Fantasy Farewells' University for the Advanced Arts - IC

[EnviousWorm]

MARTY GRIZ
[interactions: EclecticSpica ]
[mentions: 2amSnow ]

An announcement blared throughout the school, requiring students to attend an assembly in the gymnasium. Marty groaned out loud, rolling over onto their back in a dizzied huff. It might have been helpful to tell the students that as they wandered in collecting maps and class schedules and the like. Marty had just gotten comfortable, though he probably could have fallen asleep standing up at the point of exhaustion he was at currently. With another exaggerated groan, Marty lifted themself out of bed and stood up. Just getting to the gym felt like it'd take up what little energy they had left to expend.

Straggling down the hall to a revolving door, Marty sighed as he held open the map, which just seemed to be pointing to the gym with bright, blaring lights like a casino pulling in gamblers along the Las Vegas strip. He saw that the door had deposited him just outside of the gymnasium, only having to take a simple right to enter into the gym, which had been set up to accommodate hundreds of people. Half full already, more and more fresh-faced students walked in by the moment, some quaking in their boots while others played it cool.

Marty strolled toward the far back of the rows of seats, which seemed to fill quicker than the middle and front rows. Noticing the end seat was occupied already by a pretty and poised young woman with a less-poised squirrel perched atop of her head, Marty squeezed by and took the seat next to her. Looking out at the accumulating crowd of faces, Marty spotted Safiya as she hunted for a seat. Unsure if she could see them, Marty tried to wave her over anyway, trying to save a seat.

"Cool hat," Marty said to the woman he'd sat next to, looking at the squirrel tail hanging over her forehead. "Is it designer or did you thrift it?"

 

[EclecticSpica]

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​

---

Iris exhaled sharply, sending another futile puff of air upward in an attempt to dislodge the bushy tail flopped over her face. The soft fur tickled her nose, and she wrinkled it in irritation, annoyance settling deep into her bones alongside exhaustion and a gnawing curiosity. Just as she resigned herself to her fate, she felt the small, impatient patting of tiny paws against her scalp.
Nippy was restless.

His chittering grew insistent, a persistent little vibration against her skull, and Iris frowned, tilting her head slightly to follow his line of sight. Her breath hitched when her gaze locked onto a boy. A boy who was staring—unapologetically, intensely, and without the slightest hint of shame.

Iris paled.

Her head snapped forward so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. “No, you may not go say hi!” she whisper-hissed up to her overly social companion, who only chittered more excitedly in response. She could feel his tail flicking in anticipation. She groaned, pressing her fingers to her temple as she willed the warmth creeping into her cheeks to go away. “He’s staring at us like a loon, Nippy! I will not have you embarrassing me on the first day.” Her voice lowered further, as if the very walls might conspire to betray her. “If Mother and Father demanded we be here, then we are meant to be on our best behavior. We are representing the Starling family.”

Nippy’s response was a series of sharp, amused squeaks—ones that made her flush even redder. “Nippy!” she whispered harshly, but the squirrel only fluffed up smugly atop her head, wholly unrepentant. Iris groaned inwardly, steeling herself before twisting her head ever so slightly to check if the boy was still staring.

He was.

She squeaked, whipping back forward as if burned.

“If someone is staring that intensely, it can only mean one of two things,” she muttered, eyes narrowing as she nodded to herself, fully convinced of her logic. “Either they wish to eat you, or they wish to steal you.” Nippy let out a chattering sound that was somewhere between amusement and reassurance. Iris sighed, finally reaching up to scratch under his chin, her fingers absently running through the soft fur. “Exactly. Hence why you shouldn’t go anywhere without me,” she murmured. “I don’t know these people.” Her moment of relative peace was interrupted when someone scooted past her, jostling her slightly. She barely registered them at first—until she realized they were speaking to her.

Before she could properly respond, Nippy did it for her.

The squirrel chittered off a response, far too fast and excitable for her to translate immediately. Iris blinked, then turned to the stranger, clearing her throat. “He is a squirrel, not a hat,” she corrected flatly, though she winced when Nippy let out a very colorful set of noises in response. Her face twitched, only she could understand him, and she was definitely not repeating that.

She sighed, composing herself. “His name is Nippy, and he would like you to apologize.” There was an expectant tap against her head. Iris exhaled sharply through her nose. “He also used—” she shot him a pointed look, “—less friendly words because he finds you intimidating. But I will not be repeating those to a stranger.”

Nippy, apparently satisfied, chittered triumphantly and scurried from her head to her shoulder, leaning forward as if offering a tiny paw for a handshake. Iris, however, only looked bored, barely sparing the interaction any enthusiasm. Instead, her gaze kept flicking over her shoulder, checking—praying—that the staring boy had finally stopped. So far, things weren’t looking good.

---

Spoiler: Interactions

Interacting With:
→ EnviousWorm
→ Shawn_Michael

 

[Faynorae]

​

---

^{Location: School Building, Auditorium}
​

It was easy enough to find the auditorium once he had found a group of students. From there, all he had to do was follow a few paces behind them. Smoke flew up to the ceiling as his cigarette left his mouth again. He was going to put it out once he entered the auditorium, it would probably save him a headache—who knew what kind of pretentious retard would try and pull something with him if he didn't. This kind of place was full of those kinds of people, people who wore glasses and tartan skirts or houndstooth trousers. He rolled his eyes just think about it. He dislike everything about this place, the people especially.

Standing by the Auditorium door, there were all sorts of people shuffling inside—some glasses-wearing weirdo, some lame-ass punk, some pompous-looking chick, some hippiezoid, strangers with unmemorable faces et cetera. He held the cigarette between his fingers and decided to take one last drag before putting it out, the smoke spilling from his lips as he exhaled. Hélaine held up his right-wrist, a pale thing with white freckles dotting it. He was running out of space and would soon have to move to the rest of his arm. "Ugh—" He grumbled, deciding against it right now.

There was this one creep with black hair standing by the door in a daze, and it would be annoying if he made a big deal out of it. Hélaine lifted his legs, bent down a bit and put out the cigarette butt by pressing and pushing against the sole of his lace-up boots. He threw the butt into a nearby trash bin that was filled almost to the brim with crumpled papers—after making sure that it was fully and entirely extinguished.

From there, Hélaine entered the auditorium, his hands in his pockets and with a slouching posture. Ambling about, Hélaine decided to find a seat that was as far away from other people as possible; which to Hélaine's chagrin, was the closest one to the stage, in the furthest corner right at the front. He grimaced just looking at it. He put his weekender on the chair next to him, just so that people would get a message that he didn't want anyone to sit near him. His face was in a perpetual scowl to make sure of it. Who'd wanna sit next to someone who puts their massive bag on the chair next to them, with an ugly scowl on their face and whom smells like cloves and cigarette smoke. It was the perfect way to say 'Fuck Off' without having to say anything at all.

He found it hilarious that the back row of seats filled up quickest, it was as if nobody wanted to listen to whatever drivel the prissy-professors had to say at all. He almost smiled just thinking about. He was leaning into his seat, and pulled out a few chocolate truffles from his weekender. The taste of cigarette was still in his mouth and he hated it. He unwrapped the chocolate from its metallic, colouful and quaintly decorated wrapper, stuffing said into his pocket and the chocolate into his mouth. It was the best thing ever; the only good thing about being human was that he could eat chocolate and all kinds of sweets. Eating and savouring the taste of the cheap chocolate truffles made him think about more fanciful things: chocolate mousse macarons, pain au chocolat, profiteroles, crème caramel, éclairs; a las, all he could afford was cheap chocolates you could buy at any pocket shop.

He hoped that thinking about things he couldn't have would make things move along quicker, but they just made him unwrap more candy than he wanted to eat. He needed to save luxuries for when he eventually was forced to eat whatever slop they served at this place.

---

Mentions: Shawn_Michael (Glasses-wearing Weirdo) ; taliaangeni (Creep with Black Hair); EclecticSpica (Pompous-looking Chick); EnviousWorm (Lame-Ass Punk) ; 2amSnow (Hippiezoid);​

 

[Shawn_Michael]

Shawn watched with fascination as the cute little squirrel rested atop the ladies' head, it's fluffy tail dangling in her face. She was clearly annoyed by this. He wondered what it was like to have a tamiasciurus hudsonicus as a pet. Or was it a douglasii ? No, the douglasii were indigenous to the west coast. They were- Where ARE we? For all Shawn knew they might well BE on the west coast. Or the east coast. Hell, they might be on an island in The Philippines. He would ask during the orientation.

Although the soft light in the auditorium made it hard to tell for certain, he was reasonably sure the little guy wasn't a sciurus. He (she?) was more red than grey. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the lady turned and stared straight into Shawn's eyes. Shawn's heart started to leap, but she immediately turned away. She has a pretty face, Shawn thought. And those deep green eyes. Greener than mine. Well, the green one, anyway. The squirrel started chattering. Shawn remembered reading somewhere that the tamiasciurus hudsonicus actually had six different unique sounds it made, between chatters and squeaks. Just another fun fact.

The braid in her hair swayed gently as the lady stole another quick glance towards Shawn. Just as he was beginning to think he had a chance at actually befriending her, a fellow scooted past and sat beside her. I should have sat beside her, he thought. The two started talking. What's wrong with you Shawn Michael, he scolded himself. This isn't junior high school. He made up his mind. After the assembly, he would try to strike up a conversation with the pretty lady, without making a complete fool of himself.

Mentions:
EclecticSpica
EnviousWorm

 

[JustAlexandra]

Sera gripped the map that had just been shoved back into her arms. She watched as the man in front of her took out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lighting them right there - in the hallway. “I don’t -” she started, but cut herself off, deciding it not to be worth the breath it would take to tell him she didn’t think that was a great idea. He didn’t seem to be the cheeriest person she’d ever met, anyways.

"Bisous, Curly—don't die." He said as he walked away from her. She thought briefly to follow him, but quickly decided against it. It wasn’t worth the fuss, and she wasn’t much fond of the idea of sharing company with someone so negative anyways. She sighed, flatting the now crinkled map out against her stomach before opening it again.

“Sorry about that, I think that’s just his personality,” she said to the map, who responded in the same, cheery tone, “No need to apologize! I have no nerves, and therefore cannot feel pain. How can I assist you?” Sera smiled, chuckling softly at the odd statement. “Can you show me the way to the bathroom? I could use a moment, I think.”

The map led Sera to the nearest bathroom, and she took a moment to relieve herself. She exited the stall and stared at herself in the mirror. She looked rough, but not too terrible. Pale, maybe a bag or two under her eyes. It occurred to her that it was late and she’d normally be in bed by now, but with everything going on, she didn’t think she could sleep even if she wanted to. She looked around the bathroom. Huh, at least some things are still the same as back home. When she had accepted coming here, she knew something was different, but she didn’t think it would be like this.

Cutting off her line of thinking, an announcement came from overhead, directing her to go to the auditorium. “Oh great, because I definitely know where I am right now,” she sighed, washing her hands and splashing water on her face before quickly drying off and opening the map. “Can you please show me the way to the auditorium?” she asked it.
---

Even with the assistance of the map it still took her longer than it should have to find the auditorium, especially with her toting her bags around. She was so fed up with her decision to bring anything at all at this point, she almost wanted to abandon them in some closet and just hope they’d still be there later. She did, however, leave them right outside the auditorium doors, sincerely hoping that someone was keeping watch in that area. The auditorium was packed, though, and she wouldn’t embarrass herself by lugging two suitcases in with her.

Most seats were taken at this point, and she felt awkward. She didn’t want to sit next to a stranger, but it didn’t seem like she’d have much of a choice at this point. She found herself standing next to someone else, who seemed to be doing much the same thing as her - looking for an acceptable place to sit. “I guess we’re a little late, huh?” she said awkwardly, hoping the person would hear her.


(Interactions 2amSnow
Mentions Faynorae )

 

[2amSnow]

Looking out into the crowd of seated students, the beat of her heart quickened in Safiya’s chest.

"I guess we're a little late, huh?" The voice came from beside her, causing Saf's head to turn in the person's direction. The girl of similar height gave a small smile, her coffee colored curls brought out the warmth in her eyes, and Saf immediately noticed the abundance of freckles that painted her cheeks. Wow, she’s so pretty.

"It appears that way," Safiya returned the smile, though her eyebrows were drawn into a nervous position. "I just wanted some chips. I think the stupid vending machines are programmed to shut down or something during announcements. My dollar was pretty wrinkly, though." Then her eyes swept over the room yet another time. But this time a familiar glow she'd seen just earlier shined from within the sea of students. Saf’s eyes widened at the blue-tinted illumination before she looked back at the stranger, wondering if she'd seen the same thing. When the girl's face held no reaction, Safiya blinked and turned her gaze back to the spot it came from. Suddenly the image of the person she met earlier came into view. Marty, she recalled. But the indigo around them had now vanished a second time. They gave her a wave and she raised a hand up to return it. The same odd glow around the same person?

Then her eyes floated to the woman sitting next to Marty who seemed to have something that looked like---Saf squinted her eyes behind her glasses---a squirrel, a chipmunk?---atop a blonde head of hair. Safiya was really starting to think she was going a little loony now.

"I think there might be a couple seats over there, or were you looking for someone?" She asked the curly-haired girl, pointing in the general direction. Her stomach made a growling noise all of a sudden, and one of her hands flew up to clutch her belly. Embarrassed at the obnoxious sound, Saf started walking deeper into the auditorium toward the empty seats. "God, tell me they're announcing a late dinner."

 

[JustAlexandra]

A man walks out onto the stage of the auditorium dressed in a lavender suit with bright yellow dress shoes. He was scraggly looking in the face - an unkempt beard and dark, short hair that looked a bit like he had gone through a wind tunnel shortly before his appearance. His eyes were a startlingly bright blue, if you were to see him up close, and he appeared to be in his mid-forties.

“Good Afternoon, everyone,” he said, his voice bellowing through the room despite a lack of microphone or other amplification device. As the voices died down, he continued. “It is so nice to see the halls of Farewell’s full once again. I would like to welcome back returning students as well as a Welcome - to for new students. We know many of you may be confused, and we are here to answer your questions. Without further ado, Headmaster Farewell!”

As he spoke, the lights dimmed and displayed a spotlight center-stage, where a woman appeared. She was older, her face lined with her years of life. She had dark brown hair littered with grays, pulled back into a bun on the back of her head. She wore a similarly colored lavender dress that billowed out behind her as she appeared, and settled elegantly around her.

“Thank you, Dean Farren,” she spoke,”And Welcome, students of Farewell’s University” she beamed a smile at the audience, one full of warmth. “I am Lyenthia Farewell, headmaster of Farewell’s Academy. Many of you already know me, as returning students, and I ask you to please be patient through this assembly, as you may find some information that is new to even you.”

A projection appeared above Headmaster Farewell’s head then, a diagram of the school with “Farewell’s University for the Advanced Arts” written over it. It spun slowly, showing a full 3-D depiction of the schools grounds.

“Farewell’s University is a school for magic,” she said bluntly. “Before any of you decide that I am crazy, please know that you will find yourselves unable to leave from your seats, and do not be alarmed. We will release you once the announcement is over. I implore each of you to think about your lives - the things that you have found odd about yourselves, or situations that you could not easily explain. You are all here because we have been watching, and we have found you gifted in the magical arts.”

Headmaster Farewell took a sip of water, produced from who-knows-where, before continuing.

“Every person on this earth has magic,” she continued, taking a few steps across the stage. “However, for most, they are minute - invisible. For most, they will not ever use any abilities in any sort of significant way. Most of you here come by it through your family, your parents being skilled as well, and many of them attending Farewell themselves, although this will be news to most of you.”

“Some of you may be first generation, which is sometimes seen, although not common,” she paused. “No matter the reason or way, you are here now, and that is because you are exceptional. Do not doubt this, as you would not be here if you were not. Here are Farewell’s, you will take classes to hone your abilities, incorporate yourself into the world of magic.”

“It is a lot, I know this. But many students like yourselves have sat where you are sitting, heard this same speech, and have come to realize that you are different. However, for those of you who choose not to believe me, you will find it quite hard to leave. There is no direct, safe way in and out of campus by yourselves. We request that you do not run. We would like to save ourselves the mess of finding your bodies afterward.”

Headmaster Farewell made eye contact with the crowd, scanning over it, as if she was able to look each and every student in the eye - maybe she was.

“For some of you this will be a hard adjustment, but you can make it. If you do not believe me, give the school a chance, you will see for yourselves.”

“Last, but not least, I would like to introduce our new professors for this school year,” with that, 5 adults walk onto the stage, each dressed in their own varying styles of lavender. They each announce themselves, and a short description of their classes, however, two of them stand out to some of you.

Elijah Baker - professor of a botanical arts course.
Shawna Michael - professor of a defensive magic course.

“Thank you, professors,” the Headmaster said as the professors walked off-stage. “This marks the end of the assembly. Students, if you have any questions, professors will be waiting outside the doors to answer them. Once again, please give our school a chance, we want only what is best for you.”

As the headmaster vanishes, Dean Farren scrambles his way center stage. “One last announcement! Before you all go! The pond on campus is off limits until further notice!! Oh - and food will be served in the cafeteria for the next hour.”

----------
You are now able to leave your seats.

If you have any questions for the professors that you do not feel you can answer yourself, please shoot me a message (preferably on discord, but whatever works) and I will answer it and you can plug it into your post.

Shawn_Michael
taliaangeni
2amSnow
UnhingedJupi
EclecticSpica
EnviousWorm
Faynorae

 

[JustAlexandra]

Sera smiled at the girl next to her, glad that she didn’t have to have the awkward pretend-I-didn’t-say-anything, thing. “Honestly, with this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if you had to beg it to work, first,” she chuckled, thinking about the map and how it had worked once she had asked it nicely.

She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, the woman seemed a bit distracted by something. She didn’t see anything particularly odd, though, just a crowd of students in the auditorium, looking, well, as normal as a group of students usually did.

The lights started to go down, and a jolt went through Sera. “Oh shit, it’s starting, come on,” she said, grabbing the woman's hand and pulling her toward the two chairs that she had pointed out. She chuckled at her comment about dinner, her own stomach starting to rumble. She hadn’t been able to eat much that day, given her nerves about this whole thing, which seemed to be coming to a crescendo as the Dean began speaking on the stage.

----

What. The. Fuck. What the fuck is going on? Magic? Really? Sera knew that something was clearly going on - she had heard the talking map, seen things floating and whatnot, but she really, truly thought that it must have just been some kind of disney world level technology, or something along those lines. Real magic? That was so far out of the realm of possibility, she couldn’t even entertain such a thing. Maybe this school is just a really convoluted MLM? Or a cult? Cult seemed to be right, everyone dressed in their weird lavender clothing.

“I can’t believe this,” she said, turning to the woman next to her. Sera hadn’t known the girl more than five minutes, but she felt some kind of solidarity for going through this experience together. “What the hell was THAT?”

(Interactions 2amSnow )

 

[EnviousWorm]

MARTY GRIZ
[Interactions: EclecticSpica ]

Marty blinked, amused, trying to hide a smile as the woman translated squirrelese into english. The pair were a strange sight to behold, in a weird way fitting in far better with the school than the rest of the incoming class seemed to be. Maybe this was going to be their new normal. Shit, nothing else in Marty's life had been normal for a couple years anyway.

With a very willing, gentle hand, Marty reached out and shook Nippy's little paw.

"I apologize, Nippy, I was just making a simple joke but I'm sorry it was at your offense. You can call me Marty." They said, playing along with the squirrel. "You have a very well behaved pet, by the way, Nippy."

Smirking to themself at their next stupid quip, the auditorium turning its attention as a man in a purple suit stepped onto stage and began to speak. The lights dimmed, and the school Dean introduced Headmaster Farewell, an older woman who carried an almost mysterious aura about her. She spoke simply, putting into words what most people in the auditorium were wondering: Magic Is Real.

Marty, hearing that he would be unable to leave his seat, shimmied uncertainly, discovering that as much as he might move, he could not leave. A nervous sweat formed at his brow as the Headmaster continued.

His vision crossed briefly while Farewell moved on to announce new professors at school, almost like she'd told a room full of people not that magic was real but that they'd be served a lunch of tater tots and chicken fingers.

"Well. Fuck me." Marty said when the assembly was complete. Some students tentatively stood, finding their freedom returned. Marty Griz hesitated, dumbstruck and overwhelmed but deeply intrigued.

 

[EclecticSpica]

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​

---

Iris rolled her eyes at Nippy’s delighted squeaks, her brows furrowing as she shook her head. “Please don’t encourage him—he’s already too big-headed,” she informed the person beside her, now understanding his name to be Marty.
She flinched as Nippy chittered a pointed reminder about manners, but thankfully, the headmaster’s voice rang out, sparing her from any further reprimand. Straightening her back, she folded her hands neatly in her lap, listening intently. Her head tilted slightly at the mention of the pond being off-limits.

“Well, that’s peculiar…” she murmured, a small smile tugging at her lips as Nippy squeaked conspiratorially into her ear. “Do you suppose there’s some beast lurking in the waters? A true terror of the deep?” she mused playfully before giggling to herself. “Perhaps a Loch Ness?” She brought a hand to her mouth, as if to stifle the growing grin, but her amusement was plain to see.

Taking the pause in conversation as an opportunity, Iris stretched out her fingers, flexing them one by one. “I always hate that spell—being stuck to a chair is terribly unnerving,” she sighed, giving her limbs a shake to rid herself of the lingering stiffness. Just then, a sharp curse reached her ears from the student beside her. Iris pursed her lips, debating whether to offer comfort.

Nippy made the decision for her, practically dragging her ear in that direction with another urgent squeak.

“Are you not well acquainted with magic?” she asked at last, breaking the silence that had stretched between them. Her tone was measured, curious rather than judgmental. “I was under the impression that students weren’t admitted unless they could perform at least some form of magic.” She tilted her head slightly. “Is your family not born of magic?” The question hung in the air, laced with genuine intrigue. She supposed it was possible—after all, the headmaster had mentioned that first-generation mages existed, though they were rare.

She considered him for a moment before offering, “Ginger root can help with indigestion, if that’s what’s troubling you. Or—” her lips quirked into something softer “—I find that petting Nippy can be quite calming. He’s more than willing.”

As if on cue, the squirrel eagerly hopped from her shoulders onto Marty’s lap, tiny paws bracing against his leg as he peered up expectantly.

“I’m afraid I’m not particularly skilled at easing nerves,” Iris admitted with a slight flick of her hand. “But Nippy is quite the expert.”

With that, she reached for her suitcase, flipping it open and rummaging through its contents. Perhaps she had packed something—an herbal remedy, a sweet to settle the stomach. She frowned slightly in concentration, fingers sifting through the neat arrangement of her belongings.

---

Spoiler: Interactions

Interacting With:
→ EnviousWorm

 

[Shawn_Michael]

Shawn was still watching the squirrel with fascination. The woman’s occasional glances over her shoulder was also encouraging. “Maybe she is interested in me.“ he thought. He didn’t hold out much hope, but he was resigned to strike up some sort of conversation with the lady first chance he got.

It wasn’t long before a man stepped out onto the stage, looking like he stepped straight out of a Charles Dickens novel. The lights went down as he introduced the headmaster. Shawn absorbed every word she said. As utterly fantastic as it sounded, it did explain a lot of things. The strange trip to the school, floating signs, talking maps, the weird revolving doors. And just as she said, he couldn’t move from his seat. He felt as if he should be frightened, but for some reason he was not.

What she was saying, rang true. He recalled several instances throughout his childhood where strange unexplained things had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It all started in his kindergarten classroom when a 6 foot tall ice cream cone suddenly appeared in the middle of the room. The kids all went clamoring towards it, but it was like it wasn’t there- and then it wasn't. He recalled the day a pack of wild dogs came from nowhere and chased three bullies away at the playground. And the day in ninth grade, when his teachers clothes seemed to have disappeared for a moment. This still made him smile. It was as if... if he wanted to see something bad enough, he could. And usually the people around him could too. Yes, what this woman was saying could explain a lot. Shawn was starting to feel pretty good about his new situation.

Until he wasn't.

When the headmaster introduced the new professors for this school year, Shawn's mouth gaped open in utter disbelief. "I'm Shawna Michael - professor of a defensive magic course.". "Mom?". He didn't know if the word actually came out of his mouth or not. Immediately he told himself this was just another mind trick he was somehow playing on himself. Just another illusion. Only, most of his illusions only lasted a couple seconds. This illusion was still standing there.

It. Simply. Can. Not. Be.

Shawn's shock started giving away to hope. His hope was quickly dashed by the fear that his hope was again false. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. "I'm Shawna Michael - professor of a defensive magic course." But he heard her voice. And so had everyone else. He blinked his eyes a few times. When he looked back, there she was, walking up the isle towards the main doors, along with four other illusions. UN-Believable! Relief started to fill his soul, but that was quickly imbittered with anger.

Shawn spent two long years hoping and waiting, praying his parents would return to him. That morphed into another eighteen months of mourning, and grieving. It was especially hard, because he never had any idea what had happened to them. Why they would just leave him. Well, they wouldn't just leave him. Something had to have happened. Something very bad. Right?

Over the last six months he finally started living again. He came to grips with the fact that he would never see his parents again, and would never know why. He had finally let it go, and turned the page in his life. And now THIS? Shawn loved his mother more than anyone or anything in this world. But at this very moment, he was ready to kill her. Why had she put him through all that? And for that matter, where was dad? Shawn looked around half expecting to see his father somewhere in the room, but all he saw was 300 students milling towards the exits.

As Shawn made his way to the exit, he calmed down a little bit by convincing himself that it was, indeed, just another hallucination. As he exited the auditorium, he glanced over at where the new professors were talking to other students. Shawna Michael was already looking back at him, giving him a warm smile. He wanted to hug her tight. He wanted to strangle her. He started getting light headed. With no better ideas, he speed-walked to the revolving door, and all the way to his room where he locked himself in.

 

[2amSnow]

Safiya could not believe her eyes, the man on stage among the rest of the professors, dressed head-to-toe in lavender?---a color she'd never once seen her father in before this day. Her entire body ran cold, like an Alaskan snow storm had begun swirling in the air of the auditorium. She could have fainted if she hadn't froze.

"Hello, it's good to meet all of you. I'm Elijah Baker, and I'll be teaching this year's Botanical Arts course. But go easy on me, it's my first year here at Farewell's. But I look forward to seeing you all around campus and in the classroom." The man's voice was warm but there was something else laced within it that she didn't quite recognize. Deceit, maybe.

Her eyes tried to blink away the image of him but there he stood, now towards the back of the stage with the same full head of natural thick, salt and pepper curls. He wore larger, square-framed glasses she knew belonged to him, just a different color now, twelve long years later. There was no doubt in her mind it was him. Her heart roared in her chest.

The rest of the introductions were blurred, the chatter of the crowd and the voices in the microphone nothing but a hazy fuzz in her ears. Her body, still as a painter's muse, stay unmoving in her seat. Saf hadn't even noticed the crowd beginning to thin around her as bodies migrated towards the exit until she felt a hand on her shoulder, and the sound of a concerned voice.

"Hey, you okay?" The voice asked, worry woven into their words.

Saf just nodded, her head still reeling from the dizzy cloud of confusion that already began making itself comfortable in the form of a migraine. She could hardly hear the voices of annoyed students stepping past her in the row of seats through the ringing in her ears. "Yeah." She finally managed to get out.

Then the very set of brown eyes she'd inherited hers from met her gaze, a flash of guilt in his look matched with a knowing frown as Safiya shook her head. Words had failed her, but tears had now started to sting as the entirety of Earth's saltwater threatened to pour from her eyes. What was he doing here? Teaching here? There were so many unanswered questions flooding her brain. His sudden disappearance with his car left abandoned just days before her ninth birthday had been enough to leave his family with the conclusion that something bad had happened to him. She had never stopped searching, though. Not until her mom died when she had finally made the decision to just let herself grieve.

Her entire world had shifted on its axis because there he was, his features all the same, just naturally aged.

Now, the look in his eyes confirmed the fear that he hadn't been dead all along, but maybe he just didn't want a family. Didn't want her. Saf nodded suddenly at the realization, anger seeping its way through the hurt. She loosened her grip on her map, the crinkle in its paper now made more prominent by her shaky fist. Then Safiya stood, finally breaking her gaze from Elijah's to look towards the exit where students continued to funnel out. She could feel the heaviness in her chest as a panic attack threatened to take her over completely.

I gotta get out of this place. Now.

 

[JustAlexandra]

Sera was still looking at the girl next to her, who she now realized appeared pale. “Hey, you okay?” she asked, placing a hand tentatively on the girl's shoulder. She wasn’t really much for touching someone, but she was slightly worried that whatever the hell just happened had some strange effect on her, and she was going to fall out at any moment. Luckily, she responded with a small “Yeah,” and while it didn’t exactly sound convincing - at all - it was better than nothing.

The girl looked up then, staring at something across the room - or, someone? It seemed to be one of the professors that had just been introduced, but that didn’t seem right. Maybe the girl knew her from her past? Either way, her reaction wasn’t quite giving that the person was a welcome sight, regardless. She stood up then, and Sera recognized the look on her face. Panic. “Okay, okay,” she said, standing up and looking around. “Uhhhh, come with me,” she grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her behind her and out the doors of the auditorium. She looked around quickly, spotting an empty corner of the hallway. She pulled the girl over, hoping it would be private enough for the time being, given that she had no idea where else to go.

“Okay, just breathe, it’s all gonna be fine,” she said. “Who was that anyway - some kind of manipulative older ex?” she asked, “Nevermind, that’s not important right now. Just take a moment,” she said, calming herself down as well. She wasn’t on the verge of a panic attack or anything, but her mind was reeling. How the hell was she supposed to deal with whatever just happened?

( 2amSnow )

 

[taliaangeni]

Dane finally found a seat in the packed auditorium. Leaning back, he crossed his arms and listened as the teachers spoke. When the headmaster mentioned magic, the room erupted in gasps. Dane nearly rolled his eyes. The reaction was either laughable or downright idiotic. Talking maps, magical transportation to the school - and now they were gasping, questioning whether magic was real? At this rate, he was going to be at the top of his class.

Shaking his head in disgust, Dane got up from his seat. After all this ‘excitement’ he could definitely eat - maybe an elephant if one happened to come prancing by.

On his way out of the auditorium, Dane let the crowd guide him, eventually arriving at the cafeteria - conveniently just a few steps away. Despite his grudge against the school, he had to admit the food smelled incredible. Maybe this place was like Willy Wonka - luring them in with delicious meals, only to hit them with bizarre side effects.

In line, Dane grabbed a mint-green tray, absentmindedly tapping it against his leg as he waited his turn. The students around him were still reeling from the headmaster’s announcement. Just wait until people start disappearing. He exhaled slowly, letting out a deep breath to try to calm himself.

Growing up, Dane tended to be the hotheaded one while Corbin was composed. Their nannies and teachers tried to steer him toward healthier ways to cope: meditating, writing, exercising. He had a feeling he was going to need all of them here.

At the food station he grabbed a burger, fries and Coke before turning - because there was no cashier, the food was free. Turning away, he scanned the room for a seat and spotted an empty table near the wall. Making his way over, he slid into one of the red chairs and set his tray down. For a moment, he simply stared at the burger. Then, with a shrug, he took a healthy bite.

 

[2amSnow]

The hallway felt like a world away from the chaos of the auditorium. Sera had found an unoccupied corner and pulled Safiya over to it. The panicked girl was breathing too fast, her chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven gasps. Sera kept her hand on Safiya’s arm, trying to ground her, but it was clear she was fighting something more than just a panic attack. This wasn’t just nerves—it was something deeper.

“Okay, just breathe, it's all gonna be fine,” Sera said, her voice remained calm but had a slight shakiness woven into it.

But Safiya’s eyes remained unfocused, staring at nothing in particular. Her face was twisted in pain, or confusion, and Sera could see how tightly her jaw was clenched, like Saf was holding something back---something that had her on the edge of completely falling apart.

“I thought... I thought he was dead,” Safiya let out finally, her voice cracking as she finally broke the silence.

Sera blinked at her, her face serious, listening. But it held a layer of shared confusion.

“My father.” Safiya’s voice was barely above a whisper, the words raw with disbelief. "Twelve years. We thought he was dead. But he’s here. He’s alive.” Her chest heaved, the words still sounding like a lie as her breaths grew even more frantic. “Why didn’t he come back? Why didn’t he ever—why didn’t he come back for me?”

Sera’s eyes widened. Like the realization hit her like a punch in the gut. The man on stage—the one Safiya had reacted to with such intense panic—was not an older ex, or even some distant relative, but her father.

The one whose disappearance had left a hole in Safiya’s life, leaving her to pick up the pieces as she spent the last decade searching for answers. The man who destroyed her mother, left her alone to raise their daughter. Left them with so many unanswered questions. Standing on stage introducing himself like everything was normal, in a school that felt like a dream that went sour, a nightmare's cloud now threatening to soak her world in her own tears. Safiya’s hand shot up to her mouth, as though trying to stop herself from saying more. But the words kept spilling out, more jagged this time, laced with the rawness of her emotions. She wasn't strong enough to fight the tears that spilled now.

“I thought—we all thought he was gone. And now he’s here, like nothing ever happened. Like he didn’t just...disappear, leave us thinking we'd never see him again. And after all this time, he’s just...here.”

She shook her head, attempting to collect her thoughts and steady her breathing. "I'm sorry, god, I'm so sorry. You must think I'm an actual lunatic." Safiya looked around, embarrassed at her tear-stained face as the passing students continued on their missions, most heading to the where the food was being served. Though any hint of an appetite she had had quickly vanished within her emotional turmoil. She then looked up at Sera, her eyes wide and searching, as though looking for something, anything to latch onto. Her breathing slowed, just a little, but the hurt was still there, deep in her eyes. The confusion. The anger.