gooseberryhigh | MORNING

Entry tags:

MORNING

Participants: Reece Downing, Estella Morales-Tran, Jade Otterwell, Samantha Sweeney, Noel Finnigan-Thomas,
Jefferson Key, Lucas Kowalski, Micah St. Clair, Zachary Zheng, Calvin Evercreech

(Warning: this event contains disturbing imagery & mentions of death)

MORNING

At 6:15 AM sharp, Mr. Merrill is at Azurcrest to shake his Jays out of bed for early morning chores, but soon learns that something irregular happened last night. After getting the gist of the incident from the prefects, he runs back to the lodge to tell the other teachers. It’s still drizzling, and his umbrella has cute cartoon cats printed across it.

At 7:00 AM, Mr. Merrill returns with news. Apparently, MACUSA agents have assured them everything is fine and they’re looking into it, but students who ask Merrill can read between the lines: no one knows where Anon and Brother are. He keeps his smile on, though, and tries to calm everyone. For the time being, there’s not much to be done.

“Let’s all just take our minds off this for a little,” he suggests. He tells Mackenzie Prince to take the freshmen and sophomores to the stables to help Mr. Covington and the O’Hares calm the animals, and as for Reece Downing... “Didn’t we have plans today? Let’s get out there and end things on a good note for Azurcrest.”

Reece escorts the junior Azurcrests (Essie, Jade, Sam, Noel, Jeffy, Lucas, Micah and Zach) along one of the trails, since Mr. Merrill told him there was an opportunity to win more house points helping to clear a rarely used trail near the lodge. He excitedly describes plans to install a pool over the summer, and sure, the gesture of clearing trails is a little meaningless, but— “We’re so close to taking the House Cup, Reece. And it’s thanks to you! So... go get ‘em. I’ll meet you there.”

They’re not far from the Auror camp, although they can’t see it through the trees. For the last couple of days, it’s felt nearly abandoned. The Aurors that remain are all posted at campsites form security. The rest... who knows? But the Azurcrests occupy themselves with friendly chatter or nervous musing as they walk.

Conversation stops as there’s a sound of someone crashing through the bushes. A student emerges from the trees, and collapses to his knees on the trail ahead of them. Calvin Evercreech is bleeding and holding something close to his chest. A large glowing rock, pale like raw moonstone. Essie, Zach and Micah recognize it immediately: Brother’s Heart.

“Help, please,” is the only explanation they get from Calvin as the group rushes to his side. “He’s comin’, he’s... He’s going to—” He’s interrupted, when a tall man strides out of the trees, in the same sharp, night-black suit he always wears. Director Grimshaw, wearing a bitter, hateful smile.

“I saw it hand it to you, boy!” His wand is drawn, aimed at the students. Jade Otterwell sees the spell coming and throws up a shield spell just in time to deflect Grimshaw’s curse, which is knocked off course and shatters the trunk of a nearby tree.

“He killed Brother! He killed him for this.” Calvin holds up the Heart, but then pulls it back to his chest protectively. “Don’t let him—” Calvin’s cut off again by another spell from Grimshaw, aimed at him, but it ends up hitting Jefferson Key. Lacerations open across their back like they were whipped, and the students scream as they realize the nature of this confrontation.

Estella Morales-Tran draws their wand and fires back at Grimshaw, who deflects it effortlessly and returns with a concussive blast that takes the would-be duelist off their feet. Everyone gets Calvin to his feet, but he’s badly injured, one hand clutching his side while the other holds the heart.

Noel Finnigan-Thomas shouts they’re going for help and takes off, but Grimshaw stops them with a Leg-Locking Curse, causing them to crash into the dirt. But that’s enough of a distraction for Lucas Kowalski to catch Grimshaw off guard with Expelliarmus! The director’s face twists into a snarl as he’s forced to go retrieve his wand in the brush. “You don’t know what you’re playing with. This is no game, you little shits!”

But Grimshaw’s not the only one shouting. Mr. Merrill is running at top speed towards them. “Hey! Get away from them! Hey!” He draws his wand without stopping, and with a quick swish sends Director Grimshaw tumbling deeper into the forest.

“Go, run, get out of here,” he hisses at the students. Reece Downing resists and tries to stay to help, but Mr. Merrill shoves them, hard, in the direction of their friends. “Go, this isn’t a debate!”

Grimshaw is getting up, and he’s clutching his wand. His normally neat hair is a mess, his suit now covered in dirt and dead leaves. "Get out of my way, mudblood." He's focused on Merrill now, and the students don’t stay to see anything more. They help the injured, and run towards the safety of the lodge. They hear Merrill shouting to Grimshaw in the distance, trying to reason with him. “Stop! Mr. Grimshaw, let’s just forget all—”

A green flash, then silence.

Zachary Zheng knows exactly what this means. They freeze, because there on the path is the lifeless body of Zebulon Merrill. Everyone slows, and one by one turn to see what’s wrong. Grimshaw is gone, and the teenagers run back to their teacher. Some screaming, some crying, some not quite knowing what just happened. But not Calvin.

He stands up straight, injuries forgotten, and looks at the heart, smiling. Micah St. Clair notices, and demands to know what’s wrong with him. The rest of their friends were too distracted, but now some notice. “I always knew you were idiots,” Calvin says dryly, and steps off the path. They try to stop them, but he moves just out of their reach so fast it’s hard to see. “Good work gettin’ Merrill killed. Maybe if you had some sense he’d still be alive.”

Samantha Sweeney shoots a spell at what is clearly a mimic, and for a moment “Calvin” looks panicked. But as the curse hits him, the heart glows brightly and the magic amounts to nothing. “Calvin” giggles in a horribly familiar way, his laughter growing almost manic at the end. “I’ll be seein’ you lot later.”

It’s surreal how easily he disappears into the trees. There’s no way to give chase. All that’s left of the mimic is the blood he left on those who tried to help him. There’s no blood on Merrill, though. He’s still warm, but it’s too late. The Azurcrests are alone again.

HOW THIS WORKS

The Junior Azurcrests & Reece were selected in a secret lottery.

While other students may have seen the commotion at a distance, only Reece Downing, Estella Morales-Tran, Jade Otterwell, Samantha Sweeney, Noel Finnigan-Thomas, Jefferson Key, Lucas Kowalski, Micah St. Clair, and Zachary Zheng were present and involved in the commotion.

All Heads of House were at campsites first thing in the morning (~6:30-7:00 AM) to check on their students after Mr. Merrill tells them there was a strange event last night. They’re clearly not happy, but feel powerless to do much about it. There’s the sense that staff is eager to send students home ASAP.

The mimics have stolen Brother’s Heart, which was mysteriously in the possession of the Aurors.

Director Grimshaw has murdered Mr. Merrill, and his current location is unknown.

As soon as his death is reported, all students are called into the lodge, which is put on lockdown. Mrs. Bloom orders that no Aurors are to be allowed entry into the lodge, and Utah law enforcement is on its way.

Staff quickly collect familiars of students who were not at their campsite when the lockdown was ordered.

Mr. Oakes is named interim Head of House for Azurcrest. Mr. Elmasry looks shaken, but can be seen trying to assist him in looking after the Azurcrests.

Evacuation procedures are underway. Freshmen are being taken off campus first, along with unplayed characters and anyone who wants to remove their characters from any endgame participation. Another post will be coming later today with details of the lockdown and evacuation. If you are not one of the characters named in this post, please hold on when it comes to your character's reactions.

» Confrontation: The fight with Director Grimshaw.

» Betrayal: This isn't Calvin at all.

» Aftermath: Brother is dead. Mr. Merrill is dead.

» OOC - Discussion

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Reece is not an athlete. He's actually very out of shape, and the junior Azurcrests have several athletes among their ranks. The fact that he outstrips every one of them back to Mr. Merrill might be because some of them are hurt, but it's probably also at least a little bit like a mom lifting a whole car to save her baby. Zach doesn't deserve to see this. None of them do.

He drops to his knees at Mr. Merrill's side, but it doesn't take him long to come to the obvious conclusion. Dead. For a moment, he flounders. He regrets that moment later, because it's all the time the rest of the group needs to catch up with him. He stands up, grabbing the nearest junior gently by the shoulder to push them back in the other direction. They have to go. Grimshaw could be anywhere. That mimic could be anywhere.

"Come on," he says. "There's nothing we can do. We have to get out of here."