Fantasy Vehemen Academy - Academy of Hunters

[SilverBlack]

Cleo Donovan
[Location: Town square] ​

If anything, Cleo is possibly the only one who could get Elise to speak more and more vulgarly. Cleo listened with a grin at the girl’s bitter remark, a thought crossed her head that if Alder is still around, he’d be shocked to see this dear, beautiful girl who’s always maintained her good manners expressing bluntly such aggressive thought--if not faint at the knowledge that Elise actually failed to finish an assignment already.

That’s what ya get for being dead, Alder.

Despite the girl regaining her usual composure in slight embarrassment upon noticing Jun’s presence, what’s been said has been said. The lad didn’t seem to mind too much though. After all, Elise’s rage made sense. The typical bullies’ behaviors, even if it’s all cliche and expected, is the type that can force even the nicest person’s patience to reach zero, especially if their tolerance for this type of behavior ain’t high.

Cleo nodded mindlessly as Elise tugged on her sleeve, agreeing to go. They started walking, but the subject Elise was desperately to change didn’t end.

“Let’s bomb his d*ck off next time, put some shame into his last name,” the ash-haired girl said with a smirk, spitting out actual vulgar words with her arms crossed. Jun’s eyebrows twitched a bit, as if he wanted to say something in response, but failed cause his mouth was stuffed with crepe.

On that note, taking Elise’s words seriously, they do have something they need to work hard on. With the brief comments ending toward the whole lunch incident came the reminder that they are still students who have an assignment to complete. Even the third generation, still just a day new to the world and with their reputation already hitting rock bottom, is forced to do their best. Cleo’s thoughts on them have been a mix of anticipation and a bit of pity. It’s as if they’ve been thrown into a tornado ever since they were randomly plunged into this world--and somehow, haven’t found a way to escape from it yet.

Hopefully some peace could settle in soon.

The Vehemen Hunter Association is somewhat far from the academy itself. From the town square, though, the time it takes there approximates to around a 30 minutes walk. With a vehicle, the travel time shrinks to around ten minutes. Walk down a block or two, then there’d be some cabs for them to call on.

Now that their focus actually switched to finishing up an assignment, Cleo seemed a bit reluctant to go at first, as if there’s something else on her mind. Sooner or later, however, shrugged it off on her own. The fact that just moments ago she gained the information that a faciete member took her gun lingered inside of her with the possibility that he or she may still be around here. But considering a certain amount of time has passed, that member may as well be gone. The gun matter can wait, now’s not the only opportunity.

With that thought in mind, the trio walked down the block, filled with some chatter here and there.

Although not as bad as the hallways during lunchtime, the streets were still pretty crowded. Filled with businessmen and women returning from their own lunch break among the other types of people with their own reasons to be on the street, Praeces has always been a busy city.

“...Ahh, Eiichi, that man---”

The flow of people did not prevent them from having an ongoing conversation. Eventually, they began to talk about Professor Kikuchi. He and Mitra share some similarities: they both don’t smile. Though while one seems somewhat incapable of it, the other one just appears reluctant.

Cleo was unable to finish her sentence, though. Even from a distance away, she caught the sight of a familiar shape of an ivory white gun, hanging on the side of someone’s waist. Perhaps it’s the way the person was moving unusually fast in a rather dark attire with a hood over his head that caught her attention even though he’s across the street. The contrasting color of the gun against his clothes made him even more obvious. Cleo stopped in her track, watching the man turn a corner into an alleyway.

“...Sorry Elise, Jun, look like I ain’t planning to do this assignment after all,” her eyes still glued to the direction that the man had turned, the ash-haired girl threw in a sudden apology, the mischievous smile was gone from her face. What replaced it was a hidden glimmer of thrill in her eyes. “Ya see, I was told earlier my gun was sold to a Faciete member, and from the looks of it, he’s still in the city.”

By that time, they were already pretty much at their destination. A cab was only a couple meters away, ready to stop with just a wave of a hand.

“Imma go hunt my gun down. Ya wanna follow? It’s up to ya guys.”

Giving them the options, Cleo would not wait long for their decision, unwilling to let the man go far with her gun.

---
Interacted: Nano

 

[xXx.lovely.xXx]

Ravyn noted Usami's presence beside her and shot the girl a quick, almost questioning glance. Had she not heard what she had said earlier? Well, she was glad for the company. Feeling a tap at her leg, Ravyn smiled slightly and sat down to stretch beside her.
"So, how are you holding up? Crazy first day, amiright?"
She spread out into a nearly straight line straddle and did a quick and seemingly effortless stretch. She shifted to right, middle, and left split by merely rotating her hips. Cheerleading. Probably not the most helpful skillset in this situation, but hey at least she was flexible. She watched as Frederika walked over, distributed the earpieces to herself and Kiyoshi, then disappeared into the assessment room.
"Well, I guess we better get going. Just get this over with."
She stood and offered a hand to Usami, then remembering her quiet dismissal of help at lunch, put it down. Once Usami was on her feet, Ravyn would almost strut into the assessment room. She liked the way the uniform hugged her curves, and felt pretty good on the surface. Inside was a raging turmoil of anxiety, panic, and residual rage and embarrassment from her outburst in science, but we don't talk about that. She entered the room and a chill went down her spine. Scary forest and creepy mansion. Poex and gem thingy in both. Without thinking, Ravyn blurted out,
"There ain't no way in hell I'm going into that creepy forest."
Well then. That was out there now. She scanned the weapons. Was she expected to know how to use these? Her gaze landed on the supplies. This is where she could come in handy. Holding things. She reached for the backpack. Frederika had an ax and Hanna had a katana. Well, she definitely felt useful now...
"... I can carry things..."
Ravyn was pretty ok with darts and had experimented with her powers to make them hit the bullseye every time, but this was nothing compared to throwing knives at a monster. Her fingers grazed over the throwing knives curiously. No. Ravyn recoiled her hand. She wasn't the knife throwing type. She wasn't the weapon type. Her prefered weapon was the non-lethal pepper spray. This wasn't her forte. Carry things. Be helpful on the offense. That's where she felt more comfortable, though she had a sneaking suspicion that this assessment wasn't supposed to keep you in your comfort zone...

nios @.everyone​

 

[OldTurtle]

It was Frederika who entered the simulation first, not unexpected given how she appeared to be the boldest of their party. Taking that as the signal to begin, Adrian filed in through the doors among the others. Stepping into what was most certainly not an enclosed, indoor space, Adrian blinked as his eyes attempted to adjust to the drastic difference between the well-lit room he had left and the relative darkness that lay beyond. Luckily, the pale moon hanging high in the otherwise unlit night sky provided enough light that Adrian wasn't blinded and he regained sight quickly enough.

An old, immense mansion several stories high towered above the Otherworlders, looking almost entirely neglected if not for the lit windows. Despite that, the structure was still beautiful. But it was also unnerving. The ancient building loomed like some imposing monolith or a great beast eager to devour them. Shivering slightly in the cool night air, Adrian turned around. A vast forest greeted his gaze, the dark, sinister woodland stretching as far as the eye could see. Adrian knew that there had to be an end to it; this was a simulation, after all.

It was getting harder and harder to keep reminding himself of that. Every single one of Adrian's senses told him that he was not in some sort of false environment. The sharp bite of the breeze, the subtle rustling of the forest, that telltale scent of the outdoors, everything. As far as he knew, they'd been inexplicably transported to a real place with real buildings and real trees and, presumably, real Poex. Luckily, Adrian wasn't so caffeine-starved that he couldn't recognize fact from fiction. The presence of a moon in the starless sky was convincing enough. While he didn't know how Lumen's celestial bodies acted, he doubted that it could switch from day to night instantaneously.

Realizing that he'd run himself in a circle for no real reason, Adrian turned away from the foreboding scenery and faced the others. They'd begun to gather around a large sheet placed on the ground with various items lined up upon its surface. He approached quickly, having already wasted a fair amount of time standing around. The assorted weapons and supplies appeared to be their equipment for the assessment. A few of the others had already armed themselves, with Frederika wielding a massive axe, Hanna choosing a long katana, Maxwell using a notebook of all things to materialize a blade. Oddly enough, Ravyn chose not to take any weapons, instead retrieving the backpack.

"... I can carry things," she justified.

Regardless, it wasn't his problem. Bending down and taking quick stock of the items laying on the tarp, Adrian immediately ruled out anything with an edge. Without any knowledge on how to wield the various bladed weapons, he was more likely to lose an extremity than to hit an opponent. He paused at the pair of handguns before moving on. Once again, a bad choice. Sighing in disappointment, he moved away form the weapons. Perhaps that was for the best; it was pointless to try to use things so deadly with no experience. However, his bad mood was quickly turned on its head as he spotted a pair of old gauntlets with the tools. They were far from an effective weapon, but then again, since when did Adrian need one? This was much more his style.

He reached over and picked up the dull, metal armored gloves. They were lighter than he'd expected for something made of metal plates. Adrian slipped them on over his uniform gloves, reveling in how nicely they fit his hands. The metal surface extended beyond his wrists for a fair distance but hindered motion little, leaving his fingers and hands with a more than adequate range of motion. Perfect. He rose from his crouch and turned to face Frederika and Kiyoshi, who appeared to have been designated as the group's leaders by default.

"I'd much rather head to the mansion as well," the scantily-equipped boy grumbled, giving the forest an uncomfortable glare. "Not exactly a fan of the looks of those woods."

 

[nios]

code by @fudgecakez

third gen

usami

location: vehemen academy, simulation interactions: xXx.lovely.xXx

"So, how are you holding up? Crazy first day, amiright?"

Usami shrugged her shoulders as she watched the others transition from stretching and filing one by one into the simulation. "Crazy week," she corrected, plucking strands of wood sticking out of her walking stick. Claudorick did a poor job of sanding the splinters off...

Usami stood up on her own once Ravyn pushed herself off of the ground. She allowed Ravyn to walk on without her, taking a moment to collect herself. She stared at the dark, wooden doors and snatched a glimpse of what looked like darken skies and shaded foliage. Curiosity did spark her but there was still hesitation nonetheless. Would it be appropriate to join them in her state? She would have to do things that were past her comfort zone, and anyone who knew Usami knew she preferred not to partake in extraneous activities. It would also save her the embarrassment of being called out as completely helpless... Unless the others decide to use her as bait-

"I'm not doing it," she decided but found herself already in the simulation. She hadn't realized she walked in.

Usami looked down at her own body. Her body was against her- suicidal no doubt for making her enter this death trap! Usami made a move to back away but was halted due to a bush poking her naked legs. She twisted, finding the vast entrance of the gloomy forest. The mysterious abyss leaked of an ominous aura; it forced Usami to shiver displeasingly and she hobbled quickly to join the others- not at all missing the towering mansion on the other side. It reminded her of a horror game she used to watch Rowan play. This was turning out to be a horrible idea.

Usami returned her attention to the group surrounding a tarp with weathered weapons. The others had already chosen their own- an ax, a katana, gauntlets, and a notebook. The remaining laid ready for someone to grab. Usami had never held a weapon unless you considered the bat she used to protect the convenience store or the marshmallow gun that was given to her as a Christmas gift. On the same note, she thought holding a weapon would be a hindrance if she were to hold her walking stick.

She noted how Ravyn became interested in the throwing knives. "That would be a plausible choice-" she thought but rose an eyebrow as Ravyn pulled away from them.

Without another thought, Usami just began to grab the weapons- the throwing knives and a gun with ammo- and stuffed them in Ravyn's backpack. The news clip from the Poex attack was still fresh in her memory, like pulling a file out of a filing cabinet. She had a hunch these tools could be useful in the future. Besides, Usami preferred to stay alive- simulation or not. The water bottle, matches, crackers, and the bag of coffee beans were also added to the backpack.

"I'd much rather head to the mansion as well," Adrain spoke after Ravyn. "Not exactly a fan of the looks of those woods."

Usami nodded her head in agreement with Adrian and Ravyn. Those woods gave off a bad vibe and despite all of the horror games she was forced to watch Rowan play, she would much rather go to the mansion. She looked between the supposed leaders of the group: Frederika and Kiyoshi, and she waited for their input.

 

[vxnilla]

hashimoto kiyoshi

scroll! ​

When Kiyoshi managed to catch the earpiece that Frederika tossed at him, even doing it semi-smoothly despite the surprised blink that passed over his features initially, he silently thanked whichever benevolent deity was looking down on him that allowed him to respond adequately. Frederika's reasoning was sound: no doubt people would be reluctant to step up to the position, but still, he felt deeply honored that she had chosen him. He didn't know if he deserved it, and he would acquiesce easily if someone wanted to claim a leadership role for themselves, but if his peers allowed him to keep it he wanted to do the role justice.

In any case, dropping the earpiece would not have done him any favors, so he was glad that was avoided.

He could already feel some anxiety begin to flutter unpleasantly in his stomach. With the last Poex they faced, he had no time to be nervous—he'd simply jumped straight into adrenaline. This suspense was almost—almost! (he would never begrudge extra preparation)—worse. With one last survey of the room around him, impersonal but almost certainly safer than whatever he'd come to face with, he stepped into the simulation.

His surroundings melted away, and when he opened his eyes next, he found himself in the front of an ornate and intimidating mansion. While Kiyoshi wasn't a frequenter of movie theaters, he rather thought the structure wouldn't look out of place in some horror movie about supernatural menaces. The forest, equally dark and ominous, wasn't any better. Overall, he had to commend the instructors for their ability to craft an atmosphere that was very effectively making his skin crawl.

As had become his habit, Kiyoshi began to catalogue the actions of the people around him. Frederika chose an axe that seemed to weigh more than his body, and he'd expect no less from their most formidable combatant. Maxwell opted to forge his own weapon in what Kiyoshi considered an impressive display, and though he wouldn't voice it, he rather thought that Maxwell's ability (and the way it centered around the paper pen) suited his dignified appearance well.

Hanna chose the katana, and Kiyoshi watched her do so, just a little on this side of mournful. Ravyn opted for a backpack, and likewise going for the more lightly armed route, Adrian chose a pair of gauntlets. He turned to Kiyoshi and Frederika to explain, "I'd much rather head to the mansion as well. Not exactly a fan of the looks of those woods."

"I understand," Kiyoshi said. His gaze flickered briefly down to his hands as he counted off from his fingers, trying to remember who wanted to be where. Nora preferred to be in the mansion, as did Ravyn, Adrian, and Usami. Hanna was the only one who wanted to be in the forest. Unless he was missing someone, no one else had voiced a preference.

"Alright," he hummed thoughtfully. As he spoke, he bent to pick up the longsword, hoping that he'd given enough time that he wouldn't be stepping on any toes and taking a weapon someone wanted. "By my count, and please correct me if I'm mistaken, we currently have four people going into the mansion, and one into the forest. Maxwell, Frederika, and I are unassigned." He paused, considering. There were two ways to go from here (or more, he supposed, if he were willing to strongarm someone into a group they didn't want to be in, but he knew right away that he did not have the constitution for that).

"If the consensus is that we should strive for an even division of numbers, I will relinquish my earpiece to Nora, Adrian, Ravyn, or Usami. Otherwise, I suppose Maxwell and either I or Frederika will go into the forest, and the other will go into the mansion. Of course, only if the forest team is alright with having only three people, compared to the mansion's five."

 

[PixelSymphony]

~Frederika von Eisenhart~
-- Kingmaker --

Status: Lightly wounded (facial knife wound)
Wearing: Vehemen Academy School Uniform, female (missing gloves)
Location: Vehemen Academy, Basement, Virtual Training Room

---

"So, where are you heading, I'm going to the forest, so I can use my power more freely," Hanna said, a bit of a smirk on her face.

Frederika thought for a second. "Well... I believe it is safest to say similar, for much a same reason," she eventually responded, glancing towards the gigantic blade she held aloft. "I suspect the interior walls of a decaying mansion would not take kindly to the effects this weapon would have upon an errant strike." The axe came down heavily upon her shoulder as she rested its haft against herself, silently observing the remainder of her cohort pick through the offered implements. Behind her, she heard Maxwell making his incantations, and as she turned to bear witness, saw him withdraw a sword seemingly straight from the page of his notebook. Even given her earlier misgivings about his work ethic, she did have to admit being impressed; this particular skill of his he had just manifested could come in quite handy in the task ahead of them.

At the same time, it seemed the others were continuing to voice their preferences in destination. Four for the mansion... very well then, I suppose that is to be that. There were still a few things left on the sheet, which was no good; she intended not to leave a single thing behind given the complete mystery of the missions ahead of them. She reached down to pick up the smaller axe and one of the daggers, and trod over to where Rayvn and Usami stood, the latter still getting the few last pieces of inventory into the former's backpack. "Carrying equipment is a good idea — but it's unwise to not have something at hand if the situation turns grim." She held out the two items towards them, the axe towards Ravyn and the dagger towards Usami. "Here. Take these and have them at your ready. Even if you never use them as a weapon, there are a myriad of other uses that you will wish you had brought them for otherwise. And if you DO need them as a weapon... that statement will apply twice-over."

Next she scooped up the gun and its associated ammunition and brought them over to Maxwell. "Here. In the off-chance you forget whatever magic words it is that are required to activate your notebook, very few words are required to active this."

This left the final dagger, the lamp, the winter gloves... and the cloth that had been holding everything. The lamp she set aside for the moment; she would be carrying that yes, but the other items needed to be dealt with first. First, she took the set of winter gloves and sandwiched the blade of the dagger between them. Then she began to wrap the cloth fabric around and around and around until it had formed enough of a structural shell to where she wasn't worried about the assembly coming apart at the slightest jostle. Finally, she took the loose ends of the ad-hoc sheath and strapped it to her left leg; tight enough to keep from moving but without cutting off all circulation to her leg, and voila, with that she now had the luxury of a weapon selection. She intended to practice what she preached... and then some.

One final thing remained though, as Kiyoshi began to allude to. "If the consensus is that we should strive for an even division of numbers, I will relinquish my earpiece to Nora, Adrian, Ravyn, or Usami. Otherwise, I suppose Maxwell and either I or Frederika will go into the forest, and the other will go into the mansion. Of course, only if the forest team is alright with having only three people, compared to the mansion's five."

Frederika held up her hand to Kiyoshi's suggestion. "It would be unwise to send an underpowered forest team. The Poex encountered within the mansion will by definition have a limitation to their size. Those that reside in the forest, they have no such limit. Instead, I propose an alternative." She fished the earpiece out of her jacket pocket where it had been kept since the beginning of the excercise, and turned to face the girl she'd just handed an axe to. "Rayvn! You have been brought low by being unable to control your fate as an Otherworlder! It is time for you to forge your own destiny and become who you want to be!" With that, she tossed the earpiece to the red-headed girl, appointing her de facto leader of the mansion team. "Farewell on your mission, and Verlieren Sie nicht den Mut!"

With that, she hefted the lamp to her side and nodded to Kiyoshi. "My blade is yours to command, Kiyoshi."

 

[xXx.lovely.xXx]

Ravyn glanced around. She, Adrian, Usami, and Nora were going into the mansion? Wait... If Kiyoshi and Frederika were supposed to be the leaders... who was going to lead them? Her thoughts were cut off by Usami placing the throwing knives and the gun into the backpack she held.

"Wait is that for you or....?"

She didn't mean to sound selfish or rude in her statement- purely curious to be frank. She had noted Usami's glance when she contemplated picking up the throwing knives.

"Carrying equipment is a good idea — but it's unwise to not have something at hand if the situation turns grim."

Ravyn was slightly startled when Frederika spoke, and even more so when she handed an axe to her.

"Here. Take these and have them at your ready. Even if you never use them as a weapon, there are a myriad of other uses that you will wish you had brought them for otherwise. And if you DO need them as a weapon... that statement will apply twice-over."

"Wise words but…," she wheezed. "The fact that you think I can wield an ax of all things? I'm sorry, but you are so much more equipped to be using it than I am. I'd honestly be more comfortable with the throwing knives if Usami hasn't already claimed them."

Then came the discussion of teams between the supposed leaders.

"If the consensus is that we should strive for an even division of numbers, I will relinquish my earpiece to Nora, Adrian, Ravyn, or Usami. Otherwise, I suppose Maxwell and either I or Frederika will go into the forest, and the other will go into the mansion. Of course, only if the forest team is alright with having only three people, compared to the mansion's five."

"It would be unwise to send an underpowered forest team. The Poex encountered within the mansion will by definition have a limitation to their size. Those that reside in the forest, they have no such limit. Instead, I propose an alternative."

As Frederika turned to her, Ravyn became increasingly confused. Was she really...? No... She couldn't be...

"Ravyn!"

The redhead blanched. "Wha-- you can't be serious....can you?"

Frederika didn't seem like the joking type, especially in a time like this. Ravyn fumbled with the earpiece, still almost in shock.

"Farewell on your mission, and Verlieren Sie nicht den Mut!"

She was confused on so many levels. How could Frederika be so sure of her? She literally shown no leadership qualities so far in the time they had been together. None. Zilch. Nada. How could the German girl, who gave off the impression of thinking through her decisions, appoint her as leader and believe things won't crash and burn?

She was also relinquishing her own leadership position. She was, like, the most qualified out of any of them! She couldn't let everyone on the mansion team— now her team— fail because of her. Ravyn had to step up. This was a new school. Her parents weren't here. She didn't have to disprove anything to anyone. She didn't have to play dumb to make them lose all hope in her success, to give up on molding her into a star student… but now, she was expected to step up. She could not let other people down- let others fail because of her.

The redhead squared her shoulders, replacing the normal look of empty flirtation in her eyes with one of cool, collected seriousness. She turned to Adrian, Nora, and Usami. Nora could essentially vaporize herself. That would be good for slipping past the Poex and finding the gem, but there was also that black orb thing she did at lunch. That could be very helpful when on a defensive position... No, the target was the gem thingy. Plus, there were three other people to hold off the Poex.

Adrian had an ability similar to her own. If they worked together, they could lift or push the Poex aside depending on the size. It was a possibility. She had never used her powers for more than moving small objects or helping her in darts, and that was it. She could power projectiles and make her aim better than terrible. She wasn't sure what Usami could do though... Well, she'll find out soon enough. They could work together to formulate a plan once they understand their surroundings. She blew out a long breath.

"Um, OK so... I have the beginnings of a plan...? It would be better to finalize once we know what's inside that mansion and uh… If I knew the extent of what you all can do— I know I'm not the most qualified for this, and I'm sure you all don't have the highest opinions of me but believe me. I'm not as stupid as I seem. If you deem me totally unfit for this, please say so. I'd be happy to give up the position, but for now, please have faith in me just this once."

nios PixelSymphony OldTurtle LoliCowboy @.everyone​

 

[SilverBlack]

Scenery Loading...Complete!​

After they were both physically and mentally prepared to begin the search for the two gems, they would have the option to enter the mansion or the forest. Upon entering the forest, they would realize that although it is still fairly dark, it would not be hard to see as they might’ve assumed in the beginning. Moonglow made its way through the naked tree branches to provide some lighting, and luminant, blue mushrooms that emit a rather bright unique glow could be seen growing on the bottom of the trees that are covered in leaves. Nonetheless, some paths were still darker than usual without any source of light, allowing only eeriness to loom.

Aside from a couple of large and small open spots clear of any trees in the forest, it lacked a clear path for the group to follow. Due to this, it might be easy to get lost within the trees. The ground was moist. Though dry for the most part, there’s still a couple of mud puddles here and there. Random branches stretch out from everywhere, making it somewhat easy to trip if not careful enough. There’s small bushes everywhere, some flowers, even, but aside from bugs there’s only a very weak presence of any types of organisms living in this forest. So far, no hints of where the gem might be located in this maze of a forest can be found yet.

Upon staying silent enough, one may begin to hear some low growls coming from just some distance away. If they were to squint their eyes in the direction of the noise, they might as well be able to see the giant silhouette of something moving between the trees, taking its time to stroll. It’s not yet sure if it’s the only one. It seems unaware of what’s going on yet, but is it...Starting to walk in their direction?

--

On the other hand, upon entry to the mansion into the main lobby, they would be greeted by an interior that was eloquently designed. It was spacious and comfortable, but mainly empty. Blue carpets covered the original marble floor, some drapings hanging down from the ceilings near the wall, making it a bit hard to see the huge, glass windows behind them on both sides of the mansion. They would see that facing them were two giant staircases that would lead up to an open second floor hallway, its railing in the same material and color as the stairway railings, only firmer and taller. One would be able to glance down at this lobby from the hallway.

If they looked up, they would see that their source of lighting comes from the two giant chandeliers that were hanging innocently above them. From the lobby, aside from going upstairs, there would be three sets of smaller double doors. Facing them directly ahead on the far end between the staircases would be one, the sign “Dining Room” labeled on top in golden letters. On their left would be another one with a sign “Library” and on the right would be a sign saying “Living Room.” There would be a lot more rooms in the mansion as they go upstairs, but whether or not they’re important for this assessment or for finding the gem will be up to them to figure out.

From within the dark shadows under the staircase, a small, white creature would make its way out into the lobby, curious round eyes glancing about. The creature was around the size of a medium dog, with two orange horns on the side of its head. It walked on four legs with its cute little paws, its mouth naturally shaped to have the end tilting upward as if it’s always smiling. It has an adorable, innocent-looking face to match with its furry, small body, which has a layer of unusual coat laying over it lined with strong blue edges and small black patterns.

Rather than looking toward the foreigners who’d just entered the mansion, the creature seemed to be captivated in something else instead. A soft squeaking sound would soon be heard, and the sight of a gross, furry black rat would sneak its way out broadly from a corner into the light. The rat was unusually huge, though still much smaller than the creature. As if it had lived on for too many years without being disturbed by anybody, it was about to make its way past the creature without feeling any threat.

In a swift, quick movement, hidden sharp claws stuck out from the creature’s round tiny paws and swung toward the rat, which jumped in surprise. By the time it realized the creature was in fact a predator, it was too late. The rate was still struggling vigorously after the creature had it pressed against the floor under its palms. However, the creature treated it rather gently. Instead of ripping out its meat, it bent down to give the rat the softest bite. It was small enough that barely any blood was leaked.

However, the rat fell over unconscious immediately.

As if satisfied by the result, the creature did not choose to eat immediately. Instead, it gave an adorable howl. From various directions, similar howls in response could be heard, as if answering the creature’s call. So far, the creature seemed dense enough to not yet realize the foreigners standing there, only wiggling its tiny tail innocently to itself.

 

[OldTurtle]

"I understand," Kiyoshi replied, falling silent for a moment as he counted off his fingers. As he then reached down and retrieved the longsword, the young swordsman continued speaking. "Alright, by my count, and please correct me if I'm mistaken, we currently have four people going into the mansion, and one into the forest. Maxwell, Frederika, and I are unassigned." He paused for a brief moment and then resumed. "If the consensus is that we should strive for an even division of numbers, I will relinquish my earpiece to Nora, Adrian, Ravyn, or Usami. Otherwise, I suppose Maxwell and either I or Frederika will go into the forest, and the other will go into the mansion. Of course, only if the forest team is alright with having only three people, compared to the mansion's five."

Adrian grew mildly concerned. Neither option was ideal, really. They had no idea what the obstacles each team would face would be beyond the vague promise of Poex, so splitting up into uneven numbers endangered the team with only three people. That was worse when considering that it would be the forest team with three. Adrian cast a glance at the dark, dense forest again. With how much land they had to cover, they seemed more in need of manpower than the team going into the mansion. But, well, he certainly wasn't going to volunteer to go there and Adrian didn't feel like trying to convince anyone else to join the forest team would be very effective.

"It would be unwise to send an underpowered forest team," Frederika rebutted. "The Poex encountered within the mansion will by definition have a limitation to their size. Those that reside in the forest, they have no such limit. Instead, I propose an alternative." Frederika retrieved her earpiece from her pocket. "Rayvn! You have been brought low by being unable to control your fate as an Otherworlder! It is time for you to forge your own destiny and become who you want to be!"

"Wha-- you can't be serious....can you?" Ravyn cried out, barely managing to catch the small piece of technology the other girl tossed at her.

"Farewell on your mission, and Verlieren Sie nicht den Mut!"

Well, how... surprising. Adrian couldn't find another way to express his thoughts. Really. Ravyn was far from the first person he expected Frederika to approach, especially with her earlier violent outburst. He hadn't thought they got along at all. Blinking eyes widened in astonishment, Adrian examined the short redhead. Was she capable of this? Though none of them really knew what 'this' even was, he supposed. What was a leader even meant to do, beyond the whole vague 'lead' thing? Honestly, they'd all been making a bunch of assumptions about their assessment with little to back up any of their decisions. Hopefully, they'd made the right ones.

Adrian shrugged and shifted his weight, growing restless with anticipation. No point worrying about it now; they weren't going to magically gain more insight into their situation. Now Ravyn turned towards him, Usami, and Nora, looking more serious than he'd ever seen her over the past day, which, admittedly, wasn't long. She stood a little straighter, he admired, and with a new steel in her spine that he liked the look of. After several moments of silence, she released a heavy breath and began to speak.

"Um, okay so... I have the beginnings of a plan...? It would be better to finalize once we know what's inside that mansion and uh… If I knew the extent of what you all can do— I know I'm not the most qualified for this, and I'm sure you all don't have the highest opinions of me but believe me. I'm not as stupid as I seem. If you deem me totally unfit for this, please say so. I'd be happy to give up the position, but for now, please have faith in me just this once."

Adrian glanced sideways at the the other two girls. Well, as long as no one had a problem with this, neither did he.

"Alright then," he began, clapping his armoured hands together lightly. "What I've got is pretty basic. I can mess with gravity a little. Intensify it, reduce it, redirect it. Simple stuff. The main thing is that I need some space to really have any effect. What can you guys do?" He asked, falling silent as his eyes flicked from face to face. Beyond Nora, he had no clue what anyone's abilities were and he couldn't deny that he'd grown curious.

LoliCowboy xXx.lovely.xXx nios

 

[Nessi]

Hanna laughed when Fred said that the forest team shouldn't be under powered. "I haven't perfected my own power, not by a long shot. But I think I'm getting the hang of it. so I think 3 will be alright, However, I would Prefer to have Fred on my team" Hanna said. She saw what Fred could do without a proper weapon, and now she's properly armed. Hanna couldn't help but smile when she heard Ravyn talk to her team. She gave her a hard smack on the back, "may the wind be at your back...That's the saying right?" Hanna said. She didn't have to many doubts about Ravyn failing, she seemed composed, and ready to lead.

"Alright, I'm heading into the forest, don't leave me waiting for too long" Hanna said before walking into the forest. She was met with darkness, barely able to see anything. "good thing I can make some light" Hanna muttered to herself before setting her hand ablaze. She focused, shaping the flames into a ball. She tried to make it as bright as possible, and her little fire ball was able to illuminate most of the things around her.

Hanna decided to sit down, and wait for the rest of the group to come into the forest. She could easily get separated if she wasn't careful, and this Poex was most likely one that liked to stay in the shadows. She listened closely, and could hear something growl in the darkness. She also heard footsteps, rather, stomping, in the distance. whatever they were suppose to fight was big, but what scared her more was the fact that she had to really focus to hear the beast. It meant that this thing was either far away, or a fucking ninja.

"Alright guys, hurry up, this things gonna kill me...no, don't think like that. Your going to be fine, just focus on your surroundings...so you don't die" Hanna muttered to herself.

 

[Nano]

Elise Friedhelm.

The moment Cleo mentioned a certain someone’s man parts, Elise jumped, eyes wide and frozen like a deer in headlights. She quickly swiveled her head left then right, and let out a sigh once she confirmed that none of the pedestrians nearby had turned their gazes Cleo’s way. While she didn’t think it would be a fate too terrible to befall the blonde man, such thoughts were best kept to oneself. At the very least, her word choice could have afforded to be more discreet.

Choosing to neither agree nor disagree in the end, Elise anxiously picked up her pace without another word. Fortunately, the rest of their transit to the VHA was littered with more modest topics: whether or not to come back to visit for an interesting cafe promotion they had passed by; how the third generation might be holding up in the simulation; and the perpetually stony expressions of two of their professors. When Cleo paused, however, Elise was in the process of moving aside to avoid an incoming pedestrian and nearly bumped into her friend in the process.

Though slightly dazed, alarm bells rang in Elise’s mind at the words “ain’t doing” and “assignment.” Creasing her brows indignantly, she opened her mouth to remind Cleo that the punishment would be worse for not completing a makeup assignment, but her words cut short when the white-haired girl explained the situation.

Faciete.

Elise bit her lip. However, when she turned her gaze towards the approximate direction that had caught Cleo’s attention, the man that her friend had mentioned was all but visible. Most likely, he had already disappeared into the crowd. It was a wonder how Cleo had even managed to catch sight of the thief.

“I’ll go.” Elise replied firmly. Her trust in Cleo aside, the significance of Ignis wasn’t lost on her. It was a gift as important as her hairpin—a memento. In fact, she was disappointed in herself that she hadn’t found out that it had gone missing sooner. There was also the question as to why the gun had been stolen in the first place. After all, the Faciete were well-hidden due to their tendency to not take large risks without consideration for some greater plan. For all they knew, the stolen gun could be bait.

“We might really get in trouble this time…” Elise said in a quieter voice. If she were being honest, she wasn’t sure what sort of reaction Professor Kikuchi would have regarding their actions. Furthermore, there was a chance that Rolvel wouldn’t keep quiet this time, depending on how the events played out. She wasn't always the sharpest, but even she could tell that the administration was keen on covering up everything concerning the otherworlders and Faciete.

When the traffic light changed from green to red and brought all vehicles on the street to a stop, Elise shook her head to stave off her indecisive nature. Dropping all further hesitation, she began to walk towards the road crossing.

“No, this might be a good opportunity. Let’s hurry.”

SilverBlack​

 

[vxnilla]

hashimoto kiyoshi

scroll! ​

On the list of things Kiyoshi was expecting Frederika to do, giving up her earpiece was not one of them—though it wasn't out of any perception of her personality, but rather his own perception of her as someone who, in any timeline and universe, would of course become leader—and giving that earpiece to Ravyn less so. Still, he couldn't argue with her decision. The both of them could likely tell that there was much more to Ravyn than she was willing to show, an assessment that was only supported by the way Ravyn turned to her group and immediately began asking for powers.

He also thought it was wise of Frederika to make an overture and bridge over whatever schism might have existed between the two after their spat. It might be smart of him to do the same, later on. The Otherworlders were, for all intents and purposes, a single unit, and if there was discord within that single unit it wouldn't bode well for them.

"My blade is yours to command, Kiyoshi."

Kiyoshi bit the inside of his cheek, hesitating. It was clear to him that Frederika was the obvious, and better, choice for a leader, even more so now that she showed the maturity to hand her earpiece to Ravyn—but she would also be one of the heavy hitters of the forest group, and communication was difficult when you were right in the thick of things. So, against his better judgment, he bent neatly at the waist in a respectful bow.

"I will do my best," he promised.

After straightening, he turned to regard the group. Before he could say anything else, he saw Hanna stride fearlessly into the forest, with only a "Don't leave me waiting too long" left behind her. In a great show of self-control and restraint, Kiyoshi resisted the urge to drop his face into his hands. The last thing he would have suggested was for them to split up, but he supposed everyone had their own minds.

What he wanted to say could wait until they were all a group again. But disciplined or not, Kiyoshi couldn't quite hide his frown, as slight as it was, that accompanied his, "We should follow after her. The forest looks too menacing to be in there on your own."

There were only two others besides himself to keep track of at the moment, which was uncomplicated enough. He didn't want to leave anyone behind. It was, whether fortunately or unfortunately, not difficult to locate Hanna, seeing as she hadn't gone very far and had broadcasted her location with a bright fireball. "I think, going forward, it would be wise to avoid splitting up, or being split up, at all costs," Kiyoshi said mildly when they'd found her, only gently reprimanding. "Four is a small enough number as it is."

Now, back to group composition, which he would have preferred to do out of the forest, but alas. The darkness was already making his skin prickle, and he swore he could hear footsteps in the distance. But they had to make the best of it, so according to his vein of thought, he and Maxwell were certainly no slouches, but Frederika and Hanna were better in terms of raw power. As such... "Frederika, would you mind being at the front of the group? And Hanna, you at the back? I believe it would be prudent to"—what was the word, again? ah—"sandwich our group with our heaviest hitters." Like bookends, providing support with which to prop up the middle.

"And, Hanna, could you extinguish your flames? With the moon and the fungi, there is enough light for us to see, and I worry about giving away our position if we were to keep your fire on." If worse came to worst and they simply could not see in the forest, Hanna could illuminate their path forward. He would simply prefer to leave that as a last resort.

He cast a cautious look into the tangled mass of trees and darkness that lay all around them. Now was as a good a time as ever, he supposed. "Shall we continue, then? Unless someone has any cautions or suggestions they would wish to share?"

xXx.lovely.xXx PixelSymphony Nessi​

 

[PixelSymphony]

~Frederika von Eisenhart~
-- Kingmaker --

Status: Lightly wounded (facial knife wound)
Wearing: Vehemen Academy Gym Uniform, female
Wielding: Worn greataxe, lantern
Carrying: Dagger, winter gloves, tarp
Location: Vehemen Academy, Basement, Virtual Training Room

---

While Kiyoshi had required all of his self-control to refrain from a display of frustration, it had taken all of Frederika's to avoid chortling at Hanna's demonstration of equal parts courage and sheer impatience. Instead, a small lifting of the corners of her lips was all that had time to form before Kiyoshi was indeed stepping up and issueing orders: "We should follow after her. The forest looks too menacing to be in there on your own."

Fredi nodded, shouldering her weapon. "Agreed." She set forward, sticking mostly to the path Hanna had just trod, making sure to keep the remaining members of the team in sight. They would have trials enough when they inevitably encountered their opponents; best to err on the side of caution for now to avoid getting lost in the rapidly thickening woods. Thankfully, not far in they were able to catch up with the fiery girl, hunkered down and talking to herself as she was.

"Alright guys, hurry up, this things gonna kill me...no, don't think like that. Your going to be fine, just focus on your surroundings...so you don't die" Hanna muttered to herself.

Frederika moved nearby another tree, keeping low as she peering out into the ethereally lit woods. She set down the lantern with a metallic clunk, hoping to draw Hanna's attention before she spoke. "Do not lose faith, Hanna, we are with you. I do not intend to allow us to be beaten that easily." As she paused to listen, her concentration intensifying from her sigil, she began to get a sense of just how large this creature in the forest might be from the sounds of its footfalls, and raised an eyebrow. "Though I am beginning to believe we will be given a good fight." Kiyoshi and Maxwell quickly fell in to positions as well, and just like that the fledgling team had succesfully regrouped.

"I think, going forward, it would be wise to avoid splitting up, or being split up, at all costs," Kiyoshi said mildly. "Four is a small enough number as it is. Frederika, would you mind being at the front of the group? And Hanna, you at the back? I believe it would be prudent to"—what was the word, again? ah— "sandwich our group with our heaviest hitters. And, Hanna, could you extinguish your flames? With the moon and the fungi, there is enough light for us to see, and I worry about giving away our position if we were to keep your fire on."

The taller girl looked over to their leader and gave another nod, an assertive "jawohl" affirming her orders, before turning back to her roommate. "Be vigilant, Hanna. I fully expect our enemy to strike from any angle."

"Shall we continue, then? Unless someone has any cautions or suggestions they would wish to share?"

"Nein," came back Frederika's response, as assertive as the previous. "Unless one of you possesses an ability to find gems. In which case I would suggest activating that promptly. Barring that, let us advance." She rose back to her feet from her crouch, checked everyone's relative position, and upon Kiyoshi's signal, began to move deeper into the woods.

---

Interaction: vxnilla , Nessi

 

[nios]

code by @fudgecakez

third gen

usami

location: vehemen academy, simulation interactions: PixelSymphony , xXx.lovely.xXx
"Here. Take these and have them at your ready. Even if you never use them as a weapon, there are a myriad of other uses that you will wish you had brought them for otherwise. And if you DO need them as a weapon... that statement will apply twice-over."

As Frederika went about, Usami held the dagger in her hand. A foreign feeling brewed in the pit of her stomach. The only time she needed to hold a blade was in the kitchen... Let us hope that Usami wields it for uses other than piercing flesh- Poex or human.

"I'd honestly be more comfortable with the throwing knives if Usami hasn't already claimed them," said Ravyn beside her.

Usami glanced at Ravyn out from the corner of her eyes when her name was mentioned. She would have responded, "They are for the team, not just me." but she chose to stay silent, not wanting to waste her breath. The items within the backpack will surely come in handy when the time comes, and when that time comes, the trio will be ready... hopefully.

The uneven ratio of teams was one of Usami's worries, but the lack of a team leader was also questionable. The moment Frederika faced Ravyn, Usami already knew who would assume the role of Team Mansion's leader. The surprise was apparent from this short interaction; the look of astonishment from Adrian's face was just another confirmation. Ravyn did seem the least likely to fulfill a leadership position due to the ditzy persona she showcases, but there was something about the way Ravyn turned to face Usami and Adrian that sparked a sense of intrigue. It was as if the girl standing before them had appeared out of nowhere- POOF! However, this is probably not the case. Usami had spent most of her time with Ravyn, studying her out of mere curiosity and sticking around her due to familiarity of her old childhood friend. Could it be that Usami had mistaken and was too quick to judge? Usami peered at the newfound meaning that supported Ravyn's formidable stance, radiating around her like a beacon. It's possible that this Ravyn didn't appear out of anywhere. This Ravyn might have always been there- waiting for her time to shine...

Usami leaned more of her weight against her walking stick. If one paid close attention, they would be able to spot the corner of Usami's lips lift slightly before it vanished behind the curtain of her midnight hair. She shrugged, not in any protest to the idea of Ravyn leading. "As long as it's not me," she thought.

"...What I've got is pretty basic. I can mess with gravity a little. Intensify it, reduce it, redirect it. Simple stuff. The main thing is that I need some space to really have any effect. What can you guys do?"

Adrian's explanation of his abilities made more sense than her own observation. She just slapped 'telekinesis' next to 'do not mess with' when she witnessed Adrian's power during lunchtime. Unlike Nora, Ravyn's powers were unbeknownst to the crippled girl. She wondered if Ravyn's flirtatious advancements triggered some form of emotional manipulation ability, but she did not want to be too quick to judge again.

From what she noticed, Usami must have the least amount of experience with her powers compared to the others. Her powers cultivated when she arrived in Lumen, and perhaps it even triggered the transition between parallel worlds. The amount of time she had to adjust was measly four days, which were difficult to control and often led to blacking out on Claudorick's bar. Her eyes fell upon the looming mansion and squirmed in her spot. Blacking out in there of all places did not seem pleasant. She had an inkling of her power's limitations, so she will have to be wise of how she utilizes it. A small warm-up shouldn't hurt though...

Usami held up a hand, giving a sign that she wanted to be next to share her abilities. Usami couldn't speak with the same sophistication as Frederika and Kiyoshi. Her English was not her best, except for the American slang she picked up from foreign "vloggers" that passed through her family's convenience store.

Now, Usami initially thought of asking for Frederika's assistance, but Usami decided against it and turned to Adrian instead. She held out her walking stick for him to take and then hobbled a few feet away once he'd done so. With a small wave of her hand, Usami gestured for Adrian to advance her.

 

[SilverBlack]

Location: Forest
----------

The forest, at first, remained quiet. Aside from the slow stomping and low growls from some distance away, everything else appeared peaceful--asleep, almost. Living in the dark under the soft moonglow, resting among the shadows.

When Hanna entered the forest ahead and brightened it up with her fireballs, it’s as if she’d woken the forest up. It was bright enough for them to be able to get a clearer view of the sceneries around them, and even make it a bit more visible to notice some of the darkest paths between the trees. Moonlight was blocked by the thick patches of branches with leaves, no glowing fungi decorated the grounds of those paths. They were as mysterious as they appear. Wherever they lead to remain unknown.

But whether they play an important role in this assessment yet can be considered later--for by the time the forest started to echo with the voices of three humans talking, it had caught the attention of the very source of the low growls. For it, they sounded like some foreign noises that had disrupted the original silence of the forest. As if curious, the creature that was originally taking a small stroll changed the direction of its course, beginning to stomp toward the source of the human voices. Interestingly enough, it was the very same direction of the strange ball of light that entered the creature’s view. Even if the flame was to be extinguished later, the creature has already locked its focus on the path it would go. Its feet dug slightly into the mud below, dragging it and leaving behind a small trail before lifting its legs again. Steam escaped its nostril with every exhale before it started to quicken its pace.

From the trio’s point of view, they would see the moving shadow becoming closer and closer to them. It moved smoothly between the trees despite its size, and soon the form of the creature--or rather, the beast, would become more and more obvious.

Its giant, majestic horns marked the most noticeable trait of the Poex. Taking the form of a wild boar, it has huge, sharp canines on the two sides of its mouth. Thick legs stomped heavily against the muddy ground. Its head was much lower than its tall, arched back. Glowing yellow eyes peeked up, observing everything that has entered its view.

Alas, it saw them.

As if the sight of three small humans served as the trigger that could set off an alarm, the Poex, upon noticing the trio, let out a loud roar that rang deep into the forest. The Poex was still a couple meters away from them at that time, with plenty of trees in front of it. However, as if finally annoyed by the amount of woods, it leapt forward, smashing its head against one of the tree trunks. Giant horns collid against the wood, canines dug into the material. The impact was so strong that the whole tree shook before the trunk began to break, splitting in half--the top fell to its side, crashing into the tree next to it. Branches brushed against each other, freeings its leaves.

The poex backed up a couple of steps, blowing steam out of its nostrils once again. It proceeded to knock down several other trees, which crashed here and there around them, hitting the ground hard enough to feel the shudder. The trio would need to pay attention to the falling trees and dodge accordingly, for they may as well be crushed under some of them.

Then, it finally stopped, its view much clearer now with its three human targets.

It began pawing with its forefeet, scraping against the ground and sending dirt backward, lowering its body even more. Without the branches to block the moonlight, the whole scene grew a lot brighter. The bull was close enough to be observed to the details--the thin layer of fur that covered its body, its cheeks naked of any skin, showing the red muscles underneath--and its bright, glowing yellow eyes.

It stared at the three humans, allowing a brief moment of silence to pass.

Then it began to charge toward them.

--
Interaction: PixelSymphony vxnilla Nessi Pilgrim59

 

[vxnilla]

hashimoto kiyoshi

scroll! ​

In the handful of minutes Kiyoshi had been leader, it seemed as if he'd already made several grievous errors. There was no time to determine which of his mistakes was the worst—was it failing to ask Hanna to extinguish her flames in time? or speaking so loudly he caught the attention of some unsavory individuals in the forest?—because, as their group began to move, his eyes lit upon a hulking shadow that seemed to be getting closer and closer to them.

As it finally drew close enough for them to see, Kiyoshi's movements halted instinctively. Not out of any real plan or intention, but because the sight of the beast, some Eldritch horror of a boar with horns, simply made him freeze. The only exposure he had had to a Poex was the one they battled upon arriving, and clearly he needed much more than that before he would become used to the sight of one.

He'd be willing to wager it was slower than the feline Poex, with more to offer in terms of brute strength but less in terms of dexterity, but any more analysis was woefully cut short when the beast, apparently frustrated with the barriers separating it from the group of humans, launched itself at the trees with reckless abandon. At the unearthly crack of a tree trunk splitting, Kiyoshi's limbs finally broke free of their paralysis, and he hastily threw an arm up, manifesting a portal above their heads. The bright blue glow stretched wide enough to cover all of them—and hopefully wide enough to divert any trees that would otherwise fall on their heads. He didn't trust his precision when it came to transporting something as large as a tree, so he aimed the exit portal as far as he could manage. Getting them out of the way was surely a higher priority than aiming them, right?

It took most of his concentration as is to maintain the portals against the collateral of the Poex's onslaught; his portals were usually split-second endeavors, blinking in and out of existence in a moment. He had only the barest beginnings of a course of action, but his voice was pitched loud enough to be heard over the sounds of trees breaking and falling—he'd decided in that instant that they had already been spotted, and there was no use in trying to minimize their presence.

"If I am able to position the Poex with a portal," he said urgently, "I ask that none of you hesitate in striking it with all your might."

Before any of them could formulate a more fleshed out plan, the Poex stopped its tirade. Pawing the ground, it was even more hideous without undergrowth blocking its visage, and in the next instant it had charged towards them. "Disperse!" Kiyoshi called, trusting that his companions had the presence of mind to all dive in different directions. The Poex was large and terrifying, but there was only one of it.

It took all the courage in his body to not follow his own instruction and throw his body out of the way as well. Already bracing himself, Kiyoshi managed to stand his ground, hand extending to conjure up a portal right in the Poex's path. The exit portal flickered into existence some feet away—flat against the ground, rather than hanging in the air like its counterpart.

Hopefully, the Poex's momentum would carry it into the entrance and out of the exit, straight up into the air. Gravity alone should do their work for them, unless Frederika or Hanna or Maxwell were close enough to contribute to the Poex's descent with the ground. Otherwise, if his plan failed, or the Poex proved for some reason to be immune to interdimensional transport... well, Kiyoshi would have a world of pain to look forward to, wouldn't he?

PixelSymphony Nessi Pilgrim59​

 

[PixelSymphony]

~Frederika von Eisenhart~
-- Vanguard at the fore --

Status: Lightly wounded (facial knife wound)
Wearing: Vehemen Academy Gym Uniform, female
Wielding: Worn greataxe, lantern
Carrying: Dagger, winter gloves, tarp
Location: Vehemen Academy, Basement, Virtual Training Room, Initial Assessment Simulation, Forest

---

The quiet murmur of the forest had initially been a pleasant contrast to the remainder of the day, especially when compared with having to endure an interrupted night of sleep due to the fright and flight of two fellow students respectively, a full day of classes in topics that were just different enough to be unnerving, and a lunch period that could resembled some of the most aggressive sparring sessions Frederika had ever taken part of in her martial arts lessons. The concept of simply being able to take a stroll through a copse of whimsically lit woods with a group of people whom she was quite possibly closer to than any of the scarce number of companions she'd had in recent history indeed quite pleased her, even with the presence of an unknown creature choosing to stomp about sight unseen. After all, it was entirely possible that the source of all that racket was unrelated to their gem hunt; as long as they left it alone, perhaps it would chose to do the same to them.

However, much like many suppositions, without full information errors were inevitable, and in this case, the error she had promulgated had been to assume that the creature wouldn't simply just make up its own reason to become enraged at the group. Somewhat ahead of the team as they made their way into the forest, Frederika paused mid-step as the footsteps changed bearing abruptly. As she listened intently, tracking the footfalls as they began to close in with increasing frequency, her eyes shot wide with sudden realization. The blonde point-woman scarcely had time to let off a sudden "Kontakt!" before the the very trees about them begun to shake and fall upon them, driven over as the furious beast flung itself at them to get at the ad-hoc party.

At the unearthly crack of a tree trunk splitting, Kiyoshi's limbs finally broke free of their paralysis, and he hastily threw an arm up, manifesting a portal above their heads. The bright blue glow stretched wide enough to cover all of them—and hopefully wide enough to divert any trees that would otherwise fall on their heads.

Even in the middle of the Poex's attack, Frederika continued to be impressed at Kiyoshi's ability to think on his feet and see the entire situation. The portals shielded them from the majority of the wooden pillars, but she could see from her position a certain few were simply too large to be encompassed fully through the portal. As it stood, she was quite unwilling in the moment to experiment with the effect a object would have upon attempting to exceed the dimensions of such an orifice; with a toss of the lantern aside, she gripped the handle of the axe in both hands and dashed towards the offending trees at once, the massive head of the weapon trailing behind her as she ran. With her sigil flaring to life, glowing formlessly through the back of her jacket, she leapt high into the air, swinging wildly to and fro, hewing limbs and branches and even cleaving the very trunk of one tree in twain. A few moments later, all was consumed by the ethereal portals to be deposited in a locale unknown to either her or their creator. As she landed, she turned to look back at their leader for how to proceed.

"If I am able to position the Poex with a portal," Kiyoshi said urgently, "I ask that none of you hesitate in striking it with all your might."

A load and clear "Jawohl!" rang from lips again, just as the sound of scratching made her direct her attention back ahead. There stood the beast, pawing at the ground as it tore big chunks of the earth away, its body hunched over and tensed like a coiled spring... and she was square in front of it. For a second, Frederika glared unmovingly at the Poex, feral yellow eyes against ice-cold blue. Then, almost unbelieveably she raised the massive axe vertical, as if to accept the challenge from the monster head-on. "Direct your portal here, Kiyoshi," she declared in a low voice, "I will ensure its utilization." As the creature set and charged, Frederika stood her ground, her grip tightening as she awaited her moment. 30 metres... 20 metres... 10... 5-

"Disperse!"

Frederika took this as her cue to act. With a sudden spin to her right like some manner of deranged matador, she narrowly avoided the horns of the boar, the point of one tearing a hole in her jacket in an indication of just how close she'd been. As the creature steamed by, she whirled the axe about, the blades flashing blue from the luminescent fungi surrounding her, before bringing the head low in a wide, sweeping arc just centimeters from the ground. The axe head smashed into the creatures legs, taking them out from under it, and just like the trees beforehand, sending it careening into the portal their leader had promptly summoned.

"Hanna! Maxwell! I leave the rest to you!"

---

Interactions: Nessi , Pilgrim59
Mentions: vxnilla

 

[OldTurtle]

A brief pause followed Adrian's question, soon broken by Usami of all people. The dark-haired girl raised her hand, offering to go next. It was a bit of a surprise, admittedly. As with everyone else, Adrian hadn't known her long, but he felt confident in assuming that Usami wasn't the type of person who volunteered to go first often. She seemed much more like someone who stuck to the background unobtrusively. Though he could just as well be well off the mark, he supposed. Their interactions throughout the day were limited to only a handful of sentences, if even that. Not exactly the most material to draw a conclusion from.

Usami soon turned to face Adrian, holding out her walking stick in his direction. Slightly confused, he reached out and hesitantly took the wooden rod from her grasp. Running his armored fingers over the smooth wood, Adrian questioned what he was supposed to do with it. Usami, however, seemed rather sure of herself, limping several paces away and turning back to face himself again and motioning at him. Was he supposed to hit her?

Adrian stared at Usami uneasily, gripping the stick in both hands gingerly. He wasn't all too comfortable with the idea of attacking her, especially when his weapon of choice was her own walking cane. She was defenseless - or at least, appeared defenseless. Then again, this wasn't Ningen anymore. No one and no thing was really what they seemed. None of the Otherworlders could really be called defenseless now, Adrian realized, including Usami. He sighed and hefted the stick. Fine, then. He couldn't keep thinking of everything from a normal perspective. What better way to adjust to his new life than to whack a crippled girl with her own cane, right?

Adrian stepped forward, raising the walking stick over his head and bringing it down in a heavy arc towards Usami's right shoulder.

nios

 

[Nessi]

Hanna's eyes snapped open when she heard the sound of the lantern being set down, her hands gripping on the handle of the Katana. She calmed down when she heard that it was just Fredi.

"Do not lose faith, Hanna, we are with you. I do not intend to allow us to be beaten that easily."

Hanna nodded, and got up, dusting her pants off, and picked up her blade. " What do you mean? I haven't lost faith, were going to be just fine" Hanna said, chuckling a little bit. She turned her attention to Kyoshi, "I think, going forward, it would be wise to avoid splitting up, or being split up, at all costs," Kiyoshi said mildly. "Four is a small enough number as it is. Frederika, would you mind being at the front of the group? And Hanna, you at the back? I believe it would be prudent to"—what was the word, again? ah— "sandwich our group with our heaviest hitters. And, Hanna, could you extinguish your flames? With the moon and the fungi, there is enough light for us to see, and I worry about giving away our position if we were to keep your fire on."

Hanna obeyed, and with a snap of her fingers, her fireball extinguished itself, and as soon as that happened, she saw the poex, an ugly ass bull. Then she watched it jump, it's impact shaking the earth, and sending trees their way. Fred and Kyoshi made quick work of the trees. She drew her Katana, holding it with both hands, just like her mother taught her to.

"If I am able to position the Poex with a portal," Kiyoshi said urgently, "I ask that none of you hesitate in striking it with all your might.".

Hanna smiled widely, "you got it!" She yelled. When Kiyoshi told everyone to scatter, Hanna obeyed, getting out of the way of the beast as it charged at them. She then saw that Kyoshi had positioned his portals, and caught on to his idea. Hanna ran over to the portal that was laying flat on the ground, and watched as the poex came out of it, flying quite high up. She shoved her Katana in the ground, and started focusing on releasing the most powerful blast of fire she's ever unleashed.

Hanna lifted both of her hands towards the poex, and created a fireball, but she started to push more power into it. The fireball became more and more unstable, and at this point, it was starting to hurt Hanna's arms trying to keep the thing from exploding in her hands. She then pointed the unstable fiery mess at the monster with her left hand, and shouted, "GO TO HELL!". Hanna unleashed the fire ball unto the poex, aiming right for it's stupid face. if it hit, it would explode in fiery glory.

 

[nios]

code by @fudgecakez

third gen

usami

location: vehemen academy, simulation interactions: OldTurtle

...Perhaps it would have been better to demonstrate her abilities when the team enters the mansion. She wasn't feeling so confident now that she was left vulnerable without her walking stick. As she braced herself for Adrian's advancement, she found she had no other choice but to follow through.

Usami would not have minded if Adrian's hesitation was because he thought this was futile to the assessment. It would've saved herself from wasting energy and any foreseen humiliation if her little demonstration did not go as she planned. Besides... The other group had already advanced into the forest, leaving their group behind.

If it was not for the glint of artificial moonlight hitting the dull metal of Adrian's gauntlets, Usami would have to accept the painful impact of her own crutch and the blistering embarrassment that blossoms afterward, but her mind was pulled out of the gutter and her eyesight activated quicker than she originally thought it would. A familiar warmth resonated from the nape of her neck, an assurance of her ability being used.

Her eyes remained open to witness the swift swing of her staff being barreled in her direction. It moved in a painfully slow manner though, giving Usami enough time to figure out where Adrain was planning to strike. She knew her time was limited as the end of her walking stick was coming to a close on her right shoulder.

Usami took a step away from Adrian, throwing her hands up in the process. A chill surged from the nape of her neck to the palm of her hands- engulfing it like soothing water from a forest stream. Just as Adrian made contact, Usami gave her hands a push toward the stick, nudging it further to one side while Usami moved the opposite direction- leftward. A cracking sound came between them, followed by the screech of a scrape and then a thud.

From an outsider's point of view, Usami could be seen standing still and then suddenly falling onto the ground within a blink of an eye. There was a peculiar glow that replaced Usami's dull brown eyes- ones that resembled pools of liquidized amber. Then there was the material between her and Adrian. A shield had conjured itself amidst their interaction. It lacked a definite shape; all there was was a subtle sheen reflecting the moonlight and the crack concentrated to where the staff was supposed to strike Usami.

"Shields," she breathed out heavily as she kneeled on the dirt, "and I can see faster than normal."

Usami held her hand out for her walking stick. There was a small wave of praise echoing in her thoughts, but as Usami fought to regain her breath, she wondered how she will endure whatever awaited the team in the mansion.

 

[Dawnsx]

~Forest~

The beast released a low roar as it was sent flying into Kiyoshi's entrance portal. A split second later, it was unleashed from the ground, and Hanna's fireball connected with its head in a fiery explosion. The force of the blast send it hurtling into some trees, breaking them from the trunk in the process. Under the faint glow of the moon and the luminescent mushrooms, the forest team would see that one of its horn had broken off, and the fur and skin of its face had been burned well off. Even so, it huffed heavily as it staggered back to its feet, but its stance lacked its initial ferocity.

Instead of launching another attack, the Poex lifted its head and released a booming roar that could no doubt be heard from the mansion as well. Then, out of thin air, several smaller creatures appeared before the bull Poex. If anyone bothered to count, they would find fifteen of these adorable little creatures. They were as big as an average dog, but dwarfed in comparison to the monstrosity that summoned them. They all sported two orange horns and looked almost docile. Instead of paying the forest team any heed, however, these creatures let out identical howls and dashed off in the direction of the mansion.

Just as the last of the critters disappeared from the Otherworlders' sight, the bull Poex set its gaze back to its prey. With the horns that remained intact, it lifted one of the felled trees and hurled it towards the humans. This time, instead of waiting for the Otherworlders to deal with the incoming projectile, the Poex immediately charged forward to bulldoze whichever human stood in its way.

vxnilla PixelSymphony Nessi Pilgrim59

 

[OldTurtle]

The first thing Adrian noticed were her eyes. They transformed in a brief instant, simple brown giving way to a strange, unnatural amber. And then, all of a sudden, there was a heavy impact, solid enough to jar his arms painfully. The makeshift club slipped to the left, failing to strike Adrian's intended target. With a hushed curse, he stumbled, trying to catch his balance. Once he'd stabilized himself, Adrian turned to look at Usami, who had dropped to her knees, visibly spent from the effort.

"Shields," she breathed. "And I can see faster than normal."

Adrian blinked, now noticing the strange film that lay between them. Passing the walking stick back to Usami, he pressed his hands against the shield tentatively. Its presence was solid, tangible, and wondrous, refusing to yield to the pressure he applied to it. It was one thing to have abilities like Adrian's, where only the effect was observable, and an entirely different thing to have something like this. The visible existence of Usami's shield only served to further convince him that he was far beyond the bounds of reason and possibility.

Stepping back, Adrian's eyes were drawn to the crack along the shield. Clearly, despite how impressive they seemed, Usami's shields were far from invulnerable. How large of an impact could they withstand? If just a single blow from the walking stick could damage it that much, it couldn't have been too much. Lost in thought, Adrian scratched his nose with his right hand. The metal surface of the gauntlet was startlingly cold, just like the rest of the environment. Looking around the open space, he realized that they had spent quite a bit of time already. While the professor had claimed that there was no time limit, the other group of Otherworlders had long since ventured into the eerie woods and Adrian didn't like the idea that they were falling behind.

"Well, I think that's all, right? We should probably get a move on now," he suggested to their designated leader, Ravyn, and gestured towards the entrance to the mansion before them.

nios xXx.lovely.xXx

 

[xXx.lovely.xXx]

Ravyn stood back as she watched and listened. Adrian, as she knew and expected, had some variation of telekinesis like herself. Yet his dealt with gravity. Now, it was Usami who truly intrigued her. Ravyn was silent as she closely observed the dark-haired girl step forward and hand Adrian her walking stick. Ever the more curious, the redhead's eyes grew wide as the boy swung the stick at Usami without a further word. Ravyn blinked and nearly missed the entire ordeal. The small girl had conjured a shield. A rather wonky shield, but a shield nonetheless.

"Shielding and I can see faster than normal."

Ravyn nodded, thinking and formulating. She then noticed Nora was gone. She must have been pulled from the assessment. Meanwhile, the other team had left already, so they were down a person and behind. This wasn't going too well already, but the redhead didn't show any doubt or worry on her face.

"Ok. Great. I have telekinesis or something like that, and I can kinda talk to animals. "

"Well, I think that's all, right? We should probably get a move on now."

Ravyn smirked slightly. "I was just about to say the same thing."

She fiddled with the earpiece, making sure it was in place, then retrieved the throwing knives from the bag. Before continuing to their destination, she hesitated and impulsively grabbed the crackers. If she wanted information from animals, it was smartest to bribe them first. She strode towards the mansion.

"Onwards!"

. . .

Ravyn gently pushed open the doors to the mansion and slipped inside. She didn't allow herself to become too incredibly captivated with the interior, even with its grand and elegant decor. She spotted the tiny Poex.

"Oh my god! They're so adorable," she whispered under her breath. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. They were so tiny and cute!

A squeak suddenly caught her attention. Rat. Ew, but also yay...? Maybe they knew where the gem was? Or maybe they were just rats with no knowledge or capability of retaining memories. The soft, tiny, cute little bean of a Poex captured the running rat beneath its plush palms and rendered it unconscious with the gentlest chomp. Ok, so they weren't 'little beans' after all. They were still monsters, and this wasn't going to be easy. As the tiny thing howled, and more little voices called their response, Ravyn turned and whispered to her team.

"Alright, stay quiet and don't get bit. These things'll likely try to swarm you to attack. Try not to draw any unnecessary attention to yourself."

Repeating the obvious- what was she even doing? A crappy job, that's what! She scanned the room for another rat, and possibly one that could rat out the location of the gem.

"I... uh, if you see another rat, tell me. It may know where the gem is. It's a long shot, but hey, at least it's a lead."

How dumb could Ravyn get?

As she searched and snuck around the lobby, the second wave of howls reverberated from the forest to the mansion. Crap. She shot a glance back to her teammates, a sense of urgency seeming to hand in the air. Great. More adorable little floofy Poexes was just what they needed…

"More are coming." She adjusted her grip on the throwing knives. "We need to move quickly."

Sticking to the shadows and using her small frame to her advantage, Ravyn scouted out the area. Find a rat. Get the information. Find the gem. Don't be seen. Don't die. Just normal things to be thinking about, but the more she thought, the more stupid her plan became. The entire thing revolved around the knowledge of a rodent. Maybe she wasn't cut out to lead no matter how hard she tried. The other two probably could have come up with something ten times better. A rat ratting out the location of the gem. How dumb could Ravyn get...

nios OldTurtle Dawnsx​

 

[vxnilla]

In the split second before the bull Poex tumbled into his portal, a million ways their hastily cobbled together plan could go wrong flashed through Kiyoshi's mind—but, thankfully, none of them came to fruition. Seeing how the Poex flew after Hanna's explosion connected with its head was more than satisfying (although Kiyoshi made a note to never piss the girl off). He was pleased to see that, although unfortunately the Poex was still able to stand, it bore visible marks of damage from their attacks.

That was something, right?

It took everything in Kiyoshi to not cringe at the sheer volume of the Poex's roar, even if he did take a step back. In the blink of an eye, several Poex materialized before them. Cute as they were, Kiyoshi's stomach was already sinking at the thought of handling more threats alongside the original Poex they hadn't even taken down yet—unless, in some twist of fate, the new Poex were on their side, but he severely doubted it—when they darted away, not even sparing the humans a glance.

The relief Kiyoshi felt threatened to buckle his knees. Almost unwittingly, he turned his gaze to follow their path, suddenly remembering the structure that laid back there. To think, he'd all but forgotten about the communicator!

He moved to switch it on, but before he could speak into it, the bull Poex finally made its move, sinking its horns into the body of a felled tree and swinging it towards them. "Fredi," he called, even as he dove out of the way and silently apologized to Ravyn for having to hear the sounds of their battle before he could get around to warning her. "Can you get on that?"

And in response to the charging Poex, he manifested a portal in front of Hanna, hoping that she'd need no explanation in order to draw her own conclusions about the entrance portal in front of her and the exit that had appeared horizontally above the Poex, placed a little in front so that the timing would allow her to, hopefully, drop onto its back. A beast built like this Poex would have a hard time dislodging her.

Hurriedly, he cloaked himself, not knowing how effective his camouflage would be but willing to bet that something would be better than nothing. "Ravyn," he spoke into the earpiece, low and taut, "Poex are making their way towards you. I count more than a dozen, each about the size of a dog."

PixelSymphony Nessi xXx.lovely.xXx

 

[Dawnsx]

Just several moments after Ravyn, Adrian, and Usami went into the mansion, the new wave of small Poex arrived. Despite the closed mansion doors, they didn't slow their single-minded stampede. With mighty leaps, the Poex crashed into the windows and landed inside deftly on their feet. If any Otherworlders entered their sights, they'd give chase in and attack relentlessly. Otherwise, they'd roam the mansion in small groups of two or threes until they spot their prey.

xXx.lovely.xXx nios OldTurtle