Fantasy 𝒯𝒽𝑒 ★ 𝐿𝒶𝓈𝓉 ★ 𝒲𝒾𝓈𝒽

[Nothingness]

CODE BY SEROBLISS

Yuzuki Takeru

Sentinel

Date/Time: Early Morning; December
Mentions: N/A
Interactions: N/A

With the sounds of the birds chirping and the sunlight peaking through the curtains of his bedroom, a young teenage male would lay in his bed as he stared at the ceiling in silence. Mere moments passed before the ringing of his alarm on his cell phone began to fill the room, with the soft jingle sounds coming from his phone, he continued to stare at the ceiling without any sudden movements. "Another night...not even a wink of sleep.." As he whispered under his breath, eventually, he'd turn over onto his side simply to reach for his phone to silence the alarm before finally sitting up on the side of the bed with his arms resting on his arms while he slumped forward. While it was still early in the morning and likely that many other families were still asleep, the male had to wake up around this time since he had a long walk from his home to reach the school and then attend martial arts practice after school, then working his part-time job, and finally having whatever time left to do his usual patrols around the city to check for Wraith or Nightmare activities. Even so, however, getting up so early was a challenge on several occasions since every couple of nights he would spend the entirety of the night staying up just because he couldn't sleep due to his dreams haunting him of his family's faces and voices ringing in his head.

As much as he wanted to stay home from school for the day, soon enough he'd drag himself out of bed before proceeding to take care of his usual morning hygiene routines. After everything was settled and done within the house, he made sure his school uniform was in order before heading to the living room where a shrine had been set on the opposite end of the room. On the shrine were individual photos of his mother, father, and his twin sister, it had been about four years since he had awoken from his coma and a little over two years since the death of his family by what the doctors had said. Approaching the shrine, he dropped to his knees before grabbing three sticks of incense and lighting them aflame. Lowering his head and raising the incense above his head to pay his respects to his family, he'd spend several minutes in silence before finally standing and sticking the incense sticks into a small round container that held many other remains of previous incense. "I'm going to school now mother, father, sis...I'll be home soon...Don't wait up..." As he joked to himself with a low chuckle under his breath, he'd stand soon after before sprinting out of the house with a large coat to keep him warm and his schoolbag swung over his shoulder.

After stepping outside, the crisp winter air smacking him in the fact nearly made him freeze on the spot just from the shock and surprise of the chill in the air. With the street lights still on and the sun slowly peaking over the horizon, he knew that he would have just enough time to reach the school without being late so he could take his time making his way there, even with the large amounts of snow and ice that covered the sidewalks. The walk took about half an hour for him to finally reach the front gates to the school, as he arrived, other students only started coming in one after another, whether it be by walking or their parents had dropped them off.

"Almost done...just another full year after this and then I'll be off to college...Just hang in there Yuzuki, you got this." Mumbling under his breath, he took in a deep breath before exhaling it a low sigh at the thought of heading to college, hoping that once he starts college his life would possibly be a little less hectic.

 

[Spectra_Mercury]

Mercurius Aleator

Arian Hasumi

”I’ll see you on the other side. But I’d kill to bring you back tonight.”

An annoying ringing blasted from Arian’s phone that sat on the wooden nightstand to the right of his bed. With an annoyed half awake grumble Arian rolled over in his bed, reaching his right arm out to grab his phone. With another groan followed by a yawn, Arian stopped the ringing alarm before turning his phone off and sitting up in his bed. He rubbed his eyes with his right hand while taking the blankets off with his other hand. After a few seconds of silence the reasoning as to why his alarm went off finally hit him. “Shit!!!”

Arian hopped out of bed, quickly making his way to the bathroom suite connected to his bedroom. With a quick turn of the tap and running of cold water Arian’s day had officially begun. How Arian forgot it was Monday, the day he returned to school, escaped him. It wasn’t as if last night he was doing anything important. Well, unless one considered sneaking into sketchy gambling rings and slowly corrupting unsuspecting adults to eventually turn into monstrous Nightmares ‘important’. Which Arian certainly did, considering it was his role to play as a Warlock. Maybe it had escaped his mind the previous night? Besides that, it was fun to see those clueless idiots gamble away all their earnings to get some sort of joy from a life they otherwise despised. Something that was certainly worth staying up late for.

After a few minutes the water coming from the shower head came to a stop, Arian walking out and quickly drying himself off. He’d quickly get into his school uniform before making his way out of his bedroom and into a small hall with three other doors. Making his way to his right, he walked out to the main room of the apartment he and his mother were living in. While making his way to the kitchen Arian held on to an unrealistic expectation deep down inside of him, only for it to be immediately stomped out as his mother was nowhere in sight. “Went to work early again I see…” Arian sighed, making his way over to the fridge.

At the very least Arian didn’t have to worry about making himself any breakfast this morning since he had leftovers from what he had made the day prior. After quickly finishing up his food and putting the empty bowl and utensils in the kitchen sink, Arian made his way to the front door of the apartment. He grabbed his dark blue jacket he had owned for years, putting it on before slinging his school bag over his shoulder. And with that, Arian’s weekly return to school began.

Arian let out a content sigh as he took the first step out of the apartment complex’s lobby area and onto the streets. The refreshing winter air hit his face, something Arian was always happy to feel. Something about the coldness of the winter season had always made him feel alive inside. Not to mention he absolutely hated the heat. Ironic, considering his power once he transformed into his Warlock form. Thankfully, the school Arian attended wasn’t to far away from where he and his mother lived, something he deliberately decided on long ago.

The small walk to the school wasn’t eventful at all, something that Arian preferred on certain days. Life was quite boring if nothing entertaining happed yes, but a good uneventful stroll to start the day was something Arian came to enjoy every once and awhile. Before long, the young man had finally made it to the school. It was hard to believe that this was going to be his last year at this place, somewhere that had held quite the history for him. His past as a magical boy specifically. He tied this place to those memories from a few years ago, as well as the untimely demise of his old friends by his own hands. The event that had carved his place as a true Warlock. Arian let out a small sigh, his breath being visible for a few seconds due to the cold winter air. “Let’s get this day started.”

Code By Nano

 

[Nellancholy]

It was bright and early as Sibylla sat on a bench on campus grounds, quietly sipping distinctly medicine-scented water from a slightly crumpled plastic bottle. She rarely bothered to afford better than that. The slight sensation of sweat and dust continued to cling to her as it had since last night, after which she had not washed up. Instead, she had left early so as to arrive early, and begin her observation of prospective targets.

If it were up to her, she would have stopped coming to school altogether in favor of wandering the city, appearing to targets of opportunity, giving them things to think about. Fears and doubts to struggle against, and prevail by releasing and confronting their Nightmare. But it would be troublesome if she didn't bother to at least keep up appearances. Despite her wishes, people still knew she existed. Knew about the unfortunate accident that had taken the well-loved Eleonore's life and left her poor little sister blinded.

So she acted like she was struggling to move on despite it, despite being all alone in the world. But what no one knew was that out of all of them, she had the greatest clarity of purpose. The most unshakable determination. To have all people face their fears, and rather than foolishly disregarding them, to hold them forever so that they may not lead themselves to an untimely fate.

Listening from where she sat, she focused, allowing her supernatural senses to extend, to identify and pluck at each thread. It was not only threads of love that bound people, things, and places together, but what remained consistent is that each thread would begin to snarl and knot inside and between people who were conflicted. And all it took was for her to unravel those threads to advance her plans...

That boy wanted to come out to his parents, but was afraid of how they'd react.

That girl was going to run away from home.

That other girl felt guilty that the boy who asked her out was the same one her friend liked...

It seemed easy to just go in with the metaphorical scissors and start snipping, but the right opportunity had to be waited for...

The threads dissipated for a moment as she awoke from her trance, noticing Arian's arrival. She gave him a little nod in acknowledgement of their shared purpose, but did not speak.

Spectra_Mercury

 

[serenibee]

_Mayumi Rose Bell_
​

Mayumi slowly opened her eyes and yawned. “Five more minutes…” she mumbled, trying to turn onto her side. “Rise and Shine!” A voice replied. Mayumi shot up. “Hikari?!” Hikari laughed and Mayumi sighed. “Don’t do that to me!” She continued to giggle, even while speaking. “Sorry, it was just kinda funny!” Mayumi got up and walked to her closet to grab her uniform. “So, I’ve been looking around…” Hikari began. “Yeah?” Mayumi sifted through all the dresses that her aunt and mother had given her throughout the years. “And I noticed you have the date tomorrow circled.” “What about it?”

Mayumi asked. “Well, I just wondered why?” Mayumi looked out the window. “Tomorrow is my anniversary of becoming a magical girl!” She grabbed her uniform and chucked it on the bed. “Oh…oh yeah!” If Hikari actually had a body, she would be dancing around Mayumi’s room but that clearly wouldn’t happen. Mayumi put on the uniform and looked at herself in the mirror. “Cu-te!” Hikari commented. “Do I?” Mayumi struggled a bit with body image issues. She looked down at her legs, scarred up from the fighting she had been doing for the past two years or so. Same her her arms, scars everywhere. She sighed as she clipped the front part of her bangs back with a pink Star clip.

“Does it look good?” She asked. Hikari affirmed with “Yes!! That’s perfect!” After doing one more twirl in the mirror, she walked over to her closet once more to grab her stockings.

“Hey Mayumi?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I was wondering…do you have a crush on anyone?”
“Now? No!”

“Okay…I just don’t want you to feel like you can’t have crushes or date anyone because I’m around!”
“It’s fine Hikari.”
She picked up a hairbrush and brushed her hair. It was hard taking care of her hair because it was extremely thick and wavy. Like if you wouldn’t wash it properly, then you would have shampoo stuck in your hair for days. After slipping on her socks and putting on some chapstick for good measure (another trick Hikari taught her). She walked downstairs and saw her aunt and her two younger sisters. “Oh, hello Mayumi!” Her aunt called. Mayumi walked over and sat down at the table. On the table there were some waffles amoung other things. “Waffles!!” Mayumi squealed.

Her mother used to make her waffles when she was younger. “Thank you Mo-I MEAN Aunt Tomoko.” One of her sisters giggled at this. “Mayumi thought Auntie was mom!” The other one, the kinder one replied. “Don’t be mean to her! She’s our older sister…”. After they ate breakfast, Aunt Tomoko stood up from the table. “Listen here girls!” Three pairs of brown eyes stared at her. “Tomorrow I will be leaving for a work trip in America. I will be leaving Mayumi here to care for you.” The meaner sister began to groan. “Don’t you DARE make me return from my trip early!” She stated bluntly. “But sis is we-“ “Mayumi!” “Er, Yes?!” She stood up. “Do you know fighting skills?” “Uh….kinda-“ Mayumi got cut off by her Aunt’s tirade. “See! You’ll be fine!” She walked out of the room and up the stairs. “Fine.” The meaner one stuck her tongue out at Mayumi. Mayumi laughed and left the table. She walked towards the entryway and put on her shoes. Dark brown leather platform loafers! Her favorite shoes to wear ever since Hikari introduced them to her in 7th grade. She opened the door and let the breeze hit her face. “Y’know Hikari?” “What?” She asked
“Today….will be better!”

 

[Evie Maiden Of Apples]

Phoebe & Lincoln Brooks
Hemera & Nereus

"Hey."

Lincoln's slightly irritated voice called out to his sister as he knocked on her door once again...for the third time that morning. He was already dressed and set to head to the academy, but it seemed Phoebe was still lazing about until the last minute. Of course this frustrated the male twin, but luckily Lincoln had patience when it came to Phoebe. If this were anyone else? There would have been a world of Hell for them.

"We need to leave in ten minutes, Phoebe." Lincoln called out, and finally he heard frantic movement inside along with Phoebe's yelping realizing they were going to run late if she didn't hurry. "Hold on, Linc, I'm almost ready!" Came her voice from the other side of her bedroom door, and the older of the pair couldn't help but roll his eyes with a sigh. "TEN minutes, Phoebe, no less!" He called to her, heading downstairs to wait.

Phoebe sighed, a bit frazzled, but she went ahead and got ready. Ah, but she couldn't help it! She dreamed of meeting her true love, whoever they were...well, she couldn't make them out. Though, they did seem awfully familiar, from what she could sense from the dream. Still, they said some lovely things towards her that really made her heart melt, and as much as she wanted to go back to sleep and return to that dream...reality had to come first!

As promised, she only took ten minutes, meeting with her brother downstairs. "I'm ready, let's go!"

Lincoln let out a soft huff, then grabbed a wrapped breakfast burrito and handed it to Phoebe. "Mom made these earlier, I've already eaten. Since you were so late, you can have it on the way there." He teased even through his serious demeanor with a smirk.
"Fine by me, I always love my breakfast on the go! Thanks, Linky!"

"Phoebe...NEVER call me that, we've been over this-"

"Okay, okay! Let's go, then." Phoebe laughed at her brother's reaction to being called such a nickname, he didn't mind it when they were little but now? Suppose they outgrew such childish aliases. The twins left the home, their parents already at work for the day, and began their trek towards the academy.

With December already having started, it was a bit chilly out but not too bad, thankfully. The twins both wore warm jackets over their school uniforms, along with scarves and gloves. The air was crisp and fresh, and Lincoln found himself taking a deep breath of it, feeling at peace for the moment. Phoebe ate her breakfast burrito the whole way there, and as usual, Lincoln stood by her side to keep her safe and well protected.

"Lincoln...? You ever think those witches and warlocks ever went to school?" Phoebe whispered to her brother, curious.

"I doubt it, as they lack the intellect to win a proper battle." Lincoln said in a deadpan manner, "But let's not think of them right now, not until we have to deal with them. Our real lives should still come first."

"Of course!" Phoebe nodded with a bright smile as the twins approached the academy.​

 

[Necromantic]

"Come on in Hikaru! Aki should be down soon!"

"Koru, play, play!" "Lookit my teddy." "Bring candy?"

Followed by Aki, looking like he was at death's door, trudging down the stairs so they could take the triplets to daycare before heading to school had been their morning routine the entire school year, and it hadn't changed after the break. Aki absolutely hated getting up in the mornings, especially now that he had to get up even earlier to drop off his sisters. His parents would give him some mercy on the days he'd had a show the previous night, but today wasn't one of those days.

At least the daycare was on the route to school. It was just a short detour that wouldn't have taken much more time to stop by, if not for the fact that toddlers aren't known for being particularly cooperative. Keeping one from running into traffic was hard enough, having three felt like a type of torture in and of itself.

As always, they dropped the three off without incident, and turned around to head toward school. Aki, never having been particularly good at waking up, was finally starting to look a bit less irritated by his continued existence. He tugged his hat further over his ears, trying to shield them from the cold wind, before turning his gaze down toward his phone. New upload from a Youtuber he watched on occasion, weather notifications, and- Oh, that banner for a character he'd wanted had started. He'd have to get Hikaru to pay for it for him later.

"Can't we skip school today?" Aki didn't want to sit through class.

"We're already at the gate, aren't you a bit late to ask...?"

Aki grumbled something under his breath, unhappy with the response he'd gotten, despite how Hikaru was right. He should've asked about skipping earlier.

A few other students stopped them on their way to their class to talk. A girl that asked Aki if he would meet with her after school while blushing as red as a tomato was the only one that they lingered around. He'd reject her later without any hesitation, no doubt. Maybe he'd even leave her with a kiss on the hand that would guarantee her feelings fester into a Nightmare, or perhaps he wouldn't, it would depend on his mood.

Both waved at Arian and Sibylla when they walked by, Hikaru energetically and with a cheerful smile while Aki tried to imitate that energy but his expression fell into a tired scowl that clearly portrayed how much he didn't want to be there.

"Mor~ning!" Hikaru chimed.

-Aki didn't want to stand around and talk, regardless of Hikaru's chipper mood. He hooked his arm around Hikaru's waist, purposefully walking a bit faster as to prevent him from stopping.

Spectra_Mercury Nellancholy

 

[Spectra_Mercury]

Mercurius Aleator

Arian Hasumi

”I’ll see you on the other side. But I’d kill to bring you back tonight.”

Once Arian had stepped through the gate of the school grounds, his eyes landed on a familiar face. Sitting on a dark wooden bench was Sibylla, or as he better knew her, ‘Omen’. A small smile came across his face as the girl gave him a nod of acknowledgment. Omen wasn’t one to mince words or chit-chat, at least that’s the impression Arian had gotten from her. He had only know her so much since the day he had first met her.

“And a good morning to you too!-“ he called out, making his way over to the bench she was sitting on. Once he had reached her side, he bent down close to her left ear “Miss Omen.” He stood back up straight with the same unsettling kind smile on his face. His attention would immediately turn to the crumpled water bottle she held in her hands. The water inside seemed to give off a strange medicinal-like scent, causing Arian to clear his throat. “Excuse me for a second-“ Arian turned on his heel and walked away. A few steps later and he was in front of a vending machine that was placed between two benches the opposite of where Sibylla was sat. Rummaging through his jackets pockets he produced his wallet, taking out a few yen and placing it into the slot on the vending machine. After a press of a few buttons on the keypad above to coin slot, a small thunk could be heard as a drink dropped down from the display behind the glass. Arian would grab the cold water bottle from inside the machine before making his way back over to Sibylla.

“Here.” Arian gently placed the water bottle beside her. “Looks like you’ve been using that for, what?… A month now?” Arian would then catch another whiff of the medicine-like water inside the slightly crumpled bottle. “You’d have to try and convince me that that is water inside there.” He would clear his throat once again, the smell of the medicine had slightly agitated his nose.

Out of the corner of his eye, Arian would recognize another two familiar figures walking in to the school grounds. Hikaru and Aki gave him and Sibylla a wave, the latter looking a lot less joyful then the former when doing so. Arain would give the two a wave in return, before turning his gaze back to Sibylla once the two had made their way into the school “You should keep yourself properly hydrated you know, considering the line of work we’re in.” He’d then give the girl a small wave goodbye, “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you sometime down the line. See you then!” He called, making his way into the school.

Nellancholy Necromantic

Code By Nano

 

[Managarmrr]

Ethan Atae
Location: Mitakihara Academy
Time: Early Morning
Interaction: N/A
​

Before the morning sun had even crested over the horizon or the first birds had begun to sing their morning songs, Ethan rose from his bed like clockwork. He gave nothing more than a simple rub of his eyes and a single yawn to dispel the last motes of sleep from his mind before getting up and beginning his morning routine, almost entirely the same as it had been for nearly six years now.

Half-dressed in only the pair of pants he slept in, a slight frown crossed his impassive features as he examined himself in the mirror while brushing his teeth. The new scar across his chest wasn't pretty—that Nightmare did have some pretty ghastly claws—but it had healed up well enough, all things considered. A finger idly trailed over the jagged marks that marred his skin, each one acting as a reminder of a reckless move or a failed block, but still he wore them like a badge of honor. For every drop of blood spilled, it meant one less innocent or ally had to bleed.

Also it reminded him that he had to use his damn shield more.

'I wonder if Dad ever got cut up like this…' he mused as he spit the last of the toothpaste into the sink, watching as the white foam swirled down the drain and signaled the end of his morning self-care. 'Maybe he met Mom in the hospital after a big battle.'

From here on out, it was a pretty stock-standard routine for any parentless-little-sibling-secret-magical-boy-guardian. Step one, finishing the bentos. After cramming an extra bear-shaped melon pan that Emi had begged him to bake yesterday into her bento box and leaving some yen for Eli to get that drink he liked from the vending machine, he glanced down at his smartwatch. There always seemed to be less and less time as the days went on. That, or he was becoming the most senile seventeen year old around.

"Responsibility." he said, mimicking the gestures of casting a bulwark as he extended his right hand. A tiny smirk crossed his face at his own little lame in-joke, but honestly it was a good reminder to experiment more. He had only just recently discovered that a 'pain' bulwark casted around an injury would make it numb, and adding more useful spells like that to his repertoire was something he was always looking to do.

"iiiisaaan!" a familiar (and always too energetic) voice called out followed by the sound of rapidly approaching feet, causing Ethan to tuck his outstretched hand behind his back as if the simple gesture would somehow give away his entire secret identity. In an almost cartoonish manner, Emi skidded to a halt in front of her big brother, hands clasped behind her back and all ready for school… followed by a slightly more groggy Elias still rubbing the bleariness of sleep from his eyes. "iisan, it's almost time for the Winter Gala! I'm helping to plan the decorations today! It's going to be soooo pretty!"

"… good morning." Ethan replied in his normal stoic tone, not able to muster up the same enthusiasm so early in the morning, even for his cherished siblings. Wordlessly, he handed over two fully packed and prepared backpacks before tossing his shirt on and making his way out of the door, beckoning them along with a wave of his hand. "We can talk about it on the way, Emi. Don’t forget your jackets. The heavy ones."

By the time they had made it to the front gates of the academy, Ethan had only managed to drop a dozen 'sounds cool' or 'I bet it will be chill' puns that all somehow went over Emi's little head while Elias silently snickered beside them.

"Eli, iisan, you two should really join a club." the middle child chirped up as they made it into the schoolyard, reviving this same old decayed topic again like a professional necromancer. "It looks really good on applications, and you two will make lots of friends!"

"No."

"!"

The two Atae boys replied at the same time, clearly sharing the same sentiment albeit for differing reasons.

Pulling out all stops, Emi was ready to do the unthinkable, knowing exactly how to get at least one of her brothers to agree. With practiced efficiency, she put on her best pout, tears already welling up in her eyes.

"iiiisaaan, pleeaassee?" she whined, pausing for tension before going in for the kill, "It would make me really happyyy~"

A sigh escaped from Ethan as he crossed his arms and looked away. 'Damn, when did she get so good at manipulating me…?'

"Fine. I'll think about it." he conceded just as she knew he would, earning a triumphant smile and a small cheer from the little sister. As both of the younger siblings sat on one of the benches outside, Ethan stood beside it, waiting for the school day to officially begin. His eyes idly drifted across the students who had already arrived this early in the day.

'It's weird to imagine,' he thought to himself as his gaze flitted across the relatively unremarkable and ordinary school boys and girls, 'any of these students could be one of my allies or enemies and I'd never even know it...'

 

[serenibee]

_Mayumi Rose Bell_
(Sorry if things are inconsistent, I’m editing this on my phone)
​

Location: Mitakihara Academy

***
​

A quiet yawn escaped Mayumi’s mouth as she walked inside the large academy gate. “Y’know…I think you should start drinking coffee!” “Why?!” Mayumi asked (a little too loud). People started to stare at her, well I mean they always stared at her. Mayumi let out a sigh and kept walking. “Don’t look up don’t look up don’t look up don’t look up…” she kept repeating to herself. She was so focused on her mantra that she accidently ran into someone. Loosing her balance and falling to the ground, she began to gather up her books and other possessions that fell out of her bag. “I-I’m so so so so sorry!! I was not looking up and I wasn’t thinking!! I hope you can forgive me for my ignorance of my surroundings.” She rambled. She looked upwards and saw a young man in front of her. Slowly recognizing him, she realized it was Lincoln Brooks, her upperclassman. “Oopsie…” Hikari mumbled. “Shush!” She said through gritted teeth. She looked up and the face before her and gulped. First day of her supposed new life and now she’s embarrassed herself, just great.

Evie Maiden Of Apples

 

[Squad141]

オーベル・アルベリヒ

Auber Alberich

Location

December

Time

Morning

It was already morning.

Auber blinked, rubbing his eyes. Reaching down, he slowly put on his glasses. Otherwise ready to go, the glass of his main bedroom window had a chill he hadn't been expecting since he was getting ready earlier that morning. He took a deep breath, before placing his forehead on the grass, and watching the faint reflection of his shoes kick against the carpet.

It had only been a few weeks, maybe a month now since he wished upon a star, and the star answered back. It was one of the best dreams he had ever had, yet he never wrote it down in his dream journal. It was still too fresh, and Auber wondered if he would ever forget it.

With ease, he brushed back his hair in the bathroom mirror, and smiled at himself. He was worried that by now he'd be in some sort of shock, some strange traumatized soul. Yet he surprisingly never felt better. The bags under his eyes even seemed to be getting smaller despite getting fewer rest than ever before. And before...

Auber closed his eyes briefly and recalled his nights in the checkered costume, the way the city glowed in the night life, how the sky sputtered from beneath a cloud of light pollution. It was a wonder he had ever had the chance to see despite living in cities his entire life. But of course, he could never tell anyone. That was what Fool saw, a magician of the evening, not high-school age Auber Alberich. And even then, he wondered if he even was Fool. It was like being another person altogether, in that colorful uniform that always fit him perfectly, the artistic explosion of color he could produce and move about. Auber chuckled at the thought that some of his higher-placed grafitti would be found later that day.

It took him very little time to pack up completely and leave his room. He had returned earlier in the morning since, as far as he could tell, there hadn't been any major disturbances lately (or at least in the areas he had been checking). He had really only fought a few monsters, but even then, he feared there was something more out there that even a goddess of magic would have forgotten to warn him about.

Auber passed by his empty brother's bedroom, his locked parents' bedroom, and the kitchen, where he waved at Ms. Suzuki, the woman his father had hired to help clean when the boys weren't home. She was a wonderful woman despite her lack of lengthy conversation, and she returned his wave as he quietly exited his home.

_______

The extreme cold wasn't as big a surprise as the snow was. Sure it had been cold, but in the few hours he had taken to get some rest for the school day, it must have culminated in something more. Auber kicked a small snow poff as he walked under the frozen academy maw. Several students walked in groups with others, and a few giggled as they looked at their fellow classmates. Auber smiled, and while he did feel a tad isolated, it wasn't anything unusual. Cap kept moving their family from place to place for a few months, and both his sons worried that they may never stop, until the news of F.E.C.'s popularity in central Japan helped make the decision for him.

A breeze blew past Auber, and rustled a small board of fliers next to him. He paused, eyeing a few of the extracurriculars the academy offered. He was about to be an official upperclassman, and despite it all, he wanted to have the best chance at university when it came calling. His grades were well enough, but he was worried he'd have to start attending cram if he didn't start improving in a handful of subjects.

His hand brushed an old flier for the Game Club, and he took his mind away from his academics briefly. The one after-school activity next to jumping around in bright colors Auber had was the Game Club and it's members. It wasn't the busiest place, but it definitely wasn't the rarest to find students. In fact, it helped exhibit how his wish had begun affecting one of the skills he wished it would: the strategizing in competition. He was still getting used to Go (undoing years of chess hobbying was hard enough), but he was already excelling as his confidence rose each day he didn't have to worry about Binmei upstaging his own self-esteem.

With Club on the mind, Auber noticed one of the most important figures in said club in the distance talking to some girl: Arian Hasumi. Auber initially thought he was the president or some other authority over the division, but it turns he was just generally really good when paired against any other player they had. Auber had never beaten him, and while it would be easy to find a grudge match, he imagined it must have taken some skill to get to a point that Hasumi had already reached.

Spectra_Mercury

code by @Nano

 

[Guppy Franz]

Hansuke Kaito​

---

"Come on, come on lets go, everyone! You'll all be late at this rate!" A tall, dark-haired woman shouted in the eye of a chaotic mess that was the Hansuke household's usual morning routine of getting ready for the day. Kaito's older and younger siblings were scrambling to complete various goals, such as shoveling down their breakfast, fixing their hair and clothing, packing bags, and even brushing their teeth as they rushed to do the last two things. All three of his older brothers were stressfully preparing for their first day of work, which funny enough was at the same moving company towards the center of town. Arguing over things such as who drives the moving truck and even playing rock paper shoot to see who would carry the heaviest stuff for the day. His older sister rushed with her make-up while impressively eating the omelet their father hurriedly prepared as he struggled to fix his tie over the stove. His mother meanwhile stood in the center of the frenzied mess, shouting orders to her children while organizing her no doubt important paperwork into her portfolio. As usual, she remained much more composed than the rest around her, seeming like a veteran mother who'd done this a million times, which Kaito no doubt believed. Meanwhile, Kaito, who had been the second to wake up, beside his mother, tended to his younger siblings as they prepared for school. Luckily the third youngest, his little sister Yumi, needed little help, only needing help to get her school supplies organized. Like always she wore a sour look as she looked at her phone, looking slightly annoyed at the loud environment around her. Usually, he would try to brighten her mood, but he was currently helping his youngest twin siblings, Sota and Kenzo, get dressed for the cold weather.

"Kaito, Kaito!" Kenzo called as Kaito tied Sota's shoelaces. "Why can't we stay home? I wanna play in the snow!" he declared, his little face scrunched up into a sour pouting look, which was all the more amusing seeing as how his puffy hooded coat slightly smushed his cheeks as if to amplify his poutiness. With an amused grin, Kaito gave a small shrug as he paid attention to tying Sota's shoes.

"Well, school's important Kenzo. Plus, it wouldn't be fair if you got to stay home while your friends had to go to school, would it?" he asked, glancing over to Kenzo with an arched brow as he finished tying Sota's shoe. Kenzo's pouty face remained, but he seemed to reluctantly agree with his older brother. With a sigh, Kaito rose to his feet and grabbed the twin's bags, beginning to help put them on their backs. "How about this, when we both have the day off I'll take you both down to the park and we'll play as much as you want. How's that?" he asked, which prompted both Kenzo and Sota to spin around with beaming smiles and practically sparkling eyes of excitement.

"Really? You mean it!?" Kenzo questioned while Sota bounced up and down beside him.

"Yeah, you really mean it!?" Sota asked, parroting his brother and making Kaito grin at the sight of their happy face.

"Yep, totally mean it. But only if you go to school without those sour faces, alright?" Kenzo seemed to slightly deflate at those conditions.

"But it's boring," he groaned which nearly made Kaito chuckle.

"Come on, you always say that but always come home with a smile," he replied with a smile of his own.

"That's cuz I'm home," Kenzo said with a deadpan expression. Kaito snickered before rustling his brother's head.

"Just don't be a sourpuss and have fun at school," he said before looking between the two of them. "Alright, you all set to go?" he asked which was answered with two head nods from the twins. "Perfect," he smiled before looking over his shoulder to see his mother finally starting to corral everyone towards the door.

"Okay, okay lets go!" she barked before seeing that the twins were ready for school, a bright smile widening on her face as she wrapped a scarf around her neck. "Look at my cute little men, all ready for the day," she said, kneeling down to give them both a gentle squeeze of their cheeks. "Thank you Kaito, I just had some last-minute documents to get straightened away before work," she thanked him before giving him a peck on the head.

"All good, I was done getting ready anyways," he replied before grabbing his backpack off the kitchen counter and watching everyone file out the front door. Looking at Yumi as she rose from the couch she was lazing on, Kaito gave her a bright smile which was answered with an eye roll before heading for the door.

"Have a good day you two! Your dad should be home by the time you get back!" their mother called out as Kaito followed Yumi out the door. A blast of cold air brushed along his face, making him take in a deep breath and catch up with his sister who still wore a grumpy expression. "So, not feeling today?" he questioned as he tucked his hands into his orange puffy jacket.

"I'm never 'feeling' any day," she replied as she flipped her fur-lined jacket hood over her head. Kaito chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I know, figured I'd ask anyways," he said, receiving only silence as his sister directed her attention to her phone. A small sigh escaped him at his sister's sour mood, slightly disappointed to see her in such a state again. For the past year and a half, Yumi seemed to get moodier and quieter as the days went on, not being as open and fun as she used to be. His mother said she was just going through a phase for her age, but Kaito was still disheartened by it. Hopefully, it was just that, a phase. Though having concern for his little sister ate away at him, Kaito felt the tenseness of last night's patrol trickle down his spine, the night's hunt had been a bit more stressful than it had been for a while having come across more Wraith than usual. He even made the mistake of lowering his guard, nearly getting blinded side by one of them when he wasn't looking. That was a rookie mistake, something he shouldn't be making at this point in his line of work. If he were to leave himself open like that again he'd dread what could possibly happen. It was a reminder to not get cocky.

The silent thoughts of 'what if' drifted through his mind, reminding him of the constant weight placed on his shoulders before finally he took a deep breath and slapped both his cheeks, making Yumi jump at the sudden action and looking at her brother as if he were crazy. "What was that for?" she asked before Kaito looked to her with pinkish-red cheeks, a bright smile spread across his face.

"Let's have a good day Yumi!" he declared with a fist pump, making his sister arch a brow and swear she could see smoke drifting from the slap to his now reddened cheeks. She gave a small sigh before looking back to her phone.

"God you're weird," she said as she walked a bit faster ahead of him, but Kaito could just barely make out a ghost of a smile. He chuckled, considering that technical smile as the first win of the day. Though his cheeks stung a bit, Kaito was determined to have a good day at school, putting aside his responsibilities and ignoring that weight for the time being. Looking up to the sky, a pleased smile came to his face as he looked amongst the drifting clouds, the dim light of the sun peeking through and the occasional birds flying by. A beautiful sight that never gets old, no matter the weather. Today would be a good day.

---

By the time Kaito and his sister reached the academy's entrance, Yumi spotted her small group of friends and gave a lazy wave to him as she hurried to meet them. Though her friends seemed a bit on the delinquent side of things, they were a nice enough bunch, just a little intimidating to others. After separating from his sister Kaito gave a quick scan of the campus, standing a bit straighter as the familiar environment felt comfortable to enter again. As he took his time making his way to the academy building, he wore a bright smile on his face, each step encouraging more confidence in himself to have a good day. He'd give an occasional greeting and wave to other students he passed; his practically beaming smile seemingly infectious to others who looked his way. It was no secret Kaito got along well with most people around him, rarely making any enemies with people he meets. Even the staff of the academy were always warm to his welcoming aura. At times he can even draw in a small crowd of peers around him. It can be a bit embarrassing at times with the amount of attention he could pull in, but he always found it to be flattering and a good chance to meet new people.

A creeping thought in his head lingered though. He knew others like him possibly attended this academy, knowing one of them that went to school here, but a concerning thought of possible witches and warlocks being here always crept in the back of his head. Not only was it concerning that his enemies were just a stone's toss away from him, but it was even more concerning that they led daily lives like him. It would make his stomach sink at the idea, but knew it was just a cruel truth in this line of work. Brushing the worries aside with a roll of his shoulders, Kaito quickened his pace to the main building, keeping his bright smile and positive energy towards the day ahead of him.

 

[Nothingness]

CODE BY SEROBLISS

Yuzuki Takeru

Sentinel

Location: Martial Arts Club Room
Mentions: Spectra_Mercury Guppy Franz Nellancholy serenibee Evie Maiden Of Apples
Interactions: N/A

As students started to fill the school's campus grounds one after the other, many of them seemed to prefer to remain outside in the cold to either catch up with friends or procrastinate the time before school officially started, Yuzuki on the other hand had business to deal with inside the school before classes began. As he proceeded to head towards the large building, several individuals caught his attention just out of curiosity. The first to catch his attention were two of the most well-known males throughout the academy, Aki and Hikaru, they were practically the closest thing one would call idols as they conversed with two others, one being known to practically beat all the gamers in the Game Club at school with relative ease while the other was a woman that Yuzuki did not know who she was, only that she was just another student. The next moment the sound of a shouting apology had him snap his head in the direction of the noise only to find what appeared to be another girl, this one looked completely unfamiliar to Yuzuki, he had been attending Mitakihara Academy for several years now and yet he had never seen her before, either way, she seemed to have bumped into a fellow student causing her books to drop, while he would've normally offered to help with a situation, he had something to attend to. The final individual that Yuzuki had caught a glimpse of was the school's neighborhood 'nice guy', Kaito Hansuke, he appeared to have been 'high fiving' and greeting his fellow students in a rather highly optimistic sort of manner, at times Yuzuki had pondered on the thought of whether or not he ever even felt any sense of negativity considering how positive he was all the time. Making his way towards the large building and finally through the rotating doors only to be greeted by a few of his teachers who were conversing with one another regarding personal matters, even when taking notice of Yuzuki entering, they continued their conversation as though he weren't even there, that was completely fine with him as Yuzuki made his way throughout the mostly empty hallways before heading up to the third floor. As he neared his destination, the distant and muffled sounds of multiple 'Haa!' speaking in unison in repeated patterns could be heard, only growing louder until finally reaching the source of the sounds.

Opening the door to the large room, Yuzuki was greeted by many of his fellow peers, some were younger and others appeared to be around the same age as him. Everyone had been dressed in a white gi and each person wore a different colored belt to represent their rank. The room was home to the Martial Arts Club, while normally they'd all meet together after school for practice, but with the upcoming tournament, their instructor had changed the schedule to be meeting after school and right before classes started. Speaking of which, the instructor, a middle-aged man who wore the same white gi with a black belt that had multiple stripes on it to indicate how he was already far beyond those with ordinary black belts. "You're late Yuzuki." As the instructor spoke, Yuzuki was quick to drop his bag, placing his arms to his sides before bowing deeply to show his respect. "I know. I'm sorry Sensei. It won't happen again." After apologizing, the older man responded with a heavy sigh before crossing his arms and returning his attention to his students. "I know you live far Yuzuki, but that is no excuse for you being late this much. This will be the last time I overlook your tardiness, next time you're late, you will be written up. Even if you are one of our best, it does not excuse you...now, get dressed."

With the stern threat of being written up, Yuzuki could only nod his head while he remained in his bowed position before being told to get dressed in his gi. Sprinting to the room connected to the main room, he was lead into a large locker room where many of his fellow peers had their bags sitting in front of each of their own lockers. Heading to his locker, rather than grabbing his gi and changing in the designated changing room, he stripped himself down in the locker room before changing completely. Hurrying his way back into the main room, he joined in on the training, throwing punch after punch in unison with his fellow peers.

 

[Evie Maiden Of Apples]

Phoebe & Lincoln Brooks
Hemera & Nereus


Location: Mitakihara Academy
Interactions: Mayumi ( serenibee )

Lincoln let out a surprised grunt when someone had bumped into him, making him stumble for a second until he quickly regained his footing. He looked down at the girl who started to profusely apologize to him, and he furrowed his brow, glaring down at her with a scowl on his lips. "You need to be more careful and watch where you're going. Don't just stay down there, get up! It's embarrassing to see you in such a way."

"Lincoln, be nice!" Phoebe scolded her brother, which prompted him to turn away. She sighed and bent down before Mayumi with a soft smile. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, my brother's always cranky. Don't mind him too much, okay? I'm Phoebe, by the way. What's your name?"

"You don't have time to make new friends, Phoebe. We need to get to class." Lincoln informed in his usual stern tone.

"Go on without me, Lincoln, I'll be fine!" Phoebe insisted, "I wanna help our new friend here."

Lincoln quirked a brow, what did she mean by our new friend? He rolled his eyes and walked on ahead, "Five minutes, Phoebe. You cannot afford to be late, the sensei in this class is pretty strict."

"I know, Lincoln! Ugh, brothers." Phoebe rolled her eyes but smiled at Mayumi, "Come on, it's alright. Underneath it all, he's a big sensitive bean. He just doesn't like to show it." She whispered those last words out.​

 

[serenibee]

_Mayumi Rose Bell_
(sorry if things are inconsistent, I’m editing this on my phone)
Location: Mitakihara Academy
Interactions: Evie Maiden Of Apples
Mentions: Guppy Franz , Managarmrr , Spectra_Mercury , Squad141 , @

***
​

Talking with Phoebe was quite interesting. She wondered if she had ever even heard the rumors about her. Often times people would hesitate to become friends with her due to the rumors surrounding her. Things such as “She’s escaped from an insane asylum.” or “She can talk to ghosts!” Things such as that. Somehow the only person that made friends with her was an old magical girl but she died in the middle of a battle. Phoebe didn’t seem to care about the rumors, she didn’t even seem to notice how sometimes she would talk to herself for random periods of time. It was strange, having an actual friend besides Hikari. Looking around at the scenery, she noticed a few different people that piqued her interest. A older boy who had lots of people surrounding him. He seemed very popular and lively. Beside him was another boy on a bench, reading a book. He glanced up to stare at her. His unwavering cold glance piercing into the depths of her soul. She gulped nervously and walked forward. Phoebe didn’t notice her worry and continued to talk to her about academics. Apparently Phoebe was a senior! When Mayumi first met her, she assumed she was the same age as her but she was seventeen! Mayumi’s first thought after figuring this out was Why are there so many seniors here?? But after that she warmed up to her. It was nice having a senior for a friend. After walking for awhile, she looked over to notice Arian Hasumi. She knew his name just because of the time she tried to join the Games Club and was kicked out after an embarrassing yet confusing game of chess. Somehow when she thought she had won, he would put her in check once again. Arian was talking to another boy, this one Mayumi didn’t recognize. He seemed to be wanting to join the games club as well. Mayumi rolled her eyes at this. “Yeah like he could win against Arian…” Phoebe glanced over at her. “You say something?” Mayumi shook her head, her face growing red. “N-no!!!” They continued to walk down what felt like an infinite hallway. Phoebe seemed to know quite a few people, waving to those she noticed and sometimes engaging in small talk with them. Mayumi felt a little nervous being friends with Phoebe, she had all of these wonderful friends and she was just a shy girl who people called insane. “This is your classroom, right?” Mayumi nodded her head. “Alright! Bye!” She ran off to her class and Mayumi sighed. “She was nice…” “Ooooh! You have a new friend! See this is working out great!” Hikari cheered. Mayumi smiled. This day was going great. She had a new friend. Mayumi sat down in her seat as a couple more students poured inside the classroom. The teacher closed the door and began her lesson. “Math…” Hikari grumbled. “It’s fine…but boring.” Mayumi looked out the window and just admired the scenery. Doodling the Wintery landscape in her notebook.

 

[Necromantic]

"Geez, slow down. You don't need to drag me."

Aki would have to disagree with that. Hikaru was stubborn when he wanted something, and if he'd wanted to stay outside he would've. If he hadn't started dragging him, they surely would've still been standing in the cold. Sure, Aki could've left him, but he still needed a few things from Hikaru.

"It's cold." Aki retorted. It was cold, and he was tired, and he didn't really want to be at school, and- "Let's go shopping later, if nothing comes up."

"Huh? Yeah, sure."

And so, Hikaru apparently completely forgot he was supposed to be offended by Aki dragging him into the school, despite his friend's hand still being around his waist.

Hikaru's attention shifted when he saw a familiar looking head of black hair entering the school doors. Tall, two differently coloured eyes, looking almost like Aki would if his hair and eye colours were inverted, he found it easy to pick Kaito out in a crowd. It'd been forever since he'd seen any of his classmates that weren't also Warlocks or Witches or Akihiko! Hikaru put on a bright smile and waved at Kaito.

"Kaito, sup!" Hikaru waved at him, grabbing his grumpy companion by his shirt and dragging him over to Kaito. Sure, he didn't need to bring him along, but grouping three of the most popular boys in the school together was bound to get some eyes on them, and Hikaru loved attention.

"...Morning, Hansuke-chan~" Aki greeted as well after a moment, his voice deceptively cheerful.

Guppy Franz

 

[redraider]

It was the kind of day right out of a storybook. The sun shining, the birds chirping. A perfect day to go outside for a walk, maybe even have a picnic. So of course, it was a school day. So much for relaxation. And to make matters far worse, Amanda was running late.

Not that anyone could blame her, after the dream she'd had last night. But she couldn't just tell people. A woman in a gown of starlight? A wish, like some b-grade fairytale? No, they'd laugh in her face. At best, she'd be a social pariah. At worst, they'd haul her off in one of those funny jackets and toss her in a rubber room. And therefore, she would keep her mouth shut. Thus, she wheeled herself along in silence.

Coming up, she spotted her friend Usagi. The blonde pulled up next to her. "Good to see you, Usagi. Did you catch last night's episode of Magical Princess Midori? I was doing our math homework, so I missed it."

 

[Spectra_Mercury]

Mercurius Aleator

Arian Hasumi

”I’ll see you on the other side. But I’d kill to bring you back tonight.”

Arian let out a disgruntled groan once he arrived inside the school. The warmth of the school’s heating immediately stole away the preferred coldness he had gathered outside. He immediately took his jacket off and hun it over his shoulder, the same one his school bag was slung over. A tiny bit cooler, but not by much. Arian would attempt to make his way to class, only to be met with a small crowd of students. Another disgruntled groan left his mouth as he rolled his eyes, after standing on his tiptoes he managed to see what the small crowd was all about. Once he spotted what they were looking at, it all made sense to him.

“You two certainly know how to make a scene.” Arian pushed his way through the crowd, stopping beside his two warlock co-workers and a student with a green and red eye. Arain gave the two a small smile as he spoke, but the look in his eyes told a very, very different story. “You two are still coming to club after school, right?” Arain asked. He wasn’t referring to the Games Club he was in, if it was that he wouldn’t even be near Aki and Hikaru. The club he mentioned was in reference to the ‘Paranormal Club’ him and the other warlocks and witches of the school created. Of course it wasn’t an actual club pertaining to Paranormal investigations and the such, just a cover for them to discuss their plans for the future.

“And please-“ Arian looked back at the small group, mainly filled with girls in the same year or below them stood. “-Try not to make a scene like this this early in the morning.” Before walking off, Arian looked towards the guy mismatched eyes he didn’t recognize. The small fake smile crossed Arian’s face once again before giving the guy a wink, before strutting off to his first class.

Necromantic Guppy Franz

Code By Nano

 

[Theasuke]

CROW

YUUSUKE MIURA

Warlock

LOCATION

Home > Mitakihara Academy

MOOD

"Can I go back to sleep now?"

INTERACTIONS

None

MENTIONS

Nellancholy Necromantic Spectra_Mercury

'To water or not to water?'

That was the question that plagued Yuusuke this particular Monday morning, chin in hand, his face contorting so deeply that anyone would think he was crossing paths with his worst enemy on the battlefield. In reality, what stood before him was merely his little indoor garden, a row of color-coded pots sitting on top of his windowsill and dangling down from the ceiling. Among them, the one that stood the tallest was of the Araceae family, also known as a Peace Lily.

He'd had one of these in the past, and although they were considered to be easy to take care of, making it thrive proved to be an unexpected challenge; it wasn't producing any new flowers. That one was unfortunately short-lived. The stem had been suffering from something akin to rot, one day he noticed, and it had finally succumbed to its fate not long after. He had no clue what exactly had been the cause—either overwatering or some other underlying issue with the roots, no doubt, although it was always exceedingly hard to tell—and it had made him apprehensive to raise one again. However, the idea that he had failed at something that he'd been doing for a long time (and enjoyed, even) left him with such indignation that he just had to buy another one.

He ran his fingers tentatively across the surface, feeling the dry yet not-quite-dry soil brush against his skin. It still felt a little moist, but it had also been quite a long while since Yuusuke had last given it any water. The weather had started to chill, so do it one too many times and it would prove to be especially fatal in this low light and low temperature environment. There was no room for mistakes. Yuusuke pinched his fingers and brought them before his face. Narrowing his eyes, he finally came to a logical decision: to deal with it later.

If he didn't start leaving right about now, he'd have another go at this thing called indecisiveness, and chances were he would arrive at school slightly late. Mornings meant homeroom session, and he could not stand his homeroom teacher's incessant nagging. Despite Yuusuke having consistently placed high on tests—and this by constantly being distracted and bored out of his mind, skipping classes here and there—he couldn't completely escape the disapproving looks and a very public scolding every so often. Usually it's nothing he would fret about, but on a Monday? That's a whole other issue.

Yuusuke washed his hands, slumped his bag over his shoulder and went downstairs.

As per usual, the house was eerily quiet, making the creaking of the wooden stairs sound particularly loud. Yuusuke made his way to the kitchen, his eyes darting to one side of the room to the other in a quick practiced motion.

The morning sun struggled to peek through the heavy curtains. A solitary beam broke through, casting a path that drew Yuusuke's gaze all the way to the kitchen table. There, the ray of light painted a straight line across the surface, splitting it in two. On one side, a figure was sitting, chin propped up on her hands, her gaze serene as she smiled gently at the other end of the table. There was a plate there, filled to the brim with what could only be presumed to be breakfast; the chair, though, stood empty. His uncle had most likely already left for work. There was no one else in the house at this moment. Yuusuke knew, however, that it was not meant for him.

The sight made him feel sick.

Yuusuke grabbed the plate and slid it across the table. It stopped right in front of the older woman, who remained motionless, likely lost in another universe of her own, unable to find her way back.

"Take care of yourself, auntie." He spoke in a low voice, the words unraveling into a sneer. Despite the apparent care, there was not a single hint of concern in his eyes.

He made his way out of the house, not even bothering with breakfast.

It had snowed. Yuusuke was greeted by a blanket of pristine, snowy white, the cold nipping at his cheeks.

Even with all the power that had been given to him, there were still so many things he was powerless to do, and it frustrated him to no end. One of them was simply the need to survive, something that, as things stood right now, he could not do on his own. Until he had the means to stand on his own feet or until the Goddess's plan was completed, whatever or whenever that might be, he needed to keep these people alive.

He exhaled slowly, watching his breath form a small cloud that dissipated into the air, along with his thoughts. He grabbed his earbuds out of his pocket and started walking, officially putting his day into motion.

Yuusuke usually took the train, his uncle's house being a certain distance away from the academy. He quite liked the mechanical buzz of the engines, watching the tall structures made out of metal and glass blur together through the windows. It always had felt very different from his memories when he was little, back in the countryside, away from all the dense mass of constructions and skyscrapers. Even after nearly six years in this city, something about the sight of snow endlessly piling up and melting against the dark cold buildings still captivated him.

***

The same street, the same gates, the same zombie-like gazes, and the same overly enthusiastic voices. Of course, Yuusuke never paid any mind to anyone. He did notice, however, the unusual amount of his colleagues gathering outside and at the entrance of the school building, in addition to some familiar classmates and club members scattered here and there. Apparently everyone had decided to show up at the same time today, for some bizarre reason; Yuusuke must have missed the memo, otherwise he would have lingered at home pondering over questions that actually mattered.

There was Omen outside, as composed as ever, and that was the only thing Yuusuke could ever come up with for her. He realized how little information he had on the other woman, but he was convinced that was surely intended. And then there was Arian, appearing to have finished whatever he was discussing with that one pair of warlocks. Yuusuke had no particular opinion of him, but it was true that every single time he happened to lay eyes on the guy, he was always reminded just how tall Mercury was in comparison. Finding out there was a regular-sized teenager beneath all that might have struck a stronger impression on him than he had initially realized. Those two warlocks, the ones he suspected couldn't be physically apart from each other for more than 5 minutes or they would combust, were engaging in conversation with someone else. Although their presence certainly did stand out, if the crowd was anything to judge by, for some reason, he was drawing a blank on their names. Yuusuke wasn't too familiar with them, nor with their idol shtick; he always had thought they were a bit too weird, even for his standards. Maybe different would be a better term.

Yuusuke had no intention of greeting anyone he was familiar with, not because he harbored some secret dislike for someone in particular, but simply because he never did, and he found no reason to make an exception now. So, he adopted the same strategy he always had in moments like this—pretending to be blind. Yuusuke adjusted his earbuds, tightened the scarf around the lower half of his face, shoved his hands inside his pockets and nonchalantly made a point of walking around and avoiding everyone, going straight inside the school building and as far away as possible. Thankfully, the Academy was known to be absolutely massive, and it wasn't everyday something like this happened.

The teenager mechanically made his way, exhaling through the fabric, feeling the heat of his breath against his skin. His gaze stayed on the countless glass walls. Yuusuke watched his reflection mingling with the others walking by, the white halls extending beyond, and suddenly he had the strange thought that they appeared too bright and endless. It was easy to imagine, if someone were to lose their sense of purpose and direction within these walls, to be overwhelmed by it all.

Naturally, such a thing would only benefit someone like him.

code by @Nano

 

[Guppy Franz]

Hansuke Kaito
Interactions: Necromantic
Mentions: Spectra_Mercury​

---

While Kaito didn't mind the cold weather, he did want to get inside to a warmer environment after he walked to school. Unfortunately, he had been caught by a few faces he'd run into in the past, a few 10th-grade students he had helped tutor a year ago during the dreaded exam season. Though they weren't on the top of the board, they still passed, which is the important part at the end of the day. They still come around to hang out or ask for advice with certain topics in class. Kaito never minded since his grades had never dropped below a A-, so most of what was asked was easy to explain. A small part of him wished they caught him inside though, but since he didn't want to be rude he just bared with it and made pleasant conversation, telling a few jokes and getting some decent laughs from them. It felt like second nature to be surrounded by people, even gaining the attention of a few of the girls around school. It was all very flattering and by no means did he dislike the interactions, but at times it could be a bit overwhelming when so many people try to speak with him. Being the center of attention was nice and all, but there had been times when Kaito would have to make up an excuse to slip away and get some air. Luckily now wasn't one of those times, the group with him being rather small and laid back. Plus, it seemed most people were more determined to escape the cold inside the building.

His attention would soon be grabbed by a voice calling his name, making him look to his left and see two familiar faces, more specifically Hikaru since they sat near each other in class. It was hard not to know who they were though with nearly every student talking about them and their idol career. Though Kaito had never been too into Idols, he had listened to a bit of their music and enjoyed their work. So when it came to the crowds they could gather it was no big surprise. Before he could greet them he spotted another familiar face, Arian, giving him a wink before strutting into the building. Kaito tried to wave back but wasn't sure if he had seen it before entering the building. Next time. For now, he quickly snapped his attention back to the two Idols as they reached him, holding up a hand to greet them with a wide grin. "Yo, Hikaru, Aki, morning!" he greeted with a happy tone, matching Aki's cheerful greeting.

"You know Hikaru and Aki?" one of the students a year below him questioned in a low tone with a bit of shock. Was it really that surprising? Plus, he knew they were popular but was that big a deal? He gave a small chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well yeah, me and Hikaru have the same class so I guess it's only natural," he laughed, only to notice a few more of them whispering amongst themselves, their eyes switching between him and the idols. Kaito looked back to the said idols and noticed behind them that a LOT more eyes from the previous crowd with Hikaru and Aki were directed at them. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but he did have to hold back a sigh and keep his grin as he looked back at them. "Always have a crowd to perform for, on or off the stage huh?" he asked with a chuckle before tucking his hands into his puffy orange jacket. "So, what's up guys? How have you two been doing? By the looks of your 'adoring fans' over there, the Idol biz is still going well," he commented nodding his head to the onlookers behind them.

 

[Nellancholy]

"...Oh." Despite her supposedly preternatural insight, it took a while for Sibylla to process what Arian was doing for her. A surprisingly kind gesture, one that exceeded the obligations they had towards each other as nominal allies. She felt a little hesitant at accepting his kindness, though she knew there was no ulterior motive behind it. "Thank you, Merc- Hasumi." She nodded in acknowledgement, satisfied with her current standard of hydration. Having disposed of her old bottle, she got up to move shortly after he did. And as they parted ways, she took a moment to note the movement that happened in the dark void of her eyes, the thread that extended from her chest to his twanging slightly as they walked in different directions. Spectra_Mercury

As much as she would like to stay still and monitor the threads of fate, she couldn't afford to draw notice right at this time. "Greetings, emissary of Morrigan." She greeted Yuusuke briefly as he passed her. "Perhaps we will meet at the Paranormal Society this afternoon?" He was one member of Nix's group here that tended to be less sociable than even her; but having him around would be no small boon whenever they needed to act against the followers of Aurora and their blinding light. It must be no accident that his magical form resembled that of a crow: they were a symbol of the Morrigan, the threefold goddesses of war. More than the petty, dirty bird that crows were seen as, his form must have been a gift. And so she extended the invitation to him, though foretelling if he would show was as uncertain as the flip of a coin. Theasuke

Not yet settling into class, she came up behind Hansuke quietly, noticing him getting embroiled in the group of idol fangirls. She sighed. Unlike her, he had received some kind of miracle that had restored his mortal, fleshy sight, unlike her gift of sight beyond. But that didn't mean his heart was free from cracks. Perhaps one day the day would come for her to help him face his deepest fear and regret as well...she would keep observing him in the meantime. Guppy Franz