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Post by Rylux on Oct 31, 2014 23:04:33 GMT -5
(There is no posting order for this thread only one post per character between each admin post.) ----------------------------------------------------------------- The message had gone out at the beginning of the school day. Any team that accepted was excused for the rest of the day in order to pack and prepare for the mission. Teachers went about the day with classes as usual while preparing for the mission in-between. Everything was taken care of in preparation for the students while the teachers discussed how to take care of the fallen black blood. At four the students were meant to assemble at the school to have a quick rundown of the assignment. When they reached there Bartal stood outside waiting for the teams. He stood outside the doors of the school in his silver weapon outfit until everyone was gathered and he could begin. Lifting his hat so his face wasn’t covered in its shadow he looked over the assembled teams before speaking. ”Alright everyone before you head out I just wanted to speak to you. The mission you are about to go on is not like a regular one you’d find on the board. I can’t say for sure how difficult it will be but the threat is very much real. Once you get there you will be faced with the very existence of madness, if you have any doubts now is the time to leave.”Staying silent he waited and let the teams absorb the words. What they had to do would be dangerous and any lack of resolve could prove fatal. Once the moment had passed Bartal gave the teams one more look over before continuing. ”Now then, about the mission. Your task is to essentially clear the area. Take out any kishin eggs and monsters around the area and deal with any of the people so they can’t become kishin eggs or endanger anyone. Only interact with any clowns if completely necessary, otherwise ignore them and focus on the other threats. With any luck we’ll figure out how to deal with the blood soon and join you in the fighting. If not, I’m sure you’ll do fine.”Giving them a thumbs up and a grin Bartal reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small mirror, walking over to Misaki he handed it to her. ”You and Dion are in charge out there considering you have the most experience. If anything comes up you guys assess the situation and make the best call. To help with that everyone will receive an Incom so you can communicate with each other and use the mirror if you need to contact Shinigami and the rest of us.”Reaching into another pocket he pulled out a handful of Incoms. Each was a small earpiece in the usual skull motif with a mic extended down. Handing one out to everyone Bartal returned to his position in front of the doors and nodded. ”That’s all, good luck everyone.”Finished he turned around and walked through the doors of the school to join the other teachers in figuring out how to best deal with the situation. The next place the teams would be headed was the airport to be met with a plane prepared for their departure. As the only passengers the teams were left with plenty of space for the long flight ahead. Once everyone was settled and ready it took off and headed for the epicenter of the madness. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sun would set and rise again before they neared their destination. With crossed time zones taken into consideration the plane prepared to land around nine in the morning. Dropping down it touched the land without issue and the teams were let out at a small rest stop. Their arrival was known and they were offered to a variety of food and beverages not offered on the plane before their transportation arrived. Shibusen was intent on moving quickly to prevent the madness from spreading and ten minutes from their landing a bus arrived. It was close to a school bus aside from the deep green color, clearly off road tires, and the fact that it was covered in dust and mud. The bus opened its doors and the teams were motioned into its brown interior. Staying silent the driver waited for everyone to get in before heading off into the forest. A simple dirt road was their path through the enclosing trees and foliage. Smooth was not a proper way to describe the ride as the road was littered with rocks and holes that kept the bus in a near constant state of bouncing. Nothing seemed to change outside the windows but to those perceptive a sense of madness tainted the air, they were drawing nearer to the blood.
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Misaki Saito
Meister
Spear Technician
Tiny Japanese Girl
Posts: 124
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Post by Misaki Saito on Nov 5, 2014 18:03:29 GMT -5
Misaki had moved so fast only once before in her life that she could remember. When the news made its way to the class she’d been jotting down notes in, she was up and out the door immediately. There was no way in hell she and Dion were going to sit around in class while something as challenging as this mission lay in wait, especially given past events. What kind of Two star students would they be if they just let this pass by? Shitty ones. That’s the kind of Two stars they would be, and she and Dion were way too awesome to not go along on something so important. And exciting. Misaki reminded herself this was serious, and she knew this of course, but that didn’t stop her from feeling jittery like she’d downed too much caffeine while she threw things together in packing after sprinting all the way home. She couldn’t wait to go, to get started! She wanted to kick in teeth and raise hell that would send their enemies running scared! She was all about showing them whose boss, but she kept in mind this wasn’t an ordinary mission. There were other teams to consider and bigger opponents than she and Dion were used to facing. Excitement felt incredibly strange when mixing into her generally latent sense of responsibility, but Misaki would make it work. She had to stay sharp for this. Misaki was rushing again to the meet-up at four where she recognized Bartal easily waiting for them. She stood beside Dion as he spoke, already keeping close to him. This was not a time to get separated. Misaki may have felt stupid about hanging onto the fear of repeating that mistake if it weren’t so actively important that they never make it again. It was a valid worry. They had only made the mistake once but the whole point of mistakes was to learn from them. She and Dion definitely learned from it, and she would remember the lesson for as long as she needed to. Not a whole lot of those in attendance who stayed were familiar faces. In fact aside from her own Weapon, the only one she recognized happened to be Levi. The new faces had her inquisitive, but now was not the time for being chatty. She grinned and nodded to Levi whether he acknowledged her or not and let her focus hone in on their teacher. She had to fight hard not to roll her eyes when Bartal said the words meant to weed out the weak. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to help, and there was no doubt in her mind that she and Dion could handle it. There was no way they were leaving. Her feet stayed rooted to the ground and she continued to listen to their teacher, hands on her hips with her head leaning to one side to show that she was indeed listening even if her expression was more neutral than normal. Clear the area, no problem. Kishin eggs, no problem. Clowns… Misaki bit the inside of her cheek and tried not to bounce on her heels like she was inclined to do so badly. She again had difficulty reminding herself that this wasn’t just any mission. Bartal had just reminded them of that, yet here she was chomping at the bit to start kicking ass and taking names no matter what the enemy happened to be. She stood up a little straighter to try and make that reminder live as long as possible, which was right up until Bartal walked over to her and handed her a mirror and told her that she and Dion would be in charge. To hell with it. She carefully took the mirror and then nodded, a wicked grin plastered on her face. “You got it!” Screw the act, she could totally be excited and responsible simultaneously. The whole being in charge thing was truly a little daunting, but being able to communicate with everyone would make that easier and let her thoughts slow down a bit. Misaki tucked the mirror into her jacket pocket safe and sound before looking up at Dion, every ounce of eagerness coming through loud and clear in her voice. “Let’s give ‘em hell!”Plane rides: something Misaki always had trouble staying awake on, but with time zones it was understandable. At least it was hardly a cramped space. She spent a good deal of time watching out the window, watching land and water and clouds pass by underneath them, all the while beginning to slowly think of just how to handle this. In between thinking of apparent skill and potential threats, Misaki thought about how nice it would be if they could save a few people before madness took them this time around. The thought drew a small, crooked smile on her face. Yeah, that would be real nice for a change.When exactly she had dozed off Misaki didn’t know, but she woke leaning against Dion’s shoulder shortly before the plane began its descent. Nine in the morning didn’t feel like nine in the morning, but that was what usually happened on mission place rides in her experience. Misaki was reasonably certain she would never get her sleep schedule back to normal any time soon, but she could deal. Currently they had a job to do, and at least she felt well rested and itching to get into the action. She didn’t eat much. Fruit and water. Enough to keep her going. Moving around as much as she was likely to be was never easy or fun on a freshly full stomach, and she definitely didn’t need to be getting a stitch in her side in the middle of a fight. And they were leaving again soon enough anyway. What looked like a school bus on steroids picked them up to cart them off to their destination. Along the way, Misaki removed the mirror from her pocket, holding it in her hands just above her lap with a pensive expression. She had an idea in mind of who should do what, but as confident as she was there was an underlying anxiety. She had never been in charge of anyone other than herself and her partner. If anyone got hurt or bit off more than they could chew because of where she decided to put them… Misaki stuck the mirror back in her pocket and clapped her hands twice against the sides of her face. She could do this! Psyching herself out would do nothing except make her spacey and hesitant, and neither of those things were awesome! She and Dion were awesome, and they would continue to be as such on this mission just like any other! Grinning to herself, she then took out her Incom and gave it a once over before glancing over at Dion. “Alright, I think I’ve got it.”Between the bumps in the road and the unholy amount of trees creeping in all around them, Misaki felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Rather than let it get to her, Misaki rubbed arms to chase the goose bumps away and kept her mind focusing forward. They needed to be quick and efficient, and she had confidence that her lineup would allow them to be exactly that.
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Post by Alex King on Nov 8, 2014 16:14:06 GMT -5
The tank-bus rocked heavily as the driver rolled over a tree root with little regard, disturbing Alex from his thoughts as he was forced to brace himself to avoid being thrown into the aisle. He settled himself back in his seat and glanced out of the window; the trees had been closing in around them for a while now and the ride had gotten rougher the longer they travelled. It was dark outside the windows, the foliage intercepting most of whatever light there was; he didn’t even know was time of day it was.
His mind drifted, back to the mission, back to the reason they were here. Even he had felt the shiver as the drop of black blood fell to the earth, even with his complete lack of perception abilities. This was more than just the regular old Kishin Egg hunt or investigation into mysterious events; this was Asura’s own wavelength we were talking about here and the havoc it was playing on the landscape.
It was probably the most dangerous mission that had been undertaken since the original Kishin had been sealed away for a second time.
He hadn’t even thought twice when he heard about it though, hurrying over to his new Weapon partner’s place of residence and practically dragging her along to sign up without even asking her opinion. Not that she would have fought against it anything. He was starting to question his decision. Was it smart to choose something this big as his first ever mission? Probably not. But he’d done it and it was far too late to be thinking about whether it was right or not now.
Alex was not a worrier; it wasn’t in him to dwell on a situation and work himself up into a frenzy of anxiety over any situation, big or small. He was more of a ‘cross that bridge when you come to it’ kind of guy. Normally though he found out pretty quickly whether or not he’d made a bad decision, he didn’t normally have a several hour plane ride and bus journey between his choice and whatever consequences awaited him. It was impossible not to wonder in the mean time.
For all his training Alex had never been in a real fight, random scraps in the forest with girls he just met aside, and for all his confidence in the skills his grandfather and father taught him he really didn’t know how good he was.
Then there was his new partner. They hadn’t seen much of each other since they had agreed to team up, hadn’t even trained together yet, and their partnership was as untested as Alex himself was; whether they could work together, whether she would work with him or if he could work with her was something he also didn’t know. As far as he was concerned her weapon form was perfect for him, but he had to admit it wasn’t the most practical or lethal of weapons.
Lastly there were his fellow Meister’s and their Weapon partners. Alex barely knew a single one of them but they were to be the ones watching his back and who in turn expected him to watch theirs. Some he knew from class or from around the school, one he knew a little better because they once tried to beat each other up and mostly succeeded, but he didn’t know what to make of any of them.
The girl in charge, a five foot nothing two star Meister with long hair and an interesting choice in mission clothing, was a complete mystery to him.
Alex let out a sigh and intertwined his hands behind his head before leaning back to rest them on the back of the seat. All of worrying was just so pointless; the growing headache between his eyes reminded him why he never bothered with it. There was nothing he could do about any of this, not know, and he didn’t know if there was any problem to begin with. He could be strong enough to fight anything that they ran into and if he wasn’t there were more experienced Meister’s who could. His partner was so laid back that the idea there would be any sort of friction between them was absurd. And while he may not know anything about his fellow Shibusen students he at least knew that they had all signed up to this mission and hadn’t walked away when given a perfectly good opportunity, that was good enough.
Discarding his worries somewhere towards the back of his mind Alex could already feel the pain start to fade. He closed his eyes and tried to relax as much as the continued rocking would let him; it couldn’t be that much further to their destination so he might as well try to sneak some sleep in before they got there.
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Irene Dixon
Weapon
Demon Corseque
Wake me up. I'm living a nightmare.
Posts: 108
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Post by Irene Dixon on Nov 9, 2014 20:59:45 GMT -5
A new mission. An abnormal mission. They had been excused for the day to pack and prepare, it was that out of the ordinary. Irene couldn’t tell if she was excited, irritated, or indifferent. It gave her a chance to get better, another round against who knows what with Levi… but, was it irritating to have to keep chasing ‘bad things’ around the planet? Whatever. She’d pack her bags. She would go do this with Levi. As much as she didn’t like to admit it, she had changed a great deal over the past few weeks. It meant a lot with her to work with Levi. She found a lot more confidence and maybe even a bit of arrogance. They couldn’t be showed up. And Irene would bet anything that Dion was taking this mission on. Maybe now she could get a better look at that meister of his and they could all prove what they were made of. As far as she knew, Dante wouldn’t be along… but memories of that forest meeting wouldn’t leave her any time soon. Get better and move forward. With that echoing in her mind, she made her way to the meeting. It was Bartal. Giving the opening statements, briefing them, prepping them, etc. The scare tactic first. Anyone who might be nervous about this or unsure, should leave. Easy enough for her, she had already decided she was going. And Levi wasn’t going to back down any time soon either. Like she would tell him ‘no.’ Clear the area. Make everything safe. There were a few warnings of only interacting with clowns and others if necessary but… didn’t that sway from the plan of clearing the area? Mentally she shook her head, but outwardly she took a brief glance around. Who exactly was supposed to be going? A few she recognized. Alex. The brat she found in the tree. The thought of their fight brought a smirk to her face, even if it was faint and slightly bitter. Dion. Another face she recognized and expected. Now that girl beside him… Why was she grinning and nodded like she knew her? Only another partial moment passed before she realized the actual event taking place. This girl knew Levi. Taking a side glance to her partner, she wondered what exactly he might think of this girl. Maybe he really did have a harem? Looking back, this girl had just been given a mirror and was all smiles. An irritated spark fired in her soul. Possibly jealousy for not being at the top of the priority list like that team, possibly just a dislike for her upbeat character, but regardless there was an instant dislike. Though she had found a sort of acceptance of Dion from their first actual meeting, her thoughts on his partner were not positive. Irene’s vague plans were to stay away from this female. As the incoms were handed out to everyone individually, Irene continued looking over the crowd. Some people she knew vaguely, some not at all. Faces were more or less familiar. A mix of people she didn’t think she would get along with very well… But then again, who did she get along with? Another thing had caught her attention too. Alex’s partner. Wasn’t that the girl that never came to class? How did she manage to get on this mission? How did he get stuck with her might even be a better question? ------ Planes had never totally bothered her. It was a lot of quiet time. She could think and focus on what was ahead. This particular ride she chose to sleep. Their departure time meant they would arrive in the morning. That most likely meant they didn’t mean to let them sleep after they arrived. Therefore, sleep on the plane. Then she could fully wake up once they were landed and get her blood pumping. It didn’t take long and wasn’t difficult, Irene was asleep for the quiet plane ride. --------- Food awaited them after the plane landed. Making sure to get a bite to eat and something to drink, she wasn’t about to head into battle on an empty stomach. Good to nourish the mind, body, and soul. This was just one step. They didn’t have a lot of time, however, a mission was a mission. Off the plane, eat some food, and then onto a bus. A bit of a rickety ride, a silent driver, and a bunch of teens. Nothing too exciting as of yet. Trying to get herself focused and release any sort of stress she might have, she silently sat on the bus. No matter how much she tried, she felt weighted down or tense. A deep feeling of agitation had caught her soul… uneasiness that she couldn’t shake. The black blood was nearing the longer they rode.
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Post by Dion Key on Nov 10, 2014 1:07:54 GMT -5
Dion had been wandering around across the roofs of Death City when he saw the drop of blood fall. It looked like some random dark spot moving through the sky so he didn’t pay it much attention at the time. Luckily the madness didn’t reach him until he had returned back to the apartment and passed in a moment. He wasn’t as sensitive to madness as he had been after the bird attack but he still felt the madness hit him. A heavy sense of terror slammed into his chest and caught his breath before vanishing as if nothing had ever happened. With it gone so quickly it left his mind soon enough, especially considering it wasn’t like anything he had experienced before.
Getting to school the last thing he expected was an explanation about what happened. Hearing that the thing he saw and the madness he felt were connected and part of some awesome mission was just great though. Was there any better way to welcome moving up to the two star class? Plus being a two star he practically had to go, couldn’t leave something like that up to just one stars. Getting out of was also a nice benefit that he couldn’t pass up.
After being excused Dion headed back to the apartment to kill time before they had to meet back at the school. This was the first mission he was going on as a two star so he had to fit the part. Throwing on a black hoodie and green accented Tripp pants he was ready! Finished he headed out back into the city to climb around before the meeting time. Wanting to not be late and miss the meeting entirely he showed up at the school with time to spare and joined the group looking at Bartal.
Misaki joined soon enough and it looked like everyone who was going on the mission was there. Out of those gathered Dion only recognized Irene so he assumed all the others were one star teams. Knowing there was another two star team going was great! All the expectations wouldn’t be put on him but that also meant he had to show off all the more. Bartal started to speak and considering the situation he should pay attention to what he was saying. That lasted a few seconds before he started to zone out though, at least there was an attempt.
Danger and madness, ok got it. After fighting a flaming horse and Australian doctor the words didn’t have much impact. Clear the area, check. Perfect for their resonance so no worries. Don’t go after the clowns, whatever. If they were anything like the bird he understood why they should avoid them. Even though Bartal said to avoid the clowns Dion had to wonder at how fighting a clown would be. A creature of pure madness stronger than a simple kishin egg, it sounded like so much fun! He and Misaki were in charge, alright. It took a moment for the words to register and the confusion to set in.
Somewhat stunned he took the Incom that was handed to him and placed it in a pocket. Why were they in charge? The only thing that came to mind was that he and Misaki were two stars and possibly had been the longest? It couldn’t be anything related to actual leadership ability. If it was there had to be a better team to handle it. Regardless they got it so it was certainly going to be an interesting mission if nothing else.
Misaki clearly took to the whole leadership thing well enough if her reaction was anything to go off of. In response Dion simply grinned at his meister before flipping his hair ”Of course.” They still had the plane ride so there was plenty of time for them to figure out what they were going to do when everything started.
Next step was board a plane and fly to the mission location. At least the plane was just for them so there weren’t any annoying passengers around. Dion almost wished there were though just see the reactions. Why are there so many students getting on? Oh nothing big, just gotta go fight so madness from the moon to save the world. Snagging a window seat next to Misaki he gave a look around the plane and the others before pulling out his iPod and directing his attention out the window.
Sleep was inevitable with such a long flight and it took Dion earlier than he would have liked. With his mind on the mission his dreams complied by visions of the madness he knew, birds. The screaming and the aftermath replayed in his mind to remind him of the last time he faced madness. Things wouldn’t be the same this time though because he wouldn’t let it, plus Misaki was with him and they were two stars. No way was he going to let any of the one stars get too hurt on the mission.
Waking up the plane came down and they got a chance to move around and prepare before heading into the heart of the rainforest. In the rest stop Dion focused mainly on stretching after being in a plane for so long. With food options he did the sensible thing and made sure his body was hopped up on sugar, supposedly there were waffles on his plate of syrup. Finished with the food a bus pulled up and it was off again for the real start of the mission.
Oh the bus Dion assumed Misaki was thinking about what to do when they reached the blood. His mind was mostly on the idea of there being clowns in the area. The last time he heard about them was when the battle on the moon was explained. From that all he gleamed was they were really strong and super hard to kill, fun. Getting to see what was actually around the blood would be exciting, and fighting it even better.
Hearing Misaki say something he glanced over at her to see what it was, that left him about just as confused as before. ”Got what?” Waiting for her to say something Dion kept his attention on her and away from the trees surrounding them outside. Maybe a tree would be affected by the madness and they could fight that! Sitting back he looked around the bus, his eyes wandering toward the roof he couldn’t hand from, but addressed Misaki.
”Maybe you should give a speech o fearless leader. Give everyone an idea of what to do when we get there.”
Despite the sarcasm it would be a good idea to get a plan set out before they reached the madness. Once they were there he just wanted to head towards the nearest target and take it out without having to worry about everyone figuring out what they needed to do.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2014 17:59:57 GMT -5
Noelle didn't know him very well, but she quite liked the man giving out instructions. Perhaps she had been a bit nervous before--after all, this was an extremely serious and dangerous mission. (One that she probably would not have volunteered to go on, had Espen not been so sure of their team.) But now she felt excited as she listened to the man talk, and she felt herself slowly become relieved. It wasn't anything new for her: get rid of Kishin, help the people, avoid clowns. Well, maybe that last part was new for her, as she had never actually seen a clown in person before. But she did know that lots of people were afraid of clowns, so she needed to be wary around them even though she herself did not hold that fear. Other than that, though, she didn't imagine this to be too difficult. And the instructor had faith in them, so that was a plus. And she definitely trusted this person; anyone who was cheesy enough to give someone a thumbs up was to be trusted.
And this person trusted another pair to be in charge. Once more, Noelle didn't know these two--she didn't know much of anyone, really--but the girl was funny. None of the others said much, but Noelle still felt comfortable being in their company. They all looked older, and thus more experienced.
There was little time for small talk afterwards, as it was time to move on. Towards a plane, she soon found, and she was happy that she came prepared. Her last mission was a rather cold reminder that she needed to be prepared for anything, so this time she came prepared with a little pink rain jacket. All she really knew about the location was that it was hot, and that it rained. (Well, depending on where in the country they were going specifically, but she figured it would just be best to prepare for rain.) She couldn't really prepare for the humidity much, besides bringing lots of medicine with her. She also brought a little bit of candy, mostly for her partner's sweet tooth, and she was glad she did because she imagined that it would be a long plane ride and if she knew anything about planes it was that they didn't have good food. So candy would have to hold them over.
After the plane, there was a short break, and then they moved on to a bus. Typically, she enjoyed buses much more than planes. But this ride in particular was bumpy, so she couldn't slouch and her seat and sulk about being hot. Bumps and general irritation aside, she felt on edge and she couldn't really explain why. But she remained perched at the edge of her seat, staring out the window and absently clawing at the itchy red rash slowly crawling up her arm. She wondered why she got so anxious all of a sudden, and took a glance around to see if anyone else was feeling the same way.
Probably not, she finally decided with a sigh.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2014 10:31:53 GMT -5
To be brutally honest, Espen had listened to absolutely nothing that Bartal had said.
He had zoned out completely, instead looking at the other teams. Tons and tons of teams that he had never seen before. It was all very odd to him. It had been Noelle’s idea to come along, not his. Well kinda at least. He had egged her on, saying that it’d be easy enough for them... Erm, he didn’t really remember all that.
There was just a lot of talking. Lots and lots and lots of talking. None of it really registered with Espen. It wasn’t often he was this zoned out, but today was an exception. Perhaps this was a good thing. The first words might have made him a tad nervous. Being nervous when going on a mission wasn’t really a good thing to be.
What did snap the boy back to reality was the yelling of someone. One of the girls that he had never, ever seen before. She was being given a mirror. Mirror... was this going to be like the Hercules story where he had to fight Medusa using a mirror? Wait, no. You could contact that one guy using a mirror, couldn’t you? That probably meant she was in charge, then. Her eagerness was probably a tell-tale sign of that.
And then the teams were wished good luck and sent off.
Espen had remained oddly quiet through the plane ride. Quiet meaning quiet for him. He still conversed with his partner if she had wanted to converse, but spent a good bulk of the time just looking out the window. He had only been on a plane a few times. Once to get to Shibusen, twice for the last mission he and Noelle had taken. He had never traveled very much. Traveling was a bit of a silly thing for him to do, to be fair. He had pretty much everything he could ever wish for at home, after all.
Since he had gotten no sleep on the plane, Espen was absolutely exhausted by the time they made their way to the bus. It’d probably be hard for the other people to tell, but Noelle probably did. He moved a bit more sluggishly than usual. Fortunately Espen had gotten a ton of sleep before the mission, so it wouldn’t be too much of a big deal. Ah well. He was the weapon anyways. He didn’t really need to have oodles of energy. If Espen had wanted to sleep on the bus, he really wouldn’t be able to. It was too damn bouncy.
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Post by Niina Rivera on Nov 11, 2014 13:40:52 GMT -5
Niina hadn’t seen the drop, but the feeling that overwhelmed her was unmistakable. Asura. Though greatly distancing herself from those happenings that felt so long ago, she knew the feeling. Knew that madness and chaos. It had been sent far away… Maybe she should have gone to the witches realm… They may know what’s going on. They may even be part of it. That thought… stuck with her into the next day. An announcement that they would be sending teams to go investigate. Seeing as she and Fritz still hadn’t pinpointed a mission that they were going to take, this would have to be there first. She had to go. This could be dangerous and hurt so many people. Time to find her partner! The little witch has to tell him they were going and they needed to get ready! A light smile coming to her face for the first time that morning, her concern was beginning to shift towards the hope of helping. Her and Fritz, they could definitely do something. Found him. They were going. Packing. The meeting came next. A little bit antsy to get on with everything, she almost looked like she might explode. That vague smile still resting on her face, the blonde shifted back and forth, side to side, and back and forth again on her feet. Movement. Breathing. She just felt so out of sorts. Focusing on what was being said as much as possible, Niina would never be deterred from helping. Sure, she was nervous… this being their first mission and all, but she had to go. She needed to go. As the man speaking grinned, Niina relaxed a bit. She wasn’t sure why that comforted her so, but the grin significantly helped her constant motion still a bit. What helped even more was Misaki. Handed a mirror, she seemed excited. That girl seemed so ready! They all had to step up to the challenge with that enthusiasm. Niina’s grin widening, she glanced to her partner with a renewed spark for the day. All was going to be just great. --------- On the plane, Niina thought she might never get to sleep. So excited and ready to go after the little meeting, seeing all the students, watching that leader girl get so excited. She was ready to rumble! And now they were flying. Really, this was just all awesome! But even on a plane darkness would come. Especially a ride of this length. Having stuck near to Fritz during the meeting and for the plane, she inched as close as she could to the boy. It didn’t matter if he was awake or sleeping or what. As close as she could without getting on top of him, the girl brought her knees to her chest, crossed her arms over them, and buried her head down. Breathing deeply, telling herself it was time to sleep, the girl nodded off. -------- Then it was day! Day was so great. Sadly they had to exit the plane, but now they got food! Eating gleefully as they waited for the bus to arrive, the fear of darkness had completely left her. This was much like every morning in a day of Niina. Bus came, all got on, and it sure was bumpy. Making sure she was by Fritz again, the girl sat herself by the window. Staring out it, fingers tapping against her legs, the girl hummed along to none other than ‘the wheels on the bus go round and round.’ Smile on her face, it seemed her nerves for the mission were gone for now.
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Fritz Ingram
Weapon
Demon Key
My soul's a battleground
Posts: 25
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Post by Fritz Ingram on Nov 13, 2014 16:52:59 GMT -5
The wave of madness had hit Fritz and passed in an instant. He hardly noticed it aside from a slight feeling of worry. Not thinking much about it he went on with his day like normal with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Waking up there was a slight headache in the back of his head but otherwise nothing to worry about! School started like normal until the announcement came and he heard about what had happened. The back of his head throbbed slightly as he heard about the madness corrupting the area but it was pushed away shortly after.
Some of the people in the area were innocents who were just under the influence of madness. Others had been turned by the madness overwhelming them and forcing them to act in horrible ways. They had to go! He had a partner now and they had a chance to truly help people. If they were lucky they could save the people and not have to kill any of the kishin eggs! It was just too great of an opportunity to pass up! Leaving class to get ready Niina ran into him and confirmed that they had to go. A smile formed on his face from being of the same mindset as his meister.
Leaving Niina he told her he had to return to his home first and that he’d meet her back at the school. Excited he jumped down as many of the steps as he dared and took off running once he was on flat ground. The only factor keeping him from wearing himself out was that he had to make sure not to go so fast that his sandals fell off his feet. Reaching his house he got inside before stopping to catch his breath.
Kicking off his sandals he replaced what he was wearing with his more suitable mission outfit. He had never been to a rainforest before but he assumed it would be better to have shoes and an actual shirt. Finished he walked around his room to see if there was anything else he would need. It was a rainforest so he didn’t know if there was anything in particular they would need. There was a set leaving time so it was unlikely they would need to fight in the dark or anything like that. Grabbing a few things to help pass the flight he stuffed them in his pockets and headed back to the school.
Meeting back up with Niina he stood with the others in preparation for the mission. His favorite teacher was there to tell them about what was going on! Fritz was somewhat nervous about going to something so big but he needed to help, plus if Bartal was seeing them off everything was sure to work out fine! Listening to Bartal speak he also thought back to the last mission he was on. They had to deal with some bad madness there and were fine but madness from the moon would be so much worse.
It didn’t matter though. With everyone together they would be able to help everyone! Looking at Niina he noticed she seemed a little nervous but that was to be expected. This was her first time out on a mission and it was a much more important situation than his first mission. What was important though was she didn’t back down when Bartal presented the option. They would do fin once they got there and that was what mattered.
After Bartal’s talk came the plane ride. Everyone seemed to be focused on what was going to be coming up and that made for a pretty boring flight. Sitting next to Niina Fritz thought about his last mission to see if there was anything they could do better. Hopefully there wouldn’t be any fire to deal with and things would go smoother. Trying to think too much about it wouldn’t help anything though, best just to see what the leaders came up with and do their best! Leaning against the window he thought his reflection looked strange and unfitting but brushed it off and went to sleep.
Morning came and the start of the mission grew closer. Getting let off the plane everyone got to eat before they headed out. Shibusen had really thought everything out for this, which only made it seem all the more important. After the food a bus came to take everyone into the forest where the blood was. Niina seemed more ready for the mission now so they really did have nothing to worry about. On the bus Fritz sat and waited for them to reach the destination or something in general to happen.
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Post by Levi Kastein on Nov 13, 2014 20:36:46 GMT -5
Finally a mission that sounded interesting! Levi was now a two star and this mission was like the world was giving him a gift. No weakling that had done something stupid but real danger that he could enjoy fighting against. With the potential to have some fun he had to take the chance so some unworthy one star couldn’t snatch it up. Taking his excuse from class he headed back to his house and deposited his sword to its resting place. There was no way he was going to risk losing Zegen in some filthy forest across the world. Taking what was needed it back to the school to meet with the peasants.
The gathered group was…lackluster. He only knew the Misaki girl and she had common sense to acknowledge him, it wasn’t as fitting as kneeling before him but it was something. Looking at the others nobody else seemed interesting enough to catch his attention. As long as none of them got in his way when they got out he could tolerate them until the mission was over. Returning his attention to the teacher he listened to what he said partially. It was a mission, no need for the special go over.
Obviously he wasn’t talking about him when he said unsure people should leave. He was right though, they would only get in the way of his excellence. So the mission was nothing spectacular. Kill everything, simple as that. Levi hardly paid attention to the bit about the clowns, if they got in his way they wouldn’t get any special treatment. What did catch his attention were how Misaki and her weapon ended up as the ones in charge. What sense did that make? They were both two stars but he was clearly the most fitting to be put in charge!
Snatching the Incom when it was handed to him he shoved it in his pocket only glad they could leave. At least when they reached the airport Shibusen had the decency to get a tolerable plane for him. Ignoring the others he sat in the back of the plane and stared out the window. It had to be some mistake that he was not put in charge of the mission. He didn’t want these commoners as underlings but he wanted to be in charge. Begrudgingly he remained silent on the matter for the plane ride, there was no point bothering doing anything while they were so far away.
Waking only brought more annoyances with it. Finally off the plane they were given a pathetic rest stop with so called food. All of it was so far under his standing he hardly knew what to do with it. At least the school had proper food unlike the garbage given here. Taking what he assumed was the best he settled just to have something. As if things couldn’t get worse they were expected to get into some peasant vehicle that barely passed being a form of transportation.
The ride was about as bad as he imagined. Sitting away from the commoners as best he could manage Levi tried to focus on something other than how horribly the bus moved. Hopefully they would get to where the madness was soon so he could do what they came here for. Once they were done he was going to have to get Shibusen to grant better means of transportation for him.
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Post by Stella Riordan on Nov 22, 2014 22:01:17 GMT -5
Another mission. Oh, fun, fun. It was almost like the other ones had gone fantastic.
Stella had actually wanted to go on this mission. It had seemed interesting to her. There was more than one team going on it, after all. She figured that’d have to be a waste of resources. Send a bunch of one stars on something that should be for two or three stars or something? No, that was obviously not the case. Regardless, Stella was intrigued. She was sure nothing too bad could happen, so might as well see what all the fuss was about. Perhaps she could prove that she wasn’t completely incompetent.
Speaking of said partner, had he wanted to go on this mission too? Stella couldn’t quite recall. Regardless, he was here. She shifted her eyes to the side just to make sure he actually was there. Yup. Cecil Amier was right beside her. Good. She could focus on the lecture now without worrying to herself over stupid things.
Nothing about the speaker particularly impressed Stella. First was the obligatory “the mission you’re about to take is dangerous so turn back now” speech. That’d scare away anyone who didn’t have the guts to actually do what the mission would entail. Stella didn’t turn back, of course! She was confident of her skills. Besides, she didn’t want to run away and make a fool of herself anyway. That’d be pathetic, but then again ending up dead in a ditch would probably be awfully pathetic too.
Next, a rundown of what the mission would actually be. The only thing she already didn’t know was some nonsense about clowns. Don’t touch them. She did not intend to. Clowns were creepy. As much as Stella would not mind beating one up she would prefer to not have to lay a finger on one. The guy also gave a corny grin and thumbs up. Stella couldn’t help but scoff a bit at that.
It seemed as though there would be leaders. Good. So the groups wouldn’t be in complete chaos. Stella did not know who the girl and boy were, but they had decently positive attitudes and would therefore be fine in a leader role, unlike her who’d probably end up assuring everyone they were going to die before the day was over. The rest of the teams were given Incoms. Stella couldn’t fathom why she’d want to talk to the other teams while she was focusing on fighting something, but that might prove useful.
Stella remained quiet for majority of the trip. She was trying to think. The location of the mission... That might introduce some variables she wasn’t fond of. Slippery terrain if it had rained recently or was raining, and extremely hot if it wasn’t. Oh, this’d be fun.
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Post by Myrleia of Bithynia on Dec 11, 2014 21:59:53 GMT -5
Days like this were wonderful. She wasn’t thinking on where to go or how to get there. Mya knew vaguely in the back of her mind that she should get to class, but it wasn’t important enough today to act upon. A wave of wisdom hit her the night before, causing her to lock the door of her room. Unless her sisters wanted to break down the door, they would not be entering. No one would. Remaining alone and in silence, for the time being, she could relax and just be still. Minutes and hours passed by too quickly. Except for a few hollers from the other side of her door and quick rapping sounds meeting her ears occasionally, it was quite a pleasant morning. Until something much more forceful came knocking at her door. Mya should have known that this would occur. That he would be back. They were partners now afterall. The familiar voice of Alex King met her ears. What few memories she had of him flooding all too quickly into her mind. Pressure of water collapsing her lungs. The drive of his soul. Not actually having learned his name from him… But most of all, the acceptance of them being loosely bonded on the doorstep of her ‘home.’ The most she had communicated with someone at this school. Well.. maybe not the most, but he most successful. Trying to catch her mind back up to the words he was speaking through the door, she couldn’t find herself having enough motivation to actually translate them. Reluctantly and slowly, she found herself getting out of bed, dressing, unlocking the door, and coming face to face with her partner. He seemed determined to get her somewhere. Mya certainly didn’t know where or why, but apparently it had been a good enough for reason for her sisters to let him in… Damn them. At the start of being dragged off, Mya had quickly had enough of that. Taking her cestus form, welcoming it, she attached herself to her partner. He could go wherever he wished now. Settling in with his determined wavelength, content on letting him go where he wished, she asked no question as to his intentions. In time she found herself signed up for a mission. She wasn’t sure what it was about or why he wanted it so badly at that very moment, but she just let it slide. It would be way too much effort to question and possibly try to sway him. Dragged around the school, this way and that. Into a group of students with a teacher speaking to all of them. It seemed to be important. A heaviness in the air that couldn’t be shaken. Like a day in Bithynia… The day they chose whether to keep girls as part of their own community or dismiss them to be part of a whole other world. The fear and excitement mixed here the same way. Worry and pleasure. Anxiety in all forms. It made Mya uncomfortable, as much as she tried to ignore it, she still remained connected to Alex’s arm and hand. He eventually became free of her on the plane and bus ride. Not completely, but she didn’t keep her weapon form on him. She sat beside him in both means of transportation, not thrilled to get too far from him. What if she needed a ride? What if she got sick of walking? So by him she stayed. They were partners afterall, shouldn’t they stay together? Mya got some deep sleep on the plane. It was hard not to when she didn’t even really have a clue where they were going or why. Especially when this didn’t bother her at all. It was a good a sleep as any night. The bus was bumpy. Her continuous gaze out the window just filled her head with memories of her home island. The foliage was different. They didn’t have vehicles like this. But… Some areas grew thick with trees and bushes. Creatures roaming the ground. Water somewhere in the distance… Would things always seem to stay unsettled? Like a continuous and unforgiving circle?
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Cecil Amier
Weapon
Demon Butterfly Swords
All the world's a stage, and I the leading actor
Posts: 46
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Post by Cecil Amier on Dec 19, 2014 17:20:07 GMT -5
Somehow his meister had convinced Cecil to go on this mission. He was of course concerned about their safety, as he seemed to be the only one out of the duo to care about risk management, but he couldn't help but also feel disappointed that there would be other people on this super important mission. That would mean he'd have to share the spotlight!
He was then at least determined to make the most of the situation. They were going to pick their battles carefully, they were going to excel, and they were going to garner the respect of their peers. Yup. Standing side by side with Stella Riordan, Cecil couldn't help but feel like this was to be their proper Shibusen debut.
The mission briefing was nothing unexpected, except for who was delegated responsibility. Those were two-star students, eh? Or, at least, so Cecil had assumed. Hopefully those two were wise enough to not lead them all to their deaths.
The rest of Cecil's attention was in sizing up all the other students taking on this mission. He remained silent throughout the trip proper, preferring to take an observational role. Perhaps down the line he could find an opportunity to give tactical advice to the leaders of this trip. That was the purpose of those Incoms they were all handed right? Anything he could do to help the teams work cohesively would help lessen the risk he and Stella would have to take on themselves.
Of course, concentration was difficult to attain amidst the tumultuous bus ride. Honestly, Cecil'd think Shibusen would have allocated a larger budget to this mission's transportation budget. He figured it must have been the result of being taken by surprise and requiring an immediate emergency response. He was certain to write a strongly worded letter to the school board upon his return. Really, so terribly irresponsible of them.
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Post by Rylux on Dec 20, 2014 16:19:44 GMT -5
As the teams moved deeper into the forest the road became less rocky in favor of the occasional pothole. Sunlight grew less frequent as the canopy above came together to block the sky. From the sides branches reached out to scrape against the windows as the bus passed through. Deeper in the lack of sun began to show with the occasional splash as the bus went through a puddle or the streaks of water left on the windows from the trees. The farther in the bus went the more the forest seemed to devour them.
It took some time before the forest began to thin out and patches of light would appear in the canopy above. During the trip through the forest the driver remained silent and allowed the students to converse among themselves without interruption. Once the light began to break through they were along a clearer path for the bus to take. Along the path the ride smoothed out so the teams no longer had to deal with the choppiness of the forest floor. They were still a good distance away but the smooth path was the first sign that they were drawing nearer to civilization and their target.
To most the forest would seem rather normal but if one paid careful attention some strangeness could be noticed. The most noticeable oddity was that despite the noise of the bus the forest was almost completely quiet. While true the bus would scare some creatures away and some noise would be lost by the vehicle it was still unnaturally devoid of creatures. No bird sat on trees or chirped as they flew by, no insects passed the windows of the bus, and no mammals passed overhead or along the sides. Even the wildlife knew it was best to stay away from the area.
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Misaki Saito
Meister
Spear Technician
Tiny Japanese Girl
Posts: 124
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Post by Misaki Saito on Dec 21, 2014 16:20:22 GMT -5
Dion wasn’t looking at her, but that didn’t stop Misaki from rolling her eyes anyway. “I’m getting to that,” she said in a hushed but equally sarcastic voice. Truth be told, she really was. She had a plan in mind, vague though it was. But it was the best she could come up with, and it made perfect sense. Misaki knew she wasn’t the best strategist, oh no. Not by a long shot. She was spontaneous and tended to rush in head first and spend the rest of the time skating along on reacting to the situation on the fly.
She was responsible for leading other people now.
She couldn’t rely on that here.
Speaking of the others, her eyes drifted slowly around the bus. They landed on Levi and his partner first if only by familiarity. He looked about as impressed as she expected him to be: not at all. His partner, on the other hand, she really couldn’t get a read on. She could remember seeing her around the school a few times, but Misaki didn’t know her name. She decided that was fine since names really weren’t at the top of list of priorities at the moment. Whoever she was, she was with Levi, and Misaki knew he wouldn’t partner with anyone who wasn’t a great cut above the rest. That and anyone who could actually handle him enough to work with him had her respect as it was.
And then there was everyone else, and again she was at a loss. It was a hot mess of unknown faces wearing a good variation of expressions. A few were merely silent, fixated on string out the window and likely thinking as much as she was. One girl in particular stood out if only because Misaki could hear her humming just over the sound of the wheels rocking them as the bus ambled down the road. Another simply looked displeased with the whole situation. Clear age difference with a few, a good amount of difference between enthusiasm and a need to just get on with it. Misaki nodded to herself. Now was as good a time as any and Dion was right. She needed to give them some sort of idea on what they would be doing or they’d all be running around like chickens with their heads cut off, her and Dion included.
Misaki stood as the road began to stabilize. She kept her hands on the back of the seat in front of her to keep her balance and let the seriousness of the situation creep onto her face. Was she eager? Oh yes. Was she fighting down a grin? Double yes. But the looks of it, she had a few who would likely listen to her a little better if she at least tried to put up the stereotype of a good leader.
“Alright everyone, listen up for a second,” she said above the sounds the bus made moving through the rainforest. “I’ve come up with a game plan. It’s simple enough and based on the skill level of everyone in here, so please pay attention.” Misaki shifted to place one hand on her hip, taking another glance around and making eye contact with every person who would allow. “Those of you with no mission experience, you’ll be in charge of taking care of the people we run into. Like Bartal told us in the briefing, make sure they don’t endanger anyone else and keep ‘em calm so they won’t turn into a bigger threat.” She wasn’t about to send fresh meat out into the fray straight away. Of course they could help out later, but Misaki wanted to at least ease them into it if at all possible. Hitting the ground running could be an excellent learning experience, but this was a little above the usual situation that warranted that.
“Anyone with mission experience at One Star level, you guys are going after Kishin Eggs,” Misaki continued. “Focus on them first and foremost, only go after monsters if you absolutely have to.” She tried not to make base decisions, but from the looks of the One Stars on the bus…well, it wasn’t fair to make assumptions. She could get a better and more accurate look at them later. Besides, there was one more point to address. Misaki turned dark eyes on Levi and his partner. “Oji-sama, Miss, you’re in the same boat as Dion and I. Our teams will be going after the monsters as our first priority, and clowns if we have to.”
The path smoothed over more as she finished her little speech, and also realized she had no real closer that she’d thought of. But then, thinking on the fly was her specialty. Pausing and looking thoughtful for a moment, Misaki looked back out to all the all the students, speaking at a more normal level now that the vehicle wasn’t creaking and thumping along. “That’s about it I suppose,” was her simple conclusion. The seriousness was fading, a have grin tugging at her lips again with her eagerness and need to plow through enemies growing greater as they grew closer to their destination.
“Any questions?”
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