31 Oct 2020, 19:35
Banishment
Returned to darkness. Not only were the three professors encased in that oppressing darkness once again, but Artemis was unlucky enough to be hit, not once, not twice, but five times by some strange sharp objects that felt like knives being stabbed into him one by one from all sides. The last one hit his hand; his wand hand, and he could feel the blood flowing down his arm as he pulled his arm back at the last minute, hissing from the pain of it all. He couldn't see Hjørdis or Marcus to see how well they faired. He didn't even know where the Hag was at, but he knew she was there.
"Stop her." a femine voice came from his left and Artemis was inclined to agree. They had to stop this wench before she ended up killing them all. A thought came to the Charms Professor's mind as he knelt where he stood, holding his bleeding hand while simultaneously trying to not think too much about the wounds on his body. He couldn't die here. A bit dramatic, he supposed, but it didn't matter.
Yuya and Yukina needed him. They needed their father. And all Artemis could think about was the confused look and confused questions on Yuya's face as he asked his aunt and grandmother where his father was. Why were they burying an empty box that was meant to be his father? The thought that little two-year-old Yukina would grow up without her father; never remembering his face, or his voice. Never remembering how he would hold her, read to her, or swing her around in the air until she couldn't laugh anymore. The short time he managed to spend with the children at the end of July to the middle of August before he had to return here to help with this wretched case really saddened Artemis and all he wanted was to just go back home and forget that owl from Caradoc ever came to his window. He needed to spend more time with his children. He knew that they needed more time with him. And he intended to give them that time.
But first, he needed to get the hell out of this dungeon with his companions.
Grunting from the pain, Artemis stood up and painfully gripped his wand. He was sure that there were nerves damaged in his hand but he couldn't focus on that pain. He needed to concentrate and hope beyond hope that this spell would work. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and began to move his arm slowly above his head. If the spell worked, it would be aimed in the direction of the last spot that Artemis saw that Hag. But even if she wasn't there, he would be able to control that spell long enough to hopefully catch her and destroy her.
"Saevi Igninum," he said softly to himself as his arm continued to swirl above his head, the movement pulling at his open wounds.
"Stop her." a femine voice came from his left and Artemis was inclined to agree. They had to stop this wench before she ended up killing them all. A thought came to the Charms Professor's mind as he knelt where he stood, holding his bleeding hand while simultaneously trying to not think too much about the wounds on his body. He couldn't die here. A bit dramatic, he supposed, but it didn't matter.
Yuya and Yukina needed him. They needed their father. And all Artemis could think about was the confused look and confused questions on Yuya's face as he asked his aunt and grandmother where his father was. Why were they burying an empty box that was meant to be his father? The thought that little two-year-old Yukina would grow up without her father; never remembering his face, or his voice. Never remembering how he would hold her, read to her, or swing her around in the air until she couldn't laugh anymore. The short time he managed to spend with the children at the end of July to the middle of August before he had to return here to help with this wretched case really saddened Artemis and all he wanted was to just go back home and forget that owl from Caradoc ever came to his window. He needed to spend more time with his children. He knew that they needed more time with him. And he intended to give them that time.
But first, he needed to get the hell out of this dungeon with his companions.
Grunting from the pain, Artemis stood up and painfully gripped his wand. He was sure that there were nerves damaged in his hand but he couldn't focus on that pain. He needed to concentrate and hope beyond hope that this spell would work. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and began to move his arm slowly above his head. If the spell worked, it would be aimed in the direction of the last spot that Artemis saw that Hag. But even if she wasn't there, he would be able to control that spell long enough to hopefully catch her and destroy her.
"Saevi Igninum," he said softly to himself as his arm continued to swirl above his head, the movement pulling at his open wounds.
Action: Casting the Firestorm Charm
Abilities: Perfectionist - Fearless- Evasive Maneuvers- Non-Verbal Magic - Wandless Magic
Stats: Stamina: 12 ~ Strength: 6 ~ Evasion: 8 ~ Wisdom: 20 ~ Arcane Power: 12 ~ Accuracy:12
Artemis Vernatis
Professor of Charms
2 Nov 2020, 03:11
Banishment
It seemed as though there was nothing of importance in the dark hole below. Looking up, a hand was reaching, wanting hers in its grasp. Maya climbed up just a little and reached for the hand, belonging to Aleksander Ostrowski. Her hand fit his like a glove and together, she pushed upward and he pulled her out of the hole. Her wand tapped out of light.
Maya, on her knees, relaxed her arms. They felt like jelly from all the strength she had to endure by preventing herself from falling. Soon after, a tingle in her arms began, reminding her body to circulate blood flow through her limbs. Maya got up and gave a thankful nod to the Potions Professor. She took a deep breath and heard unfamiliar voices. Were they the Hags?
There was only one way to find out! Seeing Jemari who went into the hole from her right, Maya walked over towards the left corridor. It was too difficult to walk over as the hole in the ground really took on the area that connected the three different corridors. Maya peaked over to see school nurse, Jean-Papi Dupont, and Elaine Pendrast. It had now been quiet. Did they get rid of the Hag? Most probably.
"This was just one... How many do you think there are?" she asked them from around the corner, inching back to her corridor with Aleksander, wondering if there were more that they should be concerned about. There could have been just the one that was disintegrated or there could be more. With everyone so spread out in the dungeons, it was hard to tell.
If there was anything she learned from being in the army, it was to head back to where they began before going any further. Missions such as this one are to be taken inch by inch, not outstretched as a whole. It was always good to check in with others and see where everyone was at. Unfortunately, it was a strategy that is unsuccessful as there was no way to go back. There was only time to move forward.
It was just Maya and Aleks, both of them had only one way to go. Perhaps, like some dungeons, it would wrap around towards the entrance. Or, perhaps they would find something new in their discovery. Hopefully, nothing too dangerous as it was only them two.
"We're going to keep going," Maya called out to Jean and Elaine. Perhaps they had a different idea, or maybe, they could find a way to jump over the hole and join them. One thing's for sure is that Maya was curious what else the dungeon held.
ACTION: Perception check down the dungeon hallway before continuing
ReducioStamina: 11 || Evasion: 7 || Strength: 7 || Wisdom: 20 || ArcPower: 15 || Accuracy: 10
Currently applying/pending for:
The Muggle Condition
Wandless Magic
Non-Verbal Magic
Stamina: 11 || Evasion: 7 || Strength: 7 || Wisdom: 20 || ArcPower: 15 || Accuracy: 10
2 Nov 2020, 18:32
Banishment
Zahid let out a sigh of relief as his spell hit true and Caradoc froze up (fortunately without freezing in place around his throat). Suppressing a wince as Professor Eide soundly hit the back of the man's head making him topple over, he gave the CoMC professor a grateful nod and a quiet “Thank you.”, as he tried to ignore that one of his few friends just tried to kill him. (Presumably.) Gasping for air and with a racing heart he had to take a moment just to breathe before the adrenaline coursing through his system and the resulting need to move, to do something, pushed him into action.
He barely noticed the ruffle of his sleeve as he leaned down to check on Caradoc – whether he wanted to check if the man was alri-, well, if he was still alive; or if he wanted to check if the man was truly knocked out and no longer posed a danger to them, Zahid himself did not know for sure. Regardless, he did notice the slight slipping tug at his sleeve and turned to come face to skull with a damned skeleton. Really, again? This reminded him off--- No, no time. Stick to the here and now. Unsure of how to best deal with this next threat, Zahid cursed. “Immobulus!” At least this time he had remembered that he was still holding his wand.
Action(s): Cast Immobulus at the skeleton.
Reducio
| Stats: ♦ Stamina 14 ♦ Evasion 8 ♦ Strength 4 ♦ Wisdom 25 ♦ Arcane Power 7 ♦ Accuracy 12 |
Abilities: The Muggle Condition ♦ Comprehend Languages: Gobbledegook ♦ Comprehend Languages: Mermish ♦ Perfectionist ♦ Wandless Magic ♦ Non-Verbal Magic ♦ Apparition ♦ |
♦ Until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story ♦
2 Nov 2020, 19:27
Banishment
The old Divination professor's mind seemed to skip like a record before she found herself suddenly clinging onto the back of the flying professor's broom, saved from the darkness of the pit. Things had changed up here since she last visited, it seemed - there was a lot more chaos, and the air smelled like burnt dust and mold. Her eyes stung from the air and the constant shifting of light as professors wands spat out bright flashes and spells. She could count herself lucky that after falling into that pit, the worst thing she had to worry about was a headache. Although, that was only true if you didn't count her worries about the other adults wandering around the basement.
"Thank you, mister Jemari," she said. Her eyes darted down to take inventory. Wand still in hand, and now with a broom and a buddy. From the looks of things, she had missed a lot while she was down in the hole. She looked toward the nurse, seeing the last of a hag being reduced to ashes. Or at least, she hoped it were a hag. It would be a pity to see Lear or the new COMC professor reduced to a smouldering pile so soon after their arrival.
"Where's Jensen?" she asked, registering her absence moments before registering the sound of her shouting out a spell. "Fly on, professor!"
action: Cling to River and ride where he chooses.
Stamina: 8 || Evasion: 13 || Strength: 10 || Wisdom: 12 || Arcane Power: 10 || Accuracy: 12
2 Nov 2020, 19:40
Banishment
Dark eyes, almost black in the shadows of the flickering, wicked blue flames, watched as bright fire engulfed the hag and Jean-Papi Dupont. The flames licked at the wizard, the hag right on top of him, but they didn't consume him. Hattie the Hag, whose name Elena would never know, however, was burned to ash before she had even blinked once.
She remained where she was, rooted to the spot, her feet planted firmly on the ground, wand still half raised.
The half-eagle had moved to her arm again, as if to soothe the pain it had caused there, the tailed lynx had its paws stretched out on her opposite shoulder, the wolfman resting on her chest, his head between her breasts, and Mikhail's horns curved up her shoulder blades.
Elena's eyes were still on the school nurse, so enraptured that she barely noticed their movements on her skin. The man had lived. She hadn't counted on the hag attacking him physically, wouldn't have thrown the spell had she anticipated it. Loyalty was a fickle thing, even under the best of circumstances, and the Dark Arts were volatile in nature. The magic of the Protego Diabolica had considered him an ally, clear of consciousness.
It would have been a fast death. Not painless, certainly not, but over in seconds.
She studied the wizard, his dark hair, the mustache, his black clothes and slim build. He was an emotional creature, moved by what he cared for, enticed by the hag because she had found the weakness to bait him with. Would he be a worthy adversary when his emotions didn't rule him? A former Auror, his resume had said. Would he put up a good fight? How easy would it be to kill him?
There was shouting from where they had come from. Elena only vaguely noticed.
Wand still extended, she stared at the wizard who she hadn't burned to crisps. Killing him now would be a waste, she told herself, a rationalization that belied the fact that her wand was still raised, that her fingers trembled.
More noise. A voice that sounded like Maya Galim yelled something that was clearly directed at them – not that Elaine could hear it over the blood rushing in her ears.
"Mr. Dupont," she whispered, voice hoarse as if she had been shouting for hours instead of uttering just the one spell. Forming words was hard. Reining in her instinct to kill was tremendously harder. Nobody would miss him. Just another body. Collateral damage.
She hissed between clenched teeth.
With a few swift strides, the Dark witch had caught up to the nurse who was still on the ground. She made a move to grab his arm, a strength, violence, in her motions the only other outlet for would have been to cast a curse at him. Elaine's control was ironclad. Even though the man would have noticed her shaking left hand, the right that was still clenched around her cherry wand was now hanging limply by her side.
"Move."
If possible she would have pulled him to his feet, shaken him to get him back to his senses, and dragged him along, deeper into the corridor, into the dark, towards their enemies. All this darkness hadn't been the works of only one lowly hag.
Dupont was too unstable to be left behind, and Elena was too dangerous a witch to be around any more allies right now.
Action: Goes deeper into the dungeons to flush out more enemies. Will drag JP along if he goes with it.
Reducio
Stats:
♠ Stamina: 12
♠ Evasion: 10
♠ Strength: 4
♠ Wisdom: 20
♠ Arcane Power: 12
♠ Accuracy: 12
Fearless ♠
Perfectionist ♠
Sixth Sense ♠
Non-Human Enthusiast ♠
Cu ochii deschiși.
2 Nov 2020, 20:56
Banishment
Marcus managed to break free of the vines holding him to the ceiling, and he rolled into the fall so he didn't injure himself even more. His chest still hurt a lot from the stabbing earlier, but he was blocking out the pain with his focus on the hag. But then- Marcus's eyes turned towards the entrance when a spell almost hit the hag, noticing with his nose that two people had entered the room. Although the hag's smell was overwhelming, there was one scent he could pick out of a scent as thick as this. The smell of clean. He could not see her, but he knew that one of the spells cast must have come from Nora. So she had come and it seemed she had brought reinforcements. Why could he not see her? Well, no matter, time to deal with the hag now that he had backup.
Marcus' eyes turned back to the hag, locking eyes with the creature now that he was feeling renewed. It seemed to realize in the same moment what reinforcements meant. "I hope you have a good night, darling." Marcus' eyebrows furrowed, expressing his displeasure as much as he could without his most-missed facial feature. Before he could launch at the creature again and stab it through the head with the wand he gripped tightly, the lights went out. His eyes had to readjust to the darkness, only to then remember what darkness meant. Those sounds would haunt him for a night or two. He braced himself for the impact, but it did not help in the long run. Not being able to see where the darkness was attacking from really disoriented him, but he tried to keep his senses. A dodge there then hit in both shoulders. He felt himself slowing down slightly, the blood loss of the earlier chest stab starting to get to him. But he could power through this, having been closer to death than this before. Another sting to his hip, but he would keep his wits.
Marcus could smell her blood and knew that she had been attacked by the darkness like him. He could not shout and check on her. He could not relay any information whatsoever about the hag itself with the stupid curse he had been hit with. Instead, he was stuck deciding between pursuing the hag himself or checking on the injured Nora. But - well, Nora seemed to make up his mind for him. "Stop her."
As he had with Browne, Marcus trusted these words. The priority - the whole mission of today - was to eliminate the hags. Nora was a grown witch who was attempting to light up the room with her spell. She knew what that risk meant, and he would not waste it. At the same moment that the other occupant of the room - whom Marcus still wasn't sure about the identity of - began to cast a spell (a spell he had no idea of knowing what it was considering this was all happening concurrently and he thought maybe they would focus on healing themselves), Marcus made an active effort to locate the hag. He could not rely on his sense of smell here - everything smelled like the creature, it was an overwhelmingly disgusting rotten stink - but he would use the last known location of it (or his eyes depending on the success of Nora's lumos spell) to make an educated guess. Then he would once again try to launch himself at the area and grapple if he made a correct guess.
Marcus' eyes turned back to the hag, locking eyes with the creature now that he was feeling renewed. It seemed to realize in the same moment what reinforcements meant. "I hope you have a good night, darling." Marcus' eyebrows furrowed, expressing his displeasure as much as he could without his most-missed facial feature. Before he could launch at the creature again and stab it through the head with the wand he gripped tightly, the lights went out. His eyes had to readjust to the darkness, only to then remember what darkness meant. Those sounds would haunt him for a night or two. He braced himself for the impact, but it did not help in the long run. Not being able to see where the darkness was attacking from really disoriented him, but he tried to keep his senses. A dodge there then hit in both shoulders. He felt himself slowing down slightly, the blood loss of the earlier chest stab starting to get to him. But he could power through this, having been closer to death than this before. Another sting to his hip, but he would keep his wits.
Marcus could smell her blood and knew that she had been attacked by the darkness like him. He could not shout and check on her. He could not relay any information whatsoever about the hag itself with the stupid curse he had been hit with. Instead, he was stuck deciding between pursuing the hag himself or checking on the injured Nora. But - well, Nora seemed to make up his mind for him. "Stop her."
As he had with Browne, Marcus trusted these words. The priority - the whole mission of today - was to eliminate the hags. Nora was a grown witch who was attempting to light up the room with her spell. She knew what that risk meant, and he would not waste it. At the same moment that the other occupant of the room - whom Marcus still wasn't sure about the identity of - began to cast a spell (a spell he had no idea of knowing what it was considering this was all happening concurrently and he thought maybe they would focus on healing themselves), Marcus made an active effort to locate the hag. He could not rely on his sense of smell here - everything smelled like the creature, it was an overwhelmingly disgusting rotten stink - but he would use the last known location of it (or his eyes depending on the success of Nora's lumos spell) to make an educated guess. Then he would once again try to launch himself at the area and grapple if he made a correct guess.
Action: Kind of attempt to locate the hag (makes an educated guess) and attack/grapple it
Health: 800/1500
Racial Abilities: Werewolf Form (Rend, Bite, +10% damage) | Heightened Senses (tell familiar people by smell) | Track Hidden People (within 24 hours) | Wolf's Cry | Predatory Abilities (+25% chance to enter hidden, +2 stealth) | Intimidation (uneasiness, -1 acc, +1 crit fail to all around)
Chosen Abilities: Obnoxiously Strong (+10% strength) | Martial Artist
Stats: Stamina: 15 | Evasion: 7 | Strength: 20 (22) | Wisdom: 4 | Arcane Power: 4 | Accuracy: 15
Reducio
Through their sense of smell a lycanthrope would recognize that someone has entered the room. They would not know where in the room, only that someone is in the room that does not belong and if they know the person (as defined as being in a thread where they have posted with this user 20 or more times), who.
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
2 Nov 2020, 21:41
Banishment
He had managed to get Rosalind out of the hole without much issue. Not only that, but Maya seemed to be able to get out herself! No death-by-giant-pit today. As soon as the older woman had gotten on the broom, River flew up and away from the gaping wound in the ground. The man didn't respond to her thank you- in fact, he said nothing at all. Fear did that to him. At least some part of his brain was forced to recognize the fact that he was now carrying a passenger, however. It had been a while since the man had shared a broom with someone, but it hadn't been so long that the subconscious reflexes that adjusted how he flew to compensate for weight and center of mass were gone.
Even if River had paid attention to Rosalinds question about Nora's location, he wouldn't have had an answer. Quite frankly the man had lost track of most of the group quite a while back. Who he hadn't lost track of, however, was Elaine Pendrast, who until now seemed to be the most skilled at fighting the current threat that they faced. After coming to the conclusion that he should do his best to get back into a group, River flew towards the Head of House.
Even if River had paid attention to Rosalinds question about Nora's location, he wouldn't have had an answer. Quite frankly the man had lost track of most of the group quite a while back. Who he hadn't lost track of, however, was Elaine Pendrast, who until now seemed to be the most skilled at fighting the current threat that they faced. After coming to the conclusion that he should do his best to get back into a group, River flew towards the Head of House.
Reducio
ACTION: FOLLOW ELAINE
3 Nov 2020, 23:17
Banishment
Moderation Post
-- The Lair --
@Hjørdis Jensen's wand lashed out into the darkness. A beam of bright sunlight split open the sea of shadows. While it wasn't enough to light up the entire cavern, a clear path was cut out in front of her. She managed to aim the beam of light straight into @Marcus Iwasaki' eyes. The Caretaker had charged forward, the same goal in mind as Nora had. Their joined tactic seemed to save Marcus from yet another series of attacks as the darkness pushed away from his position, though his eyes would be reduced to mere slits after the sun was hitting him in the face. The man would at least have the sense of halting right in front of the pit the Head of Slytherin had tried to trap the hag in.
As Nora's spell faded and the room was slowly creeping back into darkness, a light shimmered from behind them. Both looking over their shoulders, they would find @Artemis Vernatis swinging his wand in giant circles around his head. Bright flames licked the cavern walls as a burst of fire shot around him and turned to his right. Rapidly growing, the wall of fire would rage around the entire cave. Surrounded by fire, the shadows would find no escape. It started to bundle up at the centre, trying hopelessly to flee its demise.
Two roots cracked through the ceiling, one with Nora and the other swinging towards Artemis. It seemed their whereabouts had been discovered even though their disillusionments still held up. The Charms professor hurled the root away with his gust of fire from one of his swings. The Head of Slytherin was not so lucky however. The root wrapped itself around her leg and pulled her upwards, smacking her head against the floor as it tugged her feet from under her. In the blink of an eye, her vision would go dark. The root now seemingly just wriggling in the air as it held an invisible and unconscious Nora.
-- The Corridors --
The professors gathered in the corridors seemed to take a break. A breath of relieve after an intense encounter. They looked around, each in their own mind. They would find nothing but empty hallways echoing their own voices. It was almost more maddening than when they were actually fighting. No skittering along the walls, no footsteps shuffling in the shadows. Just their own breath slowly humming in each other's ears as it drew shapes in the cold air. Something would seem off. Something was going on... but not here. @Maya Galim only saw a dark hall behind her, the same hall that would lead her back to the entrance. @Elaine Pendrast was too unfocused to perform any sort of decent investigation, it was apparent she needed to clear her head.
Whilst @River Jemari hovered around to go after the Head of Gryffindor, @Rosalind Kibitzer noticed the wall Nora had run through. There was no need to wonder where she was. She was in there, running to go and save someone. If she was quick, she would be able to jump off the broom and follow after her Head of House. Or perhaps she trusted Nora to handle this. Regardless, the future was in her hands and there where no divinations left to make, only choices.
-- The Entrance --
With Gargott way too occupied with his broken nose and Ivar seemingly zoning out, @Zahid al-Benghazi ibn Masoud was left to fend alone. One skeleton froze where it stood as the historian quickly whipped a spell in its direction. He witnessed @Ivar Eide being tackled to the ground and @Gargott Dunaid getting stomped on by another. As he looked over to Caradoc however, he would notice he was not on his regular spot. Behind one of the skeletons, a barely conscious Head of Hufflepuff was sitting on the ground and leaning into the wall. "Should have worn them... Piertotum Locomotor." He grinned as he snapped his fingers, slowly closing his eyes in need of rest.
In an instant, Zahid would hear the clatter of metal and something scraping across the floor. As one skeleton charged forward to dig his bony fingers into the historian, the undead would suddenly be jammed backwards with the swing of a mace. Before the professor stood a semi-complete suit of armour clearly assembled by mismatched pieces. It seemed Zahid was not alone after all...
Allies
Marcus Iwasaki
700/1500
Hjørdis Jensen
700/1500 (Unconscious)
Artemis Vernatis
700/1200
Gargott Dunaid
850/1300
Rosalind Kibitzer
700/800
Maya Galim
1000/1100
Zahid al-Benghazi ibn Masoud
1300/1400
Ivar Eide
1100/1200
Caradoc Browne
1100/2000
Enemies
Auntie Etta
1400/1500
Sister Hattie
Disintegrated.
Third Hag
Escaped.
Some stories should never be told...
5 Nov 2020, 22:52
Banishment
WHACK. Her head hit the cold hard floor of the dungeon as something gripped her leg. Before she had a chance to react, her unconscious slipped away from her. Blood likely still leaving her wounds, it would appear that the professor hung upside down and unconscious. Everything went dark. Her favourite place, it would seem.
But... the black started to fade, pictures forming. Wh- where was she? What was going on? The left side of her face was warm, pressed up against something. Blood? She opened her eyes slowly, allowing it to adjust to the bright light in the room. Was it over? Did Marcus headbutt the hag into a pit? Where the hell was she?
It was warm, the sunlight hitting her face. She could see grains of sand under her face. A- A beach. She was on a beach? Slowly pushing herself up. Her gaze adjusted to see the blue waters in front of her, yellow sand under her and the warmth of the sunlight on hitting her. Her face had been pressed up in the sand. Wiping her face, she brushed off some of the grains.
A fiction book sat in the sand beside her, with a neatly folded beach blanket underneath it. Why she was not lying on it was a mystery to her. A pair of sunglasses on it, a hat, a black purse and a pair of brown sandals. There were trees lined up nearby, behind her. She spotted other things around. No owners of the items but there appeared to be an empty boat docked in the sand, an empty instrument case, some other books dotted around, a camera, a bunch of rocks, some jewellery... The list seemed to go on. The items were scattered around, randomly located as though their owners had just got up and left them in the sand. Footprints led towards the ocean. Maybe they went swimming? But she could not actually see anyone in the water.
Her hair suddenly felt heavy. It stuck to her, instantly wet as though she had gone swimming. Her orange outfit was cold and wet too. Even though she had not moved a muscle, she felt like she had been pushed into the water all of a sudden or someone had just poured several buckets over her. She frowned a little, shaking her head. Silver strands blew in the wind, her hair and clothes suddenly dry again.
Though, she did have to admit... the location was rather quiet and beautiful... it was practically perfect. But... where the hell was she? There was something familiar about the beach but there was no one else around... Just sand and the endless ocean. Hjørdis blinked, wait- was that music? She quirked an eyebrow as she looked around, trying to find the source of it.
She walked alongside the ocean, just walking towards the sound. Buildings came into the view. Climbing up the wooden steps, Hjørdis ran her hand over the railing as she made her way through an open beach bar that seemed to be rather empty. But... there was definitely music coming from somewhere. She could see musical notes floating through the air. Literally.
With a frown on her face, she listened more carefully to the sound, trying to work out where it came from. It had an intense dramatic beat to it. There were no vocals in the tune, at least not yet. But it felt like there should be. Spotting a pair of red heels on the ground, she frowned. They were familiar but not. They looked a lot like a pair that she had, in a blue. Identical in fact but... in a different colour? She could not quite place the feeling but it sort of felt like... it was hers, it should have been hers but... it was not? Something almost did not feel right about the whole scene. Was there someone here? She swallowed as she walked with more care, feeling a tad bit unsure and threatened by the whole scenario.
A spiral of smoke blew past her all of a sudden. Hjørdis stepped back quickly, her instant thought arising to yet another fire. But... there was something different about this smoke. It was not the same. There was a beautiful colour to it, the way it shimmered in the light. And... it smelt good? It had a familiar scent to it. An earthy scent, almost homely. Like... being snuggled around a warm fireplace with a log burning inside and a steaming cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream in your hand. A hint of vanilla in the air, maybe mixed in with cinnamon. The smile crept onto her face before she realised it. Yet, at the same time, there was a fresh smell in the air. A hint of sea salt, like the smell of the ocean not too far away from her.
She had no idea what was going on, everything seemed familiar and yet completely new at the same time. A roller coaster of emotions seemed to be going through her. There was a sense of peace, familiarity and happiness that she wanted to hold onto it. And yet, there was also a feeling of being threatened, lost, confused and... hopeless? She could not quite pinpoint it but there were too many emotions going through her. Her usual neutral expression had tensed and softened far too many times in the past however long she had been here. Minutes? Hours? Days? She could not answer that.
Hjørdis frowned as she spotted the tail of a bengal flick above the table for a second, as though a cat just jumped off the chair. "Jeger?" She questioned as she quickly started to walk. Her bare feet hitting the wooden boards as she broke into a run, holding up her long blue dress. She stepped into another room. A kitchen. It looked almost like her own kitchen.
A huge display of food caught her attention. Everything from tacos to honey sauce. On the counter, in between the several plates of food, sat the most absolutely adorable looking puppy. She approached with a quirked eyebrow. No sign of Jeger. Did she mistakenly see the puppy's tail as Jeger's? She was fairly certain it was a Bengal cat but... perhaps she saw wrong. As she was eyeing up the entire room, trying to figure out what she had seen, the puppy moved to the floor. Reaching down, she could not help but pet him, "Hey little guy, what are you doing here?" She ruffled the puppy's head, playing with him with a huge smile on her face as her eyes lit up.
The puppy had a blue-collar on him, with a small copper icon attached to the front in. She could not quite make out what it said as he moved around a lot. He was clearly rather hyperactive and could not stay still. The music was blasting out louder now, making the puppy wag his tail even more happily.
A howl in the distance caught both of their attention. The puppy ran off towards the new sound. Hjørdis instantly got up to follow, pausing for a brief moment as she saw a travel guide lay open on the counter next to a plate of flapjacks. It was in another language... Dutch, perhaps? No, French maybe? She was not sure. But it was not a language she knew particularly well, aside from recognising some of the words.
Moving towards the sound, that appeared to be coming from the room on the left. She stopped, her eyes falling on the dining table. It was a small table, with two seats that matched the house decor perfectly. They were a beautiful shade of blue, with bits of gold embroidery on them. There was a third seat that seemed out of place, different in height, style and colour. It was taller but thinner and the lime green stood out brightly. The chairs were not the thing that caught her attention though. It was the containers on the table. Everything was boxed away. She recognised those containers and the food inside it. There was a range of dishes that... she had made recently? For the headmaster, if she recalled correctly.
The choice of cuisine to appear was a little odd. She probably would not have recognised it but she did because she remembered making everything she could possibly think he might like - picking from a range of different dietary requirements, selecting things that did not even necessarily go well together. But she did not care, she just wanted to make sure she fed him and that he was happy. It was very odd seeing it again, nor did she quite understand why it was here again...
Her uncertainty was won over in a matter of moments. It vanished in an instant, as though it was so simple to remove. The Bengal that she adored appeared out of nowhere. Literally seemingly walking through nothing and appearing. Behind him was nothing but a bookcase, "Jeger..." She whispered as she approached him, recognising those beautiful eyes in an instant.
She leaned down and scratched him behind his ear, smiling down at him. Her eyes searched for the puppy from earlier but he seemed to have vanished in another direction, "Hey, what are you doing here?" She continued softly, turning back to face him. He nuzzled her palm a little before indicating that she should follow. Following suit, Hjørdis walked through some corridors, up some stairs and through some more rooms.
Entering a lovely room, through dozens of rails of clothing, she found herself on a floor with huge windows, overlooking a cityscape. The room only had two things. A stool, positioned directly in front of a huge mirror with a beautifully ornate old frame. The Mirror of Erised? Honestly, she had no idea but it was her first thought. It was how she pictured such a mirror to look. She walked into the room with a black blazer and trousers, beige heels on her feet and sat down on the stool. Walking up to the mirror, she kicked her foot up in the air and found herself in a black dress and knee-high boots. Twirl, twirl and sit, and the outfit changed again.
It was her very own fashion parade. The music changed but that did not stop the show. This continued until she went through at least twenty outfits, with a range of purses. She looked at Jeger, who was clearly judging her - well... that was her best guess of what he was doing. With a make-up brush in her hand though, she sang to him.
Walking out, she found herself in the black dress with knee-high boots. Instead of arriving back in the room she had been in, she found herself at a large make-up dress. Circles appeared out of nowhere. Hjørdis blinked before tapping one. The colour of her lipstick changed. Alright... this was way too much fun. Both of the mirrors showed nothing but herself having fun and messing around, with the beautiful blue eyes of the familiar being behind her. She blew kisses into the mirror at him, with a smirk on her face before laughing softly.
She was fully dressed and ready for whatever happened now. Standing up, she turned to face the familiar being. Her outfit changed in an instant. She was wearing comfy white tracksuits. The music changed again as she did another fashion show for him. This time, putting both hands forward then out to the side as one leg copied, repeating the steps with the other leg. There were a few claps under the knees, a wave with her arms that were in pink now before a few more arm movements and bends.
Grinning at him, she moved her shoulders, stepping closer. As she did, she twirled and shook her shoulders until she approached him. Oh yeah, she was dancing in time to the new vocals. Instantly, she wrapped her arms around him and placed a kiss on his cheek.
A woof suddenly captured again. Hjørdis let go and quickly tried to reach for the sound. It appeared to be down the hallway. She looked back at th- he was gone. A frown appeared as she realised she was alone in the room. Where did he go?
Spotting Jeger emerging from the glass windows room that she had started her fashion show in, she looked at him in confusion. He seemed to understand her confusion, perking his head up and beckoning her to follow before he quickly dashed out towards another room. Following suit, she found herself back on the wooden boards of the beach bar that this whole thing had started in, "Wai-" She started, trying to get him to slow down.
A smile flashed past her, catching her attention. The being dashed into the same room that Jeger had walked in. She went to follow but her foot did not move. It seemed to be stuck onto the chair somehow, entangled in. "Wh-" She had no idea what the figure had done to her but her leg seemed to be intertwined with the chair at the moment. She was stuck
Fall...
She heard the word as a whisper in the air. Almost begging her to just... fall. Hjørdis looked around, unsure of where it was coming from or why. But deep down, there was a growing feeling that she could not quite escape from. She was struggling to repress it. A desire... She needed to fall... She did not know why but she felt like she needed to just fall. As though something inside her was telling her to fall. But a grown-up woman should never fall so easily. She felt a kind of fear that she had not felt before. It was mixed in with a feeling she was used to but...
Her eyes shot after Jeger. He was out of her sight. She felt the fear seep in, he was not near her anymore. The love of her life was not near her anymore... Silver eyes searched for both the cat and the being that followed the cat, hoping for any sort of clues. Where did he go?! The panic fell over her. She could hear a skittering sound underlying the music but no matter how hard she tried to move, she could not. It was everywhere.
She cursed under her breathe in Norwegian, wondering how she got herself into such a situation. Struggling, she tried to pull herself from the chair, looking in front of her as she tried to keep track of where Jeger and the figure had gone. But she could no longer see them. A gasp escaped her as she felt something touch her ankle. A skittering sound sent dread through her spine for a second. Looking over her shoulder, she looked back to see someone with the nurse's robes on. The school nurse robes, in fact. What- the Dupont guy? Her gaze hit a head of blond hair. Finlay? The nurse looked up, catching her eye with the same smile on his face, It was the figure from before. "Elsk..." She whispered, the smile breaking out on her own face as she recognised him in an instant.
She had no idea when but her leg had come free from the chair, "You're here, you're alive, you're okay..." She muttered more to herself. Throwing her arms around his neck after he stood up, "Don't scare me like that, you doofus," She scolded him, with her proven incredible scolding skills. Hjørdis clung to him like she had not seen him in centuries, "I thought you were missing. I thought you were- I don't know what I thought! You could have died! What are you doing here?" She had no idea why he was here but they both knew she was not angry at all. She was just scared and concerned when he went missing. Seeing him again now though... He was alive and looked well. The warmth spread through her chest. There was no way she could contain her joy. The fact that her face had broken out into a grin that she could contain showed that.
Dropping multiple kisses on his cheeks, she held him close. "I missed you..." Her voice whispered, still holding him. The words were heard in the air before she realised she had even said them. Wait... her lips had not moved. But it was definitely her voice that could be heard. The voice continued to speak on her behalf, "I love you..." It was true though. She loved him. More than she cared to admit, even to herself. Life was a lot more empty and cold when he was not there. Her eyes watered, holding him close. She had no idea how long it had been since she last saw him or had gotten to hold him but... she clung to him as though literal centuries had passed. Though, her entire lifespan was a lot less than that. Unsatisfied was one word for it. The usual aura of pride she had seemed to vanish into nothingness. She clung to him as though she were silently begging him to never leave again. Elsk chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. He was a little taller than she was, with eyes far brighter and warmer than her own.
The man responded in her mother's tongue, saying pretty much everything she wanted to hear. Well, almost everything. He did include something about wanting to sing and dance, as he pointed to the guitar that had been making the music the entire time but she merely rolled her eyes playfully, "Uh huh, of course you do. I think I've done enough of that for the day," She replied back, thinking of what happened not too many moments ago.
There seemed to be a lot of singing and dancing happening in her life for some reason. It was pretty much the only thing that was guaranteed these days in her life it would seem. Well, that and curses and death. Was she dead? She did not know if she believed in an afterlife but... if this was it, it was pretty darn good if she did say so herself. At the very least, it had a feeling of warmth and happiness attached to it.
But she could not shake away the feeling that there was something she was missing. Something more she had to do. That this... was not where she was supposed to be, even though this was the only place she currently wanted to be. She sighed softly, putting her head against his chest, "You're... not really here, are you?" She voiced the concern that she had. He was not real, was he? He was not actually here with her? He was just... a figment of her imagination and she was actually just... alone. Was he even alive? She had no idea... She had no idea where he was or if he was still alive...
Her fingernails dug into his back deeper with that thought, as though she did not want to let him go again. Even if this was just a dream... it was the best one she had in a long time and she had no intention of letting go. Ever.
ACTION: Sleeping, taking a break
STATUS: Bleeding and unconscious | HEALTH: 700/1500
Stamina: 15 | Evasion: 9 | Strength: 2 | Wisdom: 20 | Arcane Power: 10 | Accuracy: 14
Abilities: Sixth Sense | Evasive Maneuvers | Perfectionist | Poison Resistance [others pending]
Credits: Inspiration heavily based on ABBA's Lay All Your Love On Me, as well as some of inthefrow's Instagram videos (linked in post).
This is my former staff account.
I also play: Serena Towers (Graduated PC), Arjan Oberoi (Graduated iNPC), Xiomara Torres (Current Student)
I also play: Serena Towers (Graduated PC), Arjan Oberoi (Graduated iNPC), Xiomara Torres (Current Student)
8 Nov 2020, 15:31
Banishment
With the flames coming from his wand, Artemis could see dimly into the room before him. The room was now alight with the fire from his wand and he could see the shadows that had once attacked the trio scramble away into the middle of the room. He knew that there were two enemies in this room that he and his compatriots needed to take care of: The Hag and her pet shadows. He opted for the latter since the ugly bint was still nowhere to be seen and would turn his flames toward the middle of the room to devour the quivering darkness...if darkness could quiver. A minor distraction of a root would fly toward him but he quickly guided his arm back to destroy the creeping vine aimed toward him with the hot flames before moving his arm forward again, keeping the circle momentum up above his head as he guided the flames with his other hand toward the middle of the room. It was moments such as these that he was glad he focused and learned to control his magic.
Turning his gaze to the left in his peripheral, he would see another vine snatch up the woman beside him after she nearly blinded their mouthless friend, a deformity Artemis picked up on with the bright light aimed at the man and the flames flowing around the room, and watch as it lifted her up. Her head would knock against the floor and Artemis wanted nothing more than to help the woman down and bring her back from her dreamland. He would have relied on the other man in the room, but he had no idea if the man had his wand on him or knew wandless magic to wake their friend up. And knowing her, Artemis knew she would rather he focus on taking out their threat before helping her. She was currently safe up there...he hoped. Out of the way of the flames and away from the darkness since it was crowded in the middle. **With a narrowed look of concentration on his face, Artemis would expand the flames, shooting them outward toward the corners of the room where they couldn't reach before, before bringing his wand, which controlled the main source of the flames down the center to hit the middle, hopefully ending the darkness that did its best to damage the three professors in the process. A small thrill ran down Artemis' spine as his hope of taking out the darkness that was there lingered in his body. He hadn't felt this kind of feeling or had this thrill of excitement from a battle since he battled his master when he was in his twenties. The crazed man who wanted to cause mass destruction in a Muggle community with Artemis as his wingman. The same crazed man that, because of Artemis' association with him, caused him to be exiled to the Americas for ten years.
But that wasn't now. Artemis needed to focus on the now so that the three of them could survive and return to their colleagues back in the main hallway.
They needed to end this...now
Turning his gaze to the left in his peripheral, he would see another vine snatch up the woman beside him after she nearly blinded their mouthless friend, a deformity Artemis picked up on with the bright light aimed at the man and the flames flowing around the room, and watch as it lifted her up. Her head would knock against the floor and Artemis wanted nothing more than to help the woman down and bring her back from her dreamland. He would have relied on the other man in the room, but he had no idea if the man had his wand on him or knew wandless magic to wake their friend up. And knowing her, Artemis knew she would rather he focus on taking out their threat before helping her. She was currently safe up there...he hoped. Out of the way of the flames and away from the darkness since it was crowded in the middle. **With a narrowed look of concentration on his face, Artemis would expand the flames, shooting them outward toward the corners of the room where they couldn't reach before, before bringing his wand, which controlled the main source of the flames down the center to hit the middle, hopefully ending the darkness that did its best to damage the three professors in the process. A small thrill ran down Artemis' spine as his hope of taking out the darkness that was there lingered in his body. He hadn't felt this kind of feeling or had this thrill of excitement from a battle since he battled his master when he was in his twenties. The crazed man who wanted to cause mass destruction in a Muggle community with Artemis as his wingman. The same crazed man that, because of Artemis' association with him, caused him to be exiled to the Americas for ten years.
But that wasn't now. Artemis needed to focus on the now so that the three of them could survive and return to their colleagues back in the main hallway.
They needed to end this...now
Action: Maintaining the Firestorm Charm and attacking the darkness in the center while hopefully taking out the Hag.
Abilities: Perfectionist - Fearless- Evasive Maneuvers- Non-Verbal Magic - Wandless Magic
Stats: Stamina: 12 ~ Strength: 6 ~ Evasion: 8 ~ Wisdom: 20 ~ Arcane Power: 12 ~ Accuracy:12
The ** was me wondering if I could even conduct this action of expanding the flames or not
Artemis Vernatis
Professor of Charms