Ninth House | Official RP Thread

[idiot.exe]

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Outside the Party - with Lenore

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Something about his demeanor had raised Lenore’s suspicion. Whether it was the tension in his shoulders, the way his eyes darted impatiently from side to side — well, he was doing a rather poor job at hiding his intentions.

Dominic cleared his throat. “Yes, I’m alright. I… Just needed some air.”

He looked down at her hand, extended in invitation. His brows furrowed, wondering just what her plan was. His gaze moved down to her palm, then back at her expecting eyes, over and over. But while she expected an answer from him, the hand at his side refused to move, frozen in hesitation.

Except as she stepped towards him, he took a step back.

“What is this ‘thing’?” He looked back behind her, at the hallway stretching ahead. If he hadn’t been stopped, he’d already be at the end of it, into the dorm which held the door to his escape.

And yet, he couldn’t move away from her. Words such as goodbye, or I must go, remained at the back of his throat, but he lacked the strength to speak them to her face.

Five minutes.

He listened to her explain her costume, an obvious answer that somehow felt out of reach in his foggy brain. Had the stress been worse on him than he assumed? “Aha… I suspected as much.” He looked down at her shoes, avoiding her eyes. “It was obvious, I just needed a confirmation.”

It appeared he’d come off as judgemental when he asked. But instead of correcting her, he only continued with, “I didn’t want to waste my time on a costume I’d wear for a day.” An honest answer, yet unknowingly harsher than his previous one. This question was one of the few he’d thought through beforehand, knowing fully well how much attention he’d gather lacking a costume. He figured as much during the ball. This time, she couldn’t suspect him.

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@Caticorn ⋅𖥔⋅ Lenore Ferrell

Sorry this post is kinda bad and I haven’t replied since last year but I’M FINALLY DONE

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[astxrism]

{ after the hunt / with Thalia }

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Hayes exhaled slowly, watching the smoke curl and twist before dissipating into the air between them. He didn’t believe her… not for a second but what reason does he have to call her out on it? He let the silence stretch, his gaze dragging over her like he was searching for the truth beneath the lie she just offered him. Thalia was many things, most good things he could recognize in a person, but she didn’t seem like a good liar. Not to him, at least.

”Celestial science?“ Hayes repeated, this time with less skepticism… more casual interest. There was a soft smile on his lips and suddenly he was playing along. ” Yeah, makes sense. I mean, who doesn’t want to return a book in the middle of a party? Real considerate of you.“

He leaned against the pillar, tilting his head slightly as if the idea was growing on him.
”Actually… That’s funny, because-“ A soft chuckle as his cigarette burned out. Taking a few slow steps to the closest bin, he let that last word hang in the air…becauuuuse… Throwing that cigarettes bud, he simply glanced back at Thalia. ”I’m here for the same reason.“ His voice had shifted - lighter, almost friendly, like this was just some normal coincidence between two normal people. Like he actually believed her. ”I was supposed to meet someone too. Big celestial science fan, you know how it is.“ He waved his hand like this was all completely natural. ”Crazy timing, huh?“

Then, as if the thought had just occurred to him, his gaze flicked to her bag. ”So you got the book on you? Can I see it?“ A friendly smile still on his lips he walked over to Thalia, just one more step in between them. His words were smooth, effortless. A simple request. A harmless question. He watched her closely, waiting for the tell - that hesitation or flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. ”Just curious,“ he added, voice still light, easy. ”Gotta make sure we’re not waiting on the same guy, right?“

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@Kristi

[astxrism]

{ November 1 }

At this school excellence isn’t just rewarded - it’s tested.

Every school year there comes a week when certain students disappear. Not randomly. Not by accident. The school takes them.

Only those who show exceptional talent, intelligence, or potential are chosen, or that’s what they like to think. Are they ones most likely to reach the top or quite the opposite? But before they do - before they are allowed to truly belong to the school’s hidden elite they must prove they are worthy.

This is what happens when they disappear - some return stronger, some return broken and some never return at all. The test is not for their success. It is for their survival.

{ The chosen one }
Leading up to the event students who went missing start feeling watched. Books go missing from their shelves, replaced with strange notes or pages. Some start having dreams - not their own, but visions of an endless hallway, unknown languages or a door they cannot open.

In the middle of an otherwise normal day, the chosen students vanish. One moment, they are there; the next their seat is empty, their name is ignored as if they were never in attendance. The staff refuses to acknowledge their absence, claiming they are simply out sick or attending private lessons. Some classmates begin searching, others assume it’s just another mystery best left alone.

{ For everyone }
There’s an empty seat where your friend used to be. You know they were there just a moment ago - you spoke to them, they laughed at your joke, they wrote something in their notebook.
The teacher doesn’t acknowledge their absence. When you ask about them, you’re met with confused looks.

Their books are missing from their desk. Their name is not on today’s attendance.
Something is wrong.

Do you search for them?
Do you pretend not to notice?
Do you ask the wrong questions?

---

{ Who went missing? }

What each of them remember from that day they went missing? You’ll find out soon. But first -

The day seems normal… “normal” for everyone else. You wake up, you go to classes but your friend is still not there? What do you?

While you ponder on that the chosen students all wake up in the same room.

Welcome back Lenore, Amani, Innesa, Agastya, Arya, Dominic and Vincenzo.

You wake up to the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps.
The air is thick with dust, old candle wax, and something metallic - blood or rust, you can’t tell.
Your last memory? A voice. A question. A feeling of falling.

Miles North stands before you. His gaze lingers on each of you, his expression unreadable.
“You’re awake.” He exhales, almost relieved… almost. Then he leans back against the wall, arms crossed.

@NinthHouse

[astxrism]

{ day the students come back }

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The room is silent except for the slow, rhythmic drip of water from somewhere above. Miles watches them - seven students, sprawled across the cold stone floor, their breaths uneven, their fingers twitching like marionettes cut loose from their strings. The candlelight flickers against their skin, casting their shadows unnaturally long.
Miles has seen this before. He’s lived this before.

The first one stirs… then another… another. Their eyes flutter open, wide and unfocused, pupils too wide. Their minds are still trying to bridge the gap between where they were and where they are now. Miles waits. One of them sits up too fast, gasps. Another flinches as if expecting pain. They don’t remember yet. Not all of it. Not until the school decides what to let them keep.

The last one wakes. Now it begins. “You’re awake.” He exhales, almost relieved… almost. Then he leans back against the wall, arms crossed. “Welcome back.” His voice cuts through the quiet like a knife through paper. All of them seem to be staring at him. He doesn’t look at them with pity. There’s no point to it, really. Instead, he folds his arms across his chest, standing near the only door in the room. “Don’t look so confused… You must’ve known this was coming.” He tilts his head.

---

Each of them remembers something different.

Some remember a cold, dark room lined with mirrors. But the reflections weren’t theirs. They were older. Younger. Twisted.
Some remember the voice behind the door, whispering riddles they could almost understand. Some remember an endless hallway of locked doors. Each with a name carved into it. One of those doors had their own name on it… But was it really a door?
Some remember a teacher’s voice. Not Miles. Someone they know. Someone who let this happen.
Some remember nothing at all. And that should terrify them more than anything.

---

One of them speaks first. *“What is this?” Their voice was raw from disuse but a hint of anger could be heard. Miles exhales sharply, gaze flickering to the walls. “That depends on you.” He steps closer, lowering his voice. “You were chosen. Taken. Tested… And you passed.” Something that resembled a smile crossed his features. “You don’t have to understand it. Not now… Maybe not ever. I’m not sure I do.” Those last words he added almost as a whisper. Thinking aloud, for a second his mind drifting. “But listen to me - forget what you think you know about this school… This isn’t about classes, grades, or who can recite the most theories.” His voice was low now and as he paused the candlelight flickered - almost as a warning for him not to speak. So Mile’s simply gestures to the door. “It’s open now. You can go back.” For a short second no one moves.

“What, were you expecting answers?” He smirks, but there’s no humor in it. “The school gave you what it wanted you to have… Take my advice - walk out that door, go back to your dorm and pretend you never woke up here.” A pause. “If you get too curious the school might decide it made a mistake letting you go.” That he added as a whisper once again. A thought he knew he shouldn’t let slip out. And instead of bringing his gaze back to them and give them some real answers he kept looking at the door waiting for them to leave.

---

Students leave the mysterious room.
They are in a hallway unknown to them.
There are no doors except the one at the very end. A door that will lead them outside.
Back to the courtyard.
From under the oldest tree.
Underground.
For students did not know they were in the chamber of whispers and they wouldn’t be able to open that hidden door again.
Unless they figure out how to.

---

The door clicks shut.

The air in the chamber shifts - lighter now, like it exhaled with relief. But Miles feels the weight settle back onto his shoulders. He shouldn’t have said that last part. His fingers tighten around his sleeves as he slowly exhales, letting his head thud against the cold stone wall behind him. The candlelight is lower now, the room itself feels smaller. Like it’s watching him.

There’s a whisper…aint. Almost like it’s coming from the walls but Miles doesn’t turn around. He’s learned not to. Instead, Miles runs a hand down his face and steps toward the door. But before he can leave - “That was quite the performance.”

The voice is smooth, familiar in a way that makes his stomach twist. Miles freezes. For a second, he hopes he’s imagining it. That the room is playing tricks on him like it always does. But when he turns, he sees Adrian Dear, standing in the doorway with that same unreadable expression, always looking so amused.

Miles forces himself to straighten. “I was just following protocol,” he says, keeping his voice even. Adrian steps into the room and the door closes behind him, but Miles swears he doesn’t touch it. “Oh, of course. I’m sure you didn’t say anything… extra.” All Miles could do is swallow hard and keep his cool. “You spoke too much.” Adrian’s words are gentle… too gentle. Like he’s not mad. Like he’s just… noticing. For a moment, neither of them speak. The air in the room hums with something unsaid… Then Adrian smiles.
It’s slight, barely there, but something about it makes Miles’ skin crawl. “Well,” Adrian finally sighs, rolling his shoulders back as if losing interest, “I suppose we’ll see what they remember, won’t we?”

He steps past Miles, reaching for the door. But before he leaves, he pauses - just long enough to glance at Miles over his shoulder. “The day is waiting for us, North.”

---

@NinthHouse

[Kristi]

] [[౨ৎmusique ౨ৎ )]

Amani has always wondered—how did it feel to die? When the air in your lungs gave out, when your ribs caved inward like an abandoned house, when the weight of existence finally slipped from your shoulders like an over-worn coat. Was it quiet, like slipping beneath the surface of a still lake? Or violent, like a door torn from its hinges in a storm?

She has heard people say it feels like floating, like a dream pulling you under. But she remembers drowning in a way that never quite let go, the slow crawl of suffocation, the sharp edges of fear gnawing at the back of her throat.

Dying wasn’t the part that scared her. It was coming back. And yet, in a way Amani had died and come back. The feeling of falling lingered in her bones, like she had been dropped from somewhere high, her body still catching up with her soul. Her fingers curled against the cold stone floor, muscles slow to obey. Her breath hitched, sharp and uneven, like she had forgotten how to inhale.

Amani opened her eyes to flickering candlelight and shadows stretched too long, too wrong. The scent of wax and rust thick in the air. Footsteps—measured, deliberate. A voice.

“You’re awake.”

Her mind fought through the fog, piecing itself back together. She remembered the hollow weight in her chest before she disappeared. The way the world had blurred at the edges, how she had reached for something—someone—before everything turned inside out. She remembered something else, some sort of glowing light, masked faces, eyes staring straight at her skull. She was awake, but how come it didn’t feel like she was. She blinked, as her eyes finally registered the people in the room, Miles North in the room, he was alive, when everyone had assumed him dead and she was alive too. Perhaps, if her long nails had not dug into her skin, she would have thought she was dead, but she knew, she was not. Though, she remembered something completely different. Her eyes flickered to the rest of the students in the room, waiting for them to say something, but no one said a word, until finally someone had taken the lead–she didn’t remember who, her mind stuck in a state of fog, confusion and her headache large. See, the thing is, Amani has always been a sickly child, she had once been so sick that she wasn’t allowed to see anyone but the family until she turned 10 and she was given her pet creature in order to keep her stable and also drugs she took occasionally. Nevertheless, this feeling, this foggy feeling, is not something Amani has experienced in a while since she turned 20 and she did not really think she did anything to trigger a feeling of sickness, so she wondered, what exactly happened before they landed themselves in here? Then finally, she felt a sharp pain in her arm, and blood flowed through her and she coughed as Miles left the room. That made her feel better. “Great,” Amani said, trying to regain her voice admits this chaos. “Not only were we basically kidnapped, I had to be kidnapped with you guys,” She scoffed, believing the whole ‘they had passed a test thing’ Miles had said to be bullshxt, what exactly was happening? She turned to Lenore, anxiety still clouding her mind but she hid it, as she often did and said, “Well at least you’re here too,”

---

@Caticorn

[astxrism]

{ the day before }
{ and I find it kinda funny }

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The first thing Hayes noticed was the sky - still dark but shifting, the night’s deep navy slowly fading to the earliest hints of morning. The world outside his window as serene as ever, a quiet before the day began. A moment that spoke to him the most, a moment where everything was still and for just a few breaths he could pretend nothing was waiting for him when the sun rose. Hayes ran a hand through his hair, eyes flicking toward the flipped ashtray besides his notebooks on the floor, that smell of smoke, a scent that clung to his clothes, his sheets, his skin promising never to leave the room. It will definitely be a hard adjustment to the person who gets his room next year… If that ever happens.

Like always, Hayes dressed in the silence, everything around him still. He could see no movements in the hallways nor the garden from his window. He had nowhere to be just yet, but the stillness of the morning was something he didn’t want to waste. By the time he stepped outside, the air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth. He walked his usual path through the gardens, past the hedges and the towering, ancient trees that had stood long before him and would stand long after. This was his favorite part of the day. Before the noise, before the people… Just him, the cold morning and the illusion that he was the only one awake in the entire school.

The path beneath his feet was worn, familiar and he could barely registered the way his boots left faint imprints in the earth, too lost in the rhythm of his own steps. His hands found his pockets, shoulders rolling forward slightly as he took in the silence, the emptiness of the school grounds before the world changed. His tree was waiting for him - a gnarled thing, its bark worn smooth in certain spots where his hands had gripped it too many times to count. Hayes placed a foot against the lowest branch and hoisted himself up, his body moving out of muscle memory rather than thought. He settled on a thick branch, back against the trunk, one leg bent, the other dangling lazily over the edge. Sometimes it’s funny to him how not a single time… except Miles, has anyone seen him here… But no one cared to be awake this early in the morning. No one cared about the feeling Hayes loved the most - the morning air clinging to his skin, the cold never bothering him. As always, he pulled a cig from his pocket, letting it rest between his fingers as he reached for his sketchbook, the cover worn and edges curling from use. He inhaled deeply, the smoke curling around him, blending into the fog that still clung to the earth below. His pen hovered over the blank page before moving, lines forming with each flick of his wrist… Dead leaves. He had no real reason to sketch them, but something about the way they clung to the branches, fragile and barely holding on, caught his attention. The notebook balanced on his lap as he worked. For a while he let himself exist in that space, his mind for once still.

---

By the time Hayes climbed down from the tree, the sky had completely shifted. The world was waking up, but for once he wasn’t in a rush to move with it. He made his way inside, the halls still hushed but no longer empty. A few early risers drifted about, their movements sluggish, voices still low with sleep… Another day, another stretch of hours to endure.
Hayes entered the classroom, slipping into his usual seat near the back. His notebook hit the desk with a dull thud, fingers absently tapping against the cover. He barely glanced up as the room filled, as the professor arrived, as the lesson began… then he noticed.

The empty seats. Not just one. Several.

He felt as if something crawled up his spine… it took him a moment to put together exactly who was missing. Not just anyone - Lenore. Inessa. Others too… but those two names were the ones that mattered, the ones that made his fingers tighten around his pen. His first instinct was denial. Maybe they were late. Maybe they had a different schedule today. Maybe… No.

The silence was unnatural. Hayes leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly through his nose. He knew how this went - last year it had been Miles. One day he was there, the next he wasn’t. No answers, no explanations. And then, when he finally returned, something in him had changed. Not just changed… fractured? The thought made Hayes’ jaw clench. They would come back. They had to… That’s how this worked, right? People disappeared. Then they returned.

But the waiting… that was the worst part. He should do something. But what? Go searching? It wasn’t like he had some hidden knowledge of the school’s secrets. The ones who went missing never left a trace. Still, the thought of sitting here, listening to the professor while Lenore and Inessa… Lenore and Inessa were somewhere unknown? His knee bounced beneath the desk, restless energy crackling beneath his skin.

Fine. Hayes wasn’t the type to sit and hope. Hope was useless. So instead, he’d do what he always did. He’d watch. Listen. Look for the cracks in the facade, for the moment when the school inevitably revealed its hand… But moment like that never came.

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”THE DAY THEY RETURN - TBC“

[astxrism]

{ they are back / with Inessa }

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One thing Hayes never does is look at his phone the moment he wakes up, but today was different. He could barely sleep last night, hoping that things would be different when the new day comes, hoping his friends, sister will be back. The faint glow of his phone screen illuminating the darkened room. His eyes, tired, adjusted to the harsh light as he blinked at the last thing he had done before trying to fall asleep.

The text was still there. Still unread. Still unanswered.

He exhaled sharply through his nose, running a hand down his face as he let the phone slip from his grip onto the bed. He wasn’t even sure what he expected… what answer he thought might suddenly appear overnight. He had sent it with the vague hope that maybe, just maybe, there would be something. A sign. A response. Anything. But Lenore did not answer, Inessa did not answer.

The silence stretched on, just as it had the day before. His fingers curled around the sheets as he stared up at the ceiling, trying to push back the nagging, uneasy feeling that had settled in his chest since yesterday. He had spent the day watching, listening, waiting for something to shift, for someone to acknowledge what was going on. But as expected, no one had given him a straight answer… They never did. A part of him wanted to skip class. Wanted to ignore the whole thing and pretend none of it mattered. But he knew better than that. He knew how this school worked. So, with a deep breath Hayes pushed himself up.

By the time he got dressed and stepped into the hallway, the world had begun to blur into the usual dull routine… The same corridors, the same distant murmurs of students already awake but suddenly something felt different. Everything went quiet as if everyone was shocked by something that happened and he could see why that was… Hayes slowed his pace, his gaze sharpening as he turned a corner and stopped. There, standing in the hallway, as if she had never been gone was Inessa. For a moment, Hayes just stood there, his breath catching in his throat… They are back. But something wasn’t right. Her posture, the way she held herself - dazed, like someone who had just woken up from a dream they weren’t quite ready to leave. His fingers twitched at his sides, unsure for the first time in a long while of what to do. There was a familiar pull, an urge to close the space between them, to reach out and touch her, just to confirm she was real.

So he moved. His hand shot out before he even registered what he was doing, fingers wrapping around her wrist in a firm, almost desperate grip. ”Ness,“ his voice came out sharp, low and he didn’t loosen his hold. She barely had time to react before he was pulling her, dragging her away from the murmuring students, from the curious glances. He walked quickly, not letting go of her wrist. Maybe it was too rough, but right now, he didn’t care. Only when they slipped inside an empty classroom, the door slamming shut behind them, did he finally let go. And then… before he could stop himself, before he could think, before logic could kick in he hugged her. It wasn’t careful. It wasn’t slow. It wasn’t even something he planned. One second he was standing there, breathing too fast, staring at her like she might vanish again and the next his arms were around her, pulling her close.

He felt the tension but he didn’t let go. He didn’t trust his voice yet… Didn’t trust what might come out if he spoke too soon. He just breathed her in. And then, just as quickly as it happened, he pulled away. Not far, but enough. Enough to see her face, enough to feel the absence of warmth in the space between them. Hayes cleared his throat, forcing himself to focus, to pull himself together. ”What the hell happened?“ His voice wasn’t as steady as he wanted it to be. It came out rough, edged with something he refused to name.

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@Madilfill

[astxrism]

{ they are back / with Lenore }

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Siblings fight. That’s just how it is.
They bicker, they push, they test each other’s limits… They pretend not to care, roll their eyes, act like the other is just an inconvenient person in their lives. Sometimes that is… But beneath all of it, beneath the teasing, the arguing, the long stretches of silence when words go unsaid there’s something unshakable.

A home that no amount of distance could truly take away.

Hayes had always been a little distant. Even when they were younger, he was the quiet one, the one who thought too much, who spent too much time in his own head. And Lenore, well, she had always been the one to pull him out of it. The one who would throw herself into his space, never letting him sink too far. Never letting him be alone. When he came back to this school at the start of the year, he had avoided her. Avoided everyone, really, but it had stung the most with her. He could tell she noticed. Could tell she knew. Lenore had always been sharp like that, picking up on things most people missed. She didn’t call him out on it, not outright, but he felt it. The way she had stopped seeking him out as much. The way she didn’t push when he clearly didn’t want to be found and maybe that’s what hurt the most. Maybe that’s why, the moment he left Inessa standing in the hallway, his heart was already pounding in his chest. He needed to find his sister next.

He walked fast, but not in a way that seemed frantic, just… focused. The hallways were starting to fill again, students moving like nothing had happened, like this was normal… And maybe, in a way, it was. His watch bounced against his wrist with every step. A stupid thing, really if it weren’t for little charms Lenore had made for him years ago. The charms clinked softly against each other as he moved through the halls, turning corners, eyes flicking through every face he passed. He wasn’t even sure what he was going to say when he found her but he had to. Had to see for himself that she was okay.

And then, finally he spotted her. She was standing just outside one of the classrooms, looking as if she hadn’t just disappeared for an entire day. Like she hadn’t been one of them. The relief was instant, but it didn’t come alone… becaue there was also anger. The kind that wasn’t really anger at all.. more fear.

The first thing out of his mouth when he approached her was, ”You never listen.“ His voice was sharp. Too sharp. But it had been building, sitting in his throat. He didn’t stop walking until he was right in front of her, standing too close, jaw tight. ”I told you not to come here,“ the words left him before he could think better of them, but his face showed no anger, at least he tried not to let it show. That’s just not who Hayes was… He knew it wasn’t fair. She had every right to be here, just as much as anyone else, just as much as he did. But that didn’t stop the words.

”I told you..“ He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. He ran a hand over his face, through his hair, dragging the tension with him. He wasn’t yelling… His voice wasn’t loud, but it was heavy. Like he didn’t even know what to do with all the things he wanted to say but couldn’t. ”You think I do this for fun? You think I just—“ There was a different look on his face now. Desperation? Realization he went to far when nothing was her fault? With that he just stopped, not another word leaving his lips, he was only looking at her as if to say sorry.

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@Caticorn

[astxrism]

{ the night before the disappearance }
litttttle freak by harry
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The night had a charming hush to it. The full moon spilled silver across the rooftops and Aurora, bathed in its glow, was lost in the reverie of preparation. Her dorm room was already half transformed into something ethereal with candles, tall and short, lining the shelves and windowsills. Each one was chosen for its scent, its energy - sandalwood and jasmine to invoke clarity, bergamot and vanilla for warmth, a deep, spiced rose that she always kept for gatherings like this. All those aromas were mingling with the steam from the porcelain teapot at the center of her small table. A privilege Aurora had was basically having her own bigger room, twice as big as any other room because this was her life. This was where she lived her whole life.

Tonight was special. Tonight, she had invited her friends for a tea gathering… no, more than that. A tea dinner, a communion of laughter and candlelight, of whispered fortunes and the kind of magic that only existed in moments like these. Aurora moved through the space like an artist tending to her masterpiece… And this did feel like a masterpiece, her own tea party with her closest friends. If you were in a room with her right now you could only hear a delicate clink of china as she arranged mismatched cups, each one chosen for the person who would drink from it. Fine silver spoons rested atop embroidered napkins. A small plate of sugared lavender biscuits sat beside a bowl of ripe berries. She had spent the afternoon crafting new herbal infusions, combining petals and roots in hopes of her quests enjoying some new creations.

This was her magic - not spells you learn in class but this. The careful ritual of warmth, of setting a space, of welcoming people into an atmosphere spun of light and scent and taste. A knock at the door. Then another. Aurora smoothed the fabric of her soft knit sweater, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before she opened the door, revealing the familiar faces of her friends. They filed in, drawn toward the glow, toward the warmth. They drank, they spoke of classes, of strange occurrences in the Ninth House, of dreams, of love affairs and crushes. And then, as the evening deepened, Aurora reached for the tea cup of her friend, “Now, let’s see what the leaves have to say”

“Let’s see your first-” Aurora looked up from her teacup, her fingers still wrapped around the porcelain. Her gaze flickered to the girl across from her, a sly smile playing at her lips.“It’s not as fun that way.” Aurora protested lightly, cradling the cup closer to her. “No, no, pass it over.” Fingers reached for the cup before she could object again. A few others at the table leaned in, eager to hear what the leaves would reveal. Aurora sighed, something about it made her uneasy. She had no trouble reading for others but when it came to herself… well, it always felt more personal. And lately, personal had been dangerous.

The cup tilted in careful hands, and for a moment, no one spoke. “Hmm…” Her friend dragged the sound out, eyes narrowing. “Oh.” “Oh?” Aurora repeated, trying to sound amused rather than on edge. “There’s something here… someone, actually.” The girl turned the cup slightly, analyzing the dark remnants. “Someone unexpected. Someone stepping into your life soon… or maybe they already have.”
“A new suitor,” another voice teased, and a few giggles rippled through the circle. Aurora forced a smile, willing herself to relax. “Do go on,” she said, feigning nonchalance, though she already felt the prickle of a thought she had been trying to push away for days. She hadn’t spoken about it. Hadn’t let herself dwell too long on this feeling. “The leaves say that… it’s complicated?” Her friend continued, pulling another chuckle from the group. “Oh, Aurora always has a complicated love life,” someone mused. “It is true,” Aurora lifted her chin, playing along. “I can see-” “Oh give me that, you suck at this,” Aurora chucked grabbing her cup back, causing the group to laugh at her obvious nerves. Aurora said nothing else, letting the others take the conversation elsewhere, letting their voices fade into the candlelit space. But her mind stayed on that one thought, the one she hadn’t dared to name yet.

‧˚₊•┈┈┈ ⋅ ∙ ∘ ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ┈┈┈•‧₊˚⊹

[raviola]

Vinnie !!

Vincenzo opened his eyes to see brown. A brown ceiling that he did not recognize, and he noticed his body rested on a floor he did not know. The wood felt sandy, like it had been collecting dust, and he tried to remember getting drunk or something of the nature the prior night, yet nothing came up. He had been taken.

Unsure of how to evade the situation, Vincenzo listened for a sound nearby. With his pupils, he looked to both sides of his body and saw many of his peers, but they were still asleep. Would they wake up soon? Was Enzo given a different poison that allowed him to live? He thought of the students who had gone missing at school. Was this how they died?

Vincenzo felt himself growing increasingly anxious, praying that no one would come near him because they heard the pumps of his heartbeat. And then suddenly, he hears one of his nearby peers stir, from the other side, then another one, Until he heard a voice, and then his world was swept out from underneath him and placed across the room.

“You’re awake.”

At last, Vincenzo sat up to see Miles North. Standing in front of them after months of being gone. Foolishly, Vincenzo imagined that if he ever came back, he may have returned in pieces; a corpse, or somebody who wished to be one. Yet he appeared clean, with his dark curls in perfect form, and a fresh scent on him that none of the students laid on the ground possessed. But if he was not missing, then where had he been, and why was he making claims about trying their knowledge? It would have made more sense for them to have been seized of their belongings, tied up, interrogated, and yet they laid on the ground unharmed. He tried to understand it, but before accomodating to the thoughts already in his mind, he was visited by memories as Miles spoke. Visions.

Inessa… statues with silhouettes just like his classmates… a rippling sky.

Startled, the man checked his hands for maiming, and then let Miles North finish. He determined that for the time being, he was not in danger.

“The hell is this?” Vincenzo asked upfront. And is that really you?

On one side of the room, he noticed Inessa, who he remembered from his vision. For the most part, she was his best friend’s sister, but aside from that, she was also a former girlfriend of Ross Paytas; one of the former top four. One of the figures that stood with Miles… and he knew that she also had some sort of romantic involved with Hayes, Miles’ best friend. These were once reasons he assumed her to be on the side of the resistance, but then he was no longer sure. Was she in on this? Were they all?

After the whole situation, Vincenzo found himself being approached by the very girl, asking him about their shared choice. For much of this time, he intended to evaluate her reaching out as a farce.

Apart from him suspecting Inessa, however, he knew someone likely facing similar backlash; the supposedly perfect principals daughter. Did she or Adrian really not know about the presence of Miles wherever he had been living in the school? There were a lot of questions he had to ask about that, but he assumed that he would wait until they saw each other later that night.

After some hours, he walked from his dorm, to the desk where she sat in the library, as she had recently asked him to study with her. Study what.. she had not specified, but what he noticed was that she had been inviting him over since he cured her. It made him wonder… had she been… charmed?

A part of him was endeared, because he had been for years, trying to fit in with her and her father as a family, but a part of him was still uneasy. The thought of her wanting his attention made him smile, but that was mainly because it seemed so amusingly unrealistic. He thought about it as he approached her; red hair falling perfectly, taking notes with her bag in the chair beside her.

“Hey,” he spoke calmly. “I wasn’t sure if you would still show up after everything that we saw this morning. How have you been since then?” He asked, a honey-like smoothness in his voice. He decided that easing her would be his current tactic, as he wanted answers, and that seemed to work well before. Maybe it would open new doors?

@astxrism @Madilfill can yall reply to ur corresponding parts sorry I just got lazy to clone in advance

[Caticorn]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: ✦. ☽ .✦ :☆ﾟ. ･ ───

Lenore felt hazy, like something was off but she couldn’t quite place what. There was a ticking sound in the back of her mind but she couldn’t remember what it came from and a faint smell of pressed flowers. She decided it would be better if she just went about her day as if everything was fine.

“You never listen…I told you not to come here.”

Hayes had never been overly warm or affectionate. That was just the way he was. Lenore would always push his boundaries and invade his space, because that was the way that she was, mostly when it came to her brother. But something had changed at the start of the school year. He was colder and more distant in a way that discouraged her from her usual methods and so, despite her better judgement, she left him to his own devices. They had survived the worst together, and his words just now, they stung. He didn’t sound angry, but he was tense and his words were pointed. They hurt.

“What…What did you want me to do?” Her first ‘what’ was breathy and confused. The question that followed was firm as she retaliated against her brother’s harsh questioning. “Where else should I have gone? Home? You are my home, Hayes. You and Enzo. Why shouldn’t I be where you are? Where my home is?” She challenged, staring him down. He was her brother, she wanted to be close to him. She didn’t understand why he didn’t want the same.

Her frustration only mounted as Hayes continued speaking. “No, I don’t know what you think because you have barely spoken to me since the year started! You haven’t even told me why you’re still here and I…” Her voice faded out as she realized that his expression had changed. “I need you, Hayes, and I need you to be honest with me. I hate not knowing what’s going on with you.” She spoke softer this time and she felt like a little kid again, begging her brother to spend time with her. Yes, she was an adult now and could take care of herself but she didn’t want her brother to feel like a stranger. She wanted to be able to tell him things that she wouldn’t tell other people but right now, it didn’t feel like she could.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: ✦. ☽ .✦ :☆ﾟ. ･ ───

@astxrism - Hayes

Mentioned:
@raviola - Vinnie

[Kristi]

---

When one person vanishes, it is merely an inconvenience. When two vanish, one may call it unfortunate happenstance. But when seven students disappear into the ether and not a soul utters their names thereafter—what, pray, does one call that? Thalia, for her part, called it a most impolite mystery.

Her lips, sculpted into a line of disdain, remained so as time galloped on and no one dared speak of the missing. It reminded her, rather dreadfully, of Miles—an altogether peculiar boy whose absence was treated not with sorrow, but with a sort of institutional indifference, as if people were chessmen to be swept off the board when the game proved tedious. Thalia, much to her own inconvenience, found herself deeply opposed to such a philosophy.

And so, nerves aflame and dignity intact, she did what polite society abhors: she asked questions.

“Oh, have you heard about the students who disappeared?” she inquired, voice laced with curiosity so thinly veiled it might as well have been a scream. “Curious, isn’t it, that Inessa hasn’t turned up in class? She never misses lessons. Have you heard of—?”

Glares. Mutters. The kind of chilly silence usually reserved for faux pas at dinner parties. Professors blinked as if she had recited a heresy. But alas, their frosty disdain did not douse the fire in her mind. If anything, it added kindling.

She began to research—furtively, feverishly. The links were too neat, too terribly elegant to be anything but intentional. And all roads, it seemed, led back to Miles.

And yet… one thread frayed the tapestry. Hayes. The ever-present Hayes.

Why had he remained?

After all, he was practically Miles’s shadow—wherever Miles had cast his light, Hayes had been not far behind, absorbing it. Surely, then, he too should have been plucked from the fold? Thalia had thought so. In fact, she had made a pilgrimage of sorts to confirm his continued existence some days after the seven had disappeared. To her mild astonishment and sharp displeasure, he was very much alive.

Of course, she had been keeping her distance—Hayes had, after all, caught her in the deeply unflattering act of ‘researching’ him—but still, she watched. Quietly. Obsessively. As one might regard a serpent coiled on a warm stone: beautiful, and best left undisturbed.

He never acknowledged her gaze. If he noticed, he offered no indication. If he knew something, he said nothing. And that, naturally, meant he knew everything.

Thus, Thalia began a log. A little book of elegant paranoia. Names. Dates. Seating arrangements. Who sat beside whom. Who loved whom. Who had blood that shimmered when spilled. Magical proclivities. Ancestry. Handwriting. Charms performed with hesitation or too much ease. All carefully catalogued with the kind of devotion normally reserved for poetry or revenge.

There was a pattern beneath it all. She could feel it—see it—some thread, thin and glittering, winding through them all, tugging them toward whatever dark place had devoured the seven. If she could follow it, just a little further, perhaps she could reach Miles.

Moreover, she wondered how Inessa was. Thalia knew how important academics were too Inessa and she was missing a lot, if she was not already…you know, she was probably panicking, Oh my God was she okay? Was Renlin? That’s his sister after all, perhaps she should check on him after, they hadn’t had that much time to talk, and she did promise to stop avoiding him.

Thalia notes about Hayes ig

---

FREE

mentioned:

@astxrism -hayes

@raviola - Vinnnie kinda

@CerealKiller - Arya kida

@eunoia - Agastaya kinda

@idiot.exe Dom kinda

@Madilfill - Inessa and ren

@Caticorn - Len