Endymion Academy

Looking Glass

Looking Glass

Under the Pressure
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Endymion Academy
@Looking Glass and @ERode
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Character Repository
Haruko Hayashi Kylie Heidrich Akari Saito Vera Crusher Nancy Waller
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    Name
    Haruko Hayashi

    Age
    17 years old

    Personality
    Many people tend to see Haruko as rather moody or perpetually bored, which isn't helped by the fact she rarely smiles. She normally comes off to others as somewhere between aloof and at worst caustic, but it betrays her inner nature. At heart, she is actually rather shy, putting up a front as though to prevent people to get too close, and to that end, Haruko is actually much more good-hearted than she might let on.

    Her desire to become is an Abyssal Hunter is genuine; she truly wants to be able to protect other people. All that said, Haruko is a bit stubborn as well when she's already made up her mind about something, often finding it difficult to consider other people's points of view in situations. Despite that, she actually is aware of how unsociable she comes off, and wants to better herself, not just in that regard, but in many others as well.

    Ability
    Negation (Rank B) - The ability to nullify the abilities of other people, as well as their effects. With a touch, she can instantly disable most other people's powers, be it an element, projectile, energy bursts, personal enhancement, and so on.

    Her ability is not automatic or passive; she must consciously activate it to make it work. When her power is in effect, her eyes glow a light shade of red (as opposed to her naturally blue eyes) to indicate its effect. Her power can only be active for a short while at most before needing to "recharge."

    She can also transfer the effect of her power across objects, similar to an electrical current. In other words, if both she and her target are in contact with the same object, her ability can still affect her target without the need for physical contact.

    There are also certain powers and effects she simply can't undo at all, but that's a case by case basis deal.

    It is believed that, given the link between the appearance of the Leviathans and the development of Diver abilities, Haruko's power of Negation is able to have on adverse effect on such creatures.

    Short Background
    Born to an American father and a Japanese mother, and raised in the states, Haruko is an only child. Though she enjoyed a financially comfortable life in the earliest years of her childhood thanks to her father's occupation, it mattered little as her parents separated when she was at a young age due to irreconcilable difficulties, most prominently physical abuse and infidelity on her father's part.

    Following that incident, Haruko's mother retained sole custody and moved away with her. For the following several years, Haruko lived with her mother, a working-class woman, having essentially "downgraded" in class, though Haruko never bore any ill will toward her mother for her decision. Some years later, Haruko's mother passed due to illness, and so, just like that, custody of Haruko transferred to her father, whom she'd previously had no contact with for many years.

    Though she was born with her powers, due to the nature of her power, her power went unnoticed and undeveloped until Haruko's adolescence, shortly before her mother's death. In the time since Haruko had been separated from her father, he had gotten a new occupation of sorts that prompted her to move with him to a new home in The City, where she was enrolled into Endymion Academy in hopes of becoming an Abyssal Hunter.
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    Name
    Kylie Heidrich

    Age
    17 years old

    Personality
    Kylie has a serious, no-nonsense attitude. She is coarse and rude, almost resembling a punk or schoolyard delinquent. The only emotion she does seem to be comfortable expressing outwardly is anger or any degree of irritation, her face often twisted into a scowl. However, she does take her work and training at the institute seriously. In that regard, one could describe her as someone with the academics of a model student, yet the personality of a delinquent.

    Despite her efforts to fancy herself a person who acts logically and rationally, Kylie can be an easy target to get a rise out of, especially if one knows what buttons of hers to push.

    Ability
    Enhancement (Rank B) - The ability to "enhance" certain properties, whether in herself, others, or objects. The term is broad and refers to many different implications, but the basic idea is that she is able to make herself stronger or her abilities more potent in some manner to an unknown extent (as none of her limits have ever been properly tested yet due to more enhancement requiring more concentration) in different ways or "classes," the effect being visible and demonstrated through the "enhanced" area taking on a more metallic, almost armored look.

    Kylie can use Enhancement to make any part of her body stronger and / or more efficient, which can include enhancing her arms to provide her with superhuman strength, her legs to provide speed and jump at great heights, or evenly distribute her power all around her body for enhanced durability. In this regard, her power manifests in the form of a sort of metallic "armor."

    On top of Kylie's power being able to tire her out if she overuses it in a given time, depending on how much energy she outputs, she is generally able to only able to significantly enhance one area at a time, as in, she can either be strong enough to pick up a car or be fast enough to outrun a car at a given time, but she can't have both. However, she can easily distribute her power in this manner if the degree of enhancement is not as intensive, essentially striking a moderate balance if needed and able.

    Also, if faced with enough external resistance, a given reinforced part of her body may end up shattering and her powers are susceptible to being disabled for a short period of time. For example, Kylie may enhance her body to the degree that she can withstand bullets, but if she were blasted with something stronger like an explosion, the "armor" built up around her body would shatter and be disabled temporarily. On top of that, as her enhancement acts as an additional layer of skin, or it can be described as such, her "armor" can be bypassed by those who might be able to target her internal systems.

    Short Background
    Details are sparse about Kylie's past; not much is known about her at this present time, as she is very secretive about her background.

    What is known is that Kylie was born in a normal household, growing up alongside an older brother, raised by their two parents. Both Kylie and her brother quickly turned out to be Divers, developing their powers at an early age. From there, however, whatever became of her family is unknown at this point in time, as she doesn't speak of it.

    Currently, she is under the custody of her maternal uncle, Christian Heidrich, who works as a teacher at Endymion Academy.
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    Name
    Akari Saito

    Age
    16 years old

    Personality
    Akari is, by nature, not a particularly aggressive or even violent person. In fact, she normally detests bloodshed and conflict, opting instead to always pursue a peaceful resolution. She considers violence and battle to be an absolute last resort, and ironically, a last resort she finds that she has to resort to often.

    Day to day, she is demure, soft-spoken, docile, patient, respectful, and the like, but has trouble emoting.

    Ability
    Spatial Manipulation (Rank B) - The ability to manipulate space as the wielder sees fit. Conceptually, it is an extremely powerful ability in of itself, especially with the right mind behind it, and just having this power makes Akari one of the lucky few to possess the potential to reach S-Rank, but her lack of control and understanding of what she is even capable of hold her back, landing her at B-Rank instead.

    Due to the abstract nature of her power and the aforementioned lack of complete understanding she has in her own ability, Akari is barely able to even use it, as manipulating space requires a great deal of concentration for her to even manifest. To facilitate her ability to use her power, Akari requires an object to help her "anchor" and visualize her ability into existence. While she can theoretically use any object to anchor her, her "object" of choice is a sword; perhaps an antiquated weapon in modern sensibilities, but it is the most familiar to her, and thus, the most comforting for her to use. Specifically, her personal sword, which she calls Sensou.

    She has a great amount of applications at her disposal by manipulating space with just a sword alone. Some such techniques she has learned to hone include:
    • Flash Step - Akari can temporarily "erase" space by slicing the air and cutting through it like paper, causing a tear appears in the air, taking the form of a white void underneath. If Akari (or anyone else, for that matter) were to try to step toward this "non-existent" space, she would simply suddenly appear in front of the tear, essentially "teleporting" right in front of it. By doing this in rapid succession, she is able to move swiftly as she pleases like a mad dash. When using this technique in particular, the space she "erases" only remains as such for a brief period of time before space essentially repairs itself on its own. If she were to reach A-Rank, she will be able to unlock extra properties concerning this ability.
    • Distant Cut - Akari can also use the application of "cutting space" in an more directly offensive manner, cutting her enemy from a distance so to speak. In contrast to Flash Step in which the torn space takes the form of a white void, Distant Cut takes the form of a black void instead. She can essentially "teleport" a slash from her sword toward any position she can visualize, as its name implies, able to slice an enemy from afar.
    • Barrier - Self-explanatory. For a defensive application, Akari can also manipulate space to temporarily "solidify" it, preventing anything to bypass the area in which she cuts. Though its area of effect is invisible, this ability is characterized by Akari using wide swings to maximize her area of effect, though the main downside is that -- like the other applications -- the time of effect is a short window, so to maintain the barrier, she would have to continuously swing widely at the air, which she likens to calligraphy in a way.

    Short Background
    Born to a well-off Japanese household, her father is a respected, high-ranking officer in the JSDF. It was her father that instilled a sense of national pride in Akari, and though her father has made little secret that he would have preferred a son, Akari worked tirelessly in her youth to live up to her father's expectations, training in swordsmanship (initially as a simple hobby of sport), excelling notably in iaido.

    When Akari's Diver powers began to develop in her adolescence, her father wasted little time in sending her to Endymion Academy, pleased in a way that she had potential to be a useful asset for the good of mankind. Obliging her father's wishes, Akari works tirelessly to become an Abyssal Hunter that can protect the free world at large, claiming her father's will to be her own will as well.
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    Name
    Vera Crusher

    Age
    17 years old

    Personality
    Vera is a very haughty girl with a strong personality. Self-absorbed and overbearing, she is the spitting image of a spoiled rich girl, stuck up, entitled, and arrogant, often speaking in a domineering tone. She considers herself to be above most others at first impression, considering them "commoners" and believing she is above Endymion Academy as a whole.

    However, despite all that, she is actually rather easy to fluster. Having had little actual human interaction outside of her family, servants, and friends of equal social standing, Vera possesses a poorly defined view of the common world, oblivious to certain norms in a "common" life and what exactly such a life entails.

    That said, Vera is capable of being nice; among those who have "earned" her respect, she is actually polite and well-mannered like an "ideal lady," and she is not entirely oblivious to the fact that her privileged upbringing has granted her a distorted lens far removed from the sensibilities of others, only vaguely aware that her experiences differ from many others, but unable to express such sentiments.

    Ability
    Fire Manipulation (Rank C) - In a way, it's rather self-explanatory. Vera can manipulate fire at will, conjuring it practically out of thin air so long as oxygen is present. Being so self-explanatory means her power is less complex than the abilities of others, but also means less constraints for her to keep in mind, aside from having to manually activate her "powered form."

    When in her powered form, characterized by her hair changing color from black to red, on top of being able to conjure fire at will, Vera is also immune to fire damage, and is able to manipulate pre-existing fire as well.

    She uses a lighter to facilitate the usage of her power, though she dislikes even having such an object on her, considering it an object of commoners.

    Short Background
    Born to an aristocratic family in England, Vera enjoyed the fruits of privilege since birth, wanting for nothing, and enjoyed her youth counting down the days until she would inherit the full fortune of the Crusher estate once her eighteenth birthday came. However, the manifestation of her Diver powers threw a bit of a wrench in those plans, startling her family quite a bit.

    Given her volatile personality and her equally volatile power -- especially uncontrolled as it was -- Vera's parents had decided to delay their daughter's inheritance, believing that having an untrained Diver as the sole heiress of the family would tarnish their reputation and standing unless Vera otherwise proved her "worthiness" of her inheritance and the extra power she suddenly had. Thus, Vera was enrolled into Endymion Academy, tasked with learning the value of discipline and becoming a reputable Abyssal Hunter. Though she has no actual interest in becoming a Hunter, she reluctantly agreed to it, hoping to prove her worth as the up and coming heiress of her family.
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    Name
    Nancy Waller

    Age
    17 years old

    Personality
    Nancy is, perhaps, best described in one word as a ditz. As happy-go-lucky as a girl if there ever was one. A bit dim at times and slow to pick up on certain details, more of a "big picture" kind of person instead.

    Nancy likes to consider herself the go-getter of her circle. She is outspoken, bubbly, playful, upbeat, cheerful, and friendly, perhaps to an overbearing degree at times. As ditzy as she may come off though, she is not entirely dim, able to prove perceptive to a surprising degree, and might even come off occasionally as a "wise beyond her years" kind of person, according to herself at least.

    Ability
    Shapeshifting and Mimicry (Rank C) - The power to take the form of other people, perfectly mimicking their appearance, voice, and clothes, regardless of factors such as height, weight, and race. Nancy can even mimic other people's powers if applicable, to a limited degree, as well as their innate physical attributes. However, for Nancy, this ability comes with many stipulations.
    • Nancy is not always in complete control of her ability; she can sometimes be prone to shape-shifting without meaning to, especially depending on her mood.
    • On top of that, a half-baked shapeshift can result in an incomplete transformation if she's not careful (for example, might sometimes end up only mimicking someone's head or limb, or something else).
    • When assuming someone else's form, provided they have powers, the copied power she inherits is only approximately a third as strong as what the real person can do (for example, if a person with super strength can lift up to 900 pounds, Nancy can only lift up to 300 when borrowing their power). This can be circumvented if the person in question becomes stronger over time and Nancy observes this however.
    • To that end, when mimicking someone else, Nancy will also inherit their weakness even if she is not particularly weak to that in her normal state.
    • Her shapeshifting is limited mainly to what she observes, or in other words "scanning." Nancy cannot normally morph into someone she's never seen or "make someone up" to change into, and she can only mimic someone's powers if they see it in action. The same goes for clothes; if Nancy sees someone wearing a white t-shirt for example, their clothes will always only be able to change to that white t-shirt if she choose to morph into that person, until she sees that person wear something else.
    Short Background
    Nancy has had a rather simple life, born into a relatively well-off middle-class family and raised by two, normal parents. Her life was certainly what one could describe as normal, or at least, as normal as could be before she realized she was an Diver. Otherwise, everything was "normal" about Nancy's life; her nuclear family, her environment, the people she knew, and her hobbies. She life was, to put it in one word, traditional. And despite living in relative comfort, she had always felt out of place there.

    Such comforts didn't last for long though, as Nancy eventually developed the power of shapeshifting come puberty, suddenly finding herself able to copy other people's forms, which caused quite a stir in the "normal" family who were unnerved by her developments. These abnormal powers and her lack of control over it alienated her from her parents to a degree, try as they did to understand her situation. It was then that her parents had agreed that the best thing to do was to send her to enroll her into Endymion Academy to help her hone her power and help instill in her a stronger sense of who she is, and maybe even use it for the betterment of humanity.
Supporting Character Repository
Christian Heidrich Isaac Hughes

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    Christian Heidrich

    A seemingly mild-mannered teacher at Endymion Academy, he is the maternal uncle of Kylie Heidrich, as well as her current guardian. Though his cheery demeanor and level disposition gives him an air of youth, coupled with his soft appearance, he is actually well into his 40s.

    A much younger man studying abroad in Japan when the Leviathans first appeared and terrorized the country, Christian was among the first Divers to manifest, though he is far from the strongest, sporting a B-Ranked ability called Boost which is said to be able to enhance the performance of his mental faculties, in a similar vein to what his niece can do to her physical body, able to improve a given sense or reflex at will for a period of time. Despite his lack of an impressive power though, he makes up for it with his decades of experience honing his ability, making him fit to educate and mentor the younger generation.
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    Isaac Hughes

    One of the current members of The City's General Board, Hughes presides over not just the internal workings of Endymion Academy, but also The City at large, answering only to the Chairman of the Board. Otherwise, Hughes is -- for all intents and purposes -- among the top authorities of The City, not unlike a local politician. In particular, his "specialty" is overseeing the Academy, while others oversee the military aspect of the registered and graduated Abyssal Hunters, making him among the more well-known faces of the General Board, at least among the Academy.

    Otherwise, other than the fact that he is not a Diver, very little is known about Hughes, preferring to keep his personal affairs just that; personal.
 
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Character Repository
Tian-Gui Jian Arata Yukimura Ohta Kaneko Zion Haneyama Takeo Narimasa

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    Name: Tian-Gui Jian

    Age: 17

    Appearance: Broad-shouldered and muscular, Tian-Gui stands at an impressive 6'5, a veritable giant compared to most other students. At any given day, a variety of scrapes and small cuts can be found criss-crossing his skin, and his hands are callused and rough, fingernails kept almost painfully short. A bold smile finds its way easily on his angular features, and he prefers simple, unbranded attire when out and about.

    Personality
    Tian-Gui is steadfast and confident, an individual that exemplifies the qualities of a hero. Courageous with a strong sense of justice, it almost appears as if he stepped out of a comic book; a brave youth who would face down the dragon alone. Though his ideals may be suffocating or nosy at times, portraying him as a fellow who can't let even small problems go, that same immaturity, that same earnestness is what drives him forward through great challenges, over and over again. For Tian-Gui, there is no force powerful enough to stop him from offering his hand to another.

    Background
    Tian-Gui lives with his mother in an old apartment complex an hour's commute away from Endymion Academy. A first-generation immigrant from mainland China, he first arrived at Japan when he was five years old, and always had some trouble fitting in with the others. Back then, he was simply fat, rather than big, and though he did what one was supposed to do to make friends, that is being friendly and doing favors, it sorta just ended up with him being a gofer for the other boys in class. Tian-Gui never really minded it though. If someone had to do it, why not him?

    That became the motto he repeated, over and over again, as he pursued his childhood dreams of heroism.

    His potential of a Diver wasn't outstanding, of course, if nothing else, Tian-Gui was driven. He studied hard, exercised hard, slept hard, and when he hit his stride in puberty, suddenly he wasn't the pudgy foreign errand boy that you could push around. He never joined any clubs though, part-time work to pay for future tuition in one of the highest ranking Academies in the world. Even took a year off between middle school and high school to work full-time for it, which may be a bit of an ill-advised decision…

    But hey, he's here now.

    Ability: Flamestone [Rank C]
    Tian-Gui can manifest a golden armor over his body, displacing any clothing that isn't skin-tight. Tough enough to ward off most non-enhanced physical attacks, the special trait of this supernatural material is in its ability to absorb energy, which can be expelled later in a burst of heat or utilized to repair or further fortify the armor. Naturally, this also means that beyond its initial toughness, Flamestone is also especially resistant to energy-based attacks.

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    Name: Arata Yukimura

    Age: 15

    Appearance: Slender with thickly-built legs, Arata is a 5'5 youth with sea-green eyes and dirty blond hair. He has a babyish look to him, the countenance of a child that hasn't experienced much hardship or emotional pain, and it shows: his facial expressions are almost painfully easy to read, and he blushes easily, cheeks always a bit rosy. Though he has a weirdly mature wardrobe that composes of outfits one could only see as 'smart casual', Arata always looks more comfortable in hiking wear. And damn, has he spent a lot of money on that.

    Personality
    Forthright but awkward, Arata has the look of a teenager who's really not all that certain about how to interact with his peers. Which is about right, considering how he was privately tutored up to this point. He's a bit clueless and has no sense of scale when it comes to money, but Arata's always willing to learn, and he's a quick study. When things catch his attention, he will obssess over it, and when there's a problem that can't be solved with money, he'll...basically just short-circuit. Ultimately, he's still trying to figure things out, and it would certainly be nice if he had the time to. But he doesn't. Not if he wants to be the leader his grandfather wishes him to be.

    Background
    While Arata's lived in the Yukimura family estate for most of his life, with his new designation as a student of Endymion Academy, he has relocated into a penthouse at the heart of the metropolis. A private chaffeur drives him to school every morning, and a live-in maid takes care of the domestic side of things once he returns.

    The Yukimura Conglomerate has always had its hands in a wide-variety of industries, establishing itself as a reliable brand that one could live their entire life around. Clothing, medication, groceries, technology, the company has been around since the 20th century, and is now a global powerhouse. While his older brother is expected to inherit the company and has already been groomed for that purpose, Arata was instead raised to be the first Yukimura to become a part of the Abyssal Hunters, with the intention of then rising in the ranks and leading Japan's Diver military.

    It was for that purpose that he received intensive home tutoring, his education focused on anything that would be useful as a Diver, which largely meant physical conditioning, designed with his Ability in mind. Arata never minded this, however. He preferred physical activity, and on his off-days, he headed out to mountains around the nation, hiking alone under the unseen supervision of his bodyguards. Movement was refreshing, and he enjoyed himself the most when he didn't need to bust his brain about what the adults around him thought.

    On his 15th birthday, Arata's private tutoring came to an end, and he was enrolled into Endymion Academy without the need for any sort of examinations. As things stand right now, he's not wholly certain whether that was a good or bad thing.

    Ability: Railroad [Rank B]
    Arata can trace glowing white lines in the air or on the ground. When objects come in contact with these white lines, he can activate the lines, causing the objects to shoot out in the path the lines were drawn out in, launching outwards at the end. There are a variety of tricks that can be employed, of course. With a closed 'loop', Arata can cause an object to spin indefinitely until he negates his power. By drawing a line with one foot while standing on the line with his other foot, he can achieve superhuman speeds and even flight.

    Though there is no weight restriction to his ability, the heavier an object is, the less acceleration it'll receive from the Railroads and the less its maximum velocity will be. Currently, anything heavier than a human body would only be able to reach a speed of 70 km/h.

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    Name: Ohta Kaneko

    Age: 16

    Appearance: Ohta looks the part of a milquetoast Japanese high schooler with nothing particularly going on in his life. He's of an average build, though a bit on the skinny side, and he stands at 5'7, but habitually slouches so he ends up looking shorter than he actually is. Pale-skinned, his face naturally has the look of someone who's bothered by the fact you're looking at him. Absolutely fashion-less, the only reason he doesn't go around everywhere in sweatpants and t-shirts is because that'll also draw unwanted attention. He sticks with dark jeans and long-sleeved shirts, and may or may not have a closet full of the same outfit.

    Personality
    Apathy clings to Ohta, and most of the time, he gives off the impression that he doesn't particularly care what people say, perhaps due to his particularly invasive ability. A skeptical and cynical fellow, all he would like to do is live his days out quietly, undisturbed by his fellow people. But alas, he is still a teenager enamored with the affordances of technology, which is the only reason he hasn't headed off into some nameless village out in the country yet. He tolerates genuine, honest people, but otherwise, isn't interested in living his life for anyone other than himself...or at least, that's what Ohta thinks he is.

    Background
    Ohta was six years old when his aptitude as a Diver manifested in the ability to read the minds of those around him. He couldn't turn it off, of course, and that ended up with him finding out a whole bunch of things he shouldn't have. Such as the fact that his best friend was only using him to get at his video game consoles. Or the fact that his teacher hated the class, and only went to work for the money. Or the fact that his parents were both having affairs, and only stuck together because a divorce would be shameful.

    He found out all this and more as he grew up, and living in the metropolis as it was, there was not a single moment where he had a moment to himself. The teachers he went to about his Ability were useless, of course. They were accustomed to students who could breathe fire or transform into monsters, not one that could scour the insides of their mind. And adults being adults, they had plenty of secrets they didn't want Ohta to find.

    He was alienated from them, and felt alienated from his classmates too. His parents continued their loveless marriage, his friends continued to lie with their smiles and their proclamations. The girl that confessed to him in middle school only loved the image of him. The politician who promised a brighter future thought only of money and prestige. Ohta was the keeper of everyone's insecurities and complexes, and he wanted no part in it at all.

    On his last year in middle school, he enrolled to Endymion Academy, one of the major institutions in Japan for Diver research, in hopes of figuring out a way to remove his Ability from himself.

    But what's even the point? He already knows that every human was trash.

    Ability: Harmony [Rank C]
    Ohta is able to hear the surface thoughts of those around him passively, with people further away having quieter 'voices'. These telepathic voices are not obstructed by physical obstacles such as sound-proof walls, while they often overlap each other, he can focus on singular thought-voices and determine their general direction. While he is unable, currently, to dig into someone's memories, it's possible to bring in deeper thoughts and beliefs to the surface of one's mind through a couple of leading questions.

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    Name: Zion Haneyama

    Age: 17

    Appearance: Zion is 5'8 and good deal heavier than he looks. Firm muscles are packed into every inch of his body, and his bones are a good deal denser than other humans as well. In darkness, his cerulean eyes gleam brightly, and his complexion is absolutely flawless, unmarred by sunshine or injury. There is an effortless grace in the way he carries himself, and that grace, along with his handsome face and peculiar physical traits, has landed Zion a rather lucrative modelling career...which comes with the benefit of never having to worry about coordinating any sort of outfit himself, because his manager will always do it for him, no matter the situation.

    Personality
    Is arrogance charming? Perhaps not, but Zion's natural chutzpah, brought on by his colorful life and his many talents, certainly makes a strong case in support of such statement. Carefree and cheeky, he's the sort of person who never appears to take things seriously, always able to find some way to spin the scenario into something amusing or fun. Life's a play, after all, so why not play? There isn't any particular consistency in his actions either; what he stands by one day will be something he cares nothing about on another day, and though he is friendly with everyone, Zion doesn't truly have any close relationships. He'll enjoy himself, and if he happens to hurt someone's feelings in the process, well, maybe they ought to stop caring so much.

    Background
    Zion knew he was different from the moment he looked in the mirror and saw that his features matched neither his father or mother. Adopted? No, his birth certificate proved that he was born from his mother's womb. An illicit affair? No, the love his parents showed for each other would leave no room for another to come inbetween them. It was his Ability, in the end, an ability that made him something beyond humanity, something greater. Accelerated learning speeds. Accelerated physical growth. Total control of every individual muscle. Wings that carried him skywards. Eyes that could see through pitch black darkness. By the time he was seven years old, he went to school solely to socialize, breezing through his classes.

    By the time he was eleven years old, he was scouted off the streets as a model, an actor, an idol. He excelled at them all, of course, his prodigious talents pushing him to stardom, but Zion valued time more than he valued fame; he dropped all those careers but modelling, and pursued every small interest he had. No one was his equal, not really, but everyone was his fan. The Super Human. The Cherub. The Miracle Child. Endymion Academy offered him a stop, tuition-free. The government scouted him out for a position as a special operative, once he reached the age of majority

    Everything, really, lined itself up for Zion, and he hadn't even needed to try at all. Honestly, he can't imagine what it'd be like to be normal.

    It'd probably be terrible.

    Ability: Paragon [Rank A]
    Zion is superhuman. He learns faster, thinks faster, moves faster, and recovers faster than normal humans. He is immune to poisons and disease, doesn't require food, sleep or oxygen, has precise control over every part of his body, possesses extraordinarily sharp senses, and is able to fly at the same speed as his sprint. The small wings that stretch out from his back appear to be extraneous as he does not require their movement to enable his flight, while the halo appears to be the source of a skin-tight barrier around his body, shielding him from the elements.

    Though Zion's Ability does not match the destructive potential of other Rank A Abilities, the sheer utility and breadth of his boons justifies this ranking. His accelerated learning capabilities, in particular, has enabled him to pick up a grand array of mundane skills.

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    Name: Takeo Narimasa

    Age: 18

    Appearance: 5'10 with a faultfinding glare, Takeo is the very picture of a disciplined ascetic, the type who would eat nothing but fish and broccoli, without ever complaining about the blandness of it all. His gray eyes are piercing, his brow always furrowed, his outfit impeccably pressed. Though his hair is long, it is never unruly and unclean, and he keeps everything about himself trim and smart. To laze about in loungewear would be blasphemous, to slouch when he walks traitorous.

    Personality
    If he did not hold himself to the standards he wished everyone else would, Takeo would be a hypocrite. And though there are many things that he finds lacking when he sees others, hypocrisy is the one fault that he disdains the most. Brutally honest and heartless in his pursuit of correcting the behavior of others, Takeo is a restless perfectionist who does not believe that satisfaction can be had in merely a perfect score. It earns him his fair share of enemies, of course, but that has never stopped him before, and won't stop him now. Self-improvement may be difficult and painful for others, but it is still better than languishing in pathetic self-depreciation. Takeo always holds his head high, assured in his own path, and he believes that everyone else ought to as well.

    Background
    Takeo never had a father, and he knew how strange it was once his elementary school teacher asked him why he only drew his mother in a picture that was meant to encompass his family. When the oddity of his situation was pointed out to him, he began to notice everything. The whispered conversations of housewives in the complex he lived in. How often his mother bowed compared to others. How every time he got into a fight with others, his fatherless situation would be brought up. How he would wake up in the morning, his hair damp with someone else's tears.

    It burnt him hot, it burnt him bright.

    His mother didn't make the wrong choice. His life wasn't something to be ashamed of. He wasn't at a disadvantage and he certainly didn't need anyone else's pity. Was it the maturity of a boy who had to grow up too fast? Or the immaturity of a child who thought that complex problems could be solved with simple solutions? Takeo did not dwell. He simply marched on, striving to be an exemplar in everything, giving his all and then some. And as his efforts bore fruit, he pushed further and further, accruing achievement after achievement, until his mother no longer felt any shame about the circumstances of his birth, until those others had no choice but to think that perhaps, they were the ones who were lacking in their ability to raise their children.

    And though he did not possess any particular aptitude as a Diver, he pursued admission into Endymion Academy regardless.

    As a student, he could only reach as far as his classroom, but as an Abyssal Hunter, he could show innumerable children how to live: proud and ambitious, regardless of their backgrounds.

    Ability: Flash [Rank D]
    With physical contact, Takeo can make inanimate objects glow, as long as the object is something he is able to physically lift. This light intensifies the longer he holds onto them, reach peak luminosity after one minute, in which case the object will be bright enough that it is blinding to look at without sunglasses. Conscious effort allows him to instantly remove his power as well, causing all the light quickly blink out.
Supporting Character Repository
 
Volume 1
Growing Pains

​

The first day of the year was always among the most hectic.

And yet, simultaneously, it was a bit of a blur.

Some would say that it wasn't officially the "first day" since there was no class today, but it was listed nevertheless as such on the semester calendar. Instead, there was an orientation held, mostly for the Freshmen, though the other students were present as well. Mandatory, of course. The room in which the orientation took place -- the assembly room -- was cramped; with the influx of new students that had enrolled this year, it was no longer quite large enough to comfortably fit everyone, but they managed to make do.

Make do was all anyone could really do these days, after all.

As the student body gradually got settled into their seats, a deceivingly young looking man -- sporting blonde hair, black gloves, and glasses -- eventually stepped up to the front of the chamber, stepping up a short flight of stairs and sauntering over to the podium, holding a clipboard of papers; one could only assume it was his script, or at least, guidelines.

"Alright! Testing, testing, one, two, three," the man said, briefly adjusting his glasses as he initially finished speaking. After nodding in satisfaction, assured that the microphone before him was working as expected, he continued again. "Good morning, everyone! To our returning students, welcome back! And to our new students, welcome for the first time to Endymion Academy!" He said with an easy smile, seeming to be used to giving these kinds of speeches by now.

"For those of you who don't know or don't remember, my name is Mr. Heidrich, and as always, it is my honor and privilege to welcome you all -- back or for the first time -- to the school! Fun fact, I'm actually one of the first ever Divers to manifest, and it is with that expertise that I teach the class of Power Development, in order to help young students like you hone your skills and become a successful Abyssal Hunter!" The man went on eagerly, explaining who he was moreso for the Freshmen.

In the audience, a certain dark-haired, Japanese-American girl idly tilted her head, not entirely bored but not entirely invested in what was going on either. Her mind wandered a bit either way, wondering why it wasn't the principal or whoever else giving this sort of speech rather than just a normal teacher, but then again, she'd heard about idle rumors that the principal preferred to keep out of public sight, with only a small few on the faculty even knowing what he looked like; the girl didn't even know what his real name was aside from "principal," so she imagined there was some credence to those rumors.

Meanwhile, another girl in the audience -- the niece of Mr. Heidrich upstage -- crossed her arms, her eyes hazed over as she let out an audible sigh. As Heidrich went over the standard procedures and rules of the school, the blonde girl could only purse her lips slightly. Despite her hard gaze and expression, she really was a bit anxious about what was to come in the future. Endymion Academy was uncharted territory for her, but she wasn't lacking in drive. It was just a lot to process, but... this was just one of many stepping stones for her. For what she truly wanted.

As the hour passed by and Heidrich concluded reciting the rules and procedures of the school, he cleared his throat before proceeding once more. "Now, then. As for dorms, the on-campus dormitories are co-ed and managed by a teacher or staff member, so don't think of fooling around with each other!" Heidrich said with a soft chuckle... to no laughter from the audience. Clearing his throat in a mildly discomforted fashion, realizing that was probably in bad taste to say, the man continued. "By now, you should have received an e-mail regarding your dorm placement along with the names of your roommates, so once the orientation is over, feel free to settle in your dorm if you'd like!"

"However, why rush home so quickly?" Heidrich continued, raising a finger. "We may not have classes today, but we are holding a bit of a mini-festival on campus, with booths held by the school's many clubs and organizations, so feel free to have a gander around if you'd like! So, I won't waste any more of your time! That concludes the orientation, so you're free to leave now. Dismissed!"

And with that, the student body was off, scrambling out of their seats and making a beeline toward the exits of the room -- whether to head for the dorms or to see the club booths across campus.


Across campus, the school was abuzz with all sorts of students roaming about, mingling with each other, looking around through the many booths of the school organizations, either with a legitimate interest in joining, or just because they had free food.

The aforementioned Japanese-American girl, Haruko Hayashi, wandered a bit aimlessly. She didn't want to be that kind of person that just immediately goes home without anything to do. In a place like this, the so-called "go home club" that never joined any clubs were still stuck on campus for the semester, so she may as well find some place to pique her interest, though so far, she wasn't quite sure what she'd even like to join at the moment. Maybe something like the Literary Club? Or the Cooking Club? Maybe both, but she didn't want to occupy all of her own time...

Similar to Haruko, an American girl -- Nancy Waller -- strolled aimlessly across campus, not sticking to one booth in particular. However, unlike Haruko who was unsure and even a bit anxious of where she was going, Nancy sauntered about with a much more confident air to her stroll, walking with more purpose. She had the opposite dilemma of Haruko; rather than being unable to commit to just one club that interested her enough, Nancy found that there were too many that interested her! She'd definitely have to circle around again to give some of them another look. Was there maybe a Karaoke Club she missed? Probably not. Or an Animal Care Club? No, they probably wouldn't let animals loose anywhere. The Track Club? Maybe. That probably most likely existed. So many clubs, so little time!

Akari Saito -- a pink-haired Japanese girl -- had a much easier time finding a club that suited her interests, taking a gander at the Kendo Club. One could say swordplay was a hobby of hers, but that word wouldn't have quite done it justice. Swordplay was her life, to put it more aptly. So much so that no other club across campus would have interested her even half as much.

Meanwhile, a British girl by the name of Vera Crusher had similarly found her oasis in the form of the Music Club, or so, she thought. What she had in mind was classical instruments like violin or piano, but however, she was a bit disappointed to find that the members there seemed to be more... on the other, more modern side of music. Guitars, drums, it was a bit much for her. Maybe there was an Orchestral Club somewhere else that better suited her interests...

And elsewhere, Kylie Heidrich -- niece of Mr. Heidrich himself -- walked alongside the man himself, her hard gaze contrasting greatly against her uncle's more light-hearted exterior. The girl was looking for just any excuse to ditch her uncle, but without a singular club that really interested her in particular, it would have been a fruitless gesture, so here she was, accompanying her uncle to his office to help him settle once again into work, the girl carrying a few folders and binders that seemed to consist of his cirriculum.

Today was truly the first day of the rest of their lives.
 
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"So you're saying that all I can do is wait and see if her ability develops that way."

"Well n-"

"Thank you for your time."

…

Ohta sighed as he slid the door closed behind him, feeling a migraine already creeping up into his skull. Orientation had been painful enough, a barrage of thoughts scattered about everywhere, but he hadn't particularly enjoyed the up-close thoughts of that teacher either. Desensitized as he was to the inner failings of adults, the milquetoast youth still didn't particularly like learning that his teachers were just faking things, or that they didn't actually care, or that their first opinion on a student was their looks.

Half-foreign girls with long hair turned out to be that teacher's preference. Really didn't need to know that.

He grimaced, hunching his shoulders and sticking his hands in his pockets as he headed through hallways teeming with people, their voices and their thoughts blending or contradicting. Some were passionate. Some were just on their shift. They offered him pamphlets without really caring, they lied about goals they weren't interested in reaching. Ohta ignored them all, his dark eyes narrowing further, his headache worsening still. Gods above, how would he even sleep if his Ability grew more powerful?

Taking stairsteps three at a time, he practically launched himself up onto the highest floor, before pushing open the doors to the rooftop and letting out a deep sigh. The voices were more muted here, but the worst had passed. Endymion Academy, hopefully, wouldn't get much louder than this.

Flopping down on a bench, he leaned back and looked up to the blue sky. Haruko Hayashi, that was the name he gleaned from the surface of that teacher's mind, even as they told him private information about students couldn't be shared. A rare Negation ability, but one that required physical contact. Goddamnit, what was he supposed to do with that sort of information? A breath, a sigh, and he resolved to stay up at the rooftops until this whole thing ended. Hopefully no couples tried to slip up onto the roof for a clandestine tryst. Last time he had the 'pleasure' of listening into their thoughts, Ohta actually threw up.


They say that events like this would only happen once in your lifetime. They also say that you should treasure your youth while you could. But the reality of it was that Tian-Gui wouldn't have stuck around the school after orientation at all, if not for the fact that his employer had connections to Endymion Academy and obtained a permit from the principal for a third-party business to sell goods here.

And of all the part-timers his boss had, Tian-Gui was the one who he chose to man this cart. Coincidence? Not at all.

Sleeves rolled up and a sweatband wrapped around his forehead, Tian-Gui fanned charcoal and flipped skewers of grilled manju, squid, and chicken, allowing the aroma to waft over crowds of students going from one foodless club stand to another. His timing, of course, was only coincidentally impeccable: the orientation began at morning and ended around noon, making this a perfect time for people to get some easy eats to carry with them. Now, who should he single out as his first customer...

As oils sizzled into the burners and the first batch of skewers finished cooking, Tian-Gui whipped them off the grill, his blue eyes catching onto a brown-haired girl with the sort of energetic stride he liked to see. Sucking in a breath, he hollered out, "Heyo, pretty lady, if you're in such a rush, you'll wanna fuel up, yeah? Got some skewers fresh off the grill and a killer of a deal, if you've got a second or two to hear me out!"


Through the chaos, Takeo remained orderly, his uniform impeccably pressed as he strode evenly past gangs of students eager to get new recruits. He had memorized the school's map last night, and now that he was in person, he had no difficulty in finding the most efficient route to the Gymnasium, where Endymion Academy's many martial arts clubs would be hosting demonstrations or tryouts. Already, kiai resounded down the hallways, followed by the impacts of fist against brick, feet against wood, bamboo against bamboo. There were rules against utilizing one's Ability during martial arts competitions or demonstrations, and while some Divers were less than happy about it, Takeo preferred it himself.

What was the point of taking on an art for the sake of inner discipline, when you would pervert the craft by utilizing supernatural powers?

As he stepped into the Gymnasion, Takeo clicked his tongue; the Kendo club's demonstration had already begun, and a sizable crowd formed around it. Waves of excited chatter reverberated through the space as club members, dressed only in a navy blue gi and hakama, kneeled before each other in the ring. No surprise about the excitement there: Endymion Academy had produced two Junior Nationals champions last year. And there was no way in hell he was going to watch their duel from the very back of the mob. Steeling himself, Takeo sucked in a breath and plunged into mass, gray eyes alert for any gap he could slip into.

Finally, he found a good vantage point, only five meters away from the ring, with the two students in front of him standing in such a way that their heads didn't block any of the view. Excellent, really. Perfect.

…

Well, perfect, if it wasn't for the fact that Takeo had unwittingly stepped right in front of the pink-haired girl who had arrived at this spot much earlier than he had.


One scream. Then two. Then three. And after the third, it was simply a wave of them.

With emotions already heightened by the general merriment of Endymion Academy's Opening Festival, it was practically unfair to the students at the Music Club that an actual (former) idol was one of the first-years who was looking about. With his trademark halo and wings, Zion Haneyama always looked fabulous, an audacious grin on his face as he floated up in the air, just a bit out of the reach of his more frenzied fans. Cameras were already out, snapping pictures of him from dozens of angles, and occasionally, he would float upside down for a selfie request as well, shooting a peace sign before rotating back up.

In time, Zion knew, they'd grow accustomed to his presence around the Academy and just treat him as a 'popular student' rather than a 'pop star', but until then, he'd enjoy their adoration to the fullest~!

"Hello everybody!" He waved, and the mass of students waved back, regardless of how clogged up the hallways and the Music Room had become now. "Is everyone having a blast?"

"YEAH!" A roar in unison. In the distance, he could see teachers stepping out, trying to dissipate or at least convince the group to move outwards.

"Is this the best festival ever?"

"YEAH!" Another roar, though definitely more high-pitched; though he was in some pretty badass movies before, Zion was still primarily a model, after all.

"Are you sure? Sounds pretty quiet to me!"

"EEH??" Most of the disappointment was exaggerated, but this sort of feedback loop between star and audience was practically a ritual that his agency had drilled into him before.

"So let's kick it up twelve notches! For today, and today only, Zion of Zeus'd is back!"

The crowd (or well, his most fanatic fans) went wild, and though the white-haired angel could practically sense the amount of lecturing from the teachers he'd get after this, who the hell cares? Three years had passed since his last guerilla concert, and now, he was going to go HAM!

His voice was powerful enough that no microphone was needed, and someone from the Music Club, sensing a wonderful chance at advertising, handed him a guitar already plugged to an amp. With all the pieces in place, Zion grinned, didn't apologize at all to the people trapped in the hallways who didn't want anything at all to do with this, and began to absolutely shred.

Angelic he may be, but there was nothing cherubic at all about his heavy metal skill.


Arata, on the other hand, was fairly overwhelmed by everything. It was no understatement to say that he had a pile of flyers in his hands. Where others would toss flyers in the trash that featured clubs they had no interest in, he couldn't even bear to do that. The effort, the passion put into posters for clubs such as the Occult Club or the Hydroelectric Engine Club simply couldn't be so heartlessly tossed away, right? It wasn't right to do that…so Arata ended up with all of them in his hands instead.

Endymion Academy was certainly a shocking place to be sure. He saw girls his age in maid uniforms that would have gotten them fired immediately from the estate. He saw a famous model practically clog up half a floor with an impromptu concert. There was a big man who was selling skewered treats without even advertising any club, and there were people running around in cardboard boxes, pretending to be robots. Compared to his life back home, this…well, this was certainly crazy. All sorts of crazy. Omega-duper crazy. His tutors had trained him hard, of course, and Arata was confident that when it came to mountain-climbing, he could go all the way up to the summit of Mt. Fuji without dying of exhaustion.

But this? This was a different sort of exhaustion.

Seeking shelter near the teachers' office, the only place where club-advertisers were a little quieter, Arata let out a deep sigh, sinking against the wall and hugging his stack of flyers against his chest. Really, there were way too many people, and from now, he'd have to live alone as well. Well, in dorms, maybe, but still, alone.

So many strangers everywhere, and to think he had spent all his life not talking to strangers till now.

Another sigh escaped him, and Arata curled further into himself.
 
"Mm?"

Rearing her head over like a hapless dog when Tian-Gui called out to her, the brown-haired girl skidded to a halt in an almost comedic, cartoonish fashion, like a car skidding to a sudden stop. Her long, smooth hair fluttered as she turned, eyes wide with curiosity, all the while maintaining a cheery smile, her lips curled in what one could describe as a very wide "U." Indeed, it was undeniable that there was a distinct pep to each step she took in such an unashamed display that one had to wonder if she was even aware that she was bound to attract any attention just by being like that. Just by looking happy.

Like a jogger wanting to remain momentum, the girl even hopped in place mildly as she stopped and listened to what Tian-Gui had to say to her, before gradually making her way toward him, intrigued by his offer as her lips shifted into a wide grin. "Ohh? Is that right? Tell me, tell me!" She exclaimed, gravitating closer to his stand. The girl had been stopped so often by every passing club and booth, there did come a point where she'd have to brush past some of them, so it was already to the taller man's luck that she stopped for him, but she had to admit, there was something about him that interested her.

Certainly helped that he called her pretty. She couldn't say no to that.

The girl finally stopped hopping in place, folding her arms behind her back and leaning forward in an eccentric manner, not even seeming tired despite all the hopping she did, looking right in Tian-Gui's eyes without missing a beat. "Whatcha got for me then, mister?"
...

"... Excuse me. I can't see through you," the soft voice of a girl uttered to Takeo. The person behind Takeo spoke so formally, in such a demure manner, it was almost a miracle that her voice came out so clear through the repeated grunts and echoing sounds of the Kendo Club's practitioners going at it in front. Though it was a fleeting phrase, even her choice of words seemed deliberate and distinct, not even using such an aggressive (albeit common) manner of speaking like to say "you're in my way."

If the boy would turn around, he would find a short girl standing behind him, shorter than him at least, with bright pink hair and a soft face that made her look almost like a doll. Her face hardly even indicated she was inconvenienced in any manner as it stood, eyes not betraying any other emotion rather than a standard, "neutral" face. Holding her hands behind her back, the short-haired girl went on again eventually, still speaking in as formal as manner as one could as she tilted her head slightly.

"If it is no inconvenience to you, may I request you to move aside a little?" She continued. If said by anyone else, it would have been easy to interpret such words as passive-aggressive or sarcastic, but the girl spoke with such earnestness that most anyone could only simply take her straightforward mien at face value. There was in fact a free spot right next to her at the very least, and the girl -- soft-spoken as she seemed to be -- didn't seem unfriendly, or at least, she tried to come off as such.
 
Oh no, did she just call him a mister? He didn't look THAT old, did he?

For a half-second, Tian-Gui had an existential crisis featuring his perceived age, wondering how absolutely painful it'd be to be the only person in his class to look like a 25 year old freeter. But a half second was merely a half second, and he had a customer at hand now. Brandishing three skewers in hand, each shimmering in a way that only fresh-off-the-grill skewers could, the blue-eyed youth said, "Y'see, the school's given this humble stall of mine permission to start working here, feeding y'all the sort of grilled delights that your cafeteria will sell you for twice my prize. Thought I'd try some advertising and all, but with all these flashy clubs going 'round, it's real hard to grab anyone's attention, 'specially cause it's just little ol' me working here."

Was it intentional or was it natural, that his casual way of speaking happened to mirror her own?

"Now, you look like someone who's popular and all, and I'm sure you have places you want to be, but if my product's enough to please your taste buds, I'll ask you to just do a little bit of promotion for me. Just, if anyone asks about a good place to eat, mention that Heavenly Bites by the Entrance Gates is doing a 50% off opening promotion!"

Oils sizzled and crackled, fats popping as a sausage's juices burst out of the skin. He'd have to attend to the grill soon, so he'll have to be just a little more forward, huh?

"Of course, for a lady with a smile as bright as yours, it's free," Tian-Gui finished, offering three full-sized skewers, squid, lamb, and manju, to her with a grin. "Please, go ahead and eat up! If ya like it, spread the word; if not, I'll strive to meet your expectations next time."


"Ah."

Turning around, Takeo glanced forward, then slightly downwards, catching the visage of the pink-haired girl who he had obstructed. Though she was slight of frame, with an aura that was truly diminutive, the stern-faced boy still clicked his tongue. Stupid. With hair like that, how could he have missed her? Shaking his head slightly, he cleared away those self-depreciating thoughts, and opted to bow slightly instead. "I apologize for my lack of awareness."

With renewed focus, Takeo stepped away from his current position, eyes alert for a different area to position himself. The masses continued to move slightly, of course, an ebb and flow that created and closed gaps as people came and went, but though he searched far and wide, in the end, none of them were feasible. None of them, except for the spot beside the diminutive girl.

Hrm, his was sort of in bad taste, wasn't it? First standing in front, then standing beside, after she made her discomfort clear?

Shuffling into the spot, Takeo moved so that his body was aligned perpendicular with the duel, essentially standing sideways. Though he had to turn his head a full ninety degrees to properly view the demonstration, it maximized her personal space bubble, which was honestly the least that she deserved after his embarrassing mishap.

With this, he'd atone.
 
"..."

The brown-haired girl only stared on as Tian-Gui seemed to give a bit of a sales pitch to her, maintaining a pleasant smile, but it seemed that the longer he went on, the more blank her eyes started to go, as though he was gradually starting to lose her with every passing second. She definitely looked the hyper part, if nothing else, try as she did to really hang in there. Her eyes only glistened again when Tian-Gui said the magic word "free," which spurred her back to life, more than the flattering compliments he casually gave her way. Of course, it seemed the true cost was spreading the word about his stand, which certainly seemed like more than a fair trade to the girl.

Happily, with a wide grin to match the man's own, Nancy took the three skewers offered up to her, managing to hold them in one hand while she gave an overly dramatic salute with the other.

"Aye, aye! I'll spread the good word! In the meantime..." She exclaimed, sounding somewhere between like a pirate and a missionary, strangely enough. But before she'd get around to doing that, seeming to decide to stick around, the girl decided to have a bite out of each skewer, munching away eagerly with a happy breath.

"MmmMMM, this is good!" She said through a full mouth. "You make this yourself, mister?!"
The bright-haired girl said nothing, only nodding in acknowledgement at his words, before seeming to grant a silent permission to allow Takeo to stand next to her as they watched the duel rage on in the meantime.

As they continued watching, letting several more moments pass by, one would imagine that little exchange was the extent of their dialogue, until eventually, the introverted-looking girl spoke up again out of nowhere. "This demonstration is rather lacking," she said harshly, her facial expression never wavering like when she spoke previously. "Both players have exhibited openings in their fighting styles that the other has failed to take advantage of. Their movements are sluggish. It is rather... disappointing," she only said, leaving it up in the air as to whether or not she was even expecting a response from Takeo.
 
Keep it short and sweet then, he could adjust to that.

Offering her a box of tissues to wipe the grease and sugar from her lips, Tian-Gui replied, one hand on his hip, "Not my recipes, but the cooking's all mine. Glad you're enjoying it!"

He paused briefly, before continuing.

"And I'm not actually a 'mister'; I'm a student here in Endymion, y'know?"
Takeo blinked. He had been rather taken with demonstration himself, eyes darting back and forth as swift exchanges were accompanied by lulls, both sides disengaged. There was that scientific study about attention or focus, wasn't there? How human beings were only able to focus their entire mind onto something for a set amount of time, before their mental faculties began to decline.

He didn't expect the pink-haired girl to speak up though, and with such cutting criticism either. The youth regarded her for a moment, before he pulled a worn notebook from his pockets, clicking a small ballpoint pen as well.

"Could you be so kind as to point out those openings to me, Ms…"
 
"Definitely tastes like homemade! Lemme tell ya somethin', mister!" The girl exclaimed between bites, waving one skewer his way like an old woman wagging her finger. "Homely taste like this is really gonna give you an edge in the market! Never compromise!" She went on, though perhaps a bit overdramatically, considering there weren't too many other food stands -- especially ones serving similar foods as what Tian-Gui was serving -- in the building for the festival.

After actually managing to swallow her food before speaking more, the girl tilted her head to the young man's words, holding the three skewers in one hand while resting the other on her hip, though she maintained her usual smile. "A student?! Color me surprised! You look like you could be a teacher!" She exclaimed, mostly unsuccessfully stifling a laugh as though finding amusement in her own mistake, before looking at him again. "If not mister, what should I call you then, hmm?"
"Saito. My name is Akari Saito," she answered assertively, perhaps more than would be expected from such a demure, reserved looking girl as herself. She remained silent for a few seconds following her introduction, initially not even responding to Takeo's main question. However, even from where the young man stood, he would be able to notice her eyes darting back and forth, as though scanning all around the two combatants in the ring in front of them, not even blinking until she was finished.

"For one, earlier, when the one on the left attempted to thrust forward, his posture was slightly off-balance; his weight was shifted a little too far forward. If his opponent had taken notice of this, he would have been able to take advantage of that and made a successful counterattack before the other could have pulled back to block," she said intently, though it seemed that it didn't take long after such an explanation that she tugged her own collar, a slightly discomforted look replacing her previous stoic disposition.

"I must give my apologies. I should not have spoken so impertinently of them, or to come off so aggressive," the girl named Akari only said, pursing her lips. Despite her worries of coming off "aggressive," her voice remained consistently soft and passive all throughout, hardly any rise in her inflection as she spoke, whatever she was talking about.
 
A homely taste? He wasn't certain what to make of that, but Tian-Gui, as always, swayed towards giving people the benefit of the doubt. As the girl continued to chew, swallow, and polish off her skewers, he went back to tending the flames, shrugging sweat off his brow with his shoulder as he flipped and seasoned new skewers. The scent of spiced lamb wafted out from the stall with renewed force, and as that was touched up, he fired up the gas stove as well, a wok full of frying oil beginning to bubble in preparation for the fried sausages.

"Tian-Gui Jian of Ramuda's, at your service," he said with a slight bow of his head. "Would be nice if I were a teacher, but I suppose that'd just mean I never made the cut to becoming an Abyssal Hunter."

With a butcher's knife, he cut diagonally into a sausage. Dropping it into the frying oil and watching it curl up, Tian-Gui waited until the ends were crispy, before pulling it out with a pair of tongs and skewering it. A mixture of curry, garlic, and chili powder was sprinkled on it liberally for that kick of spice, and after a couple flicks of the wrist to get rid of the excess, he handed it over to the energetic girl.

"Try this too. Not exactly a menu item so I can't charge for anything beyond your name though!"

It was getting a bit awkward to just refer to her as 'she' or 'the pretty girl', after all.


"Takeo Narimasa," the ponytailed youth responded, his own steel-gray eyes now locked upon the duel. No matter his focus, however, he couldn't see what she saw. A frown marked his face.

By the time Akari spoke up again, he was no closer to understanding where those openings were, and even when she pointed things out, to him, it looked like brief openings at most, caused by the transitioning of stances and strikes. How could she even see the shifting of their weight, when they wore clothing loose enough to obscure the movement of their limbs? This girl…

"You…"

He stopped writing and sketching.

"…must be quite the hard worker. Being able to see flaws that others would brush off is an envious capability. Have you competed in tournaments before, Miss Saito?"
 
"Well, Tian-Gui of Ramuda's, the name's Nancy Waller of Earth, the third planet of Sol, though some people tend to question that part! But you can just call me Nancy!" The girl said with a jocular giggle, eagerly grabbing his hand suddenly and shaking it with great vigor before he got to work making something else. "So you're really a student here too? Well, if it makes you feel any better, if the Abyssal Hunter stuff doesn't work out, maybe you could work as a chef! Good food makes good people, ya know what they say!" She said eagerly, happily wolfing down the next item that Tian-Gui had offered to her. It seemed the girl had quite the ravenous appetite, but in a way, perhaps it shouldn't have been so surprising, considering how active and energetic she was. Had to come from somewhere.

"Mmm, delish! You keep making free food for me, I might never leave your side, Mr. Tian-Gui!" She said between bites of the sausage, before clearing her throat, patting her chest as she hastily swallowed it down. "Err, I suppose you just prefer Tian-Gui, if we're supposed to be the same age! Personally, I still don't buy it, but maybe once I see you in class, I'll believe it!"

Truly, there seemed to be no end to her spark, and all the food she was getting was bound to make her even stronger, more powerful than one could possibly imagine.

"Anyway, whatcha doin' after the festival? I wasn't kidding about following you around for the food!" Nancy exclaimed as though there was nothing strange about her words, almost likening herself to a stray cat indirectly.
"..."

The girl named Akari shifted almost uncomfortably where she sat as Takeo seemed to give compliments to her work ethic. Not that the boy knew at this point, but humility was perhaps one of the girl's biggest strengths... and her weaknesses. Rather than directly responding to such, the girl only reacted to the boy's latter words, shaking her head almost lazily.

"No, I have not. Such things never quite interested me," she spoke; if she was coming off as arrogant or the like, she really didn't mean it, but she wouldn't be aware either way, as though lacking a degree of self-awareness. "My father trained me vigorously since childhood. You could say I took to it rather well, and so he decided to hone that part of myself."

From there, the girl looked back toward Takeo again, as though the display had ceased to interest her altogether compared to the boy. "I take it you are a student of blade as well, Narimasa-san?"
 
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Tian-Gui clasped Nancy's hand firmly as well, his grip firm and his skin rough. "Hopefully it does though, or it'll be another four years in culinary school. And by then, I'll actually be an old man."

Well, probably not too old. He didn't think too much about the possibility of failure anyways. After letting go, the youth sanitized his hands again, before putting his attention onto prepping the yakitori. "I hope the rest of the class does too. Gonna be a whole other dimension of awkward if they all mistake me for the teacher."

Fat sizzled as more flesh carbonized. With a bottle of rice wine, he seasoned the meat and fuelled the flames at the same time, plumes of orange fire shooting up in unison with the aroma of sweet alcohol and cooked chicken. Nancy did bring up a good point though; he bribed her enough, so he should probably reign in his compulsive desire to feed people who liked eating, huh?

"After the festival…" Tian-Gui mulled over that, before shrugging. "Probably just head to the dorms and take a shower. Can't cause trouble for my 'mates n all by making everything smell like food, after all. You?"
Talent, hard work, and a good teacher. Ingredients for success, indeed.

Takeo's own attention remained on the duel, as he looked for more instances of the transitions that that Akari pointed out, visualizing now how he would respond to the same situation. A couple pages of his notebook was already filled with ink now, and he wished, for a moment, that he had recorded this match too. Too late for such regrets though; he would just have to commit all this to memory.

"In a way, yes," he replied, eyes briefly flickering back to the shorter girl. "Though I strive to pursue multiple martial disciplines. The more knowledge one has, the greater their options when faced with a foe, after all."
 
"Mmph. Between you and me, I think we're gonna get along pretty well, Mr. Tia--Err, Tian-Gui!" Nancy exclaimed, still seemingly used to calling him mister despite everything as she gradually began to finish wolfing up all the food he had given her. Once she'd finished, the girl held her chin in thought (or whatever passed for thought in her mind) as she considered her own response as he returned her question back. "Mm, I guess the same for me! I'm totally gonna be worn out by the end of the day!" She said with an eager grin as always, though one truly had to wonder if there was a limit to her stamina.

"Actually, shoot. I don't even remember the name of my dorm! I even wrote it down and I already forgot! Lemme see..." The girl murmured, pulling her phone out of her skirt pocket and turning it on, opening up her notepad app to see. Her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed, muttering to herself indistinctly until her smile returned. "Aha! I'm in the left side of campus! Babel Hall, it's called! What about you?" She asked Tian-Gui with a smile, letting her phone slide back into her pocket with that.
"Hm, an admirable pursuit. Yes, perhaps that would be an advantageous tool for an Abyssal Hunter," Akari nodded, seeming to respect Takeo's words. His words implied that of a hard-working disposition from him, which the girl took to. Eyeing the boy's notebook briefly, that impression seemed to solidify even more as she imagined he was taking notes over the match itself. Observing and adapting. A never ending pursuit to better oneself, even out of battle.

Having altogether ceased to look at the demonstration, Akari fixed a more intent gaze toward Takeo, at least as intense as her weightless and emotionless eyes could be. "Perhaps if you are interested, I may be of some assistance. I am unmatched among my peers, and I would also benefit from a new partner to train with as well. Complacency leads to the rot of the soul after all," she said, in a rather peculiar tone. Her words might have sounded like bragging or boasting, but her inflection never rose or changed a single time as she spoke almost robotically, as though she were speaking matter of factly.

In fact, it was only at that moment that Akari displayed any outward emotion, the girl suddenly blinking, eyes widening for a short moment before bowing her head to Takeo seemingly out of nowhere. "My apologies. I did not mean to approach you so assertively," she suddenly said, as though believing that she was coming off too forward to the boy.
 
"Babel Hall?" Tian-Gui guffawed, coughing at the same time. Oil splashed dangerous from his pot, but it struck his apron rather than his bare skin, and he quickly got himself under control again. Was it coincidence? Perhaps, but it was most certainly an auspicious coincidence too. "Well, guess you'll have plenty of chances to test my recipes then. As luck would have it, that's my dorm too!"
Takeo didn't respond for a moment. It would be good, if it turned out his studies worked out for the better, but as a hunter of Abyssals, how much would human martial arts really help? He narrowed his eyes, then relaxed. Didn't matter, so long as he made it and wasn't useless. So long as that's the case, he'll improve. Right.

A final clash of bamboo, and the two demonstrators separated, a student with a microphone beginning his speech about recruitment processes and the club's achievements.

The bespectacled youth folded his notebook and slid it into his pockets once more, regarding Akari curiously. He really wasn't certain what to make of her personality, but there was an opportunity there, and he would take it. "I'll be glad to take you up on your offer," Takeo said. He wasn't sure if he should bow or smile, so he ended up doing neither. "Though considering the differences in our skills, I don't see how there will be any benefit for you, Miss Saito."
 
"Really?! Oh my gosh, what a coincidence! It's like fate brought us together or something! Like I was destined to be your taste tester!" Nancy exclaimed gleefully, clasping her hands together with a blithe laugh. Folding her arms behind her back, the girl tilted her head slightly, maintaining her smile

"Look forward to whatever else you have cooking then! But in that case... Guess I should actually go around and fetch you some business like you asked me to, and then we can talk more after the festival! Sound good, yeah?" She asked, as though finally just remembering that Tian-Gui had assigned her with a job earlier.
As the demonstration eventually came to an end and Takeo responded to Akari's offer, the girl gave a nod. Just as Takeo didn't quite smile or bow, Akari was the same, remaining completely stone-faced for what was supposed to be a pleasant interaction between the two of them. It would have made reading the situation a bit difficult if she was a more normal person.

"You need not worry about that, Narimasa-san. Meeting other warriors is a reward unto itself, as well as the possibility of being able to hone them," Akari spoke, well-mannered as always despite her voice admittedly sounding a bit frosty. "Learning about other styles as well would also give me some insight into how to approach other situations, but that is a discussion for another time."

Reluctantly taking a flyer for the kendo club just in case she didn't something to pass the time with, Akari maintained her fixated gaze on Takeo. "I think... I shall retire early to my dorm. This festival has little that interests me, if I may be frank," she breathed. "I would not imagine that Babel Hall is too out of your way, if you'd like to accompany me?"
 
"Coincidence? I think not." Tian-Gui smiled knowingly, miming the motions of a wise sage. "As the philosophers say, food and foodies oft attract. So hey, it'll be a pleasure dorming with ya, Nancy. If the rest of our mates are as nice as you, I'm sure we'll have a swell time. Just don't empty the pantry faster than the school can replenish it, alright?"

The large man waved as she left, before letting out a breath. Slapping his forearms, Tian-Gui riled himself up for the incoming crowd. After all, no one wanted to approach while the two of them had been chatting so energetically, but all the free food he hoisted towards her had gotten attention.

Now…now, the true battle began.


Takeo raised a brow. She was being awfully generous, wasn't she? He considered himself a hard worker, and he certainly wasn't prone to pessimism or self-doubt, but it was still strange to be acknowledged by someone so much further along the path of martial skill as himself.

He focused inwards for a moment, trying to decipher this light nausea in his chest.

"I…" He closed his mouth, then opened it again. "I can accompany you half the way, but only that far. There's still a half dozen more demonstrations that I'm interested."

Dangerous. He almost said 'yes' out of reflex.

"I'm certain though, that we'll have many more opportunities for discourse, Miss Saito. I too am a tenant of Babel Hall this year."
 
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