where: the bar of the Hotel Obsidian
who: Lila and open!
The hotel smelled like mothballs and old carpet.
Lila wrinkled her nose as she took another swig of her lukewarm beer. This place felt disjointed, outside of time, a liminal space.
She was kind of obsessed with it, already.
Someone sidled up to the bar and took a seat next to her. She barely acknowledged them, just reached forward to grab the bowl of bar peanuts.
βThe beer here tastes like shit.β She warned them, throwing a nut up in the air and catching it with her mouth.
for Β the Β first Β time Β in Β β Β fuck, Β who Β even Β knows Β at Β this Β point, Β fiveβs Β not Β wearing Β his Β academy Β uniform. Β well, Β thatβs Β not Β true. Β heβs Β wearing Β it, Β but Β he Β has Β a Β bathrobe Β over Β top Β tied Β at Β the Β waist Β giving Β the Β illusion Β that Β heβs Β not. Β heβs Β tired Β of Β this Β game. Β tired Β of Β every Β attempt Β theyβve Β ever Β made Β to Β fix Β things Β bringing Β about Β more Β C Β H Β A Β O Β S Β and Β seeing Β no Β end Β in Β sight. Β for Β every Β one Β thing Β they Β fix? Β it Β seems Β like Β two Β more Β break. Β he Β has Β half Β a Β mind Β to Β throw Β the Β towel Β in Β and Β let Β the Β half Β dozen Β other Β powered Β strangers Β whoβd Β showed Β up Β in Β their Β living Β room Β take Β a Β turn Β at Β the Β whole Β saving Β the Β fucking Β planet Β thing. Β he Β was Β done.
( except Β he Β knows Β he Β isnβt. Β one Β way Β or Β another, Β he Β gets Β sucked Β back Β into Β the Β familyβs Β drama Β wether Β he Β likes Β it Β or Β not. Β )
today, Β however, Β heβs Β refusing. Β heβs Β planning Β on Β getting Β very Β drunk, Β ignoring Β everyone Β who Β might Β want Β to Β talk Β strategy, Β and Β giving Β his Β nerves Β a Β bunch Β needed Β break. Β heβd Β fucking Β earned Β it, Β hadnβt Β he? Β he Β slides Β into Β the Β seat Β next Β to Β lila Β silently, Β elbows Β pressing Β down Β against Β the Β cool Β marble Β of Β the Β bar-top. Β he Β should Β probably Β be Β trying Β to Β kill Β her, Β given Β their Β history, Β but Β heβs Β not Β really Β in Β the Β mood. Β if Β she Β keeps Β her Β hands Β to Β herself? Β heβll Β do Β the Β same.
β Β ever Β considered Β that Β maybe Β itβs Β just Β your Β taste Β thatβs Β shit? β
(The Umbrellas are gathered around a broken coffee pot)
Five: Soβ¦who broke it? Iβm not mad. I just want to know.
Victor: I did. I broke-
Five: No, you didnβt. Diego?
Diego: Donβt look at me. Look at Luther.
Luther: What? I didnβt break it.
Diego: Huh. Thatβs weird. Howβd you even know it was broken?
Luther: Because itβs sitting right in front of us, and itβs broken.
Diego: (leans in towards Luther) Suspicious.
Umbrella Ben: If it matters - probably not - but Klaus was the last one to use it.
Klaus: Liar! I donβt even drink that shit!
Umbrella Ben: Oh, really? Then what weβre you doing by the coffee cart earlier?
Klaus: I use the wooden stirrers to push back my cuticles, everyone knows that, Ben!
Allison: Okay, okay! Letβs not fight! I broke it, let me pay for it, Five!
Five: No! Who broke it?!
Luther: Fiveβ¦Lilaβs been awfully quiet.
Lila: REALLY?
Luther: Yeah! Really.
Lila: Oh, my god!
(Everyone starts fighting except Five)
Five (to camera): I broke it. It burned my hand, so I punched it. I predict five minutes from now theyβll be at each otherβs throats with war paint and a pig head on a stick. Good. It was getting a little chummy around here.
Β Β Β Β βi for one am incredibly excited to see my students,βΒ constance admits,Β teeming with excitement and smiles over the edge of a porcelain tea cup,Β dainty flower patterns aswirl on the sides.Β Β βi have the perfect opening assignment.Β two words:Β group,Β projectsΒ Β βΒ isnβtΒ it divine?βΒ Β //Β @arcanasstartersβΒ
( CHRIS WOOD, 30, HE/THEY ) class is in session for ANSEM WARBECK. their resume says theyβre a WITCH and theyβve been teaching MENTAL MAGIC at the academy for FOUR YEARS. records show that theyβre a HOUSE AQUIS alumni. we wish them good luck in the new school year. Β | Β c, 29, ast, she/her.
BIOGRAPHY
β * | ansem warbeck is the oldest child of ragnor and celena warbeck. he has a twin brother named arson and while they are identical, they couldnβt be more different. both ragnor and celena are influential members of the magical community and always prided themselves on having a stellar reputation. stellar isnβt quite so stellar though; they are morally gray and known for being pretty... questionable. Β they never get into dark magic themselves, but their family has profited heavily from it over the years. Β ( think β¦ war profiteers, i guess. Β they never get their hands dirty but they have plenty of blood money ). Β arson is the dutiful son, the good son, and ansemβs always been the disappointment who couldnβt live up to their expectations. yet somehow, when his mother needs a ride to appointments, or wants to spend four hours on the phone complaining about the neighbours, itβs his door sheβs knocking down. ( if youβve seen arrested development? heβs very much the michael bluth of the family. )
ansem was never good at doing what he was told and rebelled against the behaviours his parents tried to ingrain in him. he never listened, always liked to do his own thing, and never bought into the whole βpureblood supremacyβ thing that they tried to drill into his head. Β so what if they came from an old witch family? magic was magic. he figured if you could do it, you were just as good as anyone else. Β ( his family disagreed. ) Β he and his brother both started arcanas together, though his brother was in flarion. did ansem purposely try to avoid taking the same classes as arson to avoid being compared? yes. was it entirely successful? eh. Β his brother was naturally capable, came by things easily, and fear of never measuring up like he had in his own home made ansem veer off into the opposite direction.
Β Β Β personality wise, ansem is sharp, sarcastic, and doesnβt have a high tolerance for people. the list of people he dislikes is longer than those he likes. he likes to have a good laugh ( sometimes at the expense of others ) and isnβt one to take on responsibility. ironic, given heβs now teaching at the school he used to go to. for someone as intelligent as he is, he does the least amount of work possible and does well but never really exceeds his own expectations. heβs incredibly lazy and can usually be found snacking or napping around the school. how did he become a housemaster, you might ask? he likes to think it started off as a punishment but became something he was... surprisingly good at? as much as he finds people annoying, heβs incredibly empathetic which makes him a decent teacher and mentor type figure.
shortly after graduation he worked as a for hire curse breaker. Β if there was a hex you couldnβt undo, or a curse on your family name, he was the guy you called to fix it. Β he was good too. Β it was only after a curse backfired and nearly killed him that he got scared and backed out of it. the fear was greater than the love he had. Β arcanas was safe, a reminder of good days (and far far away from his family) so he was happy to ya yeet out of the real world. Β less than a year after graduation, he was enrolled at a magical college and eventually became a mental magic teacher where he has been teaching for four years.
though a stable career he might have, a stable love life he does not. he met his wife aria when they were both students; they started as friends, two people who had feelings but werenβt quite sure when or how theyβd explore them. they were only technically together for 3 months by the time graduation rolled around and it was his own failures, an inability to commit, that saw them breaking up. by the time his graduation rolled around two years later they were seeing each other again β one drunk hook-up leading to another, and another, and then another β and they did long distance shortly after he graduated and started curse breaking. he was away a lot, never in one place for very long, so it was difficult... but he knew that she was the one. a near death experience didnβt prompt a proposal... it simply sped up the timeline. they were married shortly after, and things were incredible for 2 years. what happened after that, you might ask? great question. a big fight splintered things, leaving them separated and barely speaking. over the next few years they get back together, break up, get back together, and break up again, so many times it probably makes the people who know them wellβs head spin. right now theyβre still off, technically, because they agreed after the last split that if they get back together again? itβs the last hurrah. the last try, before they call it quits for good. theyβre very much soulmates as far as ansem is considered but getting out of their own heads, or their own way, hasnβt exactly been the easiest.
heβs been teaching mental magic at arcanas academy for four years, so connections can be assumed with other staff members and students !! heβs also been the housemaster for aquis, who he refers to as his water demons, so thatβs opportunities for connections too! thereβs also a 99% chance he calls all of his students by pokemon names. sorry not sorry. his default reaction to most things is panic, so, uh, be prepared for a little meltdown for flavor before he tries to help you with any of lifeβs greatest problems.
β * | BASICS !
NAME: β ansem valcour warbeck.
NICKNAME(S): β ansem.
PRONOUNS: βhe/him.
AGE/DOB: β thirty / july 25
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: β bisexual.
ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: β biromantic.
ETHNICITY: β caucasian.
NATIONALITY: β british.
HOMETOWN: β manchester, uk.
EDUCATION: β he previously attended Β arcanas, aquis house, and took the college courses to become a teacher/professor.
SIGNIFICANT OTHER(S): β Β married to aria kongthai
β * | PHYSICAL !
FACECLAIM: β chris wood.
HEIGHT: β 6'0.
EYE COLOR: β brown.
HAIR COLOR: β brown.
GLASSES/CONTACTS: β he has reading glasses but youβll never see him wear them.
TATTOOS: β n/a.
PIERCINGS: β n/a.
SCARS: β jagged scar across his collarbone.
β * | MEDICAL !
ALLERGIES: β shellfish.
SMOKING/ALCOHOL/DRUGS: β former smoker. he hasnβt had a cigarette in approx. 112 days. this counter will likely reset many times. he drinks more than he should. Β no drug use.
DIAGNOSES: β undiagnosed adhd, likely somewhere on the autism spectrum because i definitely do not know how to write a NT character.
BLOOD TYPE: β universal donor.
β * | AESTHETICS
NEATLY Β TRIMMED Β BEARD, Β LAZY Β SMIRKS, Β SARCASTIC Β QUIPS. Β THE Β MICHAEL Β BLUTH. Β REAL Β LIFE Β NATHAN Β DRAKE. Β BLEEDS Β COFFEE Β NOT Β BLOOD. Β UNHEALTHY Β OBSESSION Β WITH Β TEEN MAGAZINE Β QUIZZES.
β * | CONNECTIONS Β
students Β with Β an Β aptitude Β for Β mental Β magic Β that Β he Β provides Β additional Β / Β advanced Β work Β for Β to Β challenge Β them. Β (0/2).
students Β who Β need Β extra Β help Β in Β one Β or Β more Β of Β the Β aspects Β of Β his Β curriculum. Β this Β would Β include Β after Β hours Β help, Β extra Β assignments, Β or Β one Β on Β one Β attention Β if Β they Β were Β struggling Β with Β concepts Β (0/4)
students Β that Β give Β him Β a Β hard Β time Β in Β class Β for Β one Β reason Β or Β another. Β could Β be Β people Β who Β sleep Β in Β class, Β talk Β back, Β distract Β others, Β etc. Β (0/??).
the Β unholy Β trinity: Β fellow Β teachers Β who Β like Β to Β get Β together Β and Β be Β chaotic, Β gossip about Β their Β students, Β and Β forget Β theyβre Β not Β seventeen Β anymore Β bc Β theyβre Β fucking Β idiots Β who Β like Β to Β troll Β (0/2).
fellow Β teachers Β who Β like Β to Β get Β together Β and Β drink Β wine Β after Β stressful Β days, Β or Β just Β when Β they Β feel Β like Β it Β tbh. Β (0/???) Β
a Β rival/enemy Β from Β when Β he Β was Β @ Β arcanas Β who Β now Β also Β works Β at Β arcanas. Β he Β canβt Β remember Β why Β they Β donβt Β like Β each Β other Β but Β heβs Β dedicated Β to Β the Β feud. Β itβs Β petty, Β he Β knows, but Β he Β sucks Β at Β admitting Β heβs Β wrong. Β (0/1)
childhood Β friend. Β fellow Β witches Β who Β would Β have Β hung Β around Β people Β who Β were Β haughty Β and Β thought Β they Β were Β better Β than Β everyone Β else. Β ansemβs Β parents Β thought Β they Β were Β hot Β shit Β so Β maybe Β their Β parents Β felt Β the Β same. Β they Β both Β rebelled Β against Β what Β their Β parents Β wanted Β for Β them Β and Β it Β bonded Β them. Β (0/1)
partner Β in Β crime. Β (30 years old) Β this Β person Β was Β very Β different Β from Β ansem. Β different Β species, Β a Β little Β more Β serious, Β the Β kind Β of Β person Β you Β wouldnβt Β expect Β to Β be Β friends Β with Β him. Β theyβre Β probably Β the Β only Β reason Β ansem Β even Β passed Β his Β exams, Β forced Β to Β study, Β and Β he Β forced Β this Β friend Β to Β actually Β have Β fun Β and Β live Β a Β little. Β theyβre Β still Β close Β but Β maybe Β fell Β out Β of Β touch Β over Β the Β years. Β this Β person Β would Β be Β new Β to Β arcanas Β as Β a Β staff Β member, Β or Β teacher, Β but Β would Β be Β an Β alumnus Β preferably Β from Β house Β aquis Β but Β could Β be Β any. Β
