[IC] The Demon Hunters' Academy

[Sam12435]

Jace had finally relaxed as he took the final bite of his bread roll. He was feeling content for the first time today. But apparently life had other plans. Jace didn’t notice the feeling in the air until her heard a word from one of the students.

“Demon”

After hearing it, the aura suddenly hit him like a train. A small wave of panic came over his as he went to grab for his shield, only to find it wasn’t there. The haunting sounds from the gate drifted through he window as he saw Hunter get up and face his rifle out the window. His words were reassuring, and with that, Jace’s hesitance and nervousness disappeared, replaced with… excitement? Jace couldn’t explain it, but he was pumped up. After hearing one of the girls say she was going to question the thing, Jace decided it was time to make his move.

“I’m going too. If something happens, I think it would be good to stay in groups. We will be counting on you.” He said with a glance to the sniper. With a wave of his hand and a whistle, the two wolves were at attention and ran their way down the stairs. The hawk flew out the window to find a perch, keeping a lookout was her job. He sent the wolves ahead as he ran to his room and quickly slipped his shoes and gloves back on. He stared at his shield for a few seconds, somewhat hesitant to grab it. His hand was in a lot of pain. He contemplated it for a few seconds before he sighed and grabbed it. Even if it hurt, he needed to grab it. If he didn’t have it, he wouldn’t be able to protect anyone, let alone himself. He gritted his teeth as he ran down the stairs and out the door to see two students, the one from earlier and a large boy standing at the gate, face to face with that… thing. His wolves had run up alongside the students and were baring their fangs despite the considerable size difference between them and the demon. He carefully walked up and held his shield at his side, keeping eye contact with the demon as he listened to the girl question the thing. How she could sound to calm he didn’t know. This thing… its clawed hand... its voice… it was creepy as all hell. He wouldn’t let his fear get the better of him though. He was ready to fight, or rather, ready to stop anything that might try to hit them. His best use was a tank, run in and get hit while his allies did damage. He did have one thing he could do, but he hated using it.

“The hell did I get myself into…” He mumbled as he raised his shield in front of him, its eyes glowing a faint blue. He watched on as the thing seemed to stare into their soul with its lifeless eyes. He had never seen a demon this big, and frankly, he wished he never would again. He just stood, silent, waiting for something to happen.

[LetterA]

Suddenly the masked figure got the attention he wanted. A lot of attention it seemed, as one figure approached at the same time they felt a weapon pointed in their direction. "..Yo," said the red-head, followed with a interrogative, "What do you want?" Before the nuisance could even reply, however, the red head mumbled to themselves in annoyance before glancing down and back up, a look of intense desire filling their eyes. Desire for blood, that is. In the figurative sense, of course, given that demons don't have blood- well, this one didn't. The inward joke pulled a chuckle from the masked individual, pausing just as another, smaller addition arrived.

"Hello," she greeted, to which the demon cheerfully waved via claw not on the gate. She continued to politely ask them to stop their shenanigans involving the gate rattling to which the demon replied with a stop, raising it's clawed arm and apologizing, "Oh, my bad, my bad! I just wanted to call you guys out, you know! Of course I wouldn't want to get hurt, no way, no way!" A laugh escaped the mask, before stopping and with a hand ushering the small girl. "But yes," he directed with a wave of a claw, "Do feel free to ask questions."

She listed three out in a list and at first there was a pause. The clack of nail against solid clay seemed to echo much louder than it should have, the demon pondering on the responses before finally-
"Alright, so sorry if I get this order wrong princess. But-" the Noh mask coughed as though clearing it's throat- "I'm not here to eat you, don't worry. I was sent from HQ, you know. Apparently a few students stayed back to fight- which is very admirable by the way!- and they sent me to get you guys safe. Which-" it's dark figure shuffled, at an attempt of a human shrug- "onto the second subject, no. I'm afraid I'm not quite strong enough to call forth an army, even with demons as weak as earlier." It seemed to interrupt itself, interjecting with an additional, "And by the way! That is rather rude to think I wanted to eat you all! See, I'm very much a hardcore vegetarian and I wouldn't hope you force such demonic stereotypes upon me. Okay?"

The mask tilted to the side, which was cute in it's own weird way, soothing pheromones almost seeping out of the black robes. "Ah," noted the demon, "As for the last question. I'm afraid we're strangers, little halfa. My name is Nuisance. Nice to meet you!"

---

Ixion Farbright

"Mm okay," tried to assure the blue haired idiot, too late as Ase had already left. His body still felt very cold, but admittedly much better. Anyone could say what they wanted, but the Biting Belladonna was very good at her job. So good in fact, that Ixion was already starting to push himself off the bed. There really did seem to be a demon, and loverboyHunter over there even already had his weapon out. He needed Lady, he decided as he struggled to stand, his head throbbing. He took deep breaths again, his hold around the stone Ase'd given him tightening.

His clouded head starting to brighten, Ixion made his way back to the table he'd rested Lady Whiplash on, struggling to strap it on his arm. Everything was so disoriented, he noted at each sound clip, "What the hell's wrong?" At first, equipping Lady seemed unfamiliar, too, but upon finishing the straps, found that everything was suddenly back to normal. The teen's head was on straight, his breathing became a bit more even, and it was comfortable to be in his own skin. It'd been the first time in his eighteen years of life he'd encountered such a strong demonic energy, he noted, making his way back to the group, the sound of Lady Whiplash opening slicing through the air. There were only a handful of demon teachers in the Main Academy, and they seemed to hide their pressure well enough. Or was it something else?

Shaking his head of cluttering thoughts, the blue haired teen made his way towards the blonde sniper, making sure his footsteps were loud so as not to surprise the guy. Tapping Hunter's shoulder, Ixion suggested, "Hey, I got this. Why don't you head up? Besides. Ase's my partner. Might as well be responsible for her." He only shared a few classes with the Archer given their difference in class rank, but from what Ixion remembered observing, the guy was much better when on a bit of a raised platform.

---

Gabriel "Angel" Avlon

Blue eyes flickered from the disabled demon to the healing wound, a wave of warmth rushing into his shoulder. It was as though Angel was soaking in a warm bath after a hard day of training, with no worry for having to finish soon. Sel'Ar stopped and pulled away, glancing from his fading bruise to his eyes, asking a timid, "B-better?"

Stretching out his arm, Angel was pleased to see it really was better, no hint of pain felt in any small exercise. "Yeah," he said with a grin, "Much better! Man, Sel'Ar," he jeered, lightly punching her on the side of her arm, "You look pretty cool when you're healing people!" He seemed to stop, however, as a commotion arose in the vicinity. With the speed of an energetic twelve-year-old, the blonde boy took to heading around his wheelchair bound partner, tucking it backwards into the shadows where, hopefully, the two wouldn't be seen. After all, Angel had just healed and wasn't sure if his bowing capabilities were up to par and Sel'Ar... well, Sel'Ar was Sel'Ar.

Reaching a curious head around the corner, Angel whispered, "There's a guy at the gate," his ski slope nose furrowing as his eyes squinted into focus. "I think? There're other people, too. Yeah, no, there is a guy at the gate-" his line of vision had cleared with a bit of shuffling amongst the gathering's end- "He's just... standing there, though." Pausing, Angel pulled himself away and took a seat beside Sel'Ar's parked vehicle, at the same time shuffling inside his pocket and pulling out three slips of unused magic circles. He still didn't know how his healed arm worked, and he was too tired from having kept out the earlier demon that carried his partner around prior to finding the wheelchair. At the thought of another threat, it seemed as the whole day's weariness finally fell over Angel's being. He didn't even want to fight anymore. He just wanted a nap.

"God," he groaned, pulling his knees closer to his chest and burying his head between them. The blonde sat like that for a while, breathing slowly and evenly, though minor spasms here and there showed that he was, no doubt, crying silently. He was, even beyond the skills and bravado, only twelve. Angel wiped his head side to side on his sleeves first before raising his head, the usually pale corners of his eyes and nose tinted with pink. His face was back into their usual annoyed glare, his arms reaching back to his case and pulling out Maria. Still seated, he looked up to Sel'Ar and asked, "Are you sure everything works straight up properly? I can't have my arm fucking suddenly spazzing on me and shit mid-bow."

[Shiinen]

Ah...A smile of her own fell upon the blind girl's lips as she heard his words, face...a bit red at the words he gave, but happy nonetheless that he was going to come back. She didn't want to lose the friend she'd just made. With the alternative meaning that the words would have had go over her head (or the part of it that would care to be upset by it?), she was happy to nuzzle his bared chest before he sat her up, a content look on her expresson for...all of a few seconds once he got up and she heard the word "Demon" whispered out. ...Her cheeks puffed out a bit, a sharp huff following as she thought that yet another invasion was coming around!

"Hnnng...."

Id would help the girl to her feet once she understood that the aggravation she was feeling was a sign to help her up and out to whatever it was that was going on. With her cane in hand, she'd actually be shifting out to the gates to hear over what was being said as Id stayed by her side. Ego...? ...Well...Consider her out the damn door already, degenerating into a series of laughters and snickers at the site of the mask tilting.
"Oh, jeez, that has to be the lamest thing in the world if it's meant to be threatening! That is way too cute!"
"Really, Ego? Is this the time for nonsense?"
Eika's lips curved into something of a frown as she leaned to the side and tapped the wall twice with her cane to assume the distance it'd take to move between here and both the inside and outside of the building.

"...So...If there's a demon supposedly being sent h- ...Why am I questioning these things...? Our school staff isn't thinking very well, is it? What do we do now?"
Well, past making a small pulling notion on her end that sent Ego dropping down and being forced back up in front of her. The resulting growl was a sign of her mere displeasure.
"I hate when you do that..."

[Tokki]

Blake groaned as soon as he heard it:

"Demon."

What? Another one? Well, damn- weren't they a lucky buncy to not only be bombarded and nearly overrun by a million rain blobbies, but also to be visited by something that sounded much, much more menacing. The way Ixion's front changed spontaneously had made it crystal clear he wasn't shitting about.

Within a short timespan and shuffling here and there, three students, including his tank of a partner had left to go confront the being at the gate. A ballsy trio they were, interrogating a man like that- Blake nodded respectfully. With a swift move he pulled out his nail file to sharpen his pinky claw, and thought about the formation of the group. Like Hunter had said, if they were running around all willy-nilly like last time they wouldn't survive to see the next sunrise.

By the time the trio had reached ground floor, Blake had decided to stay at the dorms, watching and focusing on their possible adversaries at the gate. He would revise his spells and by the time shit hit the fan, he would be ready to at least perform a few snares or stuns on anyone that decides to engage. It was a liable plan, not much could go wrong.

Not much .

"Alright guys. Let's try our best to not get anyone killed." he flashed a smile laced with worry towards the remaining students, doing a double take at the giant in flashy armour.

Blake glanced out of the window once more. From what he had seen there seemed to be another exorcist, considering he had pretty cool beads... White-haired halfy who he'd apologized to earlier, hm. Probably a medic? She seemed like the type. And last, Jace, the shield. He wondered if he was the type to act on an impulse and started to get a little worried. It was his job to block incoming danger and all that jazz- so he'd have to keep his sides clear. Blake figured he would help with that.

...and with that, he quietly recited his opening incantation with all his focus on the gate.

[deadpixel101]

Maxamillion "Hulk" Lovecannon

Maxamillion was refused any action when he felt a small tug on is shirt. He turned to see the short figure from the couch coming around to his side. He looked down at her with some confusion. He didn't weigh in on the conversation once she began speaking, she seemed like the type to not enjoy interruptions, and Max was the type to not deal with those people.

He listened with a slightly furrowed brow to the masked demon. His questions being somewhat answered in a different form. Probably an apt name.. Max fixed his long necklace to be strapped around his arm. He didn't trust this demon, not even a little, but making it look like he did seemed like a good enough plan or now. He crossed his arms and looked down to the little white haired chick

. "So..." He decided to finally break in. "Where are we going then?" He wanted to be a little less unsure abut this creature before he decided to leave nothing but air between him and it.

He tried to read into the mask again, looking over the figure to try and find some hint of personality, some sense of how they felt or were poised. They were covered up pretty well, which didn't make Max trust him any more. Why would they send a demon instead of a teacher or someone we actually know? "I don't exactly ant to pick up and leave, we don't know if anyone else is still here for sure..." He leaned over to look past the masked figure. "Also why are you alone? Wouldn't it be safer to travel with a bunch of other hunters, we were just assaulted by an army after all..." His cold eyes set back on the mask. He wanted to drill out whatever was hidden behind it, be it secrets or enemies.

Sel'ar M. Eindz

Sel'ar didn't know how to handle compliments too well, when Angel had called her "cool" she had been ore confused than happy. This followed by a light punch and a sudden jerking backwards Sel'ar was all but flabbergasted.

"The gate?" She asked lightly, so lightly it was probably inaudible. She wasn't really ready for more action...Not the was ever really ready for it. Her partner came to her side and assured her of the new arrival, which made Sel's hands clench up a bit. She was scanning the scene a the school entrance with her light eyes. Wondering who was there, and how much damage would come to either side when things got bad...

She looked over to her partner, to try and see what he had to say on the matter, but instead she saw him curled down, a small ball of human feelings and uncertainty. Without making a sound it was hard to tell what he was doing, but his light movements made it clear...

"Uhm..." Another soundless noise. She wasn't so sure what to do. Raising a shaky hand to try and pat her partner on the back she was taken away from that by said partner jerked back up, his usual poison back in his eyes.

"Uh...Sh-should be fine. Unless it was broken it will probably have healed for the most part...but, b-be careful either way...please." She didn't feel too confident in her own abilites at most times, but if she was helping someone she learned she had to be. So, she was sure he should be fine...

Should be.

Probably okay.

It's likely...

Maybe.

[cerozer0]

"You sure live up to your name."

The arrival of Jace gave her a slightly stronger expression, and with each excited answer from the devil she grew more and more wary. When she was suddenly called 'princess', though, was when her expression finally cracked, but only for a moment. This... Nuisance was like Ixion. His mannerisms, his speech patterns, it was all strangely like the blue-haired prick that was her partner. It was oddly discomforting, but she decided to ignore the warning signals in her head for the time being, deciding that it was just a horrible coincidence. His turn-around about demon stereotypes made her feel bad for a moment, but it passed when noise sounded from behind. She glanced back slightly when Max started to speak, obviously trying to dig something out of the supposed HQ-sent demon. Ase listened silently to his ribbing before taking a step closer to the gate, scanning Nuisance's body over with sharp eyes while her nose sniffed slightly, obviously picking up a new scent from the man,

"My friend here is correct, why wasn't a teacher or a well known official sent to gather us up? We've never met you before, so how can I- we- be sure to trust you?" Patron rose, the amber-stone tip pointing at the areas which seemed to be strained from constant pulling. Her eyes refused to move, focused solely on the mask with their unnaturally calm stare,

"Why would someone from HQ attempt to tear the gate down? I heard it, I heard the creaking and I see the damage. And you feel pretty strong from where I'm standing. No," Her open hand waved to the building behind her, where a few of the students seemed to be gathering outside or by the windows, "from back there. I could smell you and feel you from back there. Most of us in that building could. Such a nauseating aura, what is it doing surrounding a supposed HQ-sent official?" Ase leaned forward, both hands wrapping around Patron as she smiled a shockingly sweet, out-of-character smile. Discussing the matter at hand with the others back in the dorm was the obvious solution, they could all decide together whether to let this man in or keep him out, but at the same time she wanted to try and catch this fella in a lie of sorts so it wouldn't have to come to that. Max helped quite a bit with that, already pointing out many flaws in his answers.

"If you can give me a reason to trust you then I'll consider letting you in, but until then you won't be setting a foot through that gate." Her smile faded, returning to its emotionless line, "and I'll make sure of it. Make even one aggressive move and I will not hesitate to seal you on the spot." The threat was nearly empty, seeing as Ase was still only at half-power, even after the nap, and even if she were at full power she wouldn't be able to do anything harmful to Nuisance besides create a few inconveniences. But, her presence didn't give away her weakness. What she lacked in power she made up for in appearance; her soul was large and she knew it. So, Ase attempted to match her aura to that of Nuisance, trying to appear much stronger than she actually was.

She straightened eventually, shifting Patron to one hand while the other dug into her skirt pocket, closing tightly around an agate stone, hoping to keep herself from shaking and to keep her aura pure and suffocating to the demon before her. Similar to that of a lizard who scared away hunters by making their necks larger, she was trying to keep the Nuisance at bay by faking. If it worked, good, if not then oh well. She just needed to keep him behind the gate until the ability to trust him was available.

[HellOfALife]

and


Niorin was probably far too much of a prissy cat to even think about thanking Darius for technically saving her ass when nearly half the school turned to rubble after that mass exorcism, the subsequent hours after though, made her think that maybe she owed him at least a little bit of gratitude, but just as expected she found herself on the carpet of the Boys Dormitory, lazing around in a semi-private space, boobing her head slowly to the ambient music being played in her headphones while Lexion paced back and forth right in front of her. No doubt he was fretting over the suspicious occurrences around the school, just how did the entire school population escape bar the students who were here now? How the hell was she supposed to know? Yet, still Lexion persisted in asking the same question with only a variation in wording every few times. Removing one earphone each time had started to grate her nerves, and she honestly couldn't even tell what was getting to the brunette. It was times like these where she honestly wanted to smack some sense into the mannerly teen, but she realized it would be better for him to wax it out, until he invariably fell asleep, or went back to his own dorm, where she was most likely to crash in and send him to sleep on the floor if he kept this up all night. While her eyes were mostly closed, she eyed him a few times, and noticing some of that dried black gunk still visible on his jacket and shirt, and from the one ear she had free from her earphones, she heard the distinct rumbling of his stomach as he walked a little further down the hallway and turned around again, rubbing his abdomen with only a bit of awareness of his current state. Niorin sighed deeply, and pulled her backpack over her shoulder, pulling out the sandwich she had earlier for him to feast on. From her position on the floor she offered it up, naturally like he would usually do, he paused for a minute to deny it, but reconsidered after realizing that he hardly ever ate when he was this worried, he grasped it from the outstretched hand, unwrapping the saran wrap off it, before taking a large, grateful bite out of it. This finally made him somber down some, and he found it better to eat next to Niorin while she simply recalled the events of today. She may have seemed uncaring for all it was worth, but in actuality she was quietly analyzing the situation, trying to piece together the events in a logical manner, she started to clench, and un-clench a few times, still desiring a chance to use her bow and arrows like she wanted.

Lexion spoke with his mouth of sandwich, which was surprisingly unlike him Niorin noted, but he usually didn't act too much like he did around others than he did with her."Whfat du yu thiunk's going on?" he said in between chewing. "I said, I don't know, so stop asking me you pest." he swallowed for a moment before turning away to burp, and smile queasily at Niorin, who was most obviously annoyed by him at this point. "Well I'm glad we're both okay, those things were relentless." she didn't have the humility to agree with him and simply grunted in response, as the echo of the music from her headphones filled the hallway, and then Lexion balling up the saran wrap in his large hands. He took to alternating between listening to the crickets of the night, and the oddly calming nature of the music Niorin was playing, it caused him to move his head side to side, yawning just a few moments after. "You think we'll get to sleep tonight?' he said as he stretched and adjusted his already too long legs into a lazier position for relaxing. "You know, I don't think resting should be an option when the whole damn school is probably haunted with the demons we killed who probably want revenge or something, and who knows if and when the rest of the school will return."

Lexion agreed only slightly before sighing. "They could have at least left us a note or something before leaving or maybe at least bringing us alone, m-maybe it's a test?"

"Lexion?"

"Mmh?"

"Shut up..."

[Spawnling]

Hunter's rifle had been centered on the mask, specifically the left eye hole, for awhile now. The sniper's breath was measured and steady, intensely focused on being sure that his first shot would turn the head into red mist, or at least stagger the demon if it made a move. Occassionally someone would shift in front of his scope and he'd twitch, finger leaving the trigger before resuming his watch. It took him a few minutes, focused as he was, to even notice that Ixion had tapped him and spoken. He had to agree though...in his current position, he was at a disadvantage. He slid the rifle back, allowing Ixion to take over as he slung it over one arm, then gave the boy a look.

"We're all responsible for each other, we're a team."

With that, the sniper hoofed it out of the room, stopping at the doorway as a thought hit him. He turned back to the others in the room.

"Someone should check the back of the building, make sure this isn't a distraction for an ambush. I'll head right above you guys, so if you hear me stomp my feet three times, it means trouble."

Hunter left the room, making a beeline for the stairs. His boots thumped heavily against the floor as he jogged down the hallway, choosing a room he was fairly certain gave a clear shot out. The door was locked. Seriously? Who takes the time to lock their door during an attack, let alone an evacuation? He could try bodyslamming it down, even Hunter had enough mass to do that. But it was faster to pull out the pistol and obliterate the lock with two well aimed bullets. He slid onto the bed, heaving the window open and surveying his post. It was a beautifully clear overlook. In fact, no matter where the others stood, he could get a clear shot provided no one closed into melee with the demon. The scope centered on Max for a moment. Well, there goes the no melee hope. The rifle swung back up to survey the surrounding area, making sure the demon wasn't just a loud distraction to keep people's attention focused on him. With occasional checks back to make sure nothing was happening, the sniper began Overwatch of the entire front of the school, silently wishing he had bought the nightvision scope some time ago.

[Scallop]

Stephen was busy listening to Hunter's thing about the feather, when the comotion broke out. In all the chaos he just sat on the ground, tilting his head at Rai. "Somehow I think you should stop talking to me during the classes Rai, I didn't even know this thing about the feather!" He was a bit distressed, but he hadn't noticed what was going on eiether because Rai was practically covered in fire. Rai just looked at him with a very smug face. [b]"Well if you don't want me to keep you company, fine. I'll just be on my way back to my home where I'll more than likely be killed. Oh wait! I can't! Cos I'm linked to you!" She giggled again and poked his leg with a burning finger.

He sighed and stood up to see Hunter with his sniper in his hands. How long had he not been paying attention? He didn't really care, he was in danger, they all were in danger. And dying in school was not part of his life plan. His plan was to get out of this damned school, and find a job where he could get money and eventually get rich or some shit like that. Rai would probably help. But right now he had to focus on surviving, and that meant evry man for himself! But not to Hunter....damn Hunter, why do you have to be so nice! Steve probably could've jumped ship ages ago.

"H-hunter...what the hell is going on!?" He said, sweating heavily, getting ready to bolt it. He looked around in total desperation. "MORE BLOODY DEMONS! Just perfect! This was exactly what I wanted!" Rai laughed on his shoulder, thank god he couldn't feel her fire. "Ok....I'm gonna head to the back of the building....it seems alright back there. Anyone wanna come with me...." In his head he was begging no one would but he knew someone would be so kind hearted to say yes... Why couldn't people just be cold hearted monsters?

[NarcissisticPotato]

Unfortunately, any opportunity for further argument was ruined whenever Blue decided that she was beneath him. Sticking out her tongue at his turned-back was probably detrimental to her cause but she did it anyway, mindlessly at that.

Food however, was still on her mind and she finished up quickly before going to see what else she could rob without appearing to take too much food. Anyway, the blue-haired guy took a few slices of pizza. Smiling, she eyed up the fruit bowl that had been nestled in the corner - that was precisely what she needed. Years of eating meat had soured her from the food so she eagerly ate whatever was grown.

Letting her hand drift over the fruit, she heard Ixion's call to arms and she really couldn't help but sigh - demons never let her everything she wanted to do; that primarily being sleep. Turning back around, she fished an apple from the bowl and raised it to her red lips before her mildly-pronounced fangs dug in and extracted the sour nectar.

Letting out another sigh, she flung her arms up and turned her eyes skyward - once again silently cursing the foul deity that had stolen her only desire. Although, she realised that this was probably not the best idea considering the fact that the first attack happened straight after she cursed said-God. Sending a bit of a sorry look upwards, she crunched down on her apple before trudging out to the group.

On her passing of Claws, she noted his pretty poor choice of words considering what he was doing only a few minutes earlier. Armed with a dark look, Cara narrowed her eyes and sat up on the back of the sofa he was on before drawing her gun around. "Strong-" Her hand pulled at the latch that extended the shoulder rest "-words, Claws." With that, she extended the barrel out and clicked it into place before moving over to take point.

Jelly seemed like a good kid, he really did but Cara wasn't in the mood for dealing with a scared little kid and his homicidal demon-buddy. So, she made the conscious decision to leave his offer and focus down on the scene playing out in front of her.

The demon was strong, to say the least but that wasn't the thing that bothered her - she felt like she should have known him but she really had no idea. This guy looked a little freaky but if he thought he was going to deprive her of sleep, he had something else coming. "Can we just shoot him? I hate to kill the negotiations but that guy smells like trouble and over the years, I've grown a keen sense of smell for that."

[Marshmellow]

It should be noted that, being entirely human (even if slightly cursed), Darius had absolutely no way to actually gauge the power of the demon behind the gate. So while the other students were treading carefully to avoid an outright confrontation, he'd seen no reason not to get straight to the heart of the matter. Tact was just for people that weren't Darius.

But barging through and completely missing all the social cues, now, that was much more his style.

"What is that thing and why hasn't somebody shot it yet?"

It had certainly taken long enough for Darius to arrive at the scene. He was able to ignore the commotion at first, but when it started getting irritatingly loud he had no choice but to leave his half-charged phone in the hallway and make an entrance.

"I know we have Archers out the ears in this group. Why is it still breathing?" He'd come into the courtyard from the north wing, his jagged sword clicking and scraping as he dragged it behind him. Fortunately, he had been in earshot long enough to hear the alibi of the creature now trying to get inside. "It's not from HQ," he announced to no one in particular. "I phoned the teachers and they said they couldn't send anyone 'til tomorrow." He halted; the sword swung around to the front and pointed at it. "Seriously. If this thing was more obviously evil it would be made of skeletons and screaming babies--screaming skeleton babies?--and leaving a trail of human blood whenever it moved."

Darius turned a few degrees to the left to point his sword at the group of hunters-in-training gathered around the gate. "Good paranoia everyone," he said with something almost like approval. "If it could get through the walls it'd probably kill us all. So, good job on that one. I appreciate not getting killed."

[Tokki]

"Hey-"

Blake could practically see the venom dripping off of the gunslinger's words. About mid-recital he cracked open an eye and took a peek at the girl, catching a glimpse of light glistening off the surface of something... sharp as she opened her mouth to take a bite of the apple. Fangs? Was she part lycan too- or a demon? It would be pretty cool if she were a lycan too or somethi--

"...and tell me sincerely you're not one of those putrid bastards from hell."

No wonder.

Blake's mini-recital was abruptly stopped as he turned his body towards the female, his knuckles turning white as his nails dug into his palms anxiously. That one line probably pissed her, the white-haired halfa, and all the other demons within the vicinity off.

Oh my goodness, Jiro- you're being as impulsive as ever. It's no wonder you have so little friends.

And so he decided he was going to apologize. It was now or never, and he'd prefer it if he got their own teammates to co-operate with him; on and off the battlefield. Blake bit his lips as he struggled to look the girl in the eye.

"About earlier- I didn't mean that. The only demons I had in mind were the ones that were out to kill us, but I guess that's my fault for being so narrow-minded, huh? I'm sorry about all that." he tried to make sure any other possible demons within the room, halfie or not, would be able to hear. He really did appreciate friendships with anyone, demon or not. However the earlier attack did have an effect on him- and everyone else. He failed to realize that he wasn't the only one going through a shitstorm at that moment, and now certain people already dislike him.

Good going.

Blake finished off his apology with a crooked smile and a hand outstretched towards the gun-wielder for a handshake.

I know you probably think I'm a huge dick. But I'll make it up to ya, so... truce for now? Please?" he pleaded with her using the best puppy-dog eyes he could muster.

With a hand still directed towards her, he called out to Stephen.

"Jelly, I'll go with ya. There are enough people here to watch out for the guys at the gate anyway. Just say when and we can leave."

[LetterA]

The masked stranger shuffled under the interrogation combo of the red head and the halfa, though whether it was from discomfort or another of it's shrugging attempts, it was unsure. "Woah theres, children," it said, raising its two arms defensively, "Sorry for bein a stranger! I introduced myself though, my name's Nuisance. Your teachers are kinda busy doin' you know... teacher stuff, takin care of students, and as for these 'well-known officials'"- at least Nuisance could manage decent air quotes with it's claws- "they're busy with the rest of the city. You know, the one overrun. With demons."

The mask suddenly moved far back, and paired with the laughter could be assumed to be Nuisance's way of communicating humor. As the mask slowly fell forward once more, a taloned arm rose to wipe at a nonexistent tear from the mask's eyes, followed with a more solemn, "And really, really, I'm sorry about the gate thing. I'm just"- the claw opened and closed- "not quite used to the human world just yet. Same thing about my aura, it's hard to control under this mask..." Nuisance seemed to shrink a few sizes after the white haired half-demon bared her fangs(figuratively), but while doing so raising his aura up a notch.

A short, pained scream screeched through the air.

Nuisance reverted to it's original size, as did it's power, tilting it's mask slightly to the side as though attempting to be cute. "Don't try and play games with me little princess," cooed the demon as it pressed the Noh mask close to the gate, bending to match eye level with the halfa, "I'm rather competiti-"

The phrase- which would've been totally cool and evil sounding had it been finished- was interrupted by another appearance. A boy of average height, build, everything. Except, you know, for the fact that he was practically part fish. Shark, to be exact. "Excuse you, babies are appreciated everywhere," interjected Nuisance with an almost childish whine, "I would never harm one!" It's dark cloak like body shuffled about, and a small titter of noise could be heard behind the mask, before Nuisance continued-

"Aw man forget it. I know the old man was here though- watch your back, brats. And your front, too"- the head nod was an unmistakable wink to the four that had gathered- "I'll be back~!"

And it seemed, as the sun finished setting and the sky was covered with darkness spare the moon and a splatter of stars, Nuisance melted into the ground, the clatter of his mask hitting the ground echoing in the silence.

---

Ixion Farbright

He had playfully saluted as Hunter started off, replacing the blonde's spot and taking careful aim of the masked individual. He was feeling especially good that day, Ixion noted, as looseness and calm seemed to fill his body, his eyes sharp and focused. Man, was it the two pizzas? Because he really could have used three, but maybe two was like the perfect balance. Speaking of pizza- oh geez. Seriously? This was probably the second most serious thing to happen to him in the history ever and he was getting distracted by tomato covered carbs? There was a limit to calmness, scolded the blue haired boy to himself, before something flickered and caught his attention.

Mask man had shrunk, and as Ixion thought it was planning on disappearing, his thoughts instead were replaced by the flickering of his vision. Last time he'd felt like this- His skin burned and daggers stabbed at his lungs, his sight of the world incomplete, as though someone was poking holes into images in his head. Last time he'd felt like this was back home, trying to get Lady Whiplash. He didn't even know he'd been screaming until he got his eyesight back, and his arms didn't feel like they were on fire, and his mouth was open and shouting.

Immediately Ixion brought his mouth down and bit on his tongue, stopping his shout, his eyes fervently searching the gate. Shit, what if he'd done that while the demon attacked? Then again, he reasoned inwardly, if the demon did attack, what with an energy like that... "Man," said the blue haired boy to himself, his voice slightly quivering, "Man oh man, we are so fucking screwed."

He spoke to soon, it seemed however, as in a heartbeat later, the demon disappeared. And, his body now controlling him entirely, Ixion ran out the door- politely excusing himself past the brazen touchy feely blind chick, of course- gasping a confused, "Uhm, what.. just...? Good job?"

---

Gabriel "Angel" Avlon

Should be fine?

"Well, I'll take your word for it," shrugged the blonde as he started for the gate, only to be interrupted by a loud scream. It was shocking, to say the least, Angel shouting several expletives before landing back awkwardly on his partner's lap. "Holy fuck, jesus shit what the fuck," gasped the devout Christian as he took a moment to just pause and question what the fuck just happened.

The screaming died down as quickly and as abruptly as it had appeared, but Angel's heart was still beating quickly, cold sweat at the nape of his neck. Okay, so, that wasn't expected, he admitted, and while he was always proud of not being easily scared, he reasoned that he hadn't been scared and was merely caught off guard. Yeah. That was totally it. He started to get up from Sel'Ar, lowly grunting out a, "Sorry, my bad, didn't mean to," as he untangled himself from her wheelchair, putting his bow in his left hand along with his violin. With a now free hand, Angel dusted himself off along with Sel'Ar, his ears perking up as a confused person partially shouted-partially mumbled something a ways away.

Tilting his head past the side of the building, Angel's blue eyes squinted in trying to focus at the gates. Where did the masked man go? "Dude, I mean, Sel," hissed the blonde, still quite unsure of everything and still very much knee deep in whisper mode, "He's gone? Did he get in? You're a demon, right, can you feel that shit?"

[cerozer0]

The sudden pressure made Ase take a step back, eyes widening as the Nuisance before her seemed to burst with sudden, withheld power. Then the screaming started, and she brought her hands up to her ears instinctively, losing all focus on baring her psuedo-strength as she whipped around to find the source of the shriek. But it was gone all too soon, and then the demon behind her was talking again, calling her princess and claiming to be competiti- Huh? Ase turned when the sudden smell of fish overpowered her nose, and she found the boy named Darius, saying that the creature behind the gate was not from HQ. A smirk graced her face and she turned back to glare at the masked person, head cocked to the side,

"Got you~." She nearly purred, eyes narrowing until they were simple slits. After that, the demon began to whine, obviously trying regain even the slightest alibi, and then simply gave up and vanished with a last threat and a small laugh. Her shoulders slumped once she was sure the demon was out of sight, the teasing, confident light in her eyes fading to only a tired glimmer. Another useless waste of time and energy. The halfa turned slowly to the group of three behind her, bowing her head deeply in a silent thank you.

"It seems..." Ase rose her head and sighed, clenching Patron tightly, "that we've won this battle. Though I suppose y-you can't really call it that." She laughed a small, awkward laugh, then muttered a quiet mantra under her breath quickly. The staff in her hand burst into blue flames and vanished into ash within a few seconds, "good job, everyone. I think we'll be fine for the rest of the night." Ase took the ash that gathered in her hands and turned back towards the gate, spreading it across the earth below the metal bars quietly as a weak protection spell. When finished she straightened, nodded to the three boys again, and began a slow, sleepy walk back towards the dorm. Once she was close enough to Darius she froze, turning to face the shark boy with an emotionless stare,

"Perhaps you should join us in the dorms, it'd definitely be safer than hanging out inside the school buildings, though I won't blame you if you'd rather be alone." Her eyebrow rose slightly as the faintest sign of a kind smile shadowed her lips, and then she continued on, walking passed the gathering crowd with a growing headache and screaming limbs. At the sight of Ixion she attempted to move faster, feeling a sort of odd worry for the boy, but just by doing that a sudden pang of pain burst within her skull, and a sudden feeling of wetness dripped from her nose. Blood spilled from the nostrils heavily, most likely brought on from overexerting her body and the exposure of Nuisance's nauseating aura. The small girl stumbled, mouth clenched tightly into a sneer as she lowered to a crouch and held her head tightly as blood dripped from her chin and filled her mouth with the taste of copper.

dont cause a scene dont cause a scene dontcauseascenedontdontdont

After a moment of silent trembling she stood, eyes blank, nose still bleeding heavily, and she dipped her body into a low bow as if to say sorry. And then she flopped forward and ceased moving.

[deadpixel101]

Maxamillion "Hulk" Lovecannon

Continuing his mostly silent and on edge position, Max simply watched as the little exorcist and masked demon traded remarks. Just as everything seemed to pile up a bit too high against the visitor, someone dropped a planet.The somewhat bland looking kid came over, his scraping blade crying out for attention. He mentioned he had called someone before, and that there was not way this masked man could possible be any ally of any sorts.

Maxamillion was to try and part some final "fuck off" to the masked man when a horrid yell broke out behind them, causing Max to turn sharply, looking for the source, the odd occurrence was short lived, and the though if it being nothing more than a distraction reached the red-heads mind, causing him to look back. Turning to the demon just in time to see one final exchange between it and the white haired chick. All at once it was done.

A warning was given and the enemy evaporate, leaving Max nothing more than annoyed and nothing less than confused. He looked back to the shark-boy some sense of what the hell was going on but the staff wielder spoke first. Listening but deciding not to respond, he watched as she began to walk away, leaving some little note to Fangs McBland.

An inward sigh and Max looked back to the gate . Wondering just how long it would be until they actually had to raise their weapons. That field trip was looking REALLY nice right now.

An actual sigh and the man turned to trudge back to the dorms. He didn't want to go off alone anymore, he just wanted to sleep. Right when he was facing his location, the girl dropped. A small collection of blood around her face.

WHAT.

Sel'ar M. Eindz

Sel barely had time to register what her partner had said, before that exact partner was on her laps.

Panicking for now multiple reasons Sel raised her hands, trying not to touch the boy. She was so confused and now, somewhat scared.

Just as the screaming died down, her partner seemed to collect himself, Sel'ar had ye to manage that though. She was in a form of cold sweat and her hands were shaking furiously. She had manged to become more pale than before it seemed. Angel offered some small apology and got off of her. Sel murmurer something along the lines of "it's okay." Before unevenly bringing her hands down to her lap.

She followed the white haired boys gaze out to where the masked enemy HAD been.

A form of whimper escaped Sel'ar, she didn't like where things where going...The few students who were around the gate seemed to be calm enough though.

Just as the girl was coming back towards them, a red ribbon fell from her nose. She seemed to stagger a bit, then she curled into a sort of ball.

After standing and...bowing? She straight out collapsed.

Another exclaimed sound from the pink haired demon and she looked to her partner.

"I think, I should help."

For the first time she had spoken fast. She already had her hands on the wheels, ready to go out and see of her magic would have any effect, yet she did still seem to wait for a response.

[Spawnling]

"Are you freaking kidding me?"

Hunter's voice rang out from the upper floor as his rifle pulled back into the window. The sound of cussing and what sounded distinctly like a door being kicked almost off it's hinges echoed out as the sniper stomped down to the bottom floor. The boy power-walked behind Angel and Sel, grabbing the wheelchair handles, and practically shoving it towards the now prone Ase. Hunter pointed one finger at Sel with a look devoid of humor.

"See if you can help."

With that, Hunter shot a look at the others, then threw his hands up in the air, specifically seeming to eye Max and Darius.

"Are you not aware of the situation we're in? Like at all? Who the fuck taunts a demon of that caliber? What, you think you'd have stood a chance against it for even a second because you have pride? We all barely handled a swarm of fledglings, now you want to act tough in front of that thing? It wants us alive at the moment. If it didn't, it would have broken the gate, walked in, and slaughtered us. You think any of you could have stopped it, it made Ase pass out with it's goddamn aura! Maybe we could have gotten answers from it! Maybe we could have found out who the person who saved us was! If it wanted us dead, we'd be dead, IT WANTS SOMETHING FROM US!"

One gloved hand pointed at Darius.

"You spoke to the teachers who fled the school with the students instead of defending it, that's what I heard you say? What if it was working with someone else, government, another academy or some kind of organization that can actually HANDLE shit instead of porting out and not even being able to make the walk back to pick up KIDS?"

Hunter's rifle clattered against his shoulder as he gestured, then stopped, taking several deep breaths. He mumbled under his breath as he tried to calm himself down. The arrogance of this team was astounding. Someone was going to die. Die a very brutal death, and the part that upset Hunter the most was that he was starting to almost wish it did happen, if only to snap everyone back into reality. He sighed, looking back at the others.

"We are fighting demons. They just took down the largest academy there is, home to hundreds of trained fighters and killers. They dropped it in a couple hours, with no resistance. We only survived because someone stepped in, that is the only reason any of us aren't corpses. Don't you understand that? We are students! We aren't trained, we aren't soldiers. We just showed the entire world that we're only alive cause the demons think we're amusing!"

The sniper started walking back to the building, rubbing the back of his neck.

"And now we just proved that we can't even work together when faced with a confusing situation. This is just pathetic. On all accounts."

Hunter walked past Ase's body, glancing at Sel as he did, but saying nothing as he walked inside. He bent down, picking up the rifle case where he had flung it when Nuisance had showed up the first time. Heading down one of the hallways, he chose a room, which thankfully wasn't locked, and shut the door behind him. It wasn't like Hunter to lose his cool like that, but now he was sure. If things continued this way, everyone would end up dead. He laid on the bed, resting an arm over his eyes as he silently contemplated his situation. Odds are he made some mad. He basically just challenged the entire group's collective intelligence. Would have been better to just walk out naked and say "Hey, take turns beating me savagely!"

Would have saved him the aggravation at least...

[Shiinen]

...Ah...The demon was gone? ....Though she'd been away from the front, safer inside as Ego made her way back to her, glowing white strings has fell from the tips of Eika's digits during the time and sank into the depths of her shadow. Eyeballs...one opening, then another, then several dozen slowly widening out, pupils darting around frantically. It took a moment's time of concentration to force them to close up once again, a small apology murmured to the being lurking within in order listen in on what was being said by the others. ...Hunter seemed to be...he was being rather hard on everyone, after the big mess going on...Id and Ego would tug the girl along at her behest in the area that he had stalked off in order to follow. Catching the door that he had just shut behind himself, her hand reaching out to place against the door -- at least, what felt like the door, in her trial-and-error experiences -- in order to rap against it softly twice.

"...Hunter. Don't you think...you were a bit harsh?"

Not the best way to start off this conversation, from what she'd been read before. With a clearing of her throat, she'd take a moment to tug at her jacket in order to gain some form of a relief (by indulging the nervous tick, of course). How to make anything she said even worth listening to...? Ah, she was so terrible with talking...What could she do, what could she do- Well, the truth would be best, right? ...But...The truth was what had nearly landed her in an asylum before...A pout, only to be patted on the back by Id in hopes of reassuring her and easing the blind girl's worries. ...Alright, alright, Eika would hopefully make something she said finally be worth listening to...!

"...Intimidating them, sure...Might not have been the best thing to do but...But, d-did you stop to think about what could have been going through their heads? Yes, it wasn't the smartest thing, but everyone's tired...Probably not thinking very straight. And..."

...She'd just be cast off as an annoying little voice, wouldn't she?...

"...If we're an academy trained to murder other living things, then why were we the only ones here to defend a campus this large? Yes, we were nearly overrun, but there were only a handful of us throughout the whole place. Everyone else had to be evacuated. It doesn't matter that the demons flooding in were small. Power in numbers --that's a lesson taught in one of the first Familiar classes. One that is understood well by anyone in that class as a result. Individually, one can be weak, but when there are many...Intimidating the demon...While it might have been something that could help, it could also have been an aggressor and backed off because we -- while weaker than it -- had many in number. So..."

...A small nod to Id and Ego would follow, both sisters bowing to their Master before falling down into the ground and disappearing a puff of black and white particles. There...now that they were gone for the moment, she'd keep her hands tight on her cane and maintain her spot outside of the room he'd claim like something of a lost puppy.

"...Could I come in? ...Or ah...Should I leave you alone for now instead?..."

...She at least wanted to show that she cared...Nobody deserved to be alone...

[Sam12435]

Jace watched on wearily as the masked figure seemed to change a bit. His mind seemed to stop, words escaping him, until finally… The demon disappeared. It seemed that the danger had passed. He let out a sigh as he released his wolves from their summon, letting them fade back to wherever it was that they stayed. Jace smiled wide as he turned around and started walking back to the dorm, patting his now returned hawk. He was almost there when he heard something in front of him. It was Hunter. He listened in awe as the buy seemed to abuse their efforts. Jace could understand him, they may have acted rash, but some of the things he said were pretty harsh. He thought for a minute after the boy made his exit, carefully evaluating the situation.

“You know…” He started, with an air of caution behind his words. “He has a bit of a point. We acted rash, and while I don’t agree that we were dead to rights, I do think we made a bad choice.” AS he walked to the door, he tried to maintain his cool. His left hand was still throbbing in pain as it tightly grasped his shield. “We are all exhausted after fighting all day, and I think if Nuisance had made a move…” He started before glancing down at his hands. He took a deep breath before looking back to the group.

“We very well could have lost someone. Our number one priority has to be preservation of the group. We can’t go taking risks like that again. I think the best idea right now is getting some rest, we can discuss the matter more in the morning.” Jace finished before turning and walking into the dorm. He contemplated his options for a few seconds. He considered going to sleep, but after that, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to sleep for a while. Instead he just made his way back to the room with the others, surveying the area. It seems the girl that was at the gate had collapsed on the lounge. He wasn’t surprised, this isn’t the kind of day that one can have too many of. He walked over to the wall and rested his shield against it, before he took his glove off and looked at the bandaged hand. With a quick glance around the room, he sighed and took the bandage off, once again inspecting his hand. This was bad, but it wasn’t the worst he had ever experienced. His hand had fully ruptured after a rather violent training session in the mountains. He rubbed his hand over it, wincing in pain as he passed over each of the swollen blue veins. With time his hand would be fine, but for a few days it would be rather painful. He was just lucky the interaction at the fence had ended without fighting. A big enough hit and his hand would have been useless. His hawk hopped down to his arm, knowing full well to avoid his hand, and nibbled softly at his sleeve. He let out a soft smile as he patted her head, relieved to know that danger was gone for now.

“Seriously though…” He mumbled to himself. “What would have happened if we had to fight?” The thought of losing one of the other students, even though he could barely remember their names, made him feel sick. He let out a sigh as he slid his back down the wall and stared at the roof. It seems Hunter’s words had affected him more than he thought. He had never felt more… powerless.

[Marshmellow]

"Perhaps you should join us in the dorms, it'd definitely be safer than hanging out inside the school buildings, though I won't blame you if you'd rather be alone."

Darius had taken to leaning on his sword in the aftermath of the not-battle. Though certainly there would be a debriefing later, he hadn't expected the emotionless invitation. Of course he'd considered taking to the dorms at some point, though whether he would or not was still up in the air. She didn't need to invite him... wait. What if she was flirting with him? That was even almost a smile right there! Yes, the hallway would make for adequate sleeping arrangements for tonight.

Lost in thought as he was, Darius found himself a bit taken aback by the sudden appearance of Hunter pointing accusingly at him. For some people, this might be cause for anger and argument. Others might tend to get away from the situation as quickly as possible, or to shut down in the face of social danger. Darius was the last; it was his habit to passively ride out the storm. He watched Hunter through bored-looking eyes as the dressing-down continued.

Eventually the sniper was finished, and after another short speech he'd turned and left the courtyard.

An awkward silence prevailed in the courtyard for a moment, before Jace made his own closing remarks and left. Darius turned his eyes back to what was left of the students gathered in the courtyard and He cocked his head. "Williams and Stone seem a bit stressed at the moment, and it seems Eindz is taking care of Belladonna right now," he said. "Is everyone else available for a team meeting? It would be in our best interests to work out what we all know about what is going on right now." There were probably a lot of bad assumptions flying around right now. At the very least he needed to disseminate his own observations of the situation; and if the others had their own observations, he could add those pieces to the puzzle. "Although--it would probably be best to have such a meeting somewhere indoors, or at least away from the gate."

[Scallop]

Steve was just about to bolt it out of the back of the building like that, but then he heard the demon was gone? He wasn't christain but he couldn't help but fall to his knees and screams, "THANK YOU GOD!" He wasn't dead...or was he. He looked around. Maybe all of them were dead, and this was limbo. That would explain why they were all alone. He looked around again. Nah that was silly...he was just anxious to get out of here. At least Hunter was back, and he was acting rationally! THank the gods!

Steve just sat there, his head hung low, trying to hide his relieved happy face. He then looked up at the mention of his last name. He hated it when people called him Jelly, it made him sound jealous or ridiculous or something, it just didn't fit right. It was of course some idiot wanting to go at the back with him, Blake Steve had heard him called before. He sighed and got up. "Hey Blake...wanna go to the back now or just sit around here. I'm just glad we're still alive." Then Rai of course decided to pop up on his shoulder, holding a very menacing malicious grin. "Oh, you found a new victim! Pleasure to meet you! Rai, at your service." A glare from Steve shut her up and she hopped onto his head.