This is a sci-fi/fantasy RP. The Players are young Mages who have been brought to the Academy in order to develop their magical talent and protect their city. They will fight monsters that roam in the wilderness, investigate nefarious plots against King and Country, and so on. But that is all in their future. For now, after a bit of general plot setup, let us have the characters meet up, get to know one another, etc. We can feed them to monsters later.
The plot so far:
The students meet their teacher, Professor Yuki Okamoto, and have their first few days of instruction.
About a week into their Academy life, they are unexpectedly sent out on a mission to investigate the town of Normaden. They learn that a Witch, a powerful monster that sometimes grows from humans with magical potential, has developed in the region. Their Professor takes on the role of exterminating the Witch itself, leaving the students to handle some of its Familiars. During the students' fight, though, they are unexpectedly brought face to face with an Angel. After a fierce fight, the students are victorious and return to their homes safely.
Back in Uruk, the plots grow thicker. A massive force of Angels has gathered near Babylon, and the head honchos discuss plans of how to deal with the threat. The Academy's Headmaster learns that the Angel that the students encountered was sent by the Chief of the Galileians. What could Chief Herschel be plotting, and why involve these young Mages?
Completely unaware of these plots, the students are assigned another mission: to resolve an incident over who should possess a valuable research subject. They will be escorted and monitored by Essence Parker, one of the academy's Student Council members...
To chat, give feedback, watch us fool around OOC, etc, please join the Discord
For a brief bit of worldbuilding or to create a character, please refer to the OOC thread
This club prides itself on having a very detailed combat and character system. For more information on said system, please refer to the System Info/Extra Lore thread.
To see a list of some detailed NPC sheets, please view this thread.
The woman suddenly found herself being interrupted mid sentence by some vulgar woman with an oversized weapon. "Oi oi, brat, didn't your parents teach you to respect your elders?" Two strange, black, shadowy hands rose up out of the ground on long tendril-y shadow arms next to the woman, one on either side. The hand on the woman's left side stretched upwards, blocking Almeida's first swing. The second swing received a similar treatment from the opposite hand, being stopped by the shadowy substance.
Through it all, the woman continued to speak and act as had been written before, commenting on Hibiscus (so as not to invalidate that post). She then replied to the girl in the middle of a breakdown. "Hmm? No, this blood moon is just a happy coincidence. It is not of my Mistress's handiwork." Then, addressing the other woman: "Why not? A Gate opening inside of Uruk is practically a miracle in itself. We'd be fools to not seize the opportunity. Though I do wonder what happened to the old hag, if she let a Gate open up inside Uruk. Maybe she died over the years? No, that's probably too much to hope for."
Goblins 1, 8-10
Goblins 4
Goblins 6, 14-15
Goblin 7, 11-12, 16-17
Goblin 13, 18
Reaction Phases:
Mislyte's sword wave descended from on high towards the unsuspecting Goblin #14, striking true and biting deep into the creature, which howled in pain. The second wave flew in, but while Goblin #14 attempted to dodge it by jumping to the side, it was a bit too slow. Another scream of agony shredded the night as the goblin was split into two halves.
(Goblin #14 has perished)
The goblins murmured amongst themselves for a moment, with #13 seeming to give orders to them on how to proceed. While the orders were being delivered, #18 cast another spell on the lot of them, strengthening them before they made their move.
Action Phases:
At a command from #13, the goblin formation disintegrated as the creatures spread out en masse. #s 13 and 18 (the shamans) remained where they were, while #12 remained to guard them.
#s 6 and 15 (the remaining archers) moved towards Mislyte's end of the street. Though they couldn't get a good shot at that person up on the roof, they would get to him soon enough. For now, each archer loosed two arrows, which arced upwards into the sky before plunging down upon Kashmir at the railgun. #7 moved with them, shield battered but still ready to take a hit or two in defense of allies.
#s 8 and 10 charged in towards Ryan axes drawn and ready. #10 approached from Ryan's left, chopping in at Ryan's left leg. #8 closed in from Ryan's right side, letting #10 give it an opening which it could exploit to land a blow on Ryan's right leg.
#11 didn't attempt to attack anyone this time, instead merely charging in the direction of the railgun in order to close some of the distance.
#16 moved in on Almeida, the one toting the oversized hammer. Hoisting its shield to prepare to guard against incoming strikes, it darted in low, going for her left thigh with a horizontal slash from its sword.
#9 and #17 began their assault on Londo. #17 was on his left side, and the goblin swung its shield in towards Londo, trying to knock Londo off balance with the blunt force. #9 was on his right side, bringing its axe in towards the right side of Londo's stomach, hopefully while Londo was busy dealing with the shield strike.
Yune
Ramen Guy
Yune really had to think about how to handle Londo's latest word. Technically, she should remove all "entertainment" from the area. But she wasn't allowed to mess with the Gate, which was entertaining, and she couldn't just remove the fun game from existence. Oh wait, weren't televisions and phones and such sometimes considered "entertainment"? Yeah, she could just remove all of those. POPs sounded throughout the area as every smartphone, television, computer, and other "entertainment device" of a similar nature was removed. "Tea!" Several cups of bubble tea, complete with tapioca pearls, appeared on the counter of the ramen cart. Yune picked one out for herself, leaving the others for any other interested parties.
Gate and Area Updates
A strange whooshing sound could be heard high above the street, emanating from between the fire truck and the noodle cart. About twenty meters above the pavement, the air began to ripple, gradually growing twisting and distorting, altering as it gradually darkened until it finally took on a dark purple color, like a swirling magical plate parallel to the ground. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it was another Gate...
It seemed time for negotiation was over. As soon as the goblins started advancing on Londo, Alice disappeared, shifting into her spirit core form instead. From this core she asked questions while Londo fought, "Who's your mistress?"
Londo, on the other hand, raised both of his hands, "Almeida, duck!" He yelled, as he backhanded his left hand into the shield that was coming towards him, using a Fist of Fury to knock it away upwards with a swipe. Hopefully he let go of it and it'd fly right over Almeida's head. That, or the goblin himself would be thrown off balance by the attack.
Meanwhile, Londo's right hand was placed at his side, to block the axe that was aimed at his stomach.
Action Phase:
After that, Londo went for the goblin that had just attacked him with the axe, kicking his right knee up to hit the axe from below, before throwing a left-handed punched at its chest, while leaping towards it, attempting to get around it so the other goblin would be inconvinienced slightly. He then raised his right hand and punched it again, then again with his left hand, then stopped and raised both hands, left in front, to guard against any counterattack from either of the two.
He glanced worringly at Yune, before saying, "'Abacus'?... Hey Yune, do you think we should put the game on hold? I might have accidentally screwed up saying Eclipse earlier and I don't want to accidentally do something else bad."
Start of the turn: +5 prana (100 > 100) +13 stamina (90 > 100)
Effects:
Mark of Hibiscus
Statistics: Aura: 60 Prana: 100 Stamina: 100
Attributes: STR: B VIT: E WIL: E RES: E SPD: D AGI: D PER: E REC: D
Equipment:Valerius Durability:100 Spirit Cores: N/A Additional Properties: It can draw upon Almeida's prana to replenish its durability (this is a lengthy process and thus can only be done outside of combat). As it was created in a mine, where tools must be harder than that which they collide with, it will take reduced damage when one of Almeida's attacks clashes with another attack or a "reflective" barrier.
Aptitude (Passive)
Stamina Cost for Dodge & Evade & EvasionDodge is reduced by 5.
Stamina Cost for EvasionGuard & Counter & ParryCounter is reduced by 10.
Being stopped from attacking by some weird tentacles 'tendril-y shadow arms' was not exactly helping her cool down, nor did the comment. "Only towards those that don't fuck around with goblins and invade our city." She said it before she could stop herself from giving this creature more attention than it deserved.
Reaction Phase:
One of the shield wearing goblins seemed to come for her, but she was distracted by Londo telling her to duck. Thankfully, he did it before she was posted with, so she could actually duck, rather than suffer any damage from the fact that it was unclear that she was supposed to retroactively do so. Although she didn't know what she was ducking for, she followed up on the command. As she did, however, she also had a goblin to deal with. Although she was by no means at goblin-height while ducking, she at least was able to aim a bit lower. She decided to wait until the goblin was a bit closer before thrusting Valerius forwards with his center aimed at the goblins weapon-wielding arm, having the sharp side aimed at the goblin-side of it and the blunt side on the opposite end. With some luck, she'd be able to use the opening the goblin would have to create in order to try slashing at her to counter him while his shield wasn't directly in front of it. [Counter + Attack? -30 stamina]
Action Phase:
Whether or not the previous attack worked, Almeida still had a thirst for goblin blood, or rather, it was only rising. She slashed at #16 once more, this time from bottom left to top right, sharp side first. She hoped the angle would make it more difficult to shield against, and that her strength was enough to still pack a punch when slashing upwards. [Attack -5 stamina]
Strength - E Vitality - E Willpower - E Resistance - E Speed - E Dexterity - E Perception - E Recovery - D
You (Lavi) awaken in your dorm room, laying in your bed. There's a notification on your AMB (which is on your nightstand), stating that you have been in Aurashock for five days. Another notification pops in after detecting your activity, stating very briefly: "The city of Uruk is under attack. All available Mages are needed for protecting the city." Suddenly, you hear a man's voice speaking from the AMB: "Lavi Fluer. I realize that you have only just woken up. However, your services are needed. Your classmates are in danger. Enter this portal, and you will be sent directly to them. If you see her, tell Almeida that Omoikane wishes her luck. Oh, and Transform before you go through." As the voice mentions a portal, a purple Gate opens up near the door to your room. Should you enter said Gate, you will emerge from the new one that just appeared in the latest post. You will fall from about 20 meters up, though you will not sustain any damage if you Transformed as instructed.
It was like a splitting headache whilst your mind was only half conscious. In the mix of the Aurashock, there wasn't even much of a sense of self for Lavi, instead her body simply had been escorted after she had fallen unsconscious in the halls of the school before a thorough conversation had been had on the skipping of her the investigation. As she lay in her bed, breathing slowly through her nose as if asleep, she was given company by Phoebe. Whom even as a spirit could do very little at this moment. Before a loud yawn could be heard as Lavi awakened. ''Aaaaaah, ah ah that hurts, I need some ice. Really, what is the headache all about.''''Oh I am thankful to hear you were to one to wake up.''
Slowly nodding her head, as Lavi pressed her thumbs against temple she looked towards the flashing light on her nightstand. Which had displayed a quick message timed uncanny to the point of suspicion of how much may be tracked. Before an unanswered voice call had started on the AMB. ''...Huh? What happened in five days? Just disregard what happened last time, kay? I should have these gauntlets if they weren't grabbed.''''What bliss, you are willing to cooperate partner? You have lagged a bit behind them in field experience, but I hope you can make it up today and survive.''
Putting on the leather gauntlets she would catch Phoebe's core as she dissipated her spirit form. ''Transformade'' Speaking up those words she would begin to shift into her transformation, taking a running jump towards the portal.
Action Phase
The petite figure of a transformed Lavi would come out of the portal, falling towards the ground and rolling herself up to break the fall as she had difficulty judging the distance in the split second the fell outwards. Her eyes shifted in a slight bewilderment as she took in the situation. With the weirdest out of the bunch being the small human looking girl about their own age or younger. Just acting on instinct she would activate Butterfly Tenacity-6 prana and the rest of the phase to rush towards Ryan as she yelled towards Almeida. ''Status please, why are we fighting other children? Also regards from Omoikane whomever that is.''
Frustrated, Kashmir saw as the goblins dispersed. His chance to clear them all was gone.
Start of Turn: +10 Stamina
Reaction Phase
After backing up, Ryan had more time to deal with the two goblins coming his way. He waited for them to be about to attack, only to ruin their party by looking to his right and Time Skipping in that direction. Now in a stance about a meter behind the goblin that went to him from his left.
Kashmir braced himself as soon as the goblins spread. He decided to give priority to the shamans and their remaining guard. Having seen the effect of the bullet, as well as feeling its brutal effect, made Kashmir aware of not needing a direct hit to kill when he took aim. However, as he did, two arrows were sent his way. This time being more prepared to dodge them, his whole body leaned to the left, on the ledge of the bench, pulling the trigger on the railgun. He aimed to the left of goblin #13 (Kashmir's right) and behind it. Once he pulled the trigger, Kashmir hopped off the bench, readjusting his body to be upright as he landed.
Time Skip (Ryan), Counter, Attack (Kashmir): -5 Prana, -30 Stamina, -%35 Ammo/-%40 Energy
Action Phase
Ryan wasted no time upon reappearing, grabbing the head of the goblin from behind, and hoped to beat its reaction with an Accel Blitz. Which consisted of him raising his bent right leg backwards, and then bringing his knee straight into the goblin. Again, and again, and again.then took two steps back as the time alteration ended. That's when he noticed Lavi. "Lavi! She's not young, and wants to invade Uruk. This is a city wide attack!" He said, while wary of any nearby goblin thinking it would be good to attack him while he talked.
Kashmir dashed at the shielded goblin heading for him, bringing himself to a halt before crashing onto it. Projecting his momentum onto his left foot at a declined angle, using it to stomp the goblin's right foot.
Mislyte keeps low and regathers his strength while he looks for his next opening
Regenerating stamina is nice. Wish prana had a more efficient regathering like stamina
(Start of Turn: +5 Prana, +10 Stamina)
Reaction Phase:
Mislyte saw Lavi emerge from the 2nd portal while he rested against the roof of the shop he was on. Peeking on the battle below, he took in the flow of battle, his transformed form allowing him to process the scene dispassionately. standby (+10 stamina)
Action Phase:
Having seen the goblins and their various types fight for some time now, Mislyte would try to discern the overall combat capabilities of the different types of goblins while he stayed low and covered on the roof. standby (+10 stamina)
"Oh?" The woman seemed surprised as she stared up at the Gate opening in the sky some ways away. "A second Gate? Something has certainly changed the status quo while we have been sealed away. Were the old hag still in control, there is no way she would permit two Gates in Uruk in such a short time."
"Ah, how tragic. It seems like they no longer teach history properly in schools. Once, we were known across the land, and even just the title of Mistress struck fear in hearts. No matter. Your ears are unworthy of her true name, but I shall grace them with some of her titles. Be sure to listen well! She is the Princess of the Incarnadine Night, The One Who Bathes The Land In Blood, The True Vampire. Feel honored to have had an Apostle bestow these names upon you. Carve them into your eardrums."
Arrows descended upon Kashmir. Not two, but four arrows plunged their way downwards (two archers, with two arrows each). Two of the arrows struck naught but wood, using their metal tips to burrow deep into the bench. One arrow nicked the outside of Kashmir's shoulder, and would've drawn blood had he not been a magical entity. The final arrow had been shot a bit short and thus struck the railgun. Or rather, it was about to, but a crackling energy barrier covered the surface of the weapon.
"The GJ27 Deluxe Railgun's shielding system is working normally~ You've got about 50% battery life left, Master. Hope you didn't forget your spare batteries, available only at Midori's Merchandise~"
(Railgun: -4% Energy)
(Kashmir: -4 Aura)
The railgun whirred to life once more in response to Kashmir's motions. He turned the muzzle towards the goblin shamans a little ways away, focusing his aim just off of the side of #13. With the trigger pull, the railgun's purr increased in intensity before releasing its deadly projectile. Goblin #13, concerned with the way that the railgun was pointed, gave a shriek and jumped to its right to get further away from the trajectory. Not that it would've been struck anyway; Kashmir's aim was true to its intent.
The projectile whizzed past the little creature, streaking off into the distance. Eventually, it met with the wall of a shop. As the shell met stone, both began to distort, triggering the magic within to burst forth with devastating force. Unfortunately for Kashmir, there was no human, spirit, or goblin within the blast's range, though Almeida and Goblin #16 were perhaps a bit closer than they would've otherwise liked.
Ryan saw the two goblins hurrying closer and decided that perhaps standing in their way wasn't the best idea. Altering the flow of time around himself caused him to suddenly disappear from the goblins' view. In confusion, the goblins stopped, pausing for a moment to marvel at what happened.
Well, #8 didn't have long to marvel, as it suddenly felt its head being seized from behind and a knee being slammed into it again and again. It writhed frantically, trying to slip free from the grasp. Finally, the force being provided by Ryan worked against Ryan, as the impact shifted it just enough for it to break out and escape Ryan's fourth attack.
(Goblin #8: -12, -13, -12 Aura)
#10 wasn't being attacked, itself, so wasn't going to ignore the girl (Hibiscus) that was just standing there, unmenacingly. It bounded closer to her, taking two broad horizontal swipes with its axe. The blade slashed from its right to left, and then back again, aiming for her stomach.
#11 saw Kashmir approaching it, coming right to it instead of running away. Expecting an attack of some sort, the goblin set its shield into position, lowering its head so that it was charging shield-first and minimizing its exposure. The two met in the middle, with Kashmir bringing its foot down as the goblin's shield connected with Kashmir's stomach.
(Goblin #11: -11 Aura)
(Kashmir: -10 Aura)
With Kashmir abandoning the railgun to attack Goblin #11, Goblins #7, #6, and #15 (the two archers and their escort) advanced along the southern end of the street, moving in on the railgun and its bench.
Londo prepared himself as he saw two goblins approaching. As #17's shield was swung in towards Londo, he parried with a backhand against the shield. The two strikes connected with a thud, and the goblin's shield was slammed upwards. It retained hold of the shield thanks to the surprisingly well-made grip, but perhaps it would have preferred to let go, as its arm was wrenched over its head, knocking it over onto its backside. All this took place as #9's axe scraped its somewhat dull edge against Londo's right gauntlet.
(Londo's Left Gauntlet: -10 Durability)
(Londo's Right Gauntlet: -5 Durability)
(Londo: -4 Aura)
(Goblin #17's Shield: -20 Durability)
Londo's knee came flying upward connecting with #9's axe knocking the weapon out of the goblin's hands. He then tried to punch at #9 while jumping forward, but #9 made good use of its nimbleness and small stature to quickly roll under the leaping Londo's legs.
(Goblin #9's Axe: -7 Durability)
While #17 was rolling to the side and leaping back to its feet, #9 spun around before Londo could do the same. It charged towards Londo, jumping up towards his back while he was pivoting around, attempting to grab hold of him from behind and forcibly claim a piggyback ride. Given the circumstances, there wasn't really time for Londo to try and land any more punches in his AP.
As Almeida thrust Valerius's blunt top forward, the goblin broke off its intended slash so that it could intercept the attack with its shield. The hammer thudded against the wood, neither yielding to the other. Almeida pulled back on Valerius for a moment to enter into her next swing, and #16 took the moment to step in closer, thrusting its sword forward towards her stomach. Almeida would have but a split second to decide whether they would both land their blows, or whether Almeida might escape the goblin's attack.
It wasn't entirely clear what the intent of the shaman goblins was. #13 and #18 seemed to just be dancing around, waving their wands wildly while #12 watched for threats. Surely, they were up to something… Right? They wouldn't just be dancing for no reason?
Mislyte observed the goblins from up on high, but quite frankly, about all he was able to get was what was also obvious at first glance. The axe-wielding goblins seemed to be the weakest of the lot in just about every way. The shield-bearers were wearing shields and some armor, so they were a bit slower than the axe-wielders, but were almost certainly tougher to make up for it. The archers were ranged combatants and thus were probably more qualified overall than the generic axe-wielders, but they still didn't seem that tough. The shamans… well, they had clearly been casting magic earlier, but beyond that was anyone's guess. And the woman was completely inscrutable, beyond possessing some strange powers.
Action Phases:
The invading woman called out something peculiar. It wasn't a language that any of the humans recognized, but the goblins seemed to acknowledge it, so presumably she was giving an order to them.
#s 6, 7, and 15 continued their advance, running along. They were passing alongside the railgun's position at the moment.
As #8 recovered from its escape attempt, it whirled around over its right shoulder (clockwise), spinning around with its axe to horizontally slash at Ryan if he was still close by. It then brought the weapon diagonally upward from right to left, swinging more to discourage Ryan from closing in than to actually try and hurt him.
#10 broke away from Hibiscus, backing up north before turning its attention on the square in the distance. Hibiscus hadn't been doing much, but there was a new person around too, and it didn't want to get caught in a crossfire.
It was a bit annoying to have one's foot stomped upon, but #11 was used to such underhanded tactics. After all, goblins didn't exactly have the same rules for fair and honorable duels as humans. Ignoring the pain, the goblin swung its sword vertically upwards, trying to bisect Kashmir from groin to nose.
Regardless of what had happened last phase, #16 continued to remain close, having deduced that Almeida's larger size and weapon meant she was weaker than the goblin up close. The steel blade swung horizontally across the front of Almeida's thighs, hoping for the chance to take her lower limbs out of commission. The humans having Aura hadn't really crossed its mind yet, after all.
#9 was hopefully clinging to Londo's back at the moment. If it were, it would proceed to bite at his shoulders and neck, going for soft flesh with sharp, yellowed fangs. Were it not latched on, it would simply try biting with its weapon instead, picking up the axe it had dropped before trying to close any distance and then attack the small of Londo's back with the sharp blade.
#17 simply settled for thrusting its blade forward into Londo's stomach. Hopefully, it would either provide a distraction for #9, or vice versa.
#18 continued to dance around, being watched over by #12, but #13 took the opportunity to duck back into the Gate from whence it came, disappearing into the purple ripples.
Yune
Ramen Guy
As desired, an abacus was summoned forth by Yune's power, appearing on the bench near Londo. But for some reason, Londo wanted to stop playing. "You can quit, but that means that I win, yknow!" Her half-comment half-taunt was clearly audible to Londo, even over the din of the battle.
Gates and Area Updates
The Gates continued to float in their respective locations, taunting the humans with the perpetual threat of something else coming through. Meanwhile, there were now quite a hefty number of embers scattered across the area. Though the cool night air had sapped the heat of some of them, it was getting to the point where the temperature of the area seemed to be starting to rise noticeably.
Start of the turn: +5 prana (100 > 100) +13 stamina (90 > 100)
Effects:
Mark of Hibiscus
Statistics: Aura: 60 Prana: 100 Stamina: 100
Attributes: STR: B VIT: E WIL: E RES: E SPD: D AGI: D PER: E REC: D
Equipment:Valerius Durability:100 Spirit Cores: N/A Additional Properties: It can draw upon Almeida's prana to replenish its durability (this is a lengthy process and thus can only be done outside of combat). As it was created in a mine, where tools must be harder than that which they collide with, it will take reduced damage when one of Almeida's attacks clashes with another attack or a "reflective" barrier.
Aptitude (Passive)
Stamina Cost for Dodge & Evade & EvasionDodge is reduced by 5.
Stamina Cost for EvasionGuard & Counter & ParryCounter is reduced by 10.
Considering the goblin had halted its attack, there had been no need to counter. That said, there were some different problems coming her way. The first was the goblin getting closer, the second was another blast going off in the not-distant-enough distance. She hadn't canceled her own attack in an attempt to escape the goblin's, being too enraged by her spirit going berserk to care much. Lavi had joined the battle at some point or another, but luckily, Ryan filled her in so that Almeida could keep her focus on the gobbo's.
Reaction Phase:
The goblin tried to keep close, which was rather annoying. More annoying was the fact that it was trying to aim for her thighs. Having learned a trick or two from seeing Ryan do it at some point or another, she figured she'd try some 'leg-work' of her own, kicking at the goblin's weapon-wielding arm to see of she could kick the weapon out of its hand it the best-case scenario, or at least away from her in a less-optimal scenario. [Attack -5 stamina]
Action Phase:
Hopefully, either her previous attack or the blast (possibly both) would leave the opponent unguarded for a bit. That's why she quickly hoisted Valerius to slam him down vertically, sharp side first, aiming at the weapon-side of the goblin, to make it a tad bit more difficult to shield against. [Attack -5 stamina]
Londo thought about whether or not he should quit the game now. On one hand, the railgun would have been a huge help, and maybe Londo can get other things to spawn in like that. On the other, the railgun has been significantly less useful than Londo would have liked. As it stood, Londo wouldn't want any of the goblins to get a hold of that railgun, so he needed some way to disable it before it caused even more harm.
He didn't have much time to think of it, however, as the fighting was continued, and now a goblin was on his back.
Wincing at the bites on his neck, Londo bent forwards, grabbing at the goblin on his back with his arms and trying to secure it in place as the other goblin stabbed at Londo. With how Londo bent forwards, the goblin should be stabbing at his brother now.
Londo then shoved his body forwards, pushing the goblin in front of him into him and the goblin on his back, while attempting to throw the back goblin forwards.
Action Phase:
After that, if it had succeded, Londo would touch the goblin who he had not injured already, and apply a Touch of Death to it.
If the goblin was still on his back, Londo would punch at his back multiple times, attacking until he dislodged the goblin.
Hibiscus had been frozen in her own little world, trying not to think too hard about the predicament. It was hard, but she managed to take a few breaths to calm herself down...
Until she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, then again when she snapped back to reality. A goblin had attacked her while she had been trying to cope.
Anger flaired in Hibiscus's eyes, and she walked towards the goblin who had attacked her, "Piece of shit!" She said, running to the goblin and holding her book out in front of her as a distraction.
Then when she reached the goblin, she threw her book at it, hoping to catch it off guard before stabbing at its head with her knife from its right side. If that missed, she would return with a slash, stepping forwards if it had stepped back to dodge, or slashing towards it if it had simply ducked or moved out of the way.
Then, Hibiscus rammed into the goblin with her shoulder, stabbing it with her knife at the same time.
Action Phase:
If she had managed to shoulder tackle it, she would back off, and grab her book from the ground.
If she had not managed to, then Hibiscus would roll to prevent herself from tripping from a missed shoudler tackle, getting back up to face the goblin before grabbing her book off the ground.
Mislyte unleashes 2 more void cut attack spells to draw the goblins' attention
taking over the city with goblins? seems wishful
(Start of Turn: +5 Prana, +10 Stamina)
Reaction Phase:
Mislyte noted the various goblins in as much detail as he could, looking for an edge, advantage, or some other weakness that may be exploited, but he was not unaware of his classmates fighting and getting injured on the front lines. It moved him to act sooner than he would have liked, but even more compelling was the group of goblins he saw nearing the railgun. Just in case the goblins needed dissuaded from actions regarding the super weapon, Mislyte obliged. He moved to the edge of the roof so he could look down on the goblins and swing his empowered blade at them to release another energy wave Void Cut at goblin number 6 that would streak toward it with quiet lethality.
(void cut: -10Prana, -20 Stamina)
Action Phase:
Mislyte would continue to lay down fire to cover for his teammates. While Goblin 6's fate had yet to be determined, the newb mage was already holding his shortsword aloft and infusing it with prana. As the glass like shards that made up the blade shifted and clinked, Mislyte brought the shortsword down in a chop, releasing another Void Cut energy wave. The attack zoomed through the air down upon goblin 15. His attack released, Mislyte would once again take cover while he regrouped for his next effort.
(void cut: -10Prana, -20 Stamina)
In an attempt to respond to the situation, Lavi would quickly turn on her heel and make a sprint towards the fighting. Glancing away for a moment as numbero ten would start to linger away.
But in an attempt at not getting caught in the crossfire would catch her attention away from Ryan, as Hibiscus would have attempted to rush the creature Lavi would circle behind its line of sight on Hibiscus. To be opposing sides of it.
She would lick her lips as she awaited an opportunity to attack, but made to closing the gap between [Ten] and her. If the scenario would be the likely one of [Ten] engaging in a struggle against Hibiscus, when it would go to attack Hibiscus she would move inwards and grab onto the dominant hand in which it is holding its axe by the shoulder mid swing to stop it from evading, possibly as it is distracted by the book.
As she would pull onto it, revealing the right or left side of its stomach hopefully to Hibiscus, using the momentum of the pull as she would swing her remaining arm forwards, to punch into its neck and the underside of its chin with a resounding crack.
As the Goblin would tackled by Hibiscus, Lavi would attempt to brace herself as the goblin would be sandwiched between the two of them, pushing back slightly.
If the goblin thereafter was still gripped on tightly by Lavi, she would the moment when Hibiscus moved away, the hand that had cracked the underside of its head would then turn into a grip onto the back of its head and attempt to in its daze slam it into the concrete floor of Uruk twice.
Kashmir was mad. That accursed bullet flew off to the distance, instead of landing on the ground, right behind the shamans. It went way off target, but he had no time to chastise himself. An arrow grazed him, putting his mind back on track. Onto the shielded goblin...
Start of Turn: +10 Stamina, +5 Prana
Reaction Phase
Seeing a painfully familiar trajectory of a weapon coming to his crotch, Kashmir wasted no time. Using his height advantage to vault over the goblin with a short front flip. Luckily, he didn't have to gain much height, as the weight of the railgun would have probably been an issue if he did need to jump a lot.
Ryan was successful in his evasive maneuvers, oblivious of leaving Hibiscus exposed. The goblin attempted to strike back, so Ryan prepared to dodge. However, being near exhaustion, he opted to spend magical energy rather than physical. Dissapearing from sight once again with a Time Skip. Now he was behind and to a side of the goblin, the side it started its spinning attack from. Though the goblin's blade had passed there a while ago already. This delaying the goblin counter attack time.
Dodge (Kashmir), Time Skip (Ryan): -5 Stamina, -5 Prana
Action Phase
Now ideally standing behind the shield goblin, and seeing none nearby, let go of the railgun while performing an Accel Blitz on said goblin. Starting with a fast 270 degree sweeping kick from his left to its feet, which then brought back to the goblin with a straight thrusting kick to the core, using the momentum of said kick to bring himself up and push the goblin off balance. Kashmir finished the Blitz with a hook kick from the right that then was followed up by a shin kick sweeping from the right. Both aimed at the head, or another part of the body if the head isn't reachable. If the goblin tried to get away, Kashmir would step in towards it and resume his kicking. He then took some steps back and picked up the railgun.
As soon as he relocated, Ryan aimed an axe kick dead center on the head of the goblin on its way up. Then, Ryan hopped in if necessary (read: if the goblin tried to escape), and he would bring down his heel upon the skull of the goblin.
"Hmhmhmhm." The woman's dignified chuckle, despite seeming to be soft, could be heard by all. "Good, good. Squirm like the ants you are. If you can't even handle a couple goblins, then you won't even make suitable toys for my Mistress."
Mislyte sent two Void Cuts forth. The first one flew towards the back of Goblin #6, causing more than a little pain in the process. Hearing #6's agonized cry, #7 turned around and realized what was happening. #7 paused for a moment, letting #15 duck past so that #7 could intercept the magic with its shield. Said shield now looked like it might fall to pieces at any moment now after having endured both the railgun blast and a sword wave, but it was still more or less in a shield shape.
(Goblin #6: -45 Aura)
(Goblin #7's Shield: -23 Durability)
(Goblin #7: -22 Aura)
Normally, having attacked their group would make Mislyte public enemy #1, but their leader had given them an order. The trio put aside their frustrations for the time being and continued to run along, with #7 staying alert for more incoming attacks from the rear.
Frustratingly, #8's target disappeared once again. It continued to search for its target, but Ryan's foot found the goblin first. With the rather disgusting sound of bone cracking, Ryan's heel entered into the back of the goblin's head, sending blood, brains, and bone all over the area.
(Goblin #8: -13 Aura)
(Goblin #8 has been slain)
Hibiscus was too shocked by the various events to do much of anything about the two axe swings sent into her stomach, so she'd just have to live with the resulting pain.
(Hibiscus: -10, -10 Aura)
Evidently, using an axe to cut open someone's stomach was a good way to get their attention. Alerted by her swearing and footsteps, even though #10 had been turned away from her before, it returned its focus to Hibiscus. She lobbed her book at the goblin as she ran in closer. The goblin swiftly dropped its axe to the ground, freeing both hands so that it could deftly catch the improvised projectile. It then promptly tossed the book backwards over its head, sending it off some distance away. As Hibiscus closed the remaining distance, the goblin kicked at its axe handle with its right foot, sending it skittering across the asphalt, freeing up space for it to deal with the girl herself.
Using its empty hands, the goblin pushed up on Hibiscus's arm as she stabbed at its head, shifting her arm off course and sending the knife through nothing but air above its head. As Hibiscus entered into another swing, the goblin jumped back. Well it began to, but sent itself directly into Lavi, who had crept up behind and was waiting for an opportunity. Lavi had planned to grab at the goblin's axe arm, but given the situation, she settled for improv, doing her best to not fall backwards as a goblin collided with her.
(Goblin #10: -3 Aura)
Hibiscus was almost certainly overestimating her physical capabilities. She wasn't particularly fast. In fact, the goblins were generally swifter and more nimble than her. However, thanks to Lavi grabbing at the arms of the goblin to try and hold it in place, she still saw a chance to charge in and slam into the goblin, though she chose not to stab because that's way too many attacks for her to try in one phase she didn't want to risk the goblin shifting out of the way. Lavi may have only just gotten out of Aurashock, but she probably wasn't distracted enough to not be annoyed by a knife to the gut from an ally.
(Goblin #10: -12 Aura)
As Hibiscus began to back away, Lavi crouched down so that she could slam the goblin face-first into the street twice. There wasn't much of any issue with her attempt, save for that it wasn't quite enough to finish off the poor creature. Hibiscus, meanwhile, began to go after her book, but wouldn't be able to reach it quite yet, thanks to it having been yeeted and her having spent more time than expected on attacking.
(Goblin #10: -14 Aura)
(Goblin #10: -14 Aura)
Kashmir's flip took it over #11's head, though the stunt would not have impressed any judges looking for perfect form. #11 pivoted around as Kashmir dropped the railgun and launched his attacks. The sweep to the legs was annoying, to say the least, but #11 was able to remain standing and finish turning around in time to block the next kick with its shield. The hook kick was rather unexpected, cleanly avoiding the raised shield to land on the side of the goblin's head. But by the time Kashmir had entered into his shin kick, the goblin had already adjusted its shield positioning to not have such issues again.
(Goblin #11: -9, -5, -9, -4 Aura)
(Goblin #11's Shield: -5, -5 Durability)
As Goblin #9 clung to Londo, its sharp fangs entered his neck (last AP), causing some pain. Londo's hands snaked up to grab hold of the goblin's shoulders. While it was certainly peculiar, it didn't stop the goblin from chomping down a couple more times as Londo bent over.
#17's blade was approaching Londo, but suddenly Londo was bent over, exposing #9 on his back. #17 frantically stopped its thrust by intentionally pulling back and turning the blade to #17's right, letting it stop in empty air. While it was recovering its stance, Londo then threw himself forward, colliding headfirst with #17, making a pleasant experience for neither of them as Londo's skull slammed into #17's chest armor. And while #9 was successfully dislodged and tossed away, there was a bit more pain from the goblin's teeth being unwilling to release their meal. Though there was a pleasant (for Londo) sounding thud as #9 landed back-first on the pavement.
Perhaps his headbutt had dazed him a little, but Londo didn't really find himself using his full force in his next attack. He just sort of reached out with his right hand and lightly set the palm upon #17's cheek. While it was still sufficient to deliver the fell magic, all things considered, it probably would've hurt more if he had tried putting some force behind it.
(Goblin #17: -4 Aura)
(Goblin #17 has been afflicted with Touch of Death)
As annoying as having one's cheek touched by a stranger is, it was no surprise to anyone when #17 tried to ram its sword forward into Londo's stomach again. #9 was safely out of the way this time too.
Almeida felt steel enter her stomach, courtesy of Goblin #16, as she continued her swing, delivering her own strike to the goblin's side.
(Goblin #16: -18 Aura)
(Almeida: -10 Aura)
While the goblin was going for a slash against Almeida's thighs, she kicked upward at the goblin's arm. Though she was able to partially disrupt the attack, she couldn't entirely prevent the sword from cutting across her right thigh.
(Goblin #16: -9 Aura)
(Almeida: -6 Aura)
Valerius was raised up high, and as it swung down vertically, Goblin #16 stepped in closer, coming up right next to Almeida. With Valerius's size, though the goblin would still be slightly in the way of the shaft, there wasn't really a good way for Almeida to strike something so small that was right up next to her. For good measure though, the goblin set its shield over its head too, blocking the little bit of impact that did come.
#s 18 and 12 continued to do their things: namely, some sort of dance and guard duty respectively.
Action Phases:
(Goblin #17: -5 Aura)
#s 6, 7, and 15 weren't particularly merry, but they continued to roll along nevertheless.
Having one's face slammed into a street is not a pleasant experience. Most people could surmise such a fact, but Goblin #10 could personally attest to it. In the interest of not being beaten further, it began to claw away at its attacker's arms and face, desperately scratching at her to try and break free.
#11 charged right back in after dealing with Kashmir's kicks, attempting to slam its shield straight into Kashmir's stomach. But, not wanting to fall for the same trick twice, if it saw Kashmir try to leap over its head again, it would immediately spin around clockwise (over its right shoulder), swinging its sword as it did so to cleave through the space currently behind it.
Still up close and personal, #16 did its best to pull its sword arm back and thrust the blade into Almeida's stomach. There wasn't really enough room to get a good sword swing going, even with a goblin's stature, so thrusts would have to do.
Having clambered back to its feet, #9 took the time to go retrieve the axe it had dropped earlier, rather than just attack with tooth and nail again. Meanwhile, #17 would swing its shield in from its left to right, using the rim of the shield as a weapon to slam into the right side of Londo's stomach.
There was no particular change in #18's or #12's activities, though some manner of dark energy was starting to gather around the head of #18's rod...
Yune
Ramen Guy
Yune half glared at Londo, who hadn't replied to her. "Trying to stall is a cheap move..." She still had a couple more seconds in which she could answer, and had a word in mind, but really, Londo ought to say whether he wanted to give up or not.
A slightish glee came across the face of Lavi at the sight of the struggling goblin whom tried to claw at her arm, as the arm jerked around Lavi would put her foot of one of her crouched legs onto the base of [Ten]'s shoulder.
As she gripped onto the forearm of [Ten] with force, taking an attempt of its clawing if necessary. Twisting the goblin's arm slightly as she bend it, before pulling back and she shifted her body mass.
Before doing a secondary attempt, pushing hard onto its shoulder with sadly not enough force to rip one's arm off with low strength, but with enough force likely to dislocate it if placed well hopefully.
Hopefully seeing a suffering mess that was a proud goblin beneath her, as she would drag its head forwards towards its axe.
If the goblin had not yet quieted down, she would rise the leg that had been placed upon its shoulder, bring the knee forward to crash upon its third member below. Before continuing.
Coming to the axe which had luckily only fallen so far from her, she would grab the hilt of the axe with her remaining hand. As she would swing the axe downwards across its neck, the force of which would hopefully burrow into the skin, pass the nerves below and hit the spinal cord.
And though that would likely be not enough to sever [Ten]'s neck, yet that is, as if a display of revelry she would pull onto head of the goblin pulling upwards and severing the remaining tissue to spill out blood from its head and torso onto the floor. ''Who next?''
Start of the turn: +5 prana (100 > 100) +13 stamina (90 > 100)
Effects:
Mark of Hibiscus
Statistics: Aura: 44 Prana: 100 Stamina: 100
Attributes: STR: B VIT: E WIL: E RES: E SPD: D AGI: D PER: E REC: D
Equipment:Valerius Durability:100 Spirit Cores: N/A Additional Properties: It can draw upon Almeida's prana to replenish its durability (this is a lengthy process and thus can only be done outside of combat). As it was created in a mine, where tools must be harder than that which they collide with, it will take reduced damage when one of Almeida's attacks clashes with another attack or a "reflective" barrier.
Aptitude (Passive)
Stamina Cost for Dodge & Evade & EvasionDodge is reduced by 5.
Stamina Cost for EvasionGuard & Counter & ParryCounter is reduced by 10.
Reaction Phase:
With the goblin this close, Almeida had to let go of Valerius for a bit. As she did, she quickly dodged to her right (assuming the goblin has its shield there in his left hand, otherwise the situation is mirrored). While the goblin tried to thrust its sword at her, she attempted to grab its sword-holding wrist with her left hand while reaching for the goblin's throat with her right, hoping it was distracted from suddenly having someone try to grab onto his arm. Hopefully, her strength would be enough to stop the goblin from being able to stab her whilst she was suffocating him, but regardless of whether she had managed to grab it's arm, neck or both, she'd try to lift the goblin up and a bit away from her to limit it's movements even further. [Counter + Attack -30 stamina]
Action Phase:
If the last stuff was a success, she'd try to keep a hold of the goblin whilst using it as a 'dying' shield against any other goblin that might try to come to its aid. She'd also see if she could spot Hibiscus, as she wasn't feeling all that hot and wondered if she could get some help from her.
If the latter had failed fully enough to not have the required control over the goblin to pull off any of the previous stuff, she'd push it away with as much force as she could to give herself some time to pick up Valerius and swing at the goblin horizontally, so that it wouldn't close in as easily as it had previously done. [Attack -5 stamina]
Seeing that the goblin was being dealt with by Lavi, Hibiscus swiftly turned and ran towards her book, scooping it off the ground and ducking behind the bench next to her, using it as a poorly-made cover from the goblin that seemed to be charging something. She then stabbed the rune-enscribed knife into her arm, pooling the blood into her book, and poking her head out the left side of the bench (from the map's perspective), and fired a Healing Hurt at Ryan as he landed, hoping he'd block the attack from the goblin just in time to survive.
Action Phase:
Hibiscus then quickly went back into cover, and did the same, this time popping to the right side of the bench, and firing a Healing Hurt at Almeida. Londo would have to wait for quite a while, because it looks like Ryan would need a bit more, and Londo himself had several backups to use to help him survive.
Hopefully Ryan wouldn't take too much damage so he could survive...
Setting: The Academy, July 30th, 199 NWC, ~1:30 PM
Summary: Londo goes a-hunting for Caoimhe Mallon to apologize to her, and in the process meets every NPC known to mankind a number of people.
After an unforgettable luncheon with Ryan and Tidrogg, Alice came back to the room she shared with Londo, expecting to be there all by herself, no distractions whatsoever, and have time to relax.
Unfortunately, when she opened the door, she saw Londo, sitting on the bed still looking depressed. Alice glared at him, then shut the door behind her, "What the hell?! I thought you were going to make up with that mage?"
Londo raised his hands in exasperation, looking annoyed himself, "I-I tried! I went back to the gym, but I didn't see her there anymore, and she could have been in her room, but I didn't want to go and just disturb her!"
"Oh my god…." Alice muttered, covering her face with a hand, but going to her side of the room to sit anyways.
And there she sat, not saying a word to Londo, as she closed her eyes and slept the rest of the day. Hey, she was tired, she could do that if she wanted.
Meanwhile, Londo sat on his bed, staring at the ground, just how was he going to solve all of this?...
July 31st 8 AM
And thus, the rest of that day was spent in vain, and Alice woke up the next day, seeing Londo laying on the bed, went to go take a morning shower. She noted that the gauntlets he polished every night seemed a bit unpolished that morning. Oh you have got to be kidding me…
Walking over to his bed, Alice violently tore him from it, letting him land on the floor with an "oof"
Londo tried getting his bearings right, before Alice loomed over him, "Alright, so today you have to go find her. Again. Don't take no for an answer. And stop being such a whiny baby." She said, leaving Londo to gasp on the floor from the sudden wakeup call.
She was right, but how was Londo going to approach it.
As he thought this, Alice started to close the door behind her, calling out to him, "Go to her room, and if not there, the forest next to the Academy."
Londo sighed, then got himself off the floor. He looked down at himself, realized he wasn't that presentable, then quickly got dressed and brushed his teeth. He would definitely do it today: Apologize and make sure Caoihme held no ill will towards him.
Making his way out of his room, Londo went to look for her's. Using any instruction he could find, and knowing she was from class 1A, he looked in that general area, or asked around if he could not find it. Once there, he knocked on her door.
---
Londo had absolutely no trouble finding Caoimhe's room. After all, all the (current) first year students were in the same dorm building, and the rooms even had nameplates. It was a simple matter of walking down the hall until he came to the correct name. He rapped on the wooden door. There was a brief pause, but there was no voice calling from within or footsteps. Another knock, still no answer. It didn't seem very promising. Perhaps she was a heavy sleeper? Or she knew who was on the other side and didn't want to open? Or perhaps she was trying the ultimate technique for ignoring him: simply not being there.
---
Londo sighed, either she was ignoring him, or she was somewhere else. Maybe she was in the same place she was yesterday? Londo brought up his AMB, messaging Ryan:
Londo replied with a thanks, and started walking towards that destination instead.
He hadn't been to that area before, as it was pretty useless for training and if Londo wanted fresh air he would walk around town or open a window. Regardless, he managed to make his way there with help from map guides around the campus. Making it to the edge of the forest, Londo looked around, looking for his quarry. If he didn't find her, he would walk into the forest, looking for her around the entrance.
---
The small forest was quite tranquil. Cheerful birdsong filled the air as small critters darted back and forth. Lush greenery beckoned Londo to enter and forget his worries among the peaceful nature. There was no sign of Caoimhe here, though. Indeed, there seemed to only be one person present: a man who seemed to be meditating as he sat cross-legged on a stump.
---
Although there was no sign of Caoimhe, there was a man sitting on a stump. Londo hmmmed to himself, wondering whether or not to ask this guy if he knew Caoimhe. On one hand, it would make his search easier. On the other, Londo knew the value of meditating and wasn't one to disturb it unless they were known to be mean or it was an emergency. This situation was neither, so Londo shrugged, then kept walking through the forest, looking for more signs of Caoimhe, or people in the forest that weren't meditating he could ask.
---
Londo left the man on the stump alone to meditate, heading off into another section of the forest. He heard the next person before he saw them, as a young woman's grunts and other exclamations of exertions sounded through the trees. Moving in closer, he saw said young woman practicing various kicks, punches, and other martial arts moves amidst the foliage. She was clearly quite proficient; even Londo's relatively untrained eye could discern that much.
---
For the first time since Londo arrived at this school, he fell in love….
Not really, but it was pretty interesting seeing yet another person who practiced the martial arts. Ryan and Lavi were the only two he had seen so far in the school do it. Ryan was seen just yesterday, and who knows where Lavi went after the detective mission.
Londo watched the obviously proficient woman practice her moves. Londo wasn't too much into the forest training stuff, but it seemed like she had it down. Londo didn't want to interrupt training, but it was actually quite different from meditation. Smack-talk in battle was a very important trait to train for, as well as communication, so Londo decided to give it a shot here, "Hello, sorry to interrupt you, but I'm looking for a girl. I keep forgetting how to pronounce her name because it's pronounced waaaaay different from how it's spelled, but she's friends with Emberly, uses a broom as a staff, and practices fire magic. I heard she comes to this forest a lot, have you seen her today?"
---
???
The woman didn't seem too fazed by Londo suddenly speaking to her; her practice continued unabated as she acknowledged Londo's presence with a quick wave and listened to his query. "Ahh, the girl with the puppet Spirit. Caoimhe, I think it was. She's a frequent flyer, but I don't think she's come by today yet. I only just got here a few minutes ago though, so she might've been by earlier. What's up, looking for a sparring partner?"
---
Seems like Londo wouldn't be able to get help from this girl, as she only gotten here after Caoimhe had left. Or she wasn't here to begin with. So much for that.
Londo shook his head at her offer, "Maybe another time, but thanks." Before turning around and heading out the forest back the way he came.
Once out, Londo would trek back to the school and ask around for her instead, hoping someone would actually know where she was. The first place he headed to was the cafeteria. He and Ryan had met Emberly there the previous day, so maybe she was there. If not, Londo would ask the other students if they had seen Emberly or Caoimhe. Now that Londo knew how to pronounce her name from that other girl, only barely, he could ask for her directly. If he could find Emberly, then he'd be able to find Caoimhe for sure as well.
---
Londo's decision to search for Emberly seemed to have paid off. The distinct pink twintails could be seen bobbing around as she chatted with a few other girls seated at her table. Most of them were familiar in passing to Londo, as they had been at the inter-class dinner together the other night. One of them was unfamiliar to him though.
The girls were seated at a six-person half-booth. On the outer ends of the bench were Emberly and Yachiyo. Aina sat across from Yachiyo, and Ingrid sat across from Emberly. The middle chair was occupied by the unfamiliar girl, while the middle bench seat was unoccupied.
Aina Henningsen
Emberly Arkwright
Ingrid Halvorsen
Yachiyo Hisakawa
???
The girls' casual chatter died down as they saw Londo making his way over, with Emberly going so far as to glare at him as he did so. The other girls didn't seem pleased to see him, but weren't as openly hostile. Indeed, the unfamiliar girl didn't actually seem to change her expression at all, simply gazing at him with either an excellent poker face or complete apathy.
---
Oof, it seemed like Emberly was NOT happy to see Londo, and Londo couldn't help but rub the back of his hair in nervousness as he made his way to the table. The other girls didn't seem to like him either, maybe the story of his misdeeds already made their way to this table.
Londo half-raised a hand in greeting, trying to act casual, but still half-hearted from yesterday, and most of his usual enthusiasm was gone. Ignoring the other girls there, Londo spoke directly to Emberly, "Hey… I was wondering if you could tell me where Caoimhe is. I wanted to talk to her."
---
Emberly Arkwright
Despite being clearly the angriest of the lot, it seemed there had been some sort of agreement that Emberly would be taking charge, as nobody seemed to interject when she began to reply. "Hmph. And why exactly would she want to see someone like you?"
---
Londo shrugged, and scratched his head, staring blankly at Emberly. It's true she wouldn't want to see Londo, but-
"Well. I wanted to apologize…." He said muttering sheepishly, "I didn't think about my actions. I was just trying to have fun in a fight, but I didn't really think about how she'd feel about that." Londo stopped himself before he realized he was going to make a bunch of excuses.
He sighed, feeling uncharacteristically moody, "Look. I just want to apologize, ok?"
---
Emberly Arkwright
"Fine, I'll tell her you apologized. She isn't around right now, so you'll have to settle for that."
---
Londo shook his head, "That won't work!" He said, crossing his arms, "I gotta do it in person! Please, tell me where she is." Londo said, or rather demanded. His pride would not allow him to not apologize in person, "I have to apologize in person or it's not genuine! I want her to know I am sorry. And whether I have to get kicked down a mountain personally by her to do it, I'll do it in person!"
---
Emberly Arkwright
"She didn't say where she was going. That's why I'll tell her when I see her again. Besides, genuine or not, she wouldn't want to listen to you anyway. If your saying it matters that much, record yourself saying it."
---
Londo sighed, "Fine… I'll ask around some more…" He said, dejectedly walking away and exiting the cafeteria.
He wasn't going to give up this easily. Recording a message would mean jack squat if she never actually listened to it. So Londo would find her personally and make her listen. At least then she would know! Also, it wouldn't settle in Londo's heart if he didn't apologize. For all he knew, she wouldn't hear it for a month, and he would be spending his days gloomy and moping and unsure of himself.
So after Londo exited the cafeteria, he decided to head to the headmaster's office. If anyone knew where she was, it had to be the head honcho right?
---
Emberly Arkwright
"Suit yourself. Don't blame me if you waste your whole day." Emberly offered those parting words as Londo took his leave of their vicinity. The girls went back to chatting for a bit. Then, a minute or two after Londo had left, Aina stood up, scanning the room.
"Yup, he left alright. All clear."
The silver-haired girl that Londo had not asked for the name of leaned forward and reached out across the table. She set her right hand on the air in the empty seat across from her. No, that wasn't right. Her hand had definitely made contact with something. As the silver-haired girl dispelled the magic she had cast earlier, it suddenly was made clear that the seat was not, in fact, empty. A person had been magically concealed there.
Caoimhe Mallon
Caoimhe sat, holding her own plate of food in her lap so that an extra meal wouldn't be noticed by Londo. She seemed to be quite lost in thought, remaining silent even as her friends turned towards her with worry in their eyes.
"You doing alright?" Here, Emberly again took the lead, though any aggression that she had held for Londo had been entirely replaced with affection.
"Mm, yeah. Thanks for hiding me, Cilla."
"Aucun problème." A simple, straightforward response, though it did betray her ancestry a bit.
"So, what now?" Emberly inquired.
"I don't know. Maybe I'll go to my room. I'd rather not be out while he is."
"Why don't you stay with Caoimhe, Emmy? You can keep each other company." Yachiyo wasn't nearly as stoic as "Cilla" was, but she was the class president, so she had to take the lead at times like these.
"Yeah, and then Cilla and I can hunt him down and beat him into submission!" This ominously cheerful voice came from Ingrid, who was also fidgeting with her sword. Thankfully, Londo's chances of surviving the day shot back up again as Ingrid's idea was shot down with a simple "Non" from Cilla.
"Hehe." It almost went unnoticed, but the slightest smile had crept back into Caoimhe's face. "Thank you, everyone. I'm glad to have such good friends."
Meanwhile, Londo was heading up towards the Headmaster's Office. Unfortunately, the wooden door bearing the nameplate remained closed and locked, no matter how much Londo tried to knock or open it.
Footsteps coming from another section of the hallway alerted Londo to someone's approach before he saw them. A young man, probably in his later teens, was approaching the area around the Headmaster's Office. Seeing Londo outside, he paused for a moment to chat. "Ah, hello there. I'm afraid the Headmaster is out right now. Is there anything that I can help you with in his absence?"
???
---
As Londo knocked and knocked, there seemed to be no answer. Damn. This really was turning out to be a bad day, huh? He stood there wondering where to go next, when some random guy came up to him, saying the headmaster was away. Londo groaned, then sighed, "Well, you see… I'm trying to find this one girl who is somewhere. I'm trying to find her. I thought that she was on a secret mission from the headmaster. She goes by the name of Caoimhe… Something…. I honestly forgot her last name… Which kind of makes me look like a bad person… Anyways, she's a magic caster, uses fire, disciple of Kagu-tsuchi, friends with a girl named Emberly, who is also a disciple of Kagu-tsuchi." Londo tried to think of any information that could help with it, "Oh right, she's in class 1A."
---
???
The newcomer listened attentively to Londo as he explained some of the situation. "Hmm, the Headmaster didn't inform me of any missions involving first years right now, but it's not impossible. Mind if I ask why you're looking for her?"
---
Eh? No missions? Either it was a huge secret, or she really wasn't on a mission. Maybe she was out in town or something. Hmmm… Something like that would be too heavy to search…
But maybe this guy could help? If not, then it's not like Londo had any leads to begin with… Wait, he did have one… But he would save her for later, and her dog probably wouldn't want to cooperate considering he probably hated Londo.
Londo cleared his throat, realizing he had been silent a moment too long, "Oh uh. I just want to apologize to her for something I did. That's all."
---
???
Well, an apology attempt was certainly a valid reason to look for someone. This boy was probably one of those "I've got to take care of issues in person" types. "Alright then. Follow me, and I'll see what I can do to help."
The boy would lead Londo a short distance down the hall, back the way the boy had come from. He came to a stop in front of a door labeled "Police Office", whereupon he pulled out a key card and unlocked the door. "Please, come in."
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The boy moved over to a computer set up in one side of the rather small office. Actually, it seemed more like a small clubroom or lounge than a formal office. The computer was set up in one corner, but there was a large couch set up opposite a TV, with a coffee table set up on a rug between them. The boy loaded up a database of students, muttering under his breath as he did. "Caoimhe, 1A… Caoimhe, 1A… Aha!" A moment later, a printer purred to life, spitting out a photograph of Caoimhe. The boy plucked the photo up and moved over to the coffee table. He placed the photo in the center of a pentagram inscribed into the surface, and magical energy began to flow through the sigil. "Alright, please place your hand on the photo, and focus on Miss Mallon."
---
Londo nodded, following the guy into what seemed to be the Police Office. He must have been one of the students learning to be a cop. Londo had never met this man before, but then again, he was sure he hadn't met even 10% of the school's population yet.
Once the pentagram appeared, and the man gave Londo the instructions, Londo nodded and placed his hand onto the photo, thinking of the girl he had wronged.
Londo didn't want to say it out loud, but the emotion he felt was shame. He hadn't thought through his action in battle, and after everything that had happened, was ashamed whenever the thought of her crossed his mind. He also was hopeful she'd accept his apology, or at the very least hear him out. However, that shame was something that overrode everything else.
---
???
Londo set his hand upon the photograph, and the pentagram shined a bit brighter. The boy then placed his hand atop Londo's and closed his eyes, focusing on his magic. Londo seemed to mostly be feeling ashamed, though there was a bit of hope in there. Indeed, suitable emotions for someone seeking an apology. He then turned his power towards the photo of Caoimhe, using it as a representation of the girl's existence. The process lasted only about a minute in total, whereupon the boy released Londo's hand and the magic light faded from the sigil.
The boy straightened himself up as he sat down on the couch. "Well, I sense your apology is genuine, that much is certain. However, it seems that you'd be better off waiting for a while. Her mind is muddled with all manner of emotions. Anger, embarrassment, shame, sorrow, fear, and even a bit of guilt. Most of all though, it seems that she still does not want to see you. I'd recommend holding off and trying again in a few days maybe. Give her some time to sort through her own emotions. As it stands, she probably wouldn't be able to appreciate your apology for whatever it was that happened."
---
Londo tilted his head in response to the emotions Caoimhe seemed to feel, Guilt? What would she even be guilty for? If it applied to Londo the only person who should be guilty is him. Maybe it was just her in general?
As it was, it was now painfully clear that Londo would not be able to talk to her, for a few days at least, "I see…" Londo said.
"Thanks for everything! What's your name by the way?"
The music playing during the ending of 'Touhou: Perfect Cherry Blossom'.
youtu.be
"My pleasure. I hope things go well for your relationship." The boy paused for a moment before chuckling sheepishly. "Ah, I guess I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Connector Kiyoshi Fukui, of the Academy Police. Its a pleasure to meet you."
Connector Kiyoshi Fukui
---
Londo nodded, and gave him a wave off, "Thanks Kiyoshi. I'm Londo Sperry, of the class 1B. Maybe I'll catch you some other time." Londo said, leaving the police office.
Londo raised both his arms in the air, stretching while he walked. Well, it wasn't what he wanted for the day, but it was something. He learned valuable information today, and that was that he couldn't do anything. It sucked, as usually Londo knew what to do and he could do something about it, but for now, nothing was all he could do.
He took the long way around, but eventually he found his room again. Opening the door, Londo walked in, announcing his presence, "Yo, Alice. What's up?"
Alice looked up from what she was doing, which was reading the school newspaper, then went back to reading, "You actually did it?"
Londo scratched his head, and went over to his bed, laying down on it with his hands under his head, "Well, no… I talked to a guy, and he was able to read her emotions. Apparently she has a lot under her belt. I have to wait a few days to actually apologize to her…"
Alice slowly lowered her newspaper, turning to slowly glare at Londo, "So you're telling me… You're going to be moody and shit for the next few days?..."
Londo turned to his side, looking away from the glare, "No… I'll sleep on it. If I have to wait, I'll wait. I don't want to rush her when I know she isn't ready for an apology."
Alice didn't say another word, and Londo rolled over onto his back once again. It wasn't that late, and usually Londo went out to train, but today he just felt lethargic. After getting that info, he felt like he just wanted to sit down and do nothing for the rest of the day.
Tomorrow, he'd be fighting against Artemis, and he didn't want to be in a bad shape emotionally for it. For now, all he could do was wait.
A café near the Academy, August 2nd, 199 NWC, 15:00 PM
Summary: Celestia and Lin, two members of the Gothic Mages, discuss some of the tournament matches. [I wanted to save it until all the first rounds are over, but it's been sitting around for a few months and I'd rather post it before I'm forced into in a home for the elderly.]
Celestia Mayer von Rothschild
"One large coffee please!" Celestia called, as she entered her favorite café. It seemed like Lin had already arrived, as he waved her over. As per usual, he was drinking tea in front of the window, whilst watching the people pass by.
Lin Gemma
"Good afternoon. How did your match go?" He asked, as his fellow member of the Gothic Mages entered the room.
"It went pretty well, as the guy I was up against made some pretty odd mistakes. I think he was entirely inexperienced in this type of combat, despite having somehow made it to the advanced tournament."
"Ah, I've heard that a fair share of people decided to try their luck at the advanced tournament after learning that Sona wouldn't be participating, and that Saral would join the open tournaments."
"Yeah, those two really prevented a lot of people from thinking they had a chance... Oh, do you want to make a bet on the odds of Saral winning the open tournament?"
"A bet with you? No thanks. I'd rather not lose another mansion. I don't have as many of those laying around as you seem to have."
"Ah, spoilsport~" Celestia stuck out her tongue for a short moment, just enough for Lin to spot it before anyone else would. "Oh, did you hear about Pythios?"
"Of course I did. The fool got disqualified after refusing to stop attacking once his opponent had surrendered."
"Yep~"
"You sound happy."
"It's because I am, of course! I made some pretty neat bets that he would be out of the tournament with the first round. A lot of people only looked at his strength and figured that was very unlikely to happen, so I've made a neat profit there~"
"How am I not surprised..." Lin sighed. "Whom are you placing your bets on for the intermediate tournament?"
"Definitely Charon. She almost qualified for the advanced tournament, so she should come out on top quite easily in the intermediate one. Besides, she's pretty resourceful."
"I guess I'll also put some money on her, in that case. Although it seems like Jun is also pretty popular as a possible winner."
"Jun doesn't have much of a strategy, so someone like Charon could probably just trick him into losing if she wanted. Besides, did you hear about that guy's younger cousin?"
"I don't think so?"
"He ran around for days and nights on end, trying to look for his opponent in the beginner tournament, but she got transferred to Babylon, so it was all for naught. To make matters worse, he fainted from exhaustion the moment he started his next duel. It was hilarious."
"That's... Quit perplexing. Surely Jun has more braincells than that, right?"
"Maybe a few more, but I wouldn't put any money on it."
"That's worrying... Anyhow, that reminds me, how did our juniors do in the beginner tournament?"
"Bohzo got defeated with ease, but I don't think anyone is surprised there. Nila, however, managed to actually win her match, although it was pretty close. I heard she was in a pretty horrible shape once the fight was over. Oh, it also seems like Egon had a pretty overwhelming victory in his first round. Some think he might actually win the tournament."
"Egon, huh... I doubt it, but it's possible."
"Oh, did you hear about any of the two versus two tournaments?"
"No, and I don't think I know anyone participating all that well."
"I think Fenton was in the intermediate tournament with someone, but that's the only one I know better than by name alone."
"He's that second year representative, right? Do you think he has a chance?"
"Yeah, although it highly depends on his teammate. If they're weaker than him, he's probably not going to make it either. His teamwork is good and all, and he's very strong for a second year, but he doesn't really have great abilities to fight with just a single ally. He's stronger when he's supporting a bigger group of people."
"That reminds me, I did hear something about one of the two versus two matches. There's a rumor going around that some fire magic prodigies were beaten in the beginner matches after their opponent threw one of them off by harassing her during the battle."
"Oh my~" Celestia held a hand before her mouth. "What a bold strategy to employ!"
"I should have know that you'd react that way. Let me guess, you'd totally try the same tactic if you could?"
"Would you like to find out?" Celestia replied with a teasing wink.
"I'd rather not. That said, did you learn of any interesting underdogs to keep an eye on?" Lin was eager to change topics.
"Yes, but that'll cost you~ I can't just spill all of my betting strategy."
"Never mind then, I'll stick with the regulars."
"It's your loss~"
"I doubt anyone will beat Saral in the open tournament, so with Charon having a good shot at the intermediate tournament and Egon at the beginner one... I guess I'll put my money on you for the advanced one."
"Oh my~ How flattering. If you give me fifty percent of your earnings, I promise not to throw the match."
"I'll give you twenty percent if you manage to win the entire tournament."
"How about giving me forty if I manage to win it without trying to pay anyone off?"
"Thirty."
"Only if you bet more than the average."
"Deal."
With that out of the way, Lin went back to drinking tea, while Celestia finished up the coffee that had arrived in the meantime.
After applying the spell to the goblin's rough face, Londo performed a half-circle gesture with his hand, dropping it down towards his stomach where the next attack was coming from, and pushing it out of the way while backing up himself to allow himself room for error to not be hit by the attack. The palm of his hand would hit the sword, and he would end his deflection with his right arm to the right of his body.
And then he kept his arm there, blocking the shield that would be hitting him, while he delivered a punch with his left hand two times to the goblin, moving forwards to not allow the goblin any room in escaping.
Action Phase:
Londo then brought his right leg forwards, kicking the goblin on its leftside, before bringing down the foot and hopping forwards with his left foot, throwing a left hook into the goblin again, then finishing off with a right hook.
(Start of Turn: +5 
