j8cob

Akatsuki Academy

If Lloyd is grabbing the King of Pentacles then that means the rest of LJGH are grabbing Kings. I'm perfectly okay with that. lol

Akatsuki Academy

Gil

Once the student hopefuls had all arrived at some desolate ruins of a respectably sized city, the Head Master herself finally decided to arrive. She, alongside Ellie and one of the people who tried to start a fight the previous night, stood before the students and explained how the exam would work. Gil had four and a half hours to get through these ruins, but he also had to find a tarot card before reaching the exit. The card wouldn't just serve as a pass, but also would determine who Gil would be matched with later in the Academy. As Ellie took her sweet time trying to heft a large starting pistol, Gil looked over the ruins one more time. This city isn't too large. At a brisk walk it would only take probably an hour to cross with all this rubble, so surely the time limit reflects more on the challenge of finding the cards. As soon as the shot was fired several students, in fact a large number of them, bolted in various directions into the ruins. Rushing through won't afford any advantages. If I have so much time I should use it wisely and focus on finding a tarot card rather than getting through.

To that effect, Gil waited a brief moment by Aria and company to see if anyone else was going to go sprinting by. Once it seemed the rush was over he rested his hand on his gun again and began walking into the ruins. "See you on the other side," he spoke up rather casually to the Head Master in what could be easily attributed to either confidence, arrogance, or ignorance. Depending on perspective. Many students entered the ruins in a fanned-out fashion, so Gil figured it would do him no harm to just go straight towards the exit. By moving at a casual pace he would be able to soak in details better and search more accurately. Once he had a tarot card he would be guaranteed entry into the Academy, so that was the primary focus. It didn't take long for him to find something interesting but it most definitely wasn't any kind of card.

As Gil crossed a largely intact intersection, surrounded by not-so-intact buildings, he saw four floating metallic spheres. Those seem man-made. Drones of some kind. Are they here to watch us or are they here to interfere with us? The answer was made clear when all four drones finally noticed Gil and simultaneously launched their electric darts at him. The teenager didn't hardly have time to react but it seemed he didn't need to. One of the darts landed firmly in his right arm but Gil quickly realized it wasn't a tranquilizer. It was an electric charge, likely intended to stun the victim. Something that would have no effect on Gil. "I see..." The four drones began floating closer at speed, probably intending to ram into him as a better method of attack. But now Gil was prepared. He moved his hand away from his holstered gun and held both of them rather loosely in front of himself, pointing all of his fingers towards the incoming drones. "If robots are my only threat then I should probably thank the Head Master later."

Electricity cracked along Gil's arms in coils, before suddenly all four drones had bright arcs of electricity shoot from within to link directly to Gil's fingertips. The display lasted hardly a split-second, resulting in the four drones falling out of the air and harmlessly to the ground. They had been drained of all their power and shut-down, leaving them completely intact but perfectly disabled. The coils of electricity around Gil died down, but sparks would continue to occasionally crack in the air around his body. I can't expect drones like these to be my only challenge. I'll use the energy they gave me and continue charging, just in case. Considering we're supposed to become Chasers then there might even be Youkai in this wrecked city. Can't just use them for a charge. Gil rested his hand on his gun again and continued onward, leaving the deactivated drones behind. The Lightning Cowboy had a tarot card to find.

Erisa

The young Flower Spirit was interested by the exam put forward by Aria. It was like a large-scale scavenger hunt. Erisa had learned of games like those from the first humans she met. But it seemed they had to find some kind of "tarot cards of the Minor Arcana", something that she had never heard of before. Odds are they were something that would seem to not belong in the desolate ruins of an old human city, so if it stood out enough she would surely find it. The idea of finding the special card seemed appealing briefly, just as an excuse to spend time with the vampire and fellow Youkai Head Master, but Erisa couldn't eat sweets. She couldn't really eat food to begin with. The only thing she could ingest aside from water was pure sugar. While the doughnuts seemed quite sugary they still would be a terrible idea to try and eat.

Either way, once the search had begun with the boom of a gunshot, Erisa broke into a jog. She didn't go straight forward, but instead to the left somewhat. If they had to search the whole city she figured it would be best to head north, or what she thought was north, and work her way south before heading to the exit. As she ran she reached into her quiver, drawing a black cylinder that clearly wasn't an arrow. It was actually her special bow in its compact form. At the press of a button on the side it extended fully, proving to be quite the large weapon. It was actually taller than Erisa was, though it wasn't like that was much of an accomplishment.

As the silver-haired girl trekked further and further into the ruins she began to feel a bit... sad. Try as she might, there was absolutely no plantlife nearby. She couldn't feel even a blade of grass in the city. What had befallen such a place as this to not only exterminate the humans and the architecture, but also the plants? As unsettling as it was she felt like it could be compared to a desert, in a way. Inhospitable, though this wasn't by nature and instead by something else. Erisa wasn't alone with her thoughts for long before something fired an energy bolt at her, barely missing and hitting a wall nearby where it left a searing mark. She turned her attention to the direction it came from, finding a humanoid robot holding some kind of laser rifle. Or perhaps it was that FLUX that she had heard about? Either way it seemed menacing and already tried to hurt her. As she jumped out of the way of another red bolt, Erisa drew back the drawstring on her bow. A white light formed into the shape of an arrow already notched, her Zetsu becoming her ammunition. When she released the string and let loose her attack, she was a bit disappointed to find that the robot was tougher than it was tall.

The Zetsu arrow struck it square in the chest but shattered on impact, completely failing to break through the drone. "Oh wow. This thing is tough. But what is it though? It's shaped kind of like a human..." Erisa wondered aloud, jumping backwards over the seared wall and using it as cover as the robot opened fire again. It would fire once every second or so, continuously pelting the wall with whatever kind of fire-based ammunition it was using. Erisa couldn't tell, but it was also moving around, working its way to another angle to get a shot on the girl while using suppressing fire to keep her from checking. "I guess I'll have to hit it harder. I don't think it will let me get close enough to use my Twin Dragons, so I have to fight it from afar... Why did it stop shooting?" Erisa peeked around the wall, looking to where she had last seen the drone. Not only had it stopped firing or making noise at all, Erisa had absolutely no idea where it went. There was so much rubble and broken buildings and ruined cars and the like. It could be hiding anywhere. It would seem the combat AI in this drone was smarter than Erisa. "Uh-oh..."

Akatsuki Academy

@Angel Eyes I just realized that's reincarnated Titus as Hope's picture. I had a sneaking suspicion before, but the header pictures you added confirms it.

Also thanks for the pic. I'm terrible at editing stuff like that. Also don't have a program or nothing.

But our team name is gonna be a tough one. Don't have the best letters to work with. lol

Akatsuki Academy

And maybe another girl or another guy. Thoughts on that?

@Angel Eyes

That narrows it down a bit.

Akatsuki Academy

You guys seem like you would need a leader type. Gil would fit in with them perfectly. A little no-nonsense conviction can do wonders for a team of teenagers with supernatural abilities.

Akatsuki Academy

@KoL uhum. Two of your own characters can't team up >.< How the fuck am I gonna do this

@liferusher

Probably by teaming up with other characters.

Akatsuki Academy

1:45 A.M.

---

Gil

Despite the rowdiness of some of the other applicants in the atrium Gil was able to get some good rest. He woke up on his own, like a natural instinct to be punctual, with fifteen minutes to spare. A number of potential classmates were already awake or at least in the process, but rather than loaf about and wait Gil decided to do something else. As if it were any other normal day he began his morning workout routine. Some gave him confused looks, some gave him dirty looks, and some even stared in admiration. Whether it was admiring his dedication or his fitness, Gil didn't care either way. This wasn't for anyone else. Everything he did until now was for himself and he didn't plan on changing that.

By the time they were prepared to be let out by the guards he had already finished warming up. An hour long walk was nothing to Gil. He had walked thousands of miles over the years. He was further annoyed by the complaints and general lack of enthusiasm by some of the other teenagers around, but once again he decided to keep it to himself. The brunette gunslinger kept his eye on several people during the trip but mostly kept to himself. There was no need to socialize with these people, odds are most of them weren't going to get in anyways. He didn't come here to make friends, he came here to learn about the Crimson Sky and to push beyond his limits. At the most he could consider the Academy and its people his allies, which is something he understood to be an advantage to have in this world. In his present state he surely couldn't take back all the territory that has been overtaken by Youkai, let alone defeat the monster behind it all: Tsukuyomi. Gil briefly wondered if anyone here had even heard about the Prince of Moonlight but quickly assumed that very few had.

Gil remained wary as the massive group of prospective students trekked under the dark clouds and red moonlight. Most Youkai wouldn't be nearly brave enough to attack this big of a group of humans, regardless of whether or not they were armed, but Gil had the displeasure of handling Youkai far tougher than the norm in the past. It wasn't impossible for a particularly monstrous one to decide the horde of kids would make a good feast. While his right hand remained in his jeans' pocket he rested his left hand on his holstered Aerok, prepared to draw in an instant should he need to. Gil couldn't help but keep his eyes on some of the boys that almost fought the previous night. Part of him was curious to see if they actually would, part of him was curious to see if they were even capable fighters or not. He didn't plan on breaking up any fights if they came to blows anyways, that would be a job for the guards escorting them. It was just a good idea to pay attention to the others in general, as surely some of them would end up working with him down the road. Gil just wasn't prepared to actually be friendly with them until he knew who would even make it into the Academy. There was no point in befriending losers or weaklings.

Erisa

The Flower Spirit slept rather soundly as well, but she was less punctual in waking up. It wasn't until the blaring alarm from James' phone did the young Youkai awaken. She had used her quiver as a pillow and it turned out quite comfortable but her rest had to be cut short for the early exam. Whatever the exam may be. She was a bit slow on the uptake, due to her plant-like nature and having no sunshine to energize with, but Erisa was up and functioning by the time the guards came to escort the crowd of teenagers to... wherever this exam was supposed to be. The silver-haired Youkai was quick to approach one of these guards. "Where are we going? We won't be taking the test here? Is it field work that we'll be tested on?" she began to pester the man, though he remained stoic and answered none of her questions. After waiting patiently for an awkward minute she decided to give up on that front and just move along like the rest of the kids.

The walking didn't bother her too much, it was her present physical state that made things more difficult. She wasn't tired in the same way a human would be, but instead it was more similar to how a cold-blooded animal would behave. She was slow, sluggish, and clearly lacked energy. Many would assume she didn't get enough sleep, which was a small part of it, but if she were to get her hands on some water or if she were to wait for the sun to come out (as rare as that is) she would be immediately brought to full function. As it stood she had neither water nor sunlight, but Erisa didn't feel comfortable asking the strangers for assistance. They might think she was weird for praying upon their supplies or something, Erisa still didn't have a good grasp of how humans would react to her actions. Instead she decided to keep her problems to herself and move with the crowd, though she did stealthily gravitate towards the middle of the crowd. Surely that was where "normal" humans would want to be and thus make her seem the least suspicious, right?

Akatsuki Academy

@Angel Eyes Kinda, but you're also slow af. :p

Akatsuki Academy

Nothing is too big to be hefting around everywhere. The bigger the better.

Akatsuki Academy

Gil

Gil remained stoic as Reiko began to answer the question, only to be interrupted by a floating succubus that descended from above. They even have Youkai among their ranks... he thought with a frown, putting his hands in his jeans' pockets and focusing on Ellie. When she sent a glance his way, combined with her expression and remark about "hotties", Gil felt a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't that he was embarrassed so much as he didn't like the idea of a demon saying he was attractive, even if it was a passing joke. But perhaps that was in his imagination anyways. He's in the middle of a crowd, the odds are that he was being singled out was pretty low even if he was a bit on the tall side. If this Red Absinthe was going to be one of his superiors at the Academy then Gil knew he was going to have to adjust a bit.

When the Headmaster didn't appear on cue, the young man let out a sigh of disappointment. One thing after another is making me question how valid this school is. Perhaps I would be better off seeking allies within the YTC instead... The announcement that the crowd of students hadn't been accepted yet and would have to perform a test in the very early morning, however, got Gil's attention. So they plan on weeding some of us out. Hopefully the vast majority. Maybe my father was right about this place. The idea of abandoning the Akatsuki Academy was soon abandoned itself as Gil decided that the next day would surely bring about a much better impression of the Chasers. While many seemed to be eager to complain about their living situation for the night and the earliness of the test, both of these factors played into Gil's strengths. He was used to adapting to the environment and he was used to discipline. Sleeping on the cold hard ground was well within his capability and he was smart enough to make sure he was rested for the upcoming entrance exam.

That is if everyone would let him sleep. Already the mass of teenagers were voicing their complaints and arguing among themselves with their inflamed emotions burning hot. It even seemed that two guys nearby were about to fight. At this point Gil just couldn't keep his thoughts entirely to himself. "These people are going to be failures," he muttered, turning to look for a comfortable place to lay down. "If these are the Chaser hopefuls then we have no hope." At this point he felt he said too much. The young gunslinger didn't want to leave a bad impression on those who may have heard him, even if it was likely that a good number wouldn't even remain long enough to become his peers. Others may feel the need to make fools of themselves but Gil was the type that wouldn't stop judging, not even himself. It was time to distance himself from the squabbling and make himself comfortable. An exam awaited him in seven hours, more than enough time for a good rest.

Erisa

The Flower Spirit seemed oblivious to the emotions of the crowd as she focused entirely on Reiko, patiently awaiting the answer as to what a Chaser truly is. Unfortunately the answer would never come as Ellie decided to interrupt the Senior Instructor. Erisa was left a little disappointed by this, but at the same time she felt elated that a Youkai was so esteemed in the Academy. This place probably wasn't prejudiced in the least. Surely this was a sign that everyone here was able to band together in camaraderie due to their common goal of becoming a "Chaser."

But Erisa was wrong. As soon as Ellie announced they would all wait until morning to see who gets accepted or not, many of the humans around her seemed to be less than pleased. Whether it was impatience or something else, Erisa couldn't understand. Human emotions were strange and unpredictable. In her mind she was content with waiting a few more hours for placement. That would give her time to meet some of the humans here and learn more about them. But apparently not everyone shared that sentiment. Some people even seemed like they wanted to leave, but the large doors that had closed behind them were locked. Perhaps that would make people feel unsettled, knowing that they weren't free to move as they pleased. That was the kind of thing that would bother Erisa, if she didn't still want to be here. The crowd began to disperse in its own way, mostly of people finding places to relax comfortably but a sizeable portion remained interacting. Some in a not-so-kind way.

Two human males were getting loud and argumentative, clearly about to get in a fight. A female was getting mean with another male right next to them too, perhaps prepared to make it an actual brawl. Erisa figured this was the perfect opportunity to interact with people, perhaps a way to leave a good impression for her future classmates. She wouldn't want to be known as someone who was weird or super quiet, even if those wouldn't necessarily be false descriptions. The silver-haired girl approached the angsty and angry group of teenagers. "We shouldn't be fighting, guys," she spoke up, her delicate voice trying desperately to both sound like she isn't pleading and to sound like a normal human. Both were wrong, but she attempted to fit that bill. "We might need our energy for that exam we were told about. We're all here for the same thing, right? No reason to not all be friends."