Fandom Soul Eater: F.A.T.E

[Sir Les Paul]

Midori☆Hoshi​

"Dark Star"​

Species Death Golem
Partner Various / Autonomous Weapon
Rank Two-Star

Location Death City, Hollowed Grounds
Mission First Mission
Status Focused

​

Mentions: The Regal Rper @Sybil Kyuubey @QuirkyAngel Prizzy Kriyze

"The votes have it," Midori said in a tone that to his merit was only half sarcastic. "Your first mission will be finding Shuumie as it came to a majority first," he added, essentially explaining that even if votes were changed it was locked in.

He grinned, although the purpose behind it was quite hidden. His face had a hint of pleasure in it, but he did not reveal enough to determine if that was due to some sadistic twist with the mission, just an end to this voting process, or whatever other reason the enigma of a weapon could have found interesting. His reasons were his own, and he had already disclosed he did not want his experience in this field to impact the mission significantly.

"I will offer you only two pieces of advice. The first is not to overestimate yourselves. Emira brought up fantastic points insofar that you likely know Death City well by now, but do not let your sense of familiarity lull you into thinking you have any type of advantage. Since this team did not get the werewolf, none of you have the animal instincts of a feline. The way that creature knows this city, even if it is overall lesser than you, is from an entirely different perspective. One of the first things you learn when you specialize in Monster Hunting is that you are either the predator--or the prey. Regardless of which you are, if you wish to capture or kill your target--or survive should you be the latter--you must know the perspective of your opposition. The difference here is larger than hunting runaway witches, defected agents, or even corrupted humans. They are not human, but that does not make them lesser," Midori explained to them, his tone shifting slowly but surely into a slightly dull but informative one, reinforcing that he had at least some ability to teach. He was no Emmett or Stein for sure, but that didn't mean he had no knowledge to impart.

"The second piece of advice is only as useful as you make it. Shuumie is not precisely a rare or one-off creature and unlike more uncommon specimens has taxonomic name. Felis Milagua," he told them, as he did tilting his head back some to let his dual colored eyes lift up and peer at the group as a whole with this information.

"That all said, I trying to catch Shuumie now would be next to impossible without specialized skills. The rain is too heavy. The weather is due to let up in the early afternoon, and a drizzle then is far better than a thunderstorm now. According to the reports, Shuumie has been consistently seen in the Southeast district between the residential area she was lost and the pubs and bars that sprawl along the South of Death City. Go too far and you end up in raves and dance clubs, so it's a fairly narrow strip," Midori explained, giving them some insight as he flipped through a slightly thicker folder he had for this particular mission. He wantonly flipped pages over, and clearly had more information than he initially provided.

"Let's say you meet up at 2PM on Oak Street South and start your search there," he added, running his fingertip along a small printed map that was within the folder. His eyes had scanned it, but also quickly darted back and forth between a few locations on it. While his decision was definitely quick, it did seem there was some thought behind it.

"With that, you're all dismissed," he told them, looking back up to them after ripping his eyes from the pages. He then gently, playfully even, nudged Emira under the table with his leg, a silent indicator of the brief free time they would have before the start of the mission.

Note: Prizzy permitted the assumed vote for Shuumie to me, so this slightly abrupt skip will include that and simply move the IC along.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Thaddeus Thales​

"Gauss"​

Species Human
Partner Noah Wiley, Prudence Montgomery
Rank Fate Agent

Location Death City, DWMA Classroom
Mission Crescent Class
Status Ambivalent

​

Mentions: Merciless Medic RedArmyShogun Mqueserasera Mineczka

"The only correct answer, I believe, is whatever you tell us to do," Gauss said aloud, in a strong but flat voice. It was the closest thus far the man had ever came to raising his voice since the beginning of the program, but his point was to cut through whatever else was going on to make his statement known. "Inquiring as to what we believe we may encounter is a common tactic to increase our anxiety--the imagination can often be worse than reality. Or, more so, the unknown is far more frightening than the known," Gauss added, also adding a soft, almost condescending smile to his face.

"But, you wouldn't do that to us, would you?" Gauss asked rhetorically.

Gauss' eyes darted over to the projected screen, scanning what was on it quite intently. He couldn't pick up much context information regarding what he was seeing, but he could at least look for memorable design patterns. Noah slipped the earbuds in front of him, but his fingertips only drummed alongside them as he continued to stare.

His tone returned to his hushed voice as he spoke now specifically only two his teammates, "I can imagine a plethora of reasons they would hold you from the way you two spoke down to the fact we are a trio. Whatever it is, do not panic. Take a grain of salt with you when you stay after class; I will wait if you want." He leaned back in his chair and tilted his head to both of them in a fairly relaxed manner, almost as if stretching in his chair for his own comfort. "Success stems from focus, so don't let even our mentors distract you," he reaffirmed them.

Distractions was a good term. A good way to label what these people were. Nadia and Dani with their obstinate attitudes, Sara and Suzu with their unending and borderline annoying support for each other. Zelda was too passive, Emmett too theatrical. Gauss knew his own hands were hardly clean. The stunt he pulled with Athena, the fight he picked with Zosar--that was him giving into these distractions. He accepted his own faults and made efforts to improve upon them, if only slightly and over time. For him to stay afloat in this sea of destruction, he needed to make sure his partners did not fall prey to distractions as he did. Noah was quick to bite, Prudence may have had a longer fuse but her bark seemed much worse. They all, including himself, needed to stop taking the bait.

Just like with Emmett. Perhaps Gauss was yet again being paranoid, but Gauss felt like he was only seeing them in line to get them on the same track he wanted them on. Worried over what came next. Even if he was to reveal it soon, for a moment, he would have had the group all in the same mindset. That was control. That was control that Gauss would not forfeit to the man. That was a type of control Gauss would need to focus on ignoring the others to avoid losing. Arguing with Dani and Nadia, sympathy for Sara and Suzu--whatever it was, he needed to cut it out. There was a time and place for it. He could acknowledge these things without reacting to them. He could feel things, like the guilt from the day before, without acting on it. If he could do that, he could deal with whatever bullshit the others threw at him without acting on it, either.

"I couldn't conceive you trying to make us dance to music we didn't even know was playing," he added, capping off his previous question.

 

[The Regal Rper]

Ark | DWMA | Library

With Raph's assurance he would be along later, and Iris still fuming, Ark waited no longer- and moved along. Long strides went far when you were essentially, a form of a giant, though not in the literal standards of the species themselves- he was out the door in the span of just a few seconds, long behind Miss Koiya whom had taken it upon herself to bolt off towards the collection of books to pick out her own interests.

By the time he'd gotten to where Koiya was, Maria was already there. Two out of the five were here, excluding their mentors. While Koiya perused a book on runes, Maria, as his shadow passed her, looked at Magic Circles.

Arcel had a very basic understanding of magic circles, not anything he could use for certain, but from what he understood- the algorithm used with a magic circle in his brief studies of the casting process, allowed for a bit more flexibility to the spell being cast- additional features being added in much more feasibly. It made him consider perhaps instead looking more closely at Magic Circles instead of Runes. After all, a rune had its own set instructions once crafted and made- very much like his own trap spell Entomb. There were minor tweaks that could be done but ultimately, much like his gloves- there was a singular function that was performed- and that function by its nature could not be changed in full or added on to lest it break the entire connection.

Aimlessly eyeballing, an idea came to mind. Chanterelle's magic. Plants. Could it be possible? Some way to combine their magic maybe? And then there was the Dollmaker. Her use of constructs, could he figure out some sort of way to apply some form of armor to them with the very earth he manipulated? His father's form of magic had been something he dabbled in, but nowhere near the same degree. Yet the idea of combining his magic with the others had struck him as something to be quite interesting.

"Magic Circles it'll be then." And no sooner had he turned was he immediately in the section he had visited more than a few times during his early experiments in combining Fire and Earth to create the projectile flaming arrow spell he now had.

His eyes flitted through the titles, so many- few he'd looked at- glanced at- many he'd read out of pure curiosity. And then he found it-- Magic Circles; A How To Guide For Morons On Combination Magic.

The cruel titles were never amusing, but the knowledge they held was quite beyond what the seemingly silly title displayed.

He'd opened the book and was about to begin diving in as he walked over to a seat not far from Koiya herself, at least till he saw the look of consternation on Maria's face.

Hmm...should I?

He decided, why not.

"What seems to be the problem Miss Dollmaker?" He asked politely, looking down- book stashed into the abyss that was his dark purple open shirt. "You seemed to be havin' a thought what with the way your jaw scrunched so I thought I might ask you what was on your mind." He explained.

Mentions: Sir Les Paul (Rand) Merciless Medic Mineczka Prizzy Kriyze Meredith

Interactions: Kyuubey RedArmyShogun

 

[Meredith]

Chanterelle Fuir

In the Library, interactions are open. Mentions the entire mage group, interactions Koiya Kyuubey , Raphael Merciless Medic , Rand Sir Les Paul , Iris Prizzy Kriyze ]​

Chanterelle was glad that Koiya was excited about her food. She nodded politely, a smile on her face, mirroring Koiya’s strange one. “It’s dinner, then,” she quipped, leaning down on her elbows on the desk as she watched the introductions before her own. She just made it through her piece, with great effort. She wished she could have gauged the reactions of her peers – but it had been so much as it was, she hardly even looked until the end, when her eyes slid in the direction of the confirmed friend across the table. Raphael’s reaction to her introduction, as she sat down in her seat, made the Toadstool with smile. He was good at instilling pride, too; there was perhaps a virtue even within vice. The next person to stand was the white-haired woman: she looked older than the students, certainly, and introduced herself as a mentor-

Wait, they were here the whole time? Both of them?

Chanterelle felt a record scratch in her skull. She thought about this for a long moment, decided with pursed lips that they were playing mind games, and dismissed the lateness altogether. There was no time to play games with emotions with people so volatile. What were they thinking? The levitation of the table only intensified her anxiety. Sure, it was cool, and she would be helpful- but what the hell was going on in this room. Everybody, she thought, was profoundly fucking unhappy to be there. Except for Raphael (maybe). How was this going to work if her classmates were just angry?
But Eidelweiss sat down, and Koiya stood beside her, and her gaze tilted upwards to consider the first Oni witch she had met before in the library. Admittedly, her name rang no more bells than anyone else’s, including the members of status in the room (Chanterelle figured she might have to ask for some sort of chart for those houses). She nodded at the admission of transformation magic, but the talk of madness made her somewhat nervous, as it had been explained to her before. An exile of the witch’s realm- something they might be able to speak about later, if she could be trusted. A large if.

She resonated with the idea of protective spells, though, and the desire for increased learning was a noble one. They shared a common goal. “You did great,” she muttered as Koiya sat back down, but they had barely a moment to speak before the woman who she’d thought was going to beat Raph’s ass started hollering at the teacher with the loud music. It was all very dramatic. Chanterelle watched the scene with a wide, attentive gaze. Her muscles were tensed: ready to duck if need be, but captivated, interested by their altercation. Iris was yelling about rank, upset about him being related to her- oh god oh god oh god imagine if that was like my aunt yikes yikes nope no I’d have died instead thanks thank YOU ma’am I will take the death penalty. Wow, this is fucked up????.
Chanterelle was sure her face was covered with her horror. Her hands rose to cover her mouth, one overlapping each other, and watched as Rand moved forward to respond. He had too much of an ego to placate someone with one; this was a terrible example of fighting fire with fire. But he just talked over her about the lesson plans. This was going to end poorly, she predicted, and potentially violently. Why did this school feel like a war zone ALL of the time?

The information about class was what she was here for, and Chanterelle flipped open her notebook, quickly taking down Rand’s instructions about magitech being off the curriculum and alchemy, rune magic, and calculation magic being integral to his program. She made a note to look up a book on the fundamentals of each when she had nothing more interesting to do. The Pull was something she had professional help to deal with, and after THAT display, Chanterelle wasn’t sure that she wouldn’t take a swing at him if she WAS struggling with it. Yikes.

He started approaching her. This was uncomfortable; there was no need for Rand to bring his conflict over her way. She took the book from his hands without uttering a word, but as she peered at this cover, she glances up at him with a half-hearted “Oh. Thanks.”

Chanterelle flipped open the book. It was a good excuse to be quiet if things got heated; a book is a required part of a traveller’s bag for the reason of cover as well as pleasure. Maria – the doll-maker – cane over and asked Rand to collect her before departing the room. Koiya left her seat (maybe avoiding this conflict, too?) and abandoned her to her fate. She raised a hand to wave goodbye.

Raph was trying to grab her attention, though. She responded to him briefly – yeah, he’d be right there, she was sure – but the book was somewhat interesting as she delved into its pages. It had diagrams and cross-sections, useful things in the business of construction. Rand was still beside her, though, and she spoke lowly in the short moment between his direction and the emptying of the room. The only ones left? Raph, her, (maybe) Iris, Edelweiss, and of course Rand.

“You know, I’d be pretty upset if I was ambused by a family member I didn’t even know as a teacher, I’ll be honest with you.” She stated flatly, still looking at the book. Her eyes travelled upwards to meet Rand’s, and she snaps it closed, stuffing it in her bag and standing to meet Raphael. She doesn’t really look for a response, but she lingers long enough that one could be made. It was time to look for books about esoteric plants.

Do Not Touch!

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Maria Mayer - DWMA HQ Library
​

"Hmm?"

Breaking away from her indecision, Maria slowly processed the words being asked of her and spoke freely with what her initial thought was. "Oh! One of the saner and more collected of our class of strangeness!" Realizing what she said she clammed up at once and looked at Ark, debating to tell him what was on her mind, or rather the more important of them all.

"Umm.. I have a lot on my mind, but for the here and now I am trying to decide which of the two books to learn. For now my Enchanting abilities I fear cannot progress further on their own.. So reached an impasse have I.."

Holding the two books, she tilts her head, showcasing the titles of each and the obvious nature of them both. Firstly, in the right hand Demon Tools and You, for the craftsman and the layman, history and appendix. "On this hand, I could improve my ability to use Demon Tools, upping my efficiency and use of some constructs, but the ability to construct more advanced demon tools is of questionable value."

Then holding up the book in her left, this one was titled The Rune Arts: A Magic of A New Era. "Or Rune Magic.. I am interested in Magitech and will likely take up the offer of meeting this mystery person, this magic may also help further my creations reach and passively reinforce or expand upon what I have built... However it would be a whole new study that I have some ideas on what to do thanks to Enchanting. It would be useful to learn this, but I may learn it anyways."

With that Maria put the two books together and shrugs, before her face forced a smile, as unnatural as could be in a manner. "So I have no idea at all, or rather I have all of the ideas. Ideas upon ideas, the pull of creation, the search of knowledge! Such a wonderous thing! You see... Yes, Ark was it not? You see, perfection is a fools notion, those blessed with natural magic are often blinded by and brought down by Hubris.. And those not so inclined, circles within circles, cogs upon cogs. One should never settle for the here and now, one should always aim to improve upon something... For Perfection is a dead end. The question then is, what I wonder?"

Tapping both books she shrugs once more. "The question is... For what do I look towards to improve myself from stagnation? From those perfect limits? I am not happy to be a Tier four enchanter... ah, I'm sorry I've said too much."

Interactions: The Regal Rper

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Iris ba Sitheris
Like rolling thunder, a wave of uncomfortable tickling ran through her bones. Somewhere in the borderland between a shiver and being stabbed, it caused her hairs to stand on end before her skin shifted and unshifted a round of scales. The pull was barely skin deep in the moment, but Iris displayed angelic patience with the piece of shit in front of her. She still showed overt signs of the boiling rage just behind her teeth, clenched so hard anyone nearby could hear the creaking. Her nails had become slightly elongated, and a literal puff of smoke escaped her next breath as she'd unwittingly turned some of her spit into vitriol and it, in turn, reacted with the other compounds in her mouth. Her eyes were slitted. Her fangs had grown sharper.

Creak.

Not only did he entirely dismiss her and condescend her reaction, but he used her outrage as a platform to suck his own dick and pull rank? It was clear as day that in her current shape she wouldn't land a well-deserved punch to the kidneys on him, and she didn't want to offer him another chance to talk down to her or flop his tiny pecker around. So she stayed put. Completely. Every word that followed out of his mouth passed her by. She vaguely recognized Arc trying to say something at one point, but she feared that she'd immediately lash out if she unfolded her hands or averted her gaze from the object of her dissatisfaction. Would it really be the worst place to permanently fuck her life up in? Wasn't it a pretty fair time to demand the tiniest inkling of respect?

He seemed to be pretty clear that respect was not something he gave to anyone who didn't kiss his ass. He'd given her one look and decided he knew who she was. He was just like all the rest of them.

Then, as everyone was leaving, a voice from somewhere nearby echoed the sentiment on her mind. She turned her head ever so slightly and looked over to the mushroom witch. She couldn't get a read off her flat expression, but that one sentence validating her experience here was enough. Iris' nails retracted. Her eyes returned to normal. She felt her center once more, and her psyche moved to retake it.

Iris exhaled a long sigh and eased her stance. Her hands fell to her sides. "Up your ass, Rand." She spoke, then turned on her heel to leave. Just before exiting, she passed Chanterelle, and muttered a "Thank you." without meeting her eyes. She needed to be alone. Clear her head from all this toxicity. Gaslighting, even. Study new spells? Sure, whatever, who cares. She'd need to learn to make the most of her lower reserves of magic anyway.

She found herself a quiet corner in the library; between two towering book cases, against the stone wall, on the floor. A book of deeper study on the art of transmuting chemical compounds found itself in her lap, but it was hard focusing now. Fuck this place.

Sir Les Paul Meredith

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Emmett James

Emmett wasn't sure if Nadia had gotten the memo that he could hear everything going on in the room. Either that, or she just didn't care to openly voice her distrust of him. Fair enough, I guess. After all, passing passive-aggressive comments at people is a tried and true method for getting along. Emmett would openly sigh if it was a colleague, but the kids need a little patience and a big dose of positive environment.

He was picking scraps of rice out from between his teeth with a pinky as she walked down to the desk and offered her comments. As a knee-jerk reaction he began replying "I'm not really looking for anyone right... now..." but he trailed off and lower his voice as it dawned on him that that's probably not what she meant. His enthusiasm remained unbroken, and to her further crass commentary he continued, "All good guesses! Almost, I guess. The plumbing is gone. Not too far from the truth, though!" As she headed back, he moved his attention to Dani and gave her a wide smile. "Sorry if I didn't make it perfectly clear, but the ear bud thing isn't optional. We'd be liable for the injuries if you don't use them - and all team communication will be handled through them. You can pick them up before you leave though." Anyone who knew him intimately might feel like there was a very threatening :^) tucked in between the lines of that sentence, but luckily none of the students had yet engaged in a text conversation with him.

A subdued chuckle escaped his lips in response to Sara's enthusiasm from the other side of the room, and he finally removed his nails from between his teeth to offer her an appreciative smile. Mad golden retriever vibes - a nice breath of fresh air from the tension that radiated from half the rest of the students. Poor girl suffered some strange genetic choke-hold after the onset of her MIBVI infection - as unique and fascinating a condition as it was sad. Not unlikely to be at least in part the fault of the poor understanding and management of the panicked medical divisions of the DWMA at the time. He was glad she hadn't lost her kindness in those times. "We won't be going ghost-busting yet, but that's a pretty good idea Sara." He replied, with the littlest hint of tomfoolery in his eye.

He turned his head to look in the direction of the next paced and calculated voice. He had to admit he liked listening to Prudence talk, half because it allowed him to sleep better at night when she played along in the social game, even if it was just to pacify them, and half because it had such an even distribution. It was like math. Made sense, didn't allude to a deeper meaning, it just 'was'. What a sad sound it was, that she could not seem to wish to use it for herself. He wondered many times if he'd have the opportunity to reach her. Truthfully, he could not help anyone who didn't want help. Hopefully, the fact that she was here was enough to believe there was some part of her that wanted, still.

He was about to reply to her after a moment of consideration, when Gauss cut in. Emmett looked to him instead with curiosity that was soon replaced by sadness. Man, the kid really didn't approve audience engagement. Emmett pouted in disappointment, but only afforded Gauss a reply of equal intellectual value. "Fine, don't engage with me in conversation, see if I care." He wasn't especially surprised that a member of the Thales family cared deeply for his independence and agency, but Emmett wasn't particularly interested in robbing him off that, either. Nonetheless, it seemed the introduction had run its course and overstayed its welcome, so it was time to get into the meat of things.

"But yeah, let's get started." He turned on the desk and looked back to the projector screen as he pressed another button on his enigma-remote. The map filled the screen and pushed the text away from focus. It detailed three levels, each color-coded to easier to keep separate; blue for sublevel one, green for two, red for three. "This is a DWMA lab I used to work at, out of commission and blocked off these days. Took a bit of convincing, but I got the go-ahead to use it for training exercises." He turned to look back at the group. "You'll be carrying out an emulated search and rescue mission complete with hostile units and endangered civilians. Zelda, if you will?"

Sir Les Paul Merciless Medic Mineczka Mqueserasera EmperorsChosen RedArmyShogun
​

 

[Merciless Medic]

​

Zelda Zemo
Crescent Moon Class | March 8th, 2067 | 1324

Zelda listened to all the ideas their students had. Some were a little less on the nose, while others were nearly there. The off-the-wall mention of ghosts from the werewolf had her lidding her eyes in mild annoyance, and Gauss' reaction exacerbated it. It was a simple question for fun discussion, it wasn't supposed to be taken that seriously.

Honestly, she was very close to having a drink.

But she signed up for this. Taking in a deep breath, she allowed Emmett to speak, saying his piece to each student who spoke up. Well, and Dani not getting her earbuds. She's remembered getting quite a few of those threatening smiley faces through text and she just imagined it in his tone.

Ghostbusting was an interesting idea, but aside from Suzu's Anti-Undead wavelength, she wasn't sure if anybody else had a chance with a couple ghosts.

Emmett's response to Gauss' quip made her smirk just a little. The man truly was paranoid about nothing. Why would they bother? Still, she'll have to make a comment on that. As Emmett began to roll along through the introduction of the lab and said the gist of what their plan was, he passed it on to her.

Lovely.

Chewing the inside of her lip, she read the room. Sara seemed obviously excited, Suzu seemed likely she'll vanish if ever talked about again, Dani and Nadia were probably still a little irate, Gauss was a right pain in the ass but he was also paranoid, Noah was upset, and Prudence seemed... Anxious, almost. She noticed Gauss talking to his partners, but she didn't have the same earbuds to hear over there, figuring that Emmett likely had a microphone inside those desks somewhere.

Standing straighter so she wasn't leaning on the teacher's desk, she spoke firmly and without contest. She wasn't meant to be interrupted. She decided to top off their last assignment with an explanation, as it obviously needed to be said.

"Before we talk about the test we'll be doing tomorrow, I would like to go over as to why our assignment even mattered. A compliment, whether it's born out of practicality or a genuine attempt at emotional connection, doesn't make one better than the other. The underlying factor is that you have to work together, and a compliment shows what your partner is expecting out of your arrangement - either as an ally or a friend. It not only shows appreciation towards your partner, but it opens the gateway to learning how they work and their weaknesses so you may function better in and out of combat. Regardless of what each other thinks, I can see you all lasting half a year or longer, given nothing socially destructive sabotages that. Our goal was to make sure your partnerships were stable and can last longer than a few days, not to achieve harmony, though that is something to strive towards. You are responsible for that."

Then she smirked. "Now, given your inability to work with other teams, that's going to be an issue to be worked on. This lab mission will require the three teams in this room to work together. You need to be able to work with other teams, as well. Under us, you're all in one unit. That means understanding that every team has weaknesses and you must cover for them, especially when you see the other team struggling. The music of Madness included."

"That brings us to our mission. Regardless of whether this is a simulation or real, you must take this seriously. Anything less and there will be no real, raw missions. Effort needs to be made." She at least didn't have to worry about Gauss not giving his 100%. "Remember those constructs you had to defeat to even enter EAT? You'll be finding those here, along with new objectives dependent on your location to complete as no mission is ever straightforward, and there will be civilians in peril. Well, we have hired actors as stand-ins, but act as if they are real civilians in perilous danger. Each team will work independently, but we encourage teamwork among teams, especially if your skillset isn't optimal for the task at hand. No matter how you do it, we'll be measuring your ability to prioritize and position yourselves to best utilize everyone's skillsets. Emmett and I will be monitoring the entire thing in a control room. This is a stress test to determine how field-ready you are. It's been a while since you've all partaken in a mission of any caliber, so this is our way of seeing if you still got it in a controlled environment. You have the rest of the day to brief each other on your abilities and plan of action. Realistically, this is a lot longer than you would usually have in a real mission, but there are still unknown variables you have to be ready for. Adapt or drown. Realistically, there won't be lifeguards to save you if you screw up."

She looked to Emmett, having concluded her speech and awaited some sort of signal to see if he'll pick it back up. She looked back to the teams. "Memorize that map. 90% of the time you won't have this same luxury when you go on a real mission. Any questions?"

She waited to see if anyone else had questions. If not, she'll go sit down, but she wanted to at least make sure everyone was all set before she ate her lunch.

Interactions: Emmett, Gauss, Prudence, Noah, Suzu, Sara, Nadia, Dani
Mentions: N/A
Prizzy Kriyze Sir Les Paul Mqueserasera EmperorsChosen RedArmyShogun

 

[The Regal Rper]

Zosar | DWMA | Coffee

Throughout the discussion to break the tie, Zosar had remained silent, but with the mission finally chosen, it hardly mattered to him at this point which one they went for now. Hunting down some magical pet was bound to at the very least, be as entertaining as hunting down a Corrupted Soul. Probably not as dangerous- but that wasn't what really mattered here anyway.

The advice came next, and with it Zosar listened keenly. Midori had a good point, if they had Sara here- taking this mission probably would have been a lot easier on them overall. With her tracking skills it would have been a cinch to find this Shumei creature, but a minor challenge was nothing to cry about. They could adjust. Yet brushing that off alone, did not make him less inclined to listen to Midori's personal experience as a Monster Hunter. He had never really talked to him much about his experiences, back then he'd been more wary of his every move being watched than wanting to start a conversation with someone who at the time, he had seen as taking nothing more than the role of his parole officer / executioner (should that need arise). Things however, were different now, and he took the expert's advice to heart here. It was very much like his Hoshino mentor had said: on missions you were either the Hunter or the Hunted. There was no in-between. In a lot of ways, this would be the same. He was about to ask about some extra details in general about Shumei- but it seemed Midori had already been getting to that.

Eyeing the point on the map Midori had suggested, Zosar nodded- with the dismissal he could not help but notice the minor shift in mood with Midori. His eyes flicked between the two Weapons.

Mentally he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Welp!" He clapped, "2pm it is then. Since we got the free time, what do the rest of you want to do since the boss man here seems to have other plans?" And given they had a mission in a short time span- perhaps it would be better to just head straight to the general vicinity and hang out there- instead of wasting time here. He pondered suggesting it, but instead- Zosar wanted to see what the others might say.

Mentions: N/A

Interactions: Sir Les Paul Kyuubey Prizzy Kriyze @QuirkyAngel @Sybil

 

[The Regal Rper]

Ark | DWMA | Library

He did a blink at being called one of the more saner and more collected individuals of their class. The statement was up for debate, but it was nice at least to be considered more stable, superficially at least, compared to the others- I guess?

Still though, Maria's frankness and clear social awkwardness, could not help but get a very small smile out of Ark. Listening to Maria speak though, he felt a kindred spirit in her. Perfection was never the end goal- it was never possible to begin with. In his mind, the definition of perfection as was in dictionary form, was a flawless thing, without imperfections or ever need for improvement- perfect, timeless, a stamp in the timeline that would forever exist, until nothing was once more.

His smile became thoughtful. "Nah nah," he reassured her in his Scouse accent. "I understand absolutely what you mean- believe me. I absolutely agree that most with the natural talent for magic tend to have an inherent hubris- I was born in it, raised in a society o it, lived among many whu held those kinds of ideals and it reflects across the Guild's branches fer many of those that attend. Every place has its less than savory sides o course. I'm glad at least, in this group so far, there is no one really here that absolutely embodies those less than savory views in our immediate group so far."

Else we'd have more problems than just headbutting, of that he was certain.

"I do believe learning something of Runes now might be of interest to you instead. I dabble in Demon Tools- I could help you with your creative endeavors, I myself, have a powerful hunger for learning things that catch my attention- like a nagging itch" he explained, "when I saw you your Demon Tools I had to say, I was quite curious in learning more about them. I'm not as an advanced learner as our Mentors here, but I do know my Runecraft well- I implemented it into these." He showed her his dual colored gloved hands, and splaying his fingers for her to see his palms- the invisible runes, burned a glowing firey orange along every digit of his hand. Rune algorithms going down his palms, and something of a rune circle, at the back of his hands when he turned them to display it.

Then just as the runes were visible, they suddenly weren't anymore. "I designed the rune work myself. While my father and as I recently learned, Raph's, did help me create the material for it- they gave me only a single hint and I had to work everything else out on my own. The implementation and application process were done by me. Same with this gem on my forehead. The House helped me make it- but the core mechanics to make it work, my doing. Very much like my House, my father believed that personal projects like these- are best done alone with some support here and there, but maximum effort done by the one who wishes to see their vision to fruition. I made the original pair at 15 or 16 I believe, since then I've learned how to make these on my own. This latest pair is the seventh version of the line I've made. Less strict in its algorithm to provide me a bit more freedom in my crafting, and far more capable of taking a beating than the first two iterations. Why don't you show me those children of yours, I will be sure to treat them with care. I just want to learn a bit of what each can do- maybe then, we can share ideas, and see if I can help you have something to discuss with Rand later." Then turning his attention over to the engrossed Koiya, he called to her and said: "You also. Come here and join us. If we're to be a team" he smiled- feeling that prickle of excitement across his skin, that elation at finding a new target of interest-- "then it'd be best for us to learn as much about each other as we can. Combat style, especially. One introduction, isn't enough to prepare anyone to work with a new team. I should know!" he laughed--

--Because wasn't I the one who also helped put an end to one?--

And then cleared his throat as if feeling he shouldn't be so loud.

"What do you say?" He asked them both.

Mentions: Sir Les Paul (Rand) Merciless Medic Mineczka Meredith

Interactions: Kyuubey RedArmyShogun

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Nadia Semyonov - DWMA Classrooms​

With the man's eccentrics coming out to play, Nadia turned her head a bit and shrugged at the eccentrics as she looked at the ear buds, taking them in hand as she stood there before the pair, she giggled a bit at his response. A knowing laughter that was condescending in a manner, she seemed highly amused. Tilting her head, and giving another glance at the other earpieces, she decides to speak.

"Oh, I'm not sure she would know what to do with that sort of offer. She is a tinkerer at heart as well, one of considerable skill, though of craftsmanship and of Magic. I suspect you'll meet her sooner than later, a meeting of minds. Or do you need help with finding a date as well?" Grinning at that she stopped and listened as the conversation rolled onwards to telling them what they were here for. Emmitt himself had very little to say, correcting her and finding some amusement in what she had asked, next was Zelda to speak, the weapon that had touched a bit of a nerve from the past, and did she have a lot to say. Breaking it down bit by bit, her smirk narrowed out, before becoming a bit hostile in nature.

​

"Khrenoten..." What? Was this a joke. Replaying the conversation in her head, the woman was dead serious. While she did not expect a real mission, this was something else..

Very much something else.

Setting aside her reasoning for the compliment task and how far off it was in her own mind, Nadia found the conversation that came after to be more problematic. Lifting her right hand up to her right temple for a brief instant.

"Questions yes? Hmm.." Exhaling a bit a few more emotions tugged at her mouth before stilling away. She and Dani were at an automatic disadvantage on paper, they could not resonance with one another, or Dani with anyone, but short of the werewolf, Nadia believed herself to be the most durable and strongest of this class, while part of this was ego it also rang true in fact in some regard. If they were sent on missions and something bad happened it would be a fight for their lives or one hell of a forcing of a resonance. And what Zelda said was true. The DWMA was always Sink or Drown, even now and the overseer of this project had made his thoughts on the matter clear, they all were drowned or on the way.

A part of Nadia wanted to see this through, partly as she had no choice and partly as she wanted to wipe the look from the faces of a few. Composing herself she grabs another pair of the earbuds and tosses them to Dani. "Catch. And just take them, egghead aside they don't give things like this out with no purpose and I have some idea of the nature of our..." A pause at the word entered her voice as she looked at the Meister and Weapon pair, disapproving as she mouthed and said the next word in the series; "...friend. If this fails it shall not be as we were found wanting."

Turning her attention back to Zelda and Emmett, there were plenty that came to mind, chiefly on the how's why's and what's. All of which she did not expect an answer from. "We have a map, orders and expected foes and likely some form of damned puzzle.. I have nothing to ask but do not speak for the rest." Turning on her heel and to clear the way for all the west, she does pause. "I.."

Pausing yet again, Nadia looked out at the rest wondering if she should bother getting to know their weaknesses and strengths.. Such she would leave at the back of her mind as the voice of her mind quietly said; We shall be strong enough to pull even them if need be.. Only the Civilians need be brought out alive, they didn't say I couldn't rampage through the place.

"I.. Think we might should move on, me and Dani will need to speak on such." And with that she heads back for her seat, earbuds in hand.

Interactions: Prizzy Kriyze Merciless Medic EmperorsChosen - Mentions: technically all yet none.

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Maria Mayer - DWMA HQ Library
​

"Oh?" Listening to his words, her face remains rather passive as she nods along with his conversation topic having agreed with her. His accent was a bit odd, but she was not one to bring that up, it wasn't odd in a bad way either. Nodding along she spoke as he mentioned those unsavory views as a forced grin shows up on her face; "Ah yes, I think we even have one here for she wasn't that way. The delinquent looking one that is. So unrulily was she they did something indeed? Odd is normal and normal is odd, smiles from witches makes one frown... If she were such, she would not be here."

The next words spoken by him were much longer, though, Maria also did not mind, it was a comfortable conversation, one that was obviously a nod to his pull, of magic and of his creations, such words were those she could understand. They were not about some actor or another, about some radio music or about what was in fashion and what was trendy. He was of the opinion that Rune magic would be of more value to her, though he was interested in learning more about her own creations. Carrying on with this he showed off his own, the gloves he wore, watching as the tell-tale signs of magic showed itself.

"How interesting. You use earth pray tell?" It was hard to tell by outward appearance if she meant that or not, but she actually did. The gloves were a tool, he was likely an Enchanter himself though of a different vein of her own. Judging by the colors she assumed Earth but could not know for sure till it was put in use. Elemental affinity was common, though Maria was not sure she had such, most of her craftwork involved wood and cloth, but so did they with metal and leather. She found her thoughts racing elsewhere, she redirected them to the here and now, it was so rare to find another so invested, though their means and arts differed greatly.

He then showed some more of his creations, including the gem on his forehead. "Oh! How Wonderful! I had been wondering if that was part of your head or not, like some sort of third eye! And the 7th on the gloves? Here I am unwilling to try to change my creations...maybe.... no. No. Just too much to think of here and now, your display was masterful Ark, but hmm.. I know. I shall show you both of them and Miss Koiya can join."

With that Maria took and laid her suitcase out and released the latches, opening to the world, she would show her pull of creation to his pull of the pursuit. "I find the number of variations higher than I would attempt, but you shall see soon why that is so." With her expression going back to neutral, Maria gives a wave of her hands, the silver rings radiating with an arcane glow, strands of material would run from her finger rings and those which seemed to be engulfed in a crimson glow attached to the two figures within the suitcase.

Manipulating her fingers it soon became clear that she didn't need to do this so much as have a connection with her wires, mostly as there was less movement from the left hand than the right, inside two dolls which had a strange likeness to Maria came to life, ashen skin that carried the signature of Maria's mana stirred within them, both were wearing what could be called a blue maid styled dress with an apron, and same shoulder and neck covering of the owner. The one on the left had taken damage at some point, judging by the load bearing nail keeping it's skull intact as well as a few scratches here and there within the varnished Ash wood that made up its body and skin, in it's hand was a hatchet that gleamed in the indoor lighting, eyes bright green and a smile to it's face.

On the right was a doll that looked much newer and with very little damage, if any obvious at a glance. Dressed exactly like the other, there was little to tell that differed her from the other, save for blue eyes and a serious expression. That and the fact she was armed with a sword that rested beside her, a foot long blade that looked like it could do some damage. With a deft and subtle movements of her hands both dolls climb out of the box, saluting with arms before the strands vanish, leaving the dolls to collapse and fall forward.

Of note was the fact both dolls had points of articulation to great detail and mana seemed to flow from the caster and into the dolls in a recreation of the nervous system with some differences as it flowed and was imbued within the wood's natural lines. The weapons laid beside their wielders and all life seemed gone from them as Maria speaks once more; "I also have a human sized one that I use in battle, in principle I fight from close range, odd for a caster, I can even shift the form of my Grimoire to turn it into a melee blade among other things. I can also give my creations little bits of my mana and basic instructions, so I am not totally helpless in a fight. However, the more detailed the command or purpose the more direct my control need be."

Lifting out with her left hand, Maria extends a single stand of the glowing lines from before and speaks; "Demon Tool Control Wires. With the use of Alchemy, I can shrink them or expand them as part of my ring casing, that way I am not caught without needing wire, nor tripping myself to control what I have. Now little one, step forward and bow."
If she actually needed to issue the Verbal command was up to debate, but the wired strand glowed briefly and then was cut away, it's purpose fulfilled as the damaged doll rose up by itself and walked towards Ark then gave a little bow, then as suddenly it seemed to be locked in standby before collapsing under it's weight.

"Oh! Speaking of Miss Koiya! I should finish what I was doing, finish it before someone finishes you, yes? Feel free to look as much as you wish, the clothing, dolls and weapons were all made by I." And with that Maria pulls out the partially carved fish and sets back to carving it, as some of her strands join the effort grinding and slicing away at the wood from her hands, the red glow being pronounced. It seemed if she put the focus and energy towards it she could make repairs or basic crafts at a greater rate of speed, though her concentration seemed fully absorbed by the task at hand.

Interactions The Regal Rper Kyuubey

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Rand Mabason​

"Soundwave Sorcerer"​

Species Witch
Partner N/A
Rank Two Star

Location Death City, DWMA Library
Mission Introductions
Status Calm

​

Mentions: Kyuubey Merciless Medic RedArmyShogun Prizzy Kriyze The Regal Rper Mineczka Meredith

March 9th, 2067 | 1042​

All things considered, things were going well. The mages around him that would be his students were, factually, get along well enough. Iris hadn't exploded, although whether that was solely due to knowing the repercussions thereof or more ideally--or perhaps too idealistically--the possibility of her mindset shifting to a more amicable one. In either case, Rand was considerably pleased with how this series of events unfolded. He admittedly had some concerns, especially given the news of what happened with the first round of Meisters and Weapons that had convened prior. If not for his own experiences firsthand knowing different, he might have been convinced to believe Mages were simply more civilized and less violent.

But then, the notoriety of the Pull of Magic did not exist for no good reason.

Rand pulled out a flat, round device from his pocket and sat it on the table that he once used to lean against while listening to his music. It was black, glossy, and had what appeared to be an LED ring around its center. It shot to life presenting a holographic square cube roughly six inches above it with just a click from his phone. His eyes peeled off the screen of his phone which they were briefly on finding the app and he scanned the interactions in the group.

"Alright, everybody, while I appreciate the enthusiasm most of you have, we do need to get this process under wraps. I don't particularly care what you do once your books are checked out as long as you don't violate and tenants of the program. Stay here, go home, go out--not my business," Rand said aloud, trying to provide progress with some quick instruction. "Same scanner you use when you normally check out a book, except instead of your library card, I'll be manually assigning your leases under my master account--so you skip that step. Once you're ready, just scan the code on the back of your book over the square, listen for the beep, then you're free to go," Rand told them, walking them through this similar but still specific process.

"Aside from, that is, Maria. You will be joining me," he quickly added on, a quick reminder that he had just one extra thing in mind for her.

His eyes then darted over to his cohort Edie, and he gave her a gentle nod. "You and I will need to discuss team structure after I am done with Maria, ideally sometime today. My stop with Maria shouldn't be more than a half-hour, forty-five minutes at tops. I'll be free until 6PM today, so just pick the time and place and I'll make it happen," he said to her. His words rang out with a fair amount of authority, yet he delegated the task of selecting when and where to her. He wasn't much for making demands, that and he was aware Edie had quite the social life whereas... he did not. So, he tried to be accommodating.

With that, he waited. Each of his agents needed their books scanned, then to be off to do whatever the Hell it was they did in their free time.

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Daniella Ethalyn - DWMA Crescent Moon Classroom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
​

Malding in her seat, it was clear from the pink-haired girl's sour expression that she was still only half listening. Primarily, she focused on how irked she was, and most of her mental processes were devoted to acknowledging that. It was likely the reason that she happened to completely skipped over Emmett's offer of earbuds. Thus, when he smiled directly at her and said his piece with the underlying ":^)", Dani escaped from the mental confines of her irritation.

"Ha?" Blinking a few times as her gaze refocused to that which was physically in front of her, it seemed as though she came out of it just in time to hear Zelda's speech.

Immediately at the woman's urge of cooperation with the other teams, Dani's face visibly shifted to one of aversion. Like hell she'd trust or rely on them in any meaningful way. Fuck. That. Fortunately, Dani was able to mostly "nope" out due to her part in the relationship. She was the weapon, after all. Her main focus was to be working with Nadia. The Ruskie could deal with the rest as she pleased.

Dani let out a little scoff as she sunk back into her chair, brooding. That was, until, Nadia retrieved a second pair of earbuds and tossed them over. Raising a hand to catch them. At least the two seemed to be on relatively the same page. Nadia didn't seem like the type to worry about those she didn't have to.

"Nope..."

Glancing over to Nadia as the woman said her last bit, Dani surmised that she wanted to get their capabilities in order. Resonance aside, they hadn't even fought or sparred together as it were.

Interactions: Merciless Medic Prizzy Kriyze
Mentions: Nadia, Zelda, Emmett, Class

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Thaddeus Thales​

"Gauss"​

Species Human
Partner Noah Wiley, Prudence Montgomery
Rank Fate Agent

Location Death City, DWMA Classroom
Mission Crescent Class
Status Ambivalent

​

Mentions: Merciless Medic RedArmyShogun Mqueserasera Mineczka

In a way, Gauss did not care.

Gauss did not care about the specifics of the mission. He did not care whether it was beasts or Magitech constructs they would fight. He did not care if it was a barren battlefield or civilians. He did not care if he was entirely alone, with his new partners, with older partners even, or forced to work with the other teams. Gauss did not care if what was in store was some complicated feat of communication and timing, requiring each group to work in varying levels of sync. He didn't care if Emmett designed golems to counter each one of them with the goal of having them make up for the weaknesses they all may have. Gauss didn't even care if the simulation was designed to be impossible.

Why?

Because it was the objective set in front of him, and Gauss knew little else than how to do what it took to succeed. If his mentors set him up for failure, then the test wasn't meant to be passed--it was meant to gauge ability. Even in that circumstance, Gauss intended to set the bar high.

Yes, in a way, Gauss did not care.

Yet, he was hardly apathetic. Gauss stared at the map on the screen closely. He didn't put it passed Emmett not to incorporate shifting terrain despite his prompts now--especially after what he had seen in Lot C. Regardless, Zelda was right; being given intel like this at all wasn't always the case. Every little bit could help.

"We have an advantage," Gauss said in a lower tone, "insofar that there are three of us. Even with my memory, branding this map perfectly for immediate recall isn't something I can do such short notice. Given I will be making the executive decisions on the field, I'll memorize what I can, but I suggest you two focus on memorizing one half of the map each. Noah, the left. Prudence, the right," Gauss added, providing some instructions alongside the insight.

"As for teamwork, I intend to cooperate fully. Regardless of whether we all get along, and clearly we don't, we share a common goal. Their success and well-being is part of our objective," Gauss then quickly transitioned, still mostly speaking to his partners. "Quite frankly, I don't care any of us like each other. I tend to assume most people just dislike me in general for a myriad of reasons, valid or not. On a mission, that needs to be set aside for the sake of success. If we come to a tough decision, there are three of us, and we can make a quick vote, but know as my partners I will tend to act with benevolence to our teammates," Gauss explained, giving some insight as to his perspective on the matter.

"...failing to do so is a mistake I have learned from."

Gauss peeled his eyes from the map in front of him to the rest of the class. Scanning Nadia and Dani one last time. Dani was growing on him, for whatever reason, but Nadia was the Meister. Nadia was the one he would be personally interacting with. Meisters were the bridges between their weapons. Similarly, he had nothing but sympathy for Suzu, but Sara was the one he was interacting with. He had to adjust to her specifically, and develop his own relationship with her--not piggyback off of what Noah already established.

The paranoia from earlier began to lessen for now. Not of a natural occurrence, but due to his raw and perhaps mildly unhealthy hyper-fixation on the objectives of the upcoming mission. Without something to focus on, when stuck in the recesses of his mind, perhaps he did go to that dark place of infinite questions. Once given a goal, however, Gauss was able to lift himself out of those murky waters and pave a way to whatever goal he had in mind.

"I'm ready whenever our beloved mentors deem fit," Gauss pronounced, otherwise evaluating the map until instructed further.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Adrian Hackney​

"The Maiden"​

Species Human
Partner None
Rank Fate Agent

Location Death City, Oak Street South
Mission First Mission: Finding Shuumie
Status Passive

​

Mentions: Prizzy Kriyze @QuirkyAngel The Regal Rper Kyuubey @Sybil

Rain was such a fickle thing. Beautiful, and today, warm. It made the air humid and thick, reminiscent of the vapors from a freshly made soup, but the aroma was not that of a delicious meal. This was a city, and this was where many in what might be called the suburbs went to drink their worries away or run away in affairs to escape the mundanity of their life. This was one of the darker corners of Death City. Not because it was evil or deprived. Not because it was Mad. It was dreadfully normal. This was the same sad desperation found in small bars across the country, meant for the people grinding their lives away at a 9-5 and wondering how their life got this way. That was the aroma of this rain.

Oak Street South and the roads that followed further south was no limelight for the city regardless of how many tacky neon signs were their. The rhythmic pulsations of flashing yellow arrows, the bright purples and blues of neon open signs, nor the boards lifelessly trying to scream Happy Hour livened up these streets. For as long as one could see until a large stone building--a church of all things--the street had small pubs, petty diners, a few shabby salons, and what appeared to be a decrepit law office. The only thing missing to complete the collection was a same day loan shark sitting somewhere advertising for cash in hand. Money, at least, was something even these folks had plenty of in Death City.

Only on the brightest of the signs could one even tell that this faint rain was coming down, aside from the gentle sensation on the skin. In the light of those signs, the faint mist of droplets shone through, almost like dust in the wind. It was true that the rain was lighter. It dulled the light of the lights, but created a faint glow around them. In the night, this might have been an interesting affect, but just a few minutes after two in the evening, this was wasted. Unfortunate given this street and those surrounding would have pleaded to take anything to liven it up.

Adrian, at least, was there on time, unlike the morning. Nowhere near as soaked in this rain. He spent the time between being dismissed and coming here drying off, then at least figuring out what Shuumie could do. He had a vague idea, at least, of what this species was capable of. Dispersing itself in sources of water, drawn by bright lights specifically of the red variety, and while it had claws and teeth, they were hardly much more than a normal cat. The beast did have the ability to turn itself entirely transparent, but Soul Perception negated that in most cases. When submerged in water or dispersed, its soul did the same, making it nearly impossible to track. This is likely why Midori claimed hunting it in the earlier rain would be next to impossible.

Catching it. Not hunting it. This was not a creature to kill. Adrian had been on less capture missions than he had fingers on one hand, so remembering he was not to harm this little creature was something he had to remind himself of. This point only strengthened the previous thought, though. Catching it previously would have been next to impossible. The rain and humidity as is, based on what he read, shouldn't be enough for it to disperse itself.

And, at the very least, the beast could heal itself. For most non-lethal damage, it could simply reform itself in the presence of water, and do so in a more limited capacity without water. This at least gave them some leeway if they did have to get rough. But, that was unlikely. According to what he read, these creatures were more elusive than dangerous. Their standard abilities didn't seem to pose any chance of harming any of them in this group. This would likely be more difficult than catching an actual cat, surely, but not by a lot. Either way, the point was to take it seriously. Adrian did what he could to look up the common, basic combat potential of these creatures, and really no more.

Despite the bleak foreground of the street they were to start on, Adrian was plenty confident they could do this. Even if he was the only one with Soul Perception, which he doubted greatly, picking up a trail on the creature shouldn't be hard. He was already scanning the area, but saw nothing outside of interest from where he stood. He double checked his communicator, making sure it was secured in place and having thought to brought it in the event quick communication would be necessary for teamwork to catch the creature. Beyond that, the others just needed to arrive, and the scouring could begin.

Note: We're just going to progress ahead a bit here. Characters are to meet up here to begin the search.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Sara Middleton​

March 8th, 2067
Location: Crescent Moon Classroom, DWMA
Interactions: Suzu
Mentions: Emmett, Zelda, Gauss, Noah, Prudence, Dani, Nadia

The task ahead was going to be absolutely FUN!

However, she sensed her fellow unit members weren't so thrilled. Activating her olfactory soul perception, she realized that - while the tensions had lessened significantly - there was still anxiety, anger, and derision. And from her dear partner, Suzu, she was spiraling. Luckily, her side hug had helped the bell somewhat, but the smell of moldy, stinky air came from her. Sara knew she was struggling. This was probably too much and Sara would love to have left for home already so Suzu could sleep. Maybe...

She was a bell. She didn't need to do a lot of the talking because the Meisters would be working together somewhat. She can just fall asleep.

Paying attention to the rest of what everybody else was saying, the anxious Prudence said something about retrieving something while the paranoid Gauss was absolutely an asshole, trying to take away all the fun! Why was he like that? Even Emmett spoke back to him, but the way he worded it sounded so childish that it reminded Sara of her little siblings. Though, she was excited that her idea was actually a good one. She realized now that she and Suzu would be the only good match up against ghosts, as she realized nobody else could do anything to them. She felt kind of bad for suggesting it now.

The class went onward and Zelda was making a speech. First about the importance of the assignment, and then what they were going to be doing.

Honestly, the compliment assignment was something Sara had an inkling it was about, but was still stunned it held that much importance. Really? She decided to just take it at face value, making sure to prioritize practicality with Nadia because of her compliment to Dani. Of course, she had to be careful with Gauss. The Thales boy was starting to grow on her, in a way where she still had to be cautious with him as she felt everything he did or said held an ulterior motive for an ulterior motive.

She nodded subconsciously, not registering she did so, when the constructs were brought up. She remembered them all too well. In fact, she had beaten them before with Noah. She reached to the end of the stairs first and fought against two while she waited for Noah to arrive, then she smashed them both to pieces. It was exhilarating and the fact that they'll be doing this with a (half willing and half unwilling) captive audience that they had to save was just even more thrilling!

However, the idea of working with the rest of the teams like they would a real joint mission with other teams made her ears fall to the sides. She looked to the others, who were now emotionally getting into gear. However, Nadia still looked upset and Dani didn't seem to be any better. Noah was still sulking like usual, while Gauss did his best to be the leader, determining what his partners should do and sounding like he was ready to work. That was good. She can at least put some faith into him, even if he couldn't do the same for the rest of them.

That was when she felt her hand being held. Looking down at it, she didn't realize when this happened, but Suzu was holding her hand. Her lazy tail began to wag again and she smiled heartwarmingly at her partner, who seemed to have gotten out of the pit she had fallen into for a time. Good. She gave Suzu's hand a firm hold while the other hand gently laid atop it, her amber eyes going back to the map to memorize it like Suzu. While she wouldn't be able to memorize absolutely everything, she can at least get the gist of the shape. She let out a cheery "Nope" at the need for questions.

Looking back at Suzu, Sara tilted her head with a soft smile, her voice low and soft. "Hey, we can do this. Okay? It's just a training mission. We got golems to defeat and people to save. We can figure out some strategy with the other teams later, I want to figure out how to fight with you. Okay?" She waited for Suzu's approval before moving. She would grab their bentos, pocket the TACS, and take Suzu with her to leave the classroom, heading to a training room to understand how to use the bell.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Noah Wiley

March 8th, 2067
Location: Crescent Moon Classroom, DWMA
Interactions: Gauss ( Sir Les Paul ), Prudence ( Mqueserasera )
Mentions: Dani, Nadia, Emmett, Zelda, Sara, Suzu

Noah, still sulking, peered over at his partners. Prudence said something incredibly logical, while Gauss... Well, his response even had Noah quirking an eyebrow and sitting up straighter. His assumption that them asking to increase their anxiety had him clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth. What was he even on about? People didn't go to that extreme, did they?

Noah shook his head. Of course, he's just paranoid. Continuing to sulk with an elbow on the table and a hand propped against his cheek, absentmindedly eating his food, he just spoke out the side of his mouth at him, answering his obviously rhetorical question. "No, I don't think they would." Noah's eyes found themselves drifting to Gauss, a tired expression on the weapon's face as he listened with no intent to question him, even though he did think he was wrong. Noah shook his head, sighing. Though, he just let out a grunt of approval at the other stuff afterwards. Success and all that. But their mentors distracting them? What will they be doing?

The thought made him shudder. Now, even Gauss was making him paranoid and he didn't like that. He was already having issues with trusting the mentors and this didn't help. However, his comment on the music made his eyes narrow lazily. Are you serious? Wasn't it obvious? He spoke quietly to him, really done with everything that was going on. He just wanted to be home. "Pretty sure a collar's obvious enough."

Emmett did his little quips at everyone, though it did get Noah to let out a scoff-like chuckle when Gauss was addressed. However, the sense of dread he felt when Sara had spoken of ghost busting put more weight on his shoulders. Why? Why did she mention that? Ugh, oh well. Certainly, she'd be doing all of that nonsense. He couldn't even touch a ghost, even if he tried. Or well, however they worked. He honestly didn't know if they were even tangible to wavelengths in the first place.

That was when Zelda took the reins and explained their situation, even going over the compliments. Really? They held that much significance? He rolled his eyes, just wanting to curl up and hide somewhere where he can just relax. At least Zelda held some kind of promising hope in their partnerships, even as Noah's hope for his own team working out was threatening to bob under the surface and drown.

As Zelda explained the mission, Noah felt intrigue force his body to rise and lean forward more. His hand still was smashed into his cheek, giving him the look of him half-pouting. In all honesty, this mission was fun and all, but he didn't want to do it. So much work. He sighed and finished up his meal before closing the lid on it, the fork he had inside. The constructs were interesting, but he wondered what gimmicks they'd have that's different to what he and Sara had to deal with when fighting to get into EAT. However, he doubted that would be explained. He'd much rather think on his feet in the moment rather than get some cheating knowledge on it now.

The idea of saving people was fine. He didn't care about that. However, the fact they had to work together didn't bode well. Did she let us argue like that on purpose? He gritted his teeth. She set them up for failure to see if they would overcome it. What a dick. He just sighed - again - at the prospect of having to think in this fight. Fine, he can strategize. Give Gauss pointers on what to do if he'd allow that sort of thing. They were to be memorizing the map, and so Noah got to memorizing the three levels of the lab, his eyes lazily yet attentively using similarities in design to compare between the levels, making it easier to remember before moving on to the details. The color coded levels helped, too.

He heard the Russian getting upset, and he can just see the vitriol leave her body before she decided to be civil. Huh, that was good. She had no questions, neither did Dani, and next was Gauss to speak up. Instead, he was speaking to him and Prudence. Something about how they had the advantage. Something about how there were three of them to memorize the map. He just shrugged as Gauss gave them instructions. "Already ahead of ya. Got the three levels practically memorized. But 'kay." As Gauss moved on to the topic of teamwork, Noah chuckled and nodded, speaking up when he was done. "I'd hope ya'd intend on cooperating fully. Otherwise, it'd be a shit show I'd rather not be in. I don't care about makin' friends either. I'm too off-puttin' for most people to get along with, so I don't much care for opinions against me. I'm all about makin' sure we - you two and the other teams included - 're alive in a mission, aside from the objective. I am quite strategic when I wanna be. So, if we butt heads, I guess I apologize in advance if I sound like a right dick."

The comment Gauss had made about a mistake he did got a concerned stare from Noah. "Hm?" He looked at him, before going to look at the mentors with a shake of his head, not having any questions. He then looked back at Gauss, remembering how he said he was here because he neglected the well-being of those around him in favor for his glory. He hoped that didn't happen again.

He just sighed, leaning back in his chair with his hands interlaced behind his head, eyes closed. His voice when speaking to Gauss was quiet, if not a bit firm. "Well, if ya need me to cut some sense into ya 'bout what we need to do, I'll do it. I only have one tone in a situation like that and that's gonna be me bein' stern and possibly yellin'. Hope ya don't mind." With that, he looked over at the others, wondering when they were going to start with this whole thing.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Raphael Valerias

March 9th, 2067
Location: DWMA Library, Study Room F
Interactions: Edelweiss, Chanterelle ( Meredith ), Rand ( Sir Les Paul )
Mentions: Koiya, Ark, Maria

Raphael was only partially aware of Chanterelle's presence beside him, and only aware that Iris had disappeared when he stopped feeling outright anger welling in the room. However, most of his attention was on the mentor before him. The thrill of making her crack a smile had him giddy and the utter flabbergasted stupor as he had asked her about wanting to learn her magic made his mind soar. He figured it was way above his skill level. If and when he failed to do it correctly as is, he'll find ways to make it somewhat work with being his creative self. However, he hoped he could do it with the skill he had now, but no need to make himself frustrated and have a madness break just because he couldn't learn a silly spell. He smiled at her response, nodding softly at her willingness to teach him and her advice of telling Rand about not getting a book.

Oh, he forgot about that.

He chuckled and nodded, grinning wide. "Oh, I intend on getting a book, I just had more pressing priorities."

When Rand spoke, Raphael whirled around to see a hologram of a cube. He didn't know what he was doing, but he spoke, talking about what they should do vaguely about what to do afterwards, and then giving instruction on the books. That was it?

However, the problem he felt was that half the class wasn't even here, and he doubted Iris would come back. He stifled a chuckle, a hand coming up to cover his mouth in mock politeness as his narrowed eyes and, well- eyed the short man before him. If he truly was a mentor with a lot of utility - and a witch - he would rather not get on his bad side.

Still what he said next, he couldn't help it. "Oh, half the class is out, Rand. I know you could probably hear them, but I doubt they can hear you. It'd be a shame if you have to repeat yourself." He didn't mean to sound so wicked saying it, but he did. Purely on accident though, he swore. He looked to Chanterelle with a grin. "I need to check out a book for water element magic. I got a few ideas regarding that and your shrooms." With an affectionate emphasis on the word and a chuckle, he would make his leave...

Unless Rand or Chanterelle had anything to say to him.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Rand Mabason​

"Soundwave Sorcerer"​

Species Witch
Partner N/A
Rank Two Star

Location Death City, DWMA Library
Mission Introductions
Status Calm

​

Mentions: Merciless Medic

March 9th, 2067 | 1044​

Now, Rand had thought he had been loud enough. He could hear everything they said and did. But then, it did occur to him his hearing was hypersensitive. Part of his body adapting to his magic. Perhaps he had been wrong. Perhaps Raphael had a point. Regardless of the logic behind it, Rand didn't precisely like to repeat himself, nor did he think the added instructions were either difficult or merited more follow-up.

Rand then cast a quick spell so that his internal monologue, or more so unspoken words from the bottom of his throat directly over his vocal chords, were quaintly projected into Raphael's ear. A simple spell not too unlike the communicators, albeit more direct and considerably more specific to Rand. This was his thing. If you control sound, you might as well find a way to silently communicate. In this manner, too, he never had to say words into an earpiece. His lips never moved. Observant foes would have far less to go on. It was the next closest thing to telepathy one could have.

"Well since you heard me, you can make sure to direct them here with their selections," Rand informed him, his voice oddly located directly in the ear of his new agent. It perhaps was a bit disorienting--a clear voice without a body seemingly coming from nowhere--but it wasn't overwhelmingly loud or obtrusive. Just odd, if anything. "As for your selection, you may try to pick up another element, but do still choose a sub-type of magic. Learning an entirely new element is multiplicatively more difficult, especially if it is counter-intuitive to your current magic. I only have one: wind, and it is quite similar to sound. Even then, learning it to any degree wasn't at all easy. A suggestion I would have for when you can pursue another element is to do so with one similar to what you use now. Trying to learn an opposing one is akin to... trying to learn to pilot a helicopter when all you know how to do is ride a bike. Absolutely nothing transfers over."

With that piece of advice, Rand was done. Notably, if Raphael picked up on it, his tone was different when using this method of communication. Not in how he sounded--his voice replication was perfect. More so, this was a direct line of communication. One on one. How he addressed a single person was clearly different than the entire group. It was a fairly noticeable shift. Likely one Rand picked up in his time tutoring. One that might just bring some confidence to him as a teacher. Or, one that could be aptly annoying given how quick he was to explain the difficulty of what Raph had intended to do. In either case, that last piece of advice was all Rand left in the ear of the chain sorcerer for now.

 

[Mqueserasera]

PRUDENCE PONTMERCY
Location: DWMA - Crescent Moon Classroom
Mentions: Zelda ( Merciless Medic )
Interaction: Noah, Emmett ( Prizzy Kriyze ), Gauss ( Sir Les Paul )​

The hardest part is to pretend that you care. Not that Prudence didn’t. But an exercise is not the same thing as the real deal, no matter how you slice it. It just isn’t. Stand-in actors? Sure, they would have to try their best like back in the pupil days in DWMA, but one can’t help the notion that it was all a farce in the back of one’s mind. Not that she would be that much more emotional if there were real civilians in danger anyway. Only that the outcome would be worth worrying over just a bit more. A simulation, huh?

And everyone was starting to get serious all of a sudden. Constructs? Monitored mission? It felt as though it’d been forever since she last practiced with such things. Since then many times she had risked her lives and there was that too—that most dreadful incident any Weapon could ever experience. This play pretend sounded almost like a video game. Exactly like that one from the day before that Noah had tricked her into playing. And she had feared too. And that fear had been clearly, obviously real. Should she pretend to care then? To convince them that she cared, they would get a kick out of it, just like Noah did. Very well, some pretension would soon be on the menu.

“Frankly, I have no idea what you’re talking about, Thaddeus.” She cleared her throat. The guy was cementing his image as a conspiracist today. First the gender ratio and now a psy-op. It was getting funny and Prudence would probably have had a laugh if she had been able to appreciate humors. “I don’t care though. The mission comes first, so I do trust you and Noah to make the call. I may look it, but my judgment is not very good, so don’t count on my input. I can memorize things, however, so there’s that.”

Then out of nowhere, they were talking about disliking each other. Yet one more testament to Prudence’s inability to catch up with conversations. She thought they, Thaddeus and Noah, get along well enough. One can never know. Why were they talking about butting heads now?

“Look,” she said not without a certain growing degree of irritation, “Friends or not, it doesn’t matter. I’m a Weapon, treat me as such—swing me about, put me in between you and those constructs. It need not be any more complicated than that. Strategy, preparation, understanding of the terrain—employ all that and accomplish the mission. There’s no point arguing when we’re already on the field. No point.” Having put her last words firmly, Prudence rose from her seat, replacing the bento’s lid.

“I do not think I will be able to offer anything in our strategy talk, so I’ll simply skip it. Please be so kind as to inform me later of the consensus.”

Onto the next hurdle. A puzzle of one. Carefully she made her quiet steps towards Emmet and Zelda. She carried with her the flimsy umbrella in one hand and the bento in the other, the earpiece neatly and securely placed in her coat’s inner pocket. For once, she tried not to scrutinize the person before her: there were so many things in his appearance that drew one’s look, and yet off-putting at the same time: his shabbiness, zaniness, the annoying way he pierced at people as though he understood fully and instantly everything about them. His uncaring manners toward certain things, and obsession with others. If she was even capable of intense emotion, she would hate him, so she thought. On the surface, her face fluctuated faintly between its neutral state and a polite smile.

“I’m already done discussing the mission with my partners,” said she. “You want to meet Noah and me, so I’m here.”

Was that too cold, too unfriendly? From what she had seen of him, Emmett was fond of jokes and small talks. Jokes she couldn’t offer him, so something else. After a while fishing for useful information in her memory, something she had practiced to respond to banters, she recalled what the man had told her earlier.

“’All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth comes only from the senses’, so said the same man.” Her head cocked slightly to the side in an attempt to soften her expression into one of a small-talker. “I don’t think I get what Nietzsche wanted to say most of the time. But I do think some of his ideas are easier to comprehend than others. And less contradicting, if I may say so. Perhaps you can enlighten me sometime?”

 

[Merciless Medic]

Raphael Valerias​

March 9th, 2067
Location: DWMA Library, Study Room F
Interactions: Chanterelle ( Meredith ), Rand ( Sir Les Paul ), Koiya, Ark ( The Regal Rper ), Maria ( RedArmyShogun )
Mentions: Iris

Raphael wasn't expecting anything as he went to pass Rand. However, taking one step forward and Raphael froze, his entire complexion going stark white. His eyes slowly looked over at Rand as the disembodied voice within his ear spoke loud and clear. But-.... His lips weren't moving!! What was this??

Oh, right, it was magic.

Raphael sighed and gave Rand a tired, half-lidded gaze, face almost glum as he was asked to do the work he didn't want to do, but had to do anyway. Sighing, he shook his head. "Sure thing, I'll go do it." He sounded as if he were a teenager glumly agreeing to clean the dishes. However, the idea that maybe going for something like water magic wasn't a great idea, considering the magic with his chain. He'll need to think of something else. Or maybe have a Demon Tool to help him. What kind of Demon Tool he could use for water, he didn't know. A pearl? Could a pearl be a feasible Demon Tool to channel water from? A seashell? No, he'll have to figure it out later. However, he was correct. He gave Rand a smile and a thumbs up, his tattooed, blind eye closed for now. "Ah, yes, I shall find something a bit easier. However, I will not back down from learning that water magic. In fact, you could probably help me with a Demon Tool in order to use it. However, I shall get going and do as you ask." It was interesting how Rand spoke so.... As if he had a phone to his ear. He doubted nobody else heard this. As he walked, he made sure Chanterelle was following suit (or doing whatever she was doing) and walked into the library. He found where Ark, Maria, and Koiya were hiding and he waved at them, his blind eye closed.

"Ah, hello fellow magic-enabled. Rand wants you to take the books and check them out over at his scanning doohickey thing in the room we were just in. See ya." With that done, he realized he needed.... Oh no. Iris.

He decided to skip Iris, instead going over to Chanterelle's mushroom shelves and smiling. "I'm going to check out another book for basic metal magic. However, I'd like to see this glowing pot you got."

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Nadia Semyonov - DWMA Classrooms​

Nearing the desk, it seemed the two weapons were wanted by the instructors, so for now she would sit here and wait. Sit here and wait, how boring. "Ugh.." And Emmett seemed to have his face buried in his food, the Meister with the clear case of Paranoia seemed to be having a planning session with his weapon, who immediately said something to the effect of not needed and had actually made herself useful. "Hmm.." Prudence wasn't it? How every.. Impudent. Still maybe this would save her some of what she had coming back to her... Mostly as this freed her from this drabby room lost to time.

"Dani." She say's rising from her chair, a simple jerk from her head, urging the other to follow. "The Monochrome one has given us what I like the most with meetings, an easy way out." Watching as the girl was now at the desk deciding for herself that the meeting was over, and no more questions were to be asked, unless the Bell and the Wolf could work themselves past feeling sorry for one another or like an impressed couple, they weren't about to be asking shit. "Ah.."


Getting up she takes the lead and speaks loudly for the room to hear. "Given there seems to be no talks to be had and I find little rooms like these to be not so conductive to talks, on strategy or whatever it is you all do, I shall be taking leave with my partner, we must get a measure of the other and of what we can do together. If your teams for whatever reason need me, I shall be using one of the training fields near here, on the school grounds. We may talk after, maybe at a bar, da?"

In a lower tone that maybe the teacher and the wolf would hear, and she did not care if they did, she gave Dani and prideful grin and lays a hand on her shoulder briefly. "They do say we Russians have a way of taming bears for the circus. We will be busy for a bit, yes? And don't let your madness trouble you so much with me, I have seen and know it well.. I will not be so easily crushed."

With that she removed her hand and had a serious expression to her face. "Let's go to the field for a test of one another."

Interactions: EmperorsChosen (Technically everyone else in the room.)

 

[The Regal Rper]

Zosar | DWMA | Oak South

This place and the current mood reminded him of another time.The humidity, the drab, gaudy lights in the day- the general chill atmosphere despite the warm temperature- as he set his earpiece in, checked his combat blade and sheathed it in a knife holster on his right bicep, and moved with his partner towards their destination- Soul Perception making him aware that someone-- Adrian-- had already beaten them to the mark, his mind walked back as he moved forward.

As he approached with Adra nearby, he was reminded of Seville back in Spain. About six months after the death of his dainty, critical, Witch mother, and the sponsoring the crown of Spain was now giving them.

The city said to have been built by Hercules himself.

Where they were now was far different from the streets of Seville in Spain. Even as he came up beside Adrian, notably drier than he had been at the meeting with Midori- Zosar's mind walked back to that meeting with Mr. Alonzo for some odd reason, to the balding brunette, comical half-moon lenses of the owner of The Divine Grapes Distillery and subsequent co-owner to several bars in different parts of Southern Spain. Although under completely different circumstances, the mission had been somewhat similar. Hunt and capture fleeing or rogue targets but while the mission they were on today was simply about getting a pet- some trophy prize, his mission back then had been about getting information about the strange things they had been hearing while in the city. It was not uncommon since Spain became the base of operations for the Enlighteners for the mercenary company to send out its agents to investigate reports on strange activity in unexplored areas. To see whether it was fact or fiction. Led by Eagle Eye- a Demon Weapon sniper rifle, and her partner Swift that had taken the job proposed by a local distillery owner who urged the two to take the job if the group wanted to understand just why there was this lingering sense of tension in the atmosphere around the city--

--and why many of the reports from media about strange activity in Sevilla at night, was being ignored by most people- especially when any of them had asked around under the disguise of being journalists / reporters of the media.

Blinking the memory out of his mind- Zosar could not help but smile as he listened to the pitter patter of rain around them compared to the way it had been pouring the night he and the others had begun their hunt for individuals that had been disclosed as being forced to work for the Sunlight Troopers.

"Time really does change" he chuckled, saying it out of nowhere really. Uncaring of how it looked or even sounded. Reminiscing on these old thoughts and the vastly different comparisons between the kinds of missions he used to take, compared to the more lighthearted pet rescuing mission he was taking now, it really just hammered in how different things were between his Familia- and the DWMA.

He'd been with the DWMA now for a total of what? Five years? Four currently. It sometimes still surprised him how different the organizations handled missions. Back there in that coffee shop with Midori and Emira they'd had what he was used to from DWMA. A meeting that allowed for input on which mission could be picked up. Even some personal time before the actual mission began.

Among the Enlighteners, things were a lot more grave, more strict when it came to missions. And perhaps that was probably because most missions a Lightener took was generally one tailored towards violence or involved something to do with extreme violence. Hence why things tended to be so strict. It kept you in of the zone so to speak, maintained that concentration and focus you needed. Every Enlightener had a mask to maintain on mission, there was time needed to get mentally psyched up to wear that mask before a mission started. So you were expected to focus on that. Had they been offered this kind of job among the Enlighteners- there would have been a guaranteed request for something more in exchange from the higher-ups, Hiroshi would have certainly requested something- and so would any of the older surviving ex-DWMA/ Guild agents that made up the top hierarchy of the merc company. Like one of the Shuumei if there were more, or perhaps a larger amount of money for wasting resources to hunt down a pet in the first place. When it came to payment management the organizations were similar but when it came to how missions were accepted and distributed, there was a vast difference. Especially in atmosphere. When Becky and Mark and the others had all been here, most of the missions they had taken were hunting missions, executions of Corrupted, or information gathering missions that dabbled in nefarious / malicious intent. Missions that weren't superficially perceived as boring. Rarely, could Zosar recall often taking a mission like this.

That wasn't to say he hadn't done his fair share of capture missions. It was just most of the ones he'd done outside of DWMA, involved beating up the targets they had captured. Where he got to practice his wavelength control in other ways if it was needed.

Missions like this specifically were ones he knew several of his old friends would be complaining a bit about, but given the culture in the Enlighteners voicing out something like distaste for a mission wasn't welcomed when you were selected- not unless there were valid grounds for it in the first place. Personally, he'd long outgrown the idea that any mission, was a wasteful mission. As every mission, was a mission that brought money. Money they needed. And on the side, connections they could use.

Here in DWMA, things weren't like that. So while he didn't care much about the end result of the mission- completing this would be a step in getting himself out of this bad rut, and furthering his bond with Adrasteia. All of this was sort of just a refresher for him. That at the end of this, he wouldn't be getting anything extra like he used to among his own kind. That there would be no blackmailing the target later. No extortion on their part, since DWMA didn't allow that in the first place, and even if they person that did hire them was a stain on the planet- something that'd only get him in more trouble.

Still though, he couldn't help but think about how cool it would have been if he'd had a chance to encounter one of the trophy pets here that were present among the Enlighteners headquarters and owned by a rare number of select members.

Like Adrian, Zosar had also done some digging on Shuumie. During the time they'd been given- before they'd all departed he had intentionally stayed a few minutes extra to pick for details from Midori about Shuumie. The mission report had given little to work with, so he'd intentionally sought out more. He'd learned that Shuumei had a natural affinity to water, which meant that the rain right now was probably going to be giving it an edge here as they went around looking for it. They in general were a harmless species of magical creatures unless provoked- which given the fact that they would be hunting this creature down and trying to capture it- yeah I'd be surprised if we didn't get into a fight with it in the first place.

Still though the details for running off as the mission report had vaguely stated given an owner was seeking this creature, was something that left him puzzled. He had never had a pet before. And many of the magical creatures the Enlighteners had gained over the years as they had more and more members added to them- were not many he personally had been around for long periods of time- brief seconds or minutes more like and he'd always been hesitant to interact with them in general due to most of them being...well...dangerous. After all, why wouldn't superpowered mercenaries seek out just as equally dangerous pets in the first place?

The Shuumie as far as he understood it weren't inherently dangerous- and for their group, considering Midori and Emira were watching- danger wasn't a problem here. It was how they handled themselves when that cat-like entity transformed he was more interested in seeing. More so because he wanted to see how both Adrian and Zari would handle themselves in particular given what they had shared and what he had gleamed. His partner by extension, was another variable he intended to carefully observe.

At least in this current weather tracking will be easier. Too bad we missed Sara- she probably would have made tracking the beast in downpour more interesting.

The silence so far though, was getting boring. "So, before joining FATE and all the other baggage that came before EAT- what kind of missions did you guys go on?" He asked them both- and when the rest got here, intended on asking them the same question also. With his mind wandering on the past earlier, he might as well ask. "I ask mainly cause it just, I don't know- sometimes its funny to me I guess. Comparing the different approaches." He ended that line cryptic. "Then again, I guess I can't talk much since I've only been here like three years" If you exclude the near two years I've been a prisoner here. "You guys go on missions like this when you were starting out in DWMA?" He asked out of curiosity.

With Adra it was probably a loaded canon to go picking at her past with her old partner in general- but if he could dig something up, see her reaction or at least watch her soul's reaction to his line of prompting, it'd help him figure out ways to break through with her more. Adrian by extension, was one of the few people he'd talked to since FATE had begun. He needed to change that, ergo this line of questioning.

Mentions: N/A

Interactions: Sir Les Paul Kyuubey Prizzy Kriyze @QuirkyAngel @Sybil

 

[The Regal Rper]

Ark | DWMA | Library

It put a small smile to his face at the little comment she made about the jewel afixed to his forehead. He intentionally hadn't explained that part, let presumptions be made on it in general. It was funnier sometimes to see whether people mistook it as some cultural fashion statement or if they caught on it was actually a par t of his assembly of Tools. When it came to her turn to display her skillsets however, Ark watched closely.

Noting the rings on her fingers as she set to moving the dolls he eyed her fingers and then lines that connected to her dolls. Interesting. My hunch wasn't entirely off it seems. Although not the exact same as Golem Enchanters she certainly is following the same principles. he thoughtfully pondered.

As she explained how her dolls worked, he took note of the way her magic flowed into them and how every flex of a finger also caused minor shifts and fluctuations within each construct. It was only after they had fallen lifeless did Ark kneel down to get a closer look at the constructs to see if they possessed any engravings on them. Pausing only a moment to glance at Maria for permission before once again giving his focus onto the constructs by checking the surface wood at the arms to see if they had any kind of rune markings or circle engravings to facilitate complex movements or machinations. Since she hadn't mentioned any he presumed that perhaps they had not any worked into them- which honestly was impressive.

So every minute movement she manages manually, that is something else. He could see how it allowed her a degree of more complexity though when in combat and since he was already going off the belief that she could extend their range at will, it meant she could go from close quarters to mid range- and also have a defense by her side with that grimoire as a back up if the chips were down. He wondered if she did any personal combat training herself.

He was about to ask if she had some extension included in the rings to factor in distance, complex movement, etc and how far they could go.

Her response gave him the answer instead as he watched the doll approach and then collapse after the bow.

"Well I must say, you certainly have put quite the work in your craft Maria." He commented, eyeing the two dolls carefully, especially the one that had been most damaged.

"I'm quite impressed with the level of control you're able to have over multiple. Most Enchanters that I've met use one or two constructs as their main use of combat, then again the ones I've met don't quite walk the same route you do but then again all of us mages are all trying to build a craft of our own in someway."

Listening to Koiya's responses he followed up with: "Going outside would be preferable, yes. I--" he stopped upon sensing Raphael's approach and true to his hunch, Raph had something to deliver. Rand's next instructions.

Must have missed it when he was examining the dolls. When he got into the zone like that, details became less clear to him unless it was bodies moving towards him.

"Got it, thanks Raph." Ark replied with a nod of appreciation. "Ladies" he nodded to Koiya and Maria. "If you're interested later, I'd be happy to demonstrate as I said before since both of you more or less have shown me something in return."

He turned back towards the room- and made a beeline to get the book on Runes he had taken checked out.

Mentions: Sir Les Paul Mineczka Meredith Prizzy Kriyze

Interactions: Merciless Medic Kyuubey RedArmyShogun