Fandom Soul Eater: R.I.P.

[Lady Warlock]

Soul Eater: Rapid Improvement Project

Welcome to your first day as an R.I.P. student at the DWMA! A professor will be with you shortly. In the meantime, please work on finding yourself a partner in the OOC. Work on developing any prior relationships you might have with any other characters in the roleplay. The GM will alert all roleplayers when the roleplay is open for players to post.​

 

[Lady Warlock]

New Class: Day One

Not much was known about the new class Lord Death was initiating at Death Weapon Meister Academy. What was its purpose? How long would it last? Was it really necessary given the advancements many students made in the E.A.T. class? Even Ezrah, resident 3-star meister and DWMA instructor, knew minimal about the program aside from the fact that the grim reaper had asked him to give his generic lesson on advanced skills and techniques on day one of their program. Ezrah had tried to object on multiple different premises. First of all, the lesson was hard to give without his weapon partner and for some reason, Lord Death wasn’t sharing the whereabouts of Leslie. Second, it seemed like a very intense lesson to be giving on day one of a brand new program. The grim reaper hadn’t been interested in hearing either concern, though. That was what led Ezrah to be standing at the top of the staircase at 0630 waiting for the new class of students to arrive.

He would meet them there because this lesson wasn’t a classroom lesson. Rather, it was a field lesson.

All he had from Lord Death in addition to that instruction was a list of students and how he ought to pair them up. Lord Death already seemed to know which of the students would be compatible and which ones wouldn’t, and he’d made it very clear to Ezrah that the pairings weren’t to be changed under any circumstances. Again, it was odd. Usually the grim reaper was far more lackadaisical about those types of things. Apparently, not today.

The one positive that came of the situation was that Ezrah actually knew most of the students. He was one of the teachers in the E.A.T. classes more often than not. His specialty was a class the kids referred to as “Impossible Skills” because he pushed them to their limits and very rarely did they ever actually achieve proficiency in the skills he tried to implant in them. That was the point, though, although he never said anything about it. All weapons and all meisters needed to know their limits. Students usually walked out of his classes uncertain as to how they even passed in the first place, but he knew they all learned something from it so passing them was easy enough. There were a few names on the list that he didn’t recognize, and there were a couple students who he was familiar with but who had never actually taken his full class. Nonetheless, some knowledge was helpful and he actually agreed with many of Lord Death’s partner assignments.

One or two names were new. He’d actually met some of them briefly because Lord Death arranged introductions so the students wouldn’t be entirely unfamiliar with anyone on day one.

Ezrah had to wonder how Lord Death kept track of all the exceptional individuals he seemed to find. And he did as he stared over the staircase on a bright sunshiny morning waiting for students to arrive.

CelticHero37 Nobody Special QuirkyAngel Japanime Sir Les Paul Solarknight Zedalith Prizzy Kriyze RottenVale

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Sion Noguchi​

It was unbearably hot around here. It didn't matter how early it was, once that lightly snoring sun peeked over the horizon the desert felt like it was ablaze. It had brought back some uncomfortable memories at first, but the scars didn't burn now like they once did. It was alright. It worked, at least.

Sion stopped at the bottom of the stairs to flick his cigarette aside, and looked up the endless staircase with tired eyes. He hadn't had much in the way of sleep, but far be it for him to complain about a bit of cardio to wake up to. Behind him Death City sprawled up, like a tiered beehive in the middle of a sandy ocean. It was pretty in the light, and these walls felt far better than the suffocating sheen of the metropolis he was used to.

"No time like the fuckin' present." He moaned, rolled his shoulders, then started jogging up the stairs. First day, huh? First real day in his education. There was no doubt in him that it was going to get complicated fast, given his prior inexperience with traditional meister learning. He hadn't actually met a meister in person until he was invited here, and it was strange to meet a group of people who seemed to be able to keep up with him. There was still the question about who he'd be paired up with.

He shuddered at the thought.

The DWMA had been kind enough to explain his wavelength predicament to him. How he was ever supposed to be able to cooperate with anyone like this, he didn't understand; and this time he didn't want to end up hurting anyone unnecessarily. Freeing his previous demon weapons was supposed to be his redemption, but now he was stuck right back in it. They knew what they were doing at this school, right? They'd have to. He didn't want to take shit for something he couldn't control any longer.

His pace was brisk, and he'd soon reached the top of the stairs. There'd been no one to pass him yet, were they already at the top? He couldn't help but wonder how he'd compare to the meisters and demon weapons who'd already spent several years at the academy. After all he'd been through there was little he thought he couldn't take, but these people were supposed to be just like him. A terrifying thought in its own right.

Then he stepped over the last step and found himself across from an older gentlemen. Older than him, anyway. There weren't a whole lot of people he'd had the opportunity to meet yet, and with all the changes in the past couple of weeks he'd been too out of it to retain any of the course information the school had or had not given him.

With his hands in his jacket pockets and a tired - maybe even apprehensive - look in his eyes, he took a couple of steps towards him.

"Am I in the right place?"

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Cole Baker​

"Crackshot"​

Species Human
Partner Callah
Rank One-Star Meister, R.I.P.

Location Death City, DWMA Staircase
Mission New Class: Day One
Status Intrigued

​

Mentions: Solarknight & Everyone Else.

Forty-six. Fort--BZZZT. BZZZT. BZZZT. It is now Seven Fifteen A-M. It is now Seven Fifteen A-M. BZZZT. BZZZ--

"Deathsby, turn off alarm," Cole said loudly, bringing the alarm to an end. Cole lowered himself back to the ground on two small metal bars, simplistic devices intended to make a push-up just that much harder. Easy enough to fit in a room. Effective enough to justify it. "Sev... damnit," Cole muttered as he realized his beloved alarm had just thrown off his count. He let out a sigh before pushing himself off the bars and sliding them beneath his bed. Perhaps not his daily hundred, but he needed to get ready for Callah regardless.

And, that was that. A morning workout interrupted, but his old routine was bound to change regardless. His training with Callah had finally been approved--more so enough to join a new initiative for a select few. The same monotonous rut of self-improvement wasn't going to cut it anymore, even if it was just basic conditioning.

Of course, Death City was blisteringly hot. Cole opted for a short sleeve, aquamarine button down over a plain white tee and some well-pocketed shorts in a darker blue. Wallet, ID, phone, multi-tool, keys, and of course a few packets of Lactaid and he was out the door. Nearly fifty push-ups inside without a sweat, but a step out here and he could feel it. It was a relatively dry heat until there was any type of greenery around.

The walk to Callah was brief, but probably his least favorite part of the endeavor. Since their pairing, the two spent a large sum of their time together. Part of their training was to synchronize wavelengths passively, to get acquainted before she was even in her weapon form. At first, it was a small step, but it was definitely one that seemed to add up in the mountain climb that was not being deafened by his own shot. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step as they say, although it this one became much better when he wasn't alone.

And then came to actually meeting his partner. She, as always it seemed, was there waiting for him. Cole always wondered if this was to give the impression she was the one waiting on him or if she was just really good with timing, but he knew better than to ask. Blind or not, Callah was independent all her own. She would have gotten to the DWMA herself if she had to and damned be the cars that got in her way. Some things were just best left a mystery.

From there, the DWMA was just a hop, skip, and a jump away, save the thousand or so absurd literal steps in the stairway. Cole remembered the first time he saw Callah traverse them. He was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, but she did it. And she did it a thousand or more times after with more grace than half the freshmen and without missing a beat, whereas half of them had to catch their breath before the midway point.

By the time they reached the top, Cole saw two figures. A guy his age asking if it was the right place and... and him. The instructor notorious for absurd challenges and impossible endeavors. Was it effective? Sometimes. Cole knew firsthand that effort was necessary for progress. Hell, he and Callah were prime examples of that. But was it always so death-damned necessary? And, more to his annoyance, he could smell the faint whiff of cigarette smoke from the student in front of him. Combined, these two sights didn't leave a positive impression in his mind. He decided to remain silent. Chances were, Callah wouldn't.

 

[Nobody Special]

DAI
Location: DWMA, Main Courtyard
Interacting: Everyone!
Weapon: He doesn't know. Yet.
________________________________________________________________________________

The dry morning air was nothing to the white blur that was zooming up the stairs of one of the most prestigious academies in the world. The young boy's feet lightly tapped against each step as he pushed off of it, dashing up like he was being chased by some otherworldly creature that would devour him if he didn't make it to the peak fast enough. While one would normally expect a person to run up a flight of stairs in a constant straight line, Dai's trajectory and pathing jolted to the left or right with just about every other step he leaped onto. It didn't take long for him to finally reach the top of the stairs, and once he was finally on flat ground, he stopped in his tracks to take in his surroundings.

It was nothing new-- not to him, at least. He'd been in and out of this place for the past few years, and while the complex architecture of the academy might have left the Dai of the past gawking in awe, he wasn't amazed this time. He didn't even bother patting off any dirt or dust that may have ended up on his outfit, instead opting to sprawl onto the ground right in front of the steps to break into some sort of stretching routine. Every joint and muscle was indulged in a heavenly ritual of bending and gently returning to its original position as Dai twisted and turned his limbs and body in every imaginable way. It only took a minute or two before he was back on his feet, lilac eyes showing no sign of fatigue despite the time of day.

Now, why was he here again? Aside from news about a potential new weapon, he remembered something about a new class. R.A.T? R.U.N? Whatever the acronym was, Dai could care less. He had tunnel vision when it came to 'little' things like these-- as long as he could continue to do his own thing and fight how he pleased, he'd be content. Titles and advancements meant nothing to him unless he was getting some sort of praise for it, and so far, he'd gotten nothing. A hand went up to his face to rub one of the multiple scars on it; specifically the one tracing above the bridge of his nose. His wounds were a peculiar thing to him-- weren't old scars supposed to serve as memories? If so, why couldn't he remember exactly where most of them came from? He paused, shaking his head like a dog that had just been caught in a squall. That saying was just something he'd learned from the person who bought him to this stupid school, after all.

Once he snapped out of his sentimental thoughts, he realized that he wasn't alone at the top of the stairwell. "Ah. Yo." Those two words (did those even count as words?) were all he managed to say to the growing group he was seemingly a part of. While he seemed nonchalant about their presence, he, the animal he was, took the time to size them up. Just based on looks, none of them seemed like the type that could keep up with him-- so far. Wasn't this supposed to be a new class of elites? Wait, did that mean he was technically an elite? A cocky grin slowly crawled onto his face.

If only he could see their damned souls.​

NOELLE ACCESSOIRE
Location: DWMA, Main Courtyard
Interacting: Everyone!
Meister: She has no clue.
________________________________________________________________________________

She stood at the foot of the notoriously dreadful steps that waited ahead of her. It was times like these that made her wish she could just flip her hair into some sort of umbrella-parachute and float all the way to the top. Though she was more than used to this hellish cardiovascular exercise by now, she still felt as though she had the right to complain about having to deal with this, every. single. morning. A sigh escaped from her lips before she lifted her foot to begin her trek up the stairway to greatness.

Today, however, Noelle's climb wouldn't be for virtually nothing. She was being moved up to a new class that transcended both N.O.T and E.A.T-- a 'promotion', as she explained to her parents, who were predictably more than happy to hear about it. Surely her efforts were finally being rewarded, she was finally relishing in the fruits of her labor. She had even been assigned a new partner-- although she had no idea who they were or what they were like. It was no matter. As long as they were able to respect her wishes as a weapon, she was sure they would make a fine team. They would have to make a fine team. Step after step, Noelle's posture made it seem as though she were taking her sweet time-- her pace proved otherwise. She was in shape, after all-- she wouldn't fit her own standards of an adequate weapon if she weren't in shape.

As she neared the three-quarter-way point of the stairs, her rhythm of movement was promptly thrown off by a sudden white flash speeding past her, causing her to jump in surprise and even almost lose her footing. Except, it wasn't really a white flash, as she realized once her eyes managed to focus on the unorthodox pattern of the shape. It was just a young boy who was obnoxiously running up the stairs at full speed without any regard for the other people making their way up. She let out a medium-volume exhale, realizing that she had been holding her breath ever since he had startled her moments ago. She supposed she'd let the immature sprinter slide this time. It wasn't like he was going to be in class with her, after all.

Except, once she got to the top of the stairs, she realized that the boy was in the small group that most definitely consisted of her future classmates. Her head lowered slightly in disappointment before she approached the group herself, contrasting the stern eyes that were glaring at them all with a gentle wave of the hand.

"Good Morning to you all," her voice was calm and soothing, and her Parisian accent resonated throughout her sentence. "I look forward to working alongside you all. Let us all become well acquainted with each other."

​

 

[Lady Warlock]

Adelle Stone

A fairly refined young woman paused at the bottom of the stairs leading up to Death Weapon Meister Academy. She wore a clean white long sleeved shirt with ruffles on the sleeves and a wavy jean skirt - one of the more casual items in her wardrobe - that hung just beneath her knees in a modest manner. Normally, she would’ve preferred to dress nicer for the first day of school, but some inexplicable instinct told her that she would need to be able to move around at least a little and the other skirts she’d considered wouldn’t grant her as much movement as this one would. Her wardrobe wasn’t why she paused at the bottom of the steps, though. Rather, Adelle knew that if she took one more step forward, her family would not take her back until she had made a name for herself, until she was a death scythe, until she was Lord Death’s personal weapon. This was the last moment she would have to think about this decision before she could no longer turn back.

Collecting herself quite quickly, Adelle inhaled a deep breath, held it for about five seconds, and then let it all flow out of her lungs along with the anxiety associated with leaving everything she had ever known behind. Her foot hit the first step, and then the rest followed suit. She didn’t run up the staircase by any means, but she also wasn’t taking it as a leisurely stroll. It was about the pace any onlooker would expect of a typical student at the school. She looked used to it. Except, she wasn’t. This was her first day ever at the DWMA.

She made it up to the top without it costing her any extra breath and she surveyed what she found at the top once she arrived. There were students starting to pour into the building by this point, but there were also a few individuals gathered off to the side - one of whom she recognized as Professor Ezrah. It was one of the few introductions Lord Death had been able to arrange for her in the few days she was in Death City before classes started. He acknowledged her briefly, but her eyes didn’t soften. Adelle still barely knew him, and he was a guy. Those two things combined didn’t allow her to offer up the most pleasant aura.

Adelle also noted that Ezrah was simultaneously addressing another… student? She wasn’t quite sure, but that appeared more logical than teacher. A teacher wouldn’t really require the assurance Ezrah seemed to be offering. Two other students were also there, but they seemed more familiar with their situation. “Yes, you are in the right place,” Ezrah had answered Sion’s question. Though he had never met the kid before, the professor easily recognized the soul as one that the grim reaper had described to him as matching that of a name on his list.

Not needing to ask the same question, Adelle simply walked herself over to where their class seemed to be clumping for the time being. She heard Noelle’s greeting and nodded in the woman’s general direction, glad that at least a bit of a feminine touch seemed to be present. “Hello,” she stated simply, wanting to not be a frozen hunk of stone, but also not quite sure what else there was to say. She imagined more would unfold once the whole class was in attendance.

Briefly, Adelle wondered about partners. How would it work? Would there be a nice woman willing to take on a stone age multi-form weapon or would it be miles of rejection like her parents told her it would be? A spear didn’t seem like such a bad option as far as Adelle was aware. Surely someone would at least use that option. Looking around, though, she really wasn’t sure what to think anymore. Surely Lord Death would not have invited her if there wouldn’t be a partner for her. Adelle clung to that hope in the back of her mind, needing something to keep her hopeful that she’d not made the worst decision of her life.

Prizzy Kriyze Nobody Special

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Lucien Boulanger + Yuan

The steps that led up to DWMA were long and tedious, but Lucien had already familiarized himself with the journey. It never really bothered him. His mother’s blood flowed in his veins after all. Even when he was young, Lucien never really found himself struggling in physical education classes. Always a little faster than those his age. Always a little stronger. That ended when he was introduced to Death Weapon Meister Academy…though he still like to consider himself on the higher of the fitness scale compared to a number of humans that walked the halls of the Grim Reaper’s school. It wasn’t as if he slacked any. Like them, he’d dutifully climbed the same steps for 5 long years. Like them, he completed classwork, both physical and otherwise, while maintaining grades and taking on whatever missions he could as a member of the E.A.T class.

The girl beside him had none of his advantages. Not dhampir. Not an experienced student at DWMA. Yet she didn’t have much problems keeping up with him either. Instincts told Lucien that the girl must be a meister. Demon weapons weren’t required to be physically fit, after all.

The redhead seemed a little lost when Lucien first found her on his way to DWMA, glasses askew and a map of Death City in her hands. She had many questions. Lucien, magnanimous and experienced as he was, was all too happy to answer them as the two climbed their way to where the new R.I.P class was being held.

“Oui mademoiselle, the headmaster of this school is—Sacre Bleu!” Lucien exclaimed, cutting off his explanation as white blur rushed past him.

The girl’s gaze followed the snow-haired figure as it raced to the top. “Who was that?”

“A wild child,” Lucien responded, sounding disgruntled as he straightened his windblown blonde locks. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that he would be invited to this new class as well.”

“Is the RIP class special? How is it any different from DWMA’s other programs?”

“We’re about to find out.” Lucien quickened his pace and it wasn’t long before the pair made his way to the top. He groaned when he saw who waited for them. Ezrah. The Impossible Skills teacher. The one who always pushed students to their limits and asked for the impossible, regardless of how insane it was. It didn’t take foresight to guess that they were in for a hellish first class. “Merde.”

“Hm?”

“It’s nothing.” Lucien answered quickly, not wanting to appear anxious in front of the new student. “Well, here we are. DWMA’s entrance.”

“Thank you for your assistance!” The red-haired girl held her hand out to shake. “I’m Yuan.”

“De rien, Yuan,” Lucien took her hand. However, instead of shaking it, he lifted it to his lips and gave a light peck to the knuckles. “Please call me, Lucien.”

“Oh my~”

The girl’s face turned as red as her hair. It was cute. Almost made up for seeing Ezrah and the school savage, Dai, first thing in the morning. Glancing at the other students present, he assessed them all quickly. There were two he didn’t recognize…and two he kind of remembered in his classes. Kind of. Excluding the obnoxious, Dai, the others didn’t really stand out. Then again, it wasn’t as if Lucien paid too much attention to the doings of other kids. Between his classes and his part-time work as a sous chef in one of Death City’s restaurant’s, he didn’t have the time. Yet another partner had quit on him. EAT privileges wouldn’t extend forever, especially if he didn’t take on missions—which he couldn’t without a meister—,and sooner or later he’d have to decide on what to do with his life. He wanted to be a Deathscythe, since he hated failing, but he didn’t want to compromise his tastebuds either. He only wanted to consume the very best of souls—no matter how long it took.

Finding a meister that could adhere to that was like finding a needle in a haystack. It might not even exist. But, even so, Lucien didn’t want to give up. RIP. Rapid Improvement Project. If the program was everything it advertised, it would quickly take him to his goal. Lucien hadn’t a clue why he was selected for the program considering he didn’t even have a meister and barely any souls under his belt, but he was grateful for Lord Death’s good taste. It was almost as if the Death God seen through his problems and placed the solution on a silver platter.

Therefore, Lucien resolved to the best he could in the class.

As Yuan withdrew her hand to find a spot to sit, Lucien sauntered towards their teacher, as if to reaffirm his determination, and issued a flamboyant bow. “Bonjour, Professor Erzah. I look forward to an exciting class.”

Straightening once he finished, his blood earrings dangling a bit, Lucien stepped back and folded his arms, waiting for classes to begin. The sun still snoozed for now, but the hotter it got, the worse it’d be for him—and his skin—so he was hoping to finish things quickly.

 

[Zedalith]

Yuri's pallid finger pecked the anterior of her shirt to grip the remaining flaw in her get-up—a round black button. The dark crowning piece of her ensemble slipped into place comfortably to complete her workmanship. A single step back put Yuri into place to admire her form; A navy dress shirt hugged her lean build, the cuffs checkered with a fusion of white and blue. The golden sigil of a bear bedecked her shoulder and stretched across the back and yoke. Her lengthy hem remained untucked and hovered over her rear. A pair of dark, loose-fitting slacks bellowed over two stout legs that concluded with a cleft golden sheen.

Wrinkles set at the corners of her eyes by the stretch of her hungry gaze. The opportunity fetched by her enrollment in R.I.P left Yuri's stomach rumbling to devour its scraps. Yuri punted the hinges of her door to swing and pressed onwards to the DWMA courtyard. The swelter of Nevada sun did not serve to impede her march; Yuri was somewhat of a veteran of DWMA and the area in general.

Fire meandered through her veins at the eye-catching view of DWMA's many steps. She paused a moment to admire with a hand at her hip and a curve in her spine. Above, the silhouette of her fellows made their ascent. In particular, there was one that seemed to lurch too and fro. Two pale eyebrows drew together towards the careening body. Was it an attempt at showing off? The notion made her scoff audibly before she began her own climb upwards. It would be best to keep a languid step to preserve energy. She was working under the impression that this class would be unique. If it was as grueling as Yuri hoped, she needed to maintain as many calories as she could.

A few familiar shapes were within her view by now. A bright-haired man with who she held some familiarity. Her face swelled with pride—though it was not due to her acquaintance's achievements, rather her own. She chose her friends carefully; their shared enrollment accredited evidence towards her glaring wisdom. With a nod, she continued traversing the steps. The morning sun glowered bright at her approach upwards until she found her foot planted at the peak.

One of the last few to arrive, she surmised by the scope of bodies in vision. Curiously, her eyes and mind ruminated on the group in wonderment. Who among them would be her partner for the foreseeable future? A few more familiar faces met her gaze, but none that she would call close friends. The professor would likely make their partners clear in due time. She drew her fingers inwards to form tightly knit fists. Her focus was attuned to the professor while a bright glimmer of enthusiasm graced her features.

 

[RottenVale]

VOX ​

DWMA Courtyard | 7:12-15AM | @ everyone tbh, Lucian QuirkyAngel and Yuri Zedalith ​

One, two, three, four... One, two, three, four... One, two, three, four...
Vox sat at a bench out by the DWMA's parking lot, her fingers rapping in time against her leg as she stared dejectedly at the phone in her left hand. She had risen before the sun, anticipating the heat of the day, and went for a run (as was her routine) around the kilometer block of the apartment row she lived in toward the Southern outskirts of Death City. Returning to the one-bedroom, she had realized with a sinking feeling that she'd neglected to stop by the grocery store, having rode home from California the night before. This was the first interruption to the tempo of the day.

She'd recovered quickly, emptying her backpack onto the couch and exchanging the tank top she was wearing with another from the pile. The bag pulled onto her shoulders, she'd started the checklist: bag, phone, keys, helmet - wallet, coat, do I really need a coat? For the pockets, maybe - belt, necklace. Good to go. Locking the door, her keys caught, and she swore under her breath as the beat broke again. It was a meditative process, building up energy and motivation for the day before letting it loose and obtaining some sort of momentary peace, and it bothered her immensely when this process was interrupted. She gave it up as she mounted the bike, helmet pulled on and checked with her hands for damage, and had stopped by a cafe at the edge of the city proper to grab a cup of drip coffee making her way to the school. The drive took about half an hour, so she'd arrived at about seven. Realizing she was still twenty minutes early, she'd sat down to take a moment of peace, stuffing her helmet unceremoniously into the otherwise-empty backpack.

The peace never seemed to last long at the DWMA. The phone in her hand buzzed with a message from her mother, but she ignored it, eyes glued to her conversation with Lucien. He'd last texted her a month and a half before - something about a new set of kitchen knives - but she'd forgotten to answer it and also, at some point, to renew the service on her phone while she was in California. She sipped her coffee while contemplating this reality, thanking the stars that she'd dealt with it before coming back to school, and tapped out a quick message with her non-dominant hand:
--> 1st day of term. rdy 2 rmble?

Flipping the phone closed, she stowed it in the front pocket of her leather jacket, all-too-aware of the sweat rising on the back of her neck. Unbearable heat was a constant reality of Nox's life, and she did not mind it, even as she checked her pockets to confirm that she had all of her things and made her way to the steps of the academy. Here the beat was motivating, a constant push forward, and the woman neither walked nor ran up the stairs at a noticeably metered pace. Surveying the crowd, her eyes brightened, gaze settling on Ezrah. She'd taken almost all of the classes he taught at the DWMA - there was something about being allocated impossible tasks that made her particularly motivated to make them possible.

A small crowd of students that she could only assume were her classmates was already beginning to form. A young man about her age with a cigarette dangling from his lip spoke to the professor, and she stifled a smile, noticing the jacket that she assumed would be just as sweltering as her own.A girl with long blonde hair - younger, she thought - stood near the edge of the group with Noelle, who Vox recognized (in passing at least) and a red-haired girl she wasn't familiar with looked to be finding the edge of the group. There were others she recognized as well - Cole had been around enough that she knew his face, and Yuri had been in a fair few of her classes. She'd always seemed extremely dedicated, Vox thought to herself, so it was no wonder she found herself here. Lucian seemed also to be speaking with the teacher, but Vox had been trying her best to avoid that admission, creeping up towards the edge of the group.

Vox felt a twinge of anxiety surge through her chest. She had been told that partners would be assigned, but what if they didn't get along, or weren't able to work together? She wasn't going to be able to hang around without a dedicated weapon forever. The last five years had been full of filling in for missing meisters due to injury or illness, and it would be nice to have someone to train with regularly. She moved around the edge of the group, sidling up beside Yuri, and speaking sideways to her so as not to interrupt the others. "Hey, good to see you! How was your summer?"

She shifted from foot to foot with the beat, watching the rest of the group. It would only take a few minutes of socializing, she was sure, until they were ready to begin.

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Sion Noguchi​

Sion knew the older man said the words, he could tell by the movements of his lips, but in that moment a dash of nausea came over him. All other sound was drowned out by a noise that had been gnawing at the back of his brain almost the entire time he'd been in death city. He looked over his shoulder. First, an unassuming looking man with short black hair, casual outfit and mildly annoyed air about him. Secondly, what felt like standing in front of an ever-winding jet engine. It was as if a thousand boomboxes all transmitting the same low hum through broken speakers stod before him, and threatened to turn their volumes up at any given moment. It took a great amount of composure to just push the cacophony to the back of his mind, and actually look at the fiery-haired girl at the source of the sound, and it dawned on Sion what working with people at his own level was going to entail. These weren't amateurs. This was serious. He realized that this girl, whoever she was, had a soul loud enough to pierce the white noise in his head at every given moment he was in this city. Did that mean she was incredibly powerful, or was it just a characteristic of her soul? He didn't know. He'd never been able to make much sense of the sounds he heard.

"Thanks." He offered the man, then took a couple of steps back.

It seemed his otherwise trained perception had failed him when the soundstorm distracted him, and he noted a few more people had joined them. A white-haired and powerfully built boy with more scars than Sion could flaunt was just finishing up stretching at the top of the stairs. There was a nonchalance to his behavior, and a cocky grin to his face. Sion had seen a thousand with that look, that ferociousness; every third street kid he'd met or beaten down had the very same thing going. Structurally unsound past, maybe? But the biggest difference was his sound. The boy's soul sounded like growling; like claws scraping against concrete. A powerful beast out of its natural habitat. It exploded with power and pride.

Perhaps he'd have lingered longer if it wasn't for the next curious sound that caught his ear. A low, pleasant sound like that of a distant accordion's soft chords bouncing between cobbled stone walls. A sound of ripping - no, not quite. Soft tearing, like breaking bread. Crisp, silent cracking of biting into puff pastry. A mild breeze, rustling leaves, a field of grass being blown in the wind. The girl he now laid his eyes on was short, with elaborate black hair and a stern mein that sharply contrasted the sounds floating off her soul; but then she raised a hand to wave, and her words reflected the gentle tune her soul played. Sion couldn't help but nod in her direction at the greeting, before turning his attention to another newcomer.

And what a contrast it was. The bright blonde he laid his eyes on seemed callous. Her eyes seemed half-closed out of boredom or disinterest rather than fatigue, and she struck him as the boring, studious type. Her soul, on the other hand, had the most unique sound he'd ever heard before. It was silence but it wasn't just silence, it was enormous, imposing silence. To someone like Sion, who once had to navigate spaces by use of sound alone, it sounded like being in front of a huge cave opening. It was almost suffocating, his instincts told him that if he let out a breath then it would loudly echo back, though that clearly wasn't the case. He wondered what that meant about her, or what that meant about her soul. The difference was difficult.

The following two that joined them didn't make an immediate intrusion into his eardrums. A blond, extravagantly dressed man meandered up towards the teacher with a confident - or perhaps smug? - gait, and the air filled with the sounds of cutlery tapping plates, glasses being lifted and candles being lit. Behind him, a red-haired eastern-looking girl with a soul like beating war drums across a dead battlefield. They seemed fairly "normal", compared to the rest of the cast so far.

At this point he'd let his eyes rest on each of his contemporaries for a fair few seconds, taking in the look, feel and sound of his new life. He figured for a moment, that he must be looking odd, standing off to the side and staring at each of them in turn, but then waved the thought away. They all seemed equally concerned with themselves as he was with them, save perhaps the wild white-haired one. A new beginning was a good time for introspection, and they should take their opportunity before the next leg of the first day started.

Next came two more, first one with a bombastic symphony of aggressive drums and majestic string ensembles pouring forth from her. She was tall, white hair voluminous enough to put the entire 80s to shame, clad like a magazine's fashionable caricature of what gold could be used for if only designers were more imaginative. It was an impressive air, and whatever her story was, Sion wanted to know. The following was of rivaling grandiloquent radiance. She was a black-clad woman, reminiscent to many Sion had met before in sheer ferocity, and with a background sound of a psychedelic forest rave or a booming inner-city disco. That made number five on the list of most impressive souls Sion had ever heard, and the other four contenders were also from the past five minutes.

But his eyes and faced remained in the same pseudo-hostile and tired half-pout. There was a layer of pride between his inner approval and his outer approval, and so if it came up it'd have to come up later. Instead, he impatiently asked into the air, "How many more are we waiting for?"

Mention: RottenVale Zedalith Lady Warlock Nobody Special QuirkyAngel Sir Les Paul Solarknight
Interaction: Lady Warlock Nobody Special (kind of)

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Aiden McCarthy​

TBD​

Species Human
Partner Yuka, Erica
Rank One-Star Weapon, R.I.P.

Location Death City, DWMA Staircase
Mission New Class: Day One
Status Excited

​

Mentions: QuirkyAngel

A dull thud shot through the air when Aiden landed from his leap off one of the red spikes protruding from the skull of the DWMA entrance overhanging the staircase. Once what little dust from the wind that acted as the only salvation in the dry heat died down, the form of Aiden in his off-white button down took shape, him patting off what little specs had got on him.

It didn't take long for him to scan the crowd. He knew a good few folks here and Aiden was hardly one to go without an introduction. "Lucien Boulanger, is that you?" he said, letting out a smirk and walking forward to meet the fellow weapon. It was rhetorical, he went on. "I see I'll have competition for the best looking in this group--hot damn," he added, "and, if these newbies are lucky, they might even get a meal better than we look." Aiden smiled wide standing in front of Lucien. His hand lifted for a second to grab Lucien's shoulder, but he stopped before making it even an inch thinking his culinary comrade may not be so keen on being touched. Instead, this motion shifted to a quick run of his fingers through his hair, resulting in him tilting his head towards Vox.

"And, both miss Sado and Vox, aren't we just lucky?" he threw in casually, still addressing Lucien but loud enough for the rest of the group. He glanced back to Lucien once his comment was made, catching both Cole and Callah as he did. "Oh, and they made it, too. Grand." he said with a slight bit of sarcasm, also ending his bit. Aiden was perhaps a bit theatrical, but all in good fun. Up to this point, everything just seemed dull. He figured the others were probably just nervous, but a little surprise entrance might just be what was needed to shake that up.

Also, there was Ezrah, but fuck him. Aiden never was a fan of how he treated students.

 

[Japanime]

Edgar Morgan

The DWMA stood high atop a ridiculously large flight of stairs, looming over all the students below. Joining the students in hiking up those stairs was Edgar. This would be his second year attending the DWMA. He always wondered why the stairs were so long but he was never one to complain. Down at the base of the stairs, he could see students whining and complaining about going up them while others didn't think of it and just went. After Edgar got his quick scan of the students below, he began making his way up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs was a group of students which Edgar could only assume was where he was supposed to be. He straightened his tie and began walking over to the crowd. The clacking of his shoes grew louder and nearer to the gathered party before it finally stopped. He stood close to the group, yet off to the side. He was dressed in a full suit and had a longcoat draped on his shoulders like a cape. The wind carried the garment as it fluttered in rhythmic waves behind him. At the moment, Edgar didn't feel the need to speak to any of them. Instead he observed them, studying their actions, words, and demeanors.



Location: DWMA Stairs (bottom) > DWMA Stairs (top)
Interaction: Open
Mention: N/A​

 

[Lady Warlock]

A Morning Routine

Two toothpicks grazed the freshly brushed surfaces of Luka Baines’ teeth before the prickled her tongue in an absolutely delicious sensation that helped her focus. She had a headband in her hair to keep it out of her eyes, unaware of whether or not the first lesson of the day would be physical or mental. Usually, in her experience, first days tended to be the latter, but this was a new and elite class - even more so than E.A.T. - so Luka wasn’t quite sure what to expect. That uncertainty already put the young girl in a state of distress. However, that was what the small sack of apples she tossed over her shoulder was for. Senses could calm Luka down just as much as they could rile her up and there were very few fruits that appealed to the senses more than an apple could. They had a smooth outside with a slightly rougher core. The crunch when teeth sunk into one was at least audible to her, as was the feeling of cold water coating her teeth. For some, the statement was “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but for Luka, it was more to the tune of “an apple a day keeps anxiety at bay.”

She didn’t need any books or journals or notebooks or pencils because she kept all her school supplies at school, so once the apples were in their proper place with their familiar weight pressing against her back, Luka was able to head out the door to her tiny but comfortable apartment within Death City.

Sounds of cars rushed by her ears as did the sounds of students all heading for the same destination Luka was. For as large of a city as it appeared from the outside, a surprising amount of it was only there because the DWMA was there. The young meister imagined it would be a much quieter city without the school, but she also knew that without the school, she wouldn’t be there so it wasn’t necessarily a desire so much as a thought that occasionally flurried in the back of her mind. She knew the way and she knew the sounds she would run into so it was a moot point by that particular moment in her life.

Without much of a delay, Luka found herself at the base of the DWMA’s massive staircase and briefly, she recalled the panic that had consumed her the first few times she’d had to climb them. While Luka wasn’t lacking in physical fitness in the slightest, all the bouncing of stairs really served to jostle her mind, shake her up, and spit her out as a pile of an anxious wreck. However, she knew better now than to let it get to her. There were some sensations that were just so much more manageable once someone became accustomed to them. She reached into the sack hanging over her shoulder, pulled out an apple, took a bite and then started transgressing the stairs at a fairly leisurely pace. If she didn’t go too fast, then the brain scramble wasn’t quite as bad.

By the time the youngest meister to be invited to R.I.P. reached the top of the staircase, half of her apple was gone, but she wasn’t out of breath and she hadn’t entered panic. That made it a good morning… until she realized she had no idea where she was supposed to be meeting up with her class for their first day. A few things happened all at once at that point. First, Luka completely froze on the spot. Secondly, the young girl’s teeth clamped down on the two toothpicks that were currently in her mouth, snapping them into two pieces each. Half of each toothpick fell onto the floor at her feet. Lastly, the sway in her body became far more apparent. Perhaps it had always been there, but in that moment, it was quite accentuated.

An Observation or TwoLuckily for the young meister frozen upon her own two feet, she wasn’t far at all from where she was supposed to be. In fact, the very teacher who was to be teaching her first class was standing just to her left, addressing another one of his students.

“Good morning, Lucien,” Ezrah replied. “Only the best lessons for this group.” He smiled at a few more familiar faces as they walked in and tossed out a wave here and there where it felt appropriate. Beyond that, though, Ezrah was content to wait for the whole group to show up. He wasn’t the kind of man who liked explaining things more than once when he didn’t have to.

However, one of the newbies offered another question and he wasn’t going to be that teacher who ignored things that weren’t in line with his plan. Rather, these students in particular, deserved some information and some answers. They were - according to Lord Death - likely going to accelerate to Ezrah’s own level quite quickly if everything went according to plan. “We’re waiting on four more,” he replied before briefly glancing over the group to make sure his count was correct. He nodded as he verified it. The twins weren’t there yet and neither was Luka or Rio. His gaze quickly shifted back to the staircase and he suddenly corrected himself. “Make that three. Luka!” he called out to the girl who clearly had realized something that made her anxious.

The sound of her name was enough to catch the swaying girl’s attention and she turned her head swiftly before spotting Professor Ezrah.

“You’re with us, Luka!” Ezrah added.

Slowly - oh so terribly slowly - Luka’s breaths came back under control before she nodded to one of her favorite instructors. He actually taught her things that she could use, more often than not. Her hand reached into her pocket where she pulled out another toothpick and replaced it between her lips before she picked up the pieces of those that had broken off the floor. After tossing them in the trash, she took another bite of her apple and joined the group which her eyes scanned rapidly. ‘So many… and they’re all so much older…’ It was hard not to notice that she was the youngest among them, but she did recognize some faces. Of note, even the ones she recognized she did not make eye contact with.

Dividing the MassesThree were still missing. Ezrah sighed at that realization, but then considered that he could start breaking the group into their pairings before they left for the woods. It wouldn’t be ideal, but it would be better for the time that he had with them. Ultimately, he decided to take that option.

“R.I.P. class, listen up,” he called to the gathered group. A few students who were arriving for other classes glanced over and there were audible resounding whispers of students asking what on Earth R.I.P. class was, but that didn’t matter. If they didn’t know about the new class, they could proceed to their own and ask their own professors. “All of you are here because you were hand selected by Lord Death. In addition to assembling this class, he has prepared partner assignments which we will be adhering to without hesitation. You may not have met this person before, but it is your duty as part of this class to get to know them and work with them. All weapons protect their meisters with their lives. All meisters respect and honor their weapon partners because without them, we wouldn’t be half of what we are with them.”

Looking to his list, he started reading off names.

“Cole and Callah.” His eyes lifted up to glance at the two of them. “I expect your pairing comes as no surprise since it’s worked for so long. Cover the backs of your comrades because unlike you, they’re still learning to work with one another.”

“Sion and Noelle.” Briefly, the professor’s eyes lifted to find the boy he suspected to be Sion and the recognition from the boy’s eyes to the name confirmed it for him.

“Vox and Lucien.” These were two students he knew and briefly he glanced to Vox. “You may already have heard this, but if this man offers you dinner, accept it. You’ll not find a better meal in the city.” It was honest advice.

“Dai and Yuri.” Nervousness flickered in his eyes. He knew if those two made this work, they were going to be a major powerhouse.

Though he was prepared to continue reading off names, Ezrah’s eyes briefly glanced to the DWMA staircase to see if any of their three missing students were en route. He wanted to make sure they weren’t missed because the three yet to arrive were just as valuable as all those present.

CelticHero37 Nobody Special QuirkyAngel Japanime Sir Les Paul Solarknight Zedalith Prizzy Kriyze RottenVale Mineczka

 

[Mineczka]

One-Star Hunter, partnered with Luka and Aiden.
Location: Death City → DWMA Stairs
Interactions: Everyone and no one.

A quiet air settled in the room, matching the shadows that crept along the floor and furniture, resting atop the dresser, a simple set of clothes were folded neatly, to make life easier for Rio in the morning. Though, this was no easy morning, as steady and slow breaths slowly turned shallow, and the silence was soon shattered by the sound of Rio quickly flinging her covers aside, and scrambling for her nightstand. Taking up a plastic device and the curt sound of two clacks and small hisses, like a small spray paint can was used for naught but a second. Taking a few shorter breaths, Rio sat at the edge of her bed, clutching the device that has saved her life countless times, Rio could feel a small tremble in her, no matter how often that she had woken this way, it still scared the life out of her...

Taking a deep breath again, Rio stood from her bed, 'I am awake... Might as well get ready...' Was the thought that crossed her mind, as the adrenaline settled in her body, fading with a stretch. Taking the next steps of her morning routine, teeth brushed, hair brushed, clothes changed, from a pair of shorts and a shirt with the face of a red panda across the front to her usual attire, a cardigan overtop of her short-sleeved collared dress shirt, which loosely hanged over a pair of black pants. Slipping on her socks and eventually the slip-on shoes that she commonly wore, Rio was ready for the day, minus her bag of course.

Taking up the small messenger bag, it carried just about what she needed for any classes, while not heavy per se, it at least had a little bit of weight, should she swing it. Stepping out into Death City, it was apparent that Rio was not exactly from a place like this, in the middle of a desert. Yet, in the three years of being here, not once did she change attire, always wearing her cardigan in the deathly heat of the city. Walking along the sidewalks, hearing the cars pass by, some honking at another, others, just quietly going to their destination. Approaching the school building, Rio felt the same dread as always, the stairs were a nightmare for her, especially with her condition getting agitated periodically.

Despite this, three years of climbing the stairs had proven to give Rio enough chances to figure out how to do it without her lungs deciding to try and close up on her. Taking a slower but steady pace, Rio managed her way up, noticing a small group at the top, while they were just off the pathway, Rio knew that the people she was to meet was going to be in the courtyard in front of the main entrance. As she was walking over, she could feel the desert air catching up with her, reaching into the pocket of her cardigan, her fingers delicately wrapped around her inhaler again, just in case.

As she approached, Rio could hear a familiar voice, Instructor Ezrah, whom was the one to teach the E.A.T. Class. A teacher, whom, the young woman had a mild problem with. While she understood his actions, and knew that he was doing what he could to bring the best out of everyone, it still irked her of the means of his teaching. As she walked closer, though, she glanced over to the grouping of students, some she recognized, others, she hadn't the foggiest idea of who they were. Reaching the group, a polite, although meek wave was shown, as the words she wished to speak choked up into her throat, it wasn't her place to speak at the time, furthermore, she didn't want to interrupt Ezrah listing off the partners. Admittedly, she felt like she was late, though with a fair reason considering the dry desert air, and those damned stairs...

 

[Nobody Special]

DAI
Location: DWMA Courtyard
Interacting: Everyone, Ezrah ( Lady Warlock ), Yuri ( Zedalith )
Weapon: Yuri
________________________________________________________________________________

His head rose to the beckoning call of one of the members in the group. Upon closer inspection, Dai came to realize that this was not just any ordinary group member, but a man who was most assuredly going to take some part in their instruction as students of this new class. "Oh, you're that pushy old bastard everyone's always complainin' about..." his words came out in a soft whisper, as he had no intentions of interrupting whatever important information would come next.

He listened with unamused eyes until the mentioning of new partners graced his ears, causing him to grin and tightly clench his fists in excitement. If the partnerships were predetermined, then he was sure that the big, bad Grim Reaper had paid enough attention to him throughout his last 3 years at the school to know his situation. As long as he could use the weapon to cut someone from up close, he'd be fine with them. He impatiently waited for Ezrah to call his name, but his annoyed frown was quickly upturned into a grin when him and his new partner's names were called.

"Yuri, huh?" this time, he spoke loud enough for everyone in the small group to hear him. "Sounds strong. I like it." With a triumphant crossing of his arms and a puffed out chest, he beamed with pride as he addressed the group. "Alright! if 'yer name's Yuri, you're in luck. Guess this goes for the rest of you, too." With a thumb pressed into his own chest, the volume of Dai's voice rose significantly. "Name's Dai. I'll be the strongest one in this class in no time. If you got a problem with that, don't hesitate to take it up with me." There was a subtle, threatening tone in his last sentence, but he continued to speak with little to no regard for the people around him, including Ezrah. "I'll turn Yuri into a death scythe, too, or whatever. Ain't that right, Yuri?!"

...

That's right, he didn't even know who Yuri was, yet. He cleared his throat and his eyes flickered throughout each person in the small crowd. "Which one are ya' anyway, Yuri?"​

NOELLE ACCESSOIRE
Location: DWMA Courtyard
Interacting: Sion ( Prizzy Kriyze ), Adelle ( Lady Warlock )
Meister: Sion
________________________________________________________________________________

Though her greeting was at least slightly acknowledged by most of her fellow classmates, two of the students caught her attention. The first, a taller boy with black and white hair and tangerine eyes. She examined him for a while longer, her serious stare burning his dour expression into her mind. Then, her ruby optics settled onto his own eyes. Was he... angry? Sad, even? It was times like these where she wished she could see the souls of others herself. While she couldn't always appreciate having her inner self peered into-- like she was some sort of antique on display for window-shopper meisters to gawk at, she did yearn for it to be something she was capable of doing. She wanted to help people, after all. She snapped out of it when the young man nodded in her direction. She looked at him like a stealing child would look at the owner of a store after getting caught-- wide eyes filled with surprise. Shortly after, her strict gaze softened, and she nodded back with a kind smile.

The next was a girl not too far off in age from her, with bright blonde locks and sky blue eyes. Almost a perfect polar opposite to herself in terms of appearance. A simple 'Hello' came from her. Noelle examined the girl as well, though it was a much shorter examination due to how close the two were to each other. She didn't recognize either of the two, and it soon became clear to her that they had to be new here. Once again her expression grew warmer and she spoke. "Hello."

Before she could make an attempt to strike up a conversation with the girl, Ezrah's familiar voice called her to attention and gathered the members of the group together. She was still a bit confused about the sudden construction of a new class, Ezrah's small introduction lent no hand in helping her better understand why exactly they were all here. She figured they'd have to find out at some point. Patience was key... in most situations. She subconsciously felt her shoulders stiffen when he began to list off the new partnerships. She heard her name in the second pairing, and her eyes immediately locked onto Ezrah's and followed his gaze, her eyes landing on that same monochrome-haired boy from before. So, your name is Sion, then...

Upon figuring out who her new meister was, Noelle quickly and quietly shuffled past her classmates-- taking advantage of the loud, distracting proclamation coming from that white blur from earlier to stand next to her partner. However, instead of coming off as kind and sweet as she did before, her face returned to its regular, unfriendly look. Fortunately, the gentle tone of her voice was still present. "It is nice to meet you, Sion. Let's do good work together, okay?" With that, she offered her hand to him for a shake.

​

 

[Zedalith]

A curious head-tilt left her jutting hair to dangle at her side. Her two eyes traced over the form that addressed her. Vox was the one to speak to her—Yuri quickly realized. Did she get taller? Vox was one of the few people Yuri respected. While her attire was dour in tone, Vox was nothing of the sort, always advancing with both humility and passion. A hearty laugh lept from Yuri's throat and reverberated through the air at the mention of summer. With a free hand, she gave a firm pat at Vox's shoulder. "I am a lot lighter in the pocket for it, but I enjoyed my time. The break is over now—I am more than eager to get back to work." Yuri spent her interim traveling and gathering inspiration where she could, primarily visiting museums and fine art galleries.

Yuri's attention fixed to their professor, Ezrah, as he addressed the class. His more rigorous classroom methodologies were known by many and only appreciated by some; Yuri found herself among the latter. She keened in on Ezrah's pause as he read off the names, noting there were fewer pairs than people. Late on the first day? She made a mental note to discern their identities; Yuri sought to know who she couldn't trust. Thankfully, her partner was not among them.

"It's time I've met my meister. You and I better get someone who can keep up," Yuri noted to the darkly clad woman before her eyes scanned through the small crowd of students. The sound of Yuri's name reached her through the ambient chatter—their partner making it very easy to find them. Whoever it was, they were loud.

Three steps forward brought Yuri to face the boy. He stood out as one of the smallest of the group in both stature and age. At the least, his age was an indicator of his potential skill. She could not stifle the upturn of her lip that took root as she drew in his image. His heinously marred skin stood out immediately. It was like a pale pomeranian got tossed foot-first into a blender then quickly fished out. For someone so young to have such scars—Yuri only could hope it was due to hard work rather than incompetence.

He immediately made a few bold claims to his fellows; A competitive teammate is welcome after her last few partnerships. The brunt of them were rapscallions too lazy to pull their weight. A good first impression. Her grin stretched enough for the wrinkles at her eyes to set in deep. She brought a hand to sit atop of the meisters head to emphasize the height disparity, "That's right, pup. Best you don't disappoint after all that big talk." A row of sharp, white teeth shone brightly through her predatory smirk. "We'll show these assholes how it's done."

Mentions: RottenVale (Vox), Nobody Special (Dai)

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Yuan

Having found a nice spot to sit, Yuan watched with keen interest as more students belonging to the newly formed RIP class arrived, one of which even dropping from the sky much to her amusement. A boy with red hair and a winged soul. Though, it was more accurate to say he leapt off the spiked protrusion he’d been waiting on, it was an impressive physical feat nonetheless. But of course, such feats were to be expected of students belonging to an organization that brought peace to the world in the name of the Grim Reaper.

Yuan had told her all kinds of stories, regaled so many tales, such that she even saw DWMA in her dreams. Saw herself walking down the skull-decorated halls with an axe in tow, chatting happily with people who could only be her friends in a carefree matter. And now she was here - a student of DWMA under Yuan’s name. Her first step to reclaiming the Crimson Dragon had begun.

Drawing a deck of Chinese tarot cards from her back pocket, Yuan shuffled them absentmindedly as the teacher Lucien called Professor Erzah addressed the class and divided the teams as if giving a roll call. Her name hadn’t been called yet, so the short-haired girl contented herself by running her wavelength through the deck and seeing what card her soul would draw. The future wasn’t set in stone. Even she could catch glimpses of possible futures, it still took work on her part to bring about the future she wanted. Getting “lost” in Death City. Running into and befriending the DWMA student, Lucien Boulanger, by feeding his ego. Those were all steps she’d taken in order to achieve her goals.

Having seen the shape of his soul (a fanged orb donning a chef’s hat), it wasn’t difficult to see what sort of person the demon weapon was. Prideful and prickly, yet also earnest and surprisingly generous, complimenting his food was all it took to get him talking…though she’d learned to maneuver their conversation so it didn’t extend too long into the finer points of cooking. Yuan’s lips quirked upward as she watched the extravagantly dressed blonde interact with the seemingly arrogant redhead carrying a winged soul. A suitable pastime until her own partner was assigned. But of course, the RIP class also had its fair share of other interesting characters. Loud souls, quiet souls, old souls, young souls, feral souls, refined souls. Trying to look too much would give her a headache given the cacophony of noises, so Yuan focused her attention on placing the cards of her deck while committing to memory the names of various pairings for future reference.

Cole and Callah.

Sion and Noelle.

Vox and Lucien.

Dai and Yuri.

“Mm, I can already tell this class will be fun~” Pushing up her glasses, Yuan glanced briefly at the “wild child” that made the bold declaration before looking away in an almost shy fashion.


Lucien Boulanger

Lucien’s brow arched as Aiden McCarthy approached him out of all possible candidates after the shield’s showy entrance. They’d taken a couple of weapon classes together so it was only natural that they knew each other’s weapon-forms. He also knew that McCarthy tended to be flirty and careless so he figured the other would try to saddle it up with a female. Still…it wasn’t as if he was being insulted in any way. On the other hand, Aiden seemed to lavishing him with compliments. If it weren’t for the sarcastic tone, Lucien might’ve fallen for it.

“Naturally,” He replied airily, brushing his shoulder of any possible dust speck that might have landed from Aiden’s entrance. “A connaisseur like myself always aims to please.”

Granted Lucien was more a food connoisseur than a fashion one, he always did enjoy dressing his best. Earrings from his mother. Black long coat with the tattered edges that suit his stylistic tastes. An elegant scarf drapped over his shoulders as well as complimentary accessories. Perfection. “I see you’ve gotten better at flattery, Aiden McCarthy, though you’ve still got a ways to go. Mademoiselle Yuri at least has refined tastes,”

Lucien was, of course, was speaking of all the times they dined together as classmates and the other girl went along with his food tirade. He could appreciate her confident sense of aesthetics when it came to the dress department as well. Aiden was minimalistic in comparison.

“As for Sheena…”

There wasn’t much to say. Lucien was a little miffed that the meister failed to compliment the new set of knives he texted her about a month and a half ago, but having been in school with her for 5 years, he’d grown rather used to her tendency of being off in her own little world doing…whatever it was that she did. It suited him just fine since she didn’t bother him while he was perfecting his culinary arts, though he didn’t enjoy being ignored when he did have something to say, hence why he hadn’t quite responded to her text just yet. Of course, his magnanimous self had also been busy helping a new student to DWMA and he didn’t think it’d be necessary since they’d meet in school where Lucien could air his grievances anyway. He didn’t expect them to be in the same class. “She’s a decent meister.”

Probably.

Fortunately, Erzah chose then and there to start the class and divide up pairings. Cole and Callah? Names sounded somewhat familiar though E.A.T only made up 10% of the school so it made sense that he would – especially if they tended to do a lot of missions. Same with Sion and Noelle, mainly the latter though. At the sound of his own name, Lucien glanced towards Sheena though he opted to remain silent until Erzah finished. Seemed he would be the one to prove her a decent meister – though she wasn’t by any means a knife expert, he recalled her being decently fast. Maybe. Lucien couldn’t quite fathom what exactly Lord Death was thinking with the random pairings, but he was pleased Erzah understood fine cuisine at least – better than the cafeteria lady. Finally Dai and Yuri. Lucien rolled his eyes as the scarred kid spoke.

“Best of luck with him, Mademoiselle Yuri. I’d be impressed if you could show the barbare how to use a fork.”

Nodding at Aiden, Lucien glided past the white-haired couple and stopped in front of Sheena Vox, his hands on his hips, and his blonde head slightly cocked. “I’m still waiting for my apology.”

Sir Les Paul
Lady Warlock
RottenVale
Nobody Special

 

[Lady Warlock]

Adelle StoneProfessor Ezrah calmly noted when Rio walked in to join the group that had gathered on the corner of the DWMA’s outside foyer. Now they were only missing two and he briefly wondered if the girls’ helicopter had crashed somewhere as it was bringing them back into the states. Yes, those twins definitely knew how to get themselves into trouble from time to time, but he didn’t think the people who cared for them would be so lax as to bring them this late to the party. Nonetheless, he realized that whatever their situation was was beyond his own control so it was easiest to just move forward with pairing up those who were present.

His eyes flickered back to his list, first to take note of who was with the twins so he knew who to expect questions from, and secondly to look at where he left off and continue from there. “Edgar and Adelle.” The names were next on the list so they were the next ones on his lips. Ezrah knew Edgar well enough to know that he could master any weapon if given enough time and some friendly tones from the weapon in question, but he had to wonder about this one. Hopefully the meister had brought his best attitude with him today. Briefly, he glanced at the girl who already walked as though she owned the place - probably because her heritage was higher than that of anyone else here - and wondered how she would take to this.

Surprise.

That was the answer to his question.

Adelle had been working up the strength to try and strike up a conversation with the other girl who had deemed it appropriate to say high when her name popped out of thin air and her head turned very quickly to figure out what was going on. Her eyes found their professor who then carefully let his gaze shift to Edgar, hoping she’d catch on to the fact that this was her new meister. Fury flashed in the woman’s eyes, but was quickly contained with refinement and poise before she truly examined this begrudgingly male specimen. ‘At least he presents himself nicely enough,’ was the one positive thought she managed to conjure in her mind.

Pushing herself up from where she’d been leaning against a railing, Adelle made her way over to this meister called Edgar and with a very straight and unexcited expression, she extended her hand. “Adelle Stone,” she introduced herself flatly. “It would seem we’re to be partners. I’ll have you know right off the bat that no one’s going to hold me back from becoming a death scythe so I certainly hope you can keep up.”

It was hard for Ezrah not to have been listening into the brief introduction the new girl offered and his eyes widened more than a little. Cocky, that one. Maybe even more than some of the others that had more than their fair share of ego. Only time would truly tell, though.

Japanime

 

[Nobody Special]

DAI
Location: DWMA Courtyard
Interacting: Yuri ( Zedalith ), Lucien ( QuirkyAngel ), Luka ( Lady Warlock )
Weapon: Yuri
________________________________________________________________________________

As he called out for his new partner to reveal themselves, his focus landed on a much taller girl. Between the flowing mass of white attached to her head being dragged along behind her like a living tundra, and the toothy grin she shot him, Dai was nearly compelled to ask if they were long-lost siblings. The two were quick to take stock of each other, and he returned her smile as they did so. While soul perception was nowhere to be seen on his résumé, he was still fairly good at figuring out the kind of person someone was through more... simple methods. He took a few whiffs of the air in front of him, like some sort of pet sniffing a visitor for the first time. Excitement coursed throughout his veins. A tiger? No-- perhaps a wolf... It was nearly impossible to classify this woman as one single thing. A word would prove to be more descriptive: She was a beast.

In the nicest, most endearing way possible, of course.

His smile wavered when he felt Yuri's hand land on the top of his head, and his electrified eyes stiffened and narrowed into a glare as he begrudgingly looked up at his partner. He listened as she spoke, but it only upset him more, to the point where he was tempted to leap up and bite her hand to show her he meant business. 'Pup?' He thought to himself, eyes still locked onto her as she spoke. I ain't no damned pup! If anythin', I'm the leader of this sorry excuse for a pack. His arms remained crossed, holding in his territorial animosity against her, just because her first impression on him was so damn good.

His smile returned at the end of her sentence. "Yeah!" It was clear that she wasn't trying to take over. At least, he thought it was clear. He allowed her hand to stay on his head-- for now. Besides, there was a new conflict at hand that took precedence over a simple gesture from one beast to another; that stuck-up piece of cutlery was running his mouth again. Dai had been to enough classes to know most of the people in his new class-- he just never bothered remembering the more important things. Their names, for example. The blonde weapon that called out to Yuri just now, however, was a completely different story. In short, Dai didn't like the way he spoke, in more ways than one. His semi-elegant way with words always forced Dai to maximize his brain power just to understand what the hell he was saying, and his criticism was even worse. "Eh? The hell did you say? I fight weapons too, y'know." With clenched fists, he searched the group for something he could threaten Lucien with. Then, he locked onto a smaller, younger girl with a sack of... apples?

No matter, this could still work. He pointed in the girl's direction, a brazen and threatening smirk on his face. "How about you change into 'yer little weapon form so I can shove you into one of that kid's apples and leave you in there 'till it rots? Then you'll see just how well I can use utin-- utan-- utensils!" Despite his complete screw-up of 'utensils', Dai's words remained sincere. He was ready for a fight, right then and there.​

​

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Sion Noguchi​

Sion was surprised to see the calm-sounding girl being so taken aback by his simple nod. It was cute in a way, like she didn't expect him to look in her direction; but at the same time confounding. Sion understood not what she was trying to gather from his appearance, but he chose not to think about it.

“We’re waiting on four more.”

Before he'd had a chance to answer his keen ears picked up on a silent whistling like fabric tearing through air, and Sion looked back just a moment before some red-haired kid hit the ground not that far from the school. Sion was about to offer a thought about his mullet being embarrassing enough, but then he opened his mouth to the blonde cutlery-sounding man who'd immediately gone to meet the teacher. The kind of vanity they both displayed would have them drawn and quartered - at least in the metaphorical sense - back home. Only for a moment did he reflect on whether the strictures from his home might have actually served some purpose, before he purged the thought. They weren't hurting anyone by appreciating themselves.

Then his attention was tugged in the opposite direction by a quiet but shrill and ear-piercing sound. Two more had joined them. A young girl, seemingly much too young to be a part of this group in before the teacher had called her in, approached the group silently; but the source of the sound was a calm, well-kept man keeping to the outer fringes of the group. He seemed to observe them in a sensible and disciplined manner, but the sound ringing off of him was that of nails against a chalkboard. That of a fork scraping against a porcelain plate, that of violins being pushed to the brink of breaking. Sion had to push it to the back of his mind before he doubled over in pain. It wasn't as loud and intrusive as the speaker of a girl he'd noticed at first, but it was subtle with a far more ominous presence. He'd have to keep his eyes open, here.

Finally, another young girl shyly appeared. That made three out of the four they were waiting on. Sion clenched his fist inside of his pockets. Either it was excitement or some form of masochism awaiting the trials that laid ahead, and only time would tell. The teacher - whose name he'd yet to have gathered - seemed to have run out of patience, and started on a speech. It wasn't ineffective, it highlighted both the responsibilities of weapon and meister, and those cornerstones weren't ones that Sion had been familiar with priorly. Then he started listing of the pairings.

"Cole and Callah." Uh-huh.

"Sion and Noelle." Alright. He knew not whom the name belonged to as he started to look around for anyone who might have reacted to the pairing, but he didn't have very long to do so. The teacher kept listing off names, and within a few moments a bombastic voice sounded across the group. The ferocious white-haired boy had chosen to speak, and his words gnawed at the back of Sion's mind like rats clambering through walls. His aggressive gaze whipped back to dig into the kid that introduced himself as Dai, and he was a hair's width from speaking up before his apparent partner had come up and placed a hand on his head. This Yuri, as their name must be, handled the would-be meister as efficiently as Sion could've hoped for, and so he stayed his tongue. For now.

"It is nice to meet you, Sion. Let's do good work together, okay?" His head whipped back to find that the pleasant-sounding girl had appeared at his side. Her face was ever as stern, but the tone of her voice and the distant accordion that seemed to dance along to it spoke otherwise. Sion was annoyed, more so than he'd like to be upon meeting such a friendly face, and so he gave his best attempt at a smile back at the girl as she reached out her hand to shake his.

For a moment he hesitated to take her hand. He now knew what touching him and coming into contact with his rampant wavelength meant. The last thing he wanted was to leave a bad impression, especially if his partner was to be someone who sounded so gentle; but at the same time, how could they ever cooperate if he was afraid to even touch her? "Pleasure is all mine, Noelle." He started to reach for her hand. "Though, I must-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence before Dai spoke again. His words were angled at someone, and ruthlessly violent in nature. Sion's attention shifted, and out the corner of his eye he could see the kid clenching his fists with the familiar stiff posture of someone ready to back their words up with violence. It didn't sit right with him. It couldn't sit right with him after all these year. With a faked smile upon his lips, he offered a quick "I apologize." to Noelle as he stopped his hand short from meeting with hers and turned to walk towards Dai.

"Your willingness to threaten betrays your insecurities." He muttered as he stopped a good few paces away from the wild youth. He'd already proudly announced that he was to be the strongest in the group, but the kind of anger that he chose to present it with resonated badly somewhere within Sion. He didn't need to see more people hurt because one person couldn't control their feelings. "What the hell are you trying to prove, intimidating your allies?" For a moment he wanted to say more, but Sion concluded that he shouldn't go out of his way trying to pick a fight before the first ever period had even started. His hands remained firmly within the pockets of his jacket, and his eyes were now void of any fatigue as he stared at the younger boy.

Mention: Lady Warlock QuirkyAngel Zedalith Mineczka Japanime Sir Les Paul
Interaction: Nobody Special

 

[Japanime]

Edgar Morgan

Edgar remained quiet and observed his fellow peers. As he watched, he listened out for the instructor and the pairings being listed. Eventually they came around to Edgar and mentioned him and his partner, Adelle. Having got his attention, Edgar glanced over at the instructor and then surveyed the group of students for anyone who reacted to their name just being called. That's when he spotted a blonde female move from the railing and make way towards him. The first thing he noticed about her was her old fashioned clothing. He thought it was a little odd but didn't care for the most part. The girl who went by Adelle extended her hand and introduced herself. From what Edgar was picking up, she seemed rather unenthusiastic. Until she made crystal clear her determination to become a Demon Scythe.

Edgar pulled his hands out of his pockets, straightened up his lax posture, and turned to completely face the shorter female. He adjusted the watch on his wrist and met the pale blue eyes of his peer. "Greetings, Adelle. I call myself Edgar Morgan. I can assure you, your concern is not needed. For I am confident in my abilities and it would be disadvantageous for me to hold you back or you hold me back. Just as you desire to be a Demon Scythe, I wish to be a honorable Meister." He extended his hand and shook hers. "I'll protect you and watch your back. I'll always be there for you. If anyone is foolish enough to strike at you... They will deal with me." Edgar released her hand and used his now free hand to run through his hair and keep it slicked back. "The point I'm trying to make is, I fully intend to treat you like the delicate treasure you are. I hope, no I know, we can achieve some great things, Adelle."

Though some of his wording may come off as flirting or trying to flatter her, he wasn't. His tone was serious and his expression matched. His eyes never left hers as he spoke and he meant every word he said.



Location: DWMA Stairs (top)
Interaction: Lady Warlock
Mention: Lady Warlock​

 

[Lady Warlock]

Ezrah wouldn’t be able to call himself much of a DWMA instructor if he couldn’t sense when tensions were rising to a point of being potentially dangerous. In fact, he had sensed some rising stresses even as Dai had first started speaking as though he were the best one there. It was quite a statement to make that he would be the strongest, particularly given the company he was in. Despite it, though, Ezrah wasn’t so sure the youngster was wrong. He was physically one of the strongest ones present. Where Dai seemed to miss some things was with the fact that strongest did not at all mean best. The best meister here would be one with soul skills, intellect, leadership initiative and strength. Ezrah certainly hoped that that fact was not lost on all of the meisters present.

Actually, as Sion and Lucien both added fuel to the fires, Ezrah was beginning to think he might need to step in because this whole incident was really impacting the mood of things. That much could be noticed in the way almost everyone’s eyes were being drawn to the situation and in the way that Luka specifically moved to cover her ears at the growing volume. Her whole body, too, twisted so as to shield her apples after they were threatened. Those were almost as important as her toothpicks when it came to her ability to cope.

However, then something happened that Ezrah would not have anticipated in any realm. Despite having her hands firmly over her ears and her apples shielded behind her, Luka’s lungs bellowed in a manner he hadn’t known she was capable of. “Stop it! All of you! Be nice! We’re supposed to be teammates!” While her logic was juvenile, she definitely wasn’t wrong and her taking the initiative to shout and put everyone in their place brought a smile to the professor’s place. It certainly couldn’t have felt good as students much older than her to be corrected by one so young and so seemingly immature, and he hoped that these students remembered what that felt like before they did anything stupid in the future.

“Thank you, Luka,” the professor beamed with pride before he lowered himself down to Luka’s level. It was time she met her partners. “Lord Death actually foresaw your understanding of teamwork and decided that it was best to pair you with two weapons. He felt it complimented your skill set nicely.” Looking up, he made eye contact with Rio and gestured for her to join them. “This is Rio. She’s going to be your first partner, and I believe you two have probably had classes together before.” Maybe they had even paired together for some exercises before, but Ezrah wasn’t certain. “And then your second partner will be Aiden.” Ezrah’s eyes shifted through the crowd again before he spotted the tower shield’s human form. “Aiden,” he summoned the boy, “this is Luka. This is Rio. The three of you will be working as a team. Luka’s a very skilled utility meister.”

Now that those three were introduced, Ezrah stood himself back at his full height and allowed his gaze to drift down the staircase one final time. ‘Where are those gosh darned girls?’ he wondered. It was a skilled group and they would certainly contribute to it well, but he wondered if R.I.P. and their royal duties combined might be too much for them.

Just as he was wondering how much longer he should give them, there came a ringing from his watch and Ezrah quickly addressed it for a hologram of Lord Death to appear standing on his wrist. “Hello Professor Ezrah!” the grim reaper greeted in his usual cheerful and lackadaisical tone. “I hope the students are all getting along alright.”

“More or less,” Ezrah replied.

“That’s good! That’s good, indeed. I need you to start class now. There’s been a bit of a problem back in Grace and Erica’s home country and their driver isn’t sure whether they’ll be making it today or not. I also have another student I might bump up to R.I.P. Now that we’ve pulled so many of our E.A.T. students, they seem a bit underwhelmed by the intensity of their classmates. Can I speak to Yuan, please?”

“Uh, sure.” This conversation was rather normal although it may have seemed very out of place. Ezrah turned to Yuan and held out his arm so that she would see the Lord Death hologram.

“Hello! Hello! I hope you’re enjoying your time in Death City so far! I wanted to let you know that we’ve a bit of a pickle when it comes to your weapon partner. I wanted you to know that I am working on it and you should have one before the end of the day.” He nodded firmly and assertively, wanting to make sure that the students he went out of his way to recruit were able to be retained within the program. “That is all. I’ll see you later, ok!?” Exceptionally cheerful as always. The hologram faded away and Ezrah looked up to survey the state of his class.

It was time to move.

Sir Les Paul Mineczka QuirkyAngel Nobody Special Prizzy Kriyze

 

[Solarknight]

The first thing Callah became aware of when they reached the top of the DWMA steps was a voice she didn’t recognize as one she’d heard in any of her classes before. Her face turned in his general direction as she beamed, “Hello!” She didn’t know if he was in their class or anything like that so she didn’t offer more, but something was better than nothing.

“Yo, Dai!” she offered when she heard a familiar voice that her brain actually was able to match a name with. If anyone had asked her before she’d lost her sight, she would have never guessed so many people could be so easily identified by voice, but she’d definitely outdone herself there.

Callah tossed out more ‘hellos’ and ‘good mornings’ as their class grew, doing her best to keep track of everyone present.

Her entire body changed in minor excitement when another familiar voice joined them - Lucien. Briefly, Callah turned to Cole and whispered a question. “Is there any chance he brought any treats with him today? My breakfast wasn’t the best.” Of course her breakfast hadn’t been the best. It never was because she couldn’t see in order to cook anything of quality. Judging from the other students’ reactions, though, there were no treats today.

Finally, Callah heard another student who was also taking quite well to greeting everyone around them and her body broke away from the side of her meister to join him. “Aiden, why are you sounding so sarcastic? It’s an absolute delight to have everyone here, isn’t it!?” No sarcasm soured Callah’s tone as she skipped around in the middle of the circle everyone was unknowingly forming. Occasionally one of her arms reached out and accidentally grazed against one of her classmates, but in her jubilation, she didn’t care and it certainly wasn’t intentional. She couldn’t really see them, after all. Anyone familiar with her knew that this was her norm.

Her own name reached her ears as she realized it had to be announced that she was partnering with Cole. “Of course I’m partnering with Cole!” she blurted out of the blue. “Imagine how silly it would be to partner me with anyone else.” The prospect had her chuckling, but she quieted enough to hear the other pairings and to hear the ensuing rise in tension among some of the other students.

Although she had been preparing to yell at them, Callah was caught off guard by a different voice interrupting them. It was a voice she didn’t hear very often, though she knew the person it went with. “Yeah! What she said!” Callah echoed the logic although she did slowly make her way back to her meister. If a fist fight was going to break out, Callah knew better than to get into the middle of it. Not only did Cole hate fighting up close in person, but she literally couldn’t defend herself because… you know… blindness.

“Do you think class is gonna start soon, Cole?” she ventured to ask.

Sir Les Paul Nobody Special Lady Warlock QuirkyAngel Prizzy Kriyze

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Aiden McCarthy​

TBD​

Species Human
Partner Yuka, Rio
Rank One-Star Weapon, R.I.P.

Location Death City, DWMA Staircase
Mission New Class: Day One
Status Excited

​

Mentions: Lady Warlock Mineczka Solarknight QuirkyAngel

“I see you’ve gotten better at flattery, Aiden McCarthy, though you’ve still got a ways to go. Mademoiselle Yuri at least has refined tastes,”​

Lucien certainly had a way of selecting a words as subtly cutting as the edge of his own blade. Aiden wasn't precisely perturbed by it, however. He might have been, if Lucien was accurate in assessing his intent. Flattery was the entirely wrong word for how he addressed Lucien, at least to the mind of Aiden. Flattery by its very definition was praise--often excessive--with an agenda. Aiden had no agenda. He didn't particularly want anything from Lucien. All Aiden did with his compliments amounted to little more than a simple act of kindness. Perhaps that's why it was taken as it was. In an environment where others were ready to beat the others' brains in over a few snide remarks, kind ones often likely felt like they had some ulterior motif.

But not Aiden. In his mind, all he was doing was chatting with a friend. Perhaps not the closest, but a friend nonetheless, even if the concept was somewhat unrequited. It's also why Aiden brushed off the comment from Lucien; he obviously meant no harm by it and it made no difference in the end.

Aiden listened to the same listing as Lucien that was made by the professor. Cole and Callah. Match made in heaven if there ever was one. Rifle and a sniper. Callah had that screeching soul that even pierced Aiden at times, but Cole somehow managed with it. Good for him, although he was still a judgmental prick at times. Sion and Noelle. He knew nothing of Sion, but Noelle was cute enough. Not his first choice, but most certainly not his last. Her defenses weren't quite as staunch as his own. Lucien would be paired with Vox. Lucien was an interesting individual no doubt, someone Aiden knew well enough from EAT. Vox had her own appeal that stood out quite a bit from the rest of the group and needless to say, Aiden was a fan. Perhaps in RIP, he might find time to wine and dine them both. Dai and Yuri. Fitting in its own way, but Aiden could see it getting complication. Unlike Vox, Yuri was a mess that even Aiden didn't quite intend to cross. Aiden flirted, sure, but Yuri was a whole different ballgame and honestly the red hair bulwark wasn't quite sure what he would do if someone called him on it--and Yuri might have just been the soul to do it.

Lucien interrupted this quick train of thought with a quick nod and past Aiden, likely to approach his partner. Aiden quickly and quietly added, "Let's do catch up when time permits."

Only to soon be caught by Callah. Ah yes, a voice that one could not forget if only because it was the only one that filled the air more often than his own. "Why yes, Callah, it is quite the delight to have everyone here. It's quite pleasant to see you again, and of course Cole," he replied to her in a kind, neutral tone. His eyes were fixated on Cole. The Meister made it clear classes ago that Aiden ought to watch himself--and his words--around Callah. It was coarse conversation to say the least and the gaze of the Meister now made it apparent that it would no different in RIP. "Perhaps we could catch up, too, if you could ever get your escort to go anywhere but a firing range," he told her. Unlike his sarcastic tone before, this one was much lighter. Kinder, even. There wasn't a trace of distaste in his tone; it should have been clear that last comment was purely jovial. Besides, Aiden had no idea if Cole actually took Callah to actual firing ranges.

Aiden would have walked away just like that, but the near-fight soon broke out and he saw that attitude from before that ran through his mind. Anyone would have a handful with Dai. Then came the first real impression from the girl that would soon be his partner, and it was an impressive one. Despite her size and stature, she was the first--followed only by the professor and Callah--to comment on the abrasive nature of some in the group. With their talent came their temperament, it seemed. Oh, why couldn't they be more like Lucien. Or, at the very least, just passive-aggressive like Cole. It would be much to ask them to be as silent as Edgar, besides, there's no fun in that.

Just a moment later, Aiden was called over and informed of his pairing. He left Callah, at least this time likely more socially acceptable given he was just summoned as opposed to not wanting to step on the toes of Cole. Then he heard. Two partners. Luka, the youth that just shouted out, would be his Meister, and dual-wielding at that. Impressive. And, Aiden couldn't have asked for a better pair up. Ideally, Rio would be something more offensive, so Aiden wouldn't have to compromise his defensive nature or hold back his Meister. To say Aiden was elated would not have done justice to his mood upon hearing this news.

Aiden approached Luka and Rio instead of the professor this time. He performed a gentle bow, then introduced himself. "I'm Aiden McCarthy, fourth-generation Weapon of the DWMA with the form of a tower shield. And, unlike the other weapons here and perhaps even you, Rio, I don't have aspirations do become a Death Scythe or the very best," he told them both with his big cheesy smile. He pulled his hair from the front of his shoulder where it had fallen during his bow and flipped it over his back again. "I wish to protect. You. The DWMA. This whole world, if I have to," he added before extending his hand. Then, his eyes became quite narrowed and considerably his tone more serious. "So I assure you, so long as you are my partners, no harm will come to you," he ended with a bit of gravitas his earlier interactions had lacked.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Cole Baker​

"Crackshot"​

Species Human
Partner Callah
Rank One-Star Meister, R.I.P.

Location Death City, DWMA Staircase
Mission New Class: Day One
Status Intrigued

​

Mentions: Solarknight & Everyone Else.

Things just kept getting better and better. If the professor wasn't enough, the group that soon surrounded them certainly proved to be a diverse one and Cole could already see the messes that would need to be cleaned up.

The new face he would soon identify as Sion had a soul that seemed like a black hole. It was there, but hungered, and while it was no less substantial than anyone around them, it felt like a void that drained him just to view. It was a hard sensation to describe in the least, especially given Cole just couldn't 'stop' using his perception to alleviate it. Then came Dai. Of course Cole knew Dai. If there was going to be any conflict with him and another, it would likely be Dai. If there in fact was going to be any conflict at all it would be a miracle if it wasn't Dai. Trickling in came Noelle, Yuan, Lucien, Aiden, Edgar, a girl he would soon learn was Adelle, Sheena. And why did Callah have to greet Dai of all of them? Why? Lucien was right there and at least he was bearable. But, it was Callah, and she didn't hold the same view of everyone that Cole did.

Of course Aiden came in to draw some attention. Dropped down right from the sky. C'mon, guy, we know you have a special soul, that doesn't mean you have to literally try to be in the air. Just as Cole was considering this particular thought, Callah darted off to go greet him. Cole just sighed with a halfcocked smile from his partner's antics. "He doesn't have a box or cart, so I doubt he has treats. Lucien wouldn't pocket his food--he respects it more than most people," he told her as she continued on nonetheless. He would have brushed off the comment from Aiden, although Callah sure didn't. Callah, however, was quick to call him out for his less than subtle remark.

His eyes weren't blue, but they were ice when they fell on Aiden. Cole didn't quite like how the weapon had a tendency to be overly attentive to women and it would be a lie to say Callah herself wasn't cute. It rubbed Cole the entirely wrong way when Aiden tried his antics in the past. Enough that the normally nonconfrontational soul he was decided to intervene with his classmate in a less than appropriate way. And, it seemed Aiden remembered. Aiden had his eyes locked with Cole's for a moment and the tension was clear, at least for those two. His snide remark was washed away and replaced with far more kind words and a more tasteful selection of words when correcting himself to Callah.

That tension was quickly broken by a verbal skirmish between two classmates. One of them, who would have guessed, Dai. This came after the first round of partners. Of course Cole was with Callah, separating them now after three years of progress would have been absurd. But, for the first time since they reached the top of the staircase, Cole moved closer to Callah once she shouted at the others to calm their jets. Perhaps it was his protective instinct. Perhaps it was to keep her from marching over their to slap them both. Perhaps it was because he didn't want a sonic boom of her wavelength deafening everyone if she got upset. In any case, he rest his hand on her shoulder once he neared her and connected with her, giving her at least a little portion of his own internal calmness.

A moment later, she asked if class would soon start. Cole shrugged, though not like she could see. "By the looks of things, not everyone will make it their first day. The professor seems to be figuring out what to do now, so I'm not sure. I would quite like to get things started sooner rather than later, myself," he said, giving her what little of an answer he could from what he had taken in while she got herself worked up over the sparks from personalities clashing.