The Watchtower Academy IC thread.

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Phoebe decided to go into her dorm and sleep- she needed to be prepared for her first day of class after all.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ian ran over to a dorm chute, missing it by exactly three seconds. It slammed shut and he groaned. " Well, I guess I am going to find out what these Grievers look like, please don't be worse than gnomes. I hope that I am not alone," he said, mostly to himself.

@york @Schnee Corp Lawyer @C.T. @Topside peeps.

 

[Kaykay]

Well, whatever ended up happening with the confusing Bridget and Darkness, Megumin could only hope for the best.

"Good luck...Darkness..."

Later, the archmage had to find the bathroom. Not that she needed to use it, of course, but it was just good to know things like that. And stuff. Crimson Demons didn't use the toilet after all. The problem was that she couldn't find it, and she couldn't hold it in much longer!

"Aaaagh! Where is it, where is it?!"

She didn't even realize that she was now locked out of the dorms.

---

Samidare just went to the Metahuman dorm, figuring that was probably where she was placed. If not, they'd correct it anyway, right?

@Ringmaster​

 

[OrlandoBloomers]

His thumb depressed the enlarged play button at the center of his scroll's screen, the icon briefly illuminating blue as music started to grind through the device's speakers. Turned out it was good for something. Maybe it was worth getting saddled with a replacement as soon as he crushed his old one, after all. He cranked up the volume and slid the scroll into his pocket with a slow, dry roll of the neck, Rebellion sizzling into formation on his back as if called forth by the thrash of heavy electric guitar.

Unlike seemingly most other first-year students on the island, Dante hadn't been late hitting the chutes or accidentally gotten lost or whatever else. He was breaking the curfew because he wanted to. His time after the ruckus earlier had been spent mostly brooding, and whatever bottle of booze or liquor the wilderness survival teacher had brought to make the ceremony proceedings more tolerable for himself had been snatched off the table while he dealt with students and fellow teachers. He was pretty sure it'd be happier with him, anyways.

He downed the final vestiges of it now, wiping his lips with his sleeve and dashing the empty bottle against a nearby tree uncaringly as he turned to face the thick foliage before him. He was on the outskirts of the academy, where the facilities and buildings met the woodland and wilderness.

"Grievers, huh?"

The devil hunter drew the sword off his back with a broad flourish and flicked it to his side so quickly blades of glass were neatly sliced and the tip was embedded in the ground.

"Let's see it."

Fuck the rules. He wanted to kill something.

@Ringmaster @Outside​

 

[Ringmaster]

Well, that was all kinds of horrible. Arthur sighed out and pouted, arms crossed as he looked at the chute. It refused to let him in and was mildly annoying. Aloud, he said quietly.

"Thrice do I damn thee infernal machine, barring my way to Valhalla."

It was old, but the format of the language flowed naturally from the boys lips as he crossed his arms, a broadsword five feet long strapped to his back as longcoat tails billowed behind him. His hair was white, cut in a practical manner and his eyes were the most expressive thing about him. Dreamers eyes, of blue-forget-me-not.

He was not metahuman. Nor mage nor alien. He was human, for a given value of human. And while Watchtower was going to be difficult? It was a challenge unlike anything he had ever faced. If only he could get into his dorm.

I looked over at the guy. Pretty hot. Also the kind of guy who would normally never look twice at me back home. But the way he carried himself, and the freaky Ren Faire way that he talked made me realize he was probably pretty far out of his depth. Even though I wasn't from a super high tech world I could at least imagine a lot of the stuff thanks to science fiction. With a shrug I stood up and walked over to him. Of course I'd heard him from pretty far away so it wasn't exactly a short walk. Soon, though I got him within normal sight and earshot, close enough for polite conversation and I approached, hands in pockets, with my usual smirk on my face.

"They're locked up. I guess we didn't get down there in time, so we're going to participate in whatever the first little test or trial or whatever they're gonna throw at us. I'm Tamara Rae Holstead, but you can call me Tamara or T-Rae if you want." I barely make eye contact, my usual half-slouch being my posture, peeking up at him with my slightly freaky eye color out from beneath locks my definitely not natural hair color.

For a moment, there was a smattering of French. And from the tone, not entirely flattering at the concept before he turned to face her. If he seemed freaked out from her appearance in contrast, he didn't show it. There was nothing but frank appraisal before he smiled and bowed from the waist. With the faintest hint of an accent, he spoke.

"I am Arthur. And if this is some test for our mettle, then I am well content. A first year page as well as I, then?"

"Page? Oh, I get it. Like a knight's apprentice. I guess that's a good way of putting it. So... what's your deal? I mean, what are you good at?" I asked, finally getting out of my slouch to straighten up. He was enough taller than me that it'd be kind of rude for me not to at least attempt to look somewhere near his face when I talked to him.

"Me, I'm... not exactly normal. I'm stronger, faster and tougher than I look, and my senses, well... How to put this in a way you'll process it..." I paused then came up with something.

"My eyes rival the eagles in their acuity, my hearing as good as a wary doe. My sense of smell is equal to a trained hound, my palate more sensitive than the most discriminating connoisseur, and my sense of touch is so fine as to feel the breeze when a butterfly swoops near." I decided not to tell him about the laser eyes and x-ray vision. I had no clue on how to explain those.


"I see. Well then. If this is going to be some form of test, then we'll see them coming long before they do."

He looked around and casually placed a hand to the hilt of his sword, drawing the heavy blade out with little difficulty.

"I wonder who else is stuck in similar straits?"

"That is the plan. But back home... I often used that to avoid trouble than facing it head on." I think I might have distracted him with my prose, since he never responded with what he was good at. Though, I'm guessing he's a combat monster of some kind which is good, since I'm not.

"As you see I have no obvious weapons, but not all weapons are obvious. And mine might be really hard to explain. But I'm not a trained warrior, as it looks like you might be? And... I sense a few others around. No one really close by. If you want, we can head that way?"

"Every hay bale between here and France has learned to fear my blade."

He declared with a straight face before nodding.

"Lead the way then Lady Tamara. My fate is in your hands."

I actually laughed before I caught myself. "Lady? Me? I'm far from a lady. I was a bit of a street rat until a few months back..." My confidence in myself was usually there, but really, the main reason I came here was because, on some level, my abilities scared the crap out of me. I needed to get a handle on them, and these guys seemed to be the best way to do that.

"This way. It's not a really long walk, but I think most of us stuck up here are looking either for a way down, or whatever's coming up, so our destination is a moving target." I explain to him, looking up briefly before continuing on our way.

"I do have a couple of other abilities, but I really have little idea how to explain them to you in a way you'll understand... hmm... well, it'd be impossible to fool me in a shell game because if I will it, I can see through most anything as if it were a pane of glass, and... have you ever heard the phrase, If looks could kill ? Well, mine can, if I will it strongly enough."

@Ringmaster @ anyone topside

This was a collaborative effort via skype that I transplanted here. I'll be on just tablet/phone til monday so copypasta will be outside of my convenience.

"Of course." Líadan sighed, just a few minutes late but locked out nevertheless. Well. There had to be somewhere satisfactory to rest up here. She just had to find it.

Eventually, Rin had calmed down from her state of almost exploding on some kid and his demonic possessed bear. There were more important things to think about anyways. She had done what research she could on the school before she arrived, but a lot of it had either been classified or undecided before the students had gotten here. But now she had the class list, and while that was pretty interesting by itself, it also meant she had access to the names of a lot of the staff! Which for most meant she was just a quick internet search away from getting a good grasp of what she was getting into. She pushed her plate aside and shifted the scroll so she could type, which for her meant one hand holding it while the index finger pushed all the keys.

"H, O, L. O, Space, T, H,-"


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

"huh." For not having access to magecraft, the x-men sure sounded like potent warriors, the survival teacher included. Between technology's leaping bounds of progressand the string of strangely powered humans that had cropped up in the last century or so, magic really was starting to seem like it wasn't as... unique as it was in the olden days. It had been a little while since she'd left the cafeteria, and she was walking the halls towards the chute nearest to her dorm. She'd made note of when curfew was before she started her research and had left well before nine. It was barely eight, sure, but she didn't need any screw ups on her first day. No. For once she was going to be actually perfect instead of almost. No tiny misstep that ended up as a huge mistake, not this time-

-The magus let out a befuddled yelp as she walked face first into a metal sheet and bounced off it with a dull thud. She stumbled backwards and glared at what was supposed to be the doorway to the chute. It had the sign above it and everything. But why the hell was it closed??? It wasn't even eight thirty yet! Which... was weird, because when she thought about it, they had been here at least 2 hours, and she was... pretty sure it was seven when she got....here........

...

oh no.

*Earlier*

Rin took a bite of her salad and stared dully at the setup screen for her scroll. The little animated greeting at the start had just been weird, and now it was asking her her name and stuff and it was just boring. Seriously. Why did they need to know her birthday? Why did they care what timezone she was from? ugh, she hated online forms.

*Now*

The realization hit her like a truck. it wasn't asking what timezone she was from. It was asking what time zone they were in.

"...WHY DOES IT EVEN GIVE YOU THAT OPTION WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME ISLAND!?"​

Ian ran over to a dorm chute, missing it by exactly three seconds. It slammed shut and he groaned. " Well, I guess I am going to find out what these Grievers look like, please don't be worse than gnomes. I hope that I am not alone," he said, mostly to himself.

Well, whatever ended up happening with the confusing Bridget and Darkness, Megumin could only hope for the best.

"Good luck...Darkness..."

Later, the archmage had to find the bathroom. Not that she needed to use it, of course, but it was just good to know things like that. And stuff. Crimson Demons didn't use the toilet after all. The problem was that she couldn't find it, and she couldn't hold it in much longer!

"Aaaagh! Where is it, where is it?!"

She didn't even realize that she was now locked out of the dorms.

His thumb depressed the enlarged play button at the center of his scroll's screen, the icon briefly illuminating blue as music started to grind through the device's speakers. Turned out it was good for something. Maybe it was worth getting saddled with a replacement as soon as he crushed his old one, after all. He cranked up the volume and slid the scroll into his pocket with a slow, dry roll of the neck, Rebellion sizzling into formation on his back as if called forth by the thrash of heavy electric guitar.

Unlike seemingly most other first-year students on the island, Dante hadn't been late hitting the chutes or accidentally gotten lost or whatever else. He was breaking the curfew because he wanted to. His time after the ruckus earlier had been spent mostly brooding, and whatever bottle of booze or liquor the wilderness survival teacher had brought to make the ceremony proceedings more tolerable for himself had been snatched off the table while he dealt with students and fellow teachers. He was pretty sure it'd be happier with him, anyways.

He downed the final vestiges of it now, wiping his lips with his sleeve and dashing the empty bottle against a nearby tree uncaringly as he turned to face the thick foliage before him. He was on the outskirts of the academy, where the facilities and buildings met the woodland and wilderness.

"Grievers, huh?"

The devil hunter drew the sword off his back with a broad flourish and flicked it to his side so quickly blades of glass were neatly sliced and the tip was embedded in the ground.

"Let's see it."

Fuck the rules. He wanted to kill something.

@Ringmaster @Outside​

It seemed that everyone who was going to be a part of this exercise had been chosen.

As it were.

The buildings went on lockdown, the eerie noise of the alarm blared as metal plates thick and heavy slid down to create impromptu fortresses. And then spotlights flared up, somewhere around the school center. Down below, watching everything from his place in the grand design, the School Security Head snickered.

Manipulating his cameras(hidden and otherwise), he pulled up the faces of the students and their profiles.

"Ok, lets see....Oooh, heh. First two....One human, nothing going for him- He's going down first and some mutant. Hmm...Another mutant, two mages....Another mutant, heh. And the McEdge lord from the first. Get a haircut...."

He flicked a finger and the profiles vanished. He cracked his knuckles and smirked.

"Lets see ya dance."

--------

Outside, all went silent.

And then came a howling roar that echoed over the school grounds, followed shortly by screaming. They weren't the only ones apparently locked out of the dorms and various students would be panicking, or using their powers indeterminately, flashes of magical force and metahuman power alongside the roar of gunfire and the screams.

And all alongside, that self-same howl as something swift ran across the grounds in numbers.

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

By Tamara and Arthur, three students ran as swiftly as they could, the reason seen hot on their heels, two of those monsters would be charging. The third member skidded to a stop and pointed her finger.

"BURN!"

And from her hand, like a living flamethrower she swept her flame back and forth now that she was in an open area.

It wasn't enough and through the flames the monster howled and tackled her, sending her flying away into the side of a building. Her friends paused, one of them hesitating before bolting. The third ran to the downed ones side, panicking. The monsters growled, lightly scorched but otherwise unharmed as they charged.

She closed her eyes and blocked her friends body with her own.

A resounding clang was heard and then silence briefly.

Arthur had entered the fight, his broadsword drawn and bracing himself against the blow from the mechanical tail as he intercepted it. Glacial blue eyes stared, like the promise of a blizzard's frosty touch. And in his eyes, Arthur knew what he was facing.

Dragons.

Savage, brutal dragons that were attacking those who could not defend themselves. It was a delusion of sorts, a mindset he developed....And in his mind, the strange melding of metal and biotechnology howled its challenge. Arthur answered it, planting himself firmly between them.

"COME AT ME TWISTED CREATURE! FOR YOU FACE A KNIGHT THIS DAY! VIVE LE FRANCE!"

And head on, he charged without further thought to engage the monster.

Tamara's one would be facing her, roaring as it charged in kind in a weird gallop.

@Michale CS

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

Liaden would find herself nearest to Rin, as the panic rose up.

Screams echoed from close by and a purple dog ran up to them, transforming into a boy, who panted and put his hands on his knees before imploring both of them.

"We need help! There's three people, all trapped by one of those...Things in one of the sheds. Its about to come down, so they sent me out to find help. I think I led one away, but-"

And from a rooftop, the stalking creature leaped for the boy, who seeing the shadow turned pale.

"HOLY SHIII-*SQUAWK!*"

And midway, he transformed into a song bird, flapping out of the way as the creature skidded to its feet, before growling as it stared at Rin and Liaden.

@C.T. @Schnee Corp Lawyer

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

Ian and Megumin found themselves in the same area, the sounds of battle and otherwise filling the air. Along the way, they discovered what looked like an impromptu barricade. Made up of benches, groundskeeper vehicles and defended by a number of fellow students. All led by a teenager with a cyborg arm that transformed into a rail gun.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND, HOLD YOUR GROUND! BRAILLE, GIVE ME SOMETHING TO WORK WITH!"

What looked like a Native American boy moved his hands in midair, his eyes replaced with cybernetics. Finally, he spoke.

"I count at least three major pockets of resistance. All heading for routes- A7 and A9 respectively. The twins have just finished clearing out the escape route. Evacuation can be done now."

Another rail shot pierced the night, the teen moving away and jogging up to Ian and Megumin.

"You two look fresh. Any good in a fight? I hope so, because we need people to escort these ones."

He gestured to other students, who were looking genuinely freaked out or otherwise trying to help. The cyborg winced.

"Flatscans, mutants whose powers hadn't popped up yet, mages with no idea how to cast beyond a light....In the center where the spotlights are showing, they need to get there. It'll open for a safehouse, where they'll be fine. But they need to get there first. Take them there, make sure they're safe. We'll keep this place open in case anyone else shows up. Go, now!"

He went back to the barrier.

The group of students looked towards Ian and Megumin hopefully.

@Kaykay @LuckycoolHawk9

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

For Dante, there was only a sudden whisper of air and then a sudden flash of light.

The only warning that indicated the blade coming for his head. If he ducked it, the result would slice the tree behind him in half, its owner skidding to a halt. If he blocked....The force would shake his entire body, its owner someone with strength of his own.

Or more accurately, her.

She was as pale as the music teacher, with eyes red and blazing with fire channeled and directed where its owner deemed fit. Her outfit she favored appeared to be some kind of Japanese schoolgirl uniform, displaying an almost laughingly demure stocking and school-shoes combo in conjuncture with the uniform.

The only thing that shattered that illusion was the very business-like sword she had at her side and the metal arm that gleamed dully in the light.

"Student 24601. AKA 'Dante.' You're outside the limits of the impromptu exercise. Also guilty of illegal substances and..."

She threw a withering gaze towards the bits smashed as she spoke in a tone that one would use to address slugs.

"Littering."

She turned that gaze back to him, with a disdain magnified a hundredfold.

"Under the authority of the Watchtower Security Committee, I'm taking you in."

@OrlandoBloomers


​

 

[Takumi]

It seemed that everyone who was going to be a part of this exercise had been chosen.

As it were.

The buildings went on lockdown, the eerie noise of the alarm blared as metal plates thick and heavy slid down to create impromptu fortresses. And then spotlights flared up, somewhere around the school center. Down below, watching everything from his place in the grand design, the School Security Head snickered.

Manipulating his cameras(hidden and otherwise), he pulled up the faces of the students and their profiles.

"Ok, lets see....Oooh, heh. First two....One human, nothing going for him- He's going down first and some mutant. Hmm...Another mutant, two mages....Another mutant, heh. And the McEdge lord from the first. Get a haircut...."

He flicked a finger and the profiles vanished. He cracked his knuckles and smirked.

"Lets see ya dance."

--------

Outside, all went silent.

And then came a howling roar that echoed over the school grounds, followed shortly by screaming. They weren't the only ones apparently locked out of the dorms and various students would be panicking, or using their powers indeterminately, flashes of magical force and metahuman power alongside the roar of gunfire and the screams.

And all alongside, that self-same howl as something swift ran across the grounds in numbers.

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

By Tamara and Arthur, three students ran as swiftly as they could, the reason seen hot on their heels, two of those monsters would be charging. The third member skidded to a stop and pointed her finger.

"BURN!"

And from her hand, like a living flamethrower she swept her flame back and forth now that she was in an open area.

It wasn't enough and through the flames the monster howled and tackled her, sending her flying away into the side of a building. Her friends paused, one of them hesitating before bolting. The third ran to the downed ones side, panicking. The monsters growled, lightly scorched but otherwise unharmed as they charged.

She closed her eyes and blocked her friends body with her own.

A resounding clang was heard and then silence briefly.

Arthur had entered the fight, his broadsword drawn and bracing himself against the blow from the mechanical tail as he intercepted it. Glacial blue eyes stared, like the promise of a blizzard's frosty touch. And in his eyes, Arthur knew what he was facing.

Dragons.

Savage, brutal dragons that were attacking those who could not defend themselves. It was a delusion of sorts, a mindset he developed....And in his mind, the strange melding of metal and biotechnology howled its challenge. Arthur answered it, planting himself firmly between them.

"COME AT ME TWISTED CREATURE! FOR YOU FACE A KNIGHT THIS DAY! VIVE LE FRANCE!"

And head on, he charged without further thought to engage the monster.

Tamara's one would be facing her, roaring as it charged in kind in a weird gallop.

@Michale CS

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

Liaden would find herself nearest to Rin, as the panic rose up.

Screams echoed from close by and a purple dog ran up to them, transforming into a boy, who panted and put his hands on his knees before imploring both of them.

"We need help! There's three people, all trapped by one of those...Things in one of the sheds. Its about to come down, so they sent me out to find help. I think I led one away, but-"

And from a rooftop, the stalking creature leaped for the boy, who seeing the shadow turned pale.

"HOLY SHIII-*SQUAWK!*"

And midway, he transformed into a song bird, flapping out of the way as the creature skidded to its feet, before growling as it stared at Rin and Liaden.

@C.T. @Schnee Corp Lawyer

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

Ian and Megumin found themselves in the same area, the sounds of battle and otherwise filling the air. Along the way, they discovered what looked like an impromptu barricade. Made up of benches, groundskeeper vehicles and defended by a number of fellow students. All led by a teenager with a cyborg arm that transformed into a rail gun.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND, HOLD YOUR GROUND! BRAILLE, GIVE ME SOMETHING TO WORK WITH!"

What looked like a Native American boy moved his hands in midair, his eyes replaced with cybernetics. Finally, he spoke.

"I count at least three major pockets of resistance. All heading for routes- A7 and A9 respectively. The twins have just finished clearing out the escape route. Evacuation can be done now."

Another rail shot pierced the night, the teen moving away and jogging up to Ian and Megumin.

"You two look fresh. Any good in a fight? I hope so, because we need people to escort these ones."

He gestured to other students, who were looking genuinely freaked out or otherwise trying to help. The cyborg winced.

"Flatscans, mutants whose powers hadn't popped up yet, mages with no idea how to cast beyond a light....In the center where the spotlights are showing, they need to get there. It'll open for a safehouse, where they'll be fine. But they need to get there first. Take them there, make sure they're safe. We'll keep this place open in case anyone else shows up. Go, now!"

He went back to the barrier.

The group of students looked towards Ian and Megumin hopefully.

@Kaykay @LuckycoolHawk9

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

For Dante, there was only a sudden whisper of air and then a sudden flash of light.

The only warning that indicated the blade coming for his head. If he ducked it, the result would slice the tree behind him in half, its owner skidding to a halt. If he blocked....The force would shake his entire body, its owner someone with strength of his own.

Or more accurately, her.

She was as pale as the music teacher, with eyes red and blazing with fire channeled and directed where its owner deemed fit. Her outfit she favored appeared to be some kind of Japanese schoolgirl uniform, displaying an almost laughingly demure stocking and school-shoes combo in conjuncture with the uniform.

The only thing that shattered that illusion was the very business-like sword she had at her side and the metal arm that gleamed dully in the light.

"Student 24601. AKA 'Dante.' You're outside the limits of the impromptu exercise. Also guilty of illegal substances and..."

She threw a withering gaze towards the bits smashed as she spoke in a tone that one would use to address slugs.

"Littering."

She turned that gaze back to him, with a disdain magnified a hundredfold.

"Under the authority of the Watchtower Security Committee, I'm taking you in."

@OrlandoBloomers


​

Nah had been locked out of the dorms after trying to hide and get some alone time from Cynthia who had been pretty distracted and at some point went to try and find her in the dorms.

Her pointed ears twitched at the sounds of fighting and the like going on. The young Manakete hybrid moved, clutching her dragon stone close to her chest. She wanted to help whoever in whatever way she could and her gaze hardened.

"Ugh!"

There were too many that needed help. Nah grit her teeth as she began to run to the nearest person she could get to with being as short as she was.

Tamara.

Clutching the green stone she always had with her a brief flash of light would appear before a pink (or was it red?) dragon charged forward with a roar, attempting to slam her body into the creature charging at the fellow student.

Nah's voice seemed to echo slightly as she spoke.

"Leave her be! Or I'll have to chew you up and show you how a Mankete handles things and squash you!" Nah growled while snapping her jaws for emphasis.


@Ringmaster @Michale CS

 

[C.T.]

Líadan would find herself nearest to Rin, as the panic rose up. Screams echoed from close by and a purple dog ran up to them, transforming into a boy, who panted and put his hands on his knees before imploring both of them. "We need help! There's three people, all trapped by one of those...Things in one of the sheds. Its about to come down, so they sent me out to find help. I think I led one away, but-"

And from a rooftop, the stalking creature leaped for the boy, who seeing the shadow turned pale. "HOLY SHI-*SQUAWK!*"

And midway, he transformed into a song bird, flapping out of the way as the creature skidded to its feet, before growling as it stared at Rin and Líadan.​

"...Right then." Líadan pulled her hands out of her longcoat's pockets, staring quietly at the creature even as she collected her thoughts. The average animal has a short-term memory span of only 27 seconds. Dogs forget events within two minutes. Of course, this monstrous thing is not a dog, nor does it seem to be average. In fact, anything but average. Still, if the basic principle applies...less effort required.

With that in mind, Líadan's eyes narrowed a bit and nose scrunching up as she focused on attempting to delve into this thing's memory and removed the sight of herself from the mental recollection. In her place, she sought to plant the sight of...an even bigger version of this abomination, growling right back at it in a territorial manner. If that fake memory took, all the better. If not...

Her right hand rose up and tightened around the hilt of her blade on her back. Just in case.

@Ringmaster @Schnee Corp Lawyer​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Liaden would find herself nearest to Rin, as the panic rose up.

Screams echoed from close by and a purple dog ran up to them, transforming into a boy, who panted and put his hands on his knees before imploring both of them.

"We need help! There's three people, all trapped by one of those...Things in one of the sheds. Its about to come down, so they sent me out to find help. I think I led one away, but-"

​

Being locked out of the dorms was infuriating. Not really for any sort of reasons of comfort or fear, but just because it was her own damn fault even if it was incredibly stupid the scroll even asked her that she was going to have to complain to someone about that. Compared to her explosive outburst about that, her reaction to the screams and howls barely registered on the radar. She paused her punching on the door to turn towards the nearest sound with a small frown, and calmly raised her arm towards the dog that had come out of nowhere. It got at least an eyebrow raise out of her when it suddenly shifted into a scared kid as she started to say "You're going to need to be more specific than 'one of those things-'"
​

And from a rooftop, the stalking creature leaped for the boy, who seeing the shadow turned pale.

"HOLY SHIII-*SQUAWK!*"

And midway, he transformed into a song bird, flapping out of the way as the creature skidded to its feet, before growling as it stared at Rin and Liaden.​

"...Oh. one of those things. Alright then." She answered herself. Even in the face of.... well, whatever it was, she stayed calm. Mage training wasn't without its dangers even from a younger age, and while this thing was disgusting looking it wasn't the first monster she'd laid eyes on. she frowned and bit her lip as gave it a once over for weak points and tried to figure out what was going on

'What, is this a test this early? Or some galra alpha strike? Or do they just really really hate late people?'
​

"...Right then." Líadan pulled her hands out of her longcoat's pockets, staring quietly at the creature even as she collected her thoughts. The average animal has a short-term memory span of only 27 seconds. Dogs forget events within two minutes. Of course, this monstrous thing is not a dog, nor does it seem to be average. In fact, anything but average. Still, if the basic principle applies...less effort required.

With that in mind, Líadan's eyes narrowed a bit and nose scrunching up as she focused on attempting to delve into this thing's memory and removed the sight of herself from the mental recollection. In her place, she sought to plant the sight of...an even bigger version of this abomination, growling right back at it in a territorial manner. If that fake memory took, all the better. If not...

Her right hand rose up and tightened around the hilt of her blade on her back. Just in case.

@Ringmaster @Schnee Corp Lawyer​

She didn't know Liadan was up to any of this so she just raised her hand and

@C.T. @Ringmaster

​

 

[Orangewasp]

Unlike seemingly most other first-year students on the island, Dante hadn't been late hitting the chutes or accidentally gotten lost or whatever else. He was breaking the curfew because he wanted to. His time after the ruckus earlier had been spent mostly brooding, and whatever bottle of booze or liquor the wilderness survival teacher had brought to make the ceremony proceedings more tolerable for himself had been snatched off the table while he dealt with students and fellow teachers. He was pretty sure it'd be happier with him, anyways.

"Huh. I swore I left it right here. So much fer comin' back ta git my booze. One of the kids got their hands on it probably, if the janitor ain't got it...," Professor Howlett muttered to himself, both arms resting against his sides as to project the haughty educator's aura of disappointment intermixed with his own in respect to the absence of the bottle of Jack Daniels. His mood seemingly changed, shifting the air about him to emitting nonchalance as Logan shrugged, "Oh well, old enough ta be here, old enough ta kill n' drink I suppose."

Breaking his adopted posture, Logan reached for his shirt pocket with his right hand to fish out a cigar of the same brand he was seen smoking earlier. "That's right. What time is it?" he said aloud to himself as if he'd seemingly mis-remembered something.

Putting the cigar to his lips before he resumed his thoughts out loud, "I suspect I ain't got time ta get back--," a cursory glance upwards to the sky, and the sun's setting, confirmed his suspicions, "--yea, Kiryuin's goin' ta be pissed."

@Ringmaster @ThisGuyMissedTheChildren'sCurfew

-----------------------------​

Down below, at the dorm hub students mingled and some split to head to their dorms.

And watching over them all, in his chair in the corner was a solitary figure.

This was Feng Bu's face soon as he witnessed the towering form of the Curator of the Sand's as he entered the hub from the way out of the chute. The hunter paused briefly, looking the other over with a curious glint to his eyes... before Feng made his approach for the Ascended. Soon as he was near, give a feet or two, he looked the other over up and down and, with an inquisitive yet polite look to his face, promptly asked, "Would I be incorrect in surmising you are Anubis, Egyptian God of Death?"

He inquired with a firm tone as to imply his sincerity, because believe it or not, being exposed to the concept of the multiverse had given way to the idea of the Gods' existence. Perhaps, today of all days, a Bu would get to lay claim to befriending a god.

@Ringmaster​

 

[Michale CS]

Tamara's one would be facing her, roaring as it charged in kind in a weird gallop

I quickly assessed what was coming at me. Unlike some, I had time as I process information faster than humans. I scanned its body, looking for a power source or a heart using my x-ray vision, and once I'd found something that looked like one of those two (or in absence of those, its head ) I stared at that point, focusing the energy until it built into my T-Ray blast, an invisible laser. The best I've done with this thing before was melt a post office mailbox to slag, so I hoped that would be enough firepower, because that's all I had.

Of course, at the same time I was backpedalling, partially because a pink dragon was intercepting my attacker, using my other heightened senses to be able to move backwards at nearly a run without tripping over anything.

Third on my priority list is what was going on with Arthur. How he did against his attacker would effect how I reacted to mine, presuming the dragon lady thing didn't finish it off. Thankfully, I'm a great multitasker.

@Ringmaster
@Takumi [[ Sorry I missed your post earlier, was posting from my phone. Edited! ]]

 

[OrlandoBloomers]

For Dante, there was only a sudden whisper of air and then a sudden flash of light.

The only warning that indicated the blade coming for his head. If he ducked it, the result would slice the tree behind him in half, its owner skidding to a halt. If he blocked....The force would shake his entire body, its owner someone with strength of his own.

Or more accurately, her.

She was as pale as the music teacher, with eyes red and blazing with fire channeled and directed where its owner deemed fit. Her outfit she favored appeared to be some kind of Japanese schoolgirl uniform, displaying an almost laughingly demure stocking and school-shoes combo in conjuncture with the uniform.

The only thing that shattered that illusion was the very business-like sword she had at her side and the metal arm that gleamed dully in the light.

"Student 24601. AKA 'Dante.' You're outside the limits of the impromptu exercise. Also guilty of illegal substances and..."

She threw a withering gaze towards the bits smashed as she spoke in a tone that one would use to address slugs.

"Littering."

She turned that gaze back to him, with a disdain magnified a hundredfold.

"Under the authority of the Watchtower Security Committee, I'm taking you in."

@OrlandoBloomers​

For a split-second, it seemed almost as if Dante wasn't going to avoid the sword strike at all. It came within a foot, no, within inches of making a clean slice through the neck and letting his head come unglued, a spray of blood and muted thump as it hit the padded undergrowth the only fanfare signalling the passing of the devil hunter.

Then, at what felt like the last possible instant...

...He spun off his back heel and cleaved Rebellion through the air like lightning to clash with the other sword, instantly feeling the jolt of his attacker's strength reverberating through his arm bones as the impact friction between their blades built to almost explosive levels before they disentangled. It made him grin in a spiteful way, snorting out through his nose and sliding back to speaking distance, holding up his weapon in a two-handed grip.

"The date I expected was uglier. Does every girl on this island wanna kick my ass?" He wondered aloud, creasing his brow and giving a smirk as he thumbed his hair back unconcernedly. The sound of distant cries and combat coming from the more central school area made the smirk somewhat grim, edging more and more towards a scowl.

"Security. Right. All those screaming voices are gonna sleep much better soon as you put a stop to my littering, I'm sure. You really have the peoples' interests at heart."

The sarcasm in his voice hardly needed pointing out, far more taunting than it was casual or friendly. Dante wasn't hiding his disdain for the other sword wielder any more than she was for him. "I get it, though. The "curfew" is just a bullshit test. Anyone crying and losing their shit over there is gonna be marked down as a failure while everyone who steps up gets put on some fucking list. Hell, that's probably not far off from how they picked you out, am I right? Or were you always a glorified hall monitor?"

The Nephilim abruptly sprung forward off the question, moving in a sudden blur that culminated in him stepping off his front foot to spin and swing a heavy backhanded slash for the woman's torso, the strike intended as heavy and strong enough to break through any guard she might've met it with.

"Quick question. If you cut my head off with that first hit and I died, what would you've done?"

@Ringmaster​

 

[Kaykay]

Ian and Megumin found themselves in the same area, the sounds of battle and otherwise filling the air. Along the way, they discovered what looked like an impromptu barricade. Made up of benches, groundskeeper vehicles and defended by a number of fellow students. All led by a teenager with a cyborg arm that transformed into a rail gun.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND, HOLD YOUR GROUND! BRAILLE, GIVE ME SOMETHING TO WORK WITH!"

What looked like a Native American boy moved his hands in midair, his eyes replaced with cybernetics. Finally, he spoke.

"I count at least three major pockets of resistance. All heading for routes- A7 and A9 respectively. The twins have just finished clearing out the escape route. Evacuation can be done now."

Another rail shot pierced the night, the teen moving away and jogging up to Ian and Megumin.

"You two look fresh. Any good in a fight? I hope so, because we need people to escort these ones."

He gestured to other students, who were looking genuinely freaked out or otherwise trying to help. The cyborg winced.

"Flatscans, mutants whose powers hadn't popped up yet, mages with no idea how to cast beyond a light....In the center where the spotlights are showing, they need to get there. It'll open for a safehouse, where they'll be fine. But they need to get there first. Take them there, make sure they're safe. We'll keep this place open in case anyone else shows up. Go, now!"

He went back to the barrier.

The group of students looked towards Ian and Megumin hopefully.

@Kaykay @LuckycoolHawk9

"Hey, wait! I need to use the bath...room..."

Oh. Okay then.

The cyborg guy had already walked off, leaving a crowd looking her way expectantly. What exactly were they expecting? And what was with all this going on inside the school? Well regardless, it seemed she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. As she looked back at the students, it suddenly hit her that perhaps complaining about needing to use the bathroom probably didn't leave the best first impression. Even if she would rather just run off and find the bathroom, she couldn't do that in this position now, right?

Doing her best to ignore that potential impending disaster, Megumin decided to attempt to introduce herself properly.

"My name is Megumin! I'm an Archwizard who wields the most powerful destructive magic of them all, Explosion magic! Follow me, and anything that threatens your safety will surely explode!"

Explosions were always reassuring, and certainly not dangerous to their own safety whatsoever. With that, she would begin to lead the students towards the spotlight, though walking a little faster than normal.

@Ringmaster @LuckycoolHawk9​

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Ian shrugged and looked at the students. "I got preflex, but it won't be much to defend you, but if we have to fight, I will at least know where and how the blows will land me a second ahead of time, otherwise human," he said to her.

@Kaykay @Ringmaster

 

[Ringmaster]

Nah had been locked out of the dorms after trying to hide and get some alone time from Cynthia who had been pretty distracted and at some point went to try and find her in the dorms.

Her pointed ears twitched at the sounds of fighting and the like going on. The young Mankete hybrid moved, clutching her dragon stone close to her chest. She wanted to help whoever in whatever way she could and her gaze hardened.

"Ugh!"

There were too many that needed help. Nah grit her teeth as she began to run to the nearest person she could get to with being as short as she was.

Tamara.

Clutching the green stone she always had with her a brief flash of light would appear before a pink (or was it red?) dragon charged forward with a roar, attempting to slam her body into the creature charging at the fellow student.

Nah's voice seemed to echo slightly as she spoke.

"Leave her be! Or I'll have to chew you up and show you how a Mankete handles things and squash you!" Nah growled while snapping her jaws for emphasis.


@Ringmaster @Michale CS

I quickly assessed what was coming at me. Unlike some, I had time as I process information faster than humans. I scanned its body, looking for a power source or a heart using my x-ray vision, and once I'd found something that looked like one of those two (or in absence of those, its head ) I stared at that point, focusing the energy until it built into my T-Ray blast, an invisible laser. The best I've done with this thing before was melt a post office mailbox to slag, so I hoped that would be enough firepower, because that's all I had.

Of course, at the same time I was backpedalling, partially because a pink dragon was intercepting my attacker, using my other heightened senses to be able to move backwards at nearly a run without tripping over anything.

Third on my priority list is what was going on with Arthur. How he did against his attacker would effect how I reacted to mine, presuming the dragon lady thing didn't finish it off. Thankfully, I'm a great multitasker.

@Ringmaster
@Takumi [[ Sorry I missed your post earlier, was posting from my phone. Edited! ]]

Arthur was barely surviving. The only reason he hadn't fallen just yet was due to his entire focus on defense as well as using the open terrain. He rolled, spun and brought up the broadsword to deflect the blows that came from the tail as blows came down again and again.

And then out of nowhere, the monster was engulfed in flames.

With a rising screech, it reared into the air as the girl who had been knocked away earlier, had risen up. Healed by her friend as she yelled aloud inarticulately.

Arthur saw his opportunity and charged, bringing up the broadsword to stab through its skull.

"FOUL CREATURE, SPAWN OF THE PIT! HAVE AT THEE!"

The other one roared at Nah before charging, staggering briefly at the laser beam before moving to tackle the dragon-form to the ground.

@Takumi @Michale CS

---------
​

"...Right then." Líadan pulled her hands out of her longcoat's pockets, staring quietly at the creature even as she collected her thoughts. The average animal has a short-term memory span of only 27 seconds. Dogs forget events within two minutes. Of course, this monstrous thing is not a dog, nor does it seem to be average. In fact, anything but average. Still, if the basic principle applies...less effort required.

With that in mind, Líadan's eyes narrowed a bit and nose scrunching up as she focused on attempting to delve into this thing's memory and removed the sight of herself from the mental recollection. In her place, she sought to plant the sight of...an even bigger version of this abomination, growling right back at it in a territorial manner. If that fake memory took, all the better. If not...

Her right hand rose up and tightened around the hilt of her blade on her back. Just in case.

@Ringmaster @Schnee Corp Lawyer​

Being locked out of the dorms was infuriating. Not really for any sort of reasons of comfort or fear, but just because it was her own damn fault even if it was incredibly stupid the scroll even asked her that she was going to have to complain to someone about that. Compared to her explosive outburst about that, her reaction to the screams and howls barely registered on the radar. She paused her punching on the door to turn towards the nearest sound with a small frown, and calmly raised her arm towards the dog that had come out of nowhere. It got at least an eyebrow raise out of her when it suddenly shifted into a scared kid as she started to say "You're going to need to be more specific than 'one of those things-'"
​

"...Oh. one of those things. Alright then." She answered herself. Even in the face of.... well, whatever it was, she stayed calm. Mage training wasn't without its dangers even from a younger age, and while this thing was disgusting looking it wasn't the first monster she'd laid eyes on. she frowned and bit her lip as gave it a once over for weak points and tried to figure out what was going on

'What, is this a test this early? Or some galra alpha strike? Or do they just really really hate late people?'
​

She didn't know Liadan was up to any of this so she just raised her hand and

@C.T. @Ringmaster

​

The monster froze and moved up to roar-

Before being utterly blown to bits, the upper portion shredded by the explosion.

The songbird transformed back and the boy blinked before grinning.

"That was awesome! This way now!"

And off he ran, unless they chose any other direction.

@C.T. @Schnee Corp Lawyer

-----------
​

"Hey, wait! I need to use the bath...room..."

Oh. Okay then.

The cyborg guy had already walked off, leaving a crowd looking her way expectantly. What exactly were they expecting? And what was with all this going on inside the school? Well regardless, it seemed she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. As she looked back at the students, it suddenly hit her that perhaps complaining about needing to use the bathroom probably didn't leave the best first impression. Even if she would rather just run off and find the bathroom, she couldn't do that in this position now, right?

Doing her best to ignore that potential impending disaster, Megumin decided to attempt to introduce herself properly.

"My name is Megumin! I'm an Archwizard who wields the most powerful destructive magic of them all, Explosion magic! Follow me, and anything that threatens your safety will surely explode!"

Explosions were always reassuring, and certainly not dangerous to their own safety whatsoever. With that, she would begin to lead the students towards the spotlight, though walking a little faster than normal.

@Ringmaster @LuckycoolHawk9​

Ian shrugged and looked at the students. "I got preflex, but it won't be much to defend you, but if we have to fight, I will at least know where and how the blows will land me a second ahead of time, otherwise human," he said to her.

@Kaykay @Ringmaster

They followed and as they did so, on the edges and on the rooftops two dull, black blurs dashed past, gone quickly. Otherwise, the place did seem pretty clear and the escort mission was completed without trouble. Gratefully, a person turned among the group back as he bowed his head.

"Thank you! We'll never forget this."

And then came a howling noise as three swarmed over the roofs and charged for the pair.

--------------
​

"Huh. I swore I left it right here. So much fer comin' back ta git my booze. One of the kids got their hands on it probably, if the janitor ain't got it...," Professor Howlett muttered to himself, both arms resting against his sides as to project the haughty educator's aura of disappointment intermixed with his own in respect to the absence of the bottle of Jack Daniels. His mood seemingly changed, shifting the air about him to emitting nonchalance as Logan shrugged, "Oh well, old enough ta be here, old enough ta kill n' drink I suppose."

Breaking his adopted posture, Logan reached for his shirt pocket with his right hand to fish out a cigar of the same brand he was seen smoking earlier. "That's right. What time is it?" he said aloud to himself as if he'd seemingly mis-remembered something.

Putting the cigar to his lips before he resumed his thoughts out loud, "I suspect I ain't got time ta get back--," a cursory glance upwards to the sky, and the sun's setting, confirmed his suspicions, "--yea, Kiryuin's goin' ta be pissed."

For a split-second, it seemed almost as if Dante wasn't going to avoid the sword strike at all. It came within a foot, no, within inches of making a clean slice through the neck and letting his head come unglued, a spray of blood and muted thump as it hit the padded undergrowth the only fanfare signalling the passing of the devil hunter.

Then, at what felt like the last possible instant...

...He spun off his back heel and cleaved Rebellion through the air like lightning to clash with the other sword, instantly feeling the jolt of his attacker's strength reverberating through his arm bones as the impact friction between their blades built to almost explosive levels before they disentangled. It made him grin in a spiteful way, snorting out through his nose and sliding back to speaking distance, holding up his weapon in a two-handed grip.

"The date I expected was uglier. Does every girl on this island wanna kick my ass?" He wondered aloud, creasing his brow and giving a smirk as he thumbed his hair back unconcernedly. The sound of distant cries and combat coming from the more central school area made the smirk somewhat grim, edging more and more towards a scowl.

"Security. Right. All those screaming voices are gonna sleep much better soon as you put a stop to my littering, I'm sure. You really have the peoples' interests at heart."

The sarcasm in his voice hardly needed pointing out, far more taunting than it was casual or friendly. Dante wasn't hiding his disdain for the other sword wielder any more than she was for him. "I get it, though. The "curfew" is just a bullshit test. Anyone crying and losing their shit over there is gonna be marked down as a failure while everyone who steps up gets put on some fucking list. Hell, that's probably not far off from how they picked you out, am I right? Or were you always a glorified hall monitor?"

The Nephilim abruptly sprung forward off the question, moving in a sudden blur that culminated in him stepping off his front foot to spin and swing a heavy backhanded slash for the woman's torso, the strike intended as heavy and strong enough to break through any guard she might've met it with.

"Quick question. If you cut my head off with that first hit and I died, what would you've done?"

@Ringmaster​

Logan found himself hearing the sword of swords in the distance....The sort that came with dueling rather then against the creatures here. It'd lead him to the edge of the school, where two people would be fighting.

The first was a newcomer...One of the potential troublemakers from earlier.

The other was a member of the Watchtower Security Committee, Hazama's personal cadre. In a mirror move, waiting for the last second she had shifted from an iaijutsu stance, the quick draw technique. The better to use her speed as she braced herself with metal arm and her posture. Enough to indicate to anyone she had serious training.

Considering her parents, not surprising.

Answering the last question, she spoke looking him in the eye.

"I'd have laughed."

Her leg lashed out in a foot stomp, aiming for Dante's instep. The first part of a two step move to enter close and angle her elbow to smash in the direction of his throat, before spinning and flipping to a place ten feet behind him as she rose up and spoke scornfully.

"You think this is a game? Some high-school clique place, to play around? People die here- Have died, before. In war, at home. If you can't handle a simple training exercise, then its best you go home before you kill people with your ineptitude."

She turned slowly, a red-eyed wraith in the dark as her blade gleamed bright.

"But...That works the other way too. Disregard of the rules creates an attitude that you know best. That your opinion matters over those in command. If you will not learn to remove that attitude now?"

Her robotic arm clutching the blade moved, her wrist spinning in ways a flesh one could never do as the blade glinted in a challenge. Her eyes flashed as the corner of her mouth turned into a sneer.

"Then I will gut you and rip it out right here and now."

@OrlandoBloomers @Indolent

​

 

[Michale CS]

The other one roared at Nah before charging, staggering briefly at the laser beam before moving to tackle the dragon-form to the ground.

@Takumi @Michale CS

Now, I couldn't let the girl... dragon? Whatever. take all the brunt of the attack, but it takes me a few seconds between blasts so I couldn't do that trick again. So I called out. "Where I burned it, it's going to be weak. Hit it there! Look for the scorch marks!"

Still, I maneuvered a bit and started building up for another blast. I'm sort of like an old school camera, it takes a few seconds to charge my 'flash'. Kind of annoying, and I'm hoping to cut the cool down time with practice - especially since that and some martial arts are all I have to bring to the table as far as attacks go.

@Ringmaster @Takumi

 

[Takumi]

Arthur was barely surviving. The only reason he hadn't fallen just yet was due to his entire focus on defense as well as using the open terrain. He rolled, spun and brought up the broadsword to deflect the blows that came from the tail as blows came down again and again.

And then out of nowhere, the monster was engulfed in flames.

With a rising screech, it reared into the air as the girl who had been knocked away earlier, had risen up. Healed by her friend as she yelled aloud inarticulately.

Arthur saw his opportunity and charged, bringing up the broadsword to stab through its skull.

"FOUL CREATURE, SPAWN OF THE PIT! HAVE AT THEE!"

The other one roared at Nah before charging, staggering briefly at the laser beam before moving to tackle the dragon-form to the ground.

@Takumi @Michale CS

---------
​

The monster froze and moved up to roar-

Before being utterly blown to bits, the upper portion shredded by the explosion.

The songbird transformed back and the boy blinked before grinning.

"That was awesome! This way now!"

And off he ran, unless they chose any other direction.

@C.T. @Schnee Corp Lawyer

-----------
​

They followed and as they did so, on the edges and on the rooftops two dull, black blurs dashed past, gone quickly. Otherwise, the place did seem pretty clear and the escort mission was completed without trouble. Gratefully, a person turned among the group back as he bowed his head.

"Thank you! We'll never forget this."

And then came a howling noise as three swarmed over the roofs and charged for the pair.

--------------
​

Logan found himself hearing the sword of swords in the distance....The sort that came with dueling rather then against the creatures here. It'd lead him to the edge of the school, where two people would be fighting.

The first was a newcomer...One of the potential troublemakers from earlier.

The other was a member of the Watchtower Security Committee, Hazama's personal cadre. In a mirror move, waiting for the last second she had shifted from an iaijutsu stance, the quick draw technique. The better to use her speed as she braced herself with metal arm and her posture. Enough to indicate to anyone she had serious training.

Considering her parents, not surprising.

Answering the last question, she spoke looking him in the eye.

"I'd have laughed."

Her leg lashed out in a foot stomp, aiming for Dante's instep. The first part of a two step move to enter close and angle her elbow to smash in the direction of his throat, before spinning and flipping to a place ten feet behind him as she rose up and spoke scornfully.

"You think this is a game? Some high-school clique place, to play around? People die here- Have died, before. In war, at home. If you can't handle a simple training exercise, then its best you go home before you kill people with your ineptitude."

She turned slowly, a red-eyed wraith in the dark as her blade gleamed bright.

"But...That works the other way too. Disregard of the rules creates an attitude that you know best. That your opinion matters over those in command. If you will not learn to remove that attitude now?"

Her robotic arm clutching the blade moved, her wrist spinning in ways a flesh one could never do as the blade glinted in a challenge. Her eyes flashed as the corner of her mouth turned into a sneer.

"Then I will gut you and rip it out right here and now."

@OrlandoBloomers @Indolent

​

Nah roared back, before moving back with a flap of her wings. Rearing her head back, the Manakete hybrid spit out a large ball of what appeared to be blue flames.

"Hmph! I'm not scared of you! Prepare to die!" she exclaimed defiantly.

Hearing Tamara's words Nah nodded before firing another ball of flames at where the creature was hit and burned before.

@Ringmaster @Michale CS

 

[OrlandoBloomers]

Logan found himself hearing the sword of swords in the distance....The sort that came with dueling rather then against the creatures here. It'd lead him to the edge of the school, where two people would be fighting.

The first was a newcomer...One of the potential troublemakers from earlier.

The other was a member of the Watchtower Security Committee, Hazama's personal cadre. In a mirror move, waiting for the last second she had shifted from an iaijutsu stance, the quick draw technique. The better to use her speed as she braced herself with metal arm and her posture. Enough to indicate to anyone she had serious training.

Considering her parents, not surprising.

Answering the last question, she spoke looking him in the eye.

"I'd have laughed."

Her leg lashed out in a foot stomp, aiming for Dante's instep. The first part of a two step move to enter close and angle her elbow to smash in the direction of his throat, before spinning and flipping to a place ten feet behind him as she rose up and spoke scornfully.

"You think this is a game? Some high-school clique place, to play around? People die here- Have died, before. In war, at home. If you can't handle a simple training exercise, then its best you go home before you kill people with your ineptitude."

She turned slowly, a red-eyed wraith in the dark as her blade gleamed bright.

"But...That works the other way too. Disregard of the rules creates an attitude that you know best. That your opinion matters over those in command. If you will not learn to remove that attitude now?"

Her robotic arm clutching the blade moved, her wrist spinning in ways a flesh one could never do as the blade glinted in a challenge. Her eyes flashed as the corner of her mouth turned into a sneer.

"Then I will gut you and rip it out right here and now."

@OrlandoBloomers @Indolent

Dante's style of swordplay could be astutely described as "untamed". Masterful, undeniably, but not beholden to any established form or practice, more freestyle than instructed or disciplined. Every stroke was impassioned and powerful, his movements a constant flow from one to the next. It was like the wind, the tide, and the beating of an angel's wings; A fluid, primal onslaught condensed into the rhythm of a sword. He moved like a master and made it look easy.

Like a master: but technically not one. Someone who had truly dedicated their lives to the technique and precision that came with the sword was in a better position to see it, but Dante had never done a kata in his life. Whether it was a positive, negative or simply neutral trait could be argued, but the fact was that what the demon hunter was a master of was instinct. He knew how to wield like the weapon was an extension of his body without having gone through any of the natural training steps to attain such, and the result made for an interesting contrast with more traditionally mastered techniques like hers.

In this particular instance, tradition won out, but Dante didn't seem concerned. He coughed once at the strike to the throat and recovered, hardly even slowing his stride as he tossed Rebellion into a grip in his left hand and turned to glare daggers at her across the distance she'd cleared, upper lip curling in contempt.

"Fuck that. Who's in command of me? You?"

He scoffed as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

"You don't know the first thing about who really calls the shots in this world, lady. But this shithole, yeah, I don't doubt some kids have died here. And I bet the aliens'll line up one at a time to personally thank the fucking "Watchtower Security Committee" when this is all said and done for making their job that much simpler."

He spat, and it had barely hit the ground by the time Dante was stepping off a swift burst forward to cross the gap and swing a pair of high slashes at the security monitor, simple and straightforward in an attempt to get her to easily parry them and establish a rhythm to the clash-- Before he flipped it completely.

No sooner than the longsword Rebellion vanished in a surge of red energy was it replaced by the rapidly-forming twin Aquila shuriken, Dante's fighting style seamlessly adjusting, whirling, attempting to catch his opponent off guard and press an advantage without letting her move away, raining down blows upon her defense like a shower of hail at a far quicker tempo than he'd been attacking with Rebellion as both shuriken worked in tandem. This was like a frenetic whirlwind compared to the oscillating gales that were his sword attacks, all building towards creating an opening one of the angelic weapons could exploit to deliver a glancing slash wherever was vulnerable.

Which he figured was about as good a time as any to deliver another taunt.

"Nice arm. Your sugar daddy buy you that?"

@Ringmaster @Indolent​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

The monster froze and moved up to roar-

Before being utterly blown to bits, the upper portion shredded by the explosion.

The songbird transformed back and the boy blinked before grinning.

"That was awesome! This way now!"

And off he ran, unless they chose any other direction.

@C.T. @Schnee Corp Lawyer​

"Hmph. Too bad the bear didn't see, I bet that would have put a bit of respect into him." Rin muttered under her breath as she double checked her gems in her pocket and jogged off after the bird​

 

[C.T.]

The monster froze and moved up to roar-

Before being utterly blown to bits, the upper portion shredded by the explosion.

The songbird transformed back and the boy blinked before grinning.

"That was awesome! This way now!"

And off he ran, unless they chose any other direction.​

"...Oh. Or that." She remarked completely flatly, hand absently rising up to wipe away some of the bits that landed on her. Perhaps some of her focus should have been on her temporary partner rather than the creature. That was some wicked energy blast. Líadan jogged in turn to catch up.

"Thanks for the assist."​

 

[Kaykay]

They followed and as they did so, on the edges and on the rooftops two dull, black blurs dashed past, gone quickly. Otherwise, the place did seem pretty clear and the escort mission was completed without trouble. Gratefully, a person turned among the group back as he bowed his head.

"Thank you! We'll never forget this."

And then came a howling noise as three swarmed over the roofs and charged for the pair.

"Until fate allows us to cross paths once more!"

Well that was easy enough. Having missed the black blurs along the rooftops, the archwizard felt tense only due to the inevitable countdown to what could become an unfortunate accident. With that strange job done, that maybe she'd get paid for or something, all she had to do was go find the bath-

"Uwaaa!"

Suddenly three...somethings were upon her! If she had time she could chant up some explosion magic. but would they give her that time? Well, no time to think about that! The other guy was just someone with no points in anything, right? She couldn't count on him to beat these things up. Not to mention her complete lack of, well, anything besides her single explosion spell. Explosions or nothing!

Recovering from her surprise, she pointed her staff into the air, an orange spell circle appearing at her feet and the tip of her staff, her mantle flowing in the now moving air as she began her spell!

"Darkness blacker than black and darker than dark, I beseech thee, my ultimate destructive magic. Explosion!!"

The results spoke for themselves, the spell generating quite the explosion. Truly powerful destructive magic.

"Explosions are...the best..."

thump

More destructive than she could handle. She hit the ground unceremoniously, no longer able to move.

"Um, sorry, what was your name again? Do you mind carrying me? That was all of my magical power."

Megumin managed to raise her head in Ian's direction, needing someone to move her now. At least she got to use her explosion.

@Ringmaster @LuckycoolHawk9
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[LuckycoolHawk9]

Ian looked over at her. " Well, I'm Ian Archer and it is a good thing that we got those kids to safety. I guess I can carry you for now if you truly can't move any muscles in your body. I refuse to lose anyone in whatever strange exercise this is," he said. Using preflex was proving to be more difcult with each passing moment it would seem too.

@Ringmaster @Kaykay