[center]
[h1][color=f6989d]Meredith[/color], Ria & Diana[/h1]
[h3]A team is made[/h3][/center]

Meredith tilted her head upon hearing the new voice. Ria. That was troublesome. Usually she would just try to avoid her, as her lashings were vicious and she had those eerie eyes. But she was tired of that kind of sentiment to be fair. This time, she would approach her. The fact she already picked up on the changes unnerved Meredith to a degree, and she couldn’t ignore the fact.

[color=f6989d]“You’re so silly, Ria. Been a while, isn’t it?”[/color] She added, putting her most fake smile to avoid triggering any kind of suspicion on the others as she leant closer. [color=f6989d]“If you must know, it was Blackgate’s special training. I am a bit different now… I guess.”[/color] She said in a hushed voice, almost meeting face to face with Ria, before withdrawing once again.

[color=f6989d][i]At least the illusion seems holding up. Good[/i][/color]. She thought to herself. [color=f6989d]“I suppose… you’re not interested in joining your school? I am in dire need of teammates.”[/color] She said, cutting to the chase. If Ria had found out about the change, the best way to shut her up was putting her in a place where she could see her.

That smile was breathtaking in its deceptiveness. Ria glanced over her shoulder at the gathered Vigilantes. She was, after all, only a reserve member. Besides, she had to know what [i]this [/i]was. For the sake of her own curiosity if not for Wolf himself. “Yeah, sure. I think I’d like to see how far this goes. Problem is, even if I join up we’re still one down and, lets be real here, you’re not doing yourself any favors having me on the team if you want to attract somebody else from St. Laurel’s.”

Meredith furrowed her brow as she raised her head, just like she would have done in the past. She used to not like thinking in complicated things, but these days, some devious thoughts alarmingly were easy to produce. [color=f6989d]“Let’s go and see. I am pretty sure the third member of the team doesn’t need to be a Saint Laurel…”[/color]  She added, indicating Ria to come with her.

Outside, near the Saint Laurel’s gathering, a trio of oddly-dressed boys were talking back and forth with a girl. Their uniforms were all of the same school, one of the myriads of smaller fry that would flock to the tournament to get a one in a million chance.

For all the outrageous comments of the boys, it seemed that the girl hadn’t broken her composture. Yet. She was dressed in a dark dress and was fairly petite, with rather long silken hair, and a joyless expression. If she hadn’t seen move and talk, Mer could have easily confuse her for a life-sized doll.

“I gather you are serious about this.” She said, making minimal inflections. 

It was the turn for one of the boys to reply. The most striking of them with a manly figure and a prominent chin, started addressing her in a deep voice.

“Grant Handsome has decided that YOLOman and Reapper are going to be his teammates.” He added, indicating first to an oddly dressed guy who moved his head around like an overexcited bird, and finally a hooded figure with a skull mask.  “If you do not like it, you can always start your own, my little flatbread.”

Diana sighed. “You know that Rhean Technical does not have money for two teams, Grant. And YOLOman tried to fly by strapping himself to a lot of electrical fans and then jumped out of the window.”

“Bitches go whistle, yo.” said the unholy union between a rapper imitator and gothic wannabe called Reapper.

“...so be it.” Diana said to herself. She mentally noted herself to haunt Grant’s sleep with reanimated snakes.

Meredith, who had been witness to the scene, looked at the other girl, then Ria. [color=f6989d]“Perfect timing, don’t you agree, Riri?”[/color]

“I seen this before.” Ria said, covering her face with one hand and grinning. “The school doesn't think it can win, so the only people interested in trying are weirdos like that who just want to have fun with it. It’s endearingly self-aware. I dig it.” Her eye though, which peeked out from between her fingers, locked in on the girl in black. “Not that one though. I don’t know why she’s here, but she’s serious about this. Hey! Depressed girl! Come over here, we’ve got a proposition for you.”

“Depressed girl. Hm. Could have been a little more polite.” Diana added as she eyed the two figures, turning her back to their former team and eyeing the two girls. She remained calm and composed even though one of them seemed to be oozing in dark power and the other had an unnerving quality in her eyes. She eyed both of their uniforms, resting perhaps a bit too much in how those hugged certain parts of the female anatomy. Parts that she lacked.

“Hm, what is it, ma’am?” She said in her best business tone.

“Oh, look at it, our corpse-humper is now turning a bun bun hunter. Rejection doesn’t settle well with her. Eh? Eh?” Grant said, winking at Reapper while trying to nudge him with his elbow.

“YOLO!” said wisely Yoloman.

Diana didn’t even bother turning her gaze onto their jeerings.

Meredith’s eyes were on the new girl, just like Ria’s. [color=f6989d][i]That perception of hers is scary.[/i][/color] She paused as she took a better look at the girl. She… gave her a dark, occult vibe. In other circumstances that would have been bad, but not this time. 
Ria, for her part, didn’t get any vibes of the mythical persuasion. What she did get was that this person was actually taking this seriously. It was like she’d seen in Meredith, something in the way she held herself. “I’m gonna cut right to the chase here.” Ria said. “There’s an old provision in the rulebook that lets students fight in a team from a school that’s not theirs so long as they make up the “vast minority” of that team. In practice that means that if a school team is one woman short, they can pick up a free agent to round out the numbers. Me and Meredith here are in that position and you have just fallen into our laps, so what do you say? You want to be in our team?”

Diana folded her arms, she was obviously thinking the pros and cons, before setting her arms aside in a shrugging motion. “I am aware of said rule. It’s exceedingly rare because schools usually have their teams fairly set before the tournament proper and last minute entries are very few.” Her eyes rested on Meredith’s for a moment, as if about to say something.

“I usually ask for fees for my time, but this is tournament day, and your timing was impeccable. I shall waive any fee for my time and just share the prize and glory should they come to us instead.” She eyed Ria, offering a rather antiquated but elegant curtsy.

“Call me Diana. Diana Graeca. I am a specialist of the occult fare.” She added. “Just like Meredith.”  Truth to be told Diana was ecstatic. Saint Laurel students had a lot of money usually, and being in their hub, even for a few hours, was bound to produce wealthy connections. 

“Well look at that, easy peasey.” Ria said, slapping the both of them on the shoulder. “You guys even have something in common.” She extended her hand to Diana. “Thanks for the help, I’m Ria. Full disclosure, you’re probably going to hate me by the end of the night.”

[color=f6989d][i]How many people are going to pick up on the demonic magic today?[/i][/color] Mer fumed internally, barely reacting at all at the shoulder clap. 

Diana, however, seemed startled like a baby deer for a fraction of second, before her restraint kicked in. She was not used to being touched, or having her personal space invaded. She brushed the shoulder gently afterwards.

“Feelings are irrelevant. It is results that are relevant.” Diana just added, before  lowering her voice. “In a sense. She has demonic energies… and I happen to be a necromancer.” Diana admitted in a low voice.

Meredith eyed Diana with mild surprise. She had never expected to get a catch this good. It seemed like the third member would be useful and not an add on in name only. [color=f6989d]“I’m half-demon”[/color] She said, pouting. [color=f6989d]“And I’m Meredith Blackgate… nice to meet you Dee.”[/color]

[i]“Dee?”[/i] Diana raised an eyebrow. 

[color=f6989d]“Oh you know, Diana. Dee.”[/color] Mer replied to Diana’s surprise. [color=f6989d]“Oh… just forget it. Let’s go inside.”[/color]

“Spooky team I ended up on.” Ria said, shaking her head. “So, a businesswoman, huh? I can respect that.” She said to Diana as they walked back inside, probing disguised as small talk. There was something this one as hiding too, she bet. Nothing to do but try and see.