first big section in the school newspaper and chance to prove herself a writer. No more covering the new addition of vegan casserole in the school cafeteria, this girl was moving to the front-page big leagues.

Tick tock, tick tock...

Maddy glanced up, ugh, five more minutes. Couldn't Professor Lockart release them from their suffering already? Scanning the room, the always curious Maddy scanned observed the status of her classmates. Maybe five, and that was being generous, students were looking towards the lecture podium while the rest were covertly texting or whispering quietly amongst themselves. The twenty-year old had only transferred to Spruce University this Fall and had already been absorbed into its culture. First the SU's big basketball game and after parties, and then the Solstice and Rockford Winter Festival.

"And long-wavelength ranges. Miss Abbott, care to refresh the class. What colors have long-wavelengths?"

"Uh um," what did she ask? Color, right. "Blue"

"No-"

"Green."

"Are you just guessing colors, Miss Abbott? And the longest?"

"Um... Orrrr...purrr..." The girl started muttering while Professor Lockart shook her head. "RED!" Yep, that's the one.

"Miss Abbott..."

DING... Maddy practically illuminated smiling ear-to-ear, saved by the bell. Professor Lockart seemed less than amused as the students, Maddy included, hurried out of the classroom still stuffing their textbooks in their backpack. The older woman tried to remind them of their upcoming test, but it fell on deaf ears, the students' only focus, this evening's game and post-game parties.

Weaving in and around the student body filling the school's corridors between classes, Maddy spotted the Amazonian frame of Valerie in the courtyard and assumed Scarlett, and by extension, Lilith, would be there.

"Word to the wise, don't miss early registration; otherwise, you get stuck with the sciences." Maddy's voice came from behind the group.

MsBloom · Feb 23, 2023

Character Name: Lilith Morgan

Player/ Group: @Kassia @Kosmik_Khaos @Rheya

Location: Spruce University

Adventure: Siren's Call

~December 14: 1 Week Before Rockford Winter Festival~

"I really should, shouldn't I," Lilith said in a friendly voice that in no way matched the deadpan tone of Valerie's comment.
"Maybe I should set up a stall at the festival with Mom and see if anyone actually dare to let us tell their fortunes. That's the first thing Mom taught me about the gift of prophecy, people do not always want to know the truth no matter how much they say they do," she added in a half serious, half jocular tone as she turned to face Scarlett and Valerie, seeing Maddy approach them through a crowd of other students filing out from the science building.

"Way ahead of that. I've already registered for all my classes for next semester."
It was rather typical of Lilith to have already planned all her classes as she liked to be prepared, although she almost always managed a few last minute registrations to minor classes she decided might be fun to take, and she always got accepted, almost as if she already knew she would.
"So, where do we go for lunch then? I could really go a steaming bowl of clam chowder from Pete's Seafood."
She looked at the three friends in turn with her head tilted slightly to her left side to see if they agreed or had other suggestions.

"By the way," she asked Scarlett.
"How are the preparations coming along for the solstice bonfire? Mom's doing her usual chant to the Earth Mother at dawn and then we decorate the altar but after that I'm free to help, though I would appreciate if the three of you came to the opening of the exhibition."
She winked and let out a soft innocent giggle.
"I mean it's only right that all four water nymphs are there when the painting is revealed, don't you think?"

Anara · Feb 23, 2023

Character Name: Scarlett

Player/ Group: @Kosmik_Khaos @MsBloom @Rheya

Location: Spruce University courtyard.

Even though Valarie has reassured her that the wolves would stay in line, Scarlett still worried. Leo and Evalyn may have been the only two of that small Wilson clan with common sense. But their father, relatives, and anyone else who wandered in from the outside world brought an aura of uneasiness.

"We can get Grandpa to get the supplies together for the Solstice, he dotes on you more than he does me, and I'm his favorite."

"Grandpa to the rescue! He always has the best stuff." Scarlett said after a while of wearing down her bottom lip with her teeth, her hands wore into the strap of her backpack, and her almond shape nail dug into the leather." I am low on supplies. This year was one that needed more praying than I had planned." She commended and let out a large sigh which showed her exhaustion. As they walked by the courtyard, Scarlett spotted Leo, Evalyn, and their hoard of friends gathered around each other while Leo pulled out a wooden box from his backpack. What was that?

"Word to the wise, don't miss early registration; otherwise, you get stuck with the sciences."

Scarlett looked back at Maddy and waved her thought of concentration broken. "I love sciences! What are you learning?" She looked at Maddy's textbooks and then grimaced. "... I wish I could trade you, I got stuck with all the boring classes, and I was early." Rolling her eyes, she looked to Lilith next as if the witch could read her mind.

"How are the preparations coming along for the solstice bonfire? Mom's doing her usual chant to the Earth Mother at dawn, and then we decorate the altar, but after that, I'm free to help, though I would appreciate if the three of you came to the opening of the exhibition."

"They aren't coming along at all," Scarlett said finally after a moment; Lilith's presence allowed her to let her guard down, even if it was brief. "I wanted to pick a good spot in the forest, but who knows if the wolves will let us in? I think it's their phasing period. But I also don't want to not do something. What kind of precedence would that set for us going into the new year? I don't want to wish that on us." She shifted her stance and then backtracked in her mind. " Of course, we will go to the Exhibition! It should be fun. I am so glad you are displaying your art. It's beautiful! Should we bring anything? I've never gone to one of these before." Suddenly, or by the push of the sudden cool breeze, she linked her arm up with Lilith's and leaned into her while using this opportunity to look over at Leo and Evalyn, trying to see more regarding the box Leo had held. Then she perked up in thought.

"There's a game tonight. I bet someone is having a party. The Wilsons always go to those things because of the Agnolo twins. We should go-- scout out if they are doing something for the Solstice." She glanced at Valarie and Maddy and then back at the group in the distance. "We just need to find out who's throwing the party." Scarlett diverted her gaze from Leo and then looked to Maddy with a smile as if volunteering her for the task.

Anara · Feb 23, 2023

Character Name: Leo// Evalyn

Player/ Group: @ThatGeckoGirl ( Tallulah ) @Kosmik_Khaos (Kahoni)

Location: Spruce University Garden across from the courtyard.

Leo hugged Tallulah tightly with one arm as he stood and looked at Evelyn, who pouted after their conversation. She wasn't happy to be the last to know in this situation.

"Alright, you know exactly how to grab my attention, Leo! Honestly, it's kind of criminal. Do you know how curious I've been? So, out with it. I gotta know! What's the deal with this mysterious box?"

"No... I hadn't said anything." Leo said through his teeth before he felt Evalyn's small fist jab into his arm. The aggression combined with her prim appearance was out of place for her, but she quickly regained herself.

"What box," Eva said with an air of annoyance. Suddenly Kahoni appeared, and Evalyn lost it.

"Is this about whatever it was that you got in the middle of the night? I was wondering about that today. Did someone confess to you or something?"

"JUST OPEN THE BOX," She growled, frustrated, and stomped her foot, her little fists balled up at her sides. "Why all these pleasantries? Why!"

"Geez, Eva. chill out." Leo said as he sat back down and Evalyn beside him, her arms crossed and lips pursed. She could feel the anger building within her but knew it was due to the phasing that would happen later in the week for her kind. Then she let out a shaky sigh and looked at the backpack.

"Yeah. Anyway, I got this box in the middle of the night. " He pulled it out the wooden box from his backpack and held it up for all to see. "It has some family lore in it and a key. But I'll be honest, I don't know shit about the lore in this town except for mine... and maybe some of Tala's. This book is pretty old, too, probably from when the town was founded. But I found some cool things in it. I had no idea that family stuff had happened, and even stuff about our headmaster and..." He lowered his voice as she opened the box's lid and pulled out the old, tattered book. "A lot of this info for people in this town is not good. I think they are trying to paint Rockford as some Utopia, but it looks like that was not the case at one time." Leo set the book back into the box and shoved it into the backpack. " It just arrived, no idea how. But I feel weird about it. I don't think I should have it, but where would I even return it?"

Evalyn caught a glimpse of the book as he quickly pulled it out and read a few lines to herself. "There really isn't a whole lot to say; Rockford was a fishing town. Then some stuff happened, and here we are. Why psychoanalyze it?"

"Well..." Leo paused. " For one, why did it show up at my and Kahoni's doorstep, and why lore specifically? I think someone wanted me, or us, to see something in here."

Eva thought to herself, then stood up quickly. " Well, I definitely do not have time to read this book fully. I have to study for my exams, and there's a game tonight, and I like to be there for Vesper. Maybe we could take turns reading and then compare notes." She dusted off her beige coat, hugged Tala, and waved to kahoni before snapping up her backpack.

ThatGeckoGirl · Feb 25, 2023

Character Name: Vergil "V" Agnolo // Mention of Vesper "Ves" Agnolo
Player/Group: Spruce University Lancers Basketball Team // Harj (@BennyQ )
Location: Spruce University Gymnasium
Time: December 11th, 2022

Adrenaline, sweat, exhaustion, and the thrill of the cheers. Yeah, this was a good game. Vergil moved along the basketball court, swerving around defenders and placing himself in as many opportune positions as possible to score points. His eyes were usually fixed on Harj, following his movements and the opening that came and went. His buddy Harj was an all around star player. Vergil? He was a star forward. Sharing the ball and the glory had never been his strongest skills in basketball. But dunking the ball? Jumping above the other players like a soaring angel was his forte. Being a Nephilim, Vergil wasn't exactly allowed to completely manifest his wings in the game. That would be seen as cheating if he could just fly over everyone and keep dropping the ball into the basket. Plus, it wouldn't be any fun without some adversity. However, when it came to jumping up, Vergil Agnolo flew through the air. Some people swore they could see the outline of wings sprouting from his back before he slammed the ball through the hoop. He had earned the name Hermes due to the Greek God's fabled winged shoes. Vergil was a top scorer, but he tended to rely on the perfect pass from one of his teammates unless he was able to swoop in and steal a pass from the other team.

Vergil placed himself in the same opening Harj saw, a confident grin stretching across his lips as the ball was hurled towards him. His eyes glinted with arrogant determination. The moment his hands touched the coarse orange ball, the points were practically a given. V moved with startling speed despite the exhaustion screaming in his limbs from the long game. He rushed forwards before leaping up into the air. The rush of the air against his face and rippling his jersey was a thrilling few seconds before he slammed the ball down through the hoop in a definitive slam dunk. The sound of the cheers and screaming from the crowd was like a drug. His moment of elation came down as his sneaker hit against the ground after his jump, and he was quick to rejoin his teammates. The back and forth fight continued against the Matadors. Everyone was tired. Mistakes were easy to make in this last stretch as fatigue gripped the players on both sides. Vergil thrived on this thrill, but even he wasn't immune to the setbacks of full-body exhaustion. Regardless, the moment Harj's second pass hit against Vergil's hands, the points were destined as his lay up whooshed through the Matador's basket.

It was getting down to the last few seconds. One point down, and Harj had the ball. He was going to the point...and a foul! Vergil's eyes also shot to the ref, expecting the sharp blow of the whistle to call the blatant foul by the Matador's defender. Nothing? The ref gave it to the Matadors instead? This call would cost them the game! If Harj hadn't already started arguing with the ref, Vergil would have taken his place. He moved over, knowing better than to open his big mouth while Harj was going off on the referee. Fucking hell, they were screwed. This ref had been calling fouls on Harj all game. Might as well have been paid off to ensure the Lancers would lose this game. As Harj was thrown out of the game, Vergil cussed under his breath and sighed heavily. He knew this was it. They lost this game. Especially as the Matadors got their two free points. There simply wasn't enough time on the clock for the Lancers to get the three points they needed. It was all over. As the Matadors celebrated at their victory, the Lancers were quiet and upset as they walked from the court and to the locker room. It had been an undeserved loss. The game, the victory, and the glory should have all been theirs. It was stolen from them by a bullshit call. Well, from the miss of a call.

Vergil plopped himself down on the bench in the locker room, tilting his head back as he draped a towel around the back of his neck. The end dangled over his shoulders. He took in deep breaths as he closed his eyes for a minute. The loss settled over him like a bad break-up. There wouldn't be another game until next year. This had been the last one of the season, and they fucking lost. It was a bitter disappointment. So much for hoping to go to a celebratory party after the game. It was a lot more fun getting drunk on high spirits than wallowing in the alcohol from defeat. Vergil leaned forwards as he reopened his eyes, leaning his elbows on his knees. The sound of Harj's fist connecting with a locker rang out, mirroring V's mood. A vibration sounded from within his locker, making Vergil perk up a little as he opened it up and pulling out his phone. It was a message from his twin sister, Vesper.

"Ves says she's proud of you for not punching the ref," He called out to Harj in a chuckle, his words laced with his Italian accent. His golden hair was slicked against his temples from the sweat, looking more like a light brown from being damp. The small strands that were drier that the rest curled outwards. He and his sister were the epitome of angelic in appearance - the golden twins. Vesper almost never missed a home game, only not going to the away games due to her own studies. The twins were extremely close - practically inseparable. Vergil liked to joke that his sister was their lucky angel. What was sports without some superstition, after all?

"Who's ready for a pity party?" He spoke loudly, stretching his arms over his head to release some of the ache and tension in his arms, "I could certainly use a drink after that bullshit."

Character Name: Tallulah "Tala" Neith
Player/Group: Leo/Evalyn (@Kassia ), Kahoni (@Kosmik_Khaos )
Location: Spruce University Gardens Across From the Courtyard

The smile that spread across Tala's face couldn't be helped when Leo hugged her tightly. Her heart seemed to give a small jump from the quick contact. She did her best to ignore such physiologic responses. After all, she shouldn't have them regarding her best friend. They had already tried that avenue. Hadn't they agreed it didn't exactly work? She forced such thoughts out of her mind as she instead had the decency to look apologetic towards Leo for spilling the beans about the box in front of Evalyn. Oops. Sorry, She mouthed to Leo, though she failed to hide her little snort of a laugh when Kahoni brought up the same thing and drew an annoyed reaction from the girl who was like a little sister to her. "Hey Kahoni," Tala smiled to her friend's roommate, greeting him warmly before sitting next to Leo on his other side. She looked over with evident interest as the werewolf pulled out an older looking box from his backpack. She was quiet as he spoke, thinking critically about the whole thing. She couldn't help it being an officer. Admittedly, it was rather strange that something like this would be left out for Leo. Why? What was the intent? The motive? Was there one? It wasn't a crime, but it was certainly odd.

"I don't know much of Rockford's history except for the siren's side of things. And the random things I learned in high school," Tala said thoughtfully, leaning into Leo's shoulder as she peered over it and down at the older book, "If you want me to look through it, I can. Eva, your idea isn't bad at all! Taking turns and each of us taking notes on it could be a great idea."

As Eva got up, Tala gave her a hug right back. "Going to see Vesper, huh?" She winked at Eva with a hidden little smile, "Have fun, sis."

"It might not mean anything, but best not to overlook it just in case," Tallulah said to Leo, turning back to the issue at hand with this book and box, "Plus, the key is also interesting. What does it lead to? Looks like we have a mystery on our hands, gang!" Tala gave a small laugh at the end, her eyes shimmering at her playful statement. She had found Scooby Doo very amusing when she first saw it. After all, the ocean didn't exactly have television shows.

"Did you two want to grab some food or something? I probably shouldn't stick around for too long though. Ryan's not exactly uh...happy I'm here right now," She said, giving her eyes a small awkward aversion as she pushed her fingers through her long hair. She tried not to talk too much about her relationship issues, but it was getting pretty strained lately. As a result, she hadn't been seeing Leo as much, which she hated doing. Even though she's done that, Ryan still got upset when they did meet up. It was like she couldn't win.

Rheya · Mar 2, 2023

Character Name: Madeline Abbott

Player/ Group: Scarlett // Mentions of Evalyn (@Kassia), Valerie (@Kosmik_Khaos), Lilith (@MsBloom)

Location: Spruce University Courtyard

"Oh! I love Pete's. I may have overslept, had to skip breakfast, and am now paying for it." Sometimes, Maddy wondered if Lilith could read minds as well as she felt her stomach growl the very moment the question popped from the blonde's mouth.

After Scarlett shared worries about her preparations, or lack there of, for the Solstice, Maddy spoke up.

"My grandmother sent me a care package of sorts for the Solstice. Candles, berries, crystals, a bag of salt, a ceremonial dagger, and a spellbook." Maddy admittedly had little experience when it came to Solstice traditions and celebrations, and even suspected that some of what her grandmother sent was a far cry from most. Estranged from her family's coven, the most the budding witch's mother had done was lay out a minimalist alter and burn a yule log. Maddy was hardly stressed, figuring at worst, she could wing it, and at best, her trio of friends would be able to help. The young woman was new to ways and workings of magic, but was learning quickly, sometimes at the expense of her studies. Maddy would argue those classes had little significance to her study of Journalism, but alas, they were a requirement to graduate.

"I'd love to. Does the exhibit open the day of the Winter Festival?" Maddy had never lived in a town with a Winter Festival that celebrated the Solstice.

"I could always just ask Evalyn, if you'd like." The Wilson sibling was her roommate after all, it only made sense that she simply ask the source rather than jumping through hoops. After the words left her mouth, however, Maddy began having second thoughts voicing those concerns aloud. "Evalyn doesn't really talk about her personal life. Whenever I've asked, she changes the subject. We're not really close besides the standard pleasantries." Maddy glanced towards the ground looking somewhat defeated until an idea dawned on her and she snapped her finger. "Actually, better yet. I'm attending the big game this evening. I'm hoping for a post-game interview for the school newspaper with some of the Lancers. I can ask one of them where the party is being held. Fingers crossed they'll win; otherwise, I don't think it'll be a very pleasant interview."

BennyQ · Mar 4, 2023

Character Name: Harj Khanna.
Player/Group: Vergil Agnolo (@ThatGeckoGirl), Josephine Rodrigues (@Kassia).
Location: Spruce University Gymnasium.
Time: December 14th, 2022.

The Lancers settled into their locker room with overtones of melancholy. Yeah, they got royally fucked at the last minute. All that hard effort, the back and forth swing of the game, all their exertion, all for naught. Harj’s expression was deadpan, staring forward, seeing nothing before him but off in his mind with all sorts of fantasies. Of revenge and recompense. But he was smart enough to see nothing would come of that. There would be no do-overs at the college level. No rematches. No reversals. They just had to eat this pile of garbage and suck it up until next year when the season began again, after the holidays.

Slowly, the rage was dissipating. Not permanently, but clearing up. Enough for him to start feeling the aftereffects of his futile punch thrown at the innocent locker. That was definitely going to leave some marks on his knuckles.

Vergil called out to him, his twin congratulating Harj for not connecting that fist with that referee’s jaw. Yeah, he so wanted to, but it would result in expulsion from the league, the team, and probably the school. The worst sort of scandal and disgrace. The golden jumper boy was taking it rather well. Whereas Harj possessed a lack of patience, it seemed the Agnolo twins had it in abundance, balancing out the cosmic scales so to speak. Harj managed to crack half a smile and shake his head. Yeah, nothing to be done about it. Not here at least. Not at this moment. And there was something else to look forward to. The pity party. Drinks, music, his girl….

”Fuck this shit, man.” Harj just huffed and stood up, opening his locker to pull out his towel and a change of clothes. He would do a brief shower here in the locker room, a more thorough and diligent one back at his dorm for the party. ”I’m going to need a dozen drinks. Your sister coming to the party too? Josie will be there.” He asked Vergil, pulling out his phone next to text his girlfriend, Josephine. Be at the whip in ten he notified her. It was a short drive from the college gym to the dorms but who wanted to walk in December weather?

After a brief shower to wash away the sweat and grime of the game, though he was left with the unhappy burden still of the loss weighing on his shoulders, Harj hurriedly dressed and waited for Vergil. They shared a dorm so probably best to head back together. Take Josie along too. She could…meander about, whatever it was she did. With acknowledgements in tow from the rest of the team that they would make the evening bash, they departed the locker room into the now empty gym and into the parking lot, to Harj’s jeep. He popped open the trunk, allowing the boys to deposit their bag and gear and head on to the front.

Josie might be his girlfriend, but when there were other men present, like Vergil, they got to sit up front and the ladies sat in the back. That was the unspoken rule right? ”That ref had to have taken a bribe or some shit. I mean, look at him. He’s a vamp, right?” Harj started to go off, with no provocation, as he and Vergil settled in. ”He’s been doing this since the sport was invented. He seen a thousand games probably. Probably bored out of his mind and fuckin’…I don’t know, started taking bribes and making bets to cure himself of it.” He shook his head, knowing it was probably bullshit but he just had all this pent up fury after the missed call. It was a clear, flagrant foul. He should have scored that. And they should have won.

And be walking into this party like the reigning champs they were. One loss won’t break their season though. But it was an unfair loss. And life was, often, unfair.

Anara · Mar 4, 2023

Character Name: Josephine "Josie"
Player/Group: Harj ( @BennyQ ) Vergil (@ThatGeckoGirl)
Location: Spruce University parking lot
Time: December 14th, 2022.

Josephine had felt a wave of anxiety rise in her chest and settle the moment Harj had lost his temper on the court.

"Ohmygod." She breathed, her heavy accent crushing the words together as if in a vice, and covered her face with her perfectly manicured hands. She slumped in her seat as if trying to hide from the situation, but this would be hard to do in her baby pink tracksuit. Slowly Evelyn reached over across Vesper's shoulder and gently squeezed Josie's shoulder awkwardly with empathy.

She was the spitting image of the angel brought forward by regret, not regret for Harj, but for the moment that would soon follow.

"Ay, Dios Mío," Josie stated, though her voice lacked a whine or whimper. She kept herself calm as she tried to figure out how to diffuse the situation-- which was not her strong suit.

Be at the whip in 10

She pulled out her bedazzled phone and scoffed. What kind of text was that. Beckoning her to his car like he didn't just cause this entire scene in front of the whole school. she crossed her arms, stared at the empty court, and waited until others had moved from her row then took her time. 10 minutes? No. He would wait, and she wouldn't text him back. she always texted back. Josie was attached to her phone like it was her life support, texting him, friends, and her parents. Anyone who could give her the light of day. She surrounded herself with people of all types, soaking up their knowledge, their style, and their experiences. Mirroring their personality back to them was what made her incredibly popular at Spruce University. She had her hands in almost everything on this campus if she had the time. Being the only Harpy in her family led to a fair amount of lonely nights and a lack of understanding. She didn't know how else to approach life now, except with mirroring.

Hraj deserved her mirrored anger after what he had put her through with his outburst. With her arms still crossed and her phone in her hand, she walked into the cool night alone, having brushed off Evalyn's suggestion that they should ride together in Leo's car to give her and Harj space before they went to the after-party. But Josie simply could not control the anger building inside of her. She needed to speak to him now. This life she made for herself at Spruce was all she had. Her family had cast her off into the world as this unloveable and unbearable creature, and she had to make a name for herself, and here he was, trying to throw it out of balance.How dare he When the waters were calm, their relationship was much stronger, but it was nights like this she felt doubtful like it could shatter with the wrong words.

"What the fuck, pendejo!" Josphine barked, pushing into his chest with her hands several times to state her point, then glared; her hair was a flurry of silky tendrils and curls, which she quickly pushed away from her face roughly to further her point. "¿que demonios fue eso? Why would you embarrass me like that!" Her voice was high pitched now, the Harpy in her blood clawing to the surface as she stared at him through her vibrant hazel eyes. "How do you think this makes me look? You're really lucky this is the last game of the season..." She paused to catch her breath and ran her index fingertips under her bottom lash line to wipe away any mascara that may have run in her fury. Then she crossed her arms in defiance while she shook her head and looked away, her teeth chewing her bottom lip. Josie had noted his hand when she pushed him and then flew into another, quieter rage.

"What are you doing! How did you get that-- did you deck the ref after? How do I explain this to my parents? oh god, ¡Mis padres!" Her parents were nowhere in sight, they weren't even in the same state, but she knew some idiot would have recorded his outburst, and they would somehow see it. They always did, and she always woke up to fifteen texts from her mother asking her if she was okay and if she wanted to come home. Before Harj could even defend himself, her hand went up, and she looked away and closed her eyes. She was done. Or at least done with this situation, for now. He had to know how embarrassed she was at this moment---and she wouldn't make him forget it the rest of the night.

Walking past him, she roughly smacked his bicep with her shoulder, then climbed into the passenger side back seat. There she would sit, arms crossed, her face forbearing and composed, eyes looking out into the world ( or her own reflection to ensure she looked angry enough at this moment.) He would have to live with this now until they exited the car. Perfect.

MsBloom · Mar 5, 2023

Character Name: Lilith

Player/ Group: @Kosmik_Khaos @MsBloom @Rheya

Location: Pete's Seafood

Pete's it was then, a cosy little dockside restaurant that not only claimed to serve the best clam chowder anywhere on the coast but also kept good on that statement. Steaming hot, thick and creamy, served in a bowl of Mrs Pete's home made bread. Of course her name wasn't actually Mrs Pete but it was what everyone called her and if Lilith was completely honest she didn't know what her name actually was, nor could she remember ever having heard anyone, including Pete himself, call her anything else. It was just one of those little mysteries that no one really wanted solved. Mrs Pete was Mrs Pete and should remain Mrs Pete, anything else would just feel wrong.

Of course the company of her three closest friends didn't make the experience any less cosy. Lilith didn't really talk much but rather just sat back, enjoying the conversation between her friends as much as she enjoyed the chowder.
"That's if I'm full to capacity, and then some," Lilith said leaving most of the bottom of the bread bowl and finishing her Pepsi.
She patted her belly and even groaned when she had to get up to use the toilet at the back of the restaurant.
"If I'm not back in like five minutes or something I might have actually burst just from moving," she said with a chuckle and a wink.

As the four exited Pete's there was Scarlett's dilemma about gathering supplies for the Solstice feast. Maddy already seemed to have received most of the traditional ingredients in a care package so that solved a lot.
"Now for the bonfire we need Pine, Cedar, Rosemary and Juniper," she said and tilting her head to the side glancing over at Scarlett.
"And I suppose Olibanum as well. Luckily Mom has just received a shipment and I should be able to get hold of what we need. And then there's the ritual of course. For that we need a maiden, a mother and a crone to symbolise the triple goddess, and a high priestess to lead the ritual. Luckily there are four of us, and perhaps Elin will come as well, which makes five."

She paused and looked at her friends.
"Anyone else coming?" she asked and then added that had there been a full moon she would have wanted to try drawing down the moon.
"But we'll have to hold that off until January 6 I'm afraid but if either of you are interested we can try it then."

Kosmik_Khaos · Mar 5, 2023

Character Name: Valerie Keoni

Player/ Group: Scarlett ( @Kassia ), Maddy ( @Rheya ), Lilith ( @MsBloom )

Location: Courtyard

Time: December 14th, 2022.

Hearing the other two witches offer up their assistance to Scarlett was well she smiled internally. "See Scar, nothing to worry about, we have it handled." She said placing a reassuring hand on the shorter girls shoulder. "Tomorrow I'll get the truck and I can scoop everyone up and we can gather everything we need and go find a place out in the woods to claim. I'll be sure to set up wards and warn the pups about where we will be so they don't have another mishap. It took days for the smell of burnt dog hair to fade."

"Pete's does sound really good. I could get a oyster po'boy and their hush puppies." Even though her voice was monotonous her friends would be able to pick out the slight touch of pleasure and desire in her words. "They are the best." Her hands rose up to her stomach and unconsciously began to rub it as she fantasized about the hush puppies. A slight shiver crept across Valerie's body and goosebumps rose on her arms. "Yeah. Let's get Pete's." She decided that was exactly what she wanted.

Valeria nodded and she brought her hands up to her chest and drummed her fingertips together several times in her show of physical excitement at the news Lilith just dropped. "I would love to come, I wouldn't miss it for anything! Will it be a casual or formal event?" She asked wanting to know how to dress to support her friend.

Ready to eat Valerie started to move the group towards the parking lot keeping the conversation moving along with them. "So Maddy have you found anyone to take photos for the paper or are you still just taking in freelancers?" She was curious about this, having considered joining the paper but wasn't sure if she liked being assigned what to take pictures of. "And will any of you girls be going to the after party? Corey will be throwing it at his parents beach house." She dropped the nugget of info into the group to see who the girls would react to going out. Valerie personally could take it or leave it but she did want to spend time with her friends and it was a free party.

Character Name: Kahoni Kelekolio

Player/ Group: Leo/Evalyn ( @Kassia ) , Tala ( @ThatGeckoGirl )

Location: University Gardens

Time: December 14th, 2022.

Kahoni frown at Tala's comment about her boyfriend. He wasn't as close to her as Leo or Eva was but she was still his friend. "Ryan can chew rocks. I'll even cook'em for him so they at least taste good." He offered. "Look, there is supposed to be a big party after the game tonight. Everyone and I mean everyone is invited. Corey Taylor is throwing the party so it's going to be a real banger. Come out with us and forget about him. You are your own woman, he can't control what you do." Kahoni shrugged and gave her a meaningful wink. "We don't do well kept in tanks."

He watched Eva snatch up the book and couldn't help but chuckle at her comments on it. "Sounds good to me. I only have one more class for the day so I can read up on it after class and before the game? I don't have anything else planned in that time." He offered before waving goodbye to Eva.

"Yeah food sounds good. I have an hour before that last class. What say you Leo?" Kahoni turned his dark eyes to his roommate and waggled his eyebrows and the man.

Character Name: Corey "Motherfucking" Taylor

Player/ Group: All who are joining the after party

Location: Beach House

Time: December 14th, 2022

Corey wasn't going to let the loss weigh him down. He waited too damn long for this party to let a bad call ruin it. Walking past Harj he clapped the star player on his shoulder. "That was some grade A bullshit bro." He said in condolence before turning and looking at the whole team. "Yo, we still having the party at the beach house. Tonight we celebrate the the fact that we are so damn good the refs had to cheat to give those PU bastards a W under their belts!" His little pep talk got a few whoops of agreement before he laughed and headed off for the showers. He had a few last minute things to handle before the party started.

Having taken a more a rise off than proper shower Corey made haste to set up the final decorations for the party. While driving the his parents beach house he made a couple calls to friends he knew recorded the game and pull a couple favors to get one of those recordings brought by. He then contacted some of the artsy students he knew and in typical Corey fashion wrangled a couple into a last minute project.

Once at the house he check and double checked everything. All the super expensive and smashable objects had all been moved to the third floor which was locked off to the guests. Just because he was throwing a rager didn't mean he was going to let his parent's nice things get ruined. A bit a mess and some minor property damage was expected, but no sense in leaving a $10k unique vase out for a drunk student to accidently bump.

A mousy boy showed up to the house shortly after Corey arrived nervously knocking on the door. "TIMMY!" Corey yelled out seeing the timid guy at his front door. The poor boy flinched and was instantly wrapped up in a bro hug and pulled into the house. "Man Timmy, you are really saving my ass here. Are you sure I can't pay you for this?" Corey asked while leading the nervous guy deeper into the house. "N-not a problem C-c-c-corey. I-i-i saw that shi-shi-shit call too. P-p-p-plus you are inv-v-v-v-viting me to the party." Corey stopped dead in his tracks and stared Timmy down. "Timmy, why wouldn't I invite you to my party?" Tim shyly cast his eyes to the floor. "W-w-w-well I-I-I-I d-d-don't really fi-fi-fit in wi-wi-with your g-g-gr-group." His stutter got worse when he was nervous. "Motherfucker!" Corey said suddenly and loudly. "Wh-what?" Tim asked flinching back. "Say it." "Sa-say wh-what?" "Motherfucker!" Again Corey said it loudly and with authority. "Look Timmy, I read about how Samuel Jackson used to have a bad stutter so he started saying Motherfucker all the time to break the stutter. If it worked for him it should work for you." Tim look thoroughly confused at the abrupt change in topic. "Oh and yeah, you are my friend. We've been friends since what? Middle school? Stop being a dweeb about coming to a party and lets get this video edited!"

Feeling much better Corey and Tim spent the next hour recording and editing snarky commentary for the game footage. Mostly a running train of insults on the piss poor refs. Once it was done Corey had Tim cast it to the massive 80' television screen in the living room. During that hour his artistically inclined friends showed up with the banner he requested. It was a plain white with bold red letters spelling out "WE GOT ROBBED - LETS PARTY". The ladies, twin sisters Angela and Susan, did great work in Corey's mind and he offered them money which they scoffed at and told him they were crashing his party as recompense.

With the four of them being the only ones around before the party, and in spite of Corey protesting otherwise the group finished setting up the lower floor. Moving all furniture to the walls to leave room for dancing, setting up a snack buffet, Tim's idea. Three places to refill booze to keep congestion to a minimum and Tim, surprising everyone took over one of the rooms on the second floor as a drinking game room.

As people started to show up Corey greeted them at the door giving them a quick rundown of where things were and the rule of the 3rd story being off limits.

BennyQ · Mar 5, 2023

Character Name: Harj Khanna.
Player/Group: Vergil Agnolo (@ThatGeckoGirl), Josephine Rodrigues (@Kassia).
Location: Spruce University Gymnasium.
Time: December 14th, 2022.

”Oh. My. God.” Harj rolled his eyes with added emphasis the moment he heard Josie screeching at him. She walked right up to him, shorter and not as bulky, and had the gall to shove his broad chest with her little hands like he had done something wrong. Clearly he had. He endured both the physical and verbal onslaught with a tired but conditioned expression, as she went off, switching between English and Spanish as one might change a pair of socks. She was right in his face, hand gestured and hair flying with the physicality of her statements. Nothing boiled or bubbled his blood more than when she used that tone of voice with him. Who cares if Vergil was right there. The pair were renown for their arguments, caring little who else heard or saw.

”I think it makes you look ridiculous.” He just pointed out to her very likely rhetorical question, to do no more than get a further rise out of Josie. Him? Lucky? Didn’t she see how the referee screwed them with the lack of a call, then had the nerve to eject Harj from the game? He looked at his knuckles, with it’s bloody scraping, and a further wicked thought came to his mind. Did you deck the ref after? ”Yeah.” He lied boldly. What did she think? Of course he hadn’t hit the referee! But by god he wanted to. He wanted to hit something. ”Man I don’t care what you snitch to your parents over. Get your ass in the car.” He told her, even as she brushed by, smacking at him again. That was twice now she hit him. But he endured it with the patience of a statue. Because that’s what it felt like. Soft rain, battering against solid stone. Hardly a dent or notice.

He did however open the door for her, like a gentleman would for a princess. Except gentlemen and princesses didn’t talk to each other like this. He shut the door after her, rather aggressively, slamming it hard. ”Jesus, woman, you act like you were the one who got screwed out there. Not you. Me. I was the one on the court, alright? Kuthi jinani.” Harj stabbed a finger at his own chest to indicate, standing outside her window before he scoffed and moved up to the front. Poor Vergil. He got into the driver’s seat and adjusted the rear view mirror…to look right at her with her scrunched up, angry expression. And her cute green eyes. But they were anything but cute in that moment, holding the venom of vultures.

”What do you know ‘bout anything? Does it look like a fuckin’ game in there?” Um, yes? ”You think that was fun for me? You think when…fuckin’ Lebron James is playing, he’s having fun? It’s supposed to be work. Honorable work. And they fucking fucked me. I should have decked that ref. More than once. Okay? So,” Harj concluded, about to commit the most mortal sin of all. ”So calm down.” He told a very angry woman.

He then proceeded to pull out and begin driving the short distance to his and Vergil’s dorms, ignoring Josie as he turned to his golden hair companion. ”You got the addy for the party tonight?” He inquired casually. No hint of any vitriol towards him. Harj already knew the address, he was just ignoring Josie.

They reached the dormitory rather quickly, a good time for Vergil to beat a quick retreat. Harj would drive Josie to her place if she didn’t want to wait around for them to get ready and changed for the party. It would be about a hour for him, needing to shower and shave a little and dress. Opening the glove box, he pulled out a little box that contained a little comb, which he used to comb his stache, first the left side, then the right, adjusting the rear view mirror away from Josie’s scathing look towards himself. It was already perfect but there was something cathartic about doing the gesture. When he was done, he put it back in place, letting him make eye contact with his girl friend in the back.

”Why are you taking this so personally anyways? Relax, girl. Nobody is going to be talking about you, anyways.” Harj said to Josie, not letting it rest. This was probably going to go on allll night.

MsBloom · Mar 8, 2023

Character Name: Lilith/Elin

Player/ Group: @Kosmik_Khaos @MsBloom @Rheya

Location: The Morgans' Family home

December 14, 6:30 pm.

Elin had had a hectic day. First her morning classes and then a quick lunch of tuna & egg salad sandwiches by herself before a couple of hours in the photography lab making the final preparations to the photography she was going to exhibit at the Solstice Festival, a close up self-portrait in inverted black and white. It had at first been part of her first assignment by her photography teacher as a way to learn framing and she had certainly managed to frame her face perfectly so that its edges did not show in the photo, only its features. After having increased the contrast and decreased the light and sent it to be printed she hurried to the gymnasium to take photos of the Lancers' last game of the season, one that was expected to make them champions but didn't as it turned out. She knew next to nothing about Basketball as it a sport that had ever really interested her but she did get a few good shots of the teams two star players Harj and Vergil in action. She even caught a good shot of Harj flying into a rage at what was clearly a bad foul, even she could see that. It was such an intense photo that whether or not it made the school paper she would ask him if she could add it to her portfolio. She also got a good team photo before the game but afterwards the team had quite understandably refused to pose for any photos.

She didn't stick around for the actual interview but rather hurried home to get prepped for Lilith and her friends coming over to get ready for the big party later that evening. They had said 6:30 pm but by the time Elin had swallows down a cup of instant noodles and was ready to hit the shower it was 6:25 and with a casual knock on the door Lilith showed up with a bottle of Jack Daniels and two full grocery bags of snacks.
"Just put it all right there on the table," Elin said and with a hint of embarrassment at having been caught in just her underwear took down two glasses from the cabinet in her very basic kitchenette, poured two shots and downed hers quickly and with her eyes closed.
"Alright then I'll just be in the shower."
Lilith nodded with a smile, already noticing the not so subtle transformation that always happened when Elin drank alcohol as the younger scholarship student threw off her bra and pulled off her panties on the way to the bathroom rather than waiting until she had closed the door.

While Elin was in the shower, which she knew might take a while, Lilith put out the snacks and three more glasses, poured herself another shot and sat down on the old sofa bed that from it's lumpiness probably was only barely made.

She had spent most of the afternoon sketching naked trees, near the woods but careful not to step into wolf territory, had an omelette for dinner and showered in the house before heading up the stairs from the garage to Elin's room. She had not changed into the dress she was going to wear to the party though but had shown up in just a pair of casual sweat pants and a t-shirt. A rather fancy strapless LBD that more than generously showed off her curves and legs.

She had only just swallowed down her second shot when there was a knock on the door.
"Ready or not, they're here," she called to Elin with a knock on the bathroom door as she went to let the girls in.

Anara · Mar 14, 2023

Character Name: Scarlett
Player/Group: Lilith(@MsBloom ), Valerie ( @Kosmik_Khaos ), Maddy ( @Rheya )
Location: Pete's Seafood-> Elin's place
Time: December 14th, 2022.

Scarlett swirled her spoon in her clam chowder and pouted about the forest dilemma. She was so upset she couldn't even bear to giggle at Lilith's joke about bursting from being too full. This was the one day of the year she felt like she belonged somewhere, and now the wolves were about to ruin it with their silly treaties.

"...And I suppose Olibanum as well. Luckily Mom has just received a shipment and I should be able to get hold of what we need. And then there's the ritual of course. For that we need a maiden, a mother, and a crone to symbolise the triple goddess, and a high priestess to lead the ritual. Luckily there are four of us, and perhaps Elin will come as well, which makes five."

"Doesn't your mom always play the mother, Lilith? And Camilla the Crone?" Scarlett giggles at her little dig at her aunt, clearly irritated with how hard Camilla was driving her into her studies."But, I don't think i'm ready to lead the ritual. I mean I know its my responsibility this year with finding, and securing the ritual spot, but I definitly feel like it's all falling apart. Lilith, you should do it!" Scarlett turned to Lilith excitedly, then look to Valarie.

"The protective wards you mentioned earlier are a good idea. We can't just let the wolves push us around. The forest is for everyone. I, for one, want to start the new year off right!" Scarlett stabbed her soup, reached for her drink, and sipped it triumphantly. "We should head to Elin's, right? The party will be starting soon. I definitely need to find something to wear. Do you think she will have anything extra I can wear? I feel like I've gone through all my available outfits to choose from."

Character Name: Scarlett
Player/Group: Tallulah (@ThatGeckoGirl), Kahoni ( @Kosmik_Khaos )
Location: University garden-> Pete's Seafood
Time: December 14th, 2022.

As Eva left to go see her grilfriend, Vesper and attend the basketball game, Leo looked back at Tala and Kahoni.

"Plus, the key is also interesting. What does it lead to? Looks like we have a mystery on our hands, gang!"

With a laugh, he clasped his hands and put them on top of his head with a hesitant sigh. "Yeah... where, I wonder. Man, I know I'm a wolf and all, but I really hope it doesnt lead to some creepy old man's basement like those mystery books and shows always seem to write in."

"Did you two want to grab some food or something? I probably shouldn't stick around for too long though. Ryan's not exactly uh...happy I'm here right now,"

Leo's brows raised in acknowledgment to Ryan. How Tala had managed to find herself tied up to this guy was beyond him. Leo had always regretted that the relationship hadn't worked out between him and Tala, but they were young, and life seemed to have a way of disrupting every plan they had...

"Ryan can chew rocks. I'll even cook'em for him so they at least taste good."

Leo gave a snort in replace of a laugh and nodded. He knew if Ryan tried anything He and Kahoni would protect her. Still, the memories of their past, no matter how distant it may have been, hurt his chest, and he rubbed it slightly.

"Look, there is supposed to be a big party after the game tonight. Everyone and I mean everyone is invited. Corey Taylor is throwing the party so it's going to be a real banger. Come out with us and forget about him. You are your own woman, he can't control what you do."

"Corey is hosting the party?" He asked curiously. "That kid always seems to be partying. Yeah, Tal, come with us. I'm going with kahoni, and Eva and Vesper will probably be there. So it will be a good group. Leave Ryan at home. He goes out with his friends all the time without you, right? You can do the same." With another sigh, Leo stood, picked up the backpack, and slung it around his shoulder. "Let's get food. You can think about it on the way. It will be like old times, huh? Just you, me, Eva, Kahoni.. and I assume Alalula, right? Yeah. Just the OG's."

Slinging his arm around Tala's shoulder, he leaned in, turning his head so Kahoni could read his lips. "I'm not trying to get you in trouble, but we miss you, T. I know I do."

MsBloom · Mar 15, 2023

Character Name: Lilith

Player/ Group: @Kosmik_Khaos @MsBloom @Rheya

Location: Pete's Seafood Restaurant

December 14, lunch

"They do but that's their ritual," Lilith said in response to Scarlett's objections regarding the ritual and looked at the other three.
"This will be our ritual, and I would be honoured to lead it in the role of high priestess if that is what you want. I've seen Mom do it often enough to know most of it by heart."

She then gave Scarlett a quick nod.
"I'm sure she does. And if she doesn't I might have something for you. She said to be there at 6:30 but I'd take that more as a recommended time. Knowing Elin she will probably be running a bit late so there's no rush."
She looked specifically at Maddy who she knew had interviews to do with the basket ball team after the game, while Elin who was just supposed to take photos for the school paper almost certainly would hurry home.

ThatGeckoGirl · Mar 16, 2023

Character Name: Tallulah Neith
Player/Group: Leo (@Kassia ), Kahoni ( @Kosmik_Khaos )
Location: University garden-> Pete's Seafood
Time: December 14th, 2022

It was against her better judgement that Tallulah had given a small laugh at Kahoni's comments regarding Ryan. None of them were wrong. She shouldn't let him control what it is she did. That, and Leo was right. Ryan did go out with his own friends but got upset when she went out with hers. It was hypocritical. Any time she mentioned this, he'd bring up that his friends weren't his past exes. Almost immediately, Tala had regretted being honest about the fact that Leo, her best friend, had also been her boyfriend at one time. Things hadn't been quite so tense until that had been shared. Hell, Ryan had been nice and sweet. Had he been this controlling all along, and she just never saw it? Tallulah wasn't entirely sure. She just remembered the first few months of the relationship being fun, and now if she didn't dedicate all of her free time to Ryan, then she was doing something wrong. It was frustrating.

A soft flush rose in Tallulah's cheeks from Leo's words said to her quietly. She peered over at the werewolf with slightly wide eyes. He missed her? Again, her quickened heartbeat betrayed how she should be feeling. Hopefully Leo wouldn't notice. The last thing she needed, or wanted, was to lose him. Eventually, those feelings would fade away. Right? Things hadn't worked out before when they had tried to act on it. A part of her still didn't entirely understand why it hadn't. Perhaps the timing had just been wrong? Whatever it was, they had chosen to just remain friends...even though it still hurt to think about. "I miss you too, L," Tala said quietly as to not be overheard, offering him a small sad smile.

"Alright, alright. You guys have convinced me," Tallulah said in a louder voice as to include Kahoni, "I promise not to be a total nark at the party." Her voice was teasing as she winked at the two boys. Against her desire to want to remain close to Leo's side with his arm around her shoulders, Tala moved ahead and walked backwards as she presented herself before her two friends. "I'm not exactly wearing 'banger party' clothes, but it's cute enough, right?" She beamed at them, giving a cute little spin in her wintery clothes. Ryan thought she had been dressed up too much for going out to see friends, so maybe that meant it would be fine to go to a party in it.

"Ohmygosh, Pete's! I love Pete's!" Tallulah chimed when the three of them got to the restaurant. Tala practically ran into the restaurant with a happy little skip in her step. The way land dwellers ate seafood had always fascinated her. Of course, it had been her primary diet when she lived as a siren in the ocean. Cooked fish had been a totally new experience when she first came to Pete's. The breading on fish like cod...so good! It was something that would turn into mushy nothingness in the ocean, but was so crisp and light when made on the surface. Tala didn't eat out much, and it had been quite a while since she came to eat at Pete's. Despite the years she has spent living on the surface, there was still a kind of childlike delight she had regarding how people on the land ate seafood. Though, admittedly, she had been getting fascinated with sushi lately. Raw fish mixed with surface ingredients like rice...how imaginative! At times she would accidentally order spicy sushi and instantly regret it though. Tala blamed her extreme low tolerance for spice due to her diet growing up, but she never asked Kahoni and Alaula if this tracked for them.

"Sooo how has classes been going for you two?" Tala asked Leo and Kahoni as they got seated in Pete's Seafood. She tried to keep conversation steered away from her relationship in an attempt to hide the anxiety she felt regarding going home from the party that night. She had ordered a coke for her drink, mostly because she had a habit of absentmindedly playing with her water using her powers when she got water. Already, Tala knew what she was going to get. Pete's famous fish and chips! At least, they were famous to Tala. She's had nearly everything on the menu, but the first thing she ever got here and was exposed to surface seafood cooking was the fish and chips. It held too much nostalgia for her not to get it.

ThatGeckoGirl · Mar 16, 2023

Character Name: Vesper Agnolo
Player/Group: Eva (@Kassia )
Location: University Game -> Ice Rink
Time: December 14th, 2022

Vesper held onto Evalyn's hand as the skates she wore glided across the white surface of the ice. The nephilim girl didn't seem to be that bothered by the slick surface. Vesper was one of those people who tended to pick things up quickly. High energy pop music played over the ice rink's speakers as the public skaters moved around the ice in an oval. Since the zamboni had resurfaced not too long ago, the ice was still decently smooth. Figure skaters were practicing jumps and spins in the very center of the ice, which was blocked off by four orange cones formed in a wide square. They were fun to watch as they were allowed their small practice area away from the public skaters struggling just to move. However, it wasn't the graceful actions of of figure skaters that put a happy smile on Vesper's face. It was the girl she was skating beside - her girlfriend Evalyn.

After the game, they had come to the ice rink for a little date before Corey Taylor's party. The plan was that Leo and his friends would pick them up on their way to the party, so they would all arrive together. Vesper was bursting with happiness just to be spending time with Evalyn. She adored every moment she got with her adorable favorite puppy! Vesper adamantly refused that Evelyn was a big scary wolf on full moons. She was just her cute puppy - large fangs and beautifully elegant wolf form or not.

"Josie kinda scares me. You think Harj is alright?" Vesper asked Eva with wide sky blue eyes. The blue was pristine, almost unnaturally bright and clear. "Not that it's really our problem, I guess," Vesper admitted as an after thought before flashing Eva a warm smile as she swung their intertwined hands.

"Eva, your nose is all pink and cute," She suddenly gasped out, as if the thought was an epiphany that suddenly came to her. Vesper reached over with her other hand, lightly bopping the cold tip of Eva's nose affectionately. She then leaned over to kiss her girlfriend's cheek...only to yelp as her feet slipped out from under her. She released Eva's hand as she plopped onto the ice, staring up at Eva from her fail. Small little shaved ice sprinkled into her pale golden hair. "That's what I get for being a simp," Vesper laughed before pouting and giving Eva puppy eyes as she stretched her hands out, "Please help me up? I'll give you extra love!"

Character Name: Vergil Agnolo
Player/Group: Harj (@BennyQ ), Josie (@Kassia )
Location: Dorm
Time: December 14th, 2022

It was hard to properly explain the sheer amount of discomfort being the third wheel between Harj and Josie's fights were. Vergil did his best to just stay out of it. If he said anything, no matter how well intentioned, he'd somehow get dragged into it. One experience of that was all he needed to not want it to happen again! Over the time he has known Harj, he kept wondering why he and Josie stayed together. He didn't think it in a mean way - he genuinely just didn't understand. The two seemed to hate each other, the way they constantly fought and pushed each other's buttons! Yet, here they were, still going strong. It was an enigma. Maybe being a Nephilim didn't give him an understanding for a love of...toxic adversity? Was that what it was? Regardless, he supported Harj however he could, and he was more than happy to be nice to Josie when she was around. Vergil was just usually really good at suddenly having an important engagement to attend when the fighting between them started. Being in the car with it however...there wasn't any escape.

When Harj asked the address, Vergil knew it was just to annoy Josie. Why must he be pulled into this? "Oh, yeah, I got it," Vergil cleared his throat before saying, quickly bringing up the address of Corey's place, "Here, let me send it to you. Unless you want me to navigate with Google Maps. I'm happy either way, man."

The moment they made it to the dorms, Vergil did the most tactical thing he could think of: retreat. With Harj driving Josie where she needed to go, he took that time to shower. Once showered, Vergil tugged on clothes to wear to the party. He found that he didn't need to wear very extravagant clothing - he was handsome enough to stand out in basic outfits. Some people mistook his confidence for arrogance, and at times he figured it was arrogance. However, angel blood came with perks, like divine good looks. Vergil wore a low-collared offwhite long-sleeved shirt. The shirt fit him nicely and was made of a soft fabric. The pants he wore were dark colored jeans that appeared black. Vergil styled his hair, sweeping the longer strands to the side, but leaving it just a little messy. The finishing touch? A black leather jacket for some edge.

"Alright V. Time to have a killer time at a party and lay on charm. Ves says you're a catch waiting to be fished out if the ocean," He grinned at his reflection, practicing a little wink. Damn, that was a good wink.

"Agh, fuck me, I'm an idiot," He groaned. If Harj saw that, he'd die of the embarrassment. Yup, good thing alcohol was going to be readily available tonight. Once Harj was ready, he'd head out with him.

Rheya · Mar 18, 2023

Character Name: Madeline Abbott

Player/ Group: Scarlett (@Kassia), Valerie (@Kosmik_Khaos), Lilith // Mentions of Elin (@MsBloom), Spruce University Lancers Basketball Team

Location: Spruce University Courtyard -> Pete's Seafood Restaurant -> Spruce University Gymnasium

"Actually, we finally got someone, Elin joined," she glanced towards Lilith, knowing the scholarship student resided in the Morgan home, then back to Valerie. "Are you thinking about joining? We could definitely use another photographer or two. We've made it by with freelancers, but they're not very reliable. The one we have tends to call out at the last minute. I can't really blame them though, there's no incentive. It's not like they're getting paid."

• • •

Maddy smiled as the afternoon's cool, salty breeze greeted the group, a telltale sign that they'd reached the docks and were nearing Pete's. The dockside restaurant was a favorite among the locals, and within her last three months in Rockford, had charmed its way into her heart. Maddy slid into the booth and didn't even bother looking at the menu, already knowing exactly what she would order. "Fish and chips and a Pepsi, please." The brunette ordered as Mrs. Pete began looking from girl to girl while taking their orders. Everything she'd had at the charming seafood restaurant had been delicious, but their fish and chips always managed to hit the spot, and after this afternoon's hours-long science lecture, Maddy desperately needed a pick-me-a-up if she wanted to attend both the game and after-party.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," she looked up from her food to Scarlett while the witch spooned at her chowder. "My mother, well, on the rare occasion that she actually talks about magic, says it's more about the intention than getting it perfect the first time. I think it's like the witchy way of saying, what matters is on the inside. Don't worry, really; see, it's already coming together. I've already got some of the supplies, Lilith's mother, I'm sure, has the others.... Hey, we don't have to sacrifice anything, right?" Maddy asked. She assumed not, but according to her grandmother's letter, fairies liked- "Actually, nevermind, my point is, when there's a will, there's a way. This isn't all on you, we're here to help." The witch didn't care who led the ritual, whether it be the more confident Lilith or timid Scarlett, but she didn't want the latter not to do it simply because she doubted her ability to lead the group. She was the link that brought them together, after all.

As Lilith named off some of the remaining supplies the girls would need for the Solstice ritual, Maddy chimed in. "We can easily get some fresh juniper outside the conservatory. No one is going to notice a few missing branches. I can snag some tomorrow." Maddy suggested, the university's landscaping was certainly nothing to be scoffed at, with an arrangement of lush bushes and colors, even in the dead of winter. "Oh, crap." She felt her watch buzz, not even realizing she'd hit snooze two times before while the group was eating. "I am going to be late. I'll catch you guys later. Can you text me Corey's address? I'll meet you there." Maddy hollered as she began sprinting towards the school. The budding journalist was currently 1-8 for being on-time to a story. Maddy was unsure how she was going to find the time to attend the game, get an interview or two in, pick out an outfit, and make it to the party at a reasonable hour, but like with all things, she'd wing it Maddy style.

• • •

Maddy would have been lying if she'd said the game wasn't a nail biter. What had begun as complete disinterest in the sport, watching as the ball went back and forth between the teams' hoops, had quickly shifted. The spirit in the packed gymnasium, emotions and excitement running at an all-time high, it was all so contagious. Soon, Maddy found herself standing amongst the crowd as they hollered and chanted in excitement, cheering their team's players on. Between the cheers, Maddy jotted down notes on her notepad.

𝒦𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓃𝒶 𝒻ℯ𝒾𝓃𝓈 𝓅𝒶𝓈𝓈 𝓉ℴ 𝒜𝓁𝓋𝒶, 𝒾𝓃𝓈𝓉ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝓅𝒶𝓈𝓈ℯ𝓈 𝓉ℴ 𝒱ℯ𝓇ℊ𝒾𝓁 𝓇𝒾ℊ𝒽𝓉 𝓊𝓃𝒹ℯ𝓇 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓃ℯ𝓉. 𝒮𝒸ℴ𝓇ℯ. 104 – 100, 0:01:10 𝓉ℴ ℊℴ.

Sitting on the edge of her seat, Maddy's eyes remained fixed on the court, half-haphazardly transcribing the game's final moments. It looked like the Lancers might just win... then came the call, or rather, lack thereof. The sports-ignorant witch hadn't even realized the missed call until all hell broke loose on the court while SU fans shouted and booed from the stands. "What the fuck! That's a foul," came from the student seated behind her, bringing the journalist up to speed.

𝒜 𝓋ℯ𝓇𝓎 𝓅𝒾𝓈𝓈ℯ𝒹 𝒦𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓃𝒶 ℯ𝒿ℯ𝒸𝓉ℯ𝒹 𝒻𝓇ℴ𝓂 𝓉𝒽ℯ ℊ𝒶𝓂ℯ. ℳ𝒶𝓉𝒶𝒹ℴ𝓇𝓈 - 𝓉𝓌ℴ 𝒻𝓇ℯℯ 𝓉𝒽𝓇ℴ𝓌𝓈. ℱ𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓈𝒸ℴ𝓇ℯ: ℳ𝒶𝓉𝒶𝒹ℴ𝓇𝓈, 108. ℒ𝒶𝓃𝒸ℯ𝓇𝓈, 105.

This post-game interview was going to be anything but fun. Not only had the Lancers lost, but they'd lost to a crap call by the referee.

Maddy waited outside the locker room, sure to avoid the Lancer's star player, instead opting for an interview from one of his the less... passionate teammates. "Uh, hello, Madeline Abbott from the Spruce newspaper," she hailed one of the players leaving the locker room. "Do you feel like the Lancers were robbed of this year's title?"

Secrets of Spruce University | Part 1-The End-

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Sugar, Spice, & Everything Nice 💕

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Planetoid

Sugar, Spice, & Everything Nice 💕

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Moonchild

God is empty, just like me.

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Moonchild

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Moonchild

Planetoid

Planetoid

Sugar, Spice, & Everything Nice 💕