♠ Hallways & Hubris ♠ pv Odette Leone

Date: 18 Sept 2024 Word Count:659 Interacting: @Robin Marie

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Thoughts / Spoken #cd5f5f /#862327 Location:Who knows?

Odette desperately wants to laugh. Iron tension grips her stomach from holding in her mirth, and she fights to keep her mouth from twitching into a full-blown grin. When Robin mentioned a shortcut, her mind sang in excitement. The young entrepreneur hadn't explored the castle yet, and the chance to finally learn the school's secret twists and turns thrilled her. Odette plans to memorize the grounds by heart so she can host out-of-sight, clandestine meetings with customers once she launches her business. Knowing the layout will also help her plan quick escape routes in case she needs to bolt from a prefect or professor. The curly-haired witch’s suggestion couldn’t have come at a better time!

As Robin leads them through the corridors, Odette notes every turn they take, marking a familiar landmark in her mind. Each step they climb is carefully counted, and potential meeting spots are scouted during their stroll. Quickly disregarding any spot she deems too conspicuous. Familiar locations are plotted in relation to where they are, and she even makes a pneumonic device to help her remember their directions!

All of which to say, they were lost.

And Odette isn’t gonna do a damn thing about it.

It doesn’t take Odette long to catch on. The amount of people around has slowly begun to dwindle until the only ones left roaming the halls are older students on their free period and two Ravenclaws accidentally ditching class. Robin made it extremely obvious, too, even if she tried to act cool. Odette can practically count the beads of sweat gathering on her forehead. Not to mention, the curly-haired witch won’t even make eye contact. It takes a huge amount of strength and will not to burst out laughing when Robin puts her head up to the Suit of Armor with a hopeful expression, practically begging it to save the distressed damsel.

"So, I think that the castle has gotten confused because that thing," Robin croaks, her eye twitching slightly as her voice softens to an angry hiss, "is not whispering!"

Odette desperately wants to laugh. Subtly clamping a firm grip on her stomach cramp, she physically fights off her cackle. Dear Merlin, this is truly her greatest exercise in friendship. Because at the end of the day, all this stems from one thing– being friends. In the week that she’s known Robin, Odette has had a blast! The witch is funny, smart, and just a little weird like her. She couldn’t have asked for a better stalker-turned-companion! Despite not knowing her for long, she truly wishes to remain mates for the rest of their time at Hogwarts. That’s why, looking at Robin’s embarrassed and distraught face, Odette knows she has to keep her mouth shut. No matter how funny the situation is, she’d feel like a terrible person if she laughed and made her new friend feel humiliated. She can’t give her the correct directions either because it would be like showing her up.

So if Odette can’t laugh, can’t help her, can’t tell her the truth either, then the only logical thing left to do is have fun with the situation.

“Well, the castle does have moving stairs and trick steps. I wouldn’t be surprised if it has stubborn suits of armor, too.” Odette offers before tilting her head consideringly, “If it’s going to be rude, I say we ditch this one and find another that likes to speak!”

Keeping her face blank of her internal amusement, she makes sure to adopt a look of normalcy. Looking down the corridor, Odette spots another suit of armor and points, “There! Let’s see if that one fancies a chat."

If it’s in the opposite direction of their Transfiguration class, well, Odette did say she wanted to explore the castle. Plus, it’s her duty as Robin’s friend to pretend to be as absolutely lost as she is. After all, it’s rude to let your friends do stupid things alone. Ya’know?

Banner Made by @Lyanna Oak

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Robin Marie

"Well, the castle does have moving stairs and trick steps. I wouldn't be surprised if it has stubborn suits of armor, too. If it's going to be rude, I say we ditch this one and find another that likes to speak!" Odette said, shocking Robin. She expected the other girl to question her sanity - just as Robin certainly was. She supposed the only reason she was panicking was because she never foresaw being late for a class, and at this point, unless they asked for help, they would be late. The halls were getting sparser, and the clock continued to tick. She couldn't tell how much time had passed since they left, so she supposed it would have to be left to fate.

"There! Let's see if that one fancies a chat." Odette exclaims, pointing at a different suit of armor. Robin stalked up to said suit and stared at it, hoping it would reveal all of its secrets through the power of her sheer freaking will. After a moment of nothing happening, she remembered that she was a witch. Taking her wand from her boot, Robin pointed it at the suit and began to wave it in figure eights, using her body to add more than little dramatics.

"Tell me allllll of your secretsssss!" She said in a stereotypical woo-woo voice, not entirely sure if she was jesting or not. She was still learning how magic worked, okay! Half of her experience with magic was accidental, so forcing a spell to come through without any kind of structure made a reasonable amount of sense.

After nothing happened, she slumped forward, resting her forehead on the suit of armor's chest, letting out a miserable groan.

"Now I'll never be able to make a good impression on Professor Perceval-Phelan, " she commiserated, her voice echoing lightly against the metal humanoid and thinking of the oddly attractive Transfiguration teacher. "He won't want an assistant who skives class."

Robin flung her body back to Odette, who seemed surprisingly calm after witnessing Robin's mini meltdown. In the Marie household, there wasn't a whole lot of room for emotions. Robin's mother was even more socially awkward than Robin and quite heartbroken, so there's no way she would be a good role model for healthy expression. Her four older brothers, save maybe Jer, were mini versions of her father - it took the effort of squeezing the juice out of a raisin for them to open up. Jer, Robin, and Sam were the most emotional members of the family - especially Sam. Robin couldn't count the amount of heart-to-hearts the two girls had shared in their bedroom late at night. Clearly, that hadn't made Robin an expert at handling her emotions. When she gets a bit overwhelmed, she tends to shut down most of the time, but thankfully enough, with Odette, she can rant. She knew she was being dramatic, but wasn't that what life was all about? When you're lost wandering the halls, aren't a bit of dramatics what makes it into an adventure?

"This castle has got to hate me. Like, seriously, hate me. It saw me come in on the first day and was like, 'Oh yes! You! You will succumb to the curse of the moving staircases forever' mwahaha!" She exclaimed, her evil laugh echoing throughout the emptying halls, curls bouncing with every movement of her shoulders.

Suddenly stopping and looking Odette straight in the eye, she asks, voice completely deadpan, "You think we're charming enough to get away with skiving...? Or is that, like, only for Gryffindors who have tragic backstories?"

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STATS | Stamina◦4 | Evasion◦7 | Strength◦1 | Wisdom◦8 | Arcane◦8 | Accuracy◦7
Evasive Maneuvers
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Date: 18 Sept 2024 Word Count:930 Interacting: @Robin Marie

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Thoughts / Spoken #cd5f5f /#862327 Location:Not sure about Robin, but Odette is in the Corridor

Odette isn’t sure why her friend is so adamant about finding a talking suit of armor or how it relates to their predicament. Watching Robin march up to the statue she found and waving her wand like one of those muggle actors from Disney Channel only confuses her further. Still, you know what they say– ‘In for a Knut, in for a Galleon.’

"Tell me allllll of your secretsssss!" Robin spookily moans. Behind the curly-haired witch’s back, Odette crosses her arms and nods aggressively, “Yeah! Tell her, or I'll melt you down into a Sickle!"

It seems this suit of armor isn’t very chatty either as seconds pass in silence, and the two witches quickly realize nothing will happen. Odette likes to think she intimidated it into submission rather than accept the increasingly more likely scenario that Robin was hit by the confundus charm and needs to be carted to the nurse. If denial is a river, she’s diving in head first. Then again, with how Robin slumps onto the suit of armor, her friend might as well be seeing how long she can hold her breath underwater before coming up for the fresh air of reality.

"Now I'll never be able to make a good impression on Professor Perceval-Phelan, " Robin despairs, flinging her body back at Odette in a dramatic trust fall, "He won't want an assistant who skives class."

Looking down at the large melancholy brown eyes of the witch hanging limp in her scrawny eleven-year-old arms, Odette kindly does not point out that her friend's good impression flew out the window when she began mooning over him in class. Even worse, everyone knows Professor Perceval-Phelan hates tardiness.

“First of all, we aren’t skiving. We are lost. LOST.” Odette emphasizes and looks around nervously, as if a prefect will suddenly appear around the corner and hear them. The blue-eyed witch refuses to get her first detention because of an accident. No, when she gets detention, it will be because of something she did intentionally.

Dragging Robin towards the tapestry of The Soap Blizzard of 1378 hanging across from the suit of armor, she gently lowers her to the ground and sits beside her. “Second of all, you ace every assignment he gives us. He’d be a fool to pass up on the best assistant Hogwarts has to offer because you got lost within the first month of school. I mean, honestly, which bumbling idiot designed this maze, anyway?”

"This castle has got to hate me. Like, seriously, hate me. It saw me come in on the first day and was like, 'Oh yes! You! You will succumb to the curse of the moving staircases forever' mwahaha!" Robin dejectedly exclaims, and a wry smile tugs at Odette’s lips. It’s almost uncanny how much her friend’s dramatics remind her of her brother, Max.

During the summers, he’d barge into her room, wordlessly toss the book she was reading across the room, ignore her protests, and plop himself on top of her with a dramatic sigh– like a needy cat asking for pets. No matter how much she whined that he was too heavy, he’d just lament that it’s because ‘-my heart is heavy, Dottie! Have some compassion!’ If someone heard this story, they’d assume her little brother came to her for comfort, when in reality, her older brother, by ten years, suffocated his seven-year-old sister in cuddles because he was sad.

Odette is just grateful that Robin is the same age as her. If that trust fall had been with Max earlier, she would’ve been squashed like a bug.

After handling her brother, the blue-eyed witch knows that sometimes the best thing someone needs is an understanding ear, endless snuggles, and chocolate. She’s not sure how Robin feels about hugs or head pats, so she figures she can’t go wrong with snacks. Reaching into the pocket of her robe, Odette hands her friend a chocolate frog and patiently listens to her vent.

"You think we're charming enough to get away with skiving...?” Robin asks sarcastically, “Or is that, like, only for Gryffindors who have tragic backstories?"

“Hmm, my brother Max was in Gryffindor. The only thing tragic about him was that he got publicly rejected in the middle of a Quidditch match. But, even he didn’t get away with skiving classes, so… I don’t really like our odds.” Odette winces while taking a bite of her chocolate frog. Surely, there’s something they could do? They’re Ravenclaws, for Merlin’s sake!

“Well.” Odette starts, weighing the amount of stupidity she's about to spew in her head before shrugging, “We could always say there was a tragedy? Maybe you just happened to ‘trip’ on your combat boots again, and I had to take you to the–...Robin?”

Looking to her left, where her friend had been radiating despair, Odette is left with nothing but the echoes of her incredulity and the company of a few dust bunnies. Where did she go? Odette scratches her head. No way she’s that fast. I would have seen her!
Glancing up and down the hall proves the blue-eyed witch is the only one left in the corridor. Perplexed, she checks every nook and cranny for where Robin may be hiding, even casting the suit of armor across from where they sat a suspicious glare, but her efforts prove fruitless.

Plopping back down in front of the tapestry, the young Ravenclaw concludes that either Robin is a master at hide-n-seek or…“Oh my Merlin. The castle kidnapped Robin.” Odette whispers in wide-eyed disbelief, “It really does hate her!”

Banner Made by Lyanna Oak

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Robin Marie

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Interacting w/: @Odette Leone
Date: 18.09.24
WC: 1146
#38466B, #1A1A1A, #806251
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Chewing on the chocolate frog her friend had given her, Robin contemplated Odette's words of comfort and sanity. At least one of them had some semblance of common sense at the moment - Robin felt her own barrier walls crumbling, her emotions rising, threatening to be knocked over like a straw house blown to bits by a hungry wolf. Robin seriously was shocked when Odette handed her a chocolate frog- one of her favorites. Odette wasn't the kind of girl to just give away a sweet- despite being her friend, Odette always charged at least a few knuts for any type of exchange. This warmed Robin, showing her how much Odette was trying to keep them together. Their Transfiguraton class hung in the air, futures depending on her handling her shit.

Dejected, Robin leaned her back against the tapestry the girls were sitting next to and instantly tumbled, feeling the tapestry instantly envelop her whole. Robin struggled, rolling over and coming to all fours, hair spilling in front of her face. Robin blinked, stunned by the turn of events, looking at her surroundings, trying to understand what the hell had just happened. In front of her was the tapestry, but it was clearly the back of the artwork, as the colors were muted, showing a faint and blurred image. It was dark, but a small amount of light snuck through the sides of the tapestry, giving her just a sliver of light to look at the rest of the mysterious passageway. It appeared to be cupboard-like, with Hogwarts-style gray brick tiling up the sides and leading further into the dark. Noticing that there was enough room to stand, Robin rose to her feet and took a few silent footsteps toward the dark corridor. As she left the light from behind the tapestry, her surroundings got darker, making Robins's heart beat faster. She was nervous, mostly because she knew that she should be looking for the classroom, but…her curiosity couldn't be denied. A wooden door lay at the end of the passage, looking slightly eery covered in shadows. Robin, realizing she still had a piece of chocolate frog in her hand, shoved the last bit in her mouth and grabbed the bronze knob, flinging the door open and preparing herself for something dangerous, body tensed and ready to flee.

It was just more brick. Robin released the breath she didn't know she was holding, swallowing the last of her chocolate. Shrugging to herself, she made to turn around when a silver figure appeared directly in the center of the brick of the doorframe. The head of an apparition, silvery and transparent, appeared, a humongous smile stretching from ear to ear, and let out a loud, "BOO!"

Robin, momentarily forgetting that she was in a magical school filled with ghosts and other mythical creatures, didn't even hesitate to turn and fly toward the back of the tapestry, letting out a high-pitched squeal of terror. She flung herself against the tapestry and fell on top of her friend, sitting in the same spot. This forced the girls into a tangle of limbs and curses of utter confusion.

"Proud little fox, nose in thy book
Just so happened to fall in my nook
If finding your way is what you desire,
Best you put out that burning hot fire,"

A high-pitched voice sang from the room, making Robin's eyes pop out of her head. She scrambled to her feet, dragging Odette by the arm up with her, and grabbed the girl's shoulders, shaking her just as Odette had shaken her during their last adventure with the Giant Squid. Adrenaline rushed through Robin's brain, forcing a giant crazed smile onto her face. She felt exhilarated despite almost just peeing her pants.

"Come with me," Robin hissed, ignoring whatever Odette had been saying, and once again grabbed the girl's arm and dragged her behind the tapestry toward the ghost that had scared the utter living shit out of her, honestly making her day. Robin was not brave, but she did have a thing for an adrenaline rush. All it did was make her stupid choices that much more fun- the more danger, usually the better. Unfortunately, she knew that the Hogwarts ghosts weren't actually dangerous, but this one impressed her. It's not every day you find a prank ghost who throws limericks at you, reading you psychologically to filth. Robin was impressed - she had to know more. Besides, she knew it couldn't be Peeves the Poltergeist. She had already had a not-so-fun run-in with him, and it's undeniable when he's around. This ghost had a girly voice - a bit like Moaning Myrtle if the ghost could laugh. Robin stopped at the entrance of the nook, the tapestry softly ruffling behind them.

"Hey, Miss Ghost! Since you're all-knowing and all - could you uh," Robin broke off her sentence, side eye-ing Odette. Being called out by the ghost made her recognize how foolish she had been, despite already knowing. Her pride would be the death of her, she knew it- unless she could wrangle it under control. Robin took a deep breath, squeezing Odette's shoulder, and finished her sentence. "Could you help us? We uh, need to find our way to Transfiguration." There, Robin thought. It was out in the open, finally. She needed help, and she asked for it. Albeit, from a ghost, and not a professor or fellow student (god forbid asking someone alive for help…), nonetheless, she has taken the first step in easing her… burning hot fire, as the ghost had put it.

Speaking of the ghost, it floated in the doorway, appearing to Robin as a small girl around her age- she had to be no older than thirteen. She wore see-through Ravenclaw robes, of an older style no doubt since they were all blue. The young ghost girl had a rougish smile on her face and was swaying from side to side, as if listening to music only she could hear. Her hair was a shimmering silver, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. Robin immediately liked her. "Please," she added after a moment of silence from the apparition, hoping it would show her attempt at humility and get them to class.

"Oh dear fellow Eagle, asked Tilly so nicely
But who would I be to answer so lightly?
While the fox is quite proud, it is too, also wise
I ask; where are thee? Floor four or floor five?
You know the way, down deep in thy soul
Retrace thy steps, and find you thy goal."

Cackling, Tilly the ghost floated backward, still swaying to the beat of who-knows-what-song and into the brick wall. The wooden door slamming behind her returned the girls to silence.

"I-…" Robin began, unable to finish, jaw on the floor. She turned hesitantly to Odette. "What the hell just happened!???"

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STATS | Stamina◦4 | Evasion◦7 | Strength◦1 | Wisdom◦8 | Arcane◦8 | Accuracy◦7
Evasive Maneuvers
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◦ P O S T ◦ #3 ◦

Odette can’t believe she lost her first friend at Hogwarts. In an abduction, of all things! Is this karma for skiving class? She was just trying to be a good friend—listening to Robin’s woes, sharing snacks—and now she has to sue the school for emotional trauma and kidnapping!

Staring mournfully at the space to her left, Odette spots the crumpled wrapper from the chocolate frog she gave Robin, lying on the ground. Gently picking it up, the surviving Ravenclaw holds it close to her heart and treasures it as a memento of her missing friend. A keepsake of her final moments.

Odette squeaks in horror at the sound of a familiar, muffled scream from within the walls. “OH MY MERLIN, ROBIN’S DEAD! THE CASTLE ATE HER!” Banging her fists against the brick wall, Odette curses the vengeful castle—vowing to care for the Marie family with the settlement money she plans to wring from Hogwarts. She’ll sue the school of every Knut, Sickle, and Galleon! Then demand that they turn this corridor into a shrine for her late friend. Robin only wanted to be a good student and find the Transfiguration classroom so she could innocently ogle their professor! She was so young–

“Ack!” Odette yelps, flailing her arms as her vision goes dark and her back hits the ground. Oh no, is she next? Is the castle going to eat her because she saw too much?? Something clawlike grabs her shoulders in a deathlike grip and begins shaking her vigorously. Heart beating out of her chest, Odette slaps fruitlessly at the talons digging into her skin and cries, “Let me go! I didn’t see anything, I swear!”

Deaf to her pleas for mercy, the evil entity gives her a massive jolt, knocking Odette’s robes loose from her head and revealing Robin’s ghost wearing a crazed smile. Odette feels the blood drain from her face as she stares centimeters away from the body of her dead friend. Robin’s unblinking eyes chill her—so unlike the amused fondness Odette feels when timing her blinking streaks. Still half-convinced the castle’s possessed her, Odette shakily reaches out to poke Robin’s cheek, recoiling her hand in horror at how lifelike she feels.

Suddenly, a soft melodic voice giggles from the walls behind the tapestry, confusing Odette. If the sound is coming from the castle and not from the possessed witch in front of her, then does that mean this is the real Robin? She’s alive! Relief crashes into her—followed immediately by disappointment. Damn.“Does this mean no emotional trauma settlement?”

"Proud little fox, nose in thy book
Just so happened to fall in my nook
If finding your way is what you desire,
Best you put out that burning hot fire."

The mysterious voice crooned, its riddle echoing throughout the corridor. Odette can admit she may have been a little slow to realize that Robin was not, in fact, dead, but now that she has her head on straight, it doesn’t take her long to decode the limerick. She’s a Ravenclaw for a reason, after all. If she couldn’t solve riddles, she’d never get into her common room.

Clearly, Robin, the proud little fox, was so focused on finding their classroom that she accidentally discovered the lair of the spirit of the castle instead. The rest is basically telling her friend that if she wants to get to class, she needs to chill out, it’s not that deep. Making whatever fear Odette felt towards Robin’s disappearance and the presence of the haunting voice vanish with a snort. The ghost has some sass– she can respect that.

“Ditching me to stalk a new friend, I see,” Odette feigns a pout. Clearing her throat, she wiggles her fingers spookily and imitates the spirit’s haunting melody, “What a friendly little fox.”

Unaware of her teasing, Robin hisses,"Come with me." Dragging Odette behind the tapestry until they reach an open wooden door leading only to more brick. Eyeing the shadowy passageway, the young entrepreneur smirks deviously. Now, this is precisely what she hoped to find by exploring the castle today. A place to conduct business unseen. It’s perfect!

"Hey, Miss Ghost!” Robin taunts, “Since you're all-knowing and all - could you uh, could you help us? We, uh, need to find our way to Transfiguration...Please."

This is not what Odette expected to see. She had imagined the monstrous spirit that kidnapped Robin had rows of pointy teeth, long slimy tentacles for arms, and sharp talons for fingers…not a small girl. A scarlet blush works its way up to Odette’s ears in humiliation. Seriously? This is what she had been so afraid of?

Merlin! She must only be a couple of years older than her and Robin! Staring at her translucent Ravenclaw robes, Odette wonders how a fellow eagle became a ghost so young. If she had to bet, her money would be on the Ravenclaw Stairs. She always knew that if someone didn’t fall off the winding steps of the tower, then they’d pass from exhaustion. Exhibit A, the ghost smiling at her cheekily.

"Oh dear fellow Eagle, asked Tilly so nicely
But who would I be to answer so lightly?
While the fox is quite proud, it is too, also wise
I ask; where are thee? Floor four or floor five?
You know the way, down deep in thy soul
Retrace thy steps, and find you thy goal."

Sings Tilly, floating away with a teasing, boisterous laugh. She leaves Odette behind in a whole new kind of panic, her heart now racing for an entirely different reason than before. Does she know the blue-eyed witch was intentionally leading Robin the wrong way? Odette could have sworn the apparition had side-eyed her when saying, ‘you know the way, deep down in thy soul.’ Of course. A ghost would call her out. Not to mention the advice to retrace their steps? Tilly totally knows what's up!

"I-…" Robin trailed off, looking at Odette uncertainly, "What the hell just happened!???"

“I-I think,” Odette stutters in disbelief, mouth agape in shock, “That Tilly just Master Oogway-ed us?” Throwing her hands up in exasperation, she vents, “What is up with this school and riddles! Can’t doors and ghosts ever speak straightforwardly?”

Pinching her nose with a sigh, Odette looks up at Robin and starts snickering. Her giggles explode into laughter as she finally releases all the pent-up amusement from this ridiculous mess. Getting lost, talking to suits of armor, thinking Robin died, and making friends with a ghost trolling them for a laugh— today has been completely and utterly ridiculous. In retrospect, maybe all this chaos could’ve been avoided… if she’d just admitted she knew the way to class. But then, they wouldn’t have met a ghost. Or almost died. Or laughed this hard.

Placing a hand on her side, cramping from laughter, Odette pulls Robin into a sudden hug. Chuckling into the witch’s curls, she wheezes, “I-I’m s-so glad you’re n-not possessed.”

Pulling away, she nudges Robin with her elbow and grabs her hand while leading them out of the hidden passageway, shoulders still shaking with silent laughter. “Come on, I think we can make the last fifteen minutes of class.”

Banner Made by Lyanna Oak

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Hallways & Hubris

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Interacting w/: @Odette Leone
Date: 18.09.24
WC: 357
#38466B, #1A1A1A, #806251
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Robin had most certainly lost all pretenses of staying calm when her friend made not only a reference to the Muggle kids' movie Kung Fu Panda but also just looked so exasperated with the circumstances. Giggles overcame her as the reality of the past half hour emerged to the surface, overwhelming her with a fit of laughter and the sweet relief of letting her insecurities fall out into the open. Tears came to her eyes as she laughed, falling down her face and reminding her that she was human. Magical and a witch, she was proud and wise, yet human. Flawed and imperfect.

Odette had cracked right alongside Robin, and the two girls cackled in delight, taking in the moment with the proper amount of appreciation that only a random hallway adventure with your best friend could ensure. It was only when her friend had gripped her by the shoulders, pulling her in tight for a hug and expressing her pleasure at Robin not being possessed, that Robin was finally able to collect herself. Robin returned the hug with a powerful squeeze, burrowing her face into the nook of the girl's shoulder and letting out one last laugh.

"Not possessed," Robin confirmed, pulling away from her friend. She took a deep breath, finally exposing her jugular. "But I am lost. Do you mind taking the lead?"

Maybe vulnerability didn't come naturally to Robin, but she understood the message Tilly the Ghost had been trying to give. Looking over at her friend, Robin was surprised when the girl suddenly grabbed her by the hand, yanking them down the hallway and toward their class. Robin side-eyed her friend, who had apparently known exactly how to get them out of these torturous, twisted halls.

Maybe they had accidentally skipped an entire class because of Robin's rock-solid pride. But perhaps they would at least get to attend a portion of the class and have a chance to explain themselves, thanks to Robin's humility, which allowed the horrible truth of her misdirection to come to light at last. Robin entered the classroom alongside Odette, hand in hand, with her head held high.