Realistic or Modern Sheldrake Academy Main

[gingerwayne]

In absentia lucis,
Tenebrae vincunt.

In the absence of light, darkness prevails.

❞

❞

filler! ignore

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  sheldrake academy

  
  
  
  

  a dark academia rp by orbitalpudding.

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  character sheets.

  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  out of character.

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  in character.

  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
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  introduction.

  
  
  
  

  Welcome to the prestigious Sheldrake Academy, founded in 1882 by the wealthy railroad tycoon Quentin Sheldrake. Our campus is nestled in the woods in cozy Quentin, Massachusetts in the former home of Mr. Sheldrake. Some of our amenities include a large library, an observatory, spacious dorms, an indoor pool facility, a newly renovated auditorium, and beautifully manicured grounds.
  
  We have been consistently rated one of the best schools in the country, so rest assured that your child will get the best education possible here at Sheldrake. We pride ourselves on academic excellence, which is why we employ some of the finest teachers and offer a wide variety of enriching courses. Our classics program is unrivaled.
  
  Though it began as an all boys school, we here at Sheldrake are thrilled to announce that beginning this year, we will be becoming coed. To all of our new students, and those of you returning, we truly do extend a warm welcome and hope that we can make an impact on your future.
  
  -----
  
  The Quentin Herald (Archive)
  March 12th, 1985
  
  TEEN FOUND DEAD AT SHELDRAKE ACADEMY
  Late last night police were called to local private school, Sheldrake Academy after students reported seeing something fall off of the tower. When they arrived, the body had been found at the foot of the tower and identified by other students early this morning as Henry Marsten, a student at the school. We have reached out to school officials for comment, but they have declined to make a statement. Local authorities have not confirmed anything yet, but a reliable source tells that the police will likely rule this as a suicide despite some evidence that may suggest otherwise. We will follow up as soon as new information is available.
  
  

  
  
  
  
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  the new girl.

  
  
  
  

  reserved for ghostchild
  (Gender: female) The new girl is exactly what the name implies. She is smart as a whip and doesn't take anything from anybody. She's wanted to go to Sheldrake for as long as she could remember, always admiring her older brother and the things he was learning there. When she found out they were becoming coed, she was practically the first to apply, and quickly was accepted based on her grades and extracurriculars. How will she fare when thrown into the lions' den?
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  the bookworm.

  
  
  
  

  reserved for Bellatsakha
  (Gender: flexible) Even in a school like Sheldrake, the bookworm is top of their class. Often found curled up in the library, the bookworm is the go-to student for anyone who needs tutoring, or just doesn't feel like doing their own homework. They're happy to do it, for a price of course. Sheldrake is their home and they love learning new things about the history of the school...even its darker corners.
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  the outcast.

  
  
  
  

  (Gender: female) The outcast began at Sheldrake before she began her transition. She had to go through hoops with the school to get them to understand her situation and let her stay at the school. In fact, she's part of the reason they decided to become coed. If you ask her, she'll tell it's all to save face and look accepting so they don't get any bad PR. Being the only girl in a school full of boys, and a trans girl on top of that, she became something of an outcast to the rest of the students. Hopefully she can make some friends with all of the new kids coming to the school.
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  the mess.

  
  
  
  

  taken by gingerwayne
  (Gender: male) The mess has been a student at Sheldrake since his freshman year. He's more creative than your average student there, preferring music and poetry over theoretical physics or historical analysis. He spends most of his time trying to find things he misplaced and downing black coffee. He's got deep family ties to Sheldrake, so there was no question as to whether or not he was going. There are rumors as to what those family ties are exactly, though...
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  the athlete.

  
  
  
  

  reserved for invariance
  (Gender: male) The athlete is a bit of a celebrity at Sheldrake. He's not only smart, but he's great in a sport as well. Being that Sheldrake doesn't always attract the most athletic crowd, the school gives him lots of attention and even some relaxation of the rules to ensure that he stays. To say its all gone to his head would be an understatement. Is this the year that someone finally puts him in his place?
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  the outsider.

  
  
  
  

  reserved for @dirt
  (Gender: flexible) The outsider got into Sheldrake on financial aid. They thought that no one would know, but upon arriving, they began to realize just how elitist people can be. They know they deserve to be there because of their intelligence, but everytime they get a strange look for wearing old shoes or a hand-mended sweater, they feel more and more out of place. Will they try even harder to fit in with everyone else or will they accept their differences and gain more confidence?

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  the ghost.

  
  
  
  

  taken by gingerwayne
  ???????????????
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
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  rules.

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  01.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  Literacy. I expect a detailed paragraph at the minimum and five at the maximum. The goal with these limits is to move the story along at a pace that everyone can follow.
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  02.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  Age. I know, this is the boring one. But please be at least high school age. Anything under that makes me uncomfortable. I am, however, a minor, so if that makes you uncomfortable, this isn't the RP for you. Characters should be in high school.
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  03.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  Post frequency. I'm not at all picky about this. There's not going to be a set requirement of posts per week or anything, but you have to be active enough to be involved in the story. It's not going to be a huge group of people, so if you're not active, the story loses something. Only commit if you can actually commit. I don't want this dying after a few days.
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  04.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  Relationships & NPCs. Establishing relationships beforehand with other players is encouraged. All teachers will be NPCs...sort of. There are certain teachers that are more important than others to the plot (wink wink). Those will be open for anyone who wants to play them, but since they're not part of the main story and they require lots of spoilers to the plot, they're not included in the roles section. If you're interested in playing a teacher, just shoot me a message and I can spoil whatever's necessary for that role. They don't need to have character sheets or post when they're not directly involved in the scene.
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  05.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  Diversity. This one is important. I'd like to have a nice mix of genders/sexualities/races in this RP. Dark academia tends to be a pretty white male dominated space, and one of this RP's themes is how people who do not fit into those boxes exist in a dark academia setting. The outcast must be trans, but any of the other characters can be cis or trans as long as you can make it make sense. Even the roles that are gender-locked can be changed if you make it make sense. Same thing with race. Any character can be anything you want, just...say it with me...make it make sense! Good job, you get it.
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  06.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  Be nice. I shouldn't have to say this, but just because there will be drama IC does not mean there should be drama OOC. I will not tolerate any bigotry, discrimination, or any other form of harassment. If you have a problem OOC, address it in a mature and appropriate manner and it will be dealt with. If you act poorly, you can be kicked from the RP.
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

♡design by psilocin, coded by uxie♡

 

[gingerwayne]

location?
front entrance
interactions?
n/a
mood?
hopeful
outfit?
sweater, obviously

TJ Marsten

The crest loomed over the ornate entrance to the manor-turned school, the familiar motto reading "In absentia lucis, tenebrae vincunt." In the absence of light, darkness prevails. It was a bit of an odd motto for a school, TJ had always thought. Most school mottos focused on knowledge or learning, but no, Sheldrake had to be different. Perhaps they saw themselves as the light in the darkness. What an overinflated ego someone must've had to think something like that.

This all was a familiar thought process. The rolling his suitcase up the path, crossing the threshold, pondering the motto. Every year started the same way, right down to how difficult it was to get his suitcase up the old stairs that the administration refused to change or remove because they were "historical." Sure, they were, but they were also a pain in the ass. The least they could've done was install a ramp or something. Technically, they did have one for accessibility, but it was around the back entrance and no one ever used that on the first day. It was rather easy to get lost in the building, so starting anywhere but the main entrance was essentially dooming yourself to be late to orientation.

TJ knew better than that by now, though. Once he managed to clear the steps, he walked in through the tall open doors and into the main hall, which still retained much of its original decor. The only changes were the offices off to the sides. Other than that, it would be easy to mistake this as a still-lived in old mansion rather than one that had been converted into a school. This, of course, meant it was horribly dusty in there all the time. He sneezed quickly, and then adjusted his glasses with his free hand. Looking around, he could spot who was a new student based on which of them took a second to admire the hall before continuing to walk. And also based on which of them were girls. That made it easier, as well.

Quite honestly, TJ didn't have a strong opinion about the school letting in girls this year. Some of the boys had been thrilled about it, naturally, while others, usually the somewhat misogynistic and annoying ones, had been pretty opposed. Not to mention all the dissenting opinions from the parents about the whole thing. TJ really couldn't care less. They were there now, and that was that. All it really meant was that there was most likely going to have to be more people to a dorm room than before. He didn't look forward to going to the office and getting his room assignment after orientation. With his luck, he'd have to share a room with more than one guy, and he probably wouldn't get along with them to boot. The second one was far more likely, though, considering just how many people he didn't get along with.

He pressed on, leaving his suitcase in the hall before entering the large auditorium that the hall opened up into via another set of large doors. The inside of the auditorium was much newer looking than the rest of the building, having only been added recently and in the place of a ballroom that hadn't seen any use since before the school was a school. He climbed up as far as he could go, to the back row of seats, and plopped himself down right in the middle. The closer rows filled up faster, and so did the seats closer to the aisles. He had this all planned out. Hopefully, there wouldn't be anyone next to him at all. This year, all he really wanted was some peace and quiet.

"just another year"

​

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​

coded by incandescent

 

[Bellatsakha]

DEMITRI BAKIRTZIS​

MOOD || ambitious

OUTFIT || white shirt, black pants, dark green velvet blazer

LOCATION || front entrance

INTERACTIONS || n/a

Demitri sat in the back of a car, alternating between staring out the window and glancing at the cover of an old tattered book in his hands, “That child of Hell had nothing human; nothing lived in him but fear and hatred.”

“Shakespeare?”

He sighed, “Robert Louis Stevenson, Jekyll and Hyde.” Then added in French, “You could’ve guessed that, Marques.”

“Could I?” Marques, his chauffeur, replied in French.

The car drove up through the entrance gate and pulled into the parking lot. As the mansion came into view, Demitri noticed the shear amount of cars as compared to the previous year and his heart rate began to pick up. It had been hard to find alone time before, let alone with double the population size. Although, having only sisters, he did tend to get along better with girls so perhaps it was time to kick some of the boys out – he could think of some dead weight to start off with.

“Time is the river on which the leaves of our thoughts are carried into oblivion.”

“Freddie Mercury?”

“You’re so funny. You should be a standup comedian. Hey, reserve me a ticket when you perform at the Opollo.”

“I might if you didn’t pay me $50,000 to drive you 20 miles from the airport,” Marques replied sardonically.

“I don’t pay for you, I pay for the car.” Demitri corrected, “And while I’m gone, you have to promise me you’ll keep it in pristine condition.”

“Of course sir. I shall feed it, bathe it, and put it to sleep just as you request.” Marques said with a wry smile as he parked in the only spot left where both sides were unobstructed.

“I’m serious,” Demitri said as he opened the back door and stepped out, “This is a 1957 Aston Martin, it deserves more than the parking garage outside your apartment.”

Marques exited the car as well, taking the keys with him and unlocking the boot where Demitri’s suitcase was, “I swear on my mother’s grave.” He lifted the case out and placed it on the ground with the handle drawn, then gestured for Demitri to take it, “But remember, whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”

Demitri froze for a second, before realization dawned on him, “The Great Gatsby. Very clever.”

“Merci.” Marques smiled.

Demitri took the handle of his suitcase and dragged it onto the pavement. He watched the car pull away and gave it a mock salute before turning to look at the grand entrance doors. It was just an ordinary-looking mansion, if a little dusty and crumbling, but something felt different this time. A small smile stretched over his face. He felt the itch of adrenaline under his skin as he contemplated the endless possibilities and opportunities that stood before him, just a staircase away.

He lifted his suitcase up the stairs with ease. Truth was, he organized for most of his things to be flown over the next day, the only things he had with him were toiletries and a change of clothes. The halls were crowded with people, many he recognized vaguely and some whose faces he knew by heart, either way he offered a quick hello to them all along with a compliment if he liked them. It was easy to make allies on the first day back since everyone had pretty much forgotten everything that occurred the last year. Demitri hadn’t though. He hadn’t forgotten the fact that it had been painstakingly boring. He didn’t count relationship drama or such like as interesting unless it involved murder, blackmail, or a school-wide scandal fit for Frank Abagnale.

He left his suitcase in the hall with everyone else's and did a final check of his hair in a pane of glass before following the noise into the auditorium. As per usual, he noticed the remanence of the old architecture sadly overlooked by whichever fucker decided to get rid of a perfectly good ballroom. It had become way too common nowadays. Perhaps he wouldn’t care as much if he didn’t know how to differentiate between eras of buildings – although he bet everyone in this room could tell that one of these things was not like the other.

code by ditto (head empty go bonk)

 

[invariance]

location
auditorium
interactions
none
mood
cheery
outfit
hoodie and jeans

thatcher paris.

thatch barely gave the mansion any attention as he carried his suitcase up the old, worn steps into the massive building. yep. it looked the same as every other year. well, almost the same. the addition of long locks and light laughter was definitely new to sheldrake. girls. thatch was a part of the group of returning boys who was ecstatic about girls being accepted into sheldrake academy. not only would he have screaming fans at his swim meets, but his spotlight had just grown by a whole new demographic.

sliding his suitcase into the growing pile by the front entrance, thatch made his way slowly toward the auditorium, familiar with the layout of the mansion-turned academy. the noise seeping out of the auditorium drew thatch in, knowing that his friends would be right up at the front waiting for him. thatch wasn't always a punctual student but he liked to think and tell professors that he tried. sometimes.

entering the auditorium, thatch made a beeline for the front, recognizing his friend group congregated in the second row. they were making the majority of the noise, conversing with a group of giggling girls. slinging his arm around one of his friends, thatch grinned at the girls and took the time to scan his friends. none of them had changed since the previous school year. what a surprise. (not really.)

"what's this? people are having fun without me? you should be arrested!" at thatch's appearance, his gang of friends all greeted him enthusiastically before introducing him to the girls, who blushed and waved in return. thatch had no doubt that it was going to be a hell of a good year.

all i ever wanted was to be the things i never was

coded by incandescent

 

[SomebodyElse]

All this because of a test? It was quite an interesting experience so far. She didn't have enough information about Sheldrake as she had wanted. Massachusetts was awhile away from Texas so she had been feeling alittle jetlagged from the plane ride. She had heard that Sheldrake was a boys only school until this year. That likely meant mixed reactions to girls being here so she had to make sure to be wary of the boys here. Honestly she never really thought she'd end up going out of state like this. When she got that score on that test, everything felt unreal. Seeing the dots on the computer of everyone who had ever taken the test and her dot being far above the others, all alone, was certainly a nice surprise. Sheldrake wasn't an equation she foresaw however.

She had made sure to take note of everyone as she walked by the school halls. She didn't really feel like having to judge anyone quite yet but seeing people interact with friend groups while she knew nobody here was abit unusual for her.

She was however hoping that her time here would be entertaining enough. She didn't feel entirely great about leaving her suitcase with everyone else's.
A shame. If anyone wanted to play pranks on the new girls attending sheldrake, well hers and every other girl's suitcase would be left unattended for the entire duration of the orientation. Unfortunately she had to leave it here, making her way to the auditorium she took a seat alone. Hopefully this wouldn't be too boring.

 

[ghostchild]

Artemis Turner
Mood: Excited!
Outfit: Comfy and casual
Location: Front Entrance->Auditorium
Interactions: n/a
Tags: n/a ​

Artemis groaned quietly as she dragged her suitcase behind her. It felt like she was carrying an absolute ton of bricks. How much did she pack after all? Mathew kept warning her to be careful how much junk she shoved into it, she of course told him to buzz off, that she knew how to pack her own bag. She obviously should have listened now that she had to carry it up the huge set of stairs. It wasn't like she was actually going to listen to him though. He was annoying and at least she had everything she needed.

She had always seen the front entrence in passing, driving past with her parents as she watched her brother walk in. This year she got to see it up close and personal. She smiled to herself as her eyes scanned over the old mansion, lingering on the engraved Latin. The number of people walking around and different conversations made everything in her buzz with excitement. She didn't exactly know where she was going, choosing to follow the swarm of people up the stairs and off to the auditorium. She scowled to see everyone willingly setting their bags with everyone elses, shaking her head to herself. It felt weird to just leave everything but she wouldn't really put up a fight. After dropping her bags off in the hall with everyone's belongings, she wandered into the auditorium. It was filling up with a number of students, many to what she assumed to be the boys here from the year before and plenty of new students; of course most of them being girls of various ages. She settled in a seat reasonably by herself, choosing to wait to mingle until later. She'd have plenty of time to figure out who would be good to befriend and who she shouldn't think twice to cross paths with.

 

[gingerwayne]

NPC POST​

Once everyone settled into the auditorium, the large doors shut, the lights dimmed, and the assembly began. A woman in a neat blue skirt-suit and matching heels stepped up to the podium positioned in the center of the stage. She tapped her notecards lightly on the surface of it, and then smiled at the crowd, black hair shining in the light that came from above.

"Hi everyone! Wow lots of new faces in the crowd, welcome to Sheldrake! Or welcome back, if you've been here before. I'm Mrs. Anderson, the assistant principal. If you've been here before, you probably have at least seen me around, but if you're new, I'm sure you'll get to recognizing me soon. Oh wow, this is exciting. This year is going to be amazing, I'm sure of it. We've made things here even better and we're so excited to spend the year with you."

She talked for a little while longer, and then the principal made his own similar speech, though much more stuffy and formal since it was coming from an older, stern-looking man. Once they were both done, the students were dismissed into the hall again and instructed to go to the main office and collect their class schedules and room assignments.

 

[Bellatsakha]

DEMITRI BAKIRTZIS
​

MOOD || peeved

OUTFIT || white shirt, black pants, dark green velvet blazer

LOCATION || front desk

INTERACTIONS || n/a

As the teachers spoke, Demitri’s leg began to twitch. Looking around, it became strikingly obvious how different this year would be. A slight anxiety settled in his chest as he thought about the hecticness having so many teenagers in one place was going to cause – he had never been one for being constantly surrounded by people and while he enjoyed it for a time, he greatly appreciated having the option to slink away once his socializing glass had been filled. Before, he had co-opted a small room near to the basement which was his safe haven. He sincerely hoped it hadn’t been taken over.

He made up his mind to check on it and if it had been taken, somehow obtain a floorplan to the school and see if there was another room in a more secretive part of the school. Old mansions like this usually had secret passages or rooms they used either for illegal activities, especially when prohibition was enforced, or just because the owners were eccentric millionaires with nothing better to do. The room he took previously had been the old scullery, as evident by the steam boiler that no-one had thought to get rid of during the renovations into a school, thank god.

Having a small piece of history made him feel at home. His family had a habit of buying expensive holiday houses, as many other rich people did, but his parents very specifically looked for those with historical backgrounds and refused to renovate, even when things were falling apart, unless the renovator had a degree in historical architecture. His favourite house, the one where he had elected to spend most of his winters, was the one in Moskovskaya built during imperial Russia and decorated in gorgeous baroque style. It was where he first learned to ballroom dance and subsequently learned he was completely left-footed.

At last the speeches finished and they were dismissed. Demitri stood quickly and adjusted his jacket, then decided to follow the ambling crowd towards the main office so he wouldn’t look too suspicious and find a way to slip away later. He took his schedule and room assignment with a smile. He didn’t much care about the schedule and couldn’t quite place the names of his roommates, Thatcher and Thomas, but he was sure he would recognise them once he saw their faces. The pushing and shoving of those around him to get to the front desk gave him the perfect opportunity to escape. He allowed himself to be pushed back until he was on the outskirts of the huddle then ducked around the corner, took the stairs with a jog, and made his way down the hallway before anyone could notice and ask him where he was going.

He made it to the room in record time. He tried the handle to the door and it was locked so he pulled a key out of his back pocket and unlocked it. A disappointed sigh left his lips as he realised he could barely open the door without hitting a box of paperwork.

“Ah life,” He mused to himself, “Thou art a heartless wench.”

The thought crossed his mind that the teachers would freak out if they knew he had a key to that room as the paperwork was all very official-looking and so as he meandered his way back to the crowd, he made sure to throw the key out of an open window. He hoped Thatcher and Thomas liked the sound of Cambridge lectures and the smell of oil paint because he was going to have to relegate most of his past-times to the dorm room until he could find somewhere else.

code by ditto (head empty go bonk)