RWBY: When Darkness Descends(IC)

[York]

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Replies

Mason Moretti - ??? - Aelius, Tiara, Hazel

Mason was awestruck and starstruck as he watched Tiara gracefully launch the beast into the air with her strike. Like Aelius, he recognized the move. However, Tiara's movements called out to memories much more familiar to Mason. Her name itself, Tiara Pendragon, referenced something that Mason's mind deemed impossible.

His brain was held captive by the impossibility. The clashing of of weapons against the armor of the Grimm were distant from where Mason's mind was. His body stood rooted in place, as he thought to himself, "That move has to be impossible. She doesn't play video games, and even if she did, then she shouldn't be able to use Hammer of the Wind King by herself. I've definitely tried, and just by watching you cant. No, a person would need the proper weapon, the right Semblance, and tons of training to pull it off. So, Pendragon... Is she really..."

Mason was brought back to reality by the force of the Deathstalker's body crashing down in front of him. His heart missed a beat until the beast's physical form wasted away to a black dust. With their opponent defeated, Mason exhaled a sigh a relief.

Mason moved his weapon to its holster, attaching at his right hip with a satisfying click. He checked his supply of Dust at his left side, and finding himself still well stocked and organized, he looked upon the new resource he had gained: his partner, and two potential friends.

Aelius and Hazel both appeared to have much more battle experience than he did, and Tiara, he deduced, had talents far beyond what she showed. All three of these people showed promise and talent, and to some degree Mason felt jealous. They were strong and powerful, and all Mason had going for himself was a bow, some Dust, and strategy which he couldn't always rely on. "Perhaps I can learn from them," he thought to himself.

Mason's exterior, however, remained bright, cheery, and beaming with light. With almost a song in his voice, he said, "Great job guys! We beat it! Though, we still have a mission at hand. Gotta find those tokens. Maybe... We should split up and cover some more ground to find those totem-token-things? We do have our partners now, and we're not sure that these sets of partners are going to be on the same team. We don't want to waste time..."

As Mason chattered on, he inched closer towards the arctic fox. He made a move to grab her hand and said, "Right, partner? Let's get going!" Then he sprinted off towards the woods, whether or not the hand he grabbed and the Tiara it was attached to came along. If her hand slipped away, he felt shat she would chase after him soon enough. He hoped to put some distance between the two sets of partners, and gain a moment of privacy with Tiara.

Once he felt there was some adequate distance, his pace slowed, but his breath did not. He still talked in a hushed tone, as if he did not trust the silence around him. He said, "I know we have secrets. I know you're going to have yours, but as of today you're stuck with me for four years. I just need to know one thing..."

He looked into Tiara's eyes. His own emerald orbs showed a level of maturity and seriousness that wasn't there before as he asked, "What's a living legend like you doing at Eden as a student?"

A @Accelerator M @Mason Moretti T @Accelerator H @york​

Chapter Two: Out of the Fray
After a long day of fighting Grimm, struggling through shrubbery, and searching for relics, the students would finally manage to make it through their first trial of finding the academy. One by one, they filtered through the woods, eventually stumbling upon an incredibly beautiful sight as they did so…

...Eden Academy.
It was as large and nature-filled as the rest of the woods, but somehow? All the more beautiful. Illuminated by bulbous plants, surrounded be shimmering clear water with a grand structure at it's center. Invisible to the naked eye, lost in the woodlands that are far too treacherous for normal people to cross safely. The ideal hiding place for an academy. Though it seemed unfair, hiding such beauty from the world.
Regardless, as the students streamed in, their heads were counted and they were seated in what seemed like a large auditorium to await the others. One by one-- or, rather, two by two they came, greeted with a firm nod from awaiting staff and a congratulation on their surviva-- arrival. Eventually, all students seemed to be accounted for.
Soon after this was confirmed? The big man, the face of the academy, himself, walked into view at the center of the auditorium, a smile on his face as he regarded his soon-to-be students with something like pride. Perhaps something else as well, but there was no real time to tell before he blinked it away, finally addressing them all. "I do apologize, students. I'm certain you'd all love to be in bed right about now, or relaxing in whatever way suits your fancy," he mused. "But first, there are a few final matters that need attended to.." he trailed off, opening his arms outward to all of the students. "Welcome to Eden Academy!"
"Allow me to congratulate you all on making it here unharmed. It's a feat not many are capable of," he spoke, truthfully, turning and beginning to calmly pace. "But you've all proven yourselves. And as such, it's time to assign your teams!" he declared with flourish, moving to the side of the stage, a screen visible up and to his right. "Starlene, if you would?"
While the woman he spoke to was not in sight, it could be presumed that she complied to whatever he wished, a stern female voice ringing out over the intercoms. "Of course, sir," was the first response. Muffled, as though it weren't intended for the entire crowd, but it had reached them nonetheless. "Ahem. First off, we have… Team TPAS, consisting of Teanna Sky, Audrey Pyralis, Alcander Wilder and Shizune Shimmer. Lead by Teanna Sky." Accordingly, their names appeared on the screen, and they were sent to the stage before being dismissed.
"Next is team DARK-- David Amadeo, Bianca Armod, Franky Russo, and Kwame von Spinne, to the stage, please," the voice droned on, the process repeating. Perking up eagerly where she had been sitting, Bianca shot out of her seat, grabbing Franky's hand with enthusiasm to tug him towards the stage with Kwame and David in tow as well.
"Aelius Cedomir, Mason Moretti, Tiara Pendragon and Hazel Sterling form team AMTH. STEL is… Hm?" There was a pause in the announcement, unclear whispers in the background. Eventually, the female voice returned. "...I see. Ahem, STEL will be made up of Samantha Guinness, Vasili Thana, Erin Valix, and Lilac Azura… In addition, Aqua Dakkar, Angus Lake, and Qing You Xia are needed outside the premises. It appears some emergencies have come up and you'll be required.. elsewhere," she added. In the audience, Midna blinked with surprise, exchanging a look with her partner. For a moment, she actually hesitated, actually feeling uncomfortable with the idea of him leaving. So far, he was the only one she'd managed more than two sentences to.. But oh, well. No goodbyes were uttered, he merely left in silence.
And she let him.
"...JSMM features Duivel Jones, Joylu Sun-Shin, Mona Creum and Ming Meixiu. Felix Velos, Liliya Blednyy, Sylvester Yin and Windia Milkyway will form team FLYM. Finally, Midna Eclipse, Eshell Tyr, Soneri Aundarya, and Duke Velos will form team MEAD.. With the former and latter as partners, due to your original ones being required elsewhere."
It was a long announcement, made longer by the fact that each of these teams were formally called to the stage and dismissed, but it was worth it… Because finally, they were being dismissed from the assembly. "For tonight? That is all," the headmaster interrupted at the end, returning to center stage. "The cafeteria is filled with refreshments and delicacies. Take your picks and eat well… After, you ought to get some rest in your respective new dorms. You'll need the energy for tomorrow."
Thank goodness that was over.
Finally, the students were all dismissed from the assembly, allowed to do as they wished. Whether that was simply head to their new dorms, make chat with the other students, or head to the cafeteria to fill up and go from there. It seemed that it was up to them. But it really was probably not a bad idea to grab some food after the long day they'd had.
@Accelerator @Crimson Spartan @BlueFlameNikku @C.T. @Indolent @QuakeUPSB @Demmy @CrunchyCHEEZIT @TyranntX @LuckycoolHawk9 @york @Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies @Schnee Corp Lawyer @Minerva @True Ending Eliza @Valentyne​

[fieldbox=Tiara Pendragon, Aqua, solid]

A triumphant grin was visible on Tiara's face after the dark-skinned girl had finished off the Death Stalker. She knew she could have easily dispatched the scorpion-grimm herself but she was glad she didn't. After all, it was fun seeing the dark-skinned girl regard the blonde knight in such a friendly way, then acting all prickly after realizing she was being friendly. The arctic fox couldn't help but secretly ship the two together due to their interesting interactions. Besides, one look at the blonde knight and it's obvious that he has a thing for the brunette.
She was about to approach the knight and tease him a bit before asking about his semblance but it seems her "new" partner had other plans. Without so much as awaiting her response, Mason suggested that the two pairs split up to increase their chances of quickly locating the relics, before dragging her to the woods once again. Needless to say that she was surprised by this sudden gesture, but Tiara was also starting to take an interest with Mason because of the initiative he had been showing. And for that reason, she allowed him to lead her by the hand while they navigated the forest, whereas she would normally not allow anyone to do this.
When they've managed to put up quite the distance from Ael and Hazel, Tiara noticed Mason's pace slowing down but he still talked in a hushed voice. It was as if he was afraid the forest may be listening on on whatever he was going to tell her. Wait... if he's this apprehensive about anyone listening in on them, then he's not going to confess to her now, right? Because if he is, then everything's going on too fast for her to keep up and she'll have to reject the poor boy's advances. Heck, she doesn't even know a single thing about him so you can't blame her, right?
"I know we have secrets. I know you're going to have yours, but as of today you're stuck with me for four years. I just need to know one thing..."
"What's a living legend like you doing at Eden as a student?"
"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tiara mentally screamed when she had heard a response worse than a poorly-timed confession from Mason. There was no way... there was simply no possible way this guy is knowledgeable about her past. She was assured nobody would know who she truly is by her dear friend... but now this person claims to know who she truly is... and he regarded her as a "living legend". Corona even forged fake records of her so she was certain that even if she used her real name, her true identity would not be revealed. So why... why does he claim to know who she---
As her eyes nervously darted around the terrain, desperately trying to find an excuse about her identity, a litteral glimmer of hope caught her attention. Shining upon a concealed pedestal were the relics that they were supposed to locate. She could feel excitement filling every part of her body as she grabbed Mason's hand and headed towards the pedestal. Grabbing both at the same time, she casually tossed one of them to her partner. This was it. Achieving their primary objective would dismiss any lingering thoughts about her identity. It was natural for humans to celebrate after triumphant moments such as this after all so Mason should supposedly not press the issue any further. But just to be sure...
"Well, I'm not really sure who you've confused me with, but I can assure you that I ain't anybody special. Though, I plan to change that in the future. And since you're supposed to be my partner for the next four years, you'll be the lucky faunus who gets a front row seat as I make my name known throughout all of Remnant!"
Well that may be a bit over the top, but she couldn't help it. That speech should more or less convince him to not pursue any information about her real identity... if he really does have any clue who she is, for that matter.
------------------------------------
After the staff named Starlene had started announcing the names and members of each team, most of the students were pumped with excitement and anticipation. Most of them Except for two people that is. Tiara, in particular, while interested how the teams are formed, wasn't as curious who the leader was going to be. If anything, she already knew in herself that shell be no good as a team leader. Her intuition also tells her that the staff may have been monitoring the progress of the students so if she's certain about one thing, then that blonde knight would certainly be a good leader.
However, what she didn't expect was for the person in question, and his tsundere partner to be teamed up with her and Mason. Tiara offered a grin as she regarded Ael, but frowned upon truly realizing how in contrast to his enthusiastic, and confident demeanor earlier, seemed to be in such a panicked, anxious, and jittery state now. She could practically hear the nervous clanking of the pieces of his armor against itself as he walked with them to the stage.
"Ey, Team Leader, no need to get so nervous. You led us wonderfully when we fought that Death Stalker, so I'm expecting great things from you. We'll be in your care from now on." Tiara said in a casual voice, hoping to tease Ael for a bit. However, even after having left the stage, she still noticed that he was still shaking quite a bit. If his semblance truly was what she thinks it is, then he should be experiencing the effects of his usage of it right about now. Though instead of standing by to help him if anything did happen, the arctic fox wanted to be considerate for the blonde night and his tsun partner. The side effects of taxing himself a while ago might just be what brings the two closer together.
@Mason Moretti @york
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox= Aelius Cedomir, Gold, solid]

Ael was the other person who didn't look as happy as the other students in the room after having successfully completed the headmaster's trial. While Tiara had been acting disinterested at the celebrations altogether, Ael was deeply grateful towards the help she and Mason provided a while ago. He would have profusely thanked them once again if not for the numbing pain coursing through every inch of his body. He had felt his muscles practically turn to lead the moment dusk arrived. He had only managed to stay conscious through sheer willpower alone but even that was sure to run out at any given moment.
"Khh... I've got to keep it together... at least until the opening ceremony's over..." Ael mentally screamed in his head as he awaited for the proceedings to finish.
By now cold sweat was starting to form on his forehead, and his senses were beginning to dull. Staying awake was already taking a conscious effort but Ael could do nothing but bid his time. After all, fainting right then and there would bring nothing but shame to not only him but his partner and would-be teammates as well.
When the time came for his teammates to be revealed, a smirk could be seen on his face when he realized the same people who aided in the assault against the Death Stalker had ended up as his teammates. However, that wouldn't last long as he found out just how painful it was to walk in his current condition, much less, remain standing up. His muscles were beginning to spasm from the pain that it seemed to have become apparent to some of his teammates, though they interpreted it in different ways.
Tiara, for instance, seemed to think he was nervous since he was selected as leader, and that may be true but under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be shaking this much.
"Heh, I'm glad such a dependable pair's... going to be our teammates. I'm looking forward to working with all of you from now on." Ael regarded all of his teammates as they headed to the stage.
He managed to keep his jitters in control at least as he proudly stood at the stage along with Hazel, Mason, and Tiara but after leaving the stage, Ael gently tugged Hazel to an empty hallway before promptly collapsing in front of her eyes. That was the very limit his body could hope to endure. After using his semblance to cut through all those trees, and releasing two simultaneous beams of energy, he was utterly exhausted.
"Help..." He weakly muttered as he lay motionless on the hallway's floor.
@Mason Moretti @york
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox= Windia Milkyway, Turquoise, solid]

Windia, on the other hand, was glad that whole ordeal was over. She had thought that she would get along well with that Audrey girl but it seems they have different ideals when it came to combat. She's the advantage? That's some fatal thinking right there. People like her must be one of those types that think their presence alone is a big game-changer in a battlefield. They think that just because they are blessed with a powerful semblance, equipped with powerful weapons and combat training, or perhaps both, they're supposed to be the stars of the show or some great hero. Those kinds of people... are the ones who end up making fatal mistakes endangering not only their lives, but that of their teammates as well.
Sure confidence was good, but overconfidence gives you hubris. And Windia's glad that she won't be around Audrey when she does make that sort of fatal mistake since the two seem to belong to different teams. She could only hope that her attitude changes for the better during her stay here at Eden, not only for her own sake but for her teammates' as well.
On the bright side, Ael was appointed as team leader! And he looked quite nervous about it too. That, or he overtaxed himself again by abusing his semblance a while ago. Sure sucks to be him when he has to deal with those side effects every time he uses it. Though instead of coming to his aid, she turned a blind eye and allowed his new teammates to figure out what's wrong with him. After all, she wouldn't seize upon his opportunities to socialize with them, and she has her own teammates to interact with.
It was then that she realized that Felix Velos, Duke's twin sister, was not only going to be her teammate but also her team's leader. This should be interesting. She hadn't tried teasing her yet so what better time to start than now, right? And since Windia sort of has a thing for her brother now, having already considered him as a potential romantic candidate, what she's about to say next would definitely test how deep the siblings' bond truly is.
"Yo, wait up, Sister-in-law!" Windia called out to Felix in a sing-song voice.
"It's really great to see that you're our team leader. I've never really had a chance to talk with you yet though I've talked plenty with your brother. He's a great guy. I like him." Windia boldly told Felix in a nonchalant manner as they scooped up food on their plates.
"It's a shame he isn't on the same team. Considering you're twins, you two must have been doing practically everything together up till now, huh? Especially when it comes to fighting. But think of this as an opportunity for both of you to expand your horizons. While depending on each other is quite nice, it's not bad to depend on other people as well, you know? Anyways, me and my partner will be in your care from now on." Windia continued enthusiastically.
@Gummi Bunnies @Hospes @QuakeUPSB[/fieldbox]

Hazel Sterling
@Mason Moretti @Accelerator @Others?

After taking a good few moments to recover, Hazel seemed as good as new again... Or perhaps she was just a good actor, but in either case, with Ael by her side, she tore through most of the Grimm as they made their way through. Fortunately, it seemed that they didn't encounter anything like that Deathstalker, so for the most part, Hazel seemed to hold her own...

It was quite evident that she had alot more experience with the more common Grimm around, given her knack for finding their vital spots after just a few brief glances. Naturally though, they had a bit of a scuffle with a few alphas, and some Ursas here and there, but sooner or later, they stumbled their way into the relics they had been searching for.

Naturally, Hazel lunged for one of the black relics, snatching what looked like a bishop abruptly, seeing that it was the sharpest piece around... And waited for Ael to pick his, before they continued on their way.

Sooner or later, they, along with everyone else found their way to Eden Academy, but despite its apparent serenity, Hazel appeared to have her mind set on entering the structure itself...

...

The actual ceremony wasn't all too bad actually, but, restless as she was, it didn't take long for her gaze to begin to wander, and it was fortunate for that too. Though she hadn't intended to look at Ael for a good while, still bitter about the whole killstealing thing, she did seem to have caught onto the fact that he was... Not in the best of states to say the least.

Though she did not act immediately, she found herself stealing sideglances towards her partner, and... Apparently teammate more and more often as the ceremony went on, noticing that he was appearing to be having trouble... Was it a fever? Was he just really really nervous about being the team leader?

None of these things seemed to make sense though, as it was only after their treck to the forest that Ael started to act like this, or maybe this was just a regular occurence? In either case, this certainly wouldn't do! Especially if she was gonna spar with him after this ceremony.

After it was over, she tried to keep her voice as low as possible at she spoke, quite frankly looking a bit puzzled, and possibly even worried, hard to tell with a face like hers.

"Oy... Ya catch a cold or somethin'? What's it to y-..." She was cut short when she suddenly felt a tug on her hand.

It took her a few moments to realize that it was in fact Ael who was tugging on her hand, causing her to gawk in confusion for a moment, but seeing the shape he was in, she let herself be pulled with him for the time being, eventually making it to relative solitude in an empty hallway before he finally collapsed.

Looks like he really was worn out, but... She couldn't quite figure out why; though they did endure quite a few battles, it shouldn't have taken the toll it did on him... Unless it was that little light show from when they had fought that Deathstalker. On the other hand he could have just caught a cold or something, but at any rate, she wasn't about to let him stay that way, seeing as she was still intent on sparring with him... Her way of settling that whole killstealing thing.

When he finally (admittely rather wealky) called out for her to help him, she hesitated for a few moments, but eventually huffed, puffing up her cheeks for a moment before she finally hooked both of her arms around his body, hoisting him up rather firmly, and well, surprisingly delicately. Though if it weren't for Ael's size, she probably would have slung him over her shoulder or something, she ended up carrying him to where she could only hope was their team's room, taking the extra effort to traverse the lesser traveled routes in the hallway in order to avoid running into anyone.

The last thing she wanted was for people to get the wrong idea about her carrying Ael like that, her reputation, and her pride were at stake after all, but in the end... With fortunately little trouble on the way, save for a few close down, she eventually plopped him down on a nearby bed, crossing her arms as she leaned her back onto a wall closeby, letting out a small huff as she closed her eyes, pouting a little.

"Ya ain't gonna make a habbit outta this, are ya?" She asked, with a distinct sense of hostility in her voice.

Fortunately though, she didn't look as mad as she did when he stole her kill, but perhaps that was because she had managed to keep a low profile about this little endeavor... If she had been discovered, there could have been... Trouble...​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"That second does sound more exciting...but...I'm team leader so...I think we should let all the rest know what we can do, semblance and all that first? I mean, y'know. Combat school. What do you guys think?"

"I-it'd be good if we knew each others strengths and weaknesses.." Alcander spoke up as he seemed to agree with Teanna over the idea with revealing what each could do to each other. Alcander himself wasn't all that confident that his skills and semblance would be of use to his team but still if he could of any use he knew he had to let them know what he was capable of. He seemed nervous in general but this was nothing knew considering he barely knew any of his teammates.

"Ooohh, the quick intro instead of the slowburn secret ability reveal, gotcha." Shizune said with a knowing nod as she rubbed her thumb up and down Tebiki's handle.

"I'll go first then! My semblance is pretty straightfoward. Wind breath! I take a deeep breath..." she said before she did so, looked up, and exhaled. A thin, powerful jet of air expelled, with enough force to make Shizune skid backwards a foot as she tried to keep her footing.

"....Tadah!" She said with a bright grin as she swung her hands out. "It can also be dust enhanced but the last time and... only time I tried that I... froze my lungs and had to go to the emergency room" She added as the grin turned sheepish and she rubbed the back of her head.

"...But anyway, thats not my best grimm hunting tool. That's Tebiki, my weapon! I've been trained in the art of swordplay by my father since I was a kid. And tracking since I was a kid. Aaaaand wilderness survival since I was a kid. Unrelated, but any requests to go camping for fun are an immediate no vote from me " She said flatly.

@C.T. @Crimson Spartan​

 

[Yun Lee]

So, the duo they'd teamed up with ended up being their actual team, huh...Kwame was actually kind of happy for that. Sure, it would be fun to get to know other people, but Bianca and Franky were very colorful, personality wise. This would make for a very interesting couple of years.

Well, as long as Franky's temper didn't flare up, as it did tonight. Oh boy...that guy was a loose cannon, huh? He could only imagine how his own partner felt, being team captain with someone so set against him on the team. The mood needed to be lightened up, so Kwame decided to do the lifting.

"What a beautiful school, huh? It's like living in a painting, don't you think so?" He took a drink of his root beer and smiled at his other two teammates, but realized that, no, this may not be the best way of going about their first night. "Hey, uh...think we should go catch up to Franky? Like it or not, we're all a team. Might as well try and get along, you know?"
​

@LuckycoolHawk9 @BlueFlameNikku @Hospes

​

 

[C.T.]

"I-it'd be good if we knew each others strengths and weaknesses.." Alcander spoke up as he seemed to agree with Teanna over the idea with revealing what each could do to each other. Alcander himself wasn't all that confident that his skills and semblance would be of use to his team but still if he could of any use he knew he had to let them know what he was capable of. He seemed nervous in general but this was nothing knew considering he barely knew any of his teammates.

@Schnee Corp Lawyer @C.T. @Hospes​

"Ooohh, the quick intro instead of the slowburn secret ability reveal, gotcha." Shizune said with a knowing nod as she rubbed her thumb up and down Tebiki's handle.

"I'll go first then! My semblance is pretty straightfoward. Wind breath! I take a deeep breath..." she said before she did so, looked up, and exhaled. A thin, powerful jet of air expelled, with enough force to make Shizune skid backwards a foot as she tried to keep her footing.

"....Tadah!" She said with a bright grin as she swung her hands out. "It can also be dust enhanced but the last time and... only time I tried that I... froze my lungs and had to go to the emergency room" She added as the grin turned sheepish and she rubbed the back of her head.

"...But anyway, thats not my best grimm hunting tool. That's Tebiki, my weapon! I've been trained in the art of swordplay by my father since I was a kid. And tracking since I was a kid. Aaaaand wilderness survival since I was a kid. Unrelated, but any requests to go camping for fun are an immediate no vote from me " She said flatly.

@C.T. @Crimson Spartan​

"I thought it would be too, glad we agree!" Teanna replied wholeheartedly to Alcander, swiftly turning to Shizune after. "Oooooh, wind breath--" Teanna was cut off by the demonstration. The air blast was not aimed at her, but still enough of it came over to ruffle her hair even further...and she just applauded wildly. "That's so cool! That part especially. Er...not the frozen lungs bit but the dust enhance possibility. You could make Grimm go poof. And no camping for fun...right." That last sentence spoken seemed a bit disheartened, though she quickly bounced back. "So--"

"My turn." Audrey returned her attention to the rest, stepping up. "My semblance too, is relatively straightforward." She held her palm out, a ball of golden flame erupting into life. She freely tossed it back and forth between her hands, even letting it form a rudimentary humanoid shape. "Fire is mine to create and manipulate. My armor is built around it, allowing me to focus it into piercing hand blasts or giving me a limited ability to fly and hover by projecting it out of my boots. My blade, Incendio, harnesses excess flame to give swings a scorching burn useful for trying to melt through Grimm armor or cauterize wounds on humans."

"Hint, never touch her sword." She whispered innocently. "Very proud."

"And with good hearing."

Teanna gulped but frantically moved on. "As for me...I don't have a weapon, but I do consider myself pretty good with hand to hand. I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee! Hehehe. And my semblance is twofold! I can always see the aura of others, like it is never off. Unless it is empty. It glows bright or sits at a dim tint depending on aura level, so I can keep track of how much you guys have without relying on a scroll! Helpful, yeah? Maybe...hopefully. Also in combat I can "lock" someone's aura, depriving them of it and their semblance for a while. Only one person at a time though, and if I abuse it...the migraines hurt. Bad."

Teanna looked over to Alcander. "So how about you?" : )

@Crimson Spartan @Schnee Corp Lawyer​

 

[Crimson Spartan]

"I thought it would be too, glad we agree!" Teanna replied wholeheartedly to Alcander, swiftly turning to Shizune after. "Oooooh, wind breath--" Teanna was cut off by the demonstration. The air blast was not aimed at her, but still enough of it came over to ruffle her hair even further...and she just applauded wildly. "That's so cool! That part especially. Er...not the frozen lungs bit but the dust enhance possibility. You could make Grimm go poof. And no camping for fun...right." That last sentence spoken seemed a bit disheartened, though she quickly bounced back. "So--"

"My turn." Audrey returned her attention to the rest, stepping up. "My semblance too, is relatively straightforward." She held her palm out, a ball of golden flame erupting into life. She freely tossed it back and forth between her hands, even letting it form a rudimentary humanoid shape. "Fire is mine to create and manipulate. My armor is built around it, allowing me to focus it into piercing hand blasts or giving me a limited ability to fly and hover by projecting it out of my boots. My blade, Incendio, harnesses excess flame to give swings a scorching burn useful for trying to melt through Grimm armor or cauterize wounds on humans."

"Hint, never touch her sword." She whispered innocently. "Very proud."

"And with good hearing."

Teanna gulped but frantically moved on. "As for me...I don't have a weapon, but I do consider myself pretty good with hand to hand. I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee! Hehehe. And my semblance is twofold! I can always see the aura of others, like it is never off. Unless it is empty. It glows bright or sits at a dim tint depending on aura level, so I can keep track of how much you guys have without relying on a scroll! Helpful, yeah? Maybe...hopefully. Also in combat I can "lock" someone's aura, depriving them of it and their semblance for a while. Only one person at a time though, and if I abuse it...the migraines hurt. Bad."

Teanna looked over to Alcander. "So how about you?" : )

@Crimson Spartan @Schnee Corp Lawyer​

"O-oh right... It's uh.... my turn. Well I do very well around fire with my semblance as uh...S-Shizune here knows. I-I can absorb any source of fire a-and use it to enhance speed and strength. T-though I can't use it too much or i'll pass out....a-also if my aura drops to zero i-i'll pass out. Alcander spoke before taking a deep breath. This was all a little much for him but he knew he'd have to talk about his weapon and skills as well for the good of the team.

"M-my weapon are t-these gauntlets I wear. I-I named them 'Hellfire and Brimstone' because i-i've modified them to funnel fire dust s-so I can use them similar to a flamethrower w-while also using them for melee. A-as for fighting skills I uh... mostly rely on multiple variations of punches a-and kicks. I don't have a particular style b-but anyone who has seen me fight s-say it's like a 'brawler' style. Oh! I-I can also grapple really well though I only resort to grappling if I think I can overpower my opponent o-or if it's a desperate situation. I-I know a few submission holds a-and some damaging grapple moves..."

Alcander spoke up taking a moment to adjust the mask he was wearing.

@C.T. @Schnee Corp Lawyer​

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

David was so lost in his shock that he didn't respond much to anyone as he ate in silence. After a few moments, he overcame his shock and looked over at Kwame. " I think we should. I really don't want the team to fall apart before it can even start," he said. He didn't add that if it did, it would be the rest of the things in his life. He wondered if his father would be proud of him now that he was a leader. He somehow doubted it, but he hoped against hope. He turned to go and follow Franky before he got too far, gesturing for the others to follow.

@BlueFlameNikku @Yun Lee @Hospes @Team DARK

 

[Midnight Maiden]

After being dragged up turning the his new found team's declaration by Bianca (as usual as of recent events) Franky Russo was quickly acting like himself as usual as he sprung up out of his seat and stood on it in the middle of team JSMM's declaration and began shouting out and pointing at Duviel up on stage. "YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME! THAT FREAK GOT TO BE A TEAM CAPTAIN?!!" He couldn't believe that damn pirate got that kind of position while he didn't. He was the boss of his own gang at one time, being a leader was in his genes. Despite how much this made him fume he was quickly hushed down by various people and so grudgingly took his seat again.

After the whole ordeal was finally over Franky was still quite grumpy as Bianca lead him over to the table David; the team's actual team captain was sitting. He'd snatch up a few small snack like foods on a tray, slam them down on the table they were sitting at and leaned forwards on his elbows looking directly at David with a tad bit of scorn before eating a bit of his food. After gulping his meal down his eyes and frustrated demeanor would return to plague Team DARK's leader.

"Yeah, your damn right that happened. Though I'd admit I wish it was a bit different." Franky wasn't one to conceal how he felt for better or worse. "I also don't see my damn self following your damn lead anywhere anytime soon." He scoffed before standing up out of his seat, pushing it back with a low screech. "I already though the uppity shits that run this place won't listen to a damn word I say but that doesn't mean I gotta like it. That'd be another thing I don't see you changing anytime soon either." That last sentence spoken as if it was a challenge before Franky puts his hands within his jacket pockets, turns about and walks off. "I'm gettin some sleep...there isn't gonna be enough booze in the world to..." He stops himself short and just sighs figuring he'd bantered on long enough as he knew he was just blowing off steam and wasting his breath. Before leaving the cafeteria he could be seen clutching the red bandana's tied on his arm before leaving.

Mentioned: @CrunchyCHEEZIT
@Hospes @LuckycoolHawk9 @Team DARK​

So, the duo they'd teamed up with ended up being their actual team, huh...Kwame was actually kind of happy for that. Sure, it would be fun to get to know other people, but Bianca and Franky were very colorful, personality wise. This would make for a very interesting couple of years.

Well, as long as Franky's temper didn't flare up, as it did tonight. Oh boy...that guy was a loose cannon, huh? He could only imagine how his own partner felt, being team captain with someone so set against him on the team. The mood needed to be lightened up, so Kwame decided to do the lifting.

"What a beautiful school, huh? It's like living in a painting, don't you think so?" He took a drink of his root beer and smiled at his other two teammates, but realized that, no, this may not be the best way of going about their first night. "Hey, uh...think we should go catch up to Franky? Like it or not, we're all a team. Might as well try and get along, you know?"
​

@LuckycoolHawk9 @BlueFlameNikku @Hospes

​

David was so lost in his shock that he didn't respond much to anyone as he ate in silence. After a few moments, he overcame his shock and looked over at Kwame. " I think we should. I really don't want the team to fall apart before it can even start," he said. He didn't add that if it did, it would be the rest of the things in his life. He wondered if his father would be proud of him now that he was a leader. He somehow doubted it, but he hoped against hope. He turned to go and follow Franky before he got too far, gesturing for the others to follow.

@BlueFlameNikku @Yun Lee @Hospes @Team DARK

Ugh. How annoying. Frowning faintly upon noting Franky's shift in mood, Bianca kept a close eye on him as she scarfed down a rather small portion of food(fitting for a girl as small as herself), otherwise not seeming too rustled by the situation. As long as nothing got out of hand and no fits or fights were to be had, she'd be happy enough. Not that she was exactly 'pleased' when her partner boldly declared he was going to retire for the night-- this, in fact, earning a vivid pout and the crossing of her arms from Bianca. He didn't have to be such a buzzkill, simply over not being team captain. Whether Kwame and David intended to or not, she had already planned to march on out after the boy herself.

Luckily, they seemed to have similar ideas.

Swiggity swoogity, DARK's coming for Franky's booty.

@LuckycoolHawk9 @BlueFlameNikku @Yun Lee​

The sound of wet, trudging boots followed underneath the girlish screaming noise, as Duivel emerged from the forest with a dead look on his face, his menacing chainsword holstered on his waist and his grotesque Dutchman hook swinging side to side as he walked. A guttural groan escaped his throat as he rubbed his greasy hair, glaring down at the high-speed Mona.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I can see the goddamn buildings. That's why I still have me fuckin' eye."

For the last hour (?) or so, he carried this little Faunus' ass through a boring forest, and had to pull every urge in his mind, body and soul not to leave the rotten kid on the side of the beach and have her find her way through the Grimm; however, there weren't any Grimm as far as he could tell, so the dread pirate that was Duivel Jones became the dread FUCKING BABY SITTER (or a baby fucking sitter if you're that depraved).

Damn kid. Duivel lost track of her a couple times when they were on their way here.

He didn't want to--

Ah, well, anyway.

Taking a moment to turn his attention away from Mona, Duivel idly stared at the massive building that towered before him; Eden Academy, or something like that. The whole complex filled his crippled field of view, eliciting a quiet "Nice..." from him...and, an actual smirk crawling along his lips, if Mona was looking.

Before he'd even think of trying this Hunter business, Duivel heard of the Academies through the idle chatter of his fathers crew, and through the Vacuo grapevine. It wasn't anything detailed; hushed tales about giant buildings too expensive and "holier" for any of the assassins, thieves and slaves that stalked the world Duivel lived in.

Some would consider this a victory for the little people in Vacuo-- to see a native looking upon an actually sufficient Hunter Academy with at least a single eye.

Duivel considered it something beyond his thought. He left ghosts in Vacuo. He'd no intention to give them any sort of victory beyond their watery graves. He turned to Mona, sighing, "Can't say I really-- wait, team captain? The hell are you--- FUCK!!"

Duivel was caught off guard with another one of Mona's glomps, sending him crashing to the ground for the fourth or fifth time today. Immediately rising to his feet, Duivel roared and hooked Mona by her coat, effortlessly (and harmlessly!!) lifting her up off the ground and glaring at her and the rest of the team.

"Team captain, you say?"

"Captain..."

"Captain, captain, captain."

"I like that word."

"Yes, Team Captain."

He glanced to Mona. "So, not only do I gotta deal with your shite, but now I get to babysit the REST of you lot?" A guttural, hardy laugh boomed from his lungs, exposing his horrid, fish-like breath and his single golden tooth that stood among a putrid display of rotting teeth. Some of them looked sharpened to a point, like fangs.

"By the seven fuckin' seas, now I know this is gonna kill me."

Unhooking Mona and letting her plop to the ground, Duivel's crimson eye pierced the rest of the group; Ming, Joylu and Mona seemed to be at the mercy of this grossly unsavory individual. A spark lit within the young pirate, something he may have carried from his father. He could naturally sense weakness in his team-- or, rather, his crew.

"Listen up."

"If this system is gonna be makin' me the captain of this shite excuse of a crew, then we're gonna make some policies to make sure that EVERYONE here doesn't end up gettin' themselves killed by either me or whatever the hell we're gonna be fightin. Grimm, or somethin' like that."

"Rule 1 - Don't touch me."

"Rule 2 - Don't touch me shit."

"Rule 3 - Don't ask me questions."

"Rule 4 - If someone dies, don't get their blood on me shit."

"Rule 5 - Don't get in my way."

"I don't know what the hell we're gonna be doin' but It's better to take command now instead of lettin' some other jackass take it and, oops, he gets gutted for gross incompetence, because they don't be fuckin' around when it comes to Hunters. And I don't jus' mean in this Academy. No, no, no-- you fuck up here, you die when you leave, plain an' simple."

"...So, you stick with me, and we live through this, eh? We go above and beyond, ooooooh yeah, like big goddamn heroes. You live forever as a Hunter. That's why I'm here, and I can give that gift back.."

Duivel chuckled grimly, raising his rusty, jagged hook to scratch the dead skin resting on his chin, before he walked forward and stared down his newly-founded team.

"I mean, you don't fear death, do you?"

A devilish grin waned across the captains face.

@Hospes @Minerva @True Ending Eliza @JSMM​

"Yeah, captain, silly! Didn't you hear the lady on the intercom? She was all like, 'Team JSMM, led by: Duvey Jones'!" Mona stated cheerfully, not even seeming bothered by the fact that she was being held up in the air by the collar of her coat. By a hook, no less. Also, oh gosh, it looked like she'd crowned the pirate with a nickname now. In any case, she seemed perfectly content as she was, hanging in the air with legs and arms dangling. After all, she had gotten the hug she wanted, and she was on a team with Duivel! Why wouldn't she be happy?

Only smiling brightly- even laughing along with Duivel when he did so, though with much more appealing dental hygiene -back at the male, she didn't utter another word, letting him go into his spiel without complaint... Though with a general lack of understanding of what he was going on about. Of course, up until he unhooked her, and she fell to the ground with a thud.

"Haha... Oww.." she muttered with a sheepish smile, wincing briefly and rubbing her head before briefly pouting. Her ears flattened against her head as she peered up at Duivel, listening to the rest of what he had to say as her features slowly returned to their neutral state. Which, for Mona? Was a smile. The entire rest of the time he spoke, she was quiet, seeming to listen intently. And as he finished, walking closer to where she remained on the ground and the rest of her team?

She hopped right up to her feet, laughing and saluting. "Hahaha, you got it, Duvey! I'm not afraid of anything! I'll be the best partner you ever have~!" she proclaimed with determination and a laugh, eyes closing briefly with joy throughout. Well, up until something came to her, causing her seemingly ever-present smile to falter slightly and her ears to twitch downward for a moment, a concerned expression crossing her face. "But, say... No touching doesn't mean I can't hug you anymore, right? I like your hugs...."

AKA the hugs she gave him that earned shouting and glaring in return.

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @True Ending Eliza @Minerva​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

While the students conversed and helped themselves to their meals, a certain headmistress found herself annoyed with a message she'd received. "What do you mean? First, you stated that they were required back from whence they came. Now you're saying that it was some sort of... Falsified message?" Starlene demanded, unseeing eyes glaring where she took the male to be. Nervously, he tugged on his shirt collar, giving a sheepish smile. "W-well, yes, ma'am... B-but we're working on finding the one responsible, I swear--" he spoke in assurance, words rushed in hopes of keeping her from snapping at him again. Blind or not, the headmistress was certainly intimidating. Luckily for the messenger boy, he was saved by another voice.

"You wouldn't happen to be scaring our militants again, would you, Miss Platnum?"

Flinching upon hearing the voice, Starlene straightened even further, quickly recovering before letting out a sigh. "...No, sir. I'm merely voicing my frustrations with the situation," she explained poorly, before turning her back to the males. "...But I will allow you to work out the kinks... I've teams to correct. If you'll excuse me," she remarked curtly, before beginning to walk out of the large office, that of which belonged to Solomon Oran. Upon entering the hall, she looked to Aqua and Angus- or, well, where she had left them momentarily and assumed they remained -with mild annoyance, hands folded behind her back as she stared expectantly. After a long silence, she finally spoke sharply. "Well? What are you waiting for?" she inquired rhetorically. "With me, students. We'll get this sorted out..."

And so, Aqua and Angus in tow, she headed to her office briskly.

@Ringmaster

-----

Over the intercom, the same sharp voice as before rang out again. "Team MEAD, please report to my office. Now, please."

The sudden loud announcement caused Midna, who had been walking away from her rather oddball group without a care, to flinch briefly. Loud noise was not her friend, and it left her ears ringing and head swimming for a few solid moments before she finally recovered. At which point, her eyebrows creased, though her emotion was still unreadable through her expression. To the office...? she mulled, instantly calculating the many reasons they might be being called. Perhaps a special mission. Or a disqualification. Maybe even, if they were lucky, Soneri being moved to a different team.

Regardless of the reason, she merely sighed mentally and began heading to the headmistress's office without a single glance back at her ragtag team.

@Demmy @Gummi Bunnies @QuakeUPSB​

 

[Ringmaster]

While the students conversed and helped themselves to their meals, a certain headmistress found herself annoyed with a message she'd received. "What do you mean? First, you stated that they were required back from whence they came. Now you're saying that it was some sort of... Falsified message?" Starlene demanded, unseeing eyes glaring where she took the male to be. Nervously, he tugged on his shirt collar, giving a sheepish smile. "W-well, yes, ma'am... B-but we're working on finding the one responsible, I swear--" he spoke in assurance, words rushed in hopes of keeping her from snapping at him again. Blind or not, the headmistress was certainly intimidating. Luckily for the messenger boy, he was saved by another voice.

"You wouldn't happen to be scaring our militants again, would you, Miss Platnum?"

Flinching upon hearing the voice, Starlene straightened even further, quickly recovering before letting out a sigh. "...No, sir. I'm merely voicing my frustrations with the situation," she explained poorly, before turning her back to the males. "...But I will allow you to work out the kinks... I've teams to correct. If you'll excuse me," she remarked curtly, before beginning to walk out of the large office, that of which belonged to Solomon Oran. Upon entering the hall, she looked to Aqua and Angus- or, well, where she had left them momentarily and assumed they remained -with mild annoyance, hands folded behind her back as she stared expectantly. After a long silence, she finally spoke sharply. "Well? What are you waiting for?" she inquired rhetorically. "With me, students. We'll get this sorted out..."

And so, Aqua and Angus in tow, she headed to her office briskly.

@Ringmaster

Why was her shirt sleeves gone? ;_;

An awkward(to her) silence grew, its void encompassing everything in its path. A beat later, Aqua looked over the boy in black, self-conscious of her attire.

"Hi."

"......"

That was comforting. She pondered for something to say.

"I don't know what father is thinking. One moment, recalling me and then changing his mind. Parents, right?"

"......"

"....Alright then." Angus was always quiet but for once, it was borne from more than shyness.

He was thinking about that girl he met...

@Midnight Maiden​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"I thought it would be too, glad we agree!" Teanna replied wholeheartedly to Alcander, swiftly turning to Shizune after. "Oooooh, wind breath--" Teanna was cut off by the demonstration. The air blast was not aimed at her, but still enough of it came over to ruffle her hair even further...and she just applauded wildly. "That's so cool! That part especially. Er...not the frozen lungs bit but the dust enhance possibility. You could make Grimm go poof. And no camping for fun...right." That last sentence spoken seemed a bit disheartened, though she quickly bounced back. "So--"

"My turn." Audrey returned her attention to the rest, stepping up. "My semblance too, is relatively straightforward." She held her palm out, a ball of golden flame erupting into life. She freely tossed it back and forth between her hands, even letting it form a rudimentary humanoid shape. "Fire is mine to create and manipulate. My armor is built around it, allowing me to focus it into piercing hand blasts or giving me a limited ability to fly and hover by projecting it out of my boots. My blade, Incendio, harnesses excess flame to give swings a scorching burn useful for trying to melt through Grimm armor or cauterize wounds on humans."

"Hint, never touch her sword." She whispered innocently. "Very proud."

"And with good hearing."

Teanna gulped but frantically moved on. "As for me...I don't have a weapon, but I do consider myself pretty good with hand to hand. I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee! Hehehe. And my semblance is twofold! I can always see the aura of others, like it is never off. Unless it is empty. It glows bright or sits at a dim tint depending on aura level, so I can keep track of how much you guys have without relying on a scroll! Helpful, yeah? Maybe...hopefully. Also in combat I can "lock" someone's aura, depriving them of it and their semblance for a while. Only one person at a time though, and if I abuse it...the migraines hurt. Bad."

Teanna looked over to Alcander. "So how about you?" : )

@Crimson Spartan @Schnee Corp Lawyer​

"O-oh right... It's uh.... my turn. Well I do very well around fire with my semblance as uh...S-Shizune here knows. I-I can absorb any source of fire a-and use it to enhance speed and strength. T-though I can't use it too much or i'll pass out....a-also if my aura drops to zero i-i'll pass out. Alcander spoke before taking a deep breath. This was all a little much for him but he knew he'd have to talk about his weapon and skills as well for the good of the team.

"M-my weapon are t-these gauntlets I wear. I-I named them 'Hellfire and Brimstone' because i-i've modified them to funnel fire dust s-so I can use them similar to a flamethrower w-while also using them for melee. A-as for fighting skills I uh... mostly rely on multiple variations of punches a-and kicks. I don't have a particular style b-but anyone who has seen me fight s-say it's like a 'brawler' style. Oh! I-I can also grapple really well though I only resort to grappling if I think I can overpower my opponent o-or if it's a desperate situation. I-I know a few submission holds a-and some damaging grapple moves..."

Alcander spoke up taking a moment to adjust the mask he was wearing.

@C.T. @Schnee Corp Lawyer​

"...Neat!"

"...So you guys wanna wander around now?" : D​

 

[Mason Moretti]

Chapter Two: Out of the Fray

After a long day of fighting Grimm, struggling through shrubbery, and searching for relics, the students would finally manage to make it through their first trial of finding the academy. One by one, they filtered through the woods, eventually stumbling upon an incredibly beautiful sight as they did so…

...Eden Academy.

It was as large and nature-filled as the rest of the woods, but somehow? All the more beautiful. Illuminated by bulbous plants, surrounded be shimmering clear water with a grand structure at it's center. Invisible to the naked eye, lost in the woodlands that are far too treacherous for normal people to cross safely. The ideal hiding place for an academy. Though it seemed unfair, hiding such beauty from the world.

Regardless, as the students streamed in, their heads were counted and they were seated in what seemed like a large auditorium to await the others. One by one-- or, rather, two by two they came, greeted with a firm nod from awaiting staff and a congratulation on their surviva-- arrival. Eventually, all students seemed to be accounted for.

Soon after this was confirmed? The big man, the face of the academy, himself, walked into view at the center of the auditorium, a smile on his face as he regarded his soon-to-be students with something like pride. Perhaps something else as well, but there was no real time to tell before he blinked it away, finally addressing them all. "I do apologize, students. I'm certain you'd all love to be in bed right about now, or relaxing in whatever way suits your fancy," he mused. "But first, there are a few final matters that need attended to.." he trailed off, opening his arms outward to all of the students. "Welcome to Eden Academy!"

"Allow me to congratulate you all on making it here unharmed. It's a feat not many are capable of," he spoke, truthfully, turning and beginning to calmly pace. "But you've all proven yourselves. And as such, it's time to assign your teams!" he declared with flourish, moving to the side of the stage, a screen visible up and to his right. "Starlene, if you would?"

While the woman he spoke to was not in sight, it could be presumed that she complied to whatever he wished, a stern female voice ringing out over the intercoms. "Of course, sir," was the first response. Muffled, as though it weren't intended for the entire crowd, but it had reached them nonetheless. "Ahem. First off, we have… Team TPAS, consisting of Teanna Sky, Audrey Pyralis, Alcander Wilder and Shizune Shimmer. Lead by Teanna Sky." Accordingly, their names appeared on the screen, and they were sent to the stage before being dismissed.

"Next is team DARK-- David Amadeo, Bianca Armod, Franky Russo, and Kwame von Spinne, to the stage, please," the voice droned on, the process repeating. Perking up eagerly where she had been sitting, Bianca shot out of her seat, grabbing Franky's hand with enthusiasm to tug him towards the stage with Kwame and David in tow as well.

"Aelius Cedomir, Mason Moretti, Tiara Pendragon and Hazel Sterling form team AMTH. STEL is… Hm?" There was a pause in the announcement, unclear whispers in the background. Eventually, the female voice returned. "...I see. Ahem, STEL will be made up of Samantha Guinness, Vasili Thana, Erin Valix, and Lilac Azura… In addition, Aqua Dakkar, Angus Lake, and Qing You Xia are needed outside the premises. It appears some emergencies have come up and you'll be required.. elsewhere," she added. In the audience, Midna blinked with surprise, exchanging a look with her partner. For a moment, she actually hesitated, actually feeling uncomfortable with the idea of him leaving. So far, he was the only one she'd managed more than two sentences to.. But oh, well. No goodbyes were uttered, he merely left in silence.

And she let him.

"...JSMM features Duivel Jones, Joylu Sun-Shin, Mona Creum and Ming Meixiu. Felix Velos, Liliya Blednyy, Sylvester Yin and Windia Milkyway will form team FLYM. Finally, Midna Eclipse, Eshell Tyr, Soneri Aundarya, and Duke Velos will form team MEAD.. With the former and latter as partners, due to your original ones being required elsewhere."

It was a long announcement, made longer by the fact that each of these teams were formally called to the stage and dismissed, but it was worth it… Because finally, they were being dismissed from the assembly. "For tonight? That is all," the headmaster interrupted at the end, returning to center stage. "The cafeteria is filled with refreshments and delicacies. Take your picks and eat well… After, you ought to get some rest in your respective new dorms. You'll need the energy for tomorrow."

Thank goodness that was over.

Finally, the students were all dismissed from the assembly, allowed to do as they wished. Whether that was simply head to their new dorms, make chat with the other students, or head to the cafeteria to fill up and go from there. It seemed that it was up to them. But it really was probably not a bad idea to grab some food after the long day they'd had.

@Accelerator @Crimson Spartan @BlueFlameNikku @C.T. @Indolent @QuakeUPSB @Demmy @CrunchyCHEEZIT @TyranntX @LuckycoolHawk9 @york @Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies @Schnee Corp Lawyer @Minerva @True Ending Eliza @Valentyne​

[fieldbox=Tiara Pendragon, Aqua, solid]

A triumphant grin was visible on Tiara's face after the dark-skinned girl had finished off the Death Stalker. She knew she could have easily dispatched the scorpion-grimm herself but she was glad she didn't. After all, it was fun seeing the dark-skinned girl regard the blonde knight in such a friendly way, then acting all prickly after realizing she was being friendly. The arctic fox couldn't help but secretly ship the two together due to their interesting interactions. Besides, one look at the blonde knight and it's obvious that he has a thing for the brunette.

She was about to approach the knight and tease him a bit before asking about his semblance but it seems her "new" partner had other plans. Without so much as awaiting her response, Mason suggested that the two pairs split up to increase their chances of quickly locating the relics, before dragging her to the woods once again. Needless to say that she was surprised by this sudden gesture, but Tiara was also starting to take an interest with Mason because of the initiative he had been showing. And for that reason, she allowed him to lead her by the hand while they navigated the forest, whereas she would normally not allow anyone to do this.

When they've managed to put up quite the distance from Ael and Hazel, Tiara noticed Mason's pace slowing down but he still talked in a hushed voice. It was as if he was afraid the forest may be listening on on whatever he was going to tell her. Wait... if he's this apprehensive about anyone listening in on them, then he's not going to confess to her now, right? Because if he is, then everything's going on too fast for her to keep up and she'll have to reject the poor boy's advances. Heck, she doesn't even know a single thing about him so you can't blame her, right?

"I know we have secrets. I know you're going to have yours, but as of today you're stuck with me for four years. I just need to know one thing..."

"What's a living legend like you doing at Eden as a student?"

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tiara mentally screamed when she had heard a response worse than a poorly-timed confession from Mason. There was no way... there was simply no possible way this guy is knowledgeable about her past. She was assured nobody would know who she truly is by her dear friend... but now this person claims to know who she truly is... and he regarded her as a "living legend". Corona even forged fake records of her so she was certain that even if she used her real name, her true identity would not be revealed. So why... why does he claim to know who she---

As her eyes nervously darted around the terrain, desperately trying to find an excuse about her identity, a litteral glimmer of hope caught her attention. Shining upon a concealed pedestal were the relics that they were supposed to locate. She could feel excitement filling every part of her body as she grabbed Mason's hand and headed towards the pedestal. Grabbing both at the same time, she casually tossed one of them to her partner. This was it. Achieving their primary objective would dismiss any lingering thoughts about her identity. It was natural for humans to celebrate after triumphant moments such as this after all so Mason should supposedly not press the issue any further. But just to be sure...

"Well, I'm not really sure who you've confused me with, but I can assure you that I ain't anybody special. Though, I plan to change that in the future. And since you're supposed to be my partner for the next four years, you'll be the lucky faunus who gets a front row seat as I make my name known throughout all of Remnant!"

Well that may be a bit over the top, but she couldn't help it. That speech should more or less convince him to not pursue any information about her real identity... if he really does have any clue who she is, for that matter.

------------------------------------

After the staff named Starlene had started announcing the names and members of each team, most of the students were pumped with excitement and anticipation. Most of them Except for two people that is. Tiara, in particular, while interested how the teams are formed, wasn't as curious who the leader was going to be. If anything, she already knew in herself that shell be no good as a team leader. Her intuition also tells her that the staff may have been monitoring the progress of the students so if she's certain about one thing, then that blonde knight would certainly be a good leader.

However, what she didn't expect was for the person in question, and his tsundere partner to be teamed up with her and Mason. Tiara offered a grin as she regarded Ael, but frowned upon truly realizing how in contrast to his enthusiastic, and confident demeanor earlier, seemed to be in such a panicked, anxious, and jittery state now. She could practically hear the nervous clanking of the pieces of his armor against itself as he walked with them to the stage.

"Ey, Team Leader, no need to get so nervous. You led us wonderfully when we fought that Death Stalker, so I'm expecting great things from you. We'll be in your care from now on." Tiara said in a casual voice, hoping to tease Ael for a bit. However, even after having left the stage, she still noticed that he was still shaking quite a bit. If his semblance truly was what she thinks it is, then he should be experiencing the effects of his usage of it right about now. Though instead of standing by to help him if anything did happen, the arctic fox wanted to be considerate for the blonde night and his tsun partner. The side effects of taxing himself a while ago might just be what brings the two closer together.
@Mason Moretti @york
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox= Aelius Cedomir, Gold, solid]

Ael was the other person who didn't look as happy as the other students in the room after having successfully completed the headmaster's trial. While Tiara had been acting disinterested at the celebrations altogether, Ael was deeply grateful towards the help she and Mason provided a while ago. He would have profusely thanked them once again if not for the numbing pain coursing through every inch of his body. He had felt his muscles practically turn to lead the moment dusk arrived. He had only managed to stay conscious through sheer willpower alone but even that was sure to run out at any given moment.

"Khh... I've got to keep it together... at least until the opening ceremony's over..." Ael mentally screamed in his head as he awaited for the proceedings to finish.

By now cold sweat was starting to form on his forehead, and his senses were beginning to dull. Staying awake was already taking a conscious effort but Ael could do nothing but bid his time. After all, fainting right then and there would bring nothing but shame to not only him but his partner and would-be teammates as well.

When the time came for his teammates to be revealed, a smirk could be seen on his face when he realized the same people who aided in the assault against the Death Stalker had ended up as his teammates. However, that wouldn't last long as he found out just how painful it was to walk in his current condition, much less, remain standing up. His muscles were beginning to spasm from the pain that it seemed to have become apparent to some of his teammates, though they interpreted it in different ways.

Tiara, for instance, seemed to think he was nervous since he was selected as leader, and that may be true but under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be shaking this much.

"Heh, I'm glad such a dependable pair's... going to be our teammates. I'm looking forward to working with all of you from now on." Ael regarded all of his teammates as they headed to the stage.

He managed to keep his jitters in control at least as he proudly stood at the stage along with Hazel, Mason, and Tiara but after leaving the stage, Ael gently tugged Hazel to an empty hallway before promptly collapsing in front of her eyes. That was the very limit his body could hope to endure. After using his semblance to cut through all those trees, and releasing two simultaneous beams of energy, he was utterly exhausted.

"Help..." He weakly muttered as he lay motionless on the hallway's floor.

@Mason Moretti @york
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox= Windia Milkyway, Turquoise, solid]

Windia, on the other hand, was glad that whole ordeal was over. She had thought that she would get along well with that Audrey girl but it seems they have different ideals when it came to combat. She's the advantage? That's some fatal thinking right there. People like her must be one of those types that think their presence alone is a big game-changer in a battlefield. They think that just because they are blessed with a powerful semblance, equipped with powerful weapons and combat training, or perhaps both, they're supposed to be the stars of the show or some great hero. Those kinds of people... are the ones who end up making fatal mistakes endangering not only their lives, but that of their teammates as well.

Sure confidence was good, but overconfidence gives you hubris. And Windia's glad that she won't be around Audrey when she does make that sort of fatal mistake since the two seem to belong to different teams. She could only hope that her attitude changes for the better during her stay here at Eden, not only for her own sake but for her teammates' as well.

On the bright side, Ael was appointed as team leader! And he looked quite nervous about it too. That, or he overtaxed himself again by abusing his semblance a while ago. Sure sucks to be him when he has to deal with those side effects every time he uses it. Though instead of coming to his aid, she turned a blind eye and allowed his new teammates to figure out what's wrong with him. After all, she wouldn't seize upon his opportunities to socialize with them, and she has her own teammates to interact with.

It was then that she realized that Felix Velos, Duke's twin sister, was not only going to be her teammate but also her team's leader. This should be interesting. She hadn't tried teasing her yet so what better time to start than now, right? And since Windia sort of has a thing for her brother now, having already considered him as a potential romantic candidate, what she's about to say next would definitely test how deep the siblings' bond truly is.

"Yo, wait up, Sister-in-law!" Windia called out to Felix in a sing-song voice.

"It's really great to see that you're our team leader. I've never really had a chance to talk with you yet though I've talked plenty with your brother. He's a great guy. I like him." Windia boldly told Felix in a nonchalant manner as they scooped up food on their plates.

"It's a shame he isn't on the same team. Considering you're twins, you two must have been doing practically everything together up till now, huh? Especially when it comes to fighting. But think of this as an opportunity for both of you to expand your horizons. While depending on each other is quite nice, it's not bad to depend on other people as well, you know? Anyways, me and my partner will be in your care from now on." Windia continued enthusiastically.

@Gummi Bunnies @Hospes @QuakeUPSB[/fieldbox]

Hazel Sterling
@Mason Moretti @Accelerator @Others?

After taking a good few moments to recover, Hazel seemed as good as new again... Or perhaps she was just a good actor, but in either case, with Ael by her side, she tore through most of the Grimm as they made their way through. Fortunately, it seemed that they didn't encounter anything like that Deathstalker, so for the most part, Hazel seemed to hold her own...

It was quite evident that she had alot more experience with the more common Grimm around, given her knack for finding their vital spots after just a few brief glances. Naturally though, they had a bit of a scuffle with a few alphas, and some Ursas here and there, but sooner or later, they stumbled their way into the relics they had been searching for.

Naturally, Hazel lunged for one of the black relics, snatching what looked like a bishop abruptly, seeing that it was the sharpest piece around... And waited for Ael to pick his, before they continued on their way.

Sooner or later, they, along with everyone else found their way to Eden Academy, but despite its apparent serenity, Hazel appeared to have her mind set on entering the structure itself...

...

The actual ceremony wasn't all too bad actually, but, restless as she was, it didn't take long for her gaze to begin to wander, and it was fortunate for that too. Though she hadn't intended to look at Ael for a good while, still bitter about the whole killstealing thing, she did seem to have caught onto the fact that he was... Not in the best of states to say the least.

Though she did not act immediately, she found herself stealing sideglances towards her partner, and... Apparently teammate more and more often as the ceremony went on, noticing that he was appearing to be having trouble... Was it a fever? Was he just really really nervous about being the team leader?

None of these things seemed to make sense though, as it was only after their treck to the forest that Ael started to act like this, or maybe this was just a regular occurence? In either case, this certainly wouldn't do! Especially if she was gonna spar with him after this ceremony.

After it was over, she tried to keep her voice as low as possible at she spoke, quite frankly looking a bit puzzled, and possibly even worried, hard to tell with a face like hers.

"Oy... Ya catch a cold or somethin'? What's it to y-..." She was cut short when she suddenly felt a tug on her hand.

It took her a few moments to realize that it was in fact Ael who was tugging on her hand, causing her to gawk in confusion for a moment, but seeing the shape he was in, she let herself be pulled with him for the time being, eventually making it to relative solitude in an empty hallway before he finally collapsed.

Looks like he really was worn out, but... She couldn't quite figure out why; though they did endure quite a few battles, it shouldn't have taken the toll it did on him... Unless it was that little light show from when they had fought that Deathstalker. On the other hand he could have just caught a cold or something, but at any rate, she wasn't about to let him stay that way, seeing as she was still intent on sparring with him... Her way of settling that whole killstealing thing.

When he finally (admittely rather wealky) called out for her to help him, she hesitated for a few moments, but eventually huffed, puffing up her cheeks for a moment before she finally hooked both of her arms around his body, hoisting him up rather firmly, and well, surprisingly delicately. Though if it weren't for Ael's size, she probably would have slung him over her shoulder or something, she ended up carrying him to where she could only hope was their team's room, taking the extra effort to traverse the lesser traveled routes in the hallway in order to avoid running into anyone.

The last thing she wanted was for people to get the wrong idea about her carrying Ael like that, her reputation, and her pride were at stake after all, but in the end... With fortunately little trouble on the way, save for a few close down, she eventually plopped him down on a nearby bed, crossing her arms as she leaned her back onto a wall closeby, letting out a small huff as she closed her eyes, pouting a little.

"Ya ain't gonna make a habbit outta this, are ya?" She asked, with a distinct sense of hostility in her voice.

Fortunately though, she didn't look as mad as she did when he stole her kill, but perhaps that was because she had managed to keep a low profile about this little endeavor... If she had been discovered, there could have been... Trouble...​

Mason Moretti
@Accelerator @york

Mason noticed something was amiss only after the end of the ceremony. The lights of the school, the extravagance of the ceremony, and the excitement of the moment got him into the same daze from when he watched Tiara fight the Deathstalker. The adrenaline went straight to his head and his heart pumped with the uncontainable joy. In his excitement up on stage, he wrapped his arms around Tiara and drew her into a friendly embrace.

However, once his emotions settled, his head was able to clear. He stuck close to Tiara as students poured into the halls and towards the cafeteria. Noting the separation of the group, he asked his partner, "Hey, Ael and Hazel don't seem to be nearby. Ael seemed kinda low on spirits for a brand new team leader. Think we should check up on him?" As he spoke, his ears twitched back and forth, searching for some sound of Hazel or Ael's voices amongst the crowd. Finding none, his ears drooped to a low, flat angle.​

 

[C.T.]

"...Neat!"

"...So you guys wanna wander around now?" : D​

"I do!"​

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

David had learned one valuable lesson from his militaristic father and that was simple. Never let your teammates or any friend storm off on their own for not agreeing with you. He was determined to make a point to Franky, even if he wasn't the team captain, that didn't mean he was worthless. That was the last thing he wanted anyone to believe, especially someone who was fighting by his side. He marched towards the room, a determination in his eyes.

@BlueFlameNikku @Midnight Maiden @Yun Lee

 

[BlueFlameNikku]

Franky only got as far as one of the many decently vacant hallways that lead to the male dorm rooms as he noticed the rest of Team DARK was following not far behind. It wasn't too hard for him to guess why they were doing so for a multitude of reasons. He stops walking and breaths in a deep sigh before turning about towards Bianca, David and Kwame with a decently blank if not almost dower expression as he waited for them to approach within a reasonable distance for communication in the middle of the hallway. He kept his hands in his pockets as he kept making eye contact with all of them, switching between each of them every few moments.

After taking his quick observation of the three that David seemed like he had something to say. "You look like ya got somethin to say. Hope its more than some pathetic excuse for a scolding." Franky had plenty more to say to David that didn't just include a bunch of insults but he simply didn't have enough faith in this leader currently from what he's seen to even say such words.

@Midnight Maiden @Yun Lee @LuckycoolHawk9

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

David was happy that he had caught up with Franky before he had retired for the night and locked himself from the room. He was also glad that the rest of the team was behind him, even though he wasn't sure what he had done to earn their respect. All he had done was stand up to Franky and even then, he wasn't proud how he had done that. He had frozen and nearly lost his mind and he saw the expression and saw that they were a reasonable distance, but he purposely choose to go even further and stood in front of Franky. He wasn't about to shout across a hallway to get the attention from his teammate. He bite down on his lip and looked at him too.

David took a deep breath and carefully choose the next words he choose. " I can understand why you are upset and I know you expect me to be mad that you left us behind to retire, but I am not. I am going to ask why you left instead. I know I am not the ideal leader, but I am willing to listen to whatever you want," he said, as he looked at him. He didn't mention the fact he had a feeling his father had some influence on this decision.

@BlueFlameNikku @Midnight Maiden @Yun Lee

 

[Accelerator]

Felix Velos
Felix had been slightly startled by Windia's sudden perkiness and eagerness for conversation. Yet, despite being alarmed, the Rook managed to maintain her stoic appearance that screamed a lack of interest in everything and everyone. This quickly shifted into a steely gaze when her new teammate spoke and began mentioning Duke. Studying Windia as she made conversation, Felix finally spoke, her voice low and barely audible at first.
"Stay away from my brother."
Felix reached for an apple out of one of the fruit bowls nearby before continuing. "You think you know him, but you don't. His..demeanor," she paused, searching for the right words. "His attitude. His mannerisms. His perfect smile that swoons every brain dead female. Everything you think you like about him is a lie." As they took a seat at one of the tables, Felix continued talking, something she had done in only short spurts earlier that day. After all, she rarely spoke unless something was worth saying.
"We are Rooks." Felix explained, pointing towards the tattoo on her collarbone.
"We are liars. We are thieves. We are cheats. We are not your friends. We do not care about your feelings, about your dreams, or what you have to say. It's all just fuel. Fuel to take you down if you ever become a threat. The idea of you falling for my brother disgusts me. It tells me that at some point, he'll drop you, as he has all the other girls he's ever met. I've seen it, year after year; girl after girl. Maybe it will be years from now... or maybe it will be tomorrow. Maybe it will be in a perfect garden by a fountain on a Friday night..." Felix paused, letting her words set in. "Or maybe it'll be right before we go into a combat situation where people are depending on our success. If you're emotionally wrecked, you're going to get yourself or someone else on this team hurt. If that happens, we're going to have a problem." The Rook spoke the last sentence slowly and clearly, emphasizing her point with her fist tightly clenched on the dinner table.
Felix knew she was being harsh, and a bit cruel. She had spent her entire lecture avoiding eye contact with her new teammate to avoid dealing with any emotional hurt she might cause. Windia seemed like a nice girl, one who had clearly meant only to have a friendly first encounter with her but had gotten much more. Maybe Felix had exaggerated a little about how bad the Rooks were. Okay, quite a bit. Regardless, her point stood. Emotions made people weak and unreliable, which lead to mistakes. If breaking up whatever it was Windia and Duke had started at an early stage meant that they'd both be clear of emotional distress in the future and be able to survive just a little bit longer in this wretched world, Felix judged that it was worth it. After a moment of awkward silence, Felix sighed and spoke again, her ears locked intently with Windia, a softer, more gentler expression on her face.
"Trust me."

"Believe in me."

"I will keep our team safe, I promise you. But for your sake, as well as ours, leave my other half alone."
Felix reached out and squeezed Windia's hand gently, before realizing that the other members of her team were there as well. She quickly let go and wiped her hands on a napkin, tossing the rest of her meal in the trash.

"I think I'll retire for the night..."

Felix rose to leave the table...

@Accelerator

@Gummi Bunnies @Hospes

[fieldbox= Windia Milkyway, Turquoise, solid]

Just as expected, Windia got the response she was hoping for and then some. The white-haired girl's cheeky grin never left her face as Felix explained all the reasons why Windia should stay away from Duke. All the while, she ate contentedly as she listened on Felix fire away at her.

"Hmm... I'll be the judge whether or not his entire demeanor is real or fake. Leave that to me, Yes!" Windia chipred in her usual sing-song voice.

However, that was the end of it. Without the other two members of her team noticing, Windia showed her third personality to Felix Velos as her cheeky, playful grin, transformed into a sadistic one.

The first was the bubbly, cheerful, and enthusiastic side of her... the one she shows to everyone around her indiscriminately. One that signified her Hope.

The second was the militaristic demeanor that appears whenever she is in a combat situation and needed to get serious. This side depicted her Serenity... the balance between two extremes...

But inside the normally, perky girl, there existed an awful third side that only a handful of people knew off. The side born out of her negative emotions, and perhaps it is the most dangerous of her personalities... This side, described as the amalgamation of her cruelty, hatred, despair, wrath, remorse, grudge, and all other negative emotions could only be the representation of Windia's Chaos.

"As for who you were in the past, a don't give a Goliath's ass whether you were a pickpocket or the children of Arsene Lupin himself. Whatever you think you've done, whatever sin you may have committed, whatever despair you may have inflicted on others, I've done worse. Yes, it's a given if you or your brother do not care about my dreams. Who the hell cares about the dreams of others anyways? Humans are selfish creatures who would not hesitate to stab one another in the back if it meant satisfying his needs, attaining his wants, and achieving his goals." Windia declared in a surprisingly grudging tone as he stared daggers at Felix Velos. Her complete transformation would no doubt shake the Rook and force her to reassess just who she needs to be wary off.

"Now, then. I hope you realize now that if you've come to warn someone, then you've talked to the wrong person. If your brother is truly what you say he is, then you should be warning him to not treat me like his... other "toys". For the record, HE was the one who approached me, so if he thinks I'm just one of the "brain dead bitches" you mentioned earlier, then he has another thing coming. Still, despite everything you've said earlier, I still fancy Duke and consider him as a potential "mate" so as I have said earlier, I'll be the judge of that. Now, if he plans on triggering my flags, then you should warn him of the possible consequences of "dropping" me like the others. Because if he does that, knowing full well what might happen... THEN HE IS GOING TO HAVE A REALLY BAD TIME. " She warned, putting emphasis as well as all her negativity particularly on that forboding last phrase.

However, her expression returned to her usual cheerful one the moment she finished giving Felix her own warning. It was as if her Chaotic third personality never existed in the first place.

"Well then, now that that's out of the way, I'm going to scout this place out. I wouldn't be able to sleep in a place I'm not the least bit familiar with so don't mind me if I'm still not back when it's gotten late." Windia enthusiastically said before clearing the last bits of food from her plate and standing up afterwards as she prepared to leave herself. Although, she did make sure to move slow enough to watch how Felix would react and listen to her response.

@QuakeUPSB

[/fieldbox]

​

​

Hazel Sterling
@Mason Moretti @Accelerator @Others?

After taking a good few moments to recover, Hazel seemed as good as new again... Or perhaps she was just a good actor, but in either case, with Ael by her side, she tore through most of the Grimm as they made their way through. Fortunately, it seemed that they didn't encounter anything like that Deathstalker, so for the most part, Hazel seemed to hold her own...

It was quite evident that she had alot more experience with the more common Grimm around, given her knack for finding their vital spots after just a few brief glances. Naturally though, they had a bit of a scuffle with a few alphas, and some Ursas here and there, but sooner or later, they stumbled their way into the relics they had been searching for.

Naturally, Hazel lunged for one of the black relics, snatching what looked like a bishop abruptly, seeing that it was the sharpest piece around... And waited for Ael to pick his, before they continued on their way.

Sooner or later, they, along with everyone else found their way to Eden Academy, but despite its apparent serenity, Hazel appeared to have her mind set on entering the structure itself...

...

The actual ceremony wasn't all too bad actually, but, restless as she was, it didn't take long for her gaze to begin to wander, and it was fortunate for that too. Though she hadn't intended to look at Ael for a good while, still bitter about the whole killstealing thing, she did seem to have caught onto the fact that he was... Not in the best of states to say the least.

Though she did not act immediately, she found herself stealing sideglances towards her partner, and... Apparently teammate more and more often as the ceremony went on, noticing that he was appearing to be having trouble... Was it a fever? Was he just really really nervous about being the team leader?

None of these things seemed to make sense though, as it was only after their treck to the forest that Ael started to act like this, or maybe this was just a regular occurence? In either case, this certainly wouldn't do! Especially if she was gonna spar with him after this ceremony.

After it was over, she tried to keep her voice as low as possible at she spoke, quite frankly looking a bit puzzled, and possibly even worried, hard to tell with a face like hers.

"Oy... Ya catch a cold or somethin'? What's it to y-..." She was cut short when she suddenly felt a tug on her hand.

It took her a few moments to realize that it was in fact Ael who was tugging on her hand, causing her to gawk in confusion for a moment, but seeing the shape he was in, she let herself be pulled with him for the time being, eventually making it to relative solitude in an empty hallway before he finally collapsed.

Looks like he really was worn out, but... She couldn't quite figure out why; though they did endure quite a few battles, it shouldn't have taken the toll it did on him... Unless it was that little light show from when they had fought that Deathstalker. On the other hand he could have just caught a cold or something, but at any rate, she wasn't about to let him stay that way, seeing as she was still intent on sparring with him... Her way of settling that whole killstealing thing.

When he finally (admittely rather wealky) called out for her to help him, she hesitated for a few moments, but eventually huffed, puffing up her cheeks for a moment before she finally hooked both of her arms around his body, hoisting him up rather firmly, and well, surprisingly delicately. Though if it weren't for Ael's size, she probably would have slung him over her shoulder or something, she ended up carrying him to where she could only hope was their team's room, taking the extra effort to traverse the lesser traveled routes in the hallway in order to avoid running into anyone.

The last thing she wanted was for people to get the wrong idea about her carrying Ael like that, her reputation, and her pride were at stake after all, but in the end... With fortunately little trouble on the way, save for a few close down, she eventually plopped him down on a nearby bed, crossing her arms as she leaned her back onto a wall closeby, letting out a small huff as she closed her eyes, pouting a little.

"Ya ain't gonna make a habbit outta this, are ya?" She asked, with a distinct sense of hostility in her voice.

Fortunately though, she didn't look as mad as she did when he stole her kill, but perhaps that was because she had managed to keep a low profile about this little endeavor... If she had been discovered, there could have been... Trouble...​

[fieldbox= Aelius Cedomir, Gold, solid]

​

Ael managed to breathe out a sigh of relief when he realized that Hazel was indeed going to help him from the predicament he had gotten himself into. It looks like he was in good terms enough with the dark-skinned girl for her to be willing to lend him a hand in his time of need. Though, he was also glad that she hadn't gone full dere on him yet. As the saying goes, "the journey is oftentimes a lot more fun than reaching the destination." Hence, Ael wanted the transition from Tsun Hazel to Dere Hazel to last quite a lot longer. Though nonetheless, he did find her last statement to be both cute and endearing at the same time.

Chuckling weakly from his almost-petrified state, Ael prepared to reveal to Hazel just what exactly had happened to him.

"Well... if it means getting handled by a cute girl such as yourself, then you can't blame me if I do make a habit out of this, right?" Weak, barely audible laughter, could be heard from Ael after teasing Hazel for a bit, though his expression immediately

"On a serious note... I guess the least I could do to repay you for carrying me all the way to our room is to explain why... I'm like this... You see, my Semblance allows me to harness the power of the sun and use it to perform various feats... like when I seemed so strong and so fast, and when I performed that little light show earlier. However, the down side is if I overuse it, I become a vegetable in the evening. Even when I go about an entire day without using my semblance, I would still feel a lot more tired compared to most people the moment dusk arrives. And I can't even sleep at all during the day, even when I take medication. This Semblance is both a blessing and a curse..." Ael bitterly explained as he averted his gaze from Hazel's own, or at leaast tried to, considering most of his body was still paralyzed.

He didn't want to look weak in front of Hazel for some reason, specially when he had already made such a nice impression on her a while ago. Though, he does realize that he only has himself to blame for his current state after showing off like that earlier.

"So yeah, I'm only ever useful during the day, then I devolve into this pathetic state during the night when I use my Semblance. I hope this doesn't change your perception of me in a negative way. After all, I didn't ask for my semblance to have this detrimental of a side effect on me." Ael explained bashfully.

All he could do now was nervously wait for Hazel's reply, hoping that her impression of him wouldn't change drastically in a negative way, while at the same time still retaining her prickly nature. Although he wants to see her dere side someday, being the enthusiast that he is, Ael is looking forward to experiencing this prospective tsundere's rough, prickly personality for the next four years.

@york

[/fieldbox]

Mason Moretti
@Accelerator @york

Mason noticed something was amiss only after the end of the ceremony. The lights of the school, the extravagance of the ceremony, and the excitement of the moment got him into the same daze from when he watched Tiara fight the Deathstalker. The adrenaline went straight to his head and his heart pumped with the uncontainable joy. In his excitement up on stage, he wrapped his arms around Tiara and drew her into a friendly embrace.

However, once his emotions settled, his head was able to clear. He stuck close to Tiara as students poured into the halls and towards the cafeteria. Noting the separation of the group, he asked his partner, "Hey, Ael and Hazel don't seem to be nearby. Ael seemed kinda low on spirits for a brand new team leader. Think we should check up on him?" As he spoke, his ears twitched back and forth, searching for some sound of Hazel or Ael's voices amongst the crowd. Finding none, his ears drooped to a low, flat angle.​

[fieldbox=Tiara Pendragon, Aqua, solid]

Tiara couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle when she saw Ael practically dragging Hazel with him desperately out of everyone's watchful eye. If he is truly who she thinks he is, then right about now, he'll be needing her help with a predicament.

"That's what you get for overexerting yourself, boya. Though, having her accompany you, I'm not sure if you're clever enough to pull something like that of, or you're just plain lucky and you're oblivious of everything." The arctic fox faunus said under her breath, making sure that none but her would hear what she said.

Turning her attention to Mason, she visibly frowned at him when he suggested that they check up on their new team captain. Right now, that boy must be getting some well-deserved alone time with the brunette. And being the "shipper" that she is, Tiara wasn't going to let Mason's good intentions ruin Ael and Hazel's moment.

"Muh, I'm sure he's fine. Must be pretty shocked that he became leader, that's all. Hazel's with him so he should be fine. Now, what i don't get is why you want to look for those two, when you've got yourself some alone time with such a beautiful girl such as myself. Hmm... there are a lot of handsome faunus around. Maybe I should spend my time with someone who appreciate's my company, don't you think?" Tiara said as she feigned getting upset at Mason. That should fluster him quite a bit, erase all thoughts about Hazel and Ael's disappearance, and motivate him to focus on spending time with the Fox Swordswoman.

@Mason Moretti

[/fieldbox]

 

[Quake]

Duke Velos

"Oh! Well hello Eshell! It's nice to finally get a chance to have an actual conversation. I-" The message over the intercom interrupted Duke's introduction. "Well how about that.." Duke muttered as he scratched his head. "I guess we should see what's going on." Turning from his two remaining teammates, Duke jogged over to catch up with Midna. "Wonder what this is about..."

@Demmy @Gummi Bunnies @Midnight Maiden

Felix Velos

Within the few moments of Windia's reply, Felix realized that her new teammate was quite different from the rest of the students at Eden Academy. Despite that, Felix wasn't too surprised. She had dealt with many deceptive people over the course of her time in Drayce, so she wasn't too bothered when Windia's personality changed and she warned Felix about just who she was talking to.

"A really bad time, hmmm?" Felix repeated under her breath, just barely audible. "I wonder about that..." The Rook clicked her fingernails on the cafeteria table as she thought to herself. She had seen her brother go through countless women for different reasons over the course of many years, and while she didn't particularly agree with some of his methods, she couldn't deny they had gotten results when necessary.

"Very well," she replied after a moment, standing up from the table. "I've always told my brother that one day he'd mess with the wrong woman and pay the cost. Maybe he's finally met her..." Felix stared at Windia, a deadpan, almost tired look in her eyes. "Do what you will. I've given you my warning, just like I've given so many other women in the past. What happens now is out of my hands," Felix said, pausing for a moment.

"On a different note, I recognize that we're going to be stuck together for the duration of our time at this school. With that said, I don't believe that our team could function if we're always butting heads like this. So in the interests of our team, I will not speak about your intentions with my brother again. You know how I feel."

@Accelerator

 

[York]

[fieldbox= Aelius Cedomir, Gold, solid][/fieldbox]​

[fieldbox= Aelius Cedomir, Gold, solid]

​

Ael managed to breathe out a sigh of relief when he realized that Hazel was indeed going to help him from the predicament he had gotten himself into. It looks like he was in good terms enough with the dark-skinned girl for her to be willing to lend him a hand in his time of need. Though, he was also glad that she hadn't gone full dere on him yet. As the saying goes, "the journey is oftentimes a lot more fun than reaching the destination." Hence, Ael wanted the transition from Tsun Hazel to Dere Hazel to last quite a lot longer. Though nonetheless, he did find her last statement to be both cute and endearing at the same time.

Chuckling weakly from his almost-petrified state, Ael prepared to reveal to Hazel just what exactly had happened to him.

"Well... if it means getting handled by a cute girl such as yourself, then you can't blame me if I do make a habit out of this, right?" Weak, barely audible laughter, could be heard from Ael after teasing Hazel for a bit, though his expression immediately

"On a serious note... I guess the least I could do to repay you for carrying me all the way to our room is to explain why... I'm like this... You see, my Semblance allows me to harness the power of the sun and use it to perform various feats... like when I seemed so strong and so fast, and when I performed that little light show earlier. However, the down side is if I overuse it, I become a vegetable in the evening. Even when I go about an entire day without using my semblance, I would still feel a lot more tired compared to most people the moment dusk arrives. And I can't even sleep at all during the day, even when I take medication. This Semblance is both a blessing and a curse..." Ael bitterly explained as he averted his gaze from Hazel's own, or at leaast tried to, considering most of his body was still paralyzed.

He didn't want to look weak in front of Hazel for some reason, specially when he had already made such a nice impression on her a while ago. Though, he does realize that he only has himself to blame for his current state after showing off like that earlier.

"So yeah, I'm only ever useful during the day, then I devolve into this pathetic state during the night when I use my Semblance. I hope this doesn't change your perception of me in a negative way. After all, I didn't ask for my semblance to have this detrimental of a side effect on me." Ael explained bashfully.

All he could do now was nervously wait for Hazel's reply, hoping that her impression of him wouldn't change drastically in a negative way, while at the same time still retaining her prickly nature. Although he wants to see her dere side someday, being the enthusiast that he is, Ael is looking forward to experiencing this prospective tsundere's rough, prickly personality for the next four years.

@york

[/fieldbox]

Hazel Sterling
@Accelerator

Whoops, that teasing seemed to have triggered a bit of a volatile response in Hazel, as she shot Ael a death glare, flushing a little red, either out of anger, embarassment, or well, likely both.

"Why... You... I oughta...!" She growled, glowering at him.

This time though, while she did seem to raise a brow, her usual, more bitter expression seeming to waver a bit... And for a moment, something slipped through that usual scowl she had on her face, perhaps some sort of... Compassion? Though honestly, it was a bit difficult to tell, considering she had always had a tendency to hide her true emotions for one reason or another.

While she didn't plan on admitting this outright, she did understand how it feels... To be cursed with a horrible problem, thanks to ones semblance. In fact, it was the driving reason behind her tendency to "lone wolf" things, the root of her dislike for teamwork, not because she couldn't work together with others... But because working together with her, especially in grimm infested territory bore a terrible price.

One that had left her life rather devoid of much in the sense of a family, even from the day she was born.

After listening to him for a while, her usually hostile demeanor seemed to have dissipated, at least for the moment as she closed her eyes, chuckling a little at the last part of what he said. She didn't say anything just yet, instead, seeming to ease up a little, sitting down right next to him on the bed she had set him down in, perhaps she just didn't think he could do anything in his state... Or maybe, what he had said drew a little sympathy from her, it was hard to tell with her.

Then, she laughed, a thundrous one at that, which seemed to achoe all throughout the room, before she seemed to have become more serious again, patting his head in what could be seen as a friendlier gesture.

"Are ya kiddin'?! Of 'course not!"

Looks like she really did mean it, even if she had a strange way of showing it.

There was a brief moment of silence once more, as Hazel seemed to have loosened up just a bit, but well... For all Ael knew, she could blow up on him again at the slightest implication of anything, but... At the moment, she seemed remarkably calm, almost composed, for once.

"Y'know... Yer not the only one with a lil' semblance problem..." She muttered.

Letting out a small sigh, she leaned back a little, resting her head against the bed's headboard, giving Ael a sideglance, as if she was unsure if he was still listening. It felt quite strange to her to be suddenly spilling the beans about her semblance to someone who she didn't know, but then again... Stranger things have happened today.

Though she reasoned it was just because it was fair; Ael had shared some details about his own semblance himself... Details that probably could have been detrimental, had the right person known about them.

"... My semblance? Tis much like yers. In th' sense that it makes me faster... Stronger... An'... ... More..." She continued, her voice lowering a little in the process.

"But... It ain't the sun that keeps it goin'."

There was a pause, as a wry smile crossed her face. Even with Ael's cripping drawback, she still envied the fact that he had still lived a much better life than she had.

That despite how it left him, he still had a home... A family, or at least, that's what she seemed to believe.

"Naw. Fate? She was a cruel mistress ta lil ol' me... My semblance uses th' same stuff Grimm like so much. Negative emotion." Her voice seemed to waver, just for a moment, before she was able to steady it again.

Her hands balled into fists once more, quite hard this time... So hard in fact that one might even notice that her knuckles had begun to turn a little white, but after closing her eyes for a few more moments, she seemed to relax again, opening them once more, as her gaze wandered over to Ael another time, as if she was trying to guage his reaction or something.

Another, more lengthy moment of silence passed as Hazel got a bit of a distant look in her eyes... One that seemed to give off the impression she was thinking about something, before she broke the silence once more, rather abruptly in fact.

"Tell ya what! Let's say we call a truce, aye?" She suggested, holding out a hand towards him.

Well, at least until she rememebred Ael was still not in the best state to be moving around or anything, so instead she just let it drop... Right near his, it seemed like she either didn't notice, or didn't care, whatever it might be it was certainly the friendliest gesture one had probably seem from her all day, minus that thing with Alcander briefly, which, really... Just was a lame attempt at making a friend.

Interestingly enough though, that calm demeanor she had put on earlier in that ship, seemed to have returned on its own accord, and it certainly seemed alot less forced than before.

Was her tsun portion gone already? Or was it just laying in wait, like some sort of crafty Deathstalker, waiting to pounce at just the right moment.

Hard to say with someone like her, but perhaps some things are just better left a mystery...​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Why was her shirt sleeves gone? ;_;

An awkward(to her) silence grew, its void encompassing everything in its path. A beat later, Aqua looked over the boy in black, self-conscious of her attire.

"Hi."

"......"

That was comforting. She pondered for something to say.

"I don't know what father is thinking. One moment, recalling me and then changing his mind. Parents, right?"

"......"

"....Alright then." Angus was always quiet but for once, it was borne from more than shyness.

He was thinking about that girl he met...

@Midnight Maiden​

While the two sat in wait, Starlene could be heard idly tapping her fingers impatiently, not seeming greatly amused with the situation as a whole. Despite, it wasn't hard for her to pick up on the awkward air coming from the students due to the situation. Not to mention, Aqua's comment about her father wasn't exactly correct, if their informant knew what they were talking about. But she wasn't about to tell the pair that.

"...Don't worry. I'm certain your classmates with arrive soon," she assured.

She hoped, anyways.​

Duke Velos

"Oh! Well hello Eshell! It's nice to finally get a chance to have an actual conversation. I-" The message over the intercom interrupted Duke's introduction. "Well how about that.." Duke muttered as he scratched his head. "I guess we should see what's going on." Turning from his two remaining teammates, Duke jogged over to catch up with Midna. "Wonder what this is about..."

@Demmy @Gummi Bunnies @Midnight Maiden

Midna didn't so much as glance over her shoulder upon hearing the quickly-paced footsteps headed her direction, not turning her head or slowing down for Duke's benefit in the slightest. Dark eyes remained set forward, back straight and head held high as she continued forwards. With how big the school was, she was admittedly grateful for the occasional signs scattered, detailing where classrooms could be found. It'd be easy enough to find, she mused as she idly and distantly replied to Duke after a long silence.

"...I've no clue."

It was mildly surprising she could speak so politely, yet, with such little interest at the same time. Perhaps her British accent somehow made her sound more polite in some way. Because they were just fancy like that. But it didn't matter that much, one would suppose. But considering she was so quiet and blunt(judging by how she had defended Duke mere moments ago, anyways), it was probably good that they'd arrived at Starlene's classroom shortly. Without so much as knocking, Midna opened the door, walking into the room and glancing at the desk in the front of the room where the headmistress sat, not at first noticing the other two. For a moment, she just stared, mildly surprised by how pale the woman's eyes were before shrugging it off.

"Speak of the devil," Starlene broke the silence, pursing her lips. "Duke Velos and Midna Eclipse, I presume?" she added, slowly rising from her chair with practiced ease, despite her blindness. "I'm sure you recall Miss Dakkar and Mr. Lake here," she mused. In response, Midna's blank expression briefly turned to a mildly confused one, glancing around before her eyes landed on Aqua and Angus with slight surprise. Shaking it off, she glanced to the teacher again. "..I thought they had to depart," she spoke, softly.

"There was a mix-up."

"..."

"When the rest of MEAD and a couple of other students I've called arrive, I will explain further."

@QuakeUPSB @Ringmaster @Gummi Bunnies @Demmy​

 

[Demmy]

Eshell flinched a bit at the sudden sound over the intercom and sighed. "What is it this time?" he muttered under his breath as he turned to follow the others. He trailed behind a bit, using the sounds of their footsteps to find his way to the correct classroom and as a result stepped in half way through the explanation, maybe knocking over a few things as he did so. Mumbling his apologises, he leant back against the wall next to the door and lowered his gaze so that he wasn't unwittingly staring.

@Gummi Bunnies @Midnight Maiden @QuakeUPSB @Ringmaster