Guess Who

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Cafeteria

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@Lazo@Awesomoman64

Robert looked at the text with confusion. Scratching his head, he gave his reply a couple seconds of thought before replying with the following messages.

"Uh..."

Truly, the boy had a breathtaking skill with the written word.

"Like what kind of betterment? Because I'm sure I could go find Trad, Gren, or Shiro and they could help me get better at those fighting games. I still suck at trying to do quarter circles."

"It'd be nice to knock this out early in the week so I don't need to think about it," he said aloud, where anyone nearby could hear him and judge the redhead for talking to himself.

Just as he was about to hit the 'send' key though, another message was delivered to his scroll. Again it was from Sand, but now in the team group chat rather than a direct text. Robert tabbed back to the message he had already typed and confirmed it's conclusion, then wrote out another reply for his team leader.

"I'd love too. Where should we go though?"

Pocketing the scroll, the boy decided to enter the cafeteria line only to grab something small to eat, that way he would ruin his appetite for later. Though as he waited in the back of the line, a hand in his pocket so he can feel his mobile device vibrate whenever he got a reply from either Sand or Trad, the bespectacled boy wondered. "Where is everyone? Feels like everyone here are strangers. Is my circle of friends and acquaintances really that small?" Perhaps it was best to look elsewhere to find some company to spend his free time with.

Fate/Kaleid Prisma Connections

Hal.

I know.

Hal!

I know!

HAL!

I KNOW!

Not knowing for sure if the young Maggie would help save her fellow student, Hal had changed his objective of searching for survivors to actively rescuing them. Charging straight toward Rebecca, the instructor ducked underneath the incoming elephant foot, scooping the girl up and crashing back to the floor. Even if it wasn't the most graceful of rescues, his goal was accomplished, even if it appeared that he only saved the girl from having her clothes stained red.

Odysseus... It's time.

Finally.

With Hal's very limited experience in actual combat, he had little choice but to relinquish control to his servant. This was the power of Independent Action. The limited nature of class cards compared to a full servant made the syncing between the two somewhat strenuous, but it was still the best tactical option.

Now in command of Hal's limbs, Odysseus immediately retreated backwards. Afterall, he was of the archer class. He was meant for ranged attacks from areas that were unreachable or unknown to his foes. So the man used his still superhuman strength to jump all the way to the rafters above the gym, where the beams could possibly block Xerxes line of sight if his Espionage skill didn't do it. His next act would be firing two arrows, one at Xerxes and the other towards his mount. He needed to test their strength, so avoided using his noble phantasm for now.

Fate/Kaleid Prisma Connections

The girls' team is going to attempt to spike it over the net from the right side.

I know.

Why not tell the boys' team than?

I coach both teams. Their chosen team leaders should be the ones noticing their weaknesses and strengths. If I do the work for them now, they'll never learn to think on their own when we go against other schools.

Ah. So you're using this match as a learning experience.

The greatest teacher, failure is.

What philosopher said that?

Yoda.

Just as Mr. Sutherland and Odysseus finished their discussion on the philosophy of a wrinkly green alien, the Earth began to shake and a loud roar came from the wall behind him just before it collapsed. There had never been a sight that both equally confused and terrified Hal like seeing a Persian king ride an elephant into a school gymnasium. It wasn't his own life that he was afraid of losing though.

Jumping into action, the PE teacher's first priority was evacuating the area. "Everyone leave the gym now!" he ordered while charging toward Xerxes. It wasn't to commence battle though, but instead to check the rubble for any students that may have been hurt. Activating his servant card and transforming into the Greek hero, Hal began to lift up parts of the wall that may have been hiding a survivor, not giving a single care if anyone saw him.

We should check for survivors later. The fight has begun and it would be better to help keep it contained here than to risk it spreading throughout the rest of campus.

By then a student already hurt may already be lost. I'm saving who I can now and then I'll punch that smug look off that bastard's face. I'm not losing any of my students.

Fate/Kaleid Prisma Connections

Hal Sutherland

Appearance/Image:


Name: Hal Sutherland

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Height/Weight: 6'4 / 210 lbs

Personality: Hal is fiercely loyal to his students. They are the future generation and he has every intention of providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in life. It isn't just his students who he wants to have a good life of course. Anyone he meets is a perfectly viable target for him to help improve themselves, whether they want to improve or not.

Character Alignment: Lawful Good

Class Affinity: Archer

Background:
Hal grew up in Saint Martha's Foster Home for Orphaned Children, usually helping the nuns take care of the smaller children rather than try and spend time with the children his own age. This would give Hal a very nurturing and parental personality, his interest always in helping those who can't help themselves. That is why, after becoming old enough to be considered an adult by US law, Hal would begin his teaching career.

It wasn't easy gathering the funds to do so, but with the help of diligent working, a little crowdfunding, and some much needed good luck he was able to enter into an acceptable university. He was still early on in his teaching internship, when out on the open football field, past the school's closing hours, that a small card seemed to appear before him a blinding light. With the newly acquired knowledge of the world's impending doom, Mr. Sutherland has vowed to protect his newly acquired students at any cost.

Occupation: Student Teacher

Known Magic: None

Special Talents/Hobbies: His desire to receive his teaching degree and become a high school PE Teacher has inspired him to stay in great shape to act as an excellent example for his future students. While he hasn't trained in any fighting style, he's definitely got a lot of power and speed behind any punches or kicks he may throw.

Ambition: To make a better world for his students.

Servant Cards

Odysseus; Neutral Good Archer
STR: C+(B+), AGI: C(B), END: C(B), MAN: E(D), LUK: E(E), NP: C(B)

Noble Phantasm:
- Dokimí Taftótitas: Odysseus can summon up to 12 axes in positions of his choosing around the battlefield, each one with sockets only just large enough for an arrow to pass through. With each socket that his arrow may pass through, it shall increase in speed to the point that the twelfth ax passed through will cause it to become fast enough to be unable to avoid or blocked by normal means, even by servants.

This is an Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm that Targets: 1 person.

- Doúreios íppos: Any "gift" that an opponent may receive from Odysseus shall cause their luck stat to decrease exponentially until they remove the object from their person. Any object, no matter how obscure, could be considered a gift from Odysseus, ranging from a simple pencil to help someone write to one of his arrows that have struck their target. With each day that passes, the parameter will drop one whole grade. This Noble Phantasm is a manifestation of his willingness to abuse an opponent's hospitality to ensure he succeeds. Only applicable when the card is currently installed.

This is an Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm that Targets: 1 person per "gift."

Include: The Bow of Apollo - The bow that Odysseus used to kill all of his wife's suitors.

Install: Grants his Noble Phantasms, Skills, Parameters, and the weapons of Odysseus.

Install Skills:
- Espionage C(A): Having successfully infiltrated the city of Troy, avoided the sight of the cyclopes, and made himself unrecognizable to even his family when he meant to hide among his wife's suitors, Odysseus has mastered the ability to blend in and let his opponent lower their guard. At full strength, only the most knowledgeable or the most enraged of servants could tell just how much a threat he poses.

- Advice of the Strategist C(B): Odysseus gained much military experience leading his men to battle in Troy, right alongside other brilliant Greek commanders like Achilles and Diomedes. Even creating the famed Trojan Horse that brought an end to the conflict. This grants him a great analytical mind that can narrow down what the best action is to a handful of options.

- Hawk Eye B(B+): Odysseus was extremely skilled with a bow, being able to shoot a single arrow through twelve small axes once he had returned to his home of Ithaca, a feat very few could claim to be able to pull off as well.

- Magic Resistance E(C): During his journey, Odysseus had several encounters with magic and magic users, some benevolent and others malicious. During his stay with Circe in particular, the enchantress taught him a thing or two about protecting himself from the average mage.

- Independent Action C(B): While Odysseus was a commander of an army and captain of his own ship, leading groups of men sometimes numbering in the hundreds, this hero was no stranger to working alone. During the Trojan War, he and Diomedes were the only ones to volunteer for a stealth mission behind enemy lines and when his ship was eaten by Charybdis he was able to return to Ithaca alone. His experience working solo allows the one installing him to give up control to the Greek hero so that he might fight much more effectively.

Install Appearance: Installing Odysseus does not change much to the user appearance-wise. Other than his bow and the twelves axes that are used for his noble phantasm, the only clothing that will be added is the leather chest guard and bracer on his left arm and left pectoral to keep the bow string from catching.

Servant Biography:
Odysseus was most likely the most essential commander of the Greek's forces during the Trojan War, creating the strategy that would cause them to receive their long-awaited victory with the Trojan Horse. What would finally put this hero into the tomes of history though would be his infamous journey home after the war.

No epic is as well known as the Odyssey. This tale spans an entire decade and includes encounters with monsters, witches, and even gods. But no matter who stood in the way of this hero, he would trick, beat, and negotiate his way out of each danger, all to return to his loving wife and once young son. Nothing could ever hope to overpower his determination, just like his master's determination to protect his pupils.

Servant Personality:
Odysseus is described as being very kind and brave, but his most well known trait is his wisdom. Without his intelligence, the Greeks may have never brought an end to the Trojan War and he never would have gotten home to his family in Ithaca. He is well known for his terrible luck however, having taken a whole 10 years for his return trip. When misfortune befalls, Odysseus may become depressed or saddened, but never does he lose hope, picking himself back up and persevering.

Other:
Theme:

A dance with devils - A Highschool DxD rp

Nora Evans

_{@Joshua Tamashii@Suku}

Nora's eyes widened in shock and pity as Amelia told her story. She could never imagine her father doing anything as cruel as that to her, even if the man somehow discovered that she had now become a devil. How anyone could ever override their maternal or paternal instinct and commit such a grievous act was beyond her. "I... I'm sorry to hear that. I can't imagine what something like that would be like. It sounds excruciating."

As the newbie Rook tried to think of something more to say in the hopes of showing her deep sympathy for her fellow devil, Ixveria's messenger bat would suddenly fly through the window to the club. Having been told to defend their home at all costs and seeing something suddenly enter unannounced, Nora's immediate response was to jump up in fright and attempt to use her sacred gear. A trail of crystalline stalactites would rush toward the "invader," though it would be flying much to high for any to actually hit their target.

Fate/Kaleid Prisma Connections

You can never have too much Fate.

A dance with devils - A Highschool DxD rp

Nora Evans

_{@Joshua Tamashii}

No, no. Talking is fine. I don't mind talking," Nora replied, flattening the skirt of her school uniform to give her hands something to do. If Amelia hadn't already figured it out, she was quite the nervous wreck when it came to interacting with almost anyone. "So how did you first meet everyone here? Did you... die too?" she asked.

As she listened to Amelia's story, despite whether it was long or short, Nora would find that her uniform was already too tidy to do anything with and chose to switch to eating more of that leftover cake. Otherwise she would just begin fidgeting and feeling more awkward trying to simply communicate with her classmate.

Heroes of Beacon - Contest of Champions

Robert's Biggest Regret

Several Years Ago

Robert was hungry. No, he was starving. It had been almost a week now since he had lost his family and began living on the streets of Vale and he had barely eaten since. He had been lucky enough for it to rain the past couple days, so using a handleless pot that he'd found in the trash he was able to create a makeshift rain catcher. Food was another story though. Other than some thrown out leftovers, the young boy hadn't had much.

Next to the boy, a rat approached and let out a high pitched squeak.

"Sorry, boy. I don't even have anything for myself today," he told it.

The rat squeaked again before scurrying off to try somewhere else.

"Well there goes my only company," Robert said with a sigh, just before the sky cracked with thunder. "Though at least I'll have something to drink."

Getting up from his seat in the alley, the boy pulled his hood over his head to try and keep his small body as dry as possible before walking out onto the sidewalk. He'd had enough of just sitting and listening to his empty stomach growl. If food wouldn't come to him, his only option was to go out and find it.

Hours would pass. The pouring rain would intensify and leave nothing dry. Robert would try to stay positive though, thinking about how he would at least have plenty of water to drink when he got back.

Just then, the neon lights of a nearby convenience store would suddenly turn on, beckoning to those walking through the slick streets to find shelter inside among its halls of snacks and sweets. Like a moth to a flame, the redhead walked inside, despite his lack of finances to purchase anything.

Ring.

As the bell above the door rang to announce his entrance, the man at the counter politely greeted him with a friendly, "Hello." The boy said nothing back though, lowering his head and avoiding eye contact so all the man could see was the top of his hood. If he put a face to the clerk running the store, it would make what he was planning to do so much harder.

Heading to the far corner of the convenience store, Robert began to eye the various food on display, none of which was meant to be eaten as a night's meal as he intended to do, but he was desperate. Looking over his shoulder to make sure he couldn't be seen, the bespectacled redhead grabbed a single small bag of chips.

Ring

Suddenly, the bell rang again as someone else entered the store. Robert expected hear the same "Hello" as before, but instead he heard the customer speak first. "Don't fuck with me! Open the register and give me everything in there!" the new voice shouted, causing our protagonist to freeze. The shelves and his short height had allowed him to remain unseen, but the knowledge that he was now present during a robbery had caused his blood to run cold.

Peeking out from behind his cover, the small child's eyes widened as he looked at the gun in the robber's hand. His whole being quivered with fright. He didn't want to be here. He just wanted to eat. For a split second though, the thought of trying to save the clerk crossed his mind. The robber didn't know Robert was here and he still had his father's weapons that were recovered from the fire. He could save the day and prevent anyone from getting hurt. Robert could be a hero.

"Come on! Hurry up!" the gunman shouted again, moving his finger over the trigger. This immediately brought the young child's thoughts of daring crashing to the ground. He was but an eight year old kid and this was a fully grown and armed man. There was nothing that could be done, except escape. Turning to the door, the future hunter would head back out the front door and return to his alley.

Ring.

Bang!

Surprised by the sounds of the bell ringing behind him, the robber panicked and fired the pistol he had aimed at the clerk. The bullet ripped through flesh and bone before embedding itself into the opposite wall, ending the innocent man's life. As the gunshot rang through the small building and echoed out in the city streets, Robert would begin sprinting away as fast as his legs could carry him. His brain seemed to shut itself off completely as his body was flooded with adrenaline. The only thing he could of was that he needed to get away.

Upon returning to his hidden alley, the redhead checked his rain collector first, only to find the rat from earlier had returned with friends to turn the pot into their personal watering hole. He sighed at his misfortune and sat back down, only to hear the crunch of the chips he had hidden in his back pocket. He pulled them out and stared at the packaging, remembering the blood which was still flowing onto the tile floor of the convenience store. The guilt of the man's death weighed on his mind, causing Robert to discard hus ill-gotten gains.

It wasn't worth it.

A dance with devils - A Highschool DxD rp

Nora Evans

_{@Joshua Tamashii}

"Y-yes, I'm okay with that. It won't take long to create my crystals, so I can just keep it at the ready in case we're attacked. Since we probably won't be in the first place right? That's why she only kept two of us here," Nora said, more to reassure herself that she's be avoiding battle than anything else.

Taking a seat on the nearby couch again, the blonde girl tried her best to calm her racing heart. Merely the idea of battle unnerved her, an unfortunate flaw considering the power that had been granted to her. Once her nerves had returned to manageable levels, she tried her best to smile and nodded toward Amelia. "Some girl time between the two of us sounds like it could be fun," the shy devil replied.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Practice

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With the simulation now over thanks to Lauren's sky pirate antics, Robert waved goodbye to Gren and Yue, telling them he had enjoyed his time making the shelter with them. Even if it ended up going mostly unused. He didn't mind though, it's better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret. His dad told him that once, or perhaps he had read it in a book at the library. Either way, the redhaired hunter-in-training had enough regrets in his life to add another to the list.

After being dismissed by Ms. Stella Nuit, the boy would begin his short walk to Practice where he would take the first empty seat he saw. By some miracle, he had not only arrived on time, but had actually sat his ass down in a chair early... mostly because he had forgotten to change into his practice clothes and was still wearing his school uniform. With these few extra minutes of free time granted to him by his punctuality, Robert pulled out his scroll and started up a game he had downloaded last night.

For the next five minutes, Robert would farm for the in-game currency needed to summon more characters in the mobile game's gacha, quickly extending into the beginning of class time. Despite the RNG giving him only the weakest and most common jpgs, the redhead was hooked. The only saving grace he had was that he hadn't paid for any of the microtransactions, though that was mostly due to his less than ideal financial situation than because he had any semblance of self control.

When Jericho warned the class of the upcoming physical exertion that he would be putting them through, Robert still had his nose in his scroll, not even looking up for a moment as he followed the class like a mindless zombie. The gacha had consumed him, just like so many other poor souls.