LuckyBlackCat

London By Lamplight: A Victorian Magical Girl's Story !

@Majoras End A position opened up, so if you want, you can bring in Emily. Who's to say she couldn't meet us during our current mission?

London By Lamplight: A Victorian Magical Girl's Story !

@Sinsystems

Even though, as energy beings, the Hydes had no blood as such, black fog spewed from the wounds as they toppled to the ground. Retaining some of their feline flexibility, they swiveled their torsos, narrowing their red eyes and lashing with sharp claws at their cackling assailant. Their weakened state, however, made their strikes clumsy.

It wouldn't take much more to defeat them, but they were far from the biggest threat around. In the distance, out of Jacqueline's sight, something crept through the woodland on spindly limbs, tendrils streaming from its back. If the witch spotted her natural enemy closing in, she'd notice its form to be larger and more substantial than the wraith-like other two.

Sweet Dreams Corps. (Nightmarish monster-fighting and dream-diving)

Ooh, count me in!

My Hero Academia: Another Story

@Heartfillia @Pirouette

Martenell faced Alex, lips pursed. "You'd know if you'd watched or listened, and you'll find out when you go talk to her," she replied, gesturing towards the brunette from Class 1-A, "so get to it."

Right as Martenell pointed her out, Melissa made a beeline, no pun intended, for Namie. "So you're Namie! I'm Melissa, though you can call me Mel, or Honeybee. That's gonna be my hero name." While not everyone had thought of their codenames this early in the year, she liked to plan and prepare as much as possible. She took a sip of her energy drink before continuing, leaning in and lowering her voice. "Soooo, first things first. What's your Quirk, and what's your fighting style like? Close quarters, ranged, support, stealth, defensive, capture based, how would you describe it? I'd say I'm mostly the last one, and Alex is a good mix of defense and offense." She grinned. "Can't wait to see how we work together!"

Leaving the team to it as Melissa babbled away, Martenell approached the woman slumped in a chair, and sighed. "That I did, and the students could do without distractions right now..." She glared at Dunwich, then back at Halstrom, eyeing the steam that curled from the cup. "But you know, as soon as you turn your Quirk off, you're going to wish you'd let that cool a little. Replacing a headache with a burned tongue seems rather counterproductive." For all the statement's bluntness, her voice became a fraction softer.

"Heyyy, this isn't a distraction, it's a pep talk!" Dunwich spun, making Martenell back away to avoid getting whacked with several pom-poms. "Gotta lighten the mood for both of you too! I mean, want me to explain what stress does to nearly every organ in your body?"

Martenell clenched her fists. "Some idea you have of lightening the mood."

"Just saying! Besides..." Dunwich turned those strange eyes towards the students. "It looks like some people need the encouragement."

---

Freya Leander ~ Cait Sith

---

@SimpleWriter @Nyahahameha

Well, this was just her luck, Freya thought, trudging through the crowd. At least she'd been grouped with Gabby, but Erika? The same person who'd insulted Class 1-A a week ago, a kick while they were already down? She tried to think the best. Maybe Erika had simply been in a bad mood back then, and had lightened up by now...

"Stop stressing so much, it won't help you perform any better - and it certainly won't help me."

... Or not. Cringing, Freya turned round, face to face with the grouch from last week. "Eheheh, I'm fine, it's all going to be fine," she claimed. Had she really been that obvious? Her eyes shifted to the ground, flicking back up when Erika turned her verbal lashing on Gabby.

"Hey, who doesn't sleep late now and again?" In a protective gesture, she sidled closer to Gabby. "And believe me, you'll be glad to have her on our team when you see her in action." She smiled up at her friend. "You show her."

That was when she noticed the mass of mist behind Gabby. "Ehhh?!" She jumped, skittering round to face the entity. Maybe it was her limited colour vision at play, but to her, it looked like a cloud of dingy fumes floating in the air - with what appeared to be a face.

"What's with the, uh, smoke?" She glanced at Erika, pointing out the entity to Gabby. "And what do you mean, charged up?"

---

Kerianne Morley ~ Nightwatch

---

@Tenma Tendo @Heartfillia

Striding right over to Chi and Renard, Kerianne nodded, accepting the blue vial. "Thanks, although we'll try to stay close by," she reassured Chi, tucking it into the belt around her jacket. "And if one of us gets hurt or tired, the other can keep opponents distracted while we use these."

Her eyebrows furrowed at the sheer amount of blood in Chi's container. "Here." Stepping towards an empty chair, she pulled it over. Even if her teammate only got a few minutes to rest, that would be better than nothing. "If you're dizzy, I find deep breathing can help. In and out for a slow count of five each way."

She turned to Renard, launching into the planning before he could make any jokes. "I'm wondering," she whispered, "How easily can you charge up enough to make electricity arc around you, and how long can you do that for? If you can generate enough light to lengthen shadows, that's one way we can combine our skills."

---

Simone Moseley ~ Momo

---

@Aerandir @TruthHurts22

"Hey again!" Momo called to Yi, twirling in front of him and Dakota. She leaned forward, listening as he explained his Quirk and battle techniques. "Ooh, martial arts, that's neat!" She kept her voice quieter than usual, but no less enthusiastic. "I'm more of a dancer, but that's how I fight. You see, I can channel sound through my body, hence the music last time!" She gestured to one of the devices on her wrists, and to the ones built into her shoes, much sleeker than her training gear.

"Yeah, I modelled how I use my Quirk a little on how Enterprise uses hers, only with a few dance moves thrown in," she admitted. "Of course I'm not anywhere near that level, but I use it for speed and ranged attacks. Don't worry, gonna try not to hit you!"

She gave Dakota a bright, warm smile. "Alright, your turn now!"

My Hero Academia: Another Story

@pkken I said it in the Discord, but saying it here too, accepted!

@TheMushroomLord Hi, yep I'm afraid students are full. As for villains, there's one who may or may not still be active, we'll have to check, and we'll let you know if spots open up.

@KaijuBaragon Hey just wondering, are you still in this? If you are, we can give you updates and fill you in on the current villain arc.

Project Zasshu

Yep. What better gift to give a moth?

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

"Oh no it's ok, I appreciated it," Jess replied, keeping her tone polite despite the flare of anger from Roxy. She had appreciated it, albeit because it had kept both of them away from Mr Black. There was no avoiding him now, though.

Following Roxy into the dining room, she stopped beside her. The barely-concealed surge of panic told Jess what she needed to know about the other guest waiting for them, a young man who oozed the same shallow charm as Reginald did. Her entire body tensed as he approached, addressing her with that fake politeness, which Roxy made it clear she was having none of.

"May I ask..." Jess bit the inside of her lip before continuing. "Part of our lives in what way?" She'd tried to put up her own civil air for different reasons, but her words began to take on a frosty edge - whether due to Roxy's emotions or her own, she didn't know. What she did know was the likely answer to her question. If it was what she suspected, was there a way for Roxy and this man to stay out of each other's lives?

My Hero Academia: Another Story

@Riegal I like it, reminds me of Deku in a way, with the backstory and the determination to catch up. Accepted :)

My Hero Academia: Another Story

---

---

Kerianne Morley ~ Nightwatch

---

@Aerandir @TruthHurts22

Turning to Yi, Kerianne gave a twitch of a smile. Something about his effortless calm and positivity always lifted her spirits - as long as he wasn't pranking her, anyway. "Oh, believe me, I wouldn't recommend it," she replied. "She'd have her ways to get back at anyone who tried that, collar of bells or not. I doubt that'd alert anyone to monkeys about to clamber all over them, or anything of the sor-"

She stepped out of the way as someone yelled a warning and careened past her. The blur, one Dakota Roice on roller skates, made a sudden stop only to do a faceplant that rivalled Kerianne's earlier one. "Are you alright?" Kerianne rushed over, but thankfully Dakota picked herself back up with no sign of pain, acting as if nothing had happened.

The morning was proving eventful already, and the test hadn't even started yet.

---

Freya Leander ~ Cait Sith

---

@Tenma Tendo @Metastability @TruthHurts22 @Stern Algorithm

Freya responded to Chi's thumbs-up with a shaky laugh. "That's one way to think about it." For all her attempts to relax, she tensed at Steven's showy arrival. Not that she knew him well, and that was possibly just it - maybe his difficulty mixing with his classmates caused a vicious circle of showing off and pushing them away. Plus he hadn't made fun of anyone... Yet. It would take Freya a while, though, to fully trust someone who displayed an attitude she'd seen all too often.

"Ehh, it's been as good as early morning can be," she replied, shoulders slouching. "The day found me sleeping and wouldn't leave me to it. And yeah, got to say, it's good that you're getting into your hero persona, but dialling it down might make working with others easier. Hey, it's a team exercise, we'll all have to share the spotlight."

Even though all she wanted was to stay out of the spotlight, after that last disaster of an exam. At least Gabby had cheered up, launching into anime discussion while hugging Momo, who squealed back. "Yup, this evening would be good, as well as any evening this week! The more practice, the better! Can't wait to see how people react this time!"

Freya had no idea what Gabby and Momo meant by 'Jeice's poses', but knowing they had something to keep them in good humour brought a smile. With half-closed eyes, she glanced around the group, her gaze settling on an equally nervous-seeming girl. A girl who also bore animal traits, namely the claws, tail and antennae of a shrimp. "It's ok, I was kidding about things not boding well for the exam," Freya reassured her. "Chi here's got the right idea, I-I mean how tough can it be? And at the very least, it should be over quickly."

She put her hands behind her back to hide their shaking, resisting the urge to dig her claws into her water bottle. That desire to scratch at things during stressful situations didn't help. Instead, she took deep breaths - only to jump several feet into the air, spilling her water, as Dakota hurtled past. Wincing at the other girl's fall, she headed over as Keri did.

"Nah, you're not late," she told Dakota. "We've still got... hmm, I'll take a look." She reached for her phone, but before she could check it, the answer became clear.

---

The school bell rang through the courtyard. Right at that moment, the arena doors burst open, a whirl of energy that eclipsed even Momo and Melissa making her presence known.

"EVERYONE READY???" the teacher squealed, grabbing two of the many, many pom-poms attached to the skirt of her hero costume, a red and black cheerleading outfit. The youngest and newest UJ teacher, Miss Carmine Dunwich had taken to her second job with gusto, radiating exuberance and warmth despite her unsettling stare. Black eyes, sclerae and all, their only colour several thin scarlet rings spreading from the centres, shone with glee. Nobody knew whether such features were contacts or simply bizarre colouration. Thrusting the pom-poms into the air, she grinned at the students. "Put up a fight! Put on a show! Go, future heroes, go, go, go!"

She pumped her arms and leapt up and down, her ponytail of wayward dark curls bouncing as she bubbled with enthusiasm - quite literally. Patches of skin on her limbs shifted like boiling wax. With squelching sounds, many crimson tendrils burst from her arms and legs, grabbing the remaining pom-poms, waving them while writhing and pulsing.

"Ahem." A loud cough over the chanting cut short Cheering Hero Eldritch's display. "It's all very well treating this like a game, although may I remind you it's anything but!" Martenell strode forward, turning her glare from Eldritch to the students. "Everyone inside."

She led the group into the arena, where several other teachers waited, a simulation area set up behind them. Like last time, a cityscape sprawled, the difference being the many high walls that divided the area into sections. "As you'll all know, provided you've been paying attention, this will be a three-on-three combat test. Now, it isn't a guarantee that everyone in a team will be from the same class - you'll be grouped according to cooperation potential, not how well you know each other. This is also because pro heroes from different agencies sometimes have to work together when the situation calls for it."

She studied the crowd. "The teams will be as follows. Each of you will move forward when your name is called.
Team 1: Gabriella Gonzales, Erika Sommer, Freya Leander.
Team 2: Breeze Porfirio, Raymond Carter, XiaoPao Xia.
Team 3: Renard Sparks, Kerianne Morley, Chisato Yuuki.
Team 4: Dawn Gibbs, Steven Rein, Thomas Kazinsky.
Team 5: Yi Helme, Simone Moseley, Dakota Roice.
Team 6: Alexis Runa, Melissa Summerfield, Namie Braggs."

As Martenell continued announcing teams, students stepped forward one by one. "Aww..." Momo gave her two best friends an apologetic look. "Oh well, let's hope we get to work together another time! And best of luck!" She skipped towards Yi and the other Class A student. Disappointing as it was not to work with Erika and Alex, or with Gabby, Yi seemed easy to get along with. As for Dakota, this would be a perfect chance to make a new friend.

"You may take a few minutes to quietly discuss your Quirks and possible strategies among your teammates," Martenell went on once she'd called the last few names. "But I mean a few minutes. Once it's time, it's time, so no idle chatter!"

Dunwich, all too eager to get everyone as hyped up as she was, launched into another wild flurry of tendrils and pom-poms. "Woooooo! Who's gonna make it to the top? Who's gonna rise up like All Might? Who's gonna show they can't be stopped? Come on UJ, let's see you fight!"

Scowling, Martenell folded her arms. "Or time wasting of ANY kind."

Project Zasshu

---

Lindy Carlson ~ Project Medusa

---

@PsyBlade @Metatrooper @Yankee

It was only once Wei Lai had introduced her and Cade that Lindy spoke up. "Nice to meet you, Sakurai," she said softly, with a slight bow of her head, a habit she'd learned from her five years in Japan. "Uh, I'm from America, but I've lived here for quite a while." She turned all six pairs of eyes downward, tapping her foot against the chair leg, hoping nobody would ask about the reason for her move. It didn't help that there was something else to get out of the way.

"And, umm... My DNA donor is Balaur." Balaur, the Archon who had leveled an entire city in a fight with none other than Isonade, the being Shirona shared traits with. Lindy twirled one of her few locks of actual hair around her finger. Maybe she was worrying about nothing, but she couldn't ignore the possibility - would knowing of such parentage unsettle Shirona, or affect how she viewed her?