Fantasy PHANTASMA: SCHOOL OF THE STRANGE

[Zerohex]

Martin walked inside, seeing many a student hugging themselves in an attempt to regain some warmth. "Alright everyone, results out there were...not really good, but I wasn't really expecting much better from you on the first day. We're going to be doing some jumping jacks to help you regain some warmth, it's better than sitting there holding yourself like your dog just died. It goes like this". Martin



before starting up himself, not that he really needed to, it was just encouragement. It was a simple enough excercise that required only a minimum of coordination, but


.
"Do this until you feel warm enough again", Martin uttered between jumping jacks, "So any questions? We're going to be training in the cold on and off again until it stops being cold or you gain some tolerance so if you have any particular problems with the cold beyond it being cold, you might want to tell me about it as well. Do stop and step away from the jumping jacks before asking any questions, don't bother the people who still need to warm up".

 

[MechaGhoul]

Achim paused as he felt a vibration from his pocket. He took it out of his pocket, quickly checked the phone he pulled out. Well I have to take this. He exited the room, as he headed back towards his classroom to get much needed privacy to answer the phone.


Susie sighed with relief knowing she wasn't going to have to wrestle. Oh jour de joie! She thought to herself, as she quickly moved to a space where she wouldn't risk inadvertently hitting anyone. It was a simple task of co-ordination, as she followed Martin's pace while performing jumping jacks. She kept a small smile on her face as she continued her task. I dodged a bullet there. Whew.

 

[CSA]

Lily quickly got up with Anya's help and brushed herself off, sighing as the girl proved that she completely misunderstood their relationship once again. If anything, the Neko was more like a pet than a friend.


Lily stared the girl down and said, "I told you, we're not f-"


But what was the point? As long as Lily resolved to treat Anya with any degree of kindness, it seemed the child would think that they were friends no matter what. The only real options were to completely and totally mistreat her so that there were no misunderstandings, or do damage control.


"Look, think what you want OK? Just don't go around telling everyone about it."


With that, Lily took Anya's hand and they went back into the semi-warm gym. Everyone was doing jumping jacks, so Lily started as well. She was somewhat slow, and took a second or two between jumps to coordinate herself. They were not the most elegant of jumping jacks.

 

[ComradeSenpai]

Anya followed suite, joining the line of students doing jumping jacks. It seemed like Lily wasn't very skilled with them, whereas Anya could perform a jumping jack with some speed- it was necessary for her amazing jump slash.


That was okay, though- doing well would only encourage her friend, like Superman inspires morality.


"What do you think we get to do after this?" Anya asked aloud between pants.

 

[Zerohex]

Martin kept the jumping jacks going, eyeing Lily's less than stellar results. Well, maybe walking plants had issues with that kind of stuff. He'd seen worse from men. "After this you're all going to relax and pay attention while I explain some basic things about what this class will be about beyond general fitness. Then you're getting changed and going to your dorms or wherever you go when you're done with classes. Because we'll be done with this one. Any more questions?".

 

[MechaGhoul]

Click. Susie's locker swung open as the unholy puppet climbed out. "Well that was a tad troublesome. I will have to mention to Susie to not do that to me again." Ferdie said to himself. He walked down towards another locker. "No, not that one. Not a proper scare..." His eyebrows raised with excitement as he began frantically messing with the locker Hawthorne. "Yes... this one will do. Perfect target." After much trial and error, he eventually found his way in, as he nestled himself near the back of the locker, and shutting it fully when he lodged himself inside.


Susie continued doing her jumping jacks as she listened to the teacher's speech. She stopped for a moment as she shook her head. Susie then returned to exercising.

 

[CSA]

It ticked Lily off a bit to see how easily the Neko handled jumping jacks, but it really was to be expected. Lily just had to concentrate on herself, and she'd get the hang of it eventually.


"I don't know, Anya," replied Lily, repositioning herself for another jump, "But I hope it's not wrestling."


Lily continued jumping as the teacher spoke, glad that class would be over soon. Lily would have to practice in her off time too if she didn't want to embarrass herself.


"No, sir. No questions," replied Lily.

 

[Parsnip]

Maggie stood up as the end of gym was announced, "Wait we're leaving but I didn't even finish my calf stretches oh wait are we doing wrestling I thought we were doing wrestling what was the time we had to last before we didn't have to wrestle so I know not to go that long next time I'll bring a stop watch and everything and it'll be great and you'll do a piledriver on me but don't worry I'll wear a helmet so it's extra safe and then I'll hit you with a folding chair and and and it'll be the best can we can we please?"

 

[Zerohex]

Martin stopped doing jumping jacks as the girl with the helmet fired a giant blast of a sentence at him. Impressive lung capacity. "Right. Well. First of all I could safely piledrive you without need for a helmet. But yes. Wrestling. We'll be doing that. Not the fancy pro wrestling stuff. The practical actual wrestling stuff. Hitting someone from the back with a weapon is good strategy, though. Anyway...where was I?" Martin scratched his trim beard in though. "Oh right. This class isn't just to help you develop some manner of fitness but also to instruct you in some self defense techniques should you ever find yourself unarmed or without access to your magical abilities, both of which can happen with surprising regularity".


"I do not expect most of you to come out of here being manly enough to face down any threat with just your fists like myself". Martin stopped his little spiel to tighten his hand into a fist and flex his arm, showing off his rough and callused skin and his bulging muscles for emphasis. "But I do hope all of you will be manly enough to not be completely clueless should you ever have to resort to fighting like that. Starting next class we'll begin practicing basic hand to hand combat, wrestling included. When I'm more familiar with what each of you can do I'll try and teach you ways to use all your advantages in a fight, weapons and magic included. Any further questions?".

 

[MechaGhoul]

I don't have a good feeling about this. Susie thought to herself as she stopped doing jumping jacks and focused her attention on the coach as he talked about the purpose of the class. Her lower lip quivered a bit as he brought up the fact that hand to hand combat would be practiced next class. Hopefully hand to hand will let me have a cutlass. I doubt it, but if so at least I'd be able to keep -whatever I'm against back. She thought to herself. Susie shook her head as Martin asked for other questions.


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


Junkyard was sniffing at Achim's shoes as he was finishing up a conversation. "... Understood. Bye." He glanced up and breathed deeply. He picked up a pen and tapped his desk with it.

 

[ComradeSenpai]

"What about self offense techniques?" Anya asked, still doing jumping jacks.

 

[MechaGhoul]

Ferdie sat in the locker, just staring forward. This is going to be quite entertaining. Okay, hm, I need to think of a phrase to shout out when I do the scare. Could always go with the classic 'Boo.', or maybe, 'YOUR SOUL SHALL BE MINE!' or 'FROM HELL'S HEART I STAB AT THEE'. Hm, which one to go with. It thought to itself as it stared blankly forward.


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Achim continued tapping his pen on his desk. Junkyard got up, and stretched out her back. Trudging forward she eagerly stared at him. "Hmm, maybe I should write a poem. Or something." Junkyard continued to eagerly stare at him, as she sat down her tongue hanging out of her mouth. Waving his left hand towards her, Junkyard approached as he patted her head.

 

[Rancealot]

"Sword fighting? That I can do." Helada stated while doing her jumping jacks. If there was one thing she was slightly good at, it was sword fighting.

 

[Zerohex]

"Aren't you cute", he nodded at Anya. "Yes, I'll teach you how to beat people up as soon as you know how to not get beat up. Beating someone up is no good if you get beat up while you do it, don't you think?". He then turned to Helada. "As for sword fighting, I'm glad you know how to, I don't beyond the basic principles of the pointy end going into the other person, but we'll be covering weaponless fighting for most of our classes anyway. Alright then, class dismissed!" he clapped his hands pretty damn hard to drive the point across. "If anyone's got any further questions or concerns, you're free to stay behind and talk to me about them. If anyone's injured or still freezing in any way, a quick visit to the infirmary will fix that. With a potion. Because most doctors nowadays are hacks who rely on them too much".

 

[MechaGhoul]

As class came to a close, Susie headed back to her gym locker. Well at least we didn't have to do close combat today. She thought to herself.

 

[CSA]

Lily really didn't want to wrestle, but if she had to she at least wanted to do the cool kind. But apparently they were learning the lame practical stuff, which was just a disappointment.


After saying 'manly' about ten more times and answering Anya's question, Martin finally dismissed them. Lily really didn't need any help learning how to use her own abilities- she'd already mastered them. She did hope, however, that Martin might be able to teach her to defend herself without the use of her flower or her vines. That would actually be really useful to her.


Lily stopped with the jumping jacks, and looked over at Anya. Not that the Alraune was concerned or anything, but she wanted to make certain that the Neko's wounds had been healed. To be sure of her own powers and stuff.


And certainly not because she was concerned at all.


"Anya? Are you feeling a little better now?"

 

[ComradeSenpai]

'Huh? Oh, I'm fine." Anya said, looking at her arms. Her wounds had almost healed, but there was a thin sticky film on her forearms.


"That was really nice of you. Thanks, Lily!" she smiled, moving in for another hug.

 

[MechaGhoul]

Achim opened his desk drawer as he plucked out one of a few worn notebooks, as he placed it on his desk and opened it a few pages, where there was some writing, but it did not consume the whole page yet. He picked out a pen from the container laying on top. Junkyard took a few steps towards him, before walking in a clockwise circle, and laying back down next to his chair. He tapped his pen on the book, as he rubbed his temple with his free hand. Ack, writer's block. This is not good. Hmm, I must find something to get the creative juices pumping.





Pushing his chair back, Achim got out as he placed his pen back on the desk. He glanced at the drawer, which was still open, and the notebook. He grabbed the notebook and put it back, as he shut the drawer. He glanced at the clock and began pacing back and forth from side to side in the room. What to write, what to write? Achim thought to himself. Hmm, what shall I write about? Wait, I've got it, perhaps. Hm, maybe I shall write about a sub-terrain dwelling mole herder who is thrusted into battle as soon as miners dig into his homeland. Or perhaps I should write about the trials and tribulations of an attorney. Or possibly, write a story concerning a Tyrant and his rule. He thought to himself, as he continued pacing through the room.

 

[CSA]

W-well you were hurt," muttered Lily, looking away as Anya hugged her, "Anyone with my abilities would have done it."


Lily glanced down and looked at the Neko out of the corner of her eye before giving the child a very quick hug back and then removing her.


"Alright, that's enough of that. Let's go change," said Lily, quickly making her way to the locker room.

 

[ComradeSenpai]

"That doesn't mean I can't thank you", Anya said, beginning to tug off her shirt as they stepped into the locker room.


She considered for a moment, then stopped herself, checking to make sure her outfit was still there. She grabbed the handle, and opened her locker door.

 

[MechaGhoul]

His moment had come. As soon as Anya opened the locker door, Ferdie lunged out towards Anya aiming his wooden knife. "From HELL'S HEART I STAB AT THEE!" He cackled out. I think I nailed it! Ferdie thought to himself, as he kept swinging his small dagger.


Susie was changing into her sweater while this was going on. Her head slowly poked out of her sweater as her ears twitched. Was that? She searched through her gym locker frantically, before noticing the absence of her ventriloquist dummy. She quickly turned to face Anya, and... "F-Ferdie!"

 

[ComradeSenpai]

"K-GYAAAAAHHHHH" Anya shrieked, her face lighting up with panic. The girl's hair stood on end, and she frantically attempted to back away from the locker, swinging wildly.


The cat tripped over her own feet and a bench as she tried to escape, and tumbled into Maggie before crashing to the ground with a thud.

 

[MechaGhoul]

Ferdie continued cackling, until Anya's frantic swinging smacked Ferdie against the locker, as puppet impacted with a bang. It left a large gash in the back of its head. "Vous allez souffrir pour votre assaut sur moi!" Ferdie snarled out. He pointed out his wooden dagger, as Susie rushed up to him and grabbed him by the collar.


"Vous arrêterez à la fois!" Susie said as she was glaring at her unholy puppet. The head of the puppet turned to face her, "Ma soif de sang n'est pas encore satisfait mon cher." Susie stared annoyed. "You know I'm not going to let you go right, after what you just pulled?" She said, before looking down, noticing that she was still in her gym shorts.


Susie sighed as she walked back to her locker as she pushed the puppet to the very back of the locker, and held it in place. She used her free hand, to grab her pants. "... I was just having a little fun! What, you expect me to get my murdering on with a wooden knife? I can't murder someone effectively with that!" Susie ignored the unholy puppet, as she pulled them out, she released her hand and shut the locker door on the puppet.

 

[CSA]

Lily jumped at Anya's shriek, and quickly turned to see if her new servant was alright. Lily was relieved that it was just Susie's puppet, but the thing sent Anya tumbling into Maggie. As Susie grabbed and scolded her puppet, Lily ran over to see if Anya was alright. And Maggie too, she guessed.


"Hey, are you two alright? Need some help getting up?"


Lily extended a hand and looked at the two concerned. She would have to speak with Susie about her puppet's behavior later.


"Score! If this is the conversation topic, she'll have to talk to me instead of running away. If I play my cards right, I could have yet another room mate under my command."

 

[MechaGhoul]

"Why did you do that?" Susie inquired, as she finished changing out of her gym shorts, and back into her pants.


"It was funny." Ferdie replied, still in the back of the locker. "Wait, wait, I have a correction. It was incredibly funny, and it amused me." He chuckled a bit, while Susie stared at the puppet annoyed. She opened the locker and tossed her gyms shorts at Ferdie.


Susie gave a quick glance towards the area where Maggie, Anya and Lily were assembled, while trying to avoid any eye-contact. After she shot her glance over there, she focused her attention back on her own locker.