Noir-Dreams [Day 2]

[Cian]

Sometime after the rumors started circulating Cian made it a mission of his that he wanted to know just a bit more. Dressing himself in some winter wear, a jacket with a scarf, he'd made a most clandestine exit out of the Pukwudgie dorm. Though he felt confident in his abilities to talk himself out of any situation he made his way as quietly and low-key-like as possible.

Naturally, in a similar but opposite vein, he dressed and acted often in such a manner that made it appear he was out merely for a late-night stroll and no like some true spy in a movie. Though, sometimes he did pretend he was. Sometimes slipping around a corner like he was holding a gun, like in the old spy flicks, was just too much fun to ignore.

Cian was out, late at night, trying his best and having fun with every second.

Day 2 | Noir-Dreams: Stealth vs Hard: 2eA+3eD 1 failure, 1 advantage

[Rahvin]

The Pukwudgie Patrols, as the students called them, ran seemingly 24/7, small bands of the creatures wandering at all hours and mostly falling beneath the notice of most students as they blended into the background.

That might have been the reason that Cian didn't notice the small humanoid wandering the halls until the moment before he tripped over the little man. That slight trip, though, was enough for Cian to fall against a wall - a wall that wasn't actually there. The hit on the floor knocks the breath out of his lungs for a moment as he lies half in, half out of the illusionary wall.

From behind him, the creature calls, "Oi! You! No students out of the dorms after dark!"

[Cian]

"O-w-w-w-w..." he said, bringing a hand up to his back as he took a cursory glance around himself. Moving so, as to ensure he could now see the Pukwudgie that had given him this little inspiration to his investigation.

Throwing on an accent, impossibly British, he proclaimed for the little Pukwudgie, "Why, I may appear just a bit short of stature but I assure you my little friend I am anything but a student."

Day 2 | Noir-Dreams: Deception vs Hard: 2eP+2eA+3eD 4 successes, 2 threat

[Rahvin]

The Pukwudgie narrows its eyes for a moment, looking you over.

"Huh, I don't recognize you but what do I know? I'm just a poor little pukwudgie with not a say in the world! New staff coming and going without even a word to us who run the place. Bunch of humans thinking they can just boss us around!" His voice gets louder as he complains - and, as any student that's run into a pukwudgie before would know, pukwudgies love to complain.

Unfortunately, his complaining is perhaps a bit too loud and the sound of approaching footsteps can be heard.

[Cian]

"Ah yes, we humans rather do ourselves the service let alone our stalwart companions we find among you! Should you like to discuss it further, as I would ever wish to do my good sir, may you accompany me as we see to my original purpose? I would ever appreciate the company," he said, speaking in his wonderfully casual put-upon British accent as he moved through to the other side of the Illusory wall.

All body language intended that it appeared he'd wish for his new fellow to follow.

[Rahvin]

Cian barely steps into the invisible wall before another voice enters the hallway.

"What're you complaining about tonight, Gregory?"

It is the voice of Zeloph King, the headmaster.

"Eh, Mister King, I was just talking to..." There is a pause of confusion, "Eh? Where'd she go?"

"Er, who, Gregory?"

"One of your new professors! That little woman that sounds like she was right off the boat! Oi, you didn't tell us there'd be two new foreign teachers this year! When William hears about this, there's gonna be a reckoning!"

There's an amused chuckle from the headmaster. "Two foreign teachers? Gregory, I assure you, only Ms. Sheppard has joined us this year as part of MACUSA's Wizarding International Studies Exchange."

"Eh? But I was just..."

[Cian]

Stifling a chuckle, and seeing as he was in no immediate danger of being discovered any longer, Cian kept an ear trained behind him but turned to look about the space that was behind the illusory wall. There'd had to have been some purpose to this, yea? And it was all too impossibly interesting to leave the mystery alone now, while he was right dab in the middle of it.

[Rahvin]

The talk from behind continues, the pukwudgie confused, the headmaster amused and convinced it was one of the school ghosts playing a prank on the poor soul.

Ahead is what looks like another corridor, very dimly lit though it's difficult to tell where the light is coming from. It's also difficult at first to determine which direction it runs off in; this part of the school is a disorienting maze of hallways. It runs forward for about twenty feet before hitting a T-intersection. Small rooms lie on each side, mostly unused; why would someone block off an entire section of the school?

[Cian]

A mystery that was just demanding answers!

Yet, Cian was not one to throw caution totally to the wind. Supplying himself with his wand from where he kept it nice and secure, he prepared himself when he was deep enough within to be certain he'd not be caught. At least, as best as he could figure. Then, he tried to remember a few charms that might aid him...

Two goals, first, he wished to accomplish. One, a charm to quiet his actions so that he might journey through these corridors softly. After all, he'd already been caught once. Second, a simple wand lighting charm.

First, he was pretty confident he remember the proper spell, and how to cast it.

Second, well, a set of good charms is just like a set of good tools. Any proper thief, which he may not style himself as exactly but is a fair description of his talents, has a good grasp on the tools of his trade. In this aspect, it is his proficiency with the tools of his trade that he relies on when it comes to efficacy. This was not the work of a scholar, or a fighter, or any other discipline. No, this was the work of a sharp mind and impervious wit.

Day 2 | Noir-Dreams: Charms/Intellect vs Average: 2eP+1eA+2eD 4 successes, 1 threat


Day 2 | Noir-Dreams: Charms/Cunning vs Trivial: 2eP+2eA 2 successes, 2 advantage

[Rahvin]

Doing two things at once can, sometimes, cause you to overlook some things. Not so with Cian, it seems; he quickly, carefully, and precisely casts Lumos, providing a flare of light to see better by while at the same time considering a charm to help silence his activities in the corridor.

The charm that comes immediately to mind, of course, is the quieting charm, quietus. A simple enough spell, of course!

OOC Mechanics: Charms + a Characteristic of your choice with a good explanation of why that characteristic is useful for this particular casting with an Average difficulty.

[Cian]

With the proper spell in mind, Cian prepared himself to cast it and...

Sometimes, just sometimes, the practitioner used a tool in error, gained a result he did not wish. This, unfortunately... seemed to be on of those times, where it just didn't quite work.

Day 2 | Noir-Dreams: Charms/Cunning vs Average: 2eP+2eA+2eD 1 failure, 4 advantage

[Rahvin]

Well, Cian figures, the charm didn't backfire and sounds weren't magically louder - so he's got that going for him, which is nice.

The bigger downside is that he was only thinking about sound - not about the light now magically spouting from his wand.

From back in the main hall, the voice of Gregory can be heard, "Eh? Do you see that light?"

"Strange indeed," comes the voice of Zeloph, "since it seems to be coming from a solid wall."

[Cian]

"Ah hell," he muttered to himself, quickly working to move deeper in, around a corner, that the light might disappear more properly from view. Or, at the least, he might get the chance to see just a bit more before this adventure comes to a very abrupt finish.

[Rahvin]

The rooms are too easy, too small, and the headmaster or the pukwudgie could figure it out at any moment - to the intersection! But which way, left or right? At first glance, Cian thinks left will lead back around towards the stairs but the hallway turns that way again so it's hard to be sure. To the right the hallway ends after a few dozen feet at a solid closed door.

Only one chance here, Cian realizes.

[Cian]

Somehow, the mystery of the closed door was almost impossible to fight against. To the mystery door! He'd raised his wand, a little higher, as he came around the corner. As if to symbolize his victory of evading, for the moment, an imminent capture and announce his sallying onward!

[Rahvin]

Cian hits the door, hard, to try to push it - but it seems to be stuck.

OOC Mechanics: Straight up Brawn roll with an Average difficulty. Spending a Story Point from the GM Pool to upgrade a difficulty die to a challenge die.

[Cian]

He'd had to get through doors like this before, surely. Still, he wasn't very fond of the effort... wasn't usually his style through, but he didn't think he had enough time for another spell. So, with his shoulder up against the door, he saw just how much he could budge it.

Day 2 | Noir-Dreams: Brawn vs Average: 1eA+1eC+1eD 2 successes, 2 threat

[Rahvin]

It takes a few good, quick shoulders before Cian is able to force open the door.

Shoulders that, perhaps, made a bit of noise. Cian isn't able to tell as he closes the door, breathing hard and hoping nobody saw or heard him. He leans back against the door, breathing hard and eyes closed as his heart slows down. Opening them, he realizes that he had just pushed a small bookshelf when he pushed open the door - someone had blocked the doorway.

And that someone was sitting at a table in the middle of the room. A large table sits in the middle of the room, several students - older than you, you'd guess - sitting around it with papers scattered in front of them. Small cube shaped objects lie in the middle of the table around an assortment of little creatures that shuffle around on the spot.

The oldest looking sits at the head of the table and frowns, "Can we help you?"

[Cian]

"Lost my way on the way to the bathroom," he said, smirking, staying rested against the door for the moment. Looking over the room, trying to figure out what was exactly going on here when Cian asked the most pertinent question...

"You uh.. busy with something?"

[Rahvin]

Voices, muffled, come from the hallway: "I know I heard something! No one told me there was a hidden wall here! How exciting!"

The girl at the head of the table's eyes go wide, "It's the Headmaster! You've lead him here, haven't you?"

There's a scramble as papers are quickly scooped up, pouches pulled out to scoop up the little shapes and small creatures. The girl from the head of the table looks ill tempered as she quickly gathers her books and papers and drops them into a bag that seems too small to hold so much.

Working together, they head to the back wall, the girl pulling out a wand and tapping it against an off-coloured brick there as she whispers something. A portion of the back-wall disappears, revealing the Arithmancy classroom beyond.

[Cian]

"Yo! Hey!" Cian called out, softly, using his quick steps to approach as to not have to yell so much. "Let me get out with you, and maybe they won't realize this place's been found, yea? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me."

[Rahvin]

The girl frowns for a moment then gestures for Cian to follow, "Come on, then!"

[Cian]

Cian was quick, but not so quick as to lose composure of his usual self, and exited through the wall. Dusting himself off on the other side, or at least, patting down his clothes to make sure there was no dust or whatever else might have taken a ride with him.

Keeping a casual attention to how they'd seal the exit, by keeping a eye about the group as well.

[Rahvin]

With everyone across, the girl tapped another specific brick and quietly muttered a word under her breath - the wall reappeared, sealing both rooms up. She turned, glaring angrily - all her friends had already scattered.

"And just what the hell do you think you're doing, wandering around at night like this? You're lucky I don't report you to your head of house right now!"

[Cian]

"That," he began, leaning up against a nearby bookcase or cabinet for the classroom. "is a pretty good question, but one I'm sure I'd not be alone in being asked if you came forward with it. After all, then I'd have to tell all to explain myself, and telling all..." he glanced back from where they came.

"So," he smirked, "I guess this makes us compatriots in a way? Cian," he said, and extended a hand.