Multiple Settings Anima Studies

[Spoiled Bread]

Sophia Hughes
Location: Entrance
Anima: Vermillion aura that gently flows like wind, settling around her

Fortunately for Sophia, she wasn't late to the gathering yet. Unfortunately, several other strangers decided to crash into their little group. Sophia might had some training with anima, but she knows nothing regarding arcanist society. Her abysmal score at arcanist sociology was one of the main reason of why she joined the study group after all. Still, even without knowing the full context she could feel the tension emanating from their professor. Sophia backed down to the edge of the group, she would let the experts handle those strangers. The girl found herself overhearing Mariana and Valerie's little chat and decided to chime in her experience.

"Sunday is surely not a normal time for class. I wanted to spend the day fishing with Taromaru, but then I got the call and rushed here." Hearing his name being called, the dog raised his head and looked at Sophia expectantly, as if waiting for the girl to gives him a command or throw a frisbee for him. Instead Sophia gave him some patting on the head.

"Hopefully this will only be a one-time thing. I don't think I can survive studying everyday." Sophia let out a weak chuckle. She's a serious student but an average learner, at best. Having to study everyday would probably melts her brain in two weeks.

Solirus Verite November Witch

 

[Verite]

Valerie Vu - Academy Entrance
Interactions: November Witch Spoiled Bread Silent Child @Open

​

Valerie maintained a bright, glowing smile as she fixed her attention on Mariana, taking in every self-conscious word the other girl gave without irritation or impatience. She gave a light giggle at Mariana's admittance to staying up late, though before Mariana might have taken that as ample reason to be embarrassed of herself, Valerie nodded vigorously as if concurring with her. "Yeah, I didn't get the memo either, but now I'm starting to think he didn't send one at all. So weird!" She said, nodding toward Sophia in a welcoming manner as she joined the fray as well and noting her testimony about not receiving any advance notice. Before long however, Val elected to sheepishly scratch the back of her head. "Well, I guess I shouldn't say that after seeing how mad he can get. Eesh," she continued, making a shivering noise.

"Anyway, man, I wish I could wake up early like you, Mariana! You're better than me on that front, I couldn't do that. Heck, I'm still struggling with the class schedule here! Even after setting like three alarms, sometimes I'm scared I'll still show up late!" She exclaimed, playfully knocking her knuckles against the side of her own head. "After having to get up early every morning up to high school, you know I was living it up when I was in college, taking every afternoon class I could get and sleeping in every night! Even now, I just can't bring myself to go to bed before midnight. Like I'd lose if I do. I dunno what, but I'd lose it. Like it's a game. Stay up late enough and take back my old life! You know?"

Truthfully, she did not really expect her to know. She was just shooting the shit here, as she loved to.

Turning toward Sophia without missing a beat, Valerie clasped her gloved hands in delight as she took a good look at the little Taromaru, her eyes seeming to dazzle. "Aww, he's so cute! You know, I just found out Leo here has a cat too! I even named him! I just threw out Mittens and they seemed to like it so that's all she wrote. I wonder if these two critters would get along," she said enthusiastically, gesturing toward Leo as if intent on inviting him into the conversation.

"But yeah, I hope this is just a one and done thing too. But it's not like I can just go back to sleep," she mused, as if she was planning on wasting away the entire better part of the morning on sleeping, before snapping her fingers. "Maybe later I might go for a store run. Stock up the Lounge, you know? Anyone wanna tag along?" Valerie asked with an eager smile.

 

[Solirus]

• Consequences
• Pop Quiz

• 
  
  Consequences​
  
  Percival's eyes snapped towards Marianne Montgomery. His eyes were enough to paint the story: anger and realization. Having talked back to a Richter in such manners had consequences. Yet before Percival could react in any meaningful way, Nikklaüs voice and comment towards Jaquie, drew his attention back to the danger.
  
  Jaquie's posture lightened, almost deflating from the relentless and almost murderous stance. "Right... Yeah, you're right. Shouldn't waste my time with Supervisors." He sighed stepping away from Percival whom, along with the rest of arcanists, relaxed.
  
  With the change of tone, Roderick gladly greeted Nikklaüs who offered him a hand. The dap was loud and powerful, but on the level that Nikklaüs could handle it, "Hah, what is good? Well, perhaps the weather today is good." Roderick laughed to himself, "If you are worried about providing puddings, worry not, save me some for when I return victorious from the trial." Roderick's hand tightened in excitement and anticipation, Nikklaüs could also notice how heavy Roderick's hand was, even for a man in full armor. "Let us dally no further, onwards to the trial!" Roderick exclaimed, letting go of Nikklaüs hand and walking towards the sparring room.
  
  Percival and the rest of the arcanists started walking, but the former paused for a second, "Marianne Montgomery, perhaps I'll speak to you soon. Good day to all." The man spoke, back turned to the group, before resuming his walk.
  
  "Prick" Jaquie spat under his breath. "Alright, anyway, back to the entire reason why you're all here. Today we don't have class, I want to get that clear, instead, we have ourselves a pop quiz. Now you may be wondering, what is this pop quiz, why are we in the main entrance, why Sunday of all days for a pop quiz?"
  
  Jaquie approached the main entrance, placing his hand on the door knob. A faint light resonated from the edges of the door, only to fade again. "I'll answer those questions at the location." Jaquie opened the door, a colder breeze entering the hallways. Leaving the door open, Jaquie was the first to step through.
  
  
• 
  
  Pop Quiz
  
  ​
  
  Stepping out of the door, the scenery became far clearer. The grass was yellow and tall, reaching up to the student's knees, and though the day was clear with nary a cloud in sight, the breeze was cool. The most significant piece here however was the massive building a distance away from the group. Those who were more familiar would realize that this wasn't any simple building, but an asylum, and from the damage, overgrown vegetation, and color, it was old and abandoned.
  
  "Welcome, hope you don't mind the cold, it'll be the least of your concerns today." Jaquie spoke up. Around him one could spot several other individuals, surveying the area and securing it, some even stood near the door the students walked through, a door which was connected to nothing, only dug into the land to remain upright. "You don't have to worry about these fine people, they're here to make sure no one else comes in or leaves. Anyway, this is your pop quiz, the Asylum."
  
  "The quiz is simple, you will all go into the asylum and whether alone or in a group, you will have to find the hiding Rank ones in this building whilst avoiding the Rank II. You will be scored on those criteria. As for why today? Because if not, it would've been likely cleared by some independent group." Jaquie explained. Looking closer into the asylum, it was clear that it reeked with anima born from intense negative emotions, it almost felt as if it was retreating once it was seen. "We'll wait for the rest to get here before you all begin"
  
  

 

[Verite]

Valerie Vu - Academy Entrance -> Asylum
Interactions: Solirus November Witch Spoiled Bread Tiguidi Silent Child @Open

​

Once the unwelcome guests had come and went with that, Valerie blinked as Jacquie spoke up toward the class, suddenly remembering that there was in fact a reason why he'd rudely awakened everyone from their peaceful Sunday slumbers. She silently furrowed her brow as the professor made mention of a pop quiz, feeling her stomach churn as if the mere phrase gave her a negative physical reaction. Already, she could remember her grueling classes from back in the day coming back to haunt her.

"Oh, my favorite..." The young woman mumbled, but resigned to her fate as she was, Val saw no other choice but to just get on with it already.

She winced slightly as she felt a strange cold chill run past her and the others when Jacquie opened the entrance and walked back out, and as she followed their dear teacher through. As Valerie was exposed to the chilly air of the great outdoors, she briefly rubbed her own shoulders with her hands, lightly grimacing with displeasure. And then, of course, Jacquie just had to make it even worse by stating in no uncertain terms that the cold would be, well, the least of their problems.

Her brow furrowed as she took notice of the unfamiliar individuals scattered throughout the area. Instinctively, her legs spread apart slightly where she stood, as if taking a ready stance for a fight until Jacquie elaborated. Letting herself relax again, Valerie pursed her lips. A game of hide and seek where they were doing both at the same time, inside a dilapidated looking building. So this was how she'd be spending her day off, huh?

Well, at least she won't be alone, if going in groups would be allowed. She'd probably actually need the help, but more pressingly, she just did not want to explore a building like that by herself.

Turning to some of her fellow students, from Mariana and Sophia to Cobalt and Leo, Val gave a strained smile. "So, uh, anyone open to buddying up? Honestly, I'm not sure if I have the whole anima sensing thing down pat yet, but I'll try my best not to slow anyone down."

 

[Juju]

Solirus
━ ◦ ※ ◦━​

Marianne could tell by the way Percival’s eyes changed, the way his anger deepened, that he had recognized her. Any hopes, as slim as they were, of sliding under the radar were dashed. Marianne had made her choice, and now she would face the consequences she had willingly set in motion. As much as she knew it had been the right thing to do, dread clung to her like burrs. At least there was a silver lining to her act of social-suicide. Her words, with the assistance of Nikklaus and Roderick, had served to sway Lawphel away from doing anything regrettable. For but a moment, she could feel some measure of relief.

"Marianne Montgomery, perhaps I'll speak to you soon. Good day to all."

The words could have easily been knives with how Marianne nearly flinched back from them. A coldness rushed into her stomach, as if suddenly plunged into the dark brine of the waters that crashed against the cliffs near the summer estate. If she had a choice between the two, she would choose the waters over this. It was only morning, and yet she felt exhausted and ill. So strong was her reaction that Annamarie's stance widened, anima condensing in a tell-tale warning that she was about to summon her scissors. Marianne was quick to squeeze her hand, stopping the weapon from forming before it made matters worse. If that was even possible at this point.

After all, it wasn't Percival whom she was afraid of. It was the words he would speak... and the one who would hear them.

Biting her tongue and nursing the pounding against her ribs, Marianne watched Percival depart. Judging by the curl of his sneer and the bite of his words, she did not doubt that she would be hearing from him, either in person or the whispers. Her act of directing his attention away from the others had been successful, enough that she doubted he would recall any of their faces today except hers. It wasn't much, but she took solace in the fact that if any student would be targeted by that snake, it would be her. She could find peace in that.

Despite what martyrdom she could rationalize, she reached out to her twin, taking her hand in a comforting gesture.

“It’s alright, Annamarie,” She whispered, her words shaking despite the strong face she put forward, “Everything will be fine.”

Annamarie’s expression did not change at all. She titled her head in an inquisitive manner and listened to Marianne, her ruby eyes glistening ambiguously. The ramifications of her twin’s actions did not seem to resonate with her, though she had taken notice of her anima’s change. It spiked and sharpened, though not with anger as it usually would.

No matter how hard she tried to mask it, Marianne was positively terrified.

Unusually quiet, Marianne followed the other students. She hung to the back of the group, speaking neither to her peers nor her professor. Even as the surroundings changed, and the chill greeted her, she kept silent. She stood apart from the others and did not partake of Valerie's suggestion of cooperation. The de facto co-founder of the study club had nothing to say on the test ahead, nor any of her usual 'advice'. She merely stared up at the decrepit asylum, eyes somehow unfocussed on the structure looming above her on either side.

Lost in thought, she dutifully waited for the last of the students to arrive.

 

[Tiguidi]

COBALT ULAR


Interactions: Verite Solirus
Mentions: November Witch Juju​

• Main Entrance
• Asylum

• 
  
  “Wh... Yeah, I’m pretty sure the possession’s not recent.”, Cobalt answered Valerie’s inquiry about Mariana, a bit surprised that she didn’t know by now. “Marianne keeps giving her the, uh, aggressive cold shoulder because of it. Y’know, the whole reason Mariana exploded back at the tea party and walked away?” He blinked, looking like he confused himself. Man, if he kept going, he’d probably start mixing up Marianna and Mariana...
  
  Now that he was properly awake, Cobalt didn’t mind having a surprise class on a Sunday. It looked like Mr. Jaquie had something interesting in mind. The teacher’s methods were... unique, but it was obvious by now that he had everyone’s best interests in mind. And since everyone was outside, they were most likely headed for a practical test of sorts- if anything, Cobalt was due for something like that. Not counting the small fry from the first day, he never got to practice his fighting capabilities against live targets...
  
  ... And then came Percival, who showed an innate talent for ruining good atmospheres.. Having a good pokerface, Cobalt hid his anima flow and thoughts well, but couldn’t help but frown during the exchange in mild disgust. Typical uptight higher up, most likely. Still, he paid close attention to Marianne as she seemed to have a good idea of who this man was. And for perhaps the first time, the Montgomery twin looked genuinely frightened, visibly flinching, from what felt like a regular reply to her comment. Who was this Percival, to have prompted such a reaction from Marianne of all people?
  
  Cobalt shook his head and sighed once Percival had walked away. “Imagine insulting a bunch of new students that obviously don’t know much about the arcanist world.”, he deadpanned, glancing at the arcanists entering the academy. He shrugged, visibly not bothered by the supervisor’s words. “Well, whatever. These kinds of people only exist to be proven wrong.”, he commented, trying a meager attempt at lifting the atmosphere.
  
  Inquisitively raising an eyebrow as Mr. Jaquie entered through the main entrance, the boy shivered for a moment, not having expected the cold breeze blowing out of the door. “Are we going far in the north, or...?”, he mumbled to himself before following into the entrance.
  
  
• 
  
  “Whoa, nice place...”, Cobalt mumbled once he noticed the asylum. His gaze calmly analyzed the surroundings -the damage to the building, the unknown people, the colors... He grimaced once his eyes focused onto the anima emanating from the building. “Ahh, so we’re doing a practical test, huh...” Just what he had hoped for! Find the Rank I, avoid the Ranks II; sounded simple enough. Ranks II should realistically be too difficult for any student to defeat for the moment. This ‘quiz’ would both test the students’ ability to find (and most likely neutralize) a singular target but also see how they would manage not to get killed by multiple stronger foes. Wait a minute, 'hiding'...?
  
  Deep in thought, he perked up once he heard Valerie asking for partners. He seemed a little hesitant as he answered, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. “Err, I still have a bit of trouble concealing my anima.”, he admitted. “If we need to avoid demons, it’d be pretty easy to find me, I think. But I’m getting pretty good with refined vision.”
  
  He raised his hands to adjust his ponytail, humming in thought. “Just making sure, Mr. Jaquie...”, he started, glancing at the teacher. “This place is basically infested with demons, right? I promise this is not me being scared but will we be in actual danger while in there?”
  
  

 

[Yakov011001]

This Percival character, thankfully he's taken his leave. Still, Nikklaüs held some concern for the way he seemed to be targeting Marianne. Part of him wanted to ask, but if he was the kind of person she wanted to trust with that then she'd approach him herself. Instead, he let himself focus for once on what was actually his own business. This certainly was a strange way to introduce a 'pop quiz'. This was a the first time outside of his tutoring that he was being asked to be evaluated on a practical level since that first class. The scale seemed to be much bigger this time, and more importantly they were given a large amount of agency as far as how to approach it. Alone or in a group? He felt his body begin to scrunch up from the cold. Doing something like this alone seemed stupid, even if he was confident in his ability to handle it. If it wasn't going to affect his scoring, why deny the help? That said, he would need to ask someone who he could work well with. Both in and outside the context of him as an arcanist, Nikklaüs has always been a single-target attacker and doesn't really know how to handle groups. I need someone who can give me crowd control, area denial. Someone like—

"So, uh, anyone open to buddying up? Honestly, I'm not sure if I have the whole anima sensing thing down pat yet, but I'll try my best not to slow anyone down."

Valerie is a phenomenal first pick. Her fireworks would be a great crowd control option for them, and her ability to manipulate light as a whole beyond just the fireworks makes her extremely versatile. However, by very nature of her ability, I'm afraid she could draw aggro away from me. Something I need in order to carry my weight on the team.

“This place is basically infested with demons, right? I promise this is not me being scared but will we be in actual danger while in there?”

Cobalt though, his flames immediately give demons an incentive to respect his area denial in a very strong damage-over-time ability while still being understated enough to let me keep the aggro.

"Don't worry about a thing, Cobalt," Nikklaüs piped up from his unusually quiet brainstorming session. "Maybe you would be in danger if you went by yourself, but you've got me to back you up. How's that sound, bruv?" Nikklaüs flexed his right bicep, slapping it with his left hand in an effort to get him pumped up. Still, he had been thinking very restrictively. Why just them two? If Valerie was such a strong pick to him just a second ago, why couldn't all three of them team up. "Valerie!" He called out to her. "I hear you're looking for a group, how about the three of us tear the place up together!" Nikklaüs gestured between the three of them.

If anything, it also gives him a chance to better connect to his classmates he'd yet to spend any time with. Has has been working a lot recently.

Tiguidi Verite

 

[November Witch]

Mariana Mirror

Status: Nervous & Tired.

Mariana listened to the girl go on, speaking about waking up early, and even praising Mariana for it. Something she definitely didn’t deserve. Mariana also had to set alot of alarms too. Well, she did, but Crimson told her to stop, and had started waking Mariana herself. Mariana just had to get in the habit of waking up earlier, after not doing it since she was last actually in school. It would take some time, but she knew she would get used to it. But for now? She’d still have to have Crimson wake her up for the foreseeable future.

“Uhm, actually…”

Mariana started in a small voice. She was going to correct the other, only for her to turn away to Sophia and the others, leaving Mariana alone again. She sighed and just watched everyone talk and interact with each other around her.

‘You need to get used to being like this. They haven’t taken to you yet, and probably won’t. This is just how humans are.’

Mariana was still hoping that wasn’t true. But the longer time went on at this school and the others hardly approached her, the more it seemed to be true. Maybe the world and people in it were just alot colder than she thought.

Speaking of cold…

A cold breeze blew through the hall as their teacher opened the door and stepped through it. Mariana hugged herself and rubbed her arms as she felt the cold against her skin. She wished she had brought a jacket.

‘No. Stop thinking like that. It’s not your fault for not bringing one. It’s your instructor who shouldn’t even be one. If he’s just going to spring things like this, it’s his fault, not yours.’

Even then, Mariana just found it hard to blame someone else. Ever. Being so shy and such a pushover, everything was always her fault and she never argued. She never found her backbone. So even in a case like this, she found it hard to blame him.

Mariana would find the strength to move forwards and follow everyone through the door, only for the cold to fully assault her. Mariana pulled her jacket on and zipped it up. Something she normally didn’t do, but this place warranted it. Looking around, she shivered. Not from the cold, but from the sight of the old building before her. It looked scary, like something out of a horror movie. He expected them to enter an old decrepit building like this with no flashlights or sources of light? How would they see any demons or navigate it without getting lost?

‘I’m convinced he’s trying to make things as uncomfortable for you as possible. Hell, he might even be trying to intentionally hurt you with how little he has prepared everyone. How can he expect you to fight something in a pitch-black building?’’

Her demon chimed in once more. Her disdain and hatred towards him was clear in Mariana’s head. When she heard groups mentioned by the others, Mariana looked their way for only a moment before turning away.

‘Good, you’re learning. Besides, they’ll just draw more attention to themselves. We’ll keep our anima hidden and use stealth and them to our advantage.’

She said, referring to Mariana’s classmates. Mariana nodded at the plan, ready to head into the building when the go ahead was given.

Solirus Verite

 

[Solirus]

Isaac​

For the majority of the time in the main entrance room, Isaac remained quiet and discrete, no one approached him, and thus he felt no intrinsic motivation to approach anyone else, or so he told himself at least. However, when Percival entered the premises, tensions arose immensely, and Isaac's heart stopped for a second as this seemingly important man called the lot of them a freak show.

The man's comment did not appear to be to only a select few, instead targeting as many as possible, which included himself. Was talk on the rest of arcanist society like this, were each of them this sort of freak with or without demon? Isaac's mind tried to reason, but it was only overcome by nervousness and poor presumptions. That too stopped, when tensions rose further, bloodshed was threatened and other students stepped in to prevent their instructor from potentially starting some petty war.

Isaac could only sigh in relief, only to once again be overcome by sheer dread. If that man was even a fraction of significant, he'd just twist the truth enough to make him and the rest of the class appear as not only freaks but bigger dangers. Would he be killed for being a danger? Or perhaps they'd wait for him outside, where they'd be far from the school's protection to take them out. Such thoughts were pushed down once he finally realized the purpose of this meeting, a pop quiz. That felt weird, but everything the past week had been weird, certainly a special kind of weird.

Isaac hesitated from entering the door, the chilly air already causing his body to lightly shake. Passing through, Isaac was met with the attendance of seemingly random men and the large asylum, ominously standing before them all. Simply looking at it gave Isaac more chills than the winds could, even when his refined vision was subpar he could still see how much it reeked.

Carefully he listened to the instructions the professor gave out. So in essence the students were both the hunters and the hunted, an extremely dangerous predicament normally. But having seen professor almost kill someone over an insult thrown the students way surely meant he wouldn't allow any accident to occur.

Isaac hesitated again looking back between the asylum and the rest of the students. He felt nervous asking to join a group, but travelling alone inside there would be a disaster. The first idea was to join the bigger group, hoping they would just ignore him for the most part. However, Isaac caught a glimpse of Mariana who seemed keen to participate only alone, perhaps she was confident, or perhaps it was his fear of larger groups that made him approach Mariana.

"Excuse me... Mariana was it? Sorry if I don't recall names that well and also hi Crimson, if you're there..." there was an awkward pause, unsure if it was a mistake to refer to the demon as well or not, "I saw that you almost seemed ready to go alone, and I was wondering if we could like partner up, I don't do too well with big groups and your refined vision or whatever you want to call it is very good while mine isn't..." Isaac explained, it almost felt like he was apologizing for something he hadn't even done, "I can still be of help, you know, shoot up the demons that approach us, bang bang" Isaac awkwardly laughed doing the pistol gesture with his hand, making sure it wasn't pointing at anyone. Internally however Isaac, wished he had a button to undo all he'd just said and done. But for now he could only hope that Mariana wouldn't completely ridicule him. His anima overflowing with sheer anxiety.

Interactions: November Witch

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Sophia Hughes
Location: Entrance -> Asylum's yard
Anima: Flaring dark gray aura with throbbing vein-like black lines forming around her

P-pop quizz? Sophia panicked when she heard those words. She didn't have much pleasant memories regarding surprise quiz and besides, she hadn't actually open any book since yesterday. Fortunately for her the so called pop quiz wasn't a literal one, instead the professor directed them through a door. Unfortunately, the moment she passed the door Sophia was frozen at the sight in front of her. An imposing old building with barred windows and negative anima spilling out, she immediately knew what kind of building it was.

...

How much time had passed since last time she visited her mother?

...

"Woof!"

The dog in her bag snuggled her arm when he noticed that she hadn't move. The soft nudge sent Sophia's mind back to the reality. Forcing herself to smile back, she gave Taromaru some headpats, though this time it was mostly to comfort herself. The professor explained their mission here. Get into the building and hunt down the level 1 while avoiding the rest. Sophia could feel her heartbeats increasing but she wouldn't back down.

"Wait here, all right? I will be back soon." Putting the duffel bag and her dog on the ground, she pulled out two small flashlights from the bag and put them inside her front pocket. The shiba inu let out a whimper to protest but otherwise obeys and sat on the ground.

Next should be hiding her anima. Closing her eyes and focusing her mind, she tried to suppress her anima. However when she opened her eyes she found that not only she wasn't able to suppress it, her anima was now flaring up like a small fire. W-why? She did so well during her meditation training and was quite confident in her ability to do it. Why now? Glancing nervously at the other students, Sophia retreated to the back of the group and once again spent her time meditating trying to calm her anima down. If she comes into the building like this she would just alert every single demons there about her location.

 

[Solirus]

Blind​

"There's like, a few, demons." Jaquie responded to Cobalt, "Most are wusses even for you guys, keep an eye out for the problem ones." Jaquie smiled for a second, before pulling out a phone to check the time. "Right, ok, that's enough waiting. The quiz will begin when you enter the building, one hour per person."

With a flick of his finger, Jaquie violently threw open the main doors of the asylum from a distance. Shadows that had seemingly been there scattered from the windows, the anima leaking from the front door momentarily jumped back at the aggressive display.

Yet even so, the mix between the darkened halls of the asylum and the fog cloud that was the anima, made it difficult to truly see the interior from a distance.

Stepping closer to the building made the sight far clearer. Broken chairs littered the ground, splinters of wood and cloth thrown haphazardly. The walls had their textures peeled off and its colors faded to a dull and depressing gray. Dust claimed every surface it could, with specks falling from the gust of wind the doors had produced.

If there had been any doubt from the exterior of the building, the interior made it clear how decrepit and old this place truly was. But the place was far from abandoned. The students who'd passed into the main entrance could hear the faint sound of a bell, ringing with no real rhythm, but the sound grew bit by bit.

The students at the main gate saw three potential paths before them. The path forward seemed unremarkable, comparing the rest of the environment to it, it seemed rather orderly for the lack of chaos it debris around. The path to the left, was as decrepit as the room in the entrance, but smeared across the walls there was an ink like substance, dripping loudly bit by bit even when the texture was clearly dry. That same substance could found plastered on the right path, however, the tolling bell could be heard from that direction, approaching bit by bit.

With such a dense miasma of anima, the students couldn't spot anything through the walls themselves. Their decision would be mostly blind.

 

[November Witch]

Mariana Mirror

Status: Nervous & Scared/Excited & Frustrated

Mariana was debating internally with Crimson for the time being. Well, more like being told by Crimson on what the best course of action would be here. She went over some things with Mariana and told her about what to expect… Which didn’t help the situation. It only made Mariana more nervous about the upcoming ‘pop quiz.’ Another point of contention actually. Another reason for the demon to assume the teacher was brain dead. This wasn’t anything close to a pop quiz. A quiz meant there would be a worksheet to complete. Questions to answer. This was basically a field trip at this point. But enough of that. The demon told Mariana she was going to take over, which made the girl a little relieved. She could leave everything up to Crimson, right? She wouldn’t have to experience anything scary, and she could leave the fighting, if there was any, to her. Besides, Crimson told her to trust her, so this was the best course of action, right?

Crimson would take over, clearly shown by her eyes now being red, rather than purple. She would take a few steps towards the building, just to get a closer look at it and the entrances. It was then that footsteps were heard behind her, and a sigh escaped her lips before she even turned around.

“I don’t remember ever giving you my name.”

Crimson said, annoyed. Now that she spoke, it was obvious who was in control due to the different voice.

"First of all, no, I don’t want to partner up with any weaklings. Especially those who’ve wronged or ignored Mariana.”

While Issac may not have wronged Mariana over the past week, he’d certainly not interacted with her. Which was akin to ignoring her in the demon’s eyes.

“Second off, thank you for noticing. But I’m not going to act as a crutch for anyone who can’t use their vision well. I’m well aware that humans will just take advantage of others to further their own goals. I do not wish to be a part of it.”

It seems the demon had its own stereotypes on humans, just as they had stereotypes on demons. Likely something that would be hard to break. Especially after being reinforced by how the others had treated Mariana so far.

“Third, that is the exact opposite of what I’m trying to do here. Going in guns blazing might be your plan, but it’s definitely not mine.”

While Issac hadn’t directly interacted with Crimson before now, she seemed just like how the other students who had interacted with her would have described. It seemed she was just this way to everyone. Would he have to be nice to make her nicer? Maybe he’d have to be nice to Mariana? Both? Either way, this was just how the demon spoke to everyone.

When Jaquie gave the go ahead, Crimson walked brazenly to the path on the far left. She made sure to approach rather quickly, in order to be the first one there, and the first one inside. She wanted to make some distance from the others. If they came in loud and fighting next to her, well, her stealthy plan would be out of the question. A few pluses of being in control were the night vision Crimson had. She could see in the dark and navigate the halls just fine. Meaning she’d be faster than the other students. Her anima also would overwrite Mariana’s, so her human anima wouldn’t be detectable to the demons that lurked here. Hopefully, the demons wouldn’t attack another demon. But that depended on each individual demon.

Tentacles of inky black would emerge from Mariana’s body, ready to strike at any demons she could see. They would be able to help her maneuver if needed and defend if necessary. Of course, she would scan her surroundings with her eyes looking for anima and physical forms. While it wasn’t normal, she would reject the anima in the air for now. She didn’t want it affecting her train of thought in such an environment.

Solirus @Left-room-gang

 

[Verite]

Valerie Vu - Asylum -> Middle Path
Interactions: Yakov011001 Tiguidi @Open
Mentions: November Witch Solirus

​

As Nikklaüs called out to her and Cobalt offering to get in on the buddy up plan, Valerie's smile widened into a more natural one as the prospect of going it alone greatly dwindled. "Sounds like a game plan to me! The more the merrier, right?!!" She exclaimed, enthusiastically pumping her fists as she spoke. Even if she still wasn't excited overall to venture into such a creepy looking place, she may as well find the silver linings where she could and use this as an opportunity to learn more about another one of her classmates. Admittedly, Valerie didn't put nearly as much thought into how her power might complement Nikklaüs's or anyone else's, only just aware that the man was a powerhouse in a league of his own if she remembered the first day right, so it seemed like she was at least covered on the "not dying" part too.

Well, maybe it won't be so bad if Jacquie could be trusted that any potential demons inside would be really weak. The problem was that Valerie did not trust him, but it wasn't like she could really do anything about that anyway.

Once the professor gave the okay to move, Valerie was about to get a move on as well, before remembering in her scatterbrained stupor she'd momentarily forgotten about one thing. "Oh, right. Mariana, do you--" She began, before stopping once she turned around and realized Mariana wasn't behind her anymore.

Mystified, the pink haired girl spun around again just in time to see Mariana already at the door. Surprised by how quickly the other girl seemed to have dashed forward, Val blinked. "H-Hey! Wait up, Mari!" She called out in vain, seeming to have already decided to assign Mariana with a nickname, before briefly looking back at Cobalt and Nikklaüs, gesturing toward the dilapidated structure. "C'mon, we should get a move on then."

With that, she made for a brisk jog into the Asylum, grimacing and pursing her lips as she paused to take in her surroundings. Was this place supposed to be the set of a horror movie or something?! Val did not relish the idea of becoming anyone's final girl if she could do anything about it, and she didn't want Mariana to go it alone, if only she'd been able to see which path she went down.

The path to the left creeped her out with the weird inky smears on the walls, and the right path equally unnerved her with the tolling bell. Val had little desire to find out what the source of either of those were, so unfortunately, she made a guess and took the path forward, hoping (now in vain) to find Mariana deeper inside, occasionally looking back to check if her new buddies were able to keep up with her.

 

[Juju]

Interaction: Solirus
Mention: November Witch Yakov011001
━ ◦ ※ ◦━​

• Main Entrance
• Asylum

• The thing to break Marianne out of her brooding was not the plans made by her peers, but a familiarly irritating voice. Crimson. Grey eyes narrowed and snapped over to watch the wretched thing degrade Issac. He was the skittish type, a real wallflower, no different from Mariana herself. He probably expected some acceptance, only for Crimson to call him weak, accused him of manipulation, and downright insulted whatever plan he had suggested.
  
  Bloody rich coming from a demon of all things, Marianne thought bitterly, glaring daggers into Crimson’s back as she stalked into the building like she owned the place, especially one that had to resort to possession to get by. It's no better than a tapeworm, really.
  
  As tempting as it was to stew in her anger, there were far more important things than a rabid dog on a leash. Anyone with eyes could see that Issac’s anima had spiked sharply from the botched interaction. It was enough to draw the attention of the usually apathetic Annamarie, who swivelling her head towards the tongue-thrashed youth. Ruby eyes settled on him, glassy and far-off. She did this most often when Nikklaus got too hot-headed. An anomaly. A possible threat. Her eyes moved over to Marianne, waiting.
  
  “Someone’s off to a great start…” Marianne sighed, her feet moving before she could talk herself out of it. Her footsteps were crunchy on the dead grass, black hair tugged by the cool wind. She approached Issac, stood awkwardly beside him, and cleared her throat to draw his attention.
  
  “Issac? Don’t let that creature get under your skin. Demons capable of speech use it to manipulate and destabilize arcanist anima.” Marianne said curtly, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. She scoffed, “There are those like Crimson, or that Percival prick, who want to see you suffer, defeated. Your only revenge is to thrive in spite of it. Grit your teeth and bear it, as they say.”
  
  She paused for a moment, realizing that she herself would do well to live by the words she had just spoken. Hypocritical, even. In talking to Issac, she realized how unstable she had let her own anima become. It had taken a lot of effort to keep it under control, but after talking with Issac, it was as if a fog had been lifted.
  
  Marianne had never be good at giving comfort, but she understood Issac’s situation. In a way, she thought that some instructions or perhaps tips might do well to calm him. She continued, trying to keep the sharpness out of her voice, “Listen, Professor Lawphel told us that we have one hour to complete the test after entering the facility. Take a moment to steady yourself. Remember the first couple of classes, the ones about masking anima? You’ll need it to avoid the second ranks inside. And if it's danger you're worried about, remember that this is a controlled test. You won't get the same luxury out in the field, so don't get used to it, but Lawphel wouldn't let you die to a demon in the first week.”
  
  It was meant to be a bit sarcastic, but she sometimes wondered about that man...
  
  “Just, erm... try your best, alright? You’re here at Anima Studies for your potential, so keep your chin up." Marianne flicked her hair back, trying to mask her own awkwardness with confidence. After making Mariana cry during an attempt to help her, she felt like Issac might bolt at any second. Speaking of which, it was time she left to start her own test. “Right… uh well, I suppose I should be off then. Good luck."
  
  She then turned and left, walking not towards the front door of the building, but keeping along the perimeter. Annamarie waved at Issac, made an ASL gesture he probably wouldn't understand, and then followed after her twin.
  
• (made with assistance and approval of Solirus )​
  Without looking back at Issac, Marianne made her way along the perimeter of the old building. Judging by the architecture, it looked to have built in at least the 1850s. Many of them had been, after regulations were put in place for the treatment of the mentally ill. Before then, it had been prisons, and in recent decades it was hospitals. Her family acted as stewards for a few of them, which is why she felt so confident with her choice of direction.
  
  Marianne considered the history of the place as she walked beside the dated walls, feeling the heavy anima that radiated from it like a thick cloud. It was hardly surprising to her, considering the treatment of patients held in these facilities. A place such as this was a veritable spawning grounds for demons, its dark anima running deep even after all tragedies had passed. In many cases, arcanist families were proactive, stationing a member at these buildings to subtly 'take care' of any patients whose illnesses were caused by possession.
  
  “Annamarie?” She asked quietly, drawing the attention of the doll walking beside her, “We must stay close together and keep silent. Just like a game of hide and seek in the corridors. Do you remember those?”
  
  Annamarie nodded and then held up a fist, bobbing it back and forth. The ASL gesture for 'yes'. Marianne quirked a brow and sighed lightly, wondering if the mimicry was equivalent to understanding. At the very least, Nikklaus’ ASL would come in handy today.
  
  Soon enough, Marianne found what she was looking for; a side door used by asylum staff. As she approached it, she noticed something quite unusual. The lock of the door had been broken, the door forced in from the outside. Marianne leaned down to inspect the lock, which looked to have been carefully targeted by whoever was responsible. It was clear that the trespasser did not use brute force, but experience.
  
  “Curious…” Marianne muttered, sensing the anima immediately on the other side of the door. There had been no change to the obtrusive fog.
  
  Cautiously, she crept towards a nearby window and peered through the dust, ignoring the urge to clean it. What she spotted was a kitchen, and an ugly blob limping away from the door. A small demon was lurking inside, no different from the ones they had dealt with on the first day. It couldn’t be the one responsible for the door, but it made for an easy target.
  
  Motioning for Annamarie to prepare herself, Marianne slowly opened the door into the Asylum Kitchen. The demon detected the sound of footsteps a mere moment before giant scissors were stabbed through it, pinning it to the ground like an embalmed insect. Marianne signalled for her twin to hold it in place as she inspected it closer. It was injured from something, perhaps a fight with another demon. It was likely that it had been from one of the second-grades lurking in the shadows, so Marianne did yet another scan for unusual anima. The fog remained unchanged. Whatever had caused the damage was elsewhere.
  
  With small gesture, she signalled Annamarie to execute the demon. The doll opened the scissors violently, tearing the little demon into smithereens. Like sparks, the spare anima drifted around her, but a shake of Marianne’s head was enough for the doll to refuse partaking in it. The anima fizzled and faded, returning the kitchen back into its dusty, dismal self.
  
  Marianne diligently inspected her surroundings, scanning over the shadows for anything of note. Through the spiralling motes of dust, she could see that this was where meals for the patients were prepared. A thick layer of grey-brown coated the pots and pans, a sign that dinner had not been served for some time.
  
  Or so it would seem...
  
  Along the wall, where knives and other sharp utensils were supposed to be kept, was an empty space. The dust had been disturbed there, leaving faint impressions of the cutlery that were once there. As far as she could tell, it looked recent. Very recent. Could it be linked to whoever had broken into the building?
  
  Motioning for Annamarie to follow, she crept through the kitchen until she got to the door. It was slightly ajar, enough for her and Marianne to slip through it without trying the rusty hinges. The hallway was dim, but the light shining in from the dusty windows was enough to just see her surroundings. Marianne crouched as she cautiously made her way down the hallway, alert for any unusual sights and sounds. Annamarie kept pace behind her, scissors in hand and at the ready.
  

 

[Tiguidi]

COBALT ULAR
Location: Asylum -> Middle Path​

“So a good amount of weak demons... That might work out well.”, Cobalt pondered, nodding at Jaquie’s answer. If things were the same as the first day, most weak demons would die simply by making contact with his flames. But he had a feeling that it wouldn’t be as easy as just setting himself on fire and strolling through the asylum, as tempting as it sounded.

Cobalt hummed as Nikklaüs suggested joining up with him. It really didn’t sound like a bad idea at all. Nikklaüs would be able to take care of any demons that got too close -Cobalt didn’t know how proficient Nik was with his weapon but he gave him the benefit of the doubt. He hadn't seen Nikklaüs that often outside of class so he assumed he must've been training. “Well, I can’t say no to that level of confidence.”, Cobalt answered Nikklaüs with a thumbs up. “I could try and cover up your blind spots and deal some damage from afar while you go in for the kill.” He mimicked Valerie and pumped his fist too, albeit much less energetically. Three people sounded like a good number for a team. Going in alone would be way too dangerous and having too big a number would just have everyone get on each other’s toes.

He glanced at the asylum when the doors were opened, immediately trying to use his refined vision to peer through the darkness. He didn’t try for too long, though, wincing at the sheer density of anima emanating from the debilitated building. “That surely doesn’t give me horror movie vibes at all...”, he deadpanned. He’s never been a fan of the genre but he had a feeling he’d need to get used to it pretty quickly. “Okay, anyway, I think we’ll need to make sure we’re on the same page on our strategy.” Cobalt didn’t have time to continue, stopping when Valerie jogged toward the asylum, calling out to Mariana. “... Ah, right, okay. We can also rush in. That works too...”, he sighed, glancing back at Nikklaüs. “Better not leave her alone, we can figure things out as we go.”

Close behind Valerie on the forward path, Cobalt grimaced when he tried again to use his refined vision once inside. “Urgh, this place really is littered with negative energy...”, he mumbled, shaking his head. Raising both hands, he adjusted his ponytail, insuring his hair wouldn't come out and block his vision while inside the asylum (well, not that the darkness wasn't already doing a good job at that). He was keeping his guard up, ready to light up his Anima Art at a moment’s notice and lob a fireball at any unwanted entity that would come near the small group. “Probably not a good idea right now but I can act as a flashlight if the darkness gets too annoying.”, he informed the other two with a side smile. “... Just make sure not to touch the flames, though.”

---

Solirus Yakov011001 Verite

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Sophia Hughes
Location: Asylum's yard
Anima: Thin gray veil hanging in the air

Sophia opened her eyes and checked her anima. It wasn't as hidden as she would like but at last much better than before, it looks more like some sort of translucent layer around her now. This should be enough for today, hopefully.

Looking around, Sophia noticed that most students had entered the asylum. She really should get going too before the time runs out. Though, she wasn't sure how strong a level 2 demon would be. Maybe it something that needs two people to defeat? Sounds plausible for her so she scanned the surrounding looking for someone to go with. She spotted Isaac in the distance and just with a glance she could sense his swirling anxiety. Nevertheless, she still approached him.

"Isaac! Let's go in together. I think we can make a good team!" Sophia extended her hand forward and enthusiastly offered him a handshake. Though, she immediately realized that she might be too direct for him so she retracted her hand and then quickly extended it again. This time she was holding one of her flashlight and offered it to Isaac. She gave him a silent but firm nod to reassure him about her offer.

Solirus

 

[Solirus]

• Afraid
• Madness
• Worthless

• 
  
  Afraid
  November Witch
  ​
  With her innate gift, Crimson was capable of seeing far more clearly than the rest, the decadent nature of the halls all too clear. The deeper she traveled through the halls, the more abundant the black substance became. The walls and ceiling became as dark as tar and the floor slathered in the substance too, made it a far more troublesome way to move, as Crimson's shoes would stick to the floor with every step. While unable to truly stop Crimson, it would certainly be a major annoyance.
  
  Venturing deeper, Crimson would eventually sense a familiar feeling, as she would see the surrounding anima coalescing into a singular point before her. Collapsing into a single point, the anima formed into a small ball with a singular eye. The birth of a demon, a rare sight to witness one so up close. The newborn fell into the tar floor, sizzling as it hit the floor. The eye looked up at crimson as its body melted from the substance, releasing a putrid and sickening fumes. The newborn formed itself a finger to try to move itself out of the floor, but that too became stuck on the floor, melting alongside the rest.
  
  From the birth of the demon, the fog of miasma cleared a slight bit, allowing Crimson to spot a separate presence on the ceiling.
  
  
  Spoiler

  

  ​
  Hiding within the tar, the demon's eyes began to glow, staring directly at Crimson. Its wings forced itself out of the tar as it sobbed, its body was akin to that of a starving and sickly stray with bright orange fur. The demon was afraid, trembling as it remained on the ceiling, unbothered by the tar, but certainly bothered by Crimson.
  
  The shivering momentarily stopped as the demon started choking. Droplets of tar escaped the demon's mouth before vomiting a large quantity of the tar towards crimson.
  
  
• 
  
  Madness
  Juju ​
  
  The hallways were quiet, only Marianne and Annamarie's footsteps could be heard. The anima in the air reminded her that this place was supposed to be infested, in every corner one should find a demon, but the silence made it feel far too abandoned, far too dead.
  
  "SAM!" a voice cried out from down the hallway, "HELP ME! PLEASE!" the voice cried out again, followed by an ugly and hideous laughter akin more to an animal than a person. Though dark and foggy, Marianne could spot a small and faint signature of anima laying behind the wall ahead, hiding, waiting.
  
• 
  
  Worthless
  Spoiled Bread November Witch Juju ​
  
  Crimson's words punctured Isaac like knives, he didn't know how to respond to such a response. The way in which the demon had humiliated him, so carelessly and nonchalantly, brought back unpleasant memories. Isaac covered his face, hiding the tears to wanted to escape his eyes. He couldn't give them more things to degrade him about, he wouldn't be hurt again.
  
  Why was he overreacting, why was he the one crying when others laughed? Why was he different, weak and pathetic? Worthless, maybe he'd be better off gone, that way he could just be ignored, and they wouldn't seek to hurt him.
  
  Isaac kept his face covered as Marianne attempted to give him what she might've believed to be words of comfort. Isaac only managed to relax a little, from his internal deprecation. It wasn't just demons, everyone was out to get him, everyone wanted to see him gone. He had no potential, the academy messed up, they chose a worthless and weak person for a duty far beyond him.
  
  Isaac removed his hands at Sophia's direct approach, his face was red teary eyes, "I-I I can't, I'm" Isaac was cut off, as Jaquie placed his hand on his shoulder. He felt a warmth spread across his body, as his emotions were quelled and his breathing slowed.
  
  "It's okay Isaac" Jaquie spoke, his anima was like a soft and mushy cloud, exuding comfort and calmness. He'd managed to transfer that feeling over to Isaac for a moment to calm the student down. "Here, take this" Jaquie offered Isaac a towel to wash his face with, which Isaac carefully accepted. "You were getting some pretty dark thoughts, there. How do you feel"
  
  "Bad" Isaac responded, wiping the tears from his face.
  
  "Right, ok here's what we'll do, you go along with Sophia and finish up the quiz and afterward, we'll pull Crimson aside, and we'll talk okay?"
  
  "Will I have to be there as well?"
  
  "You don't have to be, if you don't want to."
  
  Isaac paused, "I'll be there then" he whispered, almost ashamed at what he said.
  
  "Good, she may be a demon, but emotions are important for an arcanist and the ones you're feeling now will need to be handled. Anyway, good luck with the quiz." Jaquie stepped away and resumed his vigil of the asylum.
  
  Looking back towards Sophia, Isaac nodded back to her, "Lead on, I'll follow"
  

 

[Juju]

(made with help from Solirus )
━ ◦ ※ ◦━​

Marianne narrowed her eyes at her surroundings, distrustful of the faux calm she found herself in. This place should be down right crawling with demons, like carrion worms on an old corpse. Instead, she was met with eerie quiet. A telltale sign that something was amiss.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard the strangled cry of something down the hall. She wasn't so naive to believe it to be human, even if it sounded as much. Crimson was a daily reminder of such. Keeping her wits about her, Marianne ignored the cries for assistance and continued her slow creep down the hallway, grey eyes alternating between refined sight and her subpar human vision.

Behind her, Annamarie followed her steps perfectly. She noticed the anima in the wall a little bit before Marianne and pointed to it, alerting her twin to the foreign presence. In turn, Marianne gave a nod and motioned for her beloved doll to prepare for combat once again. It appeared as if something had laid a trap for them.

Instead of immediately springing into action, Marianne decided to play along with the creature's game. Marianne revealed her anima a little as she stood to her full height and walked slowly in front of the door, as if to pass it by. She kept her eyes towards the end of the hallway, as if investigating the sound of the voice. Back to the door and without a weapon, perhaps she would look quite the easy prey.

As she did this, Annamarie hid just behind the doorway, waiting for the creature to make its move. The thing made no reaction to the bait, and so Marianne looked back to her twin and offered a shrug. It would seem that a more direct approach was in order. The two of them entered the room, which Marianne discovered to be a laundry room of sorts. Her heart ached at the sight, resisting the urge to clean all the mouldy cloths and dusty shelves.

The demonic presence hid under a pile of laundry. If anything, she could clean up the infestation. She motioned for Annamarie to stab through the cloth and eliminate whatever was within. Instead of slicing through another demon, the scissors thumped against something solid. An object? Using her scissors, Annamarie sifted through the laundry to reveal a curved horn nestled within the nest of cloth. It looked to have belonged to some sort of animal. A goat, perhaps? The shape was unusual.

As soon as the horn was separated from the cloth, it exploded into a burst of anima. Hideous laughter filled the room, the same sort that had been heard down the hallways.

 

[November Witch]

Crimson

Status: Thrilled, frustrated and nervous.

As the tar started to slow her progress, and hamper her movement, the tentacles that emerged from the girl would be put to work. Almost like a spider, many of them would reach out, stabbing into the floor and walls, essentially carrying her up and over the impeding tar. She would stay like this for a time, traversing the halls until she came upon the birth of a demon. Crimson remembered the goal of the assignment, and decided to start here. The second it hit the floor, a black tentacle pierced it, killing it before the tar could absorb it. That was one. She looked around, wondering if there would be more. However, she wouldn’t have to go much further to sense something else. Just ahead there was something on the ceiling… And it trembled, scared.

Crimson smiled, a large, sadistic smile. She would’ve liked to play with her food, but the demon knew that unfortunately, they were here for a reason. To finish a task. She’d have to take care of this quickly and quietly. Quickly, the tentacles propelled Crimson forward. Multiple tendrils shot past the demon embedding themselves in the ceiling. That was to cut off its escape. As it spat at her, the tentacles on the left wall pushed hard and the ones on the right pulled, causing Crimson to be jerked to the right, out of the way of the projectile. It was at this point that the creature lunged at her. It seemed desperation got the best of it as its escape was cut off. Crimson would send another volley of tentacles at the creature, hitting its shoulders, head, mouth, and limbs. Much to her annoyance, the tendrils that pierced the head and skull quickly melted away, and did minimal damage. In fact, all the tendrils that pierced the demon started to melt, although the ones in its head dissolved much quicker. At the very least, they’d wrap around its snout and prevent it from snapping at her in its last moments of consciousness.

However, Crimson was barely a second late. It would emit a cry for just half a second. But it was enough to echo through the halls. There was also some of the acidic vomit from the creature that would end up as spittle when it roared its last breath. Thankfully, Mariana had pulled on her jacket today, which would catch what would normally land on her neck and shoulders. Even this, however, would start to dissolve under the acidic spittle and Crimson was quick to remove it… She knew Mariana would be frustrated with her, but she’d understand… Hopefully.

The momentum of the creature that had jumped into her, sent Crimson back a few feet, but her tentacles would rebound her to her original position as the demon faded away. To prevent Mariana from losing any more of her wardrobe, Crimson snapped her fingers and was changed into her red ripped dress. This was better.

Though, the thought occurred to her now that the fear was here before she even entered… Crimson was on high alert as she put two and two together. If that thing was already scared… There had to be something more powerful nearby… The fact that the demon she just slaughtered had screamed made it all the more likely. She would halt her forward progress, hold her breath, and focus on listening and sensing anima… Damn these stupid human bodies… The demon wasn’t used to hearing a human heart. In the silence it was almost deafening and certainly distracting. Though, she focused as much as she could…

However, this didn’t mean that a fight would occur. After all, demons would fight, but they would also coexist. Some even had decent self preservation skills, and wouldn’t attack something more powerful than them. If there were only level 1s and 2s here, then Crimson felt as if she would be fine if she had to fight, as she knew she was pretty powerful, and if worse came to worse, she could get even more so by absorbing the anima in the air around them. Though she hoped that anything coming her way would just check things out and move on. A demon killed a demon, so what, it happens alot. Perhaps they would ignore her. She was powerful and overriding the human anima from Mariana. Unless they were scared or not smart like the previous demon, Crimson felt as if she would be alright.

Solirus

 

[Solirus]

• Curiosity
• Darkness

• 
  
  Curiosity
  November Witch ​
  
  With the death of the demon, its tar slowly faded, revealing once more the old and broken state of the asylum. Compared to the substance that once permeated the halls, everything seemed so much brighter and clearer.
  
  "What is this one's name?" Crimson would suddenly hear a chirping voice directly above her. Crimson would find a rather small corvid which did not hide its nature. Yet, something was terribly wrong with this one, for it did not appear to emit an ounce of anima, even newborns produced something, but this one produced nothing.
  
  ​
  "You have stolen flesh, but you do not dominate it. Why?" the bird asked with curiosity, showing no apparent signs of hostility.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Darkness
  Juju ​
  
  The twins had hardly any time to react. While the explosion was harmless, it distracted them long enough for the demon to strike. Directly above them, the demon phased through the floor, dropping directly into Marianne, its jaws digging deep into her shoulder. Marianne, would be pushed downwards, the floor beneath her no longer corporeal. The world around her appeared to grow taller as she fell further down, until her vision was pushed further down, and all the was left was darkness.
  
  Marianne could feel as the demon released her. Warm blood slowly pouring from her shoulder. Even in darkness, she could make out the general appearance of the demon: a wicked smile painted its face with blood-red teeth, its eyes rings upon smaller rings that never seemed to end, and a singular horn with its other half broken off. The thing laughed as it goaded Marianne to strike in the dark alone and separated from her twin.
  
  
  Spoiler

  

  ​

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Sophia Hughes
Location: Asylum -> right path
Anima: Thin gray veil hanging in the air

Sophia took a step back as the professor stepped in to help Isaac regulate his thought. Despite her attempt Sophia wasn't actually sure on how to handle Isaac, she only knew very little things about him. Still, she watched intensely as Jaquie performed an anima transfusion to him, wondering if she can do the same. Though she immediately shook her head, maybe she would try later, her current head space might not be the healthiest to be shared around anyway.

"Let's go!" Sophia nodded at Isaac and lead them into the asylum. There's three different path ahead. Without much thought involved Sophia immediately took the right path towards the bell, completely trusting isaac to keep following her. She was tense and was holding her flashlight tightly with both hands.

"Isaac, what do you think is the biggest emotion that lingers in an asylum?" Sophia suddenly asked, her tone was rather serious than her usual one.

Solirus

 

[November Witch]

Crimson

Status: Nervous & Weary.

Crimson felt relieved as the anima started to clear up and nothing else could be sensed near her. It made her wonder how the others were faring so far. Really, it felt odd that things would clear up so much after just one demon was killed. Perhaps there were higher concentrations where the other students were at. She couldn’t sense anything else on this side of the building, so she started to head towards where the others may be, before a voice split her concentration, and she whipped her head upwards, her tendrils ready to strike… She sensed nothing! How could someone have gotten the jump on her?

But that was when she realized it wasn’t a someone. It was a bird. Crimson still eyed it suspiciously, not exactly trusting it to not lash out and attack her. She had no idea what it could be if it displayed no anima. It had her on edge and focusing even harder on detecting the anima or any other presence around her.

“It’s bad manners to ask someone their name and not offer your own…”

Crimson replied. She wasn’t going to give out her name unless this thing did as well. Still ready to fight if needed, and in a defensive stance, she would answer its question.

“If I did try, I would die.”

Crimson decided to leave it at that. There was no need to elaborate further. That, and she was not lying. If she did try and run off or fully take over, she knew she would be hunted. At least if she played along like this, she would only ever have to worry about the hostile demons, and not about humans. That price was nothing to Crimson. Follow a few rules and the main enemies of demons ignore you? It seemed like a great deal to her. Crimson wondered what exactly this thing wanted from her...

“What is your intention?”

Solirus

 

[Juju]

Solirus
━ ◦ ※ ◦━​

Sloppy.

Phantom criticism was the first thing that ran through Marianne mind as she was caught. Beastly fangs sank deep, scraping bone and drawing out a warm flow of the same dark sanguine. White-hot pain shot through her arm, hungry as the jaws that clamped down. Marianne cried out in pain as she was knocked to the floor and buried beneath it.

The last thing she saw was Annamarie standing above her, reaching fruitlessly for a hand just out of reach. Then the darkness swallowed her and for the first time in years, the twins were separated.

The demon tossed Marianne down into the musty soil, knocking the wind from her. Dust filled her lungs as she struggled to regain her composure, coughing in the filthy rank of what had to be the basement of the asylum. Gritting her teeth, Marianne picked herself up and stood, half crouched as her eyes strained to see anything in the darkness. Her racing mind hardly noticed the blood that stained her torn blouse and pooled beneath her. She grasped a hand upon the gaping wound, instinctively staunching the flow, but it was not her primary concern.

She had to reunite with Annamarie!

Scissors clacked against the floorboards above, splintering the soft, rotting wood in the doll's effort to tear through the floor. There as no way that Marianne could communicate with her twin, to instruct her to find a stairwell that led to the basement. Despite being the one in immediate danger, Marianne couldn’t help but worry that the noise would attract demons to Annamarie. How long would it take to find an exit? What would happen before then? All at once, the panic began to set in.

The crescent, jagged smile of the demon mocked her. It no doubt understood just how defenseless she was. She couldn’t summon flames or swords or bend light to her whim. The only thing separating her from a null was Annamarie. As her family so often reminded her, her anima art was passable at best and sacrilege at worst. Without Annamarie, was she even an arcanist?

A sliver of doubt and a single step backwards was enough to provoke the demon into striking. In the dark, it was impossible to see anything but its bloody grin. Marianne watched its movements and expected it to pounce, only to fall for a feint. Instead, it dashed for her legs, knocking her off balance and slashing at her ankles. Her boots tanked the worst of the strike, but the claws tore into her claves. She flinched from it, new pain digging into her flesh, but the darkness made it difficult to tell just how bad it was. She stumbled, half-crashing into an unseen support pillar.

The demon was toying with her, and Marianne despised it for it. A potent, pure hatred bubbled up within her chest, burning hotter than the throbbing pain of her shoulder and legs combined. Those who took pleasure in tormenting the defenseless had no right to existence in this world. Like ugly weeds, they deserved nothing more than to be torn out and burned.

There was a special rage that only prey and the powerless could ever understand. A murderous desperation of something cornered and destined to be eaten. It hammered despair into razor sharp focus and transcended pain. Marianne could feel it as she reached out for the creature, grabbing thick tufts of its fur between clenched fingers. For as long as she touched the demon, it could not hide. If she could not flee, she would fight.

With all her might, Marianne tackled the demon, slamming it against the nearby pillar. Dust fell from above, sticking into her hair and raw wounds, but she no longer cared for the mess. There was little grace to her movements, the dance of combat reduced to an onslaught of unfiltered defiance. What she lacked in technique, she made up for with concentration. The entire world had boiled down to just she and the grinning creature.

 

[Solirus]

• Manners
• Desperation
• Sadism

• 
  
  Manners
  November Witch ​
  
  "Manners?" The corvid tilted its head, confused at Crimsons words. "Manners are reserved for deception and equals." The corvid chirped, its wings seized to flap, but it remained in the air, standing on the air. "You do not deceive, and you are not an equal, yet you wish for manners? Curious." The corvid's eyes gazed at Crimson, remaining silent for a second before turning to face a seemingly random direction.
  
  "Perhaps you would die, or perhaps." The corvid slowly walked descended, walking on the air, it's eyes inspecting Crimson, "You are unable to overcome this vessel?" The corvid questioned. It acted nosey, but remained calm and acted in control, like observing an interesting specimen.
  
  "My intentions?" the corvid let itself fall to the ground landing on its feet, "hmm" the corvid pondered scratching scrubbing its head with its wing and wiggling a bit. "NO" the corvid bellowed, displeased by the question. "Perhaps only when you are no longer a small fish in a pond."
  
• 
  
  Desperation
  Juju ​
  
  Marianne could hear a sickening crunch as she slammed the demon into the pillar, it's head jolting back from the impact. Only after the impact had occurred, did Marianne cease to feel the demon as it forced its jaw closed, slipping from her very hands. With its temporary freedom, the demon withdrew into the darkness, coughing and laughing.
  
  "Sam help me, help me" it wheezed out as dark ink poured from its eyelids onto its eyes, partially covering that maddening gaze. Demons of this caliber were no more powerful than that which they tended to imitate, whether animals or humans, and thus a tackle with Marianne's entire weight behind it had harmed it. In an act of desperation, the demon rushed towards Marianne again, but this time before reaching her, the demon whipped its head, tossing the inky black substance from its eye and throwing it directly into Marianne's eye. The demon then lunged, its sharp teeth aiming for Marianne's neck.
  
• 
  
  Sadism
  Spoiled Bread ​
  
  Isaac followed close behind Sophia, weary, as they took the path leading towards that forsaken bell. Thinking on travelling to the asylum had proven far more frightful than actually moving through. Perhaps having someone besides him helped, but the decrepit halls, the ominous sounds, and that rotten stench still placed him on edge.
  
  Sophia's rather useful question snapped his attention from thought. "Oh um well..." Isaac attempted to use his refined vision, only to be met with a fog of pure emotions, a cloud of swirling and competing colors, acting and reacting with each other, swirling or simply laying unmoving. Though the range of his refined vision was poor, he'd gotten good at determining what certain patterns and colors could mean. "There's a lot of emotions and anima. There's a substantial amount of paranoia, it's sporadic movement and unpredictable nature, then there are also snippets of fear and I think madness too? I'm not sure about madness, maybe some crazy type of emotion. I guess that's obsession too and also, sadis-" Isaac's reflexes kicked in, grabbing Sophia by the shoulder, pulling her into a room with the door open and closely hugging the wall.
  
  Isaac's anima slowly suppressed itself as he placed his other hand to cover his breathing. The two heard wet footsteps walking past the room, followed by the tolling bell, its volume inconsistently softer when it was closer. The thing's footsteps fell silent just as they reached the entrance to the room. Through refined vision, the thing's anima emanated like a campfire, exuding pure sadism. The thing however never entered the room and instead resumed its walk down the hallway towards the entrance, "мои маленькие игрушки~" a ghastly voice spoke in an awfully cheery tone as the bell resumed its toll.
  
  Once the demon's anima faded into the miasma, Isaac let go of Sophia's shoulder and uncovered his mouth, "... sorry" Isaac spoke ashamed, acting as if he'd just wronged Sophia. "That had to be the rank 2." Isaac tried explaining, his stomach churning with anxiety. The room they had entered seemed rather unremarkable, with its only real feature being the marking left on the floor where a surgery would've been.
  

 

[November Witch]

Crimson

Status: Frustrated & Weary.

Crimson would roll her eyes in annoyance as the demon before her spoke about her not having the privilege yet to receive any manners. This was typical, and it made the girl click her tongue in annoyance. Well, she didn’t really know if it was a demon. But the girl would just assume it was. After all, that was the worst-case scenario. If she wasn’t going to receive any manners in kind, she didn’t want to talk. Especially if this demon was going to talk in a roundabout way like it was currently doing. So, she made the decision to leave. After she answered it though. She’d asked a question, so it was only fair if she responded to one of its own.

“That depends on what you mean by overcome. If you mean take control…”

Crimson gestured down at herself.

“It should be obvious. I can take control whenever I want for however long I want. I just can’t escape, which is really annoying.”

The girl turned to walk away, but looked over her shoulder and gave a wave at the bird.

“But if you’re not going to show any manners, I’m not interested in this conversation. Bye bye birdie~”

The corvid froze as Crimson spoke, its pitch-black eyes, glaring far more intensely at her. When Crimson walked away, the corvid appeared directly in front of Crimson standing on air once more.

"You can't escape?"

The corvid bellowed out, questioning. Its interest had been piqued. Crimson would stop and cross her arms.

"After being oh so rude to me, you now want something? What a shame."

Crimson would click her tongue and shake her head.

"Tsk tsk tsk... If only you'd shown me manners before. Maybe then I'd be happy to comply. I'm afraid you'll have to make it up to me if you want more information."

"Do not make me repeat myself."

The corvid responded; its eyes morphed to a violet hue.

“Ya know, I’m sure that professor has already realized by now, but we just met, so I’ll give you a hint. Intimidation isn’t something I respond well to.”

It was clear that Crimson didn’t intend to speak with the little bird unless she received something in return.

Collab post with Solirus ​