Fantasy Astrella ~ Other

[Deathkitten]

~Kaleb~​

Fiddling with his phone as he walked out of the classroom finally, Kaleb let a long sigh escape his throat. This was nerve-wracking. Now at least the class was done for now, but there was lunch to contend with. He tucked away the phone and looked up at the growing line for food. Alright... well... what was for food? It couldn't be m-

WHAT THE HECK?! What was this? A Michelin star restaurant? Why were there so many fancy options? Would they... would they have to pay for it? He didn't have money. He didn't think to bring much money at all. He... oh. He breathed a huge sigh of relief as he saw the notice that the meals were free. Oh that's good.

It took a little bit, but he eventually got to the front of the line.

"I... um... I'll get a Spinach Salad with balsamic and... uh... a Gumbo... and a Water... please," he slowly eeked out, staring up at the menu as he formulated the thoughts. The woman was dressed very strangely... and looked even more strange... but, then again, they were all strange here, he supposed.

"Thank you," he muttered before heading out to find a seat. He... kind of wanted to sit near teachers... they were all Superheroes after all. He wanted to get to know them better. He was so curious about what the other teachers were like. Were they as nice as his was? Were they stern? Were they all S-class? But... at the same time, this was probably their time to get away from the kids, to a degree.

It was odd they were sitting in the same room. Maybe it was to make sure no fights happened?

Kaleb sighed again and chose a seat next to another boy ( Osuka ) with his head in a book. He sat, looking at the boy nervously, "Hi... you don't mind if I sit here... do you? My name's Kaleb."

He paused for a long moment or two before speaking up again, "What're you reading...?"

 

[Kyrenka]

~Elizar Rolonk~​

To say that the cafeteria was overwhelming would've been an understatement. The area itself was larger than most cafeterias she's seen, but in order to fit an entire school of superheroes she supposed that it wasn't unnecessary. Her breath left her though when she saw the...lunch lady? Chef? Whoever she was, the woman was stunning. She looked exactly like she'd imagine a dryad or a faerie would look. She's beautiful. Feeling her wings twitch behind her, Elizar suddenly shrunk down in shame. She wasn't a real faerie; not like the chef was. Would she be offended by her appearance? Call her out as a fake faerie? It's not like she wanted this!

Taking a steadying breath, the mute forced herself to calm down. Maybe the lady wouldn't say anything at all; it wasn't like Elizar could control the way she looked. Clutching her phone to her chest, she nodded to herself. That's right. I have nothing to be worried about. Turning her attention to the small but quickly forming line, Elizar swiftly claimed a spot. The line was moving fast so she had to make a decision fast. What's with this menu? Isn't this a bit too expensive for a bunch of kids? She knew that room and board were covered, but she hadn't known that the school would be going all out. Seriously, they have lobster!? This was too much! She had to make a choice though since her turn was coming up. The mute shoved her phone into her pocket and uncapped her marker before writing her order on her little whiteboard. When her turn came, Elizar triumphantly turned her board towards the chef. Can I have the roasted beet salad with balsamic dressing and a chai tea please? She gave the chef a moment to read and acknowledge her order before moving away from the line. As soon as the chef's attention was on the next person in line, she let out a sigh of relief. I guess I was worried over nothing. However, her new problem was finding somewhere to sit. She didn't want to be alone on her first day, but she felt anxious at the idea of inserting herself into another group. Should I just wait for Himari? The young girl was very friendly, and Elizar felt comfortable around her already. Waiting near the ordering line, the mute craned her neck in a attempt to spot Himari.

MirrorBoy

 

[Kyrenka]

~Taylor Walker~​

The blond pouted as he entered the cafeteria. After he told Anubis what was going on, she barely paid him or the news any regard. Something about how it wasn't their concern. In all honesty, he was a little salty at not getting the attention he wanted. If he was going to be even more honest, he was extremely salty over the fact that he was stuck in a classroom filled with assholes. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he drifted towards the ordering line. At least the food looks good. Taylor felt himself perk up a bit as he read the menu. Was this a normal school lunch? Judging by some of the students' reactions, it wasn't. Another reason why enrolling here was a good idea. As he slowly made his way towards the chef, the blond internally debated on what he wanted before coming to a decision. He didn't want to get sick from overeating, but it was the first day of school! He deserved a little reward. The person in front of him finished ordering and he was suddenly face to face with the chef. If she was a superhero, he didn't recognize her; the mage definitely would've remembered her! She appeared to be a dryad, or maybe a wood nymph? It hardly mattered to Taylor since her appearance was much more interesting. She's definitely embraced the nature theme. Not that it looked bad on her, in fact it looked amazing! The blond eyed her smooth hair with a hint of envy. How the fuck does she do that? He wouldn't hesitate to kill for hair like that.

Someone behind him bumped him, or maybe nudged him on purpose, which caused him to snap out of his musings. Whoops. I spent too much time gawking. Not that anyone could blame him though; just look at that hair! With one last longing glance at the glossy gleam of the chef's godly hair, damn her and her secrets, Taylor gave her his order. "Hi, can I get lobster ravioli with green tea?" The chef, hopefully not creeped out by his staring, took his order and moved onto the next person. The blond subtly moved out of the way as he scanned the cafeteria. The worst part of school, finding somewhere to sit. If Mean Girls was to be trusted, then this would either be a ton of fun or hell on earth.

Spotting two familiar faces, Taylor grinned. Looks like lunch won't be so bad after all! Kaleb ( Deathkitten ) and Fay ( Osuka ) seemed to have found each other. He hadn't seen them much since the exams, and the blond honestly was looking forward to interacting with them again. They're solid guys. Making his way over, he cheerfully asked, "Are you guys sitting together? Mind if I join?" Please say yes. While he could handle eating lunch alone, it didn't mean that he wanted to. Besides, he thought in annoyance, I need a break after dealing with my classmates. Fay and Kaleb were undoubtedly more pleasant and much more sane than Taylor's classmates.

 

[Peckinou]

Meredith

As Meredith walked through the hallways with their hands in their pocket they soon arriving at the cafeteria and after opening the doors they raised one of their eyebrows at how well it looked, for a school. "Looks like i know where the government sends all the education budgets money to." Meredith basically mumbled that to themselves as the approached the ever growing line and began to wait in it so that they could get their meal. As Meredith Approached the front of the line finally she took note of how a lot of other boys were stunned by the lunch lady. Meredith really didn't see what they found so jaw dropping about her maybe it was all that green that was on her, it made her look like a plant. Meredith then began to wonder if the lunch lady had some sorta plant related powers, she sorta looked like some sorta mother nature type of person.
Her thoughts were soon put to rest however as she approached the front of the line where the lunch lady stood there as if waiting for her order. " Oh yeah, uhm i want the... Uhm, Pepperoni Stuffed Crust Pizza and a sweet tea." . Meredith decided to stick to what she knew and liked and knew well enough. Yeah sure she use to go to fancy restaurants every once in a while it was usually owned by crime lords at times though. Although Meredith was usually cautious when eating their foods since you will never know when you might get food poisoning. Meredith then walked out of line upon completing their order as they took a long a look at the cafeteria, frowning at the fact they cant seem to find a unoccupied table. Meredith then sighed as she just went to plan B , sit at a table with a group of people or things, that she wouldn't probably hate the most.
Meredith then scanned the cafeteria finally spotting a table that wasn't that populated and had a what she found cute guy there which caused quite few thoughts to come to her mind as soon as she saw him 'Heheh, he is kinda cute, but then again the cute ones ive seen are always wacked.' . Deciding to sit at the table anyways she sat at the end of it so that she could not get in the way of their little friendship groupie huddle. Besides conversations were too tedious anyhow having to know exactly what to say so people dont think you are some psychopath is really frustrating. She then sat at the end of the table anyhow deciding that the best chance to avoid a conversation while still having a spot to sit at was there. Although the tables still weren't big anyhow so it wasn't like it was gonna do much to avoid anything really. Meredith rested her head on her hands giving a occasional glancing at the boy she found to be a bit cute. (Kaleb - Deathkitten )'Maybe talking with him wouldn't be that bad, seems like someone that you might wanna get to know. Arg why am I thinking about him ,WHY DID HE HAVE TO BE SO DARN CUTE!' Meredith started trying really hard to clear her mind of him but it instead started playing out how a conversation might go with him, mostly being bad or awkward ones with a few actually being nice. On the outside of herself though it looked like she was just spacing out staring the sea of kids as a internal argument went on inside her head.

 

[Osuka]

It didn't take very long at all for Fay's mental narration of his book to be interrupted. Without looking up from the book, he got a fair measure of the boy that had spoken up. He was a bit taller than Fay and had a divine aura to him, but he wasn't going to use his "sight" on him to simply pick that much up. It'd be pointless when they were in the school. The Sight was meant for something that was so incredibly important that you wouldn't mind not being able to scrub the images of what followed using the sight from your mind. There were beautiful and terrible things to see in the world that the naked eye, trained or not, couldn't.

"Please," he said with a smile, gesturing with a free hand that motioned to a nearby seat. "Help yourself. I don't think I have a claim on anything here but my food, so I don't mind."

Of course, he was about to return to his book before he got another question out of him. With an almost gentle gesture, Fay turned the book to look at the title, translating it from its arcane language in his head before he would speak again.

"It's 'Transfiguration of Mundus,'" he began. "The book explains the theory and application of ritual magick in a roundabout, story-telling way, which I admit is a bit of a weakness of mine. Astrella's would categorize me as a snapcaster since I'm more comfortable with the quick and dirty kind of evocation. My old school categorized me as an improvised mage. If I do any channeling or ritual magick, I still have to rely on pre-made glyphs or blueprints, and that takes preparation that I might not have time for in certain situations, but with snap-casting, I get to be flexible and wing it as a situation changes." He took a moment to look at the cover of the book and frowned. "The tales of Celes are quite a read, and I'm sad I don't have the original copy. This is just a re-print.

"Why do you ask, though, if you don't mind?" he continued. "Do you have an interest in the Arcane? You seem to carry more of a Divine aura than an arcane, so I'd imagine you gain your abilities via your deity's Miracles."

Fay's accidental interrogation was cut short as he felt something else approach, and when he thought 'Something else,' he meant 'Something.'

In his very short but very exposed years of living, he had read about what he felt, but he never actually felt it before. No, that would be a lie. It was two weeks before classes officially started that there was a pulse of sorts. It felt like what a corpse smelled like, but it wasn't so in an unpleasant manner. After all, it didn't make his skin crawl, but it brought back a flood of memories. The school in Alaska was the first.

Pull it back, kiddo came the voice in his head. Pull back. Things happen, and you're still too young to consider it.

But it was too late.

In a single instant, the battle back in the Arcane School for young Magi flashed across his eyes. Spells of death and pain and suffering flickering as if it took up more space than the air around them splashed and boomed behind feral snarls. The feeling of icy cold running through his veins. Unforgettable, shrill screams of agony and the rattling final breaths of the dying filling his ears. Fay's body shook during that single, solitary second before the images changed. A surge of energy so large that it took away his breath during that instant two weeks ago, and a sudden shout that he didn't feel escape him as his reflexes threw up a barrier in front of him and his dorm mates. The vision of glass spilling forth to collide with the shimmering air in front of him.

That feeling was something entirely eldritch. Alien. Something from another dimension, and even if the person who had approached was from Earth, the fact remained that someone in their lineage was not.

...ay... Fay...!

The sound was distant but familiar. Fay's eyes were just as distant for a moment as-

FAIRIEL DOMINUS FLUORITE!!!! the voice now boomed with the heavy, gong-like manifestation of pure arcane power, making his body nearly jolt. Snap out of it, curse you!! Play nice and say hello to the other person who just walked up. You aren't allowed to have flashbacks in front of people - Wizards don't do that.

"But I'm not a wizard yet," he retorted in his mind.

Those stuffy shits in high-chairs don't know what makes a wizard. Why are you such a handful? It's just a school getting attacked-

"Sh-" he started, then quickly shut his mouth. "Shut up," he finished in his head. "I don't want to hear you right now."

That was the most forceful he had been with the voice as of yet, and he found it suddenly all too quiet. Words had power, when backed by the force of the Arcane. Names were no different. They were very specific, very powerful marks upon a person. There's a lot of stock put in a name, whether one realized it or not. The things that the person placed under the name: the things they liked, the things the hated, their moral compass, their achievements and failures- everything that made them who and what they are. Invoking that kind of power came with a very immediate effect, which is why it took non-believers in such a thing only one experience with that kind of power to change their mind.

With the Arcane, the target didn't have to believe in it. It was just the opposite: It was the caster who had to believe in it, place their faith in that which they cast, and have the Will to manifest it into reality.

Fay allowed himself a single, normal breath before he turned to the most recent newcomer and smiled.

"Sorry about that," he said with his sing-song near-soprano voice as he turned to look at the newest additions to their table. "I'm Fay. What's your names?"

All of it passed within a single second. A very long, very painful, very hollow second to Fay. It was obvious to him that he had a bigger problem than just PTSD. Anyone would have problems after the battle at the school, but the voice that he had with him had suddenly used a very powerful form of magick. Something that had pulled him from flashbacks so quickly that it had rattled his soul to the core. He didn't have a doubt that the school had a counselor or nurse of sorts, and he made up his mind that it was about time he started utilizing it. The voice... If it was part of a split personality, then he wouldn't recollect it and it wouldn't speak to him, and it's way of speaking never matched his. Split personalities didn't communicate with one another, but if he had some sort of mental issue, he would have to deal with it before it got in the way of his studies.

Good luck, kid, It responded to his thoughts after its time of silence. You're stuck with me - for better or worse.

Deathkitten Kyrenka Peckinou

 

[Deathkitten]

~Kaleb~​

"Oh," Kaleb started with a small chuckle, "Yes... I'm a divine user. Your book just seems interesting. To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about magic in general yet. I didn't even have powers at all until my goddess intervened."

A smile touched Kaleb's lips as he looked up at Taylor, conversation veering slightly, "Of course I don't mind... It's wonderful to have a friend group, after all. I'm just pleased that I seem to have, at least potentially, found mine so quickly. I was worried I would have trouble doing so."

Fay apologized for the strange look he had for only a moment, and introduced himself.

"That's such a unique name. I'm Kaleb. Nice to meet you," he introduced, smiling more sweetly now, concerned for him, "Oh... but, to continue. My goddess is more of a mechanism for me to have my powers. I'm her champion. The only one she has right now, as far as she's said. I can do things very similar to arcane magic, but instead of it being powered from myself, it is powered in tandem with my deity. That limits it and makes it more complicated... but I should be able to, in time, do more typically arcane spells. The biggest thing... at least as far as she's said... is that I need to maintain a good relationship with her. Prayer is important, for instance. It's almost like an agreement with the deity, and it gives them more power, more energy. Having a holy symbol is really important too. There are some gods' champions that don't need one, but... they're way stronger than I'd probably ever be."

He chuckled at his little note of self-doubt before continuing, "She wants to use me for something. I don't know what yet. Until that point, I just want to learn as much as I can about all this magic stuff! It's fascinating... but I really hardly know how to do anything. We haven't had a Super in the family in a couple generations. I'd love to hear more about that book, to be honest. It sounds really interesting... such a unique medium to explain things in. Plus... ritual is more common with divine magic users... I think. Convening with your deity and all that. Mine is just a pain in the butt. Heh... She's really noisy sometimes."

No revelry from you. I'm really not that bad, am I? she piped up in his mind, as expected.

Well... you did end up almost getting me exploded the other day... so...

Fair point. So... what's with your new friend, Fay? Cute name, seeing as he's not Fae. He could totally pull of being Fae though... he almost looks like a girl. Regardless... he feels bizarre. There's something more going on there, and it's magically quite impressive.

The feeling of his goddess disappeared as quickly as it had come, causing Kaleb to sigh. Great... What was she doing now?

She, like the curious cat she was, moved her presence over to Kaleb's new potential friend. Speaking in his mind instead, her distinctly feminine, deific voice was loud and clear, Well hello there you interesting little mage.

"I'm so sorry about whatever stunt she might pull. There's no point in me arguing with her. She just piped up and left, and I don't trust it."

Fay... I like the name... Do tell, though. What in the world was that discreet arcane burst? All the people here are so interesting, but you, young man, have caught my attention more than most others. Pleased to meet you... and your little friend, too. I'm still trying to discern who they are, however.

(( Osuka Peckinou Kyrenka ))

 

[Osuka]

If Fay knew he was about to have the day he was having now, he would've made preparations. There were many ways to shield one from the influence or even communication with deities. Of course, with his level, he'd still need help from his step-mother and a few of her contacts, which would have put him at least a week or two behind with preparations, so at this point there was nothing that he could do.

After Kaleb's introduction, Fay was suddenly greeted with the very real and very heavy presence of a deity within his mind, and it was reflex to suddenly throw up barriers. A physical barrier to protect the mind, a barrier that would hopefully stop her from taking from his mana reserves now that she was in, another barrier to trap her in until he figured a way to keep her out permanently (since in his opinion, being this intrusive was at least ten times more rude than the prodding he did with Lyara-)

Pervert.

"You can still shut up, voice."

Not the comedic type still, I see.

Continuing on; and a barrier that would allow him to isolate her specifically within the mind so that she couldn't take over the physical body. Against a deity, he didn't really think he stood a chance, but it was a wizard's way to be as annoying as possible in impossible situations. That was always the fun part when things went FUBAR. To be fair, the only reason he knew she was Kaleb's deity other than the fact they felt the same was the boy piping up to offer that information.

So, Fay did what he did best, sat back, continued his reading, and let the chaos ensue.

Alright, lady, the voice started. There's only room for two epic-level awesome people, and considering you aren't as awesome as me, you're still taking up a lot of space and I like that space. I'd really appreciate it if you left.

"Oh it's fine," Fay responded to Kaleb as he smiled wide, turning a page with an invisible hand. "This should be interesting. I mean, I'm crazy, so we'll see what happens."

"Come on, voice, say hello to the nice lady. Wizards don't lose their cool in front of people - they're not allowed to.

Oh hardy har har, Fay. Coming from you, that's rich. What's better is you totally ripped that off of me and twisted it, kinda like my ankle if I had one.

"Ignore that me. I'm crazy, I think, he finally said in return to the deity. While you're here, though I don't think the barrier can stop you even if I made it as powerful as I could, kick your shoes off, put them up on a desk or something and enjoy yourself. After all, since you're here anyway, I get to learn a thing or two how to prevent this next time. Progress comes from trial and error.

Wizards hated being mentally prodded. It was a privacy thing; sue him and every other wizard out there. What was fun was the fact that the voice that was always poking him to go out, make friends, make enemies, make a cake, make an impenetrable barrier capable of tanking a nuclear warhead without even a scratch while simultaneously disarming it so it wouldn't explode and cause property damage and they can give it a break for a day, learn how to rollerblade, and maybe kiss a girl for once was about to get a lesson in hospitality.

"To answer your question, ma'am, I think it's my PTSD and my more rational side using the arcane burst to back up saying my name and pull me out of my episode." he began. "You can dig around about that if you want, but it might be boring. Names have a lot of power, after all, including a deity's, except you have to do it right or you summon Chthulu because loopholes. That's why I don't mess with divine forces. Mess it up and you suddenly want to bathe the world in blood to raise the most unholy, powerful, and cruel thing that could ever possibly exist. What's your name?"

Look at you being all nice and stuff to someone who just interjected themselves into your conscience, the voice said with sarcasm. And as far as you know, I could be incredibly real. Mic drop, please.

Fay knew that he might have been coming off as rude, but at this point, he was attempting to trap a deity in his skull so he could figure out how to stop another one from doing it again, so if he was going to take a risk, he might as well do it royally - right after he turns the next page.

Deathkitten

 

[Deathkitten]

~De'kiral~​

"I'm just going to want one of everything but the clam chowder and the ravioli. For the drink, just water," the dragon teacher said after finally getting up to the front of the line, "Thanks."

He turned away and sighed his way into a seat across from Lu-Dao. Should be at least a good few minutes before food starts to go out. "Hey," he said simply, looking the stern-faced other teacher up and down, "How'd your class go? Mine was pretty easy. They all seem really eager to learn. They're really nice to each other, too. It's nice to not feel like I'm going to have to break up a fight every two seconds since that's what I usually get stuck with..."

De'kiral waited for Lu-Dao to speak and finish speaking before continuing, "So... This Tempest thing. We need to find out who hacked everyone's phones, for one, but that'll be the tech department's job mostly. For two... have you seen Astrella today? She's been acting strange. I guess something finally actually gets to her... as stoic as she is. She seemed almost nervous. It was weird. Mind you, this was before classes started, but still. Perhaps she just didn't get a good night's sleep?"

"Tempest might end up wanting to come here though. There's another student from his school, right? He's close enough... So... I dunno. I don't want to be paranoid, of course. It just seems like a possibility that we may want to consider. That and all the things that have been going on recently? Geez... it almost makes me wish I was still doing Hero work instead of teaching," he paused, smiling a bit as he glanced around at the kids, "This is a better job though... Eh. I'm talking too much. Grace me with your voice, oh stoic one. I want to know what you're thinking about all this. About the phones, Tempest, the class you have... stuff. Gotta wait for food to get here anyways, but trust me, once it does come, I'll be too busy eating to bother you with talking. I have an appetite like a ghoul, just not with all the death... heh."

He was normally at least somewhat stoic himself... but he didn't want to act like that with his coworkers. He could push himself to be a little more social with them. After all, they all wanted the same thing. They all loved teaching the next generation, and that was important to all of them. What better time to be social than during lunch?

"Oh yeah... after this we have fitness class, right? Get them exercising? Should be fun... especially since we aren't as separate with that. If you want, if they pair well anyways, we can group our classes together for that. Quite a few kids in my class seem shy, and I'd like to try to pair them up a bit more selectively than just a fitness free-for-all."

 

[Deathkitten]

Osuka

 

[Osuka]

Lu-Dao

It was when a fellow teacher, the Dragon De'Kiral had shown up that Lu-Dao was pulled from his thoughts. His gaze flicked to the co-worker as he meshed his hands together to rest his chin upon them, his visage never changing as he listened in. Astrella had been acting strange, to say the least, though he couldn't pin-point just what was throwing off her normal appearance just yet. There were too many things to consider with the ongoing investigation concerning the attack. Someone or something had put the students in danger, and he was right in the middle of the detonations with Anubis when it happened. It was enough that it burst his ear drums, leaving him entirely deaf before classes started.

He had to hand it to the woman: Joy was talented.

But then the subject of the phones had come up, and instead of his normal not-looking-at-anything-in-particular visual patterns, they flicked straight to De'Kiral to look at him entirely.

"My student Baki is insisting that the Tempest that had been locked up is an imposter," he began, sitting back as he rested his meshed hands on the table. "Meaning that he knows more about the villain than we may. I think it would be worth investigating if we're suspecting Tempest to make an appearance here.

"Which brings me to the Elemental Manipulation entrance exam: Are we entirely sure that he can control more than air now? Has he gained more elements to add to his arsenal? Considering my current inability to understand human written language, I've not entirely been able to read the files on him. I also want to know who had released that kind of information to the student body. You can see that it's making them all worried, and it'll get in the way of their advancement.

"It was reckless for whoever gained that information to do so." He finished, eyes narrowing, his visage finally showing some sort of reaction for once. It put his students in a difficult position, and their futures would be difficult enough as it is.

"So humor me," he started again. "Let's consider that Baki-"

"Oh piss off," came a voice as a bag slung into another seat before Tsunami plopped into the one next to it. "Call me Tsunami or don't call me anythin'. Anyway, you want info? Then here: Tempest isn't the kind of bloke to go around hurtin' others. I would know - I had to protect him the entire time he and I were in Victoria's. Called me a troublemaker and him an enabler cuz instead of just reporting it after he got his arse kicked, I'd step in, beat their arse, tell the teachers, and then I was the one cleaning the school for another week.

"He couldn't even hurt a bee stingin' 'im. The kid's shy, scared easily, and he's Autistic, so he's fuckin' brilliant but socially awkward. He didn't suddenly just snap n' go rogue. People don't do that shit. He was kidnapped, and if he's dead, I get dibs on the arse runnin' around lookin' like him, because it might not bring Tempest back, but it'll make sure no one else has to lose their family to that nut. So shut it with ya "The Villain Tempest Escaped" shit. It's an imposter. He couldn't've just picked up more elements like in the Exam, either. He's brilliant, but that shit takes time, and it hasn't been long enough for anyone to learn that many more elements."

Now it was Tsunami's turn for Lu-Dao to gain his full attention.

"How are you so sure that there isn't an outside force acting upon Tempest, then?"

There was his only question. If Tempest was a victim of identity fraud, then the rest would be incredibly easy to deal with: Find the imposter, interrogate him, find the body, then place the imposter back under arrest in a more secure location. If this one was the real Tempest, then the problem became far more complex. It could be tech, it could be possession - it could be anything.

By the look on Tsunami's face as he glared at Lu-Dao, even daring to not break eye contact or even show the man a modicum of respect, Lu-Dao could tell the boy had considered it. Still, instead of simply continuing to interrogate for now, Lu-Dao did something that would've been strange to anyone else who would have seen - even De'Kiral.

"We'll fix it if the latter is true, Tsunami," he said as he put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "If it's an imposter, then he'll be off the streets and we'll make sure he never escapes again. If it's not, then whatever is happening with him, we have the resources and connections to make it go away, and you'll have him back again."

No student of his was allowed to suffer without some sort of consequence, and he was the consequence. Whoever sent the text was going to meet him, and whoever else put his students in pain or danger will have far more than a bad day.

Still, Tsunami shrugged off the hand as he sat back, out of the teacher's reach, and looked away.

"If Tempest isn't a victim of identity theft," Tsunami began, looking at both of them. "and any permanent harm comes to him caused by any of you, then you better pray I'm in a forgiving mood."

With that, Tsunami picked his bag up, walked away, then tossed it back where it was before re-seating himself in his original place, glaring out the window with his chin resting in his hand.

Deathkitten (Yes, he just threated two incredibly powerful teachers because he don't give a fuck. xD)

 

[Deathkitten]

~Chutes the Librarian~​

The thin, moderate height, strange looking wolf-person walked into the cafeteria as well after a little while. He didn't even bother standing in line, however, and walked over instead to what seemed to be becoming the teachers' table. Well... staff table in general now. The room seemed to shift around him. Every step had power behind it, and though it was too loud to hear the steps, they were profound, as though tapping his nice leather boots on the fabric of reality itself.

Light even seemed to bow to this otherwise unassuming individual. At his feet as he tapped along, there was just the slightest sign of refraction, the sort you see in all those models of black holes at the event horizon. He paused to watch the boy go back to another table. He had missed something, it seemed. He was buried in books all this morning. Mm... speaking of which...

His course took a detour, heading instead to one boy reading a book, Transfiguration of Mundus. He knew immediately that there was a book in the room, where that book was, and what the book was.

"You have a book in a place where food could easily get onto it," he said, voice mundane and non-unique, average, though despite that it still commanded the air the same way everything else about him did, "I love books as well. After all, I'm the librarian. That said, you should do well to be careful not to damage the book with food or beverage."

He was terrifying, to put it simply, though his face was not hard or irritated or... really much of anything. He was neutral to all of this, despite the warning he had just given.

"That's a good book," he stated, looking down at it with his blue and gold eyes before making a small hmm noise, "Written by the great wizard Celes if I'm not mistaken? An impressive individual. His name should sit on the same level as the famous philosophers and scientists of old. I much prefer the original, myself. I'm picky."

His hand gently flicked out to his side as he said this, light warping around it more intensely for a moment. In the warping light's place, however, sat a book thousands of years old. "Transfiguration of Mundus," he said, pointing to the title as the book floated above his hand, "It is, however, entirely written in arcane script, so some find it difficult to read. I for one enjoy the stranger books, ones that are written with magic. This was particularly hard to find... though not the most difficult to acquire book I have. This does have the added benefit of including notes in the margin from the author, something that later versions lost."

(( Osuka ))

 

[Deathkitten]

~Kaleb~​

Oh... no need. I don't want to invade your privacy any more than is necessary to talk to you, Fay. The only alternative would be to possess Kaleb temporarily... but he doesn't know how to handle that yet. It would be such a drain on him, the curious deity said, giving him a distinct mental smile since she couldn't see her physically.

Kaleb on the other hand was trying to ignore the fact that his goddess was causing problems, instead choosing to distract himself with his cellphone. While it wasn't anything fancy, especially for today's standards, it did the job. He had games on it and all that, though he felt like he kind of sucked at them.

So... mister Mic Drop... you're not a figment then. I had already come with that assumption, but it's good to get confirmation, even when you're certain. Are you a mentor of sorts? A guide? You do not feel deific... so you are not like me. Hm. Again, I don't want to pry too much. I only wanted to say a curious hello.

Kaleb's phone time was distracted, however, when a very strange kemonomimi walked up to their table. He almost dropped his phone he was so surprised. What WAS this person? He was... just... was he even real? Maybe... reality warping magic? Oh who was he kidding... he didn't know enough to tell arcane from divine from nature... let alone whatever was going on with this guy. The librarian. He decided it was best to stay quiet instead of ask questions.

(( Osuka ))

 

[Osuka]

There were currently two problems at the moment, as far as Fay could tell. One, there was the champion of a deity sitting across from him, and instead of using the Champion as a host and using a Miracle to rejuvenate him after she was done with the possession, she was talking to him, in his head, while he was sitting with her Champion. Now, it was true that Fay hadn't really watched television - books are much more descriptive, after all, but he almost felt like he was the side piece and the Deity was the cheater in all this. It was a weird way to put it to himself, but at the moment, it was the only thing he could really compare it to.

The other problem was that now the Deity was talking about "Mr. Mic Drop" and how he was real. There were a few ways to test if you were being passively possessed using the Arcane, and when one goes into the School for Gifted Magi, they test you for that, but he came through clean. So it stood to reason to him, initially, that he was so absolutely addle-minded that he had created something rather than just being crazy since he was tied to the Arcane.

Then, of course, came the fact that he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings as he suddenly heard the voice of the person in his head mentally prod him.

Seriously strong weirdo coming in at your 2 o'clock, the voice reported, and Fay couldn't help but look up to see the Kemonomimi suddenly correct his course and come straight over. The man was strong, and it was true, but there was something that bothered Fay about the way he strode, and it wasn't the physical act itself. Reality was changing around him, his shoes felt as if they were falling too heavily, and for a man with that much power, he probably knew how to mask it, but likely was choosing not to.

That last part was annoying, but he wasn't about to be turned into wall plaster to be painted over because the Wizard in him said "Hey, that's kinda cocky, isn't it?"

So, instead, he listened to the man talk, having gathered he was a librarian, then smiled and held up a finger. In an instant, in his other hand, the book suddenly erupted in small flames, but the book seemed as if it wasn't being touched at all. Instead, as more fire was added, it almost seemed like the book itself was working at a pace that put out more than what was added. It was only a couple seconds before the book was uncovered from the snuffed flames, revealing that it was entirely untouched and undamaged. Again, this time, he put the book in front of him and held his hand out, which suddenly opened as if a faucet, dumping the water all over, yet the water would disappear before it could soak into the book or even touch the table.

"I-" was all he got out of his mouth before the voice again boomed so loudly that it physically made his ears ring.

GET THAT BOOK RIGHT NOW!!!! it screamed, mentally pointing to the book the man held. I don't know how he has it, but that's one of mine - one I wrote, and I want it back!!

"Ow!!! Shut up, you idiot! Fay yelled back at him within the confines of his thoughts, rubbing his head as if he had just clipped it against a pole. Why are you so loud?! What do you mean you "Wrote it?" You're not real - I'm just cra-

And with that, Fay's aura suddenly changed entirely to that of the ancient wizard Celes, and the power that cascaded from him for a fraction of a second wasn't something that his own untrained, youthful body couldn't possibly hold.

I can't possess you because I'd feel bad, but that thing is far too dangerous to be in a place with people. It has part of me with it. Get. It. Back. And Ms. Glitter pants? You can get out now.

That being said, Celes suddenly let forth an arcane blast of force within the confines of Fay's body, and if his spell were to work, the Deity would have very sudden, very rude boot from the boy's mind, landing her exactly where she was before she decided to do so.

Fay's body was trembling, however, and instead of simply allowing this to continue, he grunted, gritted his teeth, focused, and reached for his Will.

It went without saying that a Wizard's will, aside from his mind, is the most powerful force that he or she has access to. When they really put their mind to something, and decided they were going to be so stubborn that they couldn't be allowed to be in public in fear they would melt someone's face off for not having a good shave that day, they were pretty damn effective. The aura around Fay flickered, visible now, having gone from a powerful cascade of force to something that was entirely his. Something reserved and more cautious. Gentle in its nature, but never wavering. The cost was most of his reserves, and since he couldn't use the rest to take down his barriers, until later, he was spent and unable to do more.

.....Well shit, kid.

The cold table felt nice. It wasn't "I'm going to go to sleep now" nice, but it was something physical. It was something that grounded him to the place around him. It was something that he could touch, feel, and respond to, and after a moment, Fay sat back up and looked at the man who had the book.

"I'm sorry," he began, finally beginning to process things. "May I see it? I'll be cautious with it, of course."

That book is mine, Fay.

"And this book, like other books, will be a tool in which one can learn from, random disembodied voice."

I'm the Wizard Celes, born within the era of Egypt's Old Kingdom-

"And I'm Merlin- can't ya tell? Pull that again, and if you're really who you say you are, I'm going to find a way to lock you in a little box where you'll stay for the rest of existence, and I know you love your space, so it'll be cramped - iron maiden-style cramped, and not the band, either. Never do that again. Even if I do look up to you, I won't tolerate it."

"I'm well versed in the Arcane Script, so I shouldn't have any trouble reading it. You can sit here to make sure if you would like."

 

[Deathkitten]

~Chutes the Librarian~​

The librarian looked at the book, then back to the child who had had an outburst that said fairly solidly who his friend was. Well wasn't that fun. Should he anger Celes more, then?

He stole a glance to the staff table, where De'kiral was now looking over as if to say, "Now what?" knowing that Chutes could be a handful when he wanted to be. And he was going to be. That was fine though. It didn't really matter in the long run. In the now, however... this was fun. Celes... he had been gone for thousands of years, but to a mage that would be like a physicist meeting Issac Newton. Fair enough. Good to see this child didn't seem reverential, even to someone like that.

The matter of his question... however... hm.

"No."

A suitable response, really...

After only a short moment, he piped up again, "If you wish to read it, feel free to do so in the library. You may also check it out from the library. The books have similar protections on them as you do to yours... so even if you decide to continue the practice of taking books into non-book-friendly areas, it won't make a difference. If I were to just hand you it, then I wouldn't have the records."

"If you are interested in Celes...," he glanced back at the teachers before smirking a little, the first his facial expression had changed from neutral, "There is a section that you have to get special permission for, which you do not yet have, but... if you do get it..."

The book he had been floating about in his hand disappeared with the same light-warping effect that bringing it in had had. Practically in the same moment, he brought the tip of his tail up. A more intense distorted clear ball appeared just above it, and in its place floated another book. A much more... potent book. A book that was worn and torn and needed some serious tlc. A book that absolutely stunk of magic. No title, no writing on the cover itself.

His voice was a dangerous, amused whisper, Trickster-like, something that better fit his jester-like attire, "This, Fay, should not exist... but it does. I believe you know whose grimoire this is? If you get the proper permissions in my library, you could be allowed to look at it."

(( Osuka ))

 

[Deathkitten]

~Saruki and Vurudial~​

After some deliberation, it was decided (mostly by Saruki) that they needed to spend lunch actually in the cafeteria. Especially the first lunch. It would be the best opportunity to get a feeling for everyone. They couldn't pass that up if they wanted to escape eventually. Entering the cafeteria, there was a strange scene going on between Fay, one of their roommates, and another person that the two of them didn't recognize.

"Intervening would be too much of a pain," Vurudial whispered to Saruki.

She replied in turn, "Agreed. Let's just get in line and get food... we can watch from here."

And watch they did. The line was still going fairly quickly, despite the rubbernecking that was occurring due to the jester wannabe and little girly Fay. At the front of the line, the two did a double take at the menu, Vurudial furrowing his brow. Free? Did they do something to the food? Would they? Places like this were unlikely to be truly altruistic, so what was the reasoning behind such superfulous food?

"We both want the special," Vurudial piped up after sharing a look with Saruki, "She wants a soda. I want green tea."

Not one for niceties, they stepped out of the line and looked about. Where to sit? Not with Fay, unfortunately. He was... an unknown at the moment, given the intense conversation. No, instead, Saruki took the lead and trotted up to another boy, Tsunami.

Sitting down, with Vurudial following grimly behind her, she piped up cheerfully, "Hi! Decided to sit on the other side of the cafeteria from that mess. I'm Saruki. My brother's Vurudial. Nice to meet you." Vurudial sighed and sat down as well, much more slowly than her sister. The blue of his hair and the pink of hers made Vurudial think of a cotton candy swirl. Too many vibrant colors for his taste, like a pastel child's toy threw up.

(( Osuka ))

 

[Osuka]

No.

No?

Celes wasn't having no for an answer, and he wasn't going to do some quest for some dog in order to have his book back. Neither Transfiguration of the Mundane nor the Grimoire. Even if it shouldn't exist, he could tell the man wasn't lying. Without so much as Fay being knowledgeable about it, the change took place. A slight gust of wind had ruffled the boy's hair as he stood, pulling the hood back from his face to expose his visage completely, and it looked absolutely alien on Fay.

It was a grin. It was a very determined, very cocky, and very headstrong grin. Something that only the best of wizards wore when a whelpling challenged them thinking they could easily defeat some old coot. It was a grin that simply stated that, if he wished for it, he would have it, no matter what it was.

"I'm sorry," he began his voice now something more of a light basso instead of Fay's own more kind and softer tone, aura oozing out to signify that he was now standing in place of the boy. "Did you say 'Grimoire,' pal? Because if you did, then I'm going to have to ask you to give it back to me. After all, that Grimoire is dangerous in the wrong hands, and anyone's hands but mine is dangerous enough. Well, mine and Fay's, given he learns how to use it properly. I do need a Protege of sorts."

Celes would be the one in control here. He already booted a deity, and if he had to do the same for a puppy to get back something that the man had no right to, then he would, but he would much rather avoid it. It wouldn't be fair to the rest of the students who were surely going to take their courses seriously in order to be the best they can to not have lunch, and one student, unfortunately Fay, was going to skip out on it for today. The longer Celes was in Fay's body, the more the boy would have to sleep. In a couple minutes at most, it'd start putting more and more of a strain on him until the body would simply crumple.

But, if he could stop entire armies that were almost as smart as he himself was, which was actually a compliment, then he was sure he could deal with a lone wolf. After all, they weren't as dangerous if they weren't in a pack, and to be honest, cloning was cheating, and no true gentleman would reduce himself to such trickery.

"I only have a couple minutes...." He paused for a moment, then looked at the man and sized him up. "Chutes, right? Finding out that way is just a party trick, I know, but since you know me already, I feel I should know at least your first name. So. Grimoire. Hand over my grimoire and Fay might actually get to eat before he has to be dragged off to the nurse's office.

"And before you start: No," he continued "Fay wouldn't have had the gumption to ask you to just hand it over, and someday that is going to be his. So let's just do this while I'm wanting to be at least civil about the discussion and we can all eat in peace."

Deathkitten Kyrenka Peckinou

 

[Deathkitten]

~Chutes the Librarian~​

"Oh," this was more interesting, though he doubted his co-workers would much agree, "You've deigned to show yourself then?"

The man all but ignored him, tail pulling forward slightly as the grimoire opened and he looked in it lazily, "You know, for someone so famous and well spoken, your handwriting is awful. Mm. You're not registered as a ghost, and thusly, dead men don't own their old things when they were alive... especially not when you've been dead for around four thousand years. This has become an artifact, of sorts, and it happens to belong to me now... and by association, the school." If he attempted to snatch it or interact with it, his attempt would be deflected same as light... same as space, it seemed.

"I saved it from being burnt to a crisp, turned into ash, and lost to the wind," Chutes said, grinning dangerously, "Now, if you can set aside your ego for two moments, then you'll start to appreciate that and appreciate it properly. The book, the writings, the magic inside of it, all from a pile of ash, and all... well... good as new. It's hardly my fault you couldn't keep proper care of your poor grimoire."

"I'll start to believe you care about your pet project when you stop letting your knee-jerk reactions rob him of food and energy. For someone as old as yourself... really, I expected someone better. I suppose that's what you get when you believe the rumors and legends about someone. A pathetic image, practically a mirage of what they were made to seem. A shame," he mused quietly, the book disappearing as easily as it had arrived, "I hope for Fay's sake that he actually gets to eat. Revelations like this are better had over food, in my opinion. If he wants to see the book, ask for permission from his teacher, and then you'll get to see that section of the library. Simple. Listen better... mage. I do hate to repeat myself."

With that, he turned and began to walk towards the staff table.

(( Osuka ))

 

[Steve Freeling]

Steve walked into the cafeteria, the tall and skinny youth still flipping the day's events over in his mind. Okay, that girl lost her crap over cigarettes and messed around with my gravity and that bastard Tempest - or Tempest imposter - broke out of prison. Wait a sec. How the hell does any of that make any sense? And my bike isn't eve-
"Don't I know you?" A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Huh?" Steve wheeled around upon hearing the voice, his blue eyes widening at what he saw. In front of him was a tall redheaded girl his own age with gray eyes. And she was his sister's best friend. "Diane? I didn't know you were coming to school here."
She grinned. "So the sheriff's kid remembers me, huh?"
He turned back around to face forward with the line, looking back with a smirk. "Why wouldn't I? You are my sister's buddy, aren't you? By the way, what's the story with you and that Roy guy?"
"What's it to you, anyway?"
"I mean like you're always together."
"None of your business."
"I didn't see him hanging around you in the weeks before school started, though."
"Well, if you must know, he got in a fight with me and I put his stupid ass in the hospital. It's over between us."
Steve busted a gut laughing and said the first thing that came to mind. "Serves the dumbass right."
Diane narrowed her eyes. "You think that's funny?"
"Well, yeah, he had it coming. He should have expected that going against you."
She punched his shoulder lightly. "You lunkhead."
Anyone could tell that was a joke. Steve was no exception. He simply played along. "Ah, come on. When I took my IQ test, I got a score of 135."
"So, how are your parents?"
"Well, Dad's still just as foul-mouthed as ever and Mom's still trying to get DCFS to take Ben away from Mrs. Tuthill and she's thankfully managed to recover from how the Devil bastards shot her a whole bunch of times."
"She's still starving him, then?"
"She's never changed. She always treats him like crap."
"Not much different from Mom, I guess."
"What did she do?"
"She beat Kenny with a baseball bat when he was eight."
Steve's eyes widened with shock. He knew Kenny. Kenny, Diane's 14-year-old brother, would often feed them information on where the Devils were at night. "What's that?! What happened to Kenny?!" Rage was apparent in his tone.
"That's not all. When I was five and Kenny was three, she tried to kill Dad because he refused to give her money."
"What? What did she do?"
"She beat him repeatedly before throwing him into a whirlpool in Lake Tahoe."
"But he lived? How? A whirlpool is..."
"He faked her out, swam to safety and then went into hiding. Then a while ago, he showed up again, signed me up for school here and took Kenny in because... You know how Mom smoked all those cigarettes, right?"
Steve shook his head. "I never heard anything about it."
Just then it was Steve's place in line. "Eh, just get me a slice of pepperoni pizza and some water."
"The special and a sweet tea."
"So, your mom..."
"She's in the hospital dying from tuberculosis."
On the one hand, Steve was stunned because of what he'd just heard. On the other, he knew full well cigarettes would kill you. "I'm so sorry." He also knew a parent was still a parent, regardless of whatever they may have done.
"Yeah, I mean she's still my mom, regardless of what she did."
And then they went to sit down near Tsunami whom Steve recognized from class and two other students they both recognized from orientation.
"Crazy day today, huh?" Steve said casually as if discussing the weather.
Osuka Deathkitten

 

[Osuka]

Interrupt: (
"I'll start to believe you care about your pet project when you stop letting your knee-jerk reactions rob him of food and energy. For someone as old as yourself... really, I expected someone better. I suppose that's what you get when you believe the rumors and legends about someone. A pathetic image, practically a mirage of what they were made to seem. A shame," he mused quietly, the book disappearing as easily as it had arrived, "I hope for Fay's sake that he actually gets to eat. Revelations like this are better had over food, in my opinion. If he wants to see the book, ask for permission from his teacher, and then you'll get to see that section of the library. Simple. Listen better... mage. I do hate to repeat myself."

With that, he turned and began to walk towards the staff table. )

"Wasting time. Fay's time." And so it would begin. Immediately after he was done saying "care," Celes began his move, and it started with a dome around the two of them, made entirely from his own inner reserve of mana. Nothing would get in or out, and the only way anyone was going to escape is if he willingly lowered it. This he was sure of. No one would be allowed to say he didn't care about the person who was about to carry on his work.

"Hand it over, Fido," he began. "I tried to do this the nice way, and instead of being amicable, you decided you would try to attack my ego. Instead, all you did was remind me I don't have time to waste with you since Fay's health is on the line, so either you hand it over, or you're going to be on sick leave for a month, and I'm sure you don't want to be apart from your Library. With someone like yourself, you've proven the book isn't safe with you, and though I thank you for saving it, I'm not letting you keep it regardless of your attachment to your fine work."

Once he was finished speaking, Celes decided it would be about time to mess with gravity. He wasn't going to crank it slowly either, since the man was so sure he could leave with it. Instead, he automatically set it to two thousand times earth's gravity and left only the space around his body, in a form-fitting manner, untouched by the spell. It might have been an area attack, but he wasn't so dumb that he was going to fall for his own spell. On top of it, his own buffs started coming into play rapid-fire: shields, reserves, reflexes - anything one could think of doing, he started throwing out left and right to himself.

"So you're stuck here until you either kill this body, which I'm not going to allow you to do - and it would be against your position as an associate of Astrella's Boarding School for the Powered, or you hand it over. It will be Fay's, and only I will be the one to deign that he will have it. It is too dangerous for a fool who has more ego than myself to decide it. Even I have my limits, Chutes, and you've passed them. This is the last time I will give you a chance to walk away empty-handed and unscathed."

It's only been twenty seconds, but Celes could feel the slight fatigue set in within Fay's body. Though it wouldn't have an effect on Celes himself, his hastiness was proof that he was going to do as much as possible to keep it from going too far, even if it meant killing the man. It was better than having Fay suffer more than he already would have after all of this.

(Dome effect will not allow anyone other than Celes or Chutes to leave. To everyone else, it's a black sphere.)

Deathkitten

 

[Deathkitten]

~Chutes the Librarian~​

He interrupted him speaking, making him roll his eyes. Fido. Original. Chutes sighed and slipped his headphones on over his ears as Celes messed with gravity. That was fine. He didn't so much as flinch, the increased gravity not affecting him in the least. Instead, he fiddled with his phone, flicking the book back and forth on the tip of his tail as it swished, seeing as he was interrupted in trying to make it disappear.

After pressing a few buttons, he had pleasing music playing in his ears. Alternative Rock, to be specific... something to drown out this person. Unfortunate, but, eh. If he was telling the truth, he only had to wait two minutes before it would be Fay again. He supposed two minutes didn't make much difference to his schedule.

His eyes flicked back up to Celes, bored. He had been prodded into attacking more easily than he had expected, and it wasn't anything flashy and cool looking. He couldn't really do his own magic much here, as there were too many people, and despite prodding the old bastard, he really didn't want to interrupt everyone's lunch. At the same time though... there was no point worrying about Fay. Seemed like he wasn't going to be getting lunch either way. Poor kid.

"No. Not impressed. Could you stop before you bore me to sleep?"

(( Osuka ))

 

[Osuka]

This time, he'd allow the dog to give his answer, which seemed to be another no as he had his headphones on, so Celes had become tired of the game the boy was trying to play.

There were no games when it came to Fay's future or his well-being.

Instead, he would attack, but not from himself. In only a millisecond, the entirety of the orb suddenly surged forward. The surge was tipped in razor sharp spikes, as if javelins closing in on its prey. The entirety of the bubble around them, floor, sides, and "ceiling" as it were would all come forth in a jagged maw of death and pain. The man willingly let himself be trapped in nothing but a device of death. To be sure of his attack, the spikes that blurred from the orb going inward would simply faze through Celes within Fay's body, but reappear as sharp as the rest. They would jut from the sides to inside in a way that allowed no room for one to stand, and other than himself, the book would have had the same effect as Celes - the spikes would faze through but continue their very corporeal assault.

If the spikes were to close in on Chutes, there was no doubt in his mind that the man would be dead, forced to stand where he was though his body would be nothing more than a husk, but where was there to escape? What was there to be done? Unless the man could stop pure Aether, the fight was over before it began, and Celes was not below ending it so quickly for the sake of his protege.


(This one will be short since it is only an attack post with nothing for Celes to defend against.)
Deathkitten

 

[Deathkitten]

~Chutes the Librarian~​

Shots fired from his side. Interesting. He didn't move, tail still swishing and music still playing. The only difference now was that the light-bending appearance was all around his body. Any place where a spike would have entered was deflected, reappearing on the other side of him as though it had gone through as normal.

"How many more seconds do you have remaining?" he asked, looking back at the book, "I guess I could use this time to inform you of some library rules? My library is my home, basically, so I expect it to be treated with respect. I imagine I'll be seeing a lot of Fay there, given he was reading a fairly advanced text. I would hardly give something as dangerous as a grimoire of this importance to someone who simply claims to be Celes. That would be ridiculously stupid of me. If it is confirmed, then you can talk to the school, and they will set things up so you actually get it back. Until then... I'm the one keeping it safe."

"Talking is fine in my library unless it is in a quiet area. Those areas are for studying. If you fall asleep in an area as such, I likely won't wake you. I don't mind if people fall asleep in my library. If you would like access to a particular book from a restricted area, but don't want in the restricted area itself, then you may ask me, and dependent on the case, I may give you access to that book. I cannot use this book for magic myself... nor is it really my style anyways, but in the time it has been here, few... very few... have even been able to get it to open. I am one of those few. Your notes would be trouble in the wrong hands, so I do hope that you can understand why, especially given the OA threat in recent times... why I would want to confirm that you are who you say to be and who you feel to be - by a third party - before I let you touch something so important."

(( Osuka ))

 

[Osuka]

Trapped.

Truth be told, the place which he was trapped in was... Cozy, to say the least. A lit hearth, books, comfortable chairs, food - he didn't know if this was actually real or if it was an illusion in order to bring comfort to Celes while he was trapped within Fay's body, but the place, well, it felt like home. The chairs themselves were worn - not in the broken down fashion, but comfortably worn, and as he sat down, Fay could feel the aches he didn't even knew he had begin to melt away. Still, the place felt too much like home, and not just how home should have felt.

It felt like exactly the place he was meant to be. Somewhere comfortable, warm, and safe from the outside world. Outside of the window was nothing but pitch black, and though the frosting upon the window promised a biting cold, the heart had been thwarting it as a stalwart guardian against the deceptively deadly temperature. It was tempting to sit and to read, if he was going to be honest. It would be the perfect place. Fay, for once, had a place that was so comfortable that he didn't really wish to leave, but that thought alone made him want to move. To escape. It wasn't....

It wasn't right.

Celes had taken over at the mentioning of his grimoire, and considering the man didn't seem as if he was wanting a vessel as much as he wanted company, it stood to reason to him (now that he knew Celes was quite real and not a figment of his imagination) that after taking this long, things weren't going well outside of his comfortable prison. So it was time for him to do something that he probably shouldn't if he valued his skin, but at this point, what was better? Being stuck here and never seeing his step-mother again? Not making friends for once? Not reading the most updated edition of his favorite books?

Not progressing? No. It wasn't something he really wanted. So, with the last dregs of his will, Fay stood from the chair, breathed in, and dug deep into himself. There was a way to get out of here, and it required power. Power enough to make Celes hesitate for just a moment, and the only thing he had left to do was use what he had left to tap into Celes' reserves. The man had far more than enough for an army, from what he felt, and after Fay had what he needed, he breathed out, opened his eyes, breathed in, and bellowed at the top of his lungs.

"CELES AZURIEL VELAMORTE!!!" came his voice, now crackling with more power than he felt he could hold, cascading forth from him within the cozy retreat, and reverberating from the walls. It was painful, having this much power, but he was going to do what he felt was right, and even Celes himself wasn't going to stop him.

Outside, Celes shook. It wasn't because his attack had failed or the man had spoke through the attack.

"Fay...?" Celes clenched the boy's fists as he turned away to speak. "What do you think you're doing?! How dare-"

"Release me, Celes Azuriel Velamorte!!!" Fay's near soprano boomed once more. Celes couldn't help but to hunch over even just the slightest as he felt his own power turn against him.

And there it was. The one moment Fay had opened up for himself. With another surge, the last of what he could possibly hold within himself, Fay reached out and yanked hard with his Will, snagged onto the conscience of Celes, whose name Fay had only been given to the man out of love and respect, and pulled hard.

In an instant, Fay was back in control, and he sucked in a hard breath as the jagged spikes quickly retreated before he could be harmed by them, though he stayed trapped within the confines of Celes' new prison for two. He suddenly felt sick, tired, and his body screamed in all too enraged agony as he felt himself drop to his forearms and knees. Sweat had begun to drench his clothes beneath the cloak, and he panted hard after the effort of will he had used and the strain his body had undergone.

"I-it..." he panted, though he had been breathing so raggedly that he had choked for a moment. "It really... Holy shit, his name worked.. He's the real Celes..."

With that revelation came an obvious panic. Celes had enemies; very old, very powerful enemies. He didn't go quietly into the night when he died, and it only stood to reason that if they were still alive, they'd make sure that Celes couldn't get his influence back. That information came to him very quickly. It was very intimate in the way he knew the information: He was stabbed, bludgeoned, and burned within his own property, and everything should have burned away. The grimoire, the chairs, hearth, books - everything that had made Celes' home what it was, was gone.

At least, it should have.

"I-I'm sorry I couldn't.." he choked out, not knowing that those outside couldn't even hope to hear him. With shaky limbs, Fay forced himself back up to his feet and rested his hands on his knees. "There was no way I could stop him from taking over. It's my fault. I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

Deathkitten

 

[Deathkitten]

The nursing office, run by Nurse Lana Joy, is a place of healing that sees a lot more use than one would at most schools. She is kind and patient, and truly wants to help make sure that the younger generation can actually get to the point of becoming Superheroes.

 

[Deathkitten]

~Chutes the Librarian~​

Chutes raised a brow at the new developments, pushing back down the headphones, "Well then..."

"Little one, I'm entirely okay. You don't look so alright yourself. I'm pleased you found out it is indeed Celes. I'll have to ask someone who isn't attached to the situation... literally... Regardless, I'm sorry this book is causing you trouble," he said, smiling sweetly before scooping Fay up princess style.

"Come on then. Let's get you to the nurse. She's a really sweet lady named Joy," he continued, looking around at the bubble that surrounded them finally. It was impressively well made. The wolf-person tapped a hand against the wall of the bubble, the other holding Fay as though he weighed nothing, "Considering you shut down the easy way out, would you like to see something interesting?"

That was a rhetorical question. The answer was he didn't really have a choice.

A pulse of energy came from the man, manifesting physically as a ripple of distorting air, the same sort that you see from the sound wave moving after an explosion. The instant it touched the barrier, it warped and fizzled, magical binds breaking down far too much for something like that to stay solid and upright.

Chutes's ears turned towards the teachers before his body did, looking over them to see if they had reacted or moved, "I'm taking him to the nurse. Oh, and by the by, the shipment of books asked for came in. Apologies for the delay."

With that, and little room for argument, he disappeared with the boy.

(( Osuka ))