Fantasy Code FERAL

[Lioness075]

Manjano turned to face Barry when he introduced himself, or rather, BB introduced him. The voice was obvious enough that BB was doing some weird kind of voice-over for Barry.


Furrowing his brows at the guy and giving him a weird look, Manjano crossed his arms over his chest, as he was quickly beginning to regret his decision to walk up to this little group.


Falarion, on the other hand, was having tons of fun and was grinning like an idiot at Barry, finding it amusing to hear BB pretending to be Barry's voice (clearly it wasn't a male's voice).


Continuing to be himself, Falarion then proceeded to blurt out, "You're funny and weird, Barry! Oh, and you too, BB!"


Manjano just shook his head and looked away from the odd pair in time to hear Zoe speaking up again.


Giving Zoe a critical look, something that he'd typically do if he was looking at someone he disliked for any number of reasons, Manjano, at least, listened to what she had to say and then gave her a mildly surprised look when she asked about Falarion's ball.


Zoe didn't know what the simple game of 'fetch' was? Just another reason as to why she was indeed an oddball in the group.


Falarion didn't seem to mind one bit, though, and he quickly bounced about the small group and clearing, though it was clear he was favoring his injured leg.


Frowning slightly at this, as Manjano didn't want Falarion to push himself too hard while he was still recovering, Manjano then relaxed slightly upon hearing Beth speak up.


Shifting his attention away from Falarion for the time being, Manjano then met Beth's gaze just in time to hear her say how she'd missed him.


Blinking in surprise at this while blushing slightly, Manjano was caught completely off-guard until he realized Beth had been speaking to Falarion. Oh. Right. She meant his companion, definitely not himself. Not after their last time together.


Anxiously rubbing at the back of his neck, definitely feeling uncomfortable being around two loud people (Zoe and BB), Manjano already began considering if he should leave or not.


Just before Falarion could try and offer some comfort to Manjano, Beth picked up his ball and Falarion's eyes widened before his butt was shaking about in the air while he leaned down on his forelegs, a very excited grin on his face.


Seeing Falarion in such high moods made Manjano relax again, as he watched Falarion sprint-limp after his ball once Beth had tossed it.


With his focus on Falarion in the moment, Manjano was oblivious to Beth looking his way once more.


As Falarion caught up to his ball and picked it up, he turned around to return to the group, specifically Beth since she'd thrown his ball to begin with, but was cut short when BB finally made her appearance.


Dropping his ball in surprise, Falarion then bounded up to BB and Barry before exclaiming, "Woah! BB, you're so small and fast! Wait, can you do a loop de loop!?"


At this point, Falarion's tail was wagging a million miles a minute, bringing a slightly amused expression onto Manjano's face.


@Flutterby @DawnAntalios @Bolts

 

[andujarprime]

The past 3 weeks saw Rin doing a lot of meditating, and training. Both with the group, helping to teach the non fighters some self defense, and on his own. Trying to keep his senses sharp, and his sword sharper. He spent time in the gym, practicing his hand to hand, he refrained from heading to the R&D lab, mainly because it would involve some interaction with a superior, maybe even Talon, or Darcy himself. Maybe after the suspension he would ask about any information on the body he bagged. When he wasn't training he was meditating, trying to ensure that he won't have another outburst. He remembered Darcy's chilling warning, he would not soon forget that. Today, he found himself passing through the kitchen, Fie was there, stirring a foul smelling sludge in a pot. Rin wrinkled his nose as he made his way to a large fridge. Haku resting on his shoulders looked over to the small monkey. " Too hot, too fast Fie" she called over to him. Rin looked back from the open door and nodded before making his way over. He gave a small sniff, looked at the page Fie was reading and nodded. "Yeah, way too fast. It's supposed to simmer at low heat, and stop stirring it so much. This needs to sit for a while, give the chemicals time to bond and react. Do yourself a favor, keep the lid on, if it pops on you, it's going to leave an ugly mark, and an even uglier smell." He advised as he started making his way out with a glass of juice. "Whenever you wake up!!!" Haku called as they exited with a laugh. A few steps out Rin sighed " we should probably help him, or he will hurt himself." He said aloud. "Granted with all the pranks he's been pulling, he's got karma on her way for him." Haku added with a smile as they turned back into the kitchen.


"Give it here monkey." Rin said with a smile, he had actually opened up more with his team members. Gotten more friendly and a bit more outspoken. He wasn't necessarily hanging at the back wall like when he first started, and it felt good. After careful reading and consideration he looked into the pot. "I'm not sure what exactly you did to this, but it's actually supposed to be red. By the smell and color, I thought you were mixing up something else." He sighed as he turned the flame off. He carefully took the pot off and took it to a large bin that had a biohazard sign on it. Next to it was a sink that also had a biohazard sign with several hard glass tubed for disposal. He poured the tainted poison in there then dumped it into the bin. Then dropped the pot into the sink. "Let's start over." He said grabbing a new pot and several of the ingredients mentioned in the book. After a short while, he had a rose colored liquid simmering in the pot. "Let it simmer for an hour, just make sure nobody comes near it." He advised. "Otherwise they will wake up 3 days from now with a severe headache and little to no recollection of what happened." Haka added. "If you need any other advice, feel free to find me or Haku."


He said as he headed out. He made his way to the gym for the first time today. Luckily he had gotten out of the garden before it became crowded. He was stepping in just as it seemed that everyone was beginning to finish up, or warming up. "Hello everyone" He said with a bow to his teammates all gathered. Before taking to a separate part of the gym, there was no mat, but a bamboo floor, like a dojo in a corner of the room. He took a wooden Katana from the wall rack and started going through his stances and training. Haku sat on the counter with Fie and she eyed him warily. "I hope, this isn't going to contribute to one of your pranks." She said to him in a low voice. "It's been hard enough for me to make friends, I don't want anyone to hate me because of this." She said to him cautiously as she looked over at the simmering pot once more. "If I get blamed for it, I will eat you this time." She warned him with a sly smile that made her look all the more scary.


@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @DawnAntalios @Lioness075


@Peaceswore

 

[Peaceswore]

Ash smiled at Alec's comment. "So true, but hey I'm getting there when it comes to firearms. Now if I'm aiming at you, you have a right to be worried...unlike before." He said with a small laugh as he shook his head. Oh gods when he first went on the shooting range he was horrendous, not so bad that he would hit someone behind him, however lets say he had been hitting all of the indivisible targets (or at least that's what Fie called it every time he missed by a decent mile). He did learn over time of course, but one thing he could say for a fact he preferred close combat or using his explosives. Guns would be more or less the last thing he would want to use if it can be helped.


His attention was soon taken by Simon when he revealed his new tattoo. A soft whistle left him at that before he grinned. "Nice, I know a few ladies and men who would fawn over you if you show them that tat. Seriously those type of things are a huge magnet for some people" He said with a wink keeping his grin on his face. After being here for three weeks he was more used to the people surrounding him, and he long got over what happened in Paris. For the three weeks he had been rather quiet, I guess one could say. He had kept his flirting to an all time minimum during this span... But that was about to change very soon.


When he was done admiring Simon's tattoo and debating eternally if he should get one he turned his gaze to the ring. "Wow, it's times like these I have to remind myself the girls here are not people you want on your bad side." He said with a small laugh as he watched Leandra get ready to fight Laohu. "Though I would like to have a sparring match against Xaio. I know I'm probably going to regret it but it would be interesting to see her fighting style up close.... Assuming I can stop getting distracted by her beauty." he hummed outloud not talking to anyone in particular.


Soon his attention was taken again when Eos spoke to Alec about a sparring match. "Oh? Possibly two interesting matches in one day? ....I wanna join in." He mumbled before looking at Simon. "Hey Simon, think you are fine with sparring me if we got enough free time? Or does that shoulder of yours put you at too much of a disadvantage~" He said with a 'innocent' smile. He noticed Strong enter the room and gave her a wave before looking back at Simon.


@zCrookedz @SilverFlight @DawnAntalios


@crucialstar (mentioned)


Fie watched everything Rin did after he tossed the toxic sludge in the trash very carefully. Taking note of every thing he did so he could replicate this same brew when he needed it. It was rather interesting to watch the man work, it was like watching a witch make a brew! Except he didn't have green skin, a huuuuge nose, a black dress, and the hat... Now that Fie thought about it Rin needed to change his wardrobe if he was planning to become a witch anytime soon.


Having gotten distracted in his thoughts he missed a few pointers about the poison but got the gist of it. "Okay, don't let people come close or they lose their memory for a bit.... Kehehehe... Gotcha~" He hummed as his mind started to wonder on who he should use this on. He had pranked many people so far... But not everyone got a chance to experience his form of...love. Not to mention having all these people to try it on, he got so many interesting recations! His favorite had to be....well so far all of them! No one got very pissed at him, hell one person even thanked him for pranking them! It was an interesting experience! At the old place Fie would get yelled at all the time for having fun but here, it was only ever now and then. It was nice seeing people be such a great sport about this!


Once again his thoughts got snapped out of it when he noticed a scray looking Haku in front of him. "KAAH!" He shouted in honest surprise about the face as he hadn't been paying attention. In his fright he had jumped off the counter and started to fall he quickly reached up and grabbed the first thing that he could and that was a drawer. Upon grabbing it the drawer slid out and Fie swung there for a bit holding onto the handle with one hand. "Kehe Woops." He giggled before clambering up the drawer and back onto the counter.


Now sitting in front of Haku he grinned. "How about instead of eating me... I uh... Let you in on the prank... Or I give you another hug?" He offered. Despite the fact he didn't know what she said he knew that face was the 'I'm going to eat you' face. Having seen it a few times already...and he swore no matter how many times he saw it, it always scared him and made chills go up his spine even though he knew Haku was joking.....right? "Also you wouldn't eat me...I'm too lovable! Kehehe."


@andujarprime

 

[Flutterby]

Beth and Totus glanced at each other as BB, revealed to be a hummingbird, seemed to panic at the thought and sight of Totus. Beth frowned a little, and Totus wished he could flatten his facial plumage to stop funneling the shrill voice into his ears. Totus, a little put out by the way the little bird had reacted, turned his head to watch Falarion play fetch with the ball. Beth, on the other hand, watched BB closely, noting the way she turned away from Totus, revealing what appeared to be a small nick on her tiny wing. Beth made note of it, but looked back to Falarion as he approached with the ball again. Choosing not to say anything, Beth stood, wiping off the butt of her jeans, and picking up the paperback that had been sitting on the ground next to her.


"Im going to go grab some food really quick. Totus, are you staying?" She said, looking down at where he was standing on the ground. He gave a nod, but followed it quickly with, "Bring me something, if theres anything good."


Beth nodded, and glanced at each member of the group. She didnt want to admit to herself that she looked at Manjano longer than anyone. She half-raised a hand in a wave, and then turned toward the kitchen and cafeteria. Her stomach growled, and she wondered if there would be any muffins.


As Beth left earshot, Totus shuffled over and hopped onto a knee-height rock, so that he wasnt so short in comparison to the human. Incidentally, this took him closer to Manjano, and his coal black eyes rested on the young man as he gave a clack of his beak. Then, he pointedly looked the direction that Beth had gone for a moment. Then, as if he hadnt even looked at Manjano, he turned to Barry and asked, "So, what are your skills?"


@DawnAntalios @Lioness075 @Bolts

 

[DawnAntalios]

Zoe eyed Beth as she explained what the ball was for. She was confused at first but when she saw her throwing the round item and seeing how excited Falarion got at the sight of the flying ball she slowly started to grasp the idea behind it.


" So you call this one fetch... " she repeated slowly as she watched Falarion returning with the desired object " Strange... until now I was in the belief that you would only say 'fetch' for your servant or someone like that. It appears that it can function as... entertainment as well. Curious. "


She watched as BB introduced herself and watched how excited Falarion got by just looking at the small bird. It was a weird scenario to stand there among three other people and their companions... she felt a bit alien. She knew not what she was supposed to do or what was she supposed to say for that matter. She knew that now Beth and Manjano were together here but she doubted that in the company of two other people they could start talking. Similarly she knew nothing about Barry or BB so she knew not what to do precisely either.


An opportunity presented itself when BB asked the small group why were they training so hard and the girl's eyes lit up in triumph. If combat was the topic she was finally able to perhaps contribute to it as well. She looked at the bird, raising her sword.


" The missions we have faced were perilous at best. " she said " We needed to hone our skills and prepare for the next confrontation, whenever it will be. Everyone learnt some new tricks, I for example learnt how to fight with this sword. It is from the strongest titanium and is still quite a versatile weapon - I was practicing with it here in the garden with a trance I happened to learn from my sister. "


She grinned at the little bird.


" So you better prepare for battle, BB, Barry will certainly need your help. Training and maintaining one's finesse is imperative when facing enemies of unknown origin. We have to ensure that what happened to Agent Strong won't repeat. "


She once more looked at Beth and Manjano, nodding as Beth mentioned that she was leaving for the kitchen and she felt anxiety rush through her once more. She needed to gather her thoughts before she decided to speak, turning to the boy. She knew that she had been irritating him since the day they have come here and she was ready to atone. She gathered her thoughts before she finally decided to speak up.


" Manjano... " she started out silently " I was meaning to talk to you but I could never find a way how. I... well, I know that I am unbearable and that I have probably made the worst impression possible when we first met. I had my flaws back then and I still have many - but being around all of you taught me a valuable lesson. "


She now glanced and Beth and Barry as well.


" In unity there is strength. But there can be no unity when we do not trust one another or we hold grudges against others. " she looked back at the boy " I know not if you are willing to forgive me for my transgressions but... I would like to apologize for my behavior. "


She offered her hand for a shake and forced a small smile on her expression.


" Truce? "


@Flutterby @Lioness075 @Bolts

 

[Bolts]

You bet I can. She said while taking off from Barry. She did a few twirls in the air but soon grew tired. Barry took a bottle from his possessions and unscrewed it. BB practically dunked her head right in. Moments later she brought her head up to hear the owl ask Barry a question. Nervously, she flapped up to Barry's head and took a moment to gather herself.





Sorry, he.. He doesn't talk. I can though and that's all we need! Barry patted her head. She was doing good. He is really good at makeup and seeing things out of place! The things he learned in drama classes and military are pretty amazing if you ask me! Of course the big dummy had to get hurt. Silly boy. Barry simply gave an indifferent face. She didn't say everything that she could but it's not like he could correct her.


They turned their attention to the long speech about a previous mission. Barry had experience with that sort of thing. BB would hopefully stay close like in their less than glorious years. Sound pretty dangerous! Very exciting though! Barry! We are going on a mission! Oh boy oh boy. She said swaying back and forth. She didn't even catch the whole thing about strong


@Flutterby @DawnAntalios @Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Dropping his ball again so he could speak once more, Falarion then said excitedly to Manjano, "Hey, hey, can we get some food, too? I'm soooo hungry..."


Trailing off, Falarion then sat down and gave Manjano his cliché puppy eyes while Manjano raised an eyebrow amusingly at Falarion.


Shifting his attention to Beth after Totus asked her to bring something for him, Manjano blinked upon noticing how her eyes had perhaps lingered a bit longer on him than anyone else. Or he was just imagining things.


Furrowing his brows at this thought, Manjano was about to tell Falarion to just tag along with Beth if he was that hungry when Totus hopped up on a rock nearby and brought Manjano's attention to him upon hearing the clack of his beak. Glancing in the direction that Totus pointedly looked at, surprise that he was looking at where Beth had just left, Manjano then sighed. Fine then.


Hearing Manjano sigh, Falarion grinned and then leapt back up only to instantly regret the sudden movement.


Letting out a small whimper and flattening his ears against his head, Falarion immediately laid down before saying, "Ugh, I think I chased my ball too much today."


Glancing worriedly down at Falarion, Manjano didn't even have a chance to inwardly ask the maned wolf if he was okay before Falarion blurted out, "I'm fine, Manjano, seriously."


Shrugging, Manjano then turned to find Beth in the kitchens, but stopped when Zoe spoke up to him.


Turning to face her, Manjano gave her yet another critical look, as he crossed his arms over his chest once more. What did she want this time?


As Zoe went on to eventually apologize after saying a bunch of other things that really didn't matter too much to him, Manjano was surprised to see her extend one of her hands and ask for a truce. Why a truce? They weren't enemies, they were teammates and neither of them had ever directly clashed. A truce made no sense to him.


Instead of taking her hand, especially since he wasn't that keen about being touched or touching other people in a friendly manner, Manjano just gave Zoe a confused look before taking a step back from her and then turning away, exiting the gardens and heading for the kitchens.


Watching Manjano leave the gardens, and leave Zoe hanging, Falarion then spoke up in a weary tone, "Don't mind him, Zoe. He's too complicated for most people anyways. He just didn't understand why you were asking for a truce when you two aren't enemies."


Amused to hear more about Barry, Falarion lifted his head from the ground and glanced over at Barry and BB before asking, "So, what'd you two do in the military?"


@Flutterby @DawnAntalios @Bolts

 

[DawnAntalios]

Zoe's face turned from hopeful to dark when Manjano just gave her a confused look and departed. She had hoped to clear up this misunderstanding and perhaps come on friendly terms with the boy - but it seemed that the choice of her words were rather poor, not serving her best interests. With a heavy, sad sigh she just sat down on the ground and turned her attention to Falarion.


" Every time when he had heard me talk I was hostile, either yelling reprimands or just being strict, I figured truce would be the best way to formulate my intent for... well I thought I was as hostile to him as an enemy would... I don't really know what I thought, you are probably right. " she said " He might be too complex. I was just hoping for... that later on we could be... could be.... "


She looked away, trying to conceal her sorrow.


" Never mind that, a foolish idea. " she managed to say " After all he has probably better things to attend to... " she thought that he wanted to be Beth for a small quality time, after all they might have not had such opportunities in the previous weeks, so she went with that. Looking at Barry, BB and Totus now she got lost in her thoughts. Yet an another mysterious mute guy... she was not going to have an easy time with this friendship thing now would she? But she was also certain that Eos would spank her if she were to give up this easily.


" You sound very excited about going on a mission. " she addressed BB " You do realize that we almost had mortal injuries in both of them, right? This is not a game, nor it ever was, if you are to join the fray you must take this seriously! "


With a slight hint of bitterness in her voice she fell silent and watched the small group. This situation was truly awkward.


@Lioness075 @Bolts @Flutterby

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon continued to admire his new bit of artwork while some of the others did as well. When Eos mentioned the tattoo, Simon smiled at first, but by the end Simon's eyes were wide and he steeled his eyes from wonder towards anyone in the room. He coughed and cleared his throat as he rubbed the back of his head.


"Eos! That....thats not what I was......I mean it's to remember. Not to....do....what you said...."


Jimbo tilted his water bottle back and smiled at Simon and gave Eos a wink at his comment.


Simon chanced a glance up when he noticed someone entering and saw Rin entering and waving, which Simon returned with a smile and a nod. He liked Rin, the guy was a bit quiet and kept to himself but having been in the watch Simon had to figure that the two might have a few things in common. It was his partner Haku that made Simon a bit cautious. The snake had done nothing other than being a reliable teammate and a very nice personality ever since their adventure started, but Simon still couldn't shake his snake phobia. Were he to engage in conversation with her, he would be polite and respectful as he would anyone else, but he knew she would be able to sense the tension he felt for her species.


He was drawn from his thoughts by the sound of several admiring his tattoo and mentioning it. E


As ash complemented his choice, Simon felt pride in his decision to remember his friends past in his own way. Again someone made the comment about the attractions of the tattoo. Simon lowered the sleeve and raised both is arms over his head in an attempt to convince the others it wasn't the purpose of the tattoo.


"Come now Ash, with arms like these and a smile like mine, the artwork might just be the last thing on people's minds."


Simon began to laugh at himself as he lowered his arms and made a superman pose. Only seconds later did an empty water bottle come flying up at his head and bounce off with a hollow thunk. Simon glowered at Jimbo, who looked very unamused at his brother for how he was acting.


Before Simone could go after Jimbo for throwing the bottle, Ash spoke up again and Simon's face transformed into one of fierce determination. He raised his arms up into one of his boxing stances and smiled at Ash.


"This tattoo is nothing. I will spar with you right here and now if that's what you want string bean."


@Peaceswore @DawnAntalios @SilverFlight

 

[Lioness075]

Sadly looking at Zoe, Falarion responded, "Please don't take his actions to heart, Zoe. He's easily misunderstood and he easily misunderstands the words of others. He better understands actions rather than words. He's gone several years without speaking at all and his voice sounds pained these days."


Noting Zoe's mentioning of some idea, perhaps for her and Manjano to eventually become friends, Falarion furrowed his brows before gently suggesting, "Look, just don't try so hard, y'know? If you come across as overbearing to Manjano, you'll push him away instead."


Hearing Zoe's blatant response to BB's excitement, Falarion quickly added to the conversation, "Not that everything has to be taken seriously around here! We do enjoy having a little fun here and there, even amidst the chaos itself, which Leandra does quite often. She's Manjano's twin sister, if you didn't already know that."


Giving Zoe a look, Falarion then whispered to her, "Do try to not scare away all the newcomers, Zoe. We need all the help we can get so maybe we can avoid more mortal wounds down the road and all."


After whispering to Zoe, Falarion then looked back at BB and Barry, smiling once more, as he wondered if they'd still respond to his question about the military even after Zoe had probably frightened them a bit.


@DawnAntalios @Bolts

 

[Bolts]

BB stopped zigzagging in front of Barry at Zoe's comment. But I- she turned to Barry. Barry? He gave her a stern look. Barry understood where Zoe was coming from. Although his team made it out, he knew of others that weren't as fortunate. He raised his eye brow towards BB and shifted his eyes back and forth from her and Zoe. Ok.. She said while turning around.





Sorry, I know it's dangerous. It's just that. I didn't go with Barry when he was in the military. I was so sad that I couldn't go with him to such places where I wasn't sure what he was doing.... The next thing I know, he comes back and he can't speak! I couldn't hear him sing which was the first thing for us to do when we bonded you know? She plopped down on Barry's shoulder and nestled up to the visible part of his neck. Barry sported an appreciative smile to Zoe. BB really did need to know the affects of battle or she was going to get hurt.





So yes. I hope that answers your question about the military. I don't know what happened. I only can get so much out of him without his words. Barry have out a small whistle. Luckily that doesn't use any voice box whatso ever. It was a small tune with no real origin. BB perked up and hummed back a little before it stopped. I promise that I won't mess around while we do missions. Barry and I have done a few things that involved intense actions. I know I can handle things. They both proceeded to salute to the group.





@DawnAntalios @Lioness075

 

[Flutterby]

Totus watched a listened the exchanges for a few minutes, taking note of how Manjano reacted to Zoe's military approach to friendship and Falarion's explanation. As the conversation turned to the topic of fun and missions, Totus spoke up.


"I think all of us can agree that there is a time and a place for everything, and that the Watch would not employ someone that isn't capable." He said evenly, with a warm tone. It was nice when the opportunity to keep the peace presented itself. He added, with a look at Barry and BB, "Welcome to the team. Im sure you will meet the rest of us very soon. I cant imagine we will be kept out of the field for too much longer."


The owl watched Manjano leave out of the corner of his vision, feeling satisfied that he had gotten the not-so-subtle hint and followed Beth. Now if he could just figure out how to not screw it up..


Beth slipped through the cafeteria and into the kitchen, where there was actually a full staff working on the next meal. They all turned when she walked in, and she gave a small wave. Someone asked if she needed something, and she said calmly, "I just wanted to come make a sandwich." They visibly relaxed, and the man that had spoken motioned to the fridge to welcome her in. Within a few moments, she had started to make a sandwich much like the one she had made Manjano three weeks before, but without the tomato and with a little bit of mayonnaise. She was done with her cooking and out of the way in a matter of minutes, wrapping her sandwich and a few extra slices of meat in paper and taking it out into the cafeteria. On her way out, she grabbed a muffin off a tray. It was between meal times, so the tables were empty. She picked one to sit at, setting the sandwich aside in favor of the muffin. It seemed to be blueberry, she decided, as she unwrapped the paper cup.


@DawnAntalios @Bolts @Lioness075

 

[DawnAntalios]

As Falarion tried to comfort Zoe with his words the girl nodded silently. Truth be told she did not expect Manjano to open up this easily, perhaps it was an idealized, perfect scenario but it was not realistic at all. She forced yet an another little smile on her face when the wolf mentioned that she shouldn't be too pushy about this topic.


" Well, if I am then I'd rather you stop me. " she said " I am a rookie in establishing bonds with others... I know not how to do it efficiently and precisely, I might get overboard for no reason. "


She then turned to Barry and nodded with acceptance. Totus was right, the Watch knew how to select new recruits and in this case she did not doubt that they were correct as ell. Despite not saying a single word she had recognized the look in the eyes of the boy - firm, determinate and vigilant, just like a true warrior would be. She realized as BB spoke that Barry did have a past experience in the military and that she should not worry about him - his companion was the one who was overly enthusiastic about these missions but even she seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation.


" By no means did I want to scare you away. " she said, crossing her arms as she spoke to the others " I just do not wish you to have sweet delusions about this being a vacation to Hawaii or something. This is reality and what we will face will be difficult - that much is granted. But I am certain that if we work together then we will not fail. "


She paused for a moment as she fell into thinking.


" The Rogues... they became restless since the last time I have encountered them years ago. Back then they would orchestrate but small attacks, quick raids in a guerilla fashion - they were never this brave. Of course it is possible that we were misled from the beginning and they were just gathering their strength to strike as one like now. Truly an interesting conundrum... "


She realized that she was talking about the fights again and she quickly shook her head.


" My apologies. Being foreboding and gloomy is kind of something I have gotten used to, old habits die hard. " to try and turn her attention elsewhere she knelt down to pick up the ball from the ground. Inspecting it from close up she looked at Totus.


" So... you say that this toy is used for... fun? " she asked questioningly, looking at all four of them " Does one just throw it? Or does it serve a different purpose? Does the ball itself contain the hormones in some sort of injection which causes the person biting it happy... or is it the act, the fact that you need to catch it which causes you to be happy? " she was now really curious " I would humbly request you all to help me so that we can have this... fun until the others return. "


@Lioness075 @Bolts @Flutterby

 

[Lioness075]

As Manjano entered the cafeteria, it didn't take him long to sight Beth sitting off by herself amongst a few scattered agents sitting here and there with one another. None of which he recognized other than Beth herself.


Anxiously rubbing the back of his neck, Manjano then realized that he probably should get some food for himself before randomly sitting down across from Beth.


Quickly slipping through the kitchen doors, Manjano paused uncertainly when he was met by the staff working diligently on the next meal.


One of them noted Manjano's hesitance and confusion and walked up to him before bluntly asking, "Do you want some quick meal? I could put together a sandwich if you wish."


Feeling completely hopeless in the kitchen and having no idea what to do, Manjano merely nodded at the staff member and was ushered back outside of the kitchens with a sandwich on a plate within a few minutes.


Feeling slightly bewildered, Manjano blinked and recomposed himself before walking up to Beth's side and hesitating while standing beside her. He inwardly hoped she'd notice him first, but decided catching her off-guard may not be the best way to try and mend things between the two.


Instead, Manjano casually cleared his throat before gesturing at the seat across from Beth, making it a point that he was asking if he could sit with her.


@Flutterby


Falarion tilted his head to the side when BB mentioned Barry going to the military without her. Why would he do such a thing? Was he forced against his will or was this before the two were bonded? Wait, that last bit made no sense. Didn't one have to be at least 17 or even 18 to enlist?


Thinking back to one of the twins' foster fathers, Falarion remembered he had retired from the military and had spoken little of his experience with it. Falarion didn't know much about the military life.


Feeling like his question wasn't really answered since everyone in the military had a job and that hadn't been disclosed to him, Falarion quickly spoke up, "Um, no, my question wasn't really answered. I asked what Barry did in the military, like what was his job, not whether or not he was deployed somewhere."


Uncertain if he was prying where Barry would feel uncomfortable, Falarion wisely decided against asking what had specifically happened to him to cause him to lose the ability to speak. If BB didn't know, then Falarion highly doubted Barry would just tell them what had happened.


Falarion grinned and nodded at what Totus said, agreeing with the owl's words.


"Right, welcome to the team!"


As Zoe spoke up and continued speaking, Falarion absentmindedly watched BB with curiosity, having never seen a hummingbird in real life before. She was a very fast little bird.


As Zoe spoke up about Falarion's ball and picked it up, Falarion almost stood up and got all excited again, but he'd worn himself to the nub at this point so he remained where he was lying.


Hearing her speak of the ball as if it were truly some remarkable object, Falarion couldn't help but start laughing before saying, "It's not a training object per say, Zoe. It's just a toy, something to play with and it helps others play together and have fun since they can throw it and then I run after it only to return it to whoever originally threw it. It's called 'fetch'. Well, it's something that an unbonded dog would probably really love to do, but it's something that I've always enjoyed, bond or no bond."


While speaking, Falarion's tail slowly began to wag about, as he recalled fond memories of him growing up with Manjano and playing fetch with the boy when he still spoke freely.


@DawnAntalios @Bolts @Flutterby

 

[Bolts]

Oh sorry! Completely misunderstood. As far as I know, he was a scouter. You know. Finding all the things that are out of place. Seeing where bad people are. I didn't go cus the military said it was no place for a small bird like me. The nerve! Barry gave a saddened look. It really was unfair for her not to come. He was one of the few without his friend.


Barry waved to Zoe to grab her attention. Giving her a full body motion of throwing. With any luck she would participate in the fetch game. Or throw it to him and instead have a game of catch. From what he gathered, she wasn't the best socially. He wasn't sure if it was just plain akwardness or she just hasn't had much experience with people in general.


In fact, people here have been pretty interesting to him so far. The owl was polite and looked very keen. It would do Bb good get to know em. The dog was very nice. Jolly if anything. Barry appreciated the attempt at keeping peace. The one who left seemed very strange. Perhaps he enjoyed a lower crowd. That was one where Bb might be better away from while Barry 'introduced' himself.





@DawnAntalios @Flutterby @Lioness075

 

[Flutterby]

Beth studied the muffin closely once it was stripped of its paper. It was a good muffin, even though it appeared to be a little dense. She could see someone approaching at the edge of her vision, but she didnt look up just yet. With intense concentration and almost surgical precision, Beth separated the previously wrapped bottom of the muffin from the round, puffy top. With a small, triumphant smirk, she set the top of the muffin on its wrapper and pulled a piece of the bottom part off, popping it nto her mouth as her green eyes slid up.


She wasnt surprised to find Manjano standing there, looking lost and confused. Part of her heart melted, because how clueless he was had become a little endearing. But the other part hardened; the past three weeks had been exhausting in a way she had never experienced before, and he hadnt reached out once .His avoidance of her had added to the stress, while she had been trying to give him space to get over whatever had upset him.


Her green eyes blinked at him, not showing her conflict at all, as he cleared his throat and asked to sit by her. She motioned to the seat as she pulled off another small bite with her fingers and ate it, staring at him without conscience.


"So," She said, once she had swallowed her bite. Her voice had a bitter note to it, that was just barely concealing the fact she was toeing the line of actually being upset with him. "What changed your mind about avoiding me?"


@Lioness075


Totus found the interactions amongst the small group to be rather odd. His amusement wasnt shown on his heart-shaped face, but mirth bubbled up in his chest as the four talked. They were just so.. odd. He didnt understand the motivations of even the most conventional people, but between Barry and Zoe, it was like watching a telenovela without knowing Spanish.


As the conversation reached a lull, he spoke again.


"Zoe, Falarion is far too tired to play anymore. He needs to rest that leg. But, if you want a demonstration of the concept, I believe it can be executed aerially as well. Or, I believe "catch" is played between two humans." He said, hiding his amusement well.


@DawnAntalios @Bolts

 

[Lioness075]

Manjano quietly sat down across from Beth after setting down his small plate on the table.


Feeling uneasy while under Beth's perceptive gaze, Manjano poked at his sandwich a few times before sighing, as he quickly realized he wasn't hungry at all. Perhaps Falarion would eat the sandwich instead so it didn't go to waste.


Anxiously rubbing at the back of his neck yet again, Manjano then glanced up to look at Beth's face, though his eyes didn't meet hers now.


Hearing the bitter tone in Beth's voice further put Manjano on edge, as she rather bluntly asked him why he had decided to stop avoiding her.


Quickly looking back down at his sandwich in a vain attempt to avoid Beth's gaze, Manjano worriedly thought back to the time when he had rather abruptly left the cafeteria after hurting Beth's feelings. Deliberate or not, he'd still hurt her and she was already hurt enough, he'd had no right to add to her pain. He was only going to make matters worse for her.


Sighing and dropping his hand back to his side after realizing he'd probably been rubbing his neck a bit too long, Manjano then muttered, "I'm sorry, okay?"


Feeling frustration welling up inside of him, Manjano absentmindedly leaned his head on one of his hands while resting his elbow on the table, looking as if he were bored, though he was doing this to further avoid Beth's gaze. His gaze stayed on the table, or perhaps the untouched sandwich, as he continued to avoid Beth's eyes.


@Flutterby

 

[SilverFlight]

Strong waved back at Simon, but her face fell when she saw the drawing on his arm. Marching over without a word it was her turn to grab his arm and examine the art. "Hi." She said absentmindedly. "Gotta say Nigel's out done himself." There was another question in her eyes, why on earth he would want that creature permanently marked on his arm? But she kept it to herself. Accepting the fact that they both moved through their grief in different ways.


Finally she answered his question. "Doing a lot better then when you hauled me out of that tomb in Paris." She put a hand on her hip as she surveyed the training hall.


"You can all expect a mission briefing today. Recon teams have been digging up all we could using the information we've gathered so far. We've traced the trafficking ring the Rogues were using back to China. Rin, the science team finished analyzing that wolf body you brought back from Kootenay, they found some...interesting things."


She greeted Eos in kind, missing his comment to Simon previously.


@zCrookedz @andujarprime @everyone


Alec wasn't quite sure how to answer the stag's request. "What? So the whole team can watch me get my butt kicked by an old man?" He laughed.


"I would pay to see that!" Duik added happily. Alec shot him a betrayed look. Finally he raised his hands in submission.


"All right, but don't expect me to be much of a challenge. I've only been doing this for 2 weeks, and the last time I took any sort of self-defense was my grade 3 karate class."


Alec moved onto the mats and stretched his neck, taking up a formal fighting stance. "No stabbing me with antlers, deal?"


At Ash's comment about sparring with Xiao Alec chuckled. "Now that I would pay to see." but he had to settle with watching him fight Simon, which was almost as good.


@DawnAntalios @Peaceswore @crucialstar


Amber had entered the hall then and tried to assess who would be sparring next.


"Eos wants me to fight him." Alec said.


"Afraid you're going to get beaten by a deer?"


"Yes! Yes I am."


She laughed at his honesty.


"I hope you know who to cheer for now huh D?" Alec asked him.


Duik was silent for a moment. Giving the question some serious thought.


"Really?"


"Hey! Everyone's cool here, you can't expect me to pick sides! But, good luck Alec, and I kno where the first aid kit is, just in case." The hyena grinned.


Alec drew in a deep breath and waited for Eos to make the first move.


((Just let me know if I missed responding to anyone))

 

[DawnAntalios]

Hearing that Simon and Ash were also up to the challenge and that they wanted to duel just like Alec Eos smiled. It was to be a very interesting match between friends, it was important to strengthen those bonds between people - after all they could only rely on each other and testing each others mettle was an important thing to do.


" This should be very interesting, I am looking forward to train with body and spirit. Fight with your full might for glory, push yourselves to your limits! " he said, turning to Strong as she entered " I am glad that I see you being well, Agent Strong. It is truly wonderful to see you in your full glory again. "


He listened how she mentioned a mission briefing and he was even happier - though he valued the brief meditation they had he was growing restless and wanted to finally leap into action - it appeared that they were finally able to continue their onslaught against the Rogues. But first things first, he now turned his undivided attention to Alec, readying himself for battle.


" Don't worry, I have no intention of using dirty tricks. " he smiled " I just wish to see how much you have improved, to see how powerful you are. But I warn you - I will not hold back, it is a friendly spar I want you to give your all just as I will. "


Putting down his hooves he readied himself and smiled.


" Then let the battle commence! "


And with that he charged at Alec, his hooves thundering as he ran.


@SilverFlight @Peaceswore @andujarprime @zCrookedz


" Oh all right. " Zoe said when Falarion explained what the ball really was " I think I had a toy or two as well when I was little, it was a wooden sword, shaped similarly like this and... yes, a cloak which my sister claimed to make me invisible but it did nothing in reality. "


She started to think deeply.


" Hmm, so it serves no purpose other than having free time activities with others then... " she mused, the ball being almost mesmerizing now " I guess it can be useful for playing with others then, I can see why it is a popular game. "


When Barry motioned her to throw the ball though she was slightly shocked. She of all the people here was the one who had no idea how to throw it... what if she hurled it too fast and it would be too powerful of a sling? Looking at Totus as he explained that that would be a game of 'catch' she nodded but was uncertain what exact purpose it would serve.


" So... according to you I should just... lightly swing it right? Like a grenade? " she asked, trying to find the balance point of the ball to throw. She looked at Barry, trying to focus. In her mind she already targeted the weak points of the boy, trying to aim for the head, the knee...


She shook her head to snap out of it. This was no target practice, she needed not to harm her ally. No she needed to play... this game... play, yes that is the word she needed. Once again she tried to aim the ball at the boy but this time she wanted to hurl is somewhere else... like into his arms.


" All right, here goes something... I guess. " she said and with that she threw the ball.


With awe she watched as the small object soared through the sky, she felt pride swelling in her chest as she was certain that she had managed to throw it with just the right force so that it would land in the hands of the boy - not stronger to cripple him but not weaker either to make it land in the grass in front of him. As it flew she looked around with the proud smile of hers, her eyes shining with an excitement of a young child as she looked at Totus and Falarion.


" It flies! It should land soon! " she said, quite excited " Is this the 'playing' part? It surely is intense, it is a true test of accuracy! "


@Bolts @Lioness075 @Flutterby

 

[Bolts]

Barry stood there with his arms ready to catch after Totus had brought up catch. He couldn't help but grin when she explained it as a wooden sword but more round. With the wavering in her voice, due to uncertainty, Barry looked her over. Her posture while preparing to throw was very much like a battle ready stance. Her eyes not fixated on his torso and arms but towards his head and legs. Small details matter while dealing with people. He understood now that she was more of a soldier with no sense of play time. It could be dangerous to many, but Barry felt calm. If danger should arise, he had already watched the manner of the throw.


He could see the gears turning in her head. Her body shifting slightly to a more relaxed manner. A small curve in his lips formed. [Alright, there you go. A small toss now.] He thought to himself. She might not hear it, but its the thought that counts right? As she released the ball from her hand, it wasn't a threat to safety. A nice ark was made as it reached the maximum height and started to fall. Barry held out his hands in anticipation. [now... be funny or more encouraging?] The ball landed in his palm and he let the momentum continue slightly. Bringing his body up into a more casual stance. He decided to be more encouraging. Giving her a thumbs up and a toothy smile in hopes that she would see that everything was fine.





Oh my! Nice toss nice tooooossss. BB practically sang to no one in general. Your turn Barry! Batter up but in this case pitcher ready? Who knows? Barry brought his arm back with the ball in hand. [Hands or away from body? Would it look bad if I sent it just slightly away from her? Probably, so hands it is then.] He thought to himself as his eyes fixated on her center. With a gentle toss, he let the ball soar. There it goes! A home run. BB said while flying around Barry's head. A game of catch was only fun when she could make small comments. It's not like she could catch the ball with her small wings.


@DawnAntalios @Lioness075 @Flutterby

 

[andujarprime]

Haku's smile shifted slightly and she begun to laugh. She quickly grabbed up Fie and squeezed him close for a hug. "Very well, who exactly will you be using this on? And in what manner?" She asked curiously as she set him down. Then she smiled again and came in real close. "I'm sure they have a super cooling chamber here somewhere. If we freeze it, then break it down into dust, it will be much easier to slip it to someone without them knowing." She whispered to him then looked around to make sure no one was anywhere near them to overhear. "Maybe we can slip some to the staff to test it out? Then we can slip some to Rin, I don't think you've gotten him yet. And I'm sure he wouldn't hate you, or me for it in that case." She said slyly as she moved her tail to let uncover the pot and stir it a little.


@Peaceswore


Rin had gotten through a few of his stances silently when he heard Simon's comment about a string bean. He chuckled to himself and finished his current pass through before stopping. He wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to see that Simon was speaking to Ash. Who, like Rin had a lean build. But Rin knew that as lean as he was, compared to Simon, his own muscles were tough, and his strength formidable. He hoped that Ash was the same way, otherwise he might have to take it upon himself to defend the image of the string beans. With that thought he laughed to himself as he set his practice sword down, took a sip of his juice, which he had made in similar fashion to gatorade in that it would help replenish his energy. He stood in anticipation for the sparring match, only to be taken by surprise when he saw agent Strong walk in. "H-hey" He said with a wave, then stepped back as she mentioned the wolf. He nodded, then nearly jumped in surprise as Eos took off after Alec. He had completely missed their words issuing a sparring match. He stood stunned as Eos came in at Alec.


@zCrookedz @SilverFlight @DawnAntalios

 

[Lioness075]

Falarion shook his head in a mix of amusement and slight bewilderment, as it was clear that Zoe wasn't entirely used to messing around or having fun.


Personally, Falarion couldn't understand not knowing what fun is. This just meant he was raised differently than Zoe was, though.


Watching Barry toss the ball back at Zoe after encouraging her, Falarion let out a low yawn before feeling his head droop a little before he caught himself and quickly lifted his head back up again.


Eyes wide, Falarion then relaxed again before glancing over at Totus and saying, "Hey, I don't want to lose my ball, but I'm really tired so I'm just gunna take a nap here. Will you make sure nobody takes my ball from me?"


After asking this, Falarion absentmindedly wondered how Manjano and Beth were doing.


Inwardly reaching out to Manjano, Falarion's heart skipped a beat upon feeling the strong feelings that Manjano was feeling at the moment (wow, that's a lot of feeling).


Shaking his head at this and deciding to let Manjano handle the situation on his own this time, Falarion mentally returned to the garden and glanced up at Totus again, waiting for his answer.


@Flutterby @DawnAntalios @Bolts

 

[Flutterby]

Beth's eyes blinked in a steady rhythm. Each time she blinked, her eyes would switch subjects. Muffin, Manjano, and back again. She pulled off a bite as he squirmed under her scrutiny. Once again, a part of her felt very, very bad for making him uncomfortable. But another part, the hard, angry part that had formed just before she met Totus, enjoyed the power she had right then.


Finally, he spoke. Without missing a beat, she pulled another piece of muffin off, chewing it deliberately and swallowing before saying, "For what?" Her green eyes glinted. She knew she was being unfair.


But she was so angry at herself. For not seeing what was coming, for not fighting back, for not getting closure for herself, for tearing he parents apart, for leaving Seattle, for being Manjano's first connection, for expecting him to be there for her, for being angry that he wasnt when she knew he wouldnt be; there was enough sourness in her to fill the oceans. Mostly, it was the challenge and exhaustion of training that made her feel this way, but the image of the door swinging shut behind him had played in her mind every time she hit a punching bag or pulled the trigger. People dont want to be around you. Theyre afraid of what you are. Youre afraid of what you are- a victim, a statistic on a page, someone people protest for but never want to meet. She was angry at herself for thinking that, too.


Pretending to be angry at him was much easier than admitting all that.


@Lioness075

 

[Flutterby]

Totus watched Zoe discover the joys of play like a proud parents. If only Eos were here to see this, the old stag might cry like a mother at their first graduation. Very carefully, Zoe tossed the ball, actually managing to get it to Barry's hands.


"Good throw, Zoe!" He cheered, lifting his wings from his body for a moment. To himself, he added, "Not sure you get the idea of play, but at least you didnt take his knees out or something." Now the true test..


Barry prepared to throw it back, tossing it lightly back toward Zoe. "Be ready to catch it!" He called, as Falarion got his attention.


He looked over at the maned wolf, who had the look of a puppy after a litter wrestling match, and gave a nod. "Of course, Falarion. I will make sure your precious ball is returned to you, or Manjano, after Zoe's lesson in playing." The owl churred in amusement, and went back to watching the game. BB's commentary, despite the shrill quality of her voice, made the situation that much more amusing. He would have to tell Beth later, to cheer her up.


@DawnAntalios @Bolts @Lioness075

 

[DawnAntalios]

Hearing BB's and Totus' compliment her Zoe's cheeks turned slightly red as she looked at her with glee.


" Was it? Did I do it correctly? " she asked, her eyes lit up in happiness but then she shook her head and cleared her throat. " I mean of course I did it. Precision is a fundamental skill every archer must possess. It is only natural that I would not miss my mark. "


As she said it a strange warm feeling filled her. She did not know what it was exactly but it was sure a good one. Looking how Barry raised his thumb she actually blushed a bit further and prepared for the boy's throw.


" Give me all you got! " she yelled, watching as he threw the ball with mighty force. She was surprised how strong Barry was but it made it all the better. Heeding to the owl's advice she tried to calculate the angle and the velocity of the ball in the air... But then she realized that she needed none of that. She should just watch where the ball went to prepare to catch it. After hearing BB's comment she dashed after the ball with speed and caught it mid-air. Grinning triumphantly she held the ball close to her with pride as she looked at Barry, raising her left hand to show him a "V" with two of her fingers.


" Nice shot, Berry-man! " she grinned, letting this terrible pun fly. " You are strong, I give you that! There may be a shred of potential in you to become an Agent! " she felt cheekiness within her as she looked at the boy with a flashy grin.


" All right, let's see if you are up to the challenge now! " she said, jumping a few meter back for safety. " I gonna give it all I have this time! Show me your moves! "


She said and with all her might she launched the ball towards the boy. She watched as the small round object soared through the sky with lightning speed towards Barry and his companion and Zoe felt an urge, a compelling force to do something she had not done in a long time.


She let out a cheerful, happy laugh.


Surprised and shocked at this the girl paused as she watched - now with the mixture of confusion and curiosity as the ball flew towards Barry - and she hoped that the boy was ready for it.


@Bolts @Flutterby @Lioness075