PREP Highschool

Locales found within the main city centers; primarily Inside, Riverside, and Skyside.
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Library

Sirius is knocked back but is not injured. He trots over to Khannie, sitting down on his haunches and thumping his tail on the floor.

"And so once again the forces of JUSTICE prevail!" he declares!

Tags:
User avatar
Rebonack
Empowered Revenant Poster
Posts: 3796
Joined: May 16, 2022 3:14 am

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Rebonack »

[Library]

Oh boy everyone is getting flung around.

"Heck!" says Khannie as she gets dogpiled by a cat and a dragondemon.

At least Sirius didn't get tossed on top of the heap, too.

Khannie shoves at the other girls, prying herself out from under the others. "I've gotta go grab that fake cat," Khannie says as she gathers herself to her feet and starts heading off toward the shelves. She allows her illusion to peel back a bit since she's pretty sure she's going to need her fox nose to sniff the familiar down. "Because SOMEONE thought it was a good idea to do some summoning outside the arcanium."

Hint.

HINT!

Khannie hurries off to go grab a bad kitty.
User avatar
bc56
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2727
Joined: Jul 25, 2022 3:09 pm
Location: Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by bc56 »

Library
Khannie gets a glare from the newly captured villain and a nod from Mary.
The cat doesn't smell right, although I have no idea if Khannie knows what a cat should smell like. But although she can follow the scent, it's nowhere to be seen...

Because it's turned invisible. It's perched on top of a bookshelf, watching Khannie search for it.
Avatar by me! No more outsourcing!
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Library

Sirius trots behind Khannie, his nails clicking on the floor.
"Need an extra nose for sniffing?" he offers, glancing around the place for signs of the not-cat.
User avatar
Rebonack
Empowered Revenant Poster
Posts: 3796
Joined: May 16, 2022 3:14 am

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Rebonack »

[Library]

"Make sure that JERK doesn't get into MORE trouble!" Khannie yells over her shoulder to Mary. "C'mon Sirius let's find that kitty."

This is how you can tell a grand adventure is underway.

Because they heroes are searching for a cat.

Hmm.

So!

They can sniff the cat.

But the cat doesn't appear to be anywhere nearby.

Invisible, maybe?

Khannie has a few tricks for that!

She slaps her hands together, bridges her fingers into a big circle, and then blows HARD through the gap! What appears to be bright glittery purple dust goes SWIRLING everywhere, hanging in the air like fog. It isn't obvious at first what it's doing, aside from drifting around like sparkles suspended in water, but should anything move and disturb the fog it will flash to a bright glowing gold where someone brushes up against it.

Guess who Khannie got THIS idea from?

"C'mon devil kitty, where'd you go?"
User avatar
bc56
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2727
Joined: Jul 25, 2022 3:09 pm
Location: Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by bc56 »

Library
The unseen cat sits very still. Or maybe it's just not there. It's hard to say sometimes.

Cats are very capable of sitting still and just watching. It would be difficult to notice the subtle current in the dust from where it's swishing its tail.
Avatar by me! No more outsourcing!
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Dragon Dorms

If nothing else, getting into the dragon dorms means you have a lot of space.
Even if someone like Kol has little to put in it. He has a huge desk for scratching runes, a rack for his fishing pole, and a plush bed with a little bit of gold coins for sleeping on.
The big purple dragon is attempting to practice studying. He has a mid-term tomorrow and it's very important that he not mess this up!
Ironsmith
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2997
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 12:46 pm

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Ironsmith »

[Dragon Dorms]

Unfortunately for Kol, his midterm exam happens to fall very close to the Vernal Equinox, which might not mean too much to him, but to a certain nature-aligned proponent of fiendling culture, the night marking the exact midpoint between the longest and shortest days of the year holds quite a bit more significance.

Which means...
poof!

A gout of earthy-smelling green smoke shoots out of Kol's bed as it is suddenly occupied by a horned, bearded man in a green cloak and elaborate leather coverings. "Hello again, master Kol." He greets cordially, as casually as though he'd simply bumped into the half-Thamar on the bus. "How are you on this fine evening?"
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Dragon Dorms

"GAH! the burly dragon jumps, nearly bumping his head on the ceiling.
"What the heck are you doing in my room? What if I was naked or something?"
Kol you're always naked.
Ironsmith
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2997
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 12:46 pm

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Ironsmith »

[Dragon Dorms]

"It would not have made the list of the ten most bizarre, risque, or disturbing things I've seen today." Braeg replies dismissively, waving the complaint away. "As for what I'm doing in your room... I'm surprised nobody told you." He steps over to the window and pulls it open, letting in a cool breeze as he gestures to the sunset outside. "Today is Genidydd. It's a holiday from our homeland, celebrating familial ties, both literal and spiritual. In accordance with the traditions of the Lesserwood clan, the celebration begins in earnest at nightfall, when Ad-... when the moon first appears in the sky." He gives Kol a little smile. "As one of Adea's closest followers, I felt it would be appropriate to invite her son to celebrate the evening. You do have your own family, of course, and bless them, but as Genidydd is our holiday, it only seems right to spend it among those who can appreciate it."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Dragon Dorms

Kol squints at the 'tiny' fiendling.
"Alright, two problems with that Mister Smallwood. Number one, we're not family. Number two, why would I want to spend a holiday with a creepy murderer? I think I would much rather you not be in my room, thanks." Khannie told him plenty about what she and her glog friends know about the guy. Arthfael doesn't like him either even if he didn't say why.
Ironsmith
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2997
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 12:46 pm

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Ironsmith »

[Dragon Dorms]

"Ah, they do love to talk, don't they?" Braeg crosses his leg over his knee and gives a little shrug. "I tell you, Kol, if you never find something worth killing for, you've never found anything worth living for. You can't begrudge a man for having actually gone and done it, at some point in his life. Especially when it's one as long as mine." The fiendling rolls his shoulders with a small but audible crackle and lets out a contented sigh.

"But I digress. You probably had other plans for tonight, didn't you?" Braeg's eyes flick over to the open textbooks on Kol's desk. "And far be it from me to wrest you from them. I want you to enjoy Genidydd, after all. So we'll cut down on the feasting and the singing and the howling through the woods like wild wolves and just stick to the part that matters."

glop!

Braeg gives Kol's shoulder an affectionate little shake. "Quality time." He says simply, with a smile.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Dragon Dorms

Kol's blood goes cold at Braeg's words and he stares at the fiendling in shock. How can he say that so casually? How can he sit there, talking about it like he's pleased with himself?
"You haven't just killed. You've enjoyed it." he hisses.
The junior thamar raises himself on his haunches, wings spreading. A dragon's fury burns in his breast. How dare this man barge in, calling himself family when he robbed someone of theirs. Did he leave some child to wonder alone about his family, as he did, without a care? And it's not like he's ever done a thing for Kol despite knowing about him for his whole life. He's acting like family after not only not being family at all, but acting like Kol didn't even exist until this year? A curse rises from his throat, the words unbidden but forming regardless.

"You are no kindred of mine. You spit on my Mother's memory by calling yourself her follower. May her name die on your lips. And as Thamar of Fortune, may yours rot as much as your soul."
Outside the open window, the moon glows bright indeed. The air bubbles around Kol's mouth as chaos roils at the thamar's anger.

And then the moment is past, and Kol is himself again, his frustration merely a dragon's glare. "That is to say: I don't really know you and you're a dick, so I don't want any quality time with you."
Ironsmith
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2997
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 12:46 pm

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Ironsmith »

[Dragon Dorms]

For a moment, nothing happens; Braeg simply continues to stare at Kol, his expression stoic and unreadable.

Then, still maintaining a completely straight face, the fiendling raises his hands and claps them together.

And then he does it again.

And again, much faster this time.

In the room around Kol, the sounds of thousands of people clapping rolls over him in a cascade of noise, accompanied by the occasional whistle from some unseen source, and some voices he won't recognize actively cheering him on.

Braeg gives the thamar a small smile. "Your first curse." He says, running a finger over his cheek. "What an honor it is, to be here to witness it, and to be its recipient, no less. You're growing into your life as a thamar quite nicely, it seems."

"Yeah!"
"Go, Kol!"
"Attaboy! Show that dastard who's boss!"


"...But, be that as it may, none of us have the luxury of choosing our kin. If all you have in your heart for me is hate, that is... unfortunate, but it does not change reality." Braeg gives Kol an affectionate pat on his other shoulder. "Give it a chance, for your own sake if not mine."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Dragon Dorms

"Kin?! I'm sorry, who the fuck are you?" Kol growls, unamused by the mocking praise and for once pulling out the teenager vocabulary that his peers use so often.
"Last I checked, praying to my mom does not make us family. And I am not a fan of how you keep suggesting it does." It sounds an awful lot like he's suggesting something else, and he had better not be.
Ironsmith
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2997
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 12:46 pm

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Ironsmith »

[Dragon Dorms]

"Oh, of course." Braeg baps his forehead. "You never met the woman. You wouldn't know."

The fiendling pulls up a stool (was there a stool there before?) near Kol and leans forward to address him properly. "Adea was not much like what one thinks of, here in the Nexus, when one hears the term 'goddess'. She was not some cold, distant figure off in the distance, ordering her worshippers around from an ivory throne on a cloud. She was there, with us, in here..." He gives Kol's sternum a gentle tap, "...and here." He continues, tapping his own chest. "Every living thing that ever was, or ever would be, was one of her children, and she would not allow us to forget it. From the tiniest ant to the greatest dragon... all of it." Braeg waves his hand. "To those of us who were closest to her, the distinctions and technicalities... they simply ceased to matter. A human, a... a tiny piece of her eldest son, is as much her family as her youngest."

"...Perhaps you don't find that persuasive. I wouldn't be surprised." Braeg sighs. "It's something that is... far better understood than explained."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Dragon Dorms

Kol continues to not be a big fan of the amount of touching going on.
”Okay, I think I understand.” he leans his head in darkly.
”You’re saying that not only have you killed and gloated about it to me, you’ve killed my family and gloated about it to me.” he growls.
”You don’t seem very good at helping your case.”
Ironsmith
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2997
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 12:46 pm

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Ironsmith »

[Dragon Dorms]

"I've done no worse than any of her other children." Braeg corrects. "Would you have wolves go without hunting? Cattle without grazing?" He smirks and gives Kol's shoulder an affectionate shake. "Herons without fishing?"

"Death is a part of life. And while your philosophers won't be so quick to agree, so is killing. To hunt, to pursue, to catch and to feed are all a part of the way things are. As Adea herself has said... 'Life is a game, and to its victor goes its spoils; begrudge not thy rival for their success, nor thyself for thy failure.'" He smiles. "We are clever creatures indeed, master Kol, but we are still creatures."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Dragon Dorms

"Hm." Kol nods sagely.
"You do realize that every time you continue to self-justify it just pisses me off more, right? You should leave. I want nothing to do with you. Especially after I found out how you treat your family. I like my 'quality time' without any blades in my heart, thanks."
Ironsmith
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2997
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 12:46 pm

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Ironsmith »

[Dragon Dorms]

Braeg lets out a little sigh. "I had an inkling you would say that." He says, giving Kol a rueful smile.

Meanwhile, on Kol's back, the fiendling's hand suddenly slips through, losing all tangibility. It passes through skin, bone, scales, muscle, and everything else between its spot on Kol's back and its ultimate target:

His heart.

The fiendling Lord idly drums his fingers against the organ. "So terribly have you guarded this." He says nonchalantly. "Did you not know, master Kol, that when you give another a chance to decide how you feel, you give them power over you? I can make you seethe. I can make you boil and bubble with rage and hate and righteous indignation. And I needed do nothing to claim that power, nothing more than simply be."

Braeg sips at a drink that appeared from nowhere, letting out a satisfied sigh. "You realize, of course, that if we are not kin, we are adversaries." He continues, still entirely nonchalant. "And that is a terrible power to give to your enemies. All I need do is squeeze and you would be thamar no more." The fiendling shrugs. "Of course, I would never do such a thing to one of my own. My kin are precious to me. So now I must ask... which are we, master Kol? Kin, or adversaries? And please... this time, consider your answer carefully."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Dragon Dorms

There is a wrenching, a terrible bloody crunch and then Kol's heart is not under Braeg's grip, nor is the rest of him. There is just a wide-shouldered boy holding a chrome spear a few feet away, the tip opened to a glowing red core.
"See that's funny. The lady Khannie knows from GLoG is your kin and she's the one saying the two of you are trying to kill each other. So frankly it sounds like being kin and adversary are the same to you, just one you like to fuck with for a few days first."
Ironsmith
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2997
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 12:46 pm

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Ironsmith »

[Dragon Dorms]

Braeg raises and eyebrow and experimentally rolls his fingers around the empty air. "...Curious." He says with a smirk. "Perhaps you are more Adean than you claim after all."

The fiendling turns to look at Kol. "Almost as curious as why you would choose to believe her. If it were in my interests to harm her, does it really seem as though I would struggle in that regard?" Braeg shrugs. "I do not deny that she has made attempts on my life. But that cuts one way and one way only." He runs his fingers through his beard contemplatively. "You might ask her which of us petitioned to have the other brought out from the Scorching Depths when they were trapped there. Or who it was that raised the other from a whelp. Or who..."

Braeg trails off and waves his hand dismissively. "It hardly matters." He shrugs. "Tonight has been most entertaining all the same."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Dragon Dorms

"By definition I think I'm more Adean than you are." Kol says with a smirk.
"I don't have great reason to believe either of you. So right now, I don't see any reason to disbelieve her when it lines up with what you say about yourself." he shrugs.
"Good for you. Have a good night, don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Ironsmith
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2997
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 12:46 pm

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Ironsmith »

[Dragon Dorms => Parts Unknown]

"...Then again." Braeg mutters to himself. "A little quick to pat ourselves on the pack, are we?" He holds up his hand, fingers ready to snap. "I was wondering what I was going to get you for Genidydd. It appears as though there is a valuable commodity in which you are, ironically, quite lacking; an education."

snap!

Earthy-smelling green smoke fills the room, and when it clears, Kol is going to find that he is... not in his room anymore. A room, granted, but not his. Not unless his room got a lot darker and a lot dustier in a hurry. And all of the furniture had been moved around, not to mention altered in other ways; there's still a bed, a desk, books, a nightstand, and a lamp, but none of them are as Kol left them; the bed is torn open and on its side, the nightstand is missing a leg and leaning into the corner, the books are... not his textbooks, they look more like banking ledgers, and the lamp has gone from an electrical appliance to a brass cage around a candle, currently unlit. Meanwhile, the flooring has gone from a carpet to a loose rug, finely woven but in utter disrepair, and the walls have gone from their usual composition to dolomite. The door behind him, likewise, is cut from stone.

It might also occur to Kol that there isn't any visible means of ventilation in this room. And that the stuffiness of it might not be limited to the dust hanging in the air.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Parts Unknown

"Gods, what an asshole."
And now he's in some stupid Saw trap or something. Kol pulls out his phone, both to use its light to check the ledgers and to see if he has signal. The air doesn't seem great in here so lighting a lamp doesn't seem like a great idea. He'll also try the door but it will be locked because of course it will.
Ironsmith
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2997
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 12:46 pm

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Ironsmith »

[Parts Unknown]

Kol will be delighted to know that the door is not, in fact, locked. It is, however, quite large, heavy, and stuck in the wall, which by various processes of erosion, has partially absorbed the slab. Nobody's touched this door in... well, a long time, obviously. But, if he pushes hard enough, he might be able to-

"You musn't do that!"

The voice has no apparent source, but it rings out clearly all the same; a little too clearly, in fact. It almost seems to be shouting in his ear, which combined with the urgency of the warning and the confined space Kol is in, will likely only serve to make it that much more grating.

"You mustn't... Sorry. You mustn't open that door." The voice continues, quieting down after a moment. "There are things... terrible things... just on the other side. I don't want them to come in here. Don't open that door. Please."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
User avatar
Keeper
Moderately Powerful Moderator
Posts: 3505
Joined: Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm
Location: Brinstar

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Keeper »

Parts Unknown

"Okay." Kol says, not one to ignore loud warnings yelled at him by mysterious voices.
"Could you uh. Fill me in on what's going on? Where am I? Because I think Braeg just banished me here for having the gall to tell him murder is bad."
Those darn villains, getting mad when you insist that murder is in fact bad.
Hopefully there's more air in here than it seems because Kol really doesn't want to think he's working with a time limit and he is not the son of the Maesdan god who could solve that problem.
He checks his phone to see if he has reception. He doesn't, but he really ought to check because man he would feel silly if he didn't and he ended up being able to just call for help the whole time.
User avatar
Earl of Purple
Transcendent Soul Poster
Posts: 2022
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 3:59 pm
Location: Amongst the Folk from the North
Pronouns: He/Him

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Earl of Purple »

Corridors

It's near the end of the school day, only one lesson left before most people head off to their chosen extracurricular activities, if that, and headed towards the library is Aigothurz. He's a fifteen-year-old with dark orange skin, black hair and large, liquid brown eyes. He's mostly orc, with a touch of human blood; he's tall and wide already, and has a pair of tusks sticking up from his lower jaw. He's wearing the uniform with the addition of a hatchet at his waist. Currently, he's heading towards his last lesson, Tactics and Strategy for War and Peace, carrying a pile of books high enough he can barely see over them.
Avatar provided by Happyturtle. Still using it, after all these years.

Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
User avatar
bc56
Poster from Beyond the Veil
Posts: 2727
Joined: Jul 25, 2022 3:09 pm
Location: Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by bc56 »

Corridors
Coming the other way is Mary. Half human, half demon, partly dragon, and all trouble (to be fair, the trouble is mostly not her fault). She's on her way to her last class of the day (remedial math) and walking while intently focused on double-checking her homework from last night.
Inevitably, this is going to lead to a collision. This school is rife with such contrived coincidences.
Avatar by me! No more outsourcing!
User avatar
Earl of Purple
Transcendent Soul Poster
Posts: 2022
Joined: Aug 01, 2022 3:59 pm
Location: Amongst the Folk from the North
Pronouns: He/Him

Re: PREP Highschool

Post by Earl of Purple »

Corridors

Aigothurz is pretty big, and trying to be careful, but... Being taller than Mary (probably) and unable to see anything directly in front of him means he's going to plough right into Mary as they turn a corner, overbalancing backwards and falling over, dropping the books as he does. "Oh, goodness. I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Are you OK?"
Avatar provided by Happyturtle. Still using it, after all these years.

Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
Post Reply