Magical Teacher Professor Landry! - Episode 5: Amid the Ghost Blossoms

[Teal Mage]

Bone white, the full moon neared its apex over the Amaranth Institute for the Gifted. The silvery glow of its cool light was unusually bright that October night – as were the brilliant and cold flecks of the stars around it. Cool breezes flowed over the bustling grounds far below – autumn had finally arrived, turning the leaves of the Campus's many decorative shrubs into masses of dull red, brown and gold. Yet, in spite of the lateness of the season, small and delicate blossoms still speckled many of the plants.

And tonight, they glowed with pale blue radiance.

Stray petals of the enigmatic plants floated in the breeze that night – quickly disappearing among the crowds, pale blue paper lanterns and warm incandescent lights that filled the Hallows Eve festival of the Amaranth campus. Wooden vendor's booths – selling everything from games to food – covered with bright hued sheets of fabric formed a chaotic and block-like maze among the school's buildings, fountains and decorative pavilions, broken up only by the periodic mechanical monstrosities of carnival rides.

The Amaranth Hallows Eve festival always drew quite the crowd – most of its attendants were citizens of the nearby city. It was really more of a carnival than a festival.

Ephemeral figures, glowing with the same light as the flowers and paper lanterns, were visible amongst the crowds, slipping through the carnival-goers like ghosts. Most ignored these strange beings – they were little more than CGI projections that the school released each year to add to the atmosphere of the festival. Though they chilled the humans they passed through and sometimes threw themselves into wild fits of silent screams and movement, they were regarded as little more than novelties.

Far above it all, in a small and well-furnished office at the peak of the Campus’s center-most building, a shadowy figure stood before a large window. Shape obscured in the darkness that filled the chamber at its back, the being surveyed the Festival from above, hands clasped behind its back.

From its vantage, it was easy to see the islands of space which opened up within the crowds, as participants in the Amaranth Hallows Tournament – distinguishable by the brightly hued cloth-coloured electronic devices they wore on their wrists – began to duel one another in fantastic displays of computer-generated light, sound and weaponry. Sometimes, the students would even challenge the wandering specters to – short lived – duels. Poorly aimed projectiles spilled into the crowd like water, passing harmlessly through the humans who passed by. Sometimes, even the students themselves would do the same.

Truly a marvel of science. The figure thought, an ironic smile that no-one could see, appearing on its lips. Turning away, the shadow deeper into office – before vanishing from the view of those eyes lucky enough to capture a glimpse, as it had several times before that evening.

((OoC: Zu, Red, Al, Rhiya, Arhra, Dracorion, check the Pad and the new Discussion Thread if you haven't done so for instructions and further information.))

* * *

A straight path of packed dirt led like an arrow from the edge of the Amaranth Campus, deep into the Ansidor woods. Trees, placed too regularly and evenly to be natural, rose high into the night air on the left and right. Above, their branches intertwined in a high vaulted ceiling of drying leaves, blocking out the stars and moon. A deep darkness filled this space – punctured only by the soft and ghostly luminescence shed by the tiny white Ghost Blossoms, which sparsely studded both the trunks of the trees, and the dirt of the path itself.

This night, the Cathedral Path was walked by five students of Amaranth.

Their leader, a girl with skin as pale as a corpse, had her marvelous crystalline hazel eyes fixed ahead – toward the edge of the still lake in the distance. Her ritual robes and unnatural cyan hair stirred in the cool autumn breeze at her back, offering a glimpse at both the iron dagger she carried, and the black trimmed yellow tournament bangle around her wrist.

Long and narrow scars marred her once flawless body, alabaster white against her faintly blue-tinted skin. They bisected her limbs, where her blood had burst forth just the night before. The most prominent of them was a diagonal line that split her face – but miraculously spared her eyes and mouth.

She had not spoken of where these scars had come from.

Her four companions, three male, one female, followed in her wake. Encircling their wrists were bangles – all but the red-haired girl's baring the black lace-like trim that their leader's did. All save the slim green eyed pretty boy bore their weapons openly. Twin silvery swords, a pair of steel-bladed and wood handled tomahawks and a long hafted hockey-stick, capped with a sharpened blade, glinted faintly in the light of the Ghost Blossoms. The video camera that the red-haired girl also carried seemed decidedly out of place, amongst these weapons of war.

By the silence that filled the Cathedral Path, it appeared that the protection spells woven around the trees surrounding them were holding. The brilliant collections of shadowless yellow light that ambled beyond the wall-like boundaries of the path paid no mind to the travelers – even when they passed close to them. Indeed, only the most sensitive members of their group – their leader and a wolf-eared Native American – were able to hear their chilling, pained and heart-rending cries through the wards the great spirit of the forest had erected for their comfort.

Indeed, the long walk through the woods had been uneventful – with but one exception.

Far in the distance behind them, visible to all but the red-haired camera-girl, was a concentration of yellow demonic magic. A spirit had slipped through the protective barriers on the path some time ago, and had followed after them since. Slow and silent, the being had no hope of catching up to a moving party. However, with the end of the Cathedral Path creeping rapidly closer, soon, they would no longer be moving forward.

And the specter would catch them.

Yet, the hour of the ritual was nearly upon them. Their leader and the young camera girl could not hesitate long – they had to reach the end of the path soon, and begin the necessary preparations. The three men though – they had a choice. Stand and face the being here, or hurry on to the lake's edge and face it then.

There were, perhaps, seven minutes remaining before the appointed moment.

((There is information on the ritual in the Discussion Thread.))

[Girasol of Chaos]

Darkness. A lurking threat retreats to the corners of the subconscious, an aura of fear wisping away after it.

Unbearable silence gave way to a low and satisfying hum. The warm, threatening embrace of unconsciousness melted away as a figure reached to rub her eyes, only to pause at the motion. Only half of her responded.

Shinobu's left hand settled on her brow ridge, digits working at the corners of her crimson eyes until they opened. The ogre felt sluggish and took a moment to collect her thoughts as a dull ache returned to the forefront of her mind. Instinctively, the red arm reached to her right shoulder and grasped, but only for an instant. Wincing, the Japanese girl glanced at what remained of the area-a very raw stump, skillfully amputated and sealed. The nurse had removed her arm entirely, leaving the healthy remains untouched. All that remained was half of the joint-her ribs, scapula and clavicle, making a sickly looking stump. And it hurt like a bitch.

That's right, isn't it? Her own thoughts were quiet and defeated. Shin's bright eyes flickered with what could only be described as mourning.

Memories came flooding back-blurred nightmares from the night before, the living hell she endured with Sao in vibrant ribbons of blood and flashes of teeth. The painful end she thought she had met, only to be woken on a hospital bed, dizzy and disoriented, frantic with fear.

The pain.

Oh gods the pain.

In the last twenty-four hours she experienced more physical and mental pain than her mind could comprehend, and it nearly drove her mad in her own sleep.

She remembered the anguish subsiding to hope when Sao walked into the room, injured and scarred, but otherwise in good health. The oni's disappointment when Sao agreed with her mentor that Shin should remain in the hospital for the duration of the ritual tonight. Fear filled her mind once again as she looked at the clock on the wall to her right. It was late in the day, Sao and the others would be in the forest by now. It would be dangerous.

A surge of determination hit the oni, slamming her palm against the bed to roll out and jump to action. She would make it, her companions needed her, handicapped or not. Sao's fresh facial scar flashed in her mind and a pang of guilt followed. She had to make it.

Unfortunately, her body disagreed. Streaks of pain shot through her form, brain feeling rattled in its own skull as she fought to maintain balance, even while simply rolling over.

Shinobu Meguro didn't quite make it out of bed, left cheek and horn planting against the pillow, eyes smoldering with frustration. The remaining arm flexed feebly, irritated at being uncomfortably crunched under the oni.

For now it remained ignored. Her gaze settled on the particularly curious minibar on the far side of a bedside chair. A drink would be nice, she felt like a corpse. On top of it was a peculiar bangle, but she paid it little heed.

Like Morgan, her brain hissed, alarm shooting through her again. No one had seen the fae, there was no sign of her disappearance or that she had even been near the stairwell. She was simply gone. Guilt shot through the oni now. What if she was dead? What if that thing got Kit? Her eyes began to glass over, feeling more helpless than she had since she was a small child.

What if it came back for her, for Sao?

Blinking, squinting any forming tears away, Shin moved to right herself up. Everything was going wrong. Nightmares were real, and they were after her. The lack of comforting weight on her right side was proof. Struggling with thoughts of weakness and despair, the oni sat in anguished silence, face hidden now in her propped palm as she sat up.

A lone word rang out in her thoughts and lingered, ignoring the comforts of the hospital around her. Ignoring the pleasant green of the furniture, the soft light of the computer screen, only listening to the beating of her own heart.

Failure.

The pallid figure sitting in the corner of the room stirred out of immobility and politely cleared her throat to indicate her existence.

Shin's head swung to her left, eyes wide in disbelief. The woman nearby was clad in an elaborate red and white kimono, pale and stunningly beautiful. Scarlet markings adorned her skin and hair, shaped with swirls. For a moment, the less intelligent creature thought a spirit had come to claim her, but their eyes locked.

Blackness. Self pity melted into panic as Shin yelped, falling away from the mysterious-no, she recognized the individual. Struggling to catch herself, the bed-ridden oni stuttered, "J-Jo? Johanna?" Fear leaked into her voice, following up rapidly to match her heartbeat, "Please tell me that's you."

[Riin Whitewind]

Her hand buried to the wrist in sleek white fur, the scarred healer hummed a quiet, jaunty tune. The breeze rustled the dying leaves above them, carrying the dusty scent of autumn to the group. Clad only in a robe, Sao shivered. The forest floor beneath them was chilly to her bare feet. She supposed she should be used to the cold by now, but it had a way of lingering…

Sao’s robe had a rough, homespun look, all light unbleached wool and simple lines. Clad in a black harness, and dyed in striking tiger stripes, Hermes served as the tribal Priestess’ noble escort. A pair of lightweight packs were clipped on either side of the Pyrenees’ harness; carrying everything Sao could not – turning the dog into a veritable mountain of a first-aid kit. Bringing anything extra into the ritual area could interfere with the delicate working of the spell, but the boys could still make use of them, perhaps.

Loosely palming the ritual dagger, Sao glanced over her shoulder at the group trailing behind them. She and Hermes weren’t too far ahead – it wouldn’t do to arrive before the guest of honor, after all. Her smile hadn’t wavered once on the journey, not even in the face of Diana’s constant, needling questions. The moment she had been training for was almost here. It would be a relief to no longer need to make this trek, night after exhausting night. Not that she blamed Diana at all – it wasn’t her fault.

Finally seeing the stars reflecting faintly in the water, Sao’s shoulders relaxed minutely. She turned fully to the camerawoman, gesturing with her empty hand across the low, grassy clearing toward the center of the lake. A spit of sand split the otherwise perfect circle of the lake, leading to an island in the exact center of the still water.

“Why don’t you set up there, on the island?” Sao’s smile widened, cheerful as ever, “You have the best chance of getting everyone from there, otherwise the trees might get in the way.” She waved her hand reassuringly as she walked along the shoreline, speaking as she moved. “Don’t worry about your camera, plenty of dry land – it’s not going to get wet! I’ll be along in a moment, I want to set up some stuff before we get started.”

Without giving Diana an opening to argue, Sao bent to the task of raising the first barrier.

[Arhra]

Shin yelped when she realised Jo was in the room with her. "J-Jo? Johanna?" Shin stuttered, not sure if this apparition was her. "Please tell me that's you."

"It's me." Jo replied soothingly. "Halloween, remember?" she said, plucking at the collar of her costume. "I heard you had gotten hurt and didn't want you to be alone on the night of the festival."

Jo's dark eyes softened as Shin calmed a little and thanked her, voice small. The normally boisterous ogre was clearly not her normal self. Jo tried not to look at the oni's missing arm, an absence beneath the bed's covers. The bandages wrapping her shoulder were a stark white against Shin's red skin. Someone as physical as Shin must be feeling her arm's loss keenly.

"Are you sure you want to miss out on the festival?" Shin asked Jo.

The jotun started from her silence. "Don't worry about that." Jo said, giving Shin a small smile. "I am at the festival. It's a trick of mine - I can be in more than one place at the same time." she said, letting Shin into her most poorly kept secret.

Jo stood, stooping to collect a little package from where it had been nestled beside her on the wide chair. She moved to the bedside chair, setting the packet down on top of the minibar. "I brought you some food." she said, standing next to the chair. "Would you like something to drink as well?"

[Zoological Uncertainty]

A large area of Amaranth's Hallow's Eve Festival had been reserved for a particular event. A number of white picnic tables had been set up, evenly spaced, though not in any particular pattern. There were also mats and cushions set up, which along with the tables were intended for festival goers to sit, relax and have fun with their companions as they enjoyed the concert.

Aside from these amenities, this area of the school's campus had been picked because it housed a number of white gazebos, benches and fountains for people to enjoy themselves, as well. Pale blue lanterns lit the stage and the seats, ensuring perfect and thematically appropriate visibility for everyone. Similarly, ghost blossoms lined the path that led to the concert area.

Most of the seats were occupied, and attendees were either chatting amongst themselves as they listened to the performer onstage or paying the young man their full attention. The student was dressed in a tuxedo for his performance, apparently not being involved in the tournament, and was currently playing a slow, melancholic melody on his cello.

The simplistic beauty of the setup was appreciated by all the attendees save one. In one of the back rows on the left side sat a figure clad in a deep crimson robe with elaborate golden trim on the hem and sleeves, long black gloves and boots, and a black leather dress over the robe. She wore a veil of the same color as the robe, that reached to her shoulders and covered her hair and eyes, though the ends of her pale blond hair could be seen flowing from under the veil, past her shoulders.

Cassandra Hayden smiled wistfully as she ate some cotton candy and listened to the cello boy's soft music, completely oblivious to the accompanying visuals. "The performer's good, don't you guys think?" She asked.

Penny, the similarly blonde girl in a flowing, pretty white dress to her right was still sulking about her boyfriend not being with them for the Festival, and Cassie's job was to try and cheer her up. It was no easy task.

To her left sat a younger, brown-haired boy dressed in a long black robe. He had pulled the hood down and took off the white mask (more of a half-mask, since it only covered to just below his nose), and was also enjoying his cotton candy, while carrying a video camera on his lap. Cassie had tried to cheer Penny up by suggesting they could tape her performance and give it to Sean later.

"Do you want to go shoot some bottles before Penny has to go onstage?" the blind Witch suggested. She had thought the concert might cheer Penny up, but she could practically feel her friend still sulking.

[Dracorion]

The black-haired boy sighed with relief as he shook hands with his brown-haired, blue-eyed opponent after their duel. Still, he didn't want to attract any more attention.

Jackson Hall quickly pulled his cap down and moved away, holding a prize in his left hand: the toy he'd risked coming out into the open to win by tossing rings, which had given the other boy the opportunity to issue his challenge.

He glanced at his WP meter as he walked past people and ghosts, away from the crowded areas of the festival. The green bar was sitting somewhere over half. He'd been avoiding crowds so far, so he'd only been in a few fights against first-years. He'd mostly played safe with his points, too, though he'd probably bet more than was recommendable on that last match.

He could boost his total by taking out ghost, but... he didn't feel right interrupting their night, unless one of them challenged him which case he'd fight them (not that he had a choice about that), but that hadn't quite happened yet.

Still, with his prize now in hand, the young Wizard set off for the agreed meeting place, somewhat separated from the festival. It was a pretty fountain that sat in the middle of one of the campus' sprawling walkways. This night, the path was framed by the pale blue light of Ghost Blossoms, sort of like an airport runway.

Once Jack reached the fountain, he saw someone sitting on the other side and swiftly went around, before stopping suddenly with a sharp intake of breath.

Jo was clad in a red and white kimono, gazing absently at the moon above. Red swirled markings adorned her pale skin and hair, and a pair of decorative dog ears sat on her head. The light of the moon and nearby Ghost Blossoms accentuated her features, and a flush spread through Jack's cheeks as he stood still, taking in the moment.

Johanna looked beautiful, and Jack, dressed as he was in torn jeans, a jacket with large studded buttons, boots and wearing a cap with a red bandanna underneath it, an all black ensemble save for the bandana, looked like a punk. He really should've coordinated his costume with Jo's. Instead, she was Amaterasu and he was Sho Minamimoto, quite an unlikely couple.

Once the young woman, his girlfriend, noticed his presence, Jack spoke up awkwardly, but he didn't dare look away. "Um, hi-" his voice came out weakly, so he cleared his throat. "Ahem. Hi."

Jo smiled at him. "Hi Jack." she said, bathed in the pale moonlight. "It's a nice night, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." He agreed, nodding. Jack stood still for a moment, looking around to ensure there was no one nearby, before a spell circle appeared in his palm and the curse spread harmlessly over him, his body glowing faintly blue for a moment before fading. His silver locket, normally hidden under his shirt, was visible with the jacket's open collar (his costume demanded he couldn't wear a shirt) as he sat down next to Jo and held out the toy in his hand nervously. "I- I got this for you." It was a simple stuffed elephant, made out of leather. The stuffed gray animal wasn't very big, Jo could hold it in her hand easily.

He took the jotun's cold hand in his own and turned to face her, his green eyes locking with her black ones. "Y- you look-" He gulped. "You look really pretty tonight."

"Thank you." Jo said. She accepted the stuffed elephant off Jack, inspecting it on the open palm of her free hand and tucking it away in her kimono. She fell silent for a moment, listening to the quiet gurgling of the fountain. "I have something for you too." Jo added, offering Jack a round rice dumpling. "The school decided to borrow a little from the Japanese moon viewing festivals. The timing works out well this year." She looked up again, the pale orb of the moon neatly framed by the trees of the clearing. Full moons didn't often fall on Halloween. "It's traditional to eat special rice dumplings to celebrate the beauty of the moon."

"Oh, thank you." Jack said gratefully. He accepted the dumpling and bit into it as he looked up toward the moon. "Do you want to share?" He asked, turning to Jo once again and offering the dumpling back to her, holding out the side he hadn't taken a bite of.

The Wizard and jotun sat and watched the moon for some time, before they agreed to go and enjoy the festival together. Jack pressed his lips swiftly against Jo's as they stood, then took her hand again and blushed more profusely as they calmly strode for the festivities.

. . . . .

"Um, do you want to partner up for the tournament? We'll have an easier time if we watch each other's backs." Jack asked, once they were mixed in amongst the festival goers.

"I've already been eliminated." Jo lied smoothly.

"Oh, that sucks. Sorry." The Wizard looked around, seeing if there were any interesting attractions around. His eyes on a curious-looking tent nearby. "Do you want to go to that one?" He asked his girlfriend, gesturing for the tent with a sign outside that said they did tarot readings.

[Bard The 5th LW]

‘What on earth happened to her last night?’

Sean didn’t dare ask the question aloud. Neither did he inquire about the whereabouts of Shin. If she wasn't going to tell them, then it likely wasn't a topic to be broached.

‘Well, atleast we’re nearing the end.’

From behind an angular white mask, the Canadian’s eyes glances back at the specter that was following them. No one had said anything about it, as to not bring Diana’s curiosity any higher, but it was still a looming threat to the party. They were getting closer to the lake now. It was almost time. They couldn't let this thing get in the way.

‘If we can just be quick about it…'

Sean stalled behind a bit, letting Sao and Diana continue on ahead. When he saw that the two had reached the clearing, he stopped and turned around. He placed the bladed hockey stick to the ground, still watching the encroaching yellow light. With a click of his bangle, a long bolt-action rifle materialized in his hands. The gun was mostly made of wood, having a WWII appearance to it, with a silver floral design weaving its way across the stock, trimming the barrel.

He then hoisted his weapon upwards, lining the yellow orb in his sights.

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

"... Calamari. It's made from a boneless, rubbery ocean animal called a squid. Covered with bread crumbs and a bit of flour and roasted in oil."

"... Hot potato wedges. I think you've had that before."

"... Corn Dog. Meat wrapped in corn meal and fried."

"... Fairy Floss. It's melted sugar strings cast so fine it has the consistency of fine silk."

"... Toffee Apple. Fruit with a hard coating of delicious, cooled sugar."

The figure dictating all these - as each individual snack or foodstuffs were examined and perhaps consequently consumed - was dressed in a wonderfully cute black dress. Dark laces adorned the hems and sleeves, with the black collar upturned perfectly to accentuate the pale creamy skin that showed in the relatively conservative-cut v-neck. A choker with black bats and cats motif wrapped itself around the girl's neck. Gently fluttering behind her in the breeze was a very short, very cute little silk cape that ended in abrupt zig-zagged edging. Below the knee-high dress, she wore black stockings, and slightly heeled, black shiny shoes. Finishing off her simple attire, the girl had attached - carefully, with cunningly-hidden pins - the tiniest pointy black hat the size of one's palm askew on her plain brown hair which was surprisingly let loose to fall freely down her back.

Emme was dressed for the occasion of All Hallows' Eve - typically, in the form of a dainty witch. Her current companion was musing through the items available for sustenance - most of which were perhaps quite foreign to the priest. In the girl's left hand (which also consequently was decorated with a bright yellow bangle) a sturdy-looking broom rested.

The two were sitting at a picnic table, ready to partake in either a hearty meal or a small snack, before meandering onwards to absorb more of what the festival had to offer.

Emme's near-permanent smile played across her face as she set down her box of chow mein and habitually smoothed her dress.
"I don't know about you, Nasir, but the fight did get me a bit hungry. We'll break for this food before we go wander again, hey?"

[Krylo]

Dalbhach slowed, matching pace with Sean, and stopped a few paces behind the boy, once he had turned back toward the light. Slowly his pants loosened, and the make up vanished from his face, as his hair took on its normal, shorter, mien, elegant pointed ears pushing past it. In short, the Goblin King Jareth disappeared and the Fae Noble Dalbhach Nuada took his place.

"Well then, I suppose it's time to go to work," he said, quietly enough that he was relatively certain Diana wouldn't hear it. He had no intention of spooking her more than he needed.

But he did not yet bother calling a weapon to hand. For that he would wait until the spectre came closer.

[Girasol of Chaos]

Shin sat baffled for a moment at how casually Jo delivered her secret. Not understanding how that was even physically possible, she decided it would be easy to determine later if it was a joke or not. For now, her classmate was a great comfort, she wasn't going to question her.

Instinctively Shin pulled the sheets closer as Jo settled herself next to the bed. The ice chick probably was having a hard enough time not staring at the fresh stump, she couldn't imagine how difficult it would be to live down accidentally showing her birthday suit.

The oni's mood elevated significantly at the food offering. "Yeah! Water'd be great." A mental sting struck her after her statement, and she backpedaled, "You don't hafta though. The minimedics come around with food often enough."

A growl in response could be heard from the ogre's stomache, disagreeing. She smiled sheepishly, "Well uh, whachya got that you don't mind gettin rid of?" Nothing too cold, she hoped.