Arte Khiefel's Story

It was four days since the announcement was made - not that it caught anyone off guard. The Biennial Intra-Academy Magical Competition, basking in the glory of its inconvenient name. Acronym didn’t improve it much either; BIAMC, what kind of nonsense is that? Petitions to give it a name that was even slightly marketable were made - alas the headmaster did not care enough to change it. Perhaps Mrs. North got some sick satisfaction of giving announcers scripts with those names.

Not that the name really mattered; it was the content that got the students excited. Or intimidated - ideally both. It was a competition between every student in the school, divided by the suit that housed their Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana were randomly assigned to groups, seemingly without the slightest care for keeping it even.

Students names were posted on the public announcement board; it wasn’t as if every student knew who shared their suit. Also the results for the last exam were there, such cruelty to post both at the same time did not go unnoticed. The Major were just tossed in with whatever group they were with. At least they were at the top so they didn’t have to scour each suit just to find themselves.

The postings for Major Arcana were as follows.

WANDS
Vincent Hamilton | Flavia Ultime | Arte Khiefel | Emilio Florentine | Leonexis Pier

CUPS
Eolande D'aramitz | Lilina Ainsworth | Ophelia Polonius | Aster Polonius

SWORDS
Troy Pendleton | Charlotte Wynetta | Atticus Alethea | Liliane Vidal

PENTACLES
Aeris Foreman | Charles Rutherford | Nasrin Behzadi | Clause Acula

With half the week gone, there was only a few more days before the first major event of the month long festivities began. It had given the teams time to familiarize themselves. They then split into teams within teams. What the actual event would be was unknown, just that they would need numerous teams and be given spots to report to on the day.

As for this day, the sun was shining, the wind was blowing, and self study had just begun. While self study was usually given to students as time to improve personal magic, today it was largely to be used to meet with their teams. Well when I say given to students to improve magic that's the intent, not like anyone ever does unsupervised.

OOC | ASSUME THERE ARE ADDITIONAL NPC'S IN YOUR GROUP

Vincent Hamilton

“Hmm…” Vincent mumbled to himself as he began writing some last notes into his textbook, jotting down the final points from his study revision. Perhaps it was childish to take the time to review the previous tournaments to glean hints on what structure and challenges may have been present, but he much preferred being over prepared and having overestimated the competition than to have neglected to take the time to be equipped to respond to whatever situations may arise. Raising his hand above him, he retrieved the drink bottle he had suspended in mid-air, taking a few gulps of water as he undid the stasis magic before setting it back on his desk. He didn’t need another mess like the last incident where he’d simply neglected to remember it and spilled the contents all over his desk and papers.

A faint pinging from the magitech phone that rested in the nearby cradle revealed another group message, Vincent reaching over to swipe the unlock pattern before pausing a moment, double-checking the source. Candycane… Warriors? What was… Opening up his phone, Vincent took a moment to determine that it was Leo sending out a message regarding the meeting today; and in the group chat no less. They’d arranged to meet in the library once a room was found, and it seemed that the Tower himself had been the first to get it all organised. Vincent of course didn’t mind this in the slightest. Though he did like keeping to a schedule, he’d never been enough of a people person to be a leader, as he much preferred doing his own thing. That was probably why after creating the group chat and making the initial arrangements he’d swiftly elected to share the administrative controls to another. There was only one other member of the group that he truly knew, and that was…

“Arte!” Vincent called from his room as he slid backwards on his swivel chair, pulling open the door. Poking his head out to look about for Clause and Mr. Khiefel, Vincent found the common area of their dorm to be relatively clear, with no sign of either of the two for the moment. It wouldn’t have been surprising if Clause had already left to work with his own group. That man wasn’t likely to let an opportunity like this to test himself go to waste, and no doubt he and Vincent would formulate some sort of wager before the tournament. But he wasn’t the target of Vincent’s attention. Heading back into his room for the moment, Vincent responded to the message that he and Arte would be on their way shortly before he gathered up some of his belongings into a small briefcase-like school bag. Leaving his room once more and heading into the common area, Vincent made his way across the dorm to Khiefel’s door, giving it a firm set of three raps in a bid to draw the young man’s attention. Whether he was sleeping in or merely engrossed in his own activity Vincent couldn’t be sure, but he was certain that he would have heard had Arte left the building.

“Arte, did you catch that message? We need to head in to the Hierarch Wing for the meeting.” Standing just a couple of feet back from the door as he awaited his roommates reply, Vincent checked his watch briefly before speaking again. “A rhetorical question as well, but I take it that it was your handiwork that changed the name for the Wands Group Chat?” Pausing once more to let Arte reply and finish whatever he was up to, Vincent still was undecided whether to be frank and tell Arte that the name was strange and a little immature; make some humorous gesture; or just ignore it. Perhaps such jovial silliness was better for the group morale and breaking the ice? He couldn’t be too certain. Likely it would depend on the people receiving the messages, but only those that had no idea what Vincent was like would end up assuming that it was his doing. Of course, there were some people that would never be pleased, but Vincent tried not to think about them.

Thankfully, the library was only a short walk from their dorm, so the chances of being late were negligible, even with Arte’s tomfoolery.

Charlotte Wynetta

“Now, this is the quaint perfection I was hoping for. No doubt the two will be awe-struck by my impeccable taste and appreciation of aesthetics.” Charlotte Wynetta declared proudly, speaking to no one but herself as she sat at one of the outside tables of Café Le Fleur. She had a tendency to talk out loud to herself like she had an audience, with each word and thought working into some sort of self-cycling positive reinforcement to her vanity. “Of course, no one would expect anything less of me. I am the well-known hidden gem of the school.” Sipping her tea as she failed to notice the incongruence in her statement, Charlotte smiled to herself as she recounted her scheme.

Convincing all the plebeian fools of the swords had been simple enough. All it took were some inspiring words of confidence, a declaration of their inevitable victory, and the assurance that she, the Majors and the sap she’d picked at random would be more than enough to handle every challenge the tournament through at them. Of course, she had absolute faith that both Liliane and Atticus could singlehandedly trump all the competition (Particularly with her expert guidance), it didn’t hurt to have a back-up plan prepared. Troy-Boy would make the perfect candidate for blame should her ingenious plan fail, as that nincompoop had less backbone than the feeblest of worms. He already had a bit of a poor reputation, so it would be easy to lump blame on that lame brain, especially since she’d make sure that he appeared completely incompetent to Liliane and Atticus. Grinning to herself, it was so simply devious it was ingenious. By telling Troy about the meeting in person and neglecting to add him to the group chat, he’d arrive late to this important group meeting. Strike one, and a very clear and easy piece of evidence against him should the need arise.

Of course, this was assuming they failed, which was nigh impossible under her charge. Possibly the most important part to her scheme was that this would be HER idea and HER team should it succeed. After all, she arranged the team and helped lead them to the perfect victory. All of the credit, and none of the backlash should there be failure. “Charlotte Wynetta, you’ve simply outdone yourself again. Ohohohohohoho!” Laughing to herself, Charlotte set her tea down as she retrieved her small, frilled notebook to go over the finer points of what they’d actually be discussing during the meeting. No, no, they didn’t need to actually prepare for the challenges. That would make it too easy, and besides, they were already more than capable of handling it. No, they needed to work on far more important things. “Now, a fifteen minute fireworks display for the victory party seems inappropriate. There should be at least 25 minutes of uninterrupted beauty in order to match a fraction of the splendour that I possess…”

Continuing to write the agenda discussing the importance of which desserts to hold at the victory banquet, Charlotte was blissfully unaware of just what she’d gotten herself into as she awaited the arrival of her teammates.

Vincent Hamilton

Hurricane Khiefel came and went as quickly as dewdrops on a summer morning as Vincent stepped aside to avoid being bowled over by the young man, giving a faint sigh and a wry smile as he watched Arte duck out the door. Well, at least he was up and on his way; and if that reaction was anything to go by he had his answer regarding the name of the group. Calmly making his way to follow, Vincent had a peaceful stroll through the halls, apologising to the people that had also been windswept in Arte’s hurry to reach the meeting. Of course, most were fairly used to this sort of thing by this point, but he felt it was polite all the same.

Arriving to the library, Vincent briefly took stock of the surroundings with students abuzz with excitement for the tournament, giving a faint wave to his favourite librarian as he made his way over to room six of the Hierarch wing. Making his approach, it was surprising that he found himself only moments behind Mr. Khiefel, though it was quite possible that he became side-tracked on his way over. At any rate, it seemed that for the moment, they were the earliest to arrive and respond to Leo’s message. Giving a brief wave as he made his way inside, Vincent set his bag upon the table as he took a seat, allowing Arte to explore around the room a little more while he took a moment unpacking his notebook and pen.

“Thank you for finding a room Leo. I take it your morning has been enjoyable enough?” Opening with some simple pleasantries, Vincent briefly checked his phone to see if any of the others had responded or would be arriving soon. “It’ll be good to speak in person with everyone and formulate something of a plan.” Setting his phone on the table neatly, he laced his fingers together into a comfortable resting position. “After all, you know what they say: By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail. Wouldn’t you agree Arte?” Glancing up from his seated position to his roommate, Vincent did his best to entice him over to sit and perhaps join in the conversation.

---

Charlotte Wynetta

At first, Charlotte hadn’t noticed the passing of time. Between formulating points for the agenda and sipping her tea, she’d barely paid attention to just when it was. Of course, that changed the moment she finished her cup, pausing as she shifted her sleeve to check her watch. 12:13… They were late. Frowning slightly, Charlotte waived off her worries. They were Major Arcana, they must have simply been busy with their important duties and responsibilities, and no doubt they’d be on their way now. They simply hadn’t replied to her message because they were making their way over, that was why there was a read receipt but no reply. There was nothing to worry about at this stage but perhaps getting some sunburn from remaining outside too long.

“With that thought, I believe it’s time to relocate.” Daintily climbing from her seat, Charlotte summoned the attention of the nearest waiter to clear her table, as well as guide her indoors to a suitable dining area. After being directed to one of the low-brow interior dining areas, Charlotte was forced to use her charm and obnoxious wealth to remind the staff member just who they were speaking to. Moments later, she was helped to a private function area known as the Rose room. Far more befitting someone of her elegance, and the décor was simply marvellous! Satisfied with the new choice of location, Charlotte proceeded to remind the staff who she was waiting on and to be sure to direct them appropriately. In fact, she did that three times, in five minute intervals, also checking that the incompetent serving staff hadn’t simply missed their arrival. Sadly however, it seemed no one had turned up yet. Drumming her fingers along the table impatiently, Charlotte contemplated sending another message, but didn’t want to seem too needy. As far as she could tell, her powers were ineffective on text and other electronic mediums of communication, so she couldn’t count on that to bail her out either. Just what was going on? Why weren’t they here?! How could her perfect plans already be going so awry?

Sipping her second cup of tea in order to calm her rattled nerves, Charlotte took a deep breath as she composed herself. No need to panic. This was still salvageable. Like she said earlier, they must have just been caught up. Faintly, she heard the sound of murmurings and some sort of commotion outside, and immediately, her spirits lifted. That had to be them, no one else would cause such a ruckus amongst these elite citizens. Why, they were probably awed by the fact that not one, but TWO Majors were here to dine with her, Charlotte Wynetta. Smirking with glee, Charlotte opened the door to the Rose room and peered out towards the main foyer. Instantly her face fell, and she hurriedly slammed the door shut and placed her back against it. Him?! Of all people? Why was Troy here no- Pausing to check her watch, Charlotte’s worst fears were confirmed. It was 12:30. No no no! He wasn’t supposed to be here first! Grinding her teeth as she tried to work out how best to handle the situation, Charlotte made her way back to the table with purposeful strides. Still no need to panic. She could handle one braindead Neanderthal until the others arrived – she’d just have to find another way to display his incompetence to Liliane and Atticus.

Fluffing out her hair and taking her seat once more, Charlotte waited for Troy to be shown inside. Normally she’d force a bit of a fake smile, but there was no need for that with her powers. As Troy stood slackjawed in the entryway, Charlotte couldn’t help her look of detest for the man. Honestly, did he not understand just who they were associating with? He looked worse than a drunken hobo dragged off the street. Continuing to glare as she saw no reason to greet him first, Troy gave a small wave as he disgustingly wiped his snot on his sleeve. The pig. "Hiya, Wynnie. Nice... nice taste! Really red and all. Where's everyone else? Guess I'm early then!" Troy broke the ice, but was immediately met with a look of scorn. Though Charlotte didn’t expect he could see it through her Adulation ability.

“Why thank you for your praise Mr. Pendleton, however, we are neither on first name terms, nor nicknames, so please refrain from using such a childish moniker. Honestly, we’re trying to show professionalism here not…” She looked him up and down once more, and decided to hold her tongue a little as she winced. “…Whatever you’re displaying. Take a seat please while we await the arrival of the others. I’m sure they’re on their way and have simply been held up with other important duties.” Pouring herself some more tea, Troy interrupted by asking if she would pay for his coffee. Charlotte eyerolled. “Ask to have it put on Table 27.” Of course, what Charlotte failed to mention was that Table 27 would be exclusively Troy’s bill. That said, she didn’t remember offering to pay for any of his luxuries this afternoon.

With the absence of Atticus and Liliane, it was a prime opportunity to make it clear to Troy just what his limited role would be in this competition. Well,ignoring the fact that he would be taking the blame should it go wrong. “Mr. Pendleton, I just want to take this moment to make it clear that it is only because of my good graces that you were even considered for a position within this team. Please do not make my… confidence in you a wasted effort.” Setting down her tea, she adjusted her seated position to appropriately face him. “Despite my backing, you have to understand that you’re merely there to support myself, Liliane and Atticus. As long as you don’t blunder, everything should go perfectly and my team will become the crowned champions of the competition.” Smiling to herself as she shut her eyes, Charlotte still failed to see any of the warning signs even in this early meeting. As far as she was concerned, her destiny was for greatness. Nothing could go wrong.

Vincent Hamilton

Giving a faint laugh at Leo’s mention of the group chat name, Vincent brushed off any mild embarrassment he held, refraining from further commentary as the rest of the students began to file in for the meeting, grouping together in their cliques and taking seats around the table. General chatter about the regular things occurred, what people got up to the previous night, the most recent test, all typical things. Though he preferred getting down to business, there was no real harm in delaying the more important discussion regarding the competition while they waited for the entire group to arrive – Or at least, the ones that were more keen to participate. Relaxing in his seat, there was a soft but forceful noise from the opposite side of the table as Leo made it known he wished to speak. Soon enough, everyone had quietened down. Seemed that for the most part, everyone in the group was pretty reasonable and keen on getting stuck into the tournament.

Nodding as Leo ran through the unexpected nature of the challenges they’d face, Vincent himself had some theories as to what types of challenges they might face. “Given the unpredictability, it’ll be important to diversify our talents so that we have the tools and flexibility to deal with any task.” There were some murmurs of agreement after Vincent spoke, some comments about if it all really mattered that much, talk about the reward, but people settled again pretty quickly as Leo took charge once again, speaking about the one known variable of the competition. Ah yes, the Team battle. Though mostly about the qualities of the Major Arcana, the support of the rest of the team was not to be underestimated. More smaller discussions broke out, some talking about not wanting to be hurt, others proclaiming their own capabilities and whether they’d be of much help. When a suitable opening presented itself, Vincent took the chance to make his own comment.

“Provided you’ll have me, I’d gladly participate in the final confrontation. I may not be the most capable fighter, but I can assure you that my medical expertise could be of tactical benefit in a prolonged battle.” Addressing everyone, but primarily Arte and Leo, it was clear that the Major Arcanas would be the ones making any real final decisions about who they wanted with them in the final round. Of course, that left one lone exception that would need to really weigh in on whether he would be joining the team. As a slight ruckus began to be heard outside the door, Vincent sighed slightly. It seemed he’d arrived.

With a sudden and loud entrance, the resident Sun (And was that his sister on his back?) opened the door to their meeting wide, paying little notice to what he’d interrupted as he practically threw his brother into the room. As obnoxious as Aster could be, he was far more tolerable than his brother, and Vincent partly regretted the team getting such an antisocial fellow as a part of the group. Still, he had to respect the man’s talents, and Emilio would no doubt be a critical member of their team. Well, if Emilio himself could bring himself to actually participate as a helpful teammate. ”Good of you to join us, Emilio.” Vincent was the first to break the silence after the rude words of Emilio, perhaps the only one brave or foolish enough to speak to him in such a state.

“We were just talking about selecting Team Members for the final event. Despite not being here, will you deign to give us your presence during the competition at the least?” Vincent had intended to be somewhat cordial and friendly towards him, but Emilio tended to rub him the wrong way, and the slow glare he received made him speak just a little bit more curtly with hints of condescension thrown in. Adjusting his position in his seat, Vincent braced himself for the inevitable blowback Emilio would likely give, but at the very least he’d likely answer his question through his bluster.

---

Charlotte Wynetta

As Troy did whatever it was he did (Honestly Charlotte didn’t really pay much heed to his response after his arrival, he honestly wasn’t worth her time), a far more important guest immediately took precedence. Lighting up like a Christmas tree as the servant opened the door to reveal Liliane, Charlotte immediately left her seat and went over, clasping her hands together and smiling from ear to ear as Ms. Vidal explained her late arrival. Well, she didn’t really explain it, but no doubt that was because of some private business or other. Charlotte was quite the savvy woman, so no doubt this was a clever way of Liliane sidestepping confidential information, and Charlotte would no doubt impress Liliane by dropping the subject. Still, there was the matter that Liliane spoke about being late. She could see the look of confusion on Troy’s face, and no doubt that idiot would ruin everything if he opened his big fat mouth. Thankfully, she was more than prepared to skilfully weasel her way out of this scenario.

“No, no, think nothing of it! In fact, I just so happened to predict that both you and Atticus would likely have busy schedules, and arranged the meeting early just for your sake. I’m quite thoughtful like that.” Laughing joyously as she moved her clasped hands from side to side, Charlotte opened her arms wide and moved to embrace Liliane in a hug. “It’s so nice to see yo-uuu a-gain?~” Stumbling slightly as Liliane lowered her head and shuffled past, she completely slipped away from Charlotte’s overly affectionate greeting. Ms. Wynetta barely managed to catch herself and pivot to face her two guests, watching as Liliane took a seat and… Promptly collapsed onto the table. Blinking slightly, her face immediately turned to something of concern. Oh no. It couldn’t be. Covering her mouth slightly, Charlotte hurried over to Liliane’s side.

“My dear, are you alright? Are you ill? You simply mustn’t push yourself too hard! If I’d known, I would’ve postponed the meeting, or even cancelled it altogether; you must get your rest for the competition.” Gently rubbing Liliane’s back, Charlotte’s face showed concern, but the rest of her was seized with panic. If Liliane was sick, that would be a tragedy! How would they win the competition without her expert assistance?! Is that why she had been late? Fighting off this awful disease? It was admirable the effort she was making, but the health of her team’s odds of winning was the most important thing! “Stay right there, I’ll personally see to it that you get water and whatever sustenance you need. Don’t lift a finger, just get what rest you can. I will handle the meeting, don’t you worry about it at all Liliane darling.” Looking up from her position, Charlotte immediately affixed Troy with a glare.

“Pendleton! Stop gawking and make yourself useful and fetch chilled water from the bar, along with the finest soup. Liliane will be needing plenty of fluids, now be quick!” Snapping at the boy and assuring Liliane that this was for the best, it was about this time into the hubbub that Atticus slipped his way into the room, making his greeting. Sitting up promptly, Charlotte immediately rushed over and almost completely forgot the attention she was giving Liliane. Almost. She stopped halfway, and instead pulled a seat out for Atticus so he could sit next to her. Clearly, since Liliane had mentioned him earlier, they were well acquainted.

“Atticus, don’t apologise at all, we haven’t been waiting long. In fact, as I said to Liliane earlier, I’d made arrangements planning for your inevitably busy schedules, so you’re right on time.” Lying through her teeth, Charlotte smiled and continued. “But I understand entirely, allergies can be such a difficulty. Why, Liliane herself here might be a little ill too, but I can assure you I’m preparing the best care for her. If the flowers here are troublesome I’ll see to it that they’re removed promptly.” Charlotte moved to take a seat opposite the two, watching the boy briefly check under the table for… What reason exactly? Oh, he must’ve been checking for spy equipment from the other teams looking to source their strategy! Why, she hadn’t even thought about that! Such initiative! Majors truly were a breed above the rest of the class.

“Regardless, after Troy returns with Liliane’s water, we will begin the meeting in full. I’ve taken the liberty of choosing meals for each of us, and have already signalled the chef to begin preparing them, so rest assured that food will arrive momentarily.” Smiling with confidence, Charlotte was sure that would win her brownie points with the two in the room. “First on the agenda will be deciding a venue for our victory celebration, and then determining an appropriate guest list. I’ve taken the liberty of preparing a speech for us to deliver after the competition, but I’m open to further suggestions if each of you would like a larger part in responding to our audience.” Charlotte continued to beam and discuss other off topics as she awaited Troy’s return. Now that they’d arrived, everything would go smoothly from here.

“Wouldn’t you agree Arte?”

Soon after shrugging off Leo’s initial commentary, the redhead had begun poking around at the furniture in the room idly. From to the cracks in between the numerous shelves lining the walls to the chairs they were supposed to sit on, Arte knew that there was no space in the room for hiding spots, but it couldn’t hurt to check. At least, such was what he thought until his roommate decided to direct the conversation towards him, and as per usual, he hadn’t quite been following.

“Sure sure.” Choosing to play it off coolly despite his inattentiveness being painfully obvious, Arte followed Vincent’s silent signaling and soon found himself a seat next to the purple-haired man. However, the troublemaker’s compliance ended there.

Grey eyes settled on the redhead as did a knowing remark. Like Vincent, Leo had made it clear that he knew the perpetrator of the crime of renaming their group chat. They were no fun, always so serious about even the smallest of jokes. Turning his head to the side and propping it on one arm, Arte replied with a mumbled, “Creative, isn’t it?” though it was quickly drowned out by the crowd that soon came flooding into the room.

Naturally, the meeting began as soon as their silently appointed leader, Leonexis Pier, addressed the small legion assembled in the room. As brightly as his ambition to win burned, Arte—the very person whose motto seemed to be “just wing it”—held little desire to partake in the planning process itself. He did perk up at the mention of “pure bloods,” however. Mentions of pure versus diluted were seldom clean, though luckily it seemed that the off-hand comment seemed to have sailed over the heads of those present.

Trying not to wilt at the plethora of conversations being launched around the room in discussion of who would participate in the final round, Arte was almost glad for a new distraction. With his interest at its peak once again, the redhead watched in silence as the door was shoved open and their final member was dumped onto the floor and rendered without escape routes by Aster Polonius, the student with the weir- err, interesting hairstyle. Well, that was certainly one way to get an unwilling teammate to participate, he supposed.

Though the silence which ensued was broken by the ever dutiful Vincent, it was clear that such had been done with a dash of regret. It was understandable, given the recipient's reputation of having a penchant for having a bit of a nasty streak.

“Might as well have fun while you’re stuck here,” Arte added to Vincent’s question casually with a bit of a smirk. He doubted Emilio’s definition of “fun” coincided with his, but he felt that he’d choke on the tension in the air if nothing else was said. So much for fun...

Emilio Florentine

---

Emilio felt his frayed nerves start to calm as he sipped at the tea, his hysteria slowly dying away in the swirl of the tea leaves in his cup. The cold dread that'd pumped his veins leaden just a few moments ago had started their retreat, and his mind felt blessedly clear. Already embarrassment at his slip-up in control moments before was starting to set in, but Emilio crushed that thought before it could take root too deeply. He doubted that the rest would chalk it up to anything other than anger, because after all, he knew his reputation around the school. They wouldn't think too much into it, because they mustn't. His weakness must not be shown.

He gave a cursory glance at the group gathered at his table and started mentally cataloging them into compartmentalised information for later use. There was the Major, the Fool- a well deserved card for a foolish fool. It was too bad that he lucked out with such powerful magic. Emilio would be inclined to believe Khiefel was smarter than he let on, based on the sparingly few times he demonstrated some intellect, but they might just be flukes. Until he could prove to be of any use to *him*, Emilio had no problem ignoring him, because that was his go-to people attitude anyway. The rest at the table he did not recognise, and had no plans on getting to know any of them.

Pier had resumed his droning about the technicalities of the competition, of which Emilio automatically tuned out. It all boiled down to the same thing when Leonexis Pier was concerned- he'd talk, and people would gravitate towards him like fruit flies towards the scent of honey, and at the end of the day everything would go according to whatever plan he laid down. It wouldn't make any difference if Emilio attended or not and it would have been more productive if he'd just stolen the meeting notes from one of the Minors later. He still had research to do and a brother to murder. He could do with a bit of peace and quiet. He closed his eyes and-

"Good of you to join us, Emilio. We were just talking about selecting Team Members for the final event. Despite not being here, will you deign to give us your presence during the competition at the least?”

Of course they can't leave him alone. Immediately a hot flare of irritation welled up, and Emilio struggled to school his expression into one of mere disdain and not uncontrolled anger. He took a deep breath and started to formulate an answer before Khiefel cut in and added that he might as well "have fun" when he was stuck there. The shit-eating expression on his face made Emilio's blood pressure spike, and don't even get him started on that response.

"Whether I show up for the competition or not is none of your business," he finally managed in as cold a tone as he could. It was hard work, keeping this calm, and Emilio bit his lip hard and tried to remind himself that it would be prudent not to get kicked from the competition this early. "I don't see why you're so concerned. It's not like you'd matter much in the outcome of this competition, so keep your nose where it belongs." He chose to ignore Khiefel entirely, because having a debate with that imbecile would be like fighting a sentient wall, resulting in more headaches and no solutions.

[color=#7E6598]"If you would excuse me, I'd prefer not to be disturbed unless you have something *substantial to add," Emilio snapped before anyone at his table could respond. He had already started to dislike the purple-haired Minor, and hoped that he got his point across clearly enough for him to stop yapping and leave him alone. This was turning out just as awful as the previous years' meeting, and the one before, and Emilio had never hated his life any more than he did now. He didn't need help "communicating with people" and damned if Aster thought he knew any better.

Today's magical forecast had said sunny with cool breezes, but they failed to mention the tension that permeated every corner of Aurelius' school grounds. It wasn't hard to guess why; today was event day, and it was the first time each suit would get to size up the competition. Whether they were all ready or not.

The event's details had been revealed only a few minutes earlier, and students within each respective team were being divided into smaller groups who would go through the maze. Truthfully, not much thought was put into said groups; just whoever was closest at the time. That made for some very interesting teams, as seen when one group cleared the map and returned to the crowd, divided in half by a blood feud. It did have some purpose though. For many of those of the bottom percentile in their academics, this was a good chance to earn some brownie points with their professors.

Four different starting points for each suit were located in their own sections of the school, but the doors would always lead to a random room. Wands would begin in the school courtyard, using the admin building's entrance. Cups meanwhile had their starting point at the school observatory, on the northern most point of the campus. Swords would be using the gymnasium entrance, and finally, Pentacles with the door to the auditorium. A team is finished when their portal finally brings them to the main teleportation circle in the center of the school.

With tensions high and preparation next to nil, who will prove victorious in today's contest?

WANDS
WANDS PUZZLE 1: SENSE SUPPRESSION (NO TRAP)
SWORDS PUZZLE 1: SLIDING PUZZLE (WITH TRAP)

CUPS
SWORDS PUZZLE 2: LEVERS (NO TRAP)
WANDS PUZZLE 2: REVERSE CATWALK (WITH TRAP)

SWORDS
SWORDS PUZZLE 1: SLIDING PUZZLE (NO TRAP)
WANDS PUZZLE 1: SENSE SUPPRESSION (WITH TRAP)

PENTACLES
PLEASE SPEAK WITH THE GM'S*

OOC | Since cups and pentacles were unable to submit their puzzles, we'll be reducing the number of interact-able rooms to two. Do continue to assume your characters go through more than two though! You can view information about each puzzle on the roleplay discord.

* Pentacles seems to be devoid of active roleplayers outside the GM's. If you're a member of Pentacles who wants their character to participate, please contact us and we'll talk.

Vincent Hamilton

Vincent had been one of the first on the scene following the announcement for the first event. Though his expression didn’t entirely show it, his competitive drive was already heating up, and he was quite keen for the opportunity. A maze of varying puzzles and traps, testing the skill and coordination of the teams in a race to the centre… Why, it was the perfect chance to demonstrate his capability. It didn’t take too long for everyone to arrive, given the organisation the group had demonstrated prior to today. Taking only a moment to discuss tactics and the like, the team made their way through the entrance door to the administration building, and into the beginning of the maze.

Vincent himself had been keen to work on the puzzles with the other students, but did find it a little hard given their numbers. Whether intentional or not, the first room and subsequent rooms thereafter didn’t actually seem too incredibly difficult, and although Vincent felt the need to step in and work on the solutions himself, for the most part, progress was going at a steady and efficient clip. “Ah, you see, but if we look at it upside-down, a pattern emerges…” One keen-eyed student observed, Vincent giving a bit of a faint smile as yet another room seemed to be resolving itself. Granted, it felt like he wasn’t showing much of his own talents, but there was such a thing as too many cooks in a kitchen. Surely the rooms would increase in intensity from here, or when they finally encountered the traps of other students, and that would be where his prowess was needed.

Snapping the stone number carvings into place to complete the pattern, the typical portal they’d come to expect came into view, a few of those directly involved in the solution sharing some high fives and congratulations as they made their way over towards the gate. At that point, one particularly eager student slapped the man in front on the back, perhaps a bit too hard given his small stature. Stumbling forward a few steps, the young man quickly threw his hands out to stop himself, and… Everyone in the room went into silent shock as the portal to the next room disappeared. On the floor around it were the few pieces of the nearby pillar that had likely been a part of the rune that helped maintain the gateway to the next room. Rubbing his back on the floor, clutching hold of the chunk he’d managed to tear out of the pillar, the boy threw some choice words at the guy who’d hit him on the back, before reading the silent air of the room. Looking to the piece in his hand, then the wall with the portal, he remained quiet a moment before an expression of panic crept across his face.

“What’d you do?!” “How are we going to get out of here now?!” “This was your fault idiot!” “I can’t believe that just happened!”

The chatter and chaos grew a bit as the panic set in amongst the students, Vincent giving a bit of a sigh as he shook his head. Rather than delve into the blame game, he instead set about the more practical exercise of looking into a solution to the situation. Kneeling by the shattered pieces of the pillar, he began taking them and separating them into piles that might fit together, trying to get it as close to the original as they could. “Perhaps if we can rebuild it, the portal will reopen. Either that or if we can replicate the rune with an appropriate influx of mana…” Speaking aloud to himself, Vincent didn’t entirely mind if anyone was listening.

---

Charlotte Wynetta

“Ugh, it smells of sweat and idiocy in here. Why of all places was the gymnasium chosen as our starting location?” Huffing to herself slightly as Charlotte strode over to a bench - then swiftly reconsidered her decision to sit - Miss Wynetta was already in a poor mood. Of course, she’d been prepared for the announcement regarding the competition. The content was a surprise, but everyone knew that they had to be ready as the event details came in. Sometimes speed and punctuality was critical to obtaining the best chance in a given event, and although that wasn’t necessarily the case for this year’s first challenge…

“A better question would be why I’m the first and only one here…” Charlotte grumbled to herself, tapping her foot and having it echo about the hall as she checked her watch for the umpteenth time. If they were late to this event, would she be expected to go alone? Would the others be let in when they eventually arrived? If only she’d had a reason to expect their tardiness, then perhaps she’d have had the foresight to ask the staff before she was stuck waiting on her own. No one could have predicted that all of her teammates would be missing at the critical moment where the competition began in earnest.

Sighing, Charlotte unfolded her arms and began massaging her temples. This was already becoming more of a headache then she anticipated, but surely she wasn’t the one to blame if no one turned up? Everyone knew that the only real hope was that their champions arrived to carry the day, and other than making it as easy as possible for those two to do their job, Charlotte would only need to give minimal input. Still, the Major Arcana were a symbol of prestige and perfection. They would have to arrive in time. Honestly, she was probably getting worked up about nothing. Still, there was at least one positive to the situation. At the very least that idiot Troy hadn’t arrived. That imbecile still owed her a small fortune for his extravagance at the cafe. His absence would make it all the easier to blame him for any mistakes in the coming tournament.

Glancing back to the gymnasium door, as well as the side entrance where they were expected to gather, Charlotte checked her watch once more, then gave a soft whimper. They had to come.

For all the gusto that he had exhibited during his rush to the scene at the time of their little library meeting, Arte’s enthusiasm seemed to take a plummet from the moment he had stepped into the maze. With the numbers they had, the process was near autonomous; he had few places to step in. While he didn’t necessarily mind the luxury of taking it easy, only murmuring little suggestions and notes on the things he managed to catch (not that there were many) left his typically over-active self bored out of his mind. Even his roommate seemed to be facing a similar dilemma. Of course, it was plainly clear that said dilemma found its roots in an entirely separate reason from Arte’s.

When yet another puzzle was clicked into completion, Arte prepared himself for yet another round of bland applause and cheering. However, as all simple tasks go, nothing can be completed devoid of any complications whatsoever.

The moment the pillar came crashing down, the redhead’s lackadaisical expression briefly slipped into one of mild shock. However, rather than be consumed by the crowd’s panic (as per usual), he trailed after Vincent, taking in mind to tip-toe around the rubble. There was no way to restore the portal to its original state perfectly, but the last thing he wanted to do was to kick away any important pieces strewn about. Besides, at least now he had something to do rather than just sit around.

Vincent and Leo’s commentaries brought Arte’s attention towards themagical inscriptions in question. True to the Tower’s words, the portal they were looking at used a slightly different formula than the standard portals used around the school, though the majority was still based on the main. One of the stranger runes, however, tickled the back of his memory.

Pulling his phone out and into his view, Arte left a few taps and then swipes on the display to get to a particular rune that he’d happened to have saved. It only took another look at the broken pillar and back at his phone to confirm his suspicions. He’d forgotten what exactly he and Atty were experimenting on that they needed this particular rune for, but those were minor details. At least the knowledge came useful.

“This rune is typically placed second, so it’s probably safe to assume that the same would apply here...if I’m not mistaken?” He looked toward Vincent for any further clarification. Though, for once, the Fool was sure of the information, he did recognize that any possibility of error would put anyone on edge in this situation, not to mention, due to his nature, there were undoubtedly many who were skeptical of just about anything he said. In fact, he could feel those very stares at present.

Was he really always that unreliable?

Vincent Hamilton

Vincent only recognised the silence that came over the group when it allowed him to better focus on the matter at hand, briefly glancing over his shoulder to see what the sudden change in tone had been caused by. As Leo made his way over to investigate the damage with him, it seemed the boy was in agreement with his basic summation of the situation; though it seemed he was more in favour of repair the damage rather than starting from scratch. Taking one of the larger chunks in hand, Vincent set about infusing it with some of his personal magic, having it sit in midair at an appropriate height. From there, he could continue doing so for each piece until they had the shape roughly completed, then it would be a matter of repairing the rune damage and getting it to stay together once it was completed.

While Vincent had been working on this, Leo seemed to have been further investigating the root origin of the runework, which was unsurprisingly based around the standard portal rune at the academy – Albeit, with some modifications. Still, his insight into the quantity and number of changes was invaluable, and it did feel better to have another working on a different aspect of their self-imposed puzzle. At present, Vincent was simply connecting what obvious pieces he could, typically the larger ones given the nature of the fractures or breaks. In addition, the outer pieces were smooth and flat, leading to a simple process of elimination to determine which of the 6 sides they belonged to. That said, there was plenty of rubble and pieces that would not be suitable to replace into the pillar, so substitutes would be necessary at some point.

“This rune is typically placed second, so it’s probably safe to assume that the same would apply here...if I’m not mistaken?” Recognising Khiefal’s voice, as well as the rising tone that indicated a question, Vincent looked up from his current work. Meeting the boy’s gaze, he found a replica image of a rune printed onto his phone, Arte allowing Vincent to observe the finer intricacies.. Hmm, perhaps that could be useful. It certainly seemed to match one of the runes over the pillar when he overlayed it in his mind. Judging by the ligatures and loops present, it appeared to be a modification rune of some kind, which would follow along cleanly with Arte’s declaration that it was a secondary rune rather than the primary conduit. Nodding, Vincent decided to air his agreement.

“It seems like a sound conclusion, and having that as a point of reference will make replicating the rune simple enough. If we can identify the remaining changes to the rune, we’ll simply need some material to hold this pillar together. I should be capable of tracing the runes onto it when we achieve that.” Vincent declared with some degree of confidence. Though he specialised in healing magic, it was important to understand the fundamentals of medicine in addition to the runes used for healing. It was pointless to cure a dying man’s cold, or heal over a wound that was infected. As such, Vincent was capable of a magic used for precise incisions for surgical efforts, along with the steady hands to utilise such an ability. Needless to say, his knack for details and regal penmanship was more than capable of replicating a rune by eye.

Stepping back from the pillar, Vincent gestured on the progress he’d made in reassembling it, gesturing to a few main points. “This obviously matches with the standard Rune that Leo explained to each of you, while this area here belongs to Arte’s suggestion. This leaves these two areas here to identify, though with the gaps, It’s a little hard to envision their final form…” Vincent trailed off as he began scrutinising the shapes and scanning his memory. “If we can identify the properties of the portals we’ve used thus far, that might help us identify what further modifications – and therefore, what runes – we are missing.”

---

Charlotte Wynetta

Charlotte literally jumped when she heard the door clang open, whirling in place and clapping her hands together as she recognised one of the most crucial members of her team. Of course she was here! How could she have doubted the Majors? Likely they were making her wait for dramatic effect and testing her loyalty! My, Liliane and Atticus sure were shrewd people, but Charlotte herself was quite the astute judge of character herself. Heels clacking on the polished floor as she made her way over, Charlotte more carefully decided to stop in front of Liliane and greet her less intimately given their last experience.

“Hey there, I’m here now. Sorry about the lateness I think I caught Atty’s allergies.” Liliane mumbled as Charlotte made her approach, laughing to herself as she closed the gap to a short foot and gesturing to herself warmly. “Liliane, darling, think nothing of it! I do hope you’ve recovered for the competition, but rest assured I will do my utmost to ensure both your comfort and freedom to solve the dastardly maze that has been set upon us. I have no doubt you and Atticus have been studying fervently for this occasion, possibly to the detriment of your sleep and health, but do know that I appreciate you doing your all for this team.” Charlotte beamed, the idea of being this closely associated with one of the school’s finest was a huge boost to her mood. And ego.

“Speaking of Atticus, I’m surprised you two aren’t together. Pray tell, perhaps you’re aware of his current whereabouts?” Charlotte queried as she lead Liliane over towards the main doors and the seating in the corner. Of course, the opportunity to speak in private with Liliane wouldn’t last as they were rudely interrupted by loud, thudding footsteps followed by a cacophonous crash as the side door was thrown open with such force it hit the inner wall and rebounded back into the person who’d opened it – though the imbecile didn’t seem to mind. Charlotte gritted and grinded her teeth as she watched Troy make his clumsy approach.

“Troy…” Charlotte elongated his name awkwardly as he came into earshot, stressing it far more than was necessary. “How nice to-“ Charlotte froze up as she was interrupted – AGAIN – though this time, by his horrible coughing. Reflexively, her eye twitched as she felt an uncomfortable spray hit her face before he had the decency to cover his mouth and wheeze into his sleeve. Unintentionally, she felt her hands make a wringing motion before she retrieved a handkerchief from her pocket, flicking it out once before wiping her own face. Vaguely, she could hear him mumbling some apologies regarding their previous meeting, claiming it to be for Ms. Liliane’s sake. Moving to return the pink cloth to her pocket, Charlotte returned to her superior and noble disposition for a moment, before giving Troy the sweetest wicked smile she could muster.

“You should be very thankful Ms. Liliane is here to forgive your mistakes. Most people are not so gracious.” Charlotte shot her sharpest glare as she finished her statement, completely out of eyeshot of Liliane as she stepped forward towards Troy. The implications of her words and expression said it all. She had certainly not forgiven him. Still, there were far more important matters than simply dealing with Mr. Pendleton. Atticus had slipped in behind the young man, and made apologies involving a family pet, to which Charlotte could only smile and nod. Pets were an important show of responsibility, and this simply showed Atticus’ dedication towards helping those most in need. Truly, he was a generous soul. Still, rather than consult with Charlotte on a plan or get the team in motion towards the entrance, he began making conversation with that nitwit of all people!

”Atticus, dear,” Charlotte unceremoniously pushed Troy out of the boy’s line of sight and stepped into it, interrupting whatever response he planned on giving. “Should we not forge on into the trials and save the socialising for our celebration party? After all, we…” Charlotte paused midsentence as she retrieved her arm. Why was it wet? Not wanting to think about that prospect any further, Charlotte merely held her arm at an awkward length away from her body as she walked back towards the portal behind them. “I understand your confidence and graciousness in giving us a handicap so that the other teams have more of a sporting chance, but 10 minutes headstart is more than enough. Shall we begin?” Retrieving her handkerchief again with her clean hand, Charlotte began wiping down the soiled one, before graciously bowing aside and letting the majors lead the way. Then, she cut in before Troy before stepping into the portal herself.

As soon as they arrived on the other side, orders were already flowing from Charlotte’s mouth. “Okay team, let’s fan out and see what we have to work with. Troy, since you and I can’t compare to our fine colleagues, you can come with me to investigate this side, while Atticus and Liliane can explore the front and right side of the room.” Making her way over to the left, Charlotte was at least temporarily oblivious to whether anyone actually listened to her as she made her way to the west wall. Still, the team was together and had started. Nothing could stop them now.

Emilio Florentine

---

Barely thirty minutes into the competition, Emilio was honestly getting rather sick of the event, despite the fact that it'd only just began. The noise level in the room had reached levels far beyond unbearable long ago, he was losing sense of time and spatial awareness, and the pure concentrated amount of brain dead sheep present in the room was suffocating, to say the least. It was a good thing that no one was paying him much attention, because Emilio was wilting in the chaos. Leaning lightly against a wall for support, Emilio closed his eyes and willed himself to count to ten. Someone stepped on his left foot with no small amount of force, and Emilio forced in a breath. The more competent of his teammates were gathered across the room, and had Emilio been feeling any less faint from being stuck in the room with idiots he might have tried to make his way across to volunteer to help. They were losing precious time, and even Emilio was willing to have to actually carry out teamwork for once than to fall behind on the competition. God forbid, if someone like Aster ended up taking home the trophy instead of him because of his team's utter incompetence, there will be blood.

A cheer went up around the room, and it was the most welcome sound in the world then. Sure enough, the masses of people started clearing out of the room through the portal, and Emilio could have cried with relief now that existing was no longer a chore. Straightening himself up, he made his way to the back of the crowd and took his time meandering in the back, trying to get some air before he's locked into the other room once more.

Finally making his way up to the portal, Emilio stepped through the ring feeling as prepared as he could be. He was feeling much better now that the his head was cleared, and he decided that he would offer as much assistance as needed to get himself (and the group, but they don't really matter) out of the maze as possible. Anything for a swift victory. Wars, after all, weren't fought by picking your allies based on your likings.

Then, the situation managed to go to hell in less than three seconds flat.

The world was suddenly thrown into pitch darkness, and Emilio flailed from the sudden loss of sight and almost lost his balance. His head started buzzing, and not only because he felt like he was about to lose consciousness again. Oh, this was bad. Somehow, by some cursed fate, the situation was even worse that it was before. The screaming had gotten louder. Someone was crying. Emilio's loss of sight resulted unfortunately in all other senses becoming more acute, and the din in the room was amplified tenfold and reverberated back to him like a plague. Hell, he felt like crying at this point of time.

Stifling his own despair, Emilio began making his way around the room, groping blindly and pushing away whoever was in front of him. Hamilton and Pier were bound to be somewhere close, since they'd passed through the portal last. He needed to get to the only competent people in the room so they could figure out a way to get out of this wretched maze, and if it meant stepping on a few unfortunate Wands, then so be it.

"Hamilton," he barked out, ignoring how his voice wavered and the desperate tinge lacing his tone. "Pier, where the hell are you?!"

Vincent Hamilton

As Leo placed the final piece of the puzzle into place, the group was greeted with a pleasing glow that showed the rune resonating with the Tower’s mana flow. It wasn’t a guarantee that they were correct, but Vincent was confident in his own work at the least. That aside, surely the faculty would interfere if they were about to do something either dangerous or against the rules of the competition. Somehow, he felt creating their own rune portal to leave the maze was against the spirit of things. A few congratulations went around, to which Vincent cordially and modestly waved off as being simple deduction, gesturing the group to continue rather than lollygag about. After all, this was an unintended diversion; they’d wasted enough time as it was, and it would be particularly stinging to find out they were slower than another group thanks to this setback.

Calmly and confidently stepping through the portal, Vincent’s first instinct when entering the new room was the same as all those previous. That being, immediately look for anything notable to determine the dimensions of the puzzle or task they had been set. Immediately moving over to a nearby wall, he could faintly make out what seemed to be symbols burned into the wall, perhaps a code of some sort? Bringing his hand up to touch the stone wall, the most perplexing thing was the lack of temperature or anything to the material. Odd, perhaps that would contribute to the solution of the room? Thinking on it a moment, the shouts and other noises behind him finally were becoming obnoxious enough that he couldn’t really ignore them, and Vincent turned to try and see what exactly was causing such a commotion. Hopefully not another broken pillar.

The chaos Vincent observed was… Well, discouraging. No matter what was happening, why were some of them stumbling around like idiots? And why hadn’t anyone stopped them yet? Peculiar. It was true what they said about people. A person could be rational, but something was clearly driving some of them in the room to act strangely, and that was causing quite a bit of panic. Even Leo, one that Vincent felt was fairly steadfast in most situations had a gaunt look on his face. As he planned to try and make his way to ask just what was happening, Emilio made his overbearing presence known; though amusingly, it seemed he was after his help. Observing the way that he seemed to be fumbling about and waving his arms in front of him, it didn’t take a genius to realise that he perhaps couldn’t see. In fact, that might have been the case for a lot of the other people around the room, though maybe if they weren’t panicking so much they would have thought to stand still a long time ago. Still, why only a few of them? It was far too simple that just a handful of them couldn’t see, there had to be more to it.

Finally making his way back to Leo, Vincent posed a question, ignoring Emilio’s plight for the moment. “Tell me Leo, what do you make of this?”

After an uncomfortable period of silence where Leo mouthed a few choice words, it became that much clearer the problem plaguing this room. Unfortunate that Leo couldn’t speak, but that simply meant that once again, Vincent would have to try and take charge. As far as he could tell, he didn’t seem handicapped at all, though there was likely some aspect he was missing. Turning towards the group at large, he raised his voice, assuming some of them wouldn’t be able to hear him, but hoping that herd mentality would get everyone under control.

“Alright, everyone, calm down, and stand still. Anyone that can’t see, take a seat on the floor. You’re probably not going to be much help. Anyone who can’t speak, make your way to the wall on my right side. Everyone remaining, who can hear me, make your way to the left wall. Those that aren’t reacting should be those who cannot hear, and I’ll see if I can gesture them to go to the far wall.” Doing his best to take charge of the situation, for the most part, it seemed his plan was going to order as people got into position. Once everyone was settled, he’d see if he could just get them to wait patiently while he worked on a solution. Moving up to start pushing those that hadn’t heard his announcement to another wall, Vincent became dimly aware that he lacked a sense of touch. Arguably, almost the least valuable sense in this sort of situation. Those without smell were probably the best off. Still, no doubt each sense would be pivotal to some part of this puzzle… Perhaps they needed to identify a scent, touch, sight, sound and then relay that to something in the room? A solid working theory, but he’d need to do a bit more exploring before settling into anything concrete…

---

Charlotte Wynetta

“Well, I’ve surveyed this side of the room completely, and I’m confident that the only thing of use over here is myself.” Charlotte gave a coy laugh as if joking, but it was anything but. Sure enough, the walls and floor on the side she had chosen were bare and useless, other than the gate that would form a portal upon their completion of the room’s challenge. “Still, we should be thorough in our search. Pendleton, make yourself useful and scour every inch of this side of the room. I will attend to Atticus and Liliane and ensure that they are completely comfortable and empowered to solve this room. Do not interrupt them with any of your inane babble; we cannot afford to sidetrack them and fall behind our goal of perfection. Simply remain here and stay out of the way.”

Dusting off her hands and content that Troy was at least for the moment, disposed of, Charlotte moved to check on the Majors at work. Immediately, she was impressed;the two staring at a block puzzle on the wall. A simple, sliding, child’s toy; and no doubt they were seconds away from a series of precise movements to reach the solution. In fact, Liliane had prepared some sort of tiny servant to perhaps do the job for her? Or maybe it was analysing all the possible combinations for the quickest solution. Oh my, the Majors really were miles above the rank-and-file. Clasping her hands together, Charlotte stepped up behind the two. “Excellent, wonderful, I see you’re both hard at work solving the puzzle. I imagine you’re moments away from having us move on, so I suppose I won’t make myself comfortable. Really, you two are quite incredible; I knew I was right to rely on you two.” Smiling pleasantly, this puzzle was likely going to be a wake-up call for Charlotte, but for now, she was still in ignorant bliss.