Roleplaying as Casey Stone from Ilvermorny

July 10th 2025
Speech: Bold #257379
Thoughts: Bold Italics
@Scout Fu-Hai - @Zyair Ona'je - @Emily Shephard - @Cursa McCoire

Casey glanced between the map and the slanted path ahead of him. Back and forth, his eyes drifted between the parchment and the scenery. He felt Emily peer over his shoulder to look too.

"This is the place..."

Casey nodded, though he wasn't sure how sincere he meant it. "Yeah..."

He turned to look over his other shoulder where his parents were still setting up the tent. Casey had his organised, as did Emily and the others. His father was right to get them set up first thing in the morning after collecting Emily from her home. That meant the rest of the day was left to explore what they could of the mountain. Black Mountain was a lot bigger than Casey anticipated. With only being able to bargain a few nights up there with the family, time was limited to track down the Rumour of the Mountain; the strange, eerie voice that haunted the mountain range with its hysterical shrieks and violent cries. The story that Faye Trooperstown once investigated and knew would lead to a revelation that unfortunately didn't take her far enough. Now it fell to Casey to finish the job. Him and Faye knew traces of their dead and missing loved ones led to this place. The only question that remained... What or who was it?

"Casey, grab my wand from the bag there. This tent peg is really wrestling with me here".

"Hm? Oh, sure--" Casey passed the map into Emily's hands before grabbing the cherry wood wand from a backpack, handing it to his father when he reached his side.

"So, remind me again why you wanted me and your mother to choose here as a vacation spot?" he asked, swishing his wand as the peg took root.

"Uh--". Casey was losing track of the number of lies and cover-ups he was using. First it was the notebook, then the map, and now Casey's alleged "souvenir" of a map with questionable scribblings of investigation notes attached to it, written by someone whose daughter was linked to the group Nick was involved in. Needless to say, Casey was aware his parents were getting beyond suspicious of what he was getting up to. He had a feeling it wouldn't be long before they would catch on to the fact that he was trying to find Nick... Or at least the one that "did the deed". Neither of which would sit well for his folks.

"Just another mountain to tick off the bucket list, Dad," he said finally with a shrug. "I wanna see how much I can hike before we're back in Oregon".

"And the other reason?"

"Eh?"

"You heard him, Casey," his mother chimed in. "We might not be omniscient, but we know something is going on. What is it?"

Casey's gaze dropped to his feet before he faced his mother. Damn her and her sweetness. He couldn't lie to her but he knew he couldn't keep hiding the truth forever either.

"Look, I know the last few weeks have been weird, gettin' all these notes and then beggin' you guys to take me here... But I just hafta be here, alright? I can't explain it... But you gotta take my word for it that I need to be here, with them..."

His eyes flitted to the others who continued to mill about the campsite amongst themselves. It wasn't just a mere vacation that he invited them to. He knew that they knew the bigger reason why they were here too.

His father raised an eyebrow. "You're not planning on dragging them into some kind of trouble, are you?"

"No--!" At least he hoped not. "I wouldn't have asked them to come if I didn't need help--" Crap. He was already leaking too much.

"And why can't you ask us to help?" his mother asked, sounding mildly hurt over the notion.

"Because-- It's not something I want you worryin' about, or badgerin' about. I brought them because I know they can handle it. I just don't know if you guys could. At least not yet".

His parents looked at each other before returning stern looks to their son. His father was the first to speak. "And is that supposed to make us feel better? Come on, boy. You put up a foul mood for the last two years and just when we think you're taking a step forward, you suddenly take it back again when we ask to help you. All of this since Nick..."

"I--" Casey felt cornered, his resolve crumbling under their questionable tone.

"Casey, we can tell you're still upset... And we're not blaming you. We're still trying to get through it too," his mother said softly. "But if you think trying to find him yourself will--"

"What makes you think I am?" Casey cut in, almost defensively. "And even if I was, why does it matter? I'm doin' more work than any other damn person has! Even you guys are givin' up on Nick! You don't see Cursa movin' on from his dead brother back from the Hogsmeade crap so quickly. You don't see Emily actin' like she's fine without her own parents when you can tell it frustrates her. You don't--"

"This isn't about them, Casey! This isn't even about us, or Nick... We're talking about you".

His mother placed both her gentle hands on either side of Casey's face, eyes full of helplessness in her gaze. "We're worried about you, Casey... That's why whenever you speak about Nick like he's still alive, we get scared. We don't want you getting hurt the same way Nick's friends did. We want you to be safe".

"Tch. A terrorist attack in Hogsmeade and a Hogwarts Ball up in flames? Great job you guys are doin' there". Casey flinched out of his mother's grip. His words tasted fouler than he meant them to be. They were careless but necessary, he felt. After all, he did a good job making sure he wasn't protected from the conspiracy that Nick might just still be alive. A conundrum he was sure would send his folks into a coniption.

Casey grabbed his own backpack and hoisted it onto his back. he took a few paces before craning his head back over his shoulder to face his parents.

"Whatever it is you think I'm doin, wherever you think I'm goin'... I'm dealin' with it. No matter what happens to me, I'm always dealin' with it. This is a "me" thing. I wanna be here. I need to be here. If you don't like it, fine, but after the next few days pass, it'll all be over one way or another. For now... Just let me deal with it"

He didn't wait to hear a retort from them and instead gestured for the others to come along with him. Making his parents worry was crushing him. He didn't need to look at them to recognise the unspoken fears they were carrying. It would all be over soon though, he thought.

"We'll try and be back in a few hours. No promises".

That was no more comforting than what Emily could've said. Ideally, she should be saving the situation by now. Instead, Casey had her and the others hoof behind him as he began the hike up the summit.

Dead or alive. That's all he needed to know. And then for his parents sake, they could have their youngest son back.

But right now, the trek was on.

_{Word Count: 1241}

Stats: Stamina: 8|Strength: 7|Evasion: 7|Wisdom: 6|Arc Power: 6|Accuracy: 7
Abilities: Fearless |Poison Resistance |Obnoxiously Strong

July 10th 2025
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
@Cursa McCoire - @Casey Stone - @Scout Fu-Hai - @Zyair Ona'je

Water. Layers. Snackies. Lanterns for just in case. Good.

Emily counted and recounted everything in her backpack. After the seventh count, she was finally satisfied and convinced that she was ready for the trek ahead. A small yawn escaped her when she went to gather her jacket. She and Casey had planned this for a while and was eager to join him on the journey he was hoping to make on this very mountain. She didn't, however, properly take into the account of being whisked away by Casey's mother first thing in the morning to then travel hours to North Carolina and set up their gear before the had even reached its peak in the sky. Bearing in mind, magic played a lot into the scheduling, between the floos and the broom rides and the legally practiced magic carried out by Casey's parents to have the campsite set up without strenuous hassle or time consumption.

Fair to say, Emily's sleepy self hadn't quite fully caught up with the morning's activities but with the air turning cold and the path ahead, she was waking up and feeling ready to get started.

She emerged from her tent and joined the others, safe for Casey who had been pulled aside by his parents. She slipped beside Scout and gave her a buddy bump on the arm, acknowledging Zyair and Cursa with her sweetly smile.

"I'm all set! Sorry I kept you all waiting," she said with a polite bow.

With her presence, she was expecting to be tackled or zoomed from one side of the field to the other by Colin at this point. Ah but... Colin wasn't here. After running into him and spending quite a lot of time with him during the last few weeks before the end of the school year, Emily was safe to say she had grown accustomed to his presence.

Although considering the stage of the lunar cycle right now, Emily kept reminding herself of why he wouldn't be here. However, she would be lying if she said she didn't want to be there to see him through it. Her lips bent into a small, bittersweet smile. Colin was a brave boy. Emphasis on "boy". Although for tonight, he wouldn't necessarily be 100% "boy". Emily sighed softly. He insisted himself a beast back when they were at the Spring Ball. It would be curious for Emily to see for herself if she would really be proved wrong on nights of the full moon where Colin would don his wolf coat.

Emily wondered if Cursa knew, being his cousin and all. She couldn't dare bring it up without any indication otherwise, not unless Colin would be happy for Scout and Zyair - otherwise known as the stranger from Uagadou to Colin - to find out. If Colin was anything like Scout was with her vampirism then "no" would've been the answer.

Why was having half-human friends made out to be so melodramatic to other people??

She heard Casey's voice rise in tension and her attention was pulled in the direction of him and his parents' conversation. After lashing out, Casey stormed past Emily and the others. Emily began to tail him before being stopped by Celeste, his mother.

"Mrs Stone...?"

"Keep an eye on him," she whispered quietly into her ear. "Before he does anything rash...That is, if he hasn't already".

Emily could tell Celeste was getting worried just by the feel of her hand on her shoulder. She smiled and nodded reassuringly. "He'll be alright with us. We'll try not to dilly-dally and come before the sun sets".

Celeste looked at Cursa as if to make sure that were true. Whether he liked it or not, she was looking at him like he was the temporary babysitter of the group simply because he was the oldest out of the lot.

Emily fetched her backpack and resumed following Casey, keeping pace once she reached his side.

"For your mother's sake, let's not stay out too long," she said.

Without looking at her, Casey replied gruffly, "It'll take as long as it takes. I'm not leavin' until I've figured out this rumour".

When Casey frog-marched faster, Emily exhaled and frowned before practically skipping to catch up with him again.

With their campsite fading behind them and the peak of the mountain awaiting them, Emily could only do what Casey was doing. Press on.

"Okay... Let's do this".

_{Word Count: 755}

Stats: Stamina: 8 | Strength: 7 | Evasion: 7 | Wisdom: 9 | Arc Power: 8 | Accuracy: 7
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace

Roleplaying as Casey Stone from Ilvermorny

July 10th 2025
Speech: Bold #257379
Thoughts: Bold Italics
@Scout Fu-Hai - @Zyair Ona'je - @Emily Shephard - @Cursa McCoire @Colin McCoire

Ol' Timely Narration

The journey for the most part was a quiet one with Casey leading the charge, his eyes dropping between Faye's map which he held under his nose and the path ahead of him. Tension lingered in the air when Emily overheard Casey's brief scuffle with his parents. The Thunderbird boy could sense - almost feel - the concern from the Huffie walking behind him, thick as smoke on his back. She must be giving him the worry eyes, he thought. That look was enough to convince people that she had just seen puppies drown before her eyes.

Their ascent took them out of the open fields and along a stony path. The group's feet were assaulted by gravel with every step, hard and heavy in their heels as they drew further away from the base of the mountain. The heat beat down on them, sweat lashing off Casey's forehead and back, not helped by the weight of the gear he carried with him. After what felt like hours of walking in desert temperature, the group proceeded along a winding road down the curve of the mountain, a sheltered face away from the sun.

Dumping his backpack onto the ground the second the group passed into the shade, Casey stretched his back out, wiping patches of sweat off the side of his face onto the sleeve of his denim jacket. Eugh. There was enough sweat to make it look like Casey fell in the ocean.

When the group had cooled down - with plenty of water washing their throats and their necks - they continued through the back of the mountain where ahead were more fields. Clouds began to pass quickly as soon as the group got off the face of the mountain, carefully descending down the path that took them to the base of the next one. Casey could see a dense forest covering the mountain they were bound to climb up next.

Casey stopped to examine the map again. Where Faye had circled and written in bold text "Rumour" was the very mountain they were all about to embark on.

"So this is the one? Hmm..."

In determined strides, Casey picked up the pace. If what Faye had illustrated was true then this was the mountain where a mysterious force was haunting the North Carolina border, deep within the Black Mountain range. And, according to her conspiracy, was related her daughter's death and Nick's disappearance.

Casey led the group across the passage between the mountain they stepped off of and the one they were yet to traverse. His heart was beating unusually faster. Adrenaline? Excitement? Or perhaps getting his hopes up for another dead end. No. Surely not. Faye hadn't failed him. He trusted her. Even if she was thinking on a whim.

It was another hard ascent up the rock face once the group reached the mountain face before them. Calves and knuckles clenched and contracted as they pulled and heaved themselves up the side of the mountain before they managed to find the trail they needed.

Despite aching limbs and panting lungs, Casey could see they were getting closer to the relatively small yet fiercely dense forest. Every step, no matter how pained and tired, was one closer to whatever destiny he was about to face. Thinking about it like that sent excitement straight to the curious side of Casey's brain and he gathered the last of his strength to walk even faster.

"Gotta find out... Gotta be somethin'... Hafta be somethin'...!"

He couldn't let this all be for nothing. He wasn't ready to apologise to everyone for two years worth of crap-given attitude and teen boy angst. Especially his folks.

His fingers fisted and relaxed restlessly the closer the forest came to their view. Casey signalled the group to follow faster.

"C'mon... We're almost there..."

Please God... Don't hide any more secrets. Don't bullshit me. Let this be for real.

_{Word Count: 661}

Stats: Stamina: 9 | Strength: 8 | Evasion: 7 | Wisdom: 7 | Arc Power: 7 | Accuracy: 8
Abilities: Fearless |Poison Resistance |Obnoxiously Strong

july 10th, 2025		zyair ona'je - uagadou
wc: 800		keen eye | calming presence
interacting with: @Casey Stone & @Emily Shephard		mentioning: @Cursa McCoire & scoutie

because this world is even more unkind / than what we imagined,
what I wanted to do, at the least / is to stay by your side.

When he had brought up the idea- staying with a friend for a few days to go camping- he had... honestly, not expected his mother to be so on board with the idea. She wasn't anything like a helicopter parent, Zyair honestly could argue that his mother was more lax when it came to spending time outside or away from home- but she hadn't ever met Casey before, and he had never gone anywhere as far as the United States. Even though he could floo, he knew that airplane flights were long, and expensive. How was she going to be okay with him going away for that?

And Zyair was going to be babysitter once he got home, she was just going to give that up?

But when he peaked his head into her room, and asked her in that quiet voice that you only use when you know the answer is going to be 'no', he was downright shocked that she nodded and said 'sure'. She didn't retcon herself when he started packing, and didn't change her mind when he owled Eba to let her know, and she kept her yes 'firm' when Zyair helped her pick out a babysitter for the days when she worked.

It was kind of unnerving, honestly.

He's never been camping before, not properly. He's had nights where him and his friends would set up tents in backyards, or when they'd go out so late at night, and so far into the woods, that it felt like glorified hiking- but never anything like this. He's not surprised by the magical tent, or the effortless way it's set up, but... well, okay, maybe he's a little impressed, to say the least. Even growing up with it his whole life, some aspects of wizardry still make him gasp like a little kid.

But he's no stranger to the way Casey... is being Casey, the huffy-puffy, snappy attitude. He can appreciate that in someone, (especially considering him and Scout share quite a similar personality)... but man, it was early. Even though Zyair has always been a quick, early-riser, even he's a little slow to respond. This morning has been too reminiscent of his sisters dragging him out of bed to cook breakfast at half-past four in the morning...

Oh well.

The shared sleepiness in the group is actually pretty good for him. He's still far more awake than Emily or... Scout.

Exhaustion lined her eyes, as she pulled a sunhat over her head and lathered her arms with sunscreen lazily. She had yet to say more than a 'good morning', and every few seconds, her eyes would glaze over and then shut, only to snap open with a start. The sight was just a little comical, especially with the way her floppy hat would jolt every time she woke up from a mini-nap.

The smell of fresh air was doing wonders for him, the quiet sounds of chatter between his companions, and the crunching of leaves, sticks, and stones, made for a soothing background. He tried to focus his mind on only the map in Casey's hand, and tried to come to reasonable scenarios with the information he knew. He could understand both Casey, and his parents. You don't want to think that something outrageous could've happened, because it happens so rarely- but you also want to grasp at any straws in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, you're the one in a million. Besides, Zyair would do the same thing for Eba or the twins in a heartbeat.

He was surprised by how little his legs and feet hurt, and was even more surprised when it seemed like the same thing was true for Scout. It seems like the nights he spent running around with his dormmates around Uagadou, or the endless weekends spent biking in the woods were actually coming in handy. Not that Zyair would trade them for the world, even if they didn't amount to anything.

Casey looked kind of like a hot mess, though. Sweat lining his face, his shirt, everything. Zyair reaches out, giving him a gentle tap on the shoulder. "Don't get yourself so psyched out that you can't think straight." He tries to keep his voice even, but he's starting to get a little worried. He thought Scout or Emily were going to be the most off-center, not Casey. "We're here with you, okay? Even if we don't find anything right now, we'll find something eventually. You look like you're going to explode."

July 10th 2025
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
@Cursa McCoire - @Casey Stone - @Scout Fu-Hai - @Zyair Ona'je

Emily began to lag behind a little when it became apparent Casey had no intention on slowing down. Emily had hiked mountains before but never did she feel like she was running up and down the faces of one as she was right now. She knew Casey had been eager to do this since well before they even arrived at the mountain, but this was getting ridiculous. From the way he was acting, he looked like he didn't need help at all. Though was not to say he wouldn't need it later on when he would, as his mother said, "do something rash".

Zyair eventually overtook Emily to talk with Casey himself. Probably just as well, Emily thought. If Emily was getting nowhere with Casey then perhaps Zyair would have better luck, given his knack for nailing Casey down when he looked like he was flying too far for his own good.

Emily caught sight of the forest that came into view. The same one Casey told her that held the rumour of a strange haunting among the landscape nearby. Emily ruminated on what Casey said in his letter to her prior to her arrival here... Howls and cries of fear and pain that sing down the mountain, carried by the wind to stretch down the mountain faces and across the border.

"An intriguing mystery... Although I still remain curious as to how exactly it links itself and Nick's disappearance together..."

Even though Casey had already explained it to her, it was still a puzzling assumption to make. Casey admitted that he still had trouble understanding the connection himself, which only made Emily furrow in deeper thought. Like Casey, she had no grudge nor scepticism towards Faye and her theory. But the whole thing... It was still a bit odd.

Emily hurried to catch up with the rest of the group when she realised she was lagging behind too much. Her supplies rattled inside her backpack as she made haste along the path before finally catching up with the group.

As soon as she was walking side by side with Casey again, a whistle of wind travelled past them all, accompanied by the faintest sound of a moan in the air. Emily's forehead wrinkled as she strained her ears to listen carefully. Another blow of the breeze carried another skirl of what sounded like a distressed cry down the face of the mountain, loud enough for it to waft into everyone's faces, nevermind their ears. Emily was the first to stop suddenly.

"Everyone else hear that? Could it be the...?"

She didn't even need to look at Casey in the eye to tell that he was thinking the exact same sentiment she was. She watched him speed faster towards the forest side, prompting everyone to follow briskly.

With Casey leading the restless charge towards the grasslands ahead, Emily felt trepidation in her footsteps as she followed him. It was then that she knew as well as he did that they were moments away from meeting an anticipated destiny Casey was anxious to meet.

_{Word Count: 513}

Stats: Stamina: 8 | Strength: 7 | Evasion: 7 | Wisdom: 9 | Arc Power: 8 | Accuracy: 8
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace

ILVERMORNY RULES!!! Cursa McCoire 4: Stats: Sta: 7 | Eva: 10 | Str: 0 | Wis: 10 | Arc: 10 | Acc: 13 5: STAMINA: 7 | EVASION: 10 | STRENGTH: 0 | WISDOM: 12 | ARC POWER: 10 | ACCURACY: 16 Abilities: TBD Trunk: Right Here!

"Well, this little adventure is starting out really smooth," Cursa commented. He totally understood Casey's point, though, as he and his parents got into a row. The mention of the Hogsmeade attack brought it all together. The reason why he was even here. His own little brother was now long dead and buried. He'd seen the bloodied and battered body. Felt the cold unmoving flesh. His cousin Colin had been there with him. That had begun his shift in opinion about the Scot. He had thought Colin was no more than the ass wipe Alex and Angus had made him out to be. It turned out they were lying. Cursa didn't know why, and that was a mystery yet to be resolved. Maybe even later in the summer... Against his better judgement, he would soon be travelling to the UK. Again. To fly on Colin's janky broom in a race.

But today was all about Casey's brother. He'd signed on to help his mate solve the mystery. What happened to Nick? He and Colin had talked about all the pictures that Casey showed them in Beauxbatons. Mutilated bodies. Blood everywhere. Always blood. Cursa looked around the camp site as Casey and his parents argued. It wouldn't surprise him if they just packed up and went home. He wanted to thump Casey before he got into too much trouble. The boy had worked hard to get here, and now he was working real hard to get dragged home without ever being able to find any answers.

He glanced at Emily and then at Scout and Zyair. All the most important schools --- Ilvermorny, Uagadou, and Hogwarts --- were represented. Emily apologised for being late. Cursa muttered something conciliatory. Casey wanted to get an early start, and the Hogwarts girl, Colin's future spouse if the doofus had his way, wasn't late. Casey's row was getting more intense.

He idly checked his own messenger bag. Water, snacks, wand, knife. Adventuring kit managed. Magic was the most important tool. Otherwise, he wore jeans, hiking boots, flannel overshirt and cloak. Simple. And at last they got moving. Casey's mom whispered something to Emily. The girl was always happy, it seemed. They could be heading into death and disaster and Emily would cheerfully stand by them. Cursa nodded his affirmation to Mrs Stone that they'd look after her son. He realised that, in that look, he was taking on rather more responsibility than he'd originally bargained for. This was no ordinary adventure in a state park.

Cursa remained relatively quiet throughout the long trek through the lush green lands of North Carolina. They were the same mountains he lived near. The Appalachians. Just further south. His dad had said they were really old mountains, once higher than the Himalayans, but now worn down to stubs. He was always spellbound by the story of how eastern America, western Europe and northwestern Africa were once all one land, and that their mountains were what remained after the ocean split them apart.

Casey was clearly on a mission. He was practically force marching them over the variable terrain. Zyair and Emily tried to keep him in check, keep him rational. That map he had. It seemed to Cursa that, right now, if it got burnt up, Casey would be driven mad by the destruction of the one thing that still connected him with Nick. He understood that. He was grateful that people were investigating the Hogsmeade disaster. He felt bad that no one seemed to be helping find Casey's brother. He was dead set on Nick still being alive. Sometimes brothers just have that sense. He knew that Colin and Liam did. Some deep connection that he lacked with his own siblings.

That's why he was here. He believed that Casey was on to something. Even if his parents thought Nick was dead, he himself would stand by Casey until he found his brother and the truth of what happened. He'd taken up the rear guard position. Eyes scanned the landscape around. Nothing of note met his eyes or ears, except that Casey kept increasing his pace. Soon Emily began to fall back. Cursa shook his head slightly. He paused to let her catch up to him. "How do you even keep up with Colin, Emily? Honestly, the boy runs everywhere! You'd think he were actually a dog or something! I wonder what he's up to today anyway?" He asked himself more than anyone else in the group. "You'd think he would be here! Asking Emily --- *koff koff* for a date! *koff koff* --- I mean! Dashing all over the place with his wand drawn ready to attack anything that looks out of the ordinary!"

But Emily sounded the alarm. She'd heard something! They all stopped for a moment. "What did you hear, Emily?" he asked, but Casey seemed to know. He turned and practically ran towards the sound! The others followed, Cursa still bringing up the rear. He had his wand out and ready. In this ancient land, you never knew what might be waiting around the next bend, and the way Casey was going, he'd run right into something nasty!

Werewolves: Don't forget to spay and neuter your pets!

Roleplaying as Casey Stone from Ilvermorny

July 10th 2025
Speech: Bold #257379
Thoughts: Bold Italics
@Scout Fu-Hai - @Zyair Ona'je - @Emily Shephard - @Cursa McCoire @Colin McCoire

Ol' Timely Narration

The group were halted by the shrill of a haunted voice filtering through their ears once they reached the base of the forest face. As soon as it hit Casey, his face paled in realisation. Their efforts to find it weren't in vain after all.

"I hear it too, Em," he said. "And I'm willin' to bet the same number of galleons that it's the rumour Faye told me about".

She grabbed the Huffie and Zyair by their sleeves and pulled them along behind him. "C'mon. Let's get a closer look. Gets us out of the worst of the heat too". He ushered for Cursa and Scout to come along as well, giving them a raised eyebrow as he looked to them. "You guys have hardly said a word since we got here. Don't tell me you've got cold feet about this, do you?"

Casey slowed a little until he was closer to Scout, a playful smirk pricking at the side of his mouth. Some good old fashioned Scout teasing ought to spark some life back into her. "Gone shy on me, Princess?" He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "Is my Prince Charming-ness too much for you now that I'm takin' charge of this operation like the man I am? Or maybe you're savin' some excitement for when you're finally alone with Zy..."

About time those two made up.

Had Casey not brought Zyair, Scout probably would've been singing like a bird about now. Perhaps even the whole hike thus far. He should've seen her quiet demeanour coming however. She and Zyair had been on rocky shores since the Autumn Ball as far as he knew. All because of some triangle-based romance. Casey rolled his eyes thinking back to what Scout told him in October. It was all so cliché. It was all so ridiculous. But at the same time, it was very Scout of her.

Casey then turned to Cursa. His withdrawal from the vast majority of the conversations throughout the day so far were just as curious as Scout's. Casey shook his head thinking that Cursa had actually become the willing babysitter of the group. Surely not. Casey knew Cursa had younger siblings like his platinum blonde alter ego did, and he figured tagging along with him and others here was too familiar to trying to contain some pint-sized relatives off the leash.

Eventually, the group reached the base of the forest, a sheen of mist and the foreboding claustrophobia of trees stuck together like overbearing watchers greeting them once they were on the next face of the mountain.

"Whoa..."

Another eerie cry filtered down through the trees and reached the group's ears. It definitely sounded like it was a someone. Someone scared and tormented. Scarred. Thinking back to his meeting with Faye, Casey knew.

"That. That's what we're lookin' for".

Casey was the first to enter the forest, the others following behind him. The air instantly turned colder, the mist becoming smoke that enveloped them the further they left the entranced to the forest behind. The path was replaced with scorched grass burnt by the light of the sun straining between the leaves of the trees that obscured them from the rest of the world. The breeze grew stronger, providing cool comfort to the sweat-slicked members of the group but simultaneously kept them on edge as the voice of the tortured soul continued to send its fits of fear across the faint corners of the forest.

At one point the voice got louder and Casey stopped, his ears stretching to hear where it was coming from. The wind blew and he heard a whimper from all sides. Casey groaned.

"I'm startin' to get angsty with Casper the Less-Than-Friendly-And-More-So-Traumatised Ghost out here". He scratched the underside of his arm uneasily. "These cries sound like they're bein' murdered alive or somethin'..."

Then the most chill-inducing yell echoed across the forest, prompting Casey to stop and slowly look around himself. Whoever it was, they were close by.

"Everyone watch yourselves... If you didn't think we were alone before, we certainly are now..."

The voice disappeared and the forest became unnaturally silent, save for the subtle crunch of grass beneath the group's feet. The darkness of the trees wasn't helping Casey's vision in sussing out whatever was roaming the area. Until--

"Scout, watch out--!"

A shadow appeared behind his frenemy with a threatening broken plank of wood raised above Scout's head. Casey slid over and brought her to the ground with him as they ducked out of the way, the plank of wood thumping against the earth a mere inches away from Casey's shoulder as he shielded her with his body.

LEAVE!"

Casey couldn't make out the face of the one that nearly pommelled him and Scout, not with the large hood they wore that covered it. He pushed her out of the way before he swung for another blow, this time missing Casey's right leg. He shuffled backwards until he was finally back on his feet.

"Christ on a cracker!" Casey brushed himself off. "That your idea of a warm welcome?? The hell are you tryin' to do, swingin' that thing at a few kids, huh?!"

Casey heard a hiss from the strange adversary. Although he couldn't see the face, he deciphered the voice as a dude, traumatised to say the least. Casey felt the strength and determination to keep the group away emanating from them. Their body language didn't provide any reassurance either, the wooden plank raised with the familiar intent to strike.

"I don't want to be SEEN! LEAVE this place!"

With another violent swing of the plank, Casey countered with a backward kick. He felt a sting travel across his toes and he grimaced, but quickly recovered when he stretched his foot level. He signalled to the rest of the group to watch out before facing the mad stranger.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you're the freaky soul hauntin' this side of the mountains, yeah? There's a lot of talk about you. Screamin' in the night, cursin' God's name over somethin' or other--"

"Just leave me alone!"

"Look man, we ain't gonna hurt--"

"I said LEAVE!"

The stranger made another attempt at an attack. Casey dodged, but only to be met with a swift kick to his back, sending him sliding across the ground on his front. A grunt was forced out of his mouth when he landed.

This guy's a frickin' maniac!

The stranger turned to the rest of the group, gripping the plank of wood so tight that the knuckle turned white.

"All of you go! NOW!"

Casey got to one knee and turned back to see the stranger advancing quick towards Emily, with no sign of stopping nor dropping the plank of wood. A flash of anger zinged in Casey's eyes.

"Get away from them. From her-- EM!"

_{Word Count: 1150}

Feel free to interact with the stranger however you like. However! The ground rules still remain the same:
- No use of magic - we're all still youngsters here!
- You can swing a punch if you want but remember to keep it PG and don't kill 'em! Trust me... We need 'em alive >:] But no seriously... Killing is also bad and not allowed *nod!*
- If you want to roll any moves, go right ahead! (Makes for good twists and turns). Otherwise what your character says/does goes.

Stats: Stamina: 9 | Strength: 8 | Evasion: 7 | Wisdom: 7 | Arc Power: 7 | Accuracy: 8
Abilities: Fearless |Poison Resistance|Obnoxiously Strong

july 10th, 2025		thursday
wc: 1150		dhampir | terrible presence
interacting with: @Emily Shephard @Casey Stone @Cursa McCoire @Zyair Ona'je		mentioning: @Tesla Stone @Colin McCoire

this onset of "pain" is no good, no good, no good... no, no, no!!!
well! a terrifying emotional drop, it's all the pa-pa-para paranoia!

It was surprisingly nice and peaceful, the warm sun and gentle breeze... save for a few moments where Scout realized her sunhat wasn't protecting all of her skin, today had been relatively peaceful. She wasn't upset at Zyair, and he wasn't still weird around her... it had been a good idea to go to his sister's apartment, Scout deduced. Especially seeing that cute half-Crup puppy! Couple that with a nice walk in the woods with her friends, she hadn't expected this trip to go so nicely.

Of course, Scout is still Scout- so she spent the first couple of hours dozing off as she walked, letting her legs carry her with her eyes closed, only being guided by the gentle chatter of Emily, Casey, Zyair, and Cursa. Luckily climbing and walking didn't take much out of her, considering she spent her entire childhood doing exactly that, albeit on trees and houses rather than mountains and rocks. There wasn't much difference, it was easier to climb a mountain than to climb a tree, less precise movements. (Scout had never been good at the preciseness it took to scale trees, every move could lead to a fall, and she'd become so overcome with anxiety once she reached the top of a tree, there was little she could do to get back down besides calling for her dad.)

While she was always a chatterbox, it was a little nice to sit back and listen to her friends. Well, save for Casey getting a little more hyped up at whatever was on his map. Scout really didn't... well, she wouldn't say she had no idea what they were doing, they were climbing a mountain, following some map to find clues about Casey's brother- but that was kind of the extent of what she understood. Why would he be in a mountain in the middle of nowhere, America? That was lost on her, but she trusted Casey, and she trusted that Zyair understood him, and that was enough for her to not question it.

"You made me get up so early, Case," she huffed, "and then you ask why I'm quiet? Jeez, can't a girl get some relaxation on a supposed vacation?" At his last comment, she immediately flicked his shoulder, pushing him away from her. "And gross! Are all boys so yucky?"

But it was kind of hard to focus on Casey or Zyair- screams exploding from all around the forest. Scout was not a scaredy cat, but even that was kind of unnerving! But... well, she had that whole spiel about trust, so what kind of phony would she be to turn back at the first sign of danger? Besides, she was sure that the three boys of the group could handle themselves, but she needed to be there for Emily! Nervously, she ran a hand over her mouth, pressing just enough to feel where the gaps in her teeth were.

They didn't have magic, Scout hadn't even brought her wand- so any kind of danger would be solved in the old-fashioned way, with fists. It just so happened that Scout also had sharp teeth and claws at her disposal, which... well, it was dark enough that she figured she could hide her teeth behind hands, should it come to that. Which- of course- she hoped it did not come to that. But she really had no problems protecting her friends, the guilt she felt hurting Casey really only came down hard when she realized that he was actually not that bad of a person.

Someone who was willingly attacking a bunch of thirteen-year-old's? Probably a safe bet that they weren't good.

"Why do they sound like that?" She muttered under her breath, in a way, it sounded eerily similar to the way Scout thought werewolves would sound, at least when they transformed. The way Tesla described it, it seemed a lot more painful than Scout had realized, and the voice was kind of like the personified way she figured they'd sound.

But, that only brought up another question for Scout: What was scarier, loud noises or dead silence? Weighing those options-

"Wha-?! Oof!"

Danger had only been in the back of her mind, not the forefront like it really should've been. She tried to brace herself against the ground, hissing out a 'shit!' as her elbows scraped against the rocks and dirt. She was able to push herself to her feet quickly, her sunhat long forgotten on the mud and grass beneath her. For a moment, she tried to get a better look at the stranger, a taller man, although that was about all she could make out. Even with her ability to see in the dark, the cloak and jagged movements made it hard to pinpoint any sort of description beyond that.

Emily...

Emily. Emily, Emily- what if something happened to Emily? What if Casey, or Zyair, or Cursa didn't get to Emily in time and she got smacked? What if she was like Scout, except there was no prince to save her? If Colin were here (gross as the thought makes Scout), he would do anything to get Emily out of harms way... but Scout's not going to let Emily get hurt because she's too busy whining about Colin.

It's as if all sane thought has lost her, as if she's acting beyond her own body. Maybe she were a ghost, watching the human Scout with no control or input on what was happening. Her beat-up tennis shoes slam against dirt with a fervor she really can't remember having, and her breath and face feel hot, burning against her pale skin. She's not entirely sure when her hands had become so akin to scratching- considering she had never tried to do something like it prior. But she feels her sharp claws dig into fabric at first, but then delve into skin. It's more than gross, the way skin splitting beneath her hands, her actions, feel, and makes her stomach churn. She tries to bite, like it's second nature, but that jackass pushes her back off of him. Her teeth clamp shut on one another, catching her lip, and she can taste blood on her tongue.

The failure of her bite, followed by hisses of pain that don't come from her mouth, it snaps her out of her daze. Scout stumbles backwards, and then finds herself standing in front of Emily. As long as her mouth is shut, and Zyair doesn't see, then it's fine if they ask about her claws- she can explain that away.

"Get away, you freak!" She spits out, hands trembling. The adrenaline pumps through her voice, keeping it steady despite how badly she wants to collapse onto the ground and sob. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! You awful, awful monster!"

July 10th 2025
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
@Cursa McCoire - @Casey Stone - @Scout Fu-Hai - @Zyair Ona'je

"Phew..." Emily felt her wrists ache slightly from how often she was fanning herself, desperate to stir whatever breeze she could from the otherwise scorching hot atmosphere as she and the others ascended the mountain. She breathed a relieved sigh when they reached a sheltered part of the path, shade enveloping the group's form and immediate cold air quick to cool down everyone's heated skin. It was inevitable that Emily stopped and tipped half a bottle of water down her, the liquid hitting the walls of her throat like new life.

However, arriving and entering the forest boded more than just some well needed cooling off. Uneasy chills slithered their way up Emily's back as she and the others disappeared further into the fog and trees, nothing but the cautious breaths and footsteps crunching leaves and grass following them as they walked.

Emily cringed at how agonisingly close the haunted cries sounded, almost as if they were taunting her from behind her. She looked over her shoulder to be sure. She rolled her eyes, almost disappointedly, when she saw nothing there. She never liked that feeling of being played, even when she was back at Hogwarts or in the Forbidden Forest, where anything and everything could jump out and snag a student.

The only difference here was that she was in the middle of nowhere. No magic. No adults. So in the worst case scenario they would be attacked out here, there was very little they could do besides run.

"Scout, watch out--!"

By the time Emily whipped her head around, Scout and Casey had already collided and floored to the ground, the hard sound of something heavy thumping against the earth following swiftly after. It took Emily a second to realise that a shadowy figure wielding a splintered wooden plank had planned to attack them. She watched on worriedly as Casey dodged every assault the stranger threw at him before she became the focus of aggression.

"Oh no..."

Emily had to will herself to move from her fear when the stranger began to get too close for comfort. She dropped her bag and ducked her head at the first swing of the plank of wood, and again, then another. When she went to dodge a fourth swing, she tripped on her heel going backwards and within seconds she was tumbling down a slope behind her.

A series of grunts and yelps spilled out of her mouth before Emily finally stopped. She scrambled to get back on her feet. When she finally did, the stranger had caught up to her, clad in dark, mangled clothes with a hood that hid his eyes. Emily could see clenched teeth as the stranger loomed over her, the plank anxiously close to her head.

Emily swallowed, finding her voice in time before the stranger could take another swing at her. "P-Please-- We mean no harm. We're just trying to find something. There's a--"

"Find something?" The stranger cut her off, scepticism thick in his voice. "There's nothing here for you, for any of you. The only thing you'll find here is me, and I don't want any of you near me!"

"You don't understand!" Emily pleaded. She could hear the rasp in his voice. He sounded wounded for sure, but also tired. Anxious. Emily's untamed empathy reacted to the deep, coiled fear lacing his intonation. "We're not here to hurt you... We can see that you're the one behind all these mysterious cries around the mountain... But that's besides the point. My friends and I, we're trying to find something that could help us find someone. So please... If you'll put that down, we can explain everything".

Emily waited with bated breath as she waited for the stranger to respond. She could see an inkling of tension leave him and finally exhaled in gentle relief when he lowered the plank ever so slightly.

Then a tornado of red flew in and tackled the stranger, earning a shocked gasp from the Huffie. Scrapes, punches and the snapping of teeth mingled with sounds of struggles and thunderous collisions of bodies hitting the ground after being thrown and limbs hitting other limbs violently.

"Scoutie, wait! I don't think this man's in his right mind--!"

She caught Scout when she was pushed back by the stranger. She saw the stranger stagger away from them, clawing at his chest and temples like he was suddenly overcome with something. The sight of it reawakened Emily's empathy. Something about this wasn't right. He wasn't right.

"I'm not trying to make excuses for him, but there's something about him that makes me think he doesn't mean for any of this...".

How she thought that, Emily couldn't say for sure. All she knew was that the pain she was witnessing was raw. Real.

"If this is what Casey was looking for... Then I'd say we've found it".

_{Word Count: 814}

OOC Note: I plan to have another post done Saturday evening that'll push this thread along, so if anyone participating wishes to post - Zyair and Cursa in particular - you have until then to do so. After that, everyone will be in a new setting with new exciting info to work with >:)

Stats: Stamina: 8 | Strength: 7 | Evasion: 7 | Wisdom: 9 | Arc Power: 8 | Accuracy: 8
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace

ILVERMORNY RULES!!! Cursa McCoire 4: Stats: Sta: 7 | Eva: 10 | Str: 0 | Wis: 10 | Arc: 10 | Acc: 13 5: STAMINA: 7 | EVASION: 10 | STRENGTH: 0 | WISDOM: 12 | ARC POWER: 10 | ACCURACY: 16 Abilities: TBD Trunk: Right Here!

What the bloody fuck was this!?

It all happened in a New Brunswick minute. Or whatever the saying was. Some cowled idiot with a stick in his hands came running towards them screeching like a banshee for them all to leave! The guy took a few swings at Casey and Scout who were furthest away from Cursa. He slid his wand back into his pocket. Casey started arguing the man. It wasn't some kind of monster of magical creature. Probably just some hillbilly drunk out of his mind. He crouched down and reached for a couple of stones.

His nose twitched. Those would do.

Casey landed a few kicks on the poor man, which sent him into a rage. And, of course, Emily started talking to him rationally. He knew enough from Colin to gather that his would-be girlfriend would try to talk common sense into a raging erumpent. And she'd probably get it to listen. But this guy wasn't having it! "Watch yourself Emily!" he shouted. "This isn't the time for tea and crumpets or whatever!"

But Cursa's focus shifted to Scout. For just a moment, Cursa stood dumbfounded. Did any of the others see what she actually did!? She practically flew at the guy, and --- Cursa knew what his eyes saw, there was no denying it! --- Scout grappled him with her --- they could only be described as claws?

No. Fucking. Way.

Did they teach the steel claw spell in an earlier year at Hogwarts? But no. That couldn't be it. She never had her wand out. She couldn't have cast a spell. She just threw herself at the guy and --- shoved her claws through his hoodie. And that wasn't the worst of it! The girl actually went in for a bite! Like right on the jugglers! Like some wild predator going in for the kill! The man hissed with the pain of the bite. Scout released him and started shouting at him something about a horrible monster.

Like, look in the fucking mirror, girl.

"No. Fucking. Way." Cursa was both shocked and amazed. Did Casey know about this? What about Emily? They were like best friends, Emily and Scout. Cursa had no clue what Zyair knew or didn't know. Right now, though, he wasn't sure what was worse. Some drunk redneck attacking them with a stick, the fact that Casey seemed to think that this was actually the guy they were looking for, or ...

Cursa spoke under his breath: "Scout. She's a fucking werewolf!"

The man shoved away from Scout's attack, which left him in the clear. He began clawing at his chest and his head. This wasn't good. Probably some Nomaj high on one of their stupid potions. Right. A stone in each hand, he leaned into his throws! Left! Then right! He let them both fly!

THUNK! THUNK!

One hit him square on his nose and the other smacked the middle of his forehead! Cursa smiled as the idiot staggered about. Blood flowed from his broken nose and streamed down his face. "I dunno Emily. If this is what Case is looking for, he'll have to deal with an extra strong head ache!"

Cursa ventured forward, closing the gap between him and the others, drawing his wand properly this time. He made sure to place himself between his friends and the man. "Casey," he said, holding out his wand. "What the fuck is this? Is this idiot what we're really after?"

@Casey Stone | @Scout Fu-Hai

Werewolves: Don't forget to spay and neuter your pets!