The conference room that they had all gathered in was plain in design and the decor was scarce, but behind its simplicity, was a layout that facilitated excellent acoustics. Unfortunately, this just made the noise that had been piercing through Tumble's ears even louder; the fact that she probably had a hangover just made things worse.
Tumble thought that if she ignored it enough, she'd eventually fall back to sleep. However, there was no helping it; the peaceful silence that previously filled the room was nowhere to be found. I guess it was time for her to finally get up. Tumble's arms persistently rested atop the round table as her head slowly crept upward. Her expression remained languid while sluggishly looking from side to side, as if trying to identify each person that was in the room.
With one hand partially outstretched, she began counting along her finger. "Uhhh...One...Two...Three..." Tumble's cheeks slightly puffed for a moment as she attempted to smother a yawn while continuing her head count. "Seven..Eight.."
Although still predominantly exuding a lethargic vibe, a puzzled look happened to find its way unto Tumble's face. She was missing two others. It didn't take long before she realized the mild tugging that was going on below her head.
"Nine.." Tumble said as she laid eyes on Yuki. Their eyes met and the gaze between the two awkwardly lasted longer than it should. In an instant, she had wrapped her arm around the young boy's neck, gradually applying more pressure as she looked for her tenth student.
"Fucking. Boro." She whispered to herself in annoyance; she knew exactly where the last one was. His actions didn't deviate from what they had planned, but Tumble didn't expect him to take one this early on. As much as she wanted to deal with this now, she didn't have the time.
Loosening her hold on Yuki, Tumble began to stretch out her body before leaning back into her chair. "Take a seat." Her somnolent appearance quickly faded as more vigor started to build up in her face. "Oh yeah. And before I forget." Her voice started to sound stern, losing the previous lackadaisical feel it was giving off earlier. Pulling back most of her hair, she proceeded to tie it in a ponytail as she cleared her throat. "The name's Mika Nagano. And yeah, welcome to Team Tumble."
As soon as he finished talking, Boro was met with a smirked face from Yuki who apparently was giving him quite the glare. "I'll go."
Boro's ears had twitched upon hearing Yuki's words; he knew immediately that a misunderstanding had taken place, but before he could clear things up, someone else stepped in.
"Oho, yes. That's me for one. I came on behalf of the Yuki's group." Akemi said as she pointed back with one of her vines. She looked back at him, seeing Yuki's conviction. ".. Of course, yes, I'll gladly step in for any group that still requires a tribute. Honestly, I'd reckon I have the least potential here, as far as powers, for a hero. That's what you were asking for, yes?"
His ears had twitched a second time. Boro wasn't sure whether he was being difficult to understand, or was everyone just trying to mess with him. Either way, his patience was definitely being tested. He took a deep breath as an attempt to calm himself down, but mid-inspiration, a shrill whistle pierced his ears, causing him to shudder.
"Oh god, what now?!" Instinctively covering his ears, Boro immediately turned to Nori, face winched and teeth partially clenched.
"Boro! What is your problem? Aren't you supposed to be our teacher? What does it take for you to get serious? You know what, I'm annoyed by your attitude-" Nori spoke quite loudly, and in her agitated state, emotions took over as she pointed a finger towards Boro. "I challenge you to a duel! If I lose, I instantly get all the votes, but if I win... you let everyone stay!"
The surprises that day kept on coming, but unlike the previous few, this one was actually something Boro approved of. "Finally!" Not exactly what he was looking for, but someone with a little confidence, who actually wasn't clueless, finally appeared. Boro's grimace soon vanished and was replaced by a smile. Nori's words had put him into a good mood; they were like a breath of fresh air to him.
Boro's hand began to experience tremors as he reached into his pocket. His prior agitation, hastily turned into excitement. One would think that this sort of transition was more ideal, but Boro was a special case and this would only cause his previous habits to resurface. Pulling out a cigarette and a lighter, he had no choice but to calm himself down.
"Why... are you wanting to kick some of us out already?" Reina had suddenly asked him, managing to look Boro in the eyes. "Is it something Tumble asked you to do? What's the purpose of it?"
Boro softly glanced at Reina before thin streams of smoke billowed from his mouth. With his shoulders loosening up, he managed to start relaxing and clearing his thoughts. His previous method seemed ineffective; I guess he expected too much from them.
"M-maybe everyone. Th-th-th-this whole th-th-thing is a j-j-j-joke. Hu hu hu..." One after another, they continued. Boro turned towards Shouichi as he laughed. After hearing his assessment of the situation they were in, he was fairly certain that whatever it was he had planned, wasn't working at all.
This would most likely leave Reina and Nori unpleased, but Boro just disregarded their questions and left them unanswered. Instead, he quietly contemplated on the ideas he observed from everyone so far. Self sacrifice, backing down when needed, standing by your ideals, and turning to optimism when faced with difficulty; all were values every hero needed, there was no denying that, but that wasn't what he wanted to see.
"Hey guys, why vote at all? If all of us refuse to vote then no one gets voted off. It's simple really but a duel would be awesome to watch. Anyone got popcorn? And I get to duel the winner!!!"
Boro signed heavily before inhaling through the cigarette held against his lips another time. Boro couldn't even find it in himself to get upset anymore. Not too long ago, he was no different from the ten that stood around him; he knew how it felt like to be in the position they were all in. It was frustrating to see them repeating the same mistake he did, but he couldn't blame them.
"I guess I was wrong then." Boro shrugged his shoulders, as he exhaled; the fumes that had been swirling inside his lungs dragged itself to the outside, escaping through his mouth and nostrils.
Although quiet and wavering, a gentle voice had managed to get Boro's attention. Free of any unease, Boro gave off a vibe of positivity, despite appearing a bit uninterested in a way.
"Please, let's- let's not fight." Shuko was trembling just a little, not looking anyone directly in the eye. "We came here to learn to be better, didn't we? Mr. Boro, I'm sorry." Here she glanced at him, a slight gleam at the edges of her eyes, and cast her vote. "None of us deserve to be here."
Averting his gaze away from Shuko, Boro seemed to have heard enough. In his mind, he had a fair understanding of the group and didn't care to go on any further. It looked like nothing they've said so far satisfied him.
Shuko was probably unaware of how Boro was reacting to her words as her eyes dropped to the ground, as if in shame. "None of us would be, if not for Tumble."
And their it was. Just when he was about to give on the group, he was proven to be wrong. Boro let out a faint chuckle before turning his back to everyone and walking away. A few years back, until he came across Tumble, he was a nobody who despised the world around him. If it weren't for the opportunity that was offered to him, Boro would have already ended his life. The amount of gratitude he felt for Tumble was immeasurable, but he never told or showed her that. It wasn't because he lacked the chance to do so; it was just due to his pride.
This was his only regret and Boro didn't want history to repeat itself; at least not on his watch. Fortunately, it seemed like he didn't need to worry that much after all. Unlike him, they weren't alone. As of now, knowing that Shuko was with them, was enough for him.
As he proceeded to walk away from the group, the encasement that surrounded them gradually lost its rigidity, losing its shape and spreading throughout the confines of the building.
"Shuko, right?" Boro called out as he slowly vanished into the cloud of smoke. "Just believe in Tumble." His voice echoed before completely fading out.
It took just over a minute for all the smoke to have disappeared, and as expected, Boro was nowhere to be found. Now allowed to take a good look at the actual insides of the agency, it was surprisingly plain. The lobby was fairly large, but aside from that, it was nothing special.
Leading past it was a corridor - equally as plain - that brought them to the briefing room, where a large oval table awaited. And seated at the head of the table, in all her glory, was Tumble. Well, in her current state, she wasn't as glorious as one would have imagined.
She was asleep with both her head and arms resting atop of the table in front of her. A bit of saliva was trickling from her mouth; some appeared to have already dried. Her hair was untangled and unkempt. The blouse she wore was halfway from being fully unbuttoned. She was missing a shoe. And although faint, the scent of alcohol was definitely noticeable. First impressions were never Tumble's strong point anyway.
"I'm still a bit confused about why we're meeting here of all places." Leon was the first to speak up.
Tumble gave off a glare as she heard the question addressed to her. Honestly, Tumble was aware that this was her mistake and it was embarrassing, but she didn't feel like explaining, it was too much of a hassle. Before she could decide though, Ruby had spoken.
"What? The park is a central enough location; large open space easily found on the map and in the city. Sounds like a strategic choice to meet at."
It would have been easier to simply agree with what the dragon girl had said, but that wasn't how Tumble did things most of time. Since she took on the responsibility to straightening these kids out, she had to become more accountable for her actions. It was annoying, but that was the least she could do.
"I had a couple of drinks." She scoffed at the young man while trying to maintain a straight face. "You can probably figure out the rest ."
Before any unwanted uneasiness could build up, a gruff voice had suddenly interjected. "Get to the point." Obviously Murdok didn't have much else to say, wishing to carry on.
It appeared Ruby thought the same way. "If your idea of socializing translates to us fighting the others, then I have no objections. I have no questions that can't wait until later." she replied, her voice full of bravado now rather than insecurity.
Kira frowned as the others remarked on the unprofessionalism of their supposed teacher. Of course, Kira had similiar greviances, but seeing as Tumble was already a bit uncomfortable, she opted not to speak about those. Though she did feel fairly good about being remarked as 'more capable'. "Fight them how? Just a straight brawl?"
Honestly, Tumble was relieved with how things were going; this just meant that it was less work for her.
"I never said anything about a fight. Like I said earlier, its...uhmm...socializing" Tumble knew she could do better than that, but based on how things were turning out, it didn't look like she had to. "Listen up. I'm not gonna repeat myself." She wasn't talking to anyone in particular.
"This'll be a chance for everyone to show off." Turning around, Tumble took a few steps backward, reaching for her bag and pulling out what looked to be printouts. She approached the closest one to her - Kira - and before tossing her the papers.
"The only difference, you're gonna one up 'em." What Tumble gave them were summarized reports on all the fourteen individuals that were invited and accepted to join the agency.
"So yeah. Get back to me after an hour." Tumble was proud of herself as her skills of delegation seemed to be on point. It was just right that she rewarded herself with a well deserved nap.
Ruby looked to the others, in an instant it had been decided and these three teens around her age had suddenly become her teammates. She was honestly too tired to question anything right now, and she was prepared to do just about anything for some sleep. "I'm Ruby, a fire dragon. I breathe fire, I fly, and if this was chess, I would fit the role of the Knight. That's about how I would assume you can best use my skills." she said as she walked up to Kira.
Leon followed, also moving up to Kira and taking a look at the dossier of info given about the individuals accepted onto the program. He was curious to see what his own one read, but that could wait until later. They only had an hour to prepare after all.
"I'm Leon. I make things spin. I ain't played chess, but I guess I'd be the bishop?" He spoke, continuing the chess motif.
Murdok focused and spoke to Tumble. "What exactly are we planning for our opponents? Glorified games of tag are not my cup of tea, Tumble."
Lying on the sandbox - it was cozier than she had expected - with eyes still closed and her back facing the four, Tumble responded to the monkey's question. "Up to you; just go with whatever." She flicked her hand, as if gesturing them to shoo away.
Standing upright, Murdok examined the papers given, taking a bit to even speak again. This time towards his newfound teammates. Specific, key information was glanced over on each file. Thus Murdok may have seemed to be carelessly scanning the information presented.
Occasionally the gaze of Murdok shifted between the papers and comrades. Hearing the speak of capabilities and a bit of chess lingo. An almost goofy grin etched over his previously annoyed expression. "Call me Murdok, nothing else. What you see is what you get. As for board-games. I've got the callings, not to mention agility, of a king. But don't expect me to play nice with others."
The grin shifted to a smirk upon saying king. Only for his tone to get serious immediately after. "But, seriously. Clock is ticking. If we need to take this time to rest, or get supplies, let's get it done. I know I'm thirsty, so would like to solve that within the next hour." Murdok didn't seem to be taking the whole thing seriously. Or he's oddly calm about being in a situation of four versus ten. Another cigarette was then ignited and partaken off.
For the other group, just waiting on @Leotamer@McFazzer@Drifting Pollen@KRAZY J to post. Not sure if any of you wanted to wait for Boro's reaction before posting or not. If you guys have any plans, feel free to tell me so that I can adjust if needed. I know Krazy J hasn't been on for a while, but I'm still giving him some time before proceeding with the story. Worst case, I'll just use his character for a while.
After making all four calls, Tumble was left with nothing else to do but contemplate on the plan she had in mind. Unfortunately, what exactly she had thought off had apparently drifted away elsewhere. A significant portion of her enthusiasm had stemmed from the alcohol that had been coursing through her body. Unfortunately, the drunken haze that had been clouding her mind had already began to clear.
Twenty minutes had passed since started making the calls, and the first that had arrived was Leon Woo. Heavy-eyed and weary, he approached Tumble.
"Is there a reason we're meeting in a play park of all places?" Leon asked. Tumble remained idle and did not utter a single word in response. Given her hair slightly obscuring her face, Leon didn't even know if Tumble looked at him or not. Hesitant that he might sound impatient in a way, Leon simply stood there and waited for anything from the heroine that called out to him.
Not long after, another person had arrived at the playground. She was dressed in dirty blue hoodie and plain looking sweats that concealed her shorts and plain t-shirt. Her hood was up and her gym bag was thrown over her shoulder, looking the part of a serious early morning athlete.
"Morning. Kira Nomo, ready for..." she stopped just before the sandbox and glanced down at the infamous Tumble, expressing slight bewilderment. "...anything, Tumble." Her tone trailing off in hesitation at the sight.
Tumble reacted to the young female's words, but not in the way she was expecting. "Five more minutes." she said as her entire body turned to one side, opposite the direction of where both Leon and Kira were. The reason for her behavior appeared quite obvious; was she asleep?
Before either of them could confirm this, appearing worn-out and exhausted was a red-haired, horned female. She paid little attention to the two others who were there and simply walked straight towards to Tumble. With a hint of hesitation trickling from her voice, she spoke. "Are you Tumble?"
A demanding shh came out from Tumble's mouth as she curved her back, bowed her head, and drew up her torso both her arms and legs. The chances of her actually sleeping despite setting this whole thing up was quite likely.
Her behavior was incredibly unprofessional and inconsiderate, but sadly, this wasn't something unusual for Tumble. Aside from her proficiency as a professional, her crudeness and unorthodox portrayal of what a hero should be, were probably the most influential factors that lead her to where she is now.
Aside from the eerie yet pleasant chirping from the crickets around them, and Tumble's snoring, all three trainees-to-be remained quiet, watching Tumble or just contemplating on some thoughts of their own. A decent amount of time passed until the last one had arrived. Cigarette poised in mouth, Murdok's movements didn't cease until he lazily leaned against one of the swing-set poles; not particularly bothered by anyone he spots, or passes.
With hands interlaced behind his head, Murdok began slowly inspecting every individual who was there.
"Well? Lets get on with it..."
Immediately after Murdok had spoke, Tumble sluggishly sat up, scratching her head, further making a mess of it than it was before. She rubbed her eyes with one hand and stretched out the other while letting out a prolonged and satisfying yawn.
"Now that's what I call a nap." She said to no one in particular. Standing up, she took glanced at all four of them, as if she was looking for something.
"Yeah, was totally right" Again, it seemed like she was just thinking out loud. "Let's get straight to the point." Tumble said as she continued to scratch her sand-laced head. "Aside from the four of you, there are ten others who'll be joining us at the agency, but that doesn't really answer the question on why I called you guys here, right?"
Resting both her hands inside the pockets of the coat she was wearing, Tumble's gaze suddenly became more intense as she smirked. "Out of everyone, you lot are the most capable in terms of combat ability. Well, at least that's what your records showed me." Tumble briefly paused as the thought of possibly causing a misunderstanding crossed her mind. Realizing that it was unlikely, she ignored it and continued to speak.
"I'd like to take advantage of that and arrange something involving the four of you. Just think of it as a unique way of socializing with the others."
The reactions that she received were varied. Curiosity and uncertainty were there, but it didn't seem like anyone in particular was against it. Given the nature of what she was going to request from them, Tumble didn't want them to feel coerced in anyway since it kind of defeated its purpose in a way.
"If any you have questions or comments, speak up now before I go into detail."
