@MordecaiThe 1st Tablet Power isn't on the sheet. Otherwise Yoshi looks alright. There's one minor error with a Skill being mentioned that isn't on his sheet, but you and I will sort that out. Send me word, when that's corrected.
Put up a response, since there's some stuff going down in the MHC HQ.
A long idle moment stretched by, Aito thinking of several different things; none of which pertained to the room he was in, or the file he had just read over. Then the door. Then dripping? Aito's eye came up from the desk, a slight smile on his face. A nod that some would call 'vacuous' or 'empty' or 'a little spooky' returned the gesture. With his mind freed up, it was a lot easier to listen to someone earnestly. He did, though, offer an interjection from time to time.
"Lazy, me? Never," Vatalla was right, though, Aito did the bare minimum to scrape by...unless it came to Monster hunting or wasting time with his friends, "I'm pretty much busy all the time." He motioned to the room with a broad sweep of his arm, "You not see how many important appointments I have?" He said most of this with his eye averted. Despite how she acted, it didn't quite sit right with Aito to stare dead-ahead while she was changing. Instead, he turned his chair; meandering to the window. He had drawn in half a breath to ask what was going on when she started talking.
"Ah," he nodded, bringing a hand to his chin, turning to face her, "yeah, people are like that. You know how long people been calling me 'Patchy'?" Forever. Forever was the answer. At least since he had moved to Port Crescendo during his early years of middle school. Before that people had known. Now it was just a curiosity he deflected, unless he felt like someone really needed to know. He offered a more wide smile, leaning back to rest lightly against the window. Scratching and scrawling mingled with her words. Surprise touched on his features, for a moment. His mouth might've hung open for an extra second or two, before he went back to smiling.
"Now that's a new one. You asking me about work, Valla," he had to reiterate, to keep himself from saying something stupid, "Bad timing, though. There's nothing really going on, around here, except a secret mission deal from Cannon." Which wasn't much of a secret, now that he'd said something. But, hell, I trust Valla. She's cool. Now he stepped away from the window, eye trained on her. "I guess I could cut you in as an outside resource, but keep it quiet. I got in a lot of trouble, last time you were involved with a Club Mission." Really, it wasn't that much trouble. He had become so used to being the target of Cannon's scorn that it hardly even fazed him anymore. "Good that you don't care about the pay, though. Because, uh," he stalled, faltered and attempted to collect himself, "there isn't any. This isn't a sanctioned hunt, or much of a hunt at all; so we're just kind of poking around in the dark. It's been real quiet around here. Kind of weird, I think."
Again, he turned, back to the window and cracked it open; looking out over the courtyard, but missing a potentially important detail. Still, he had a lot on his mind. Probably too much. Things had been suspiciously quiet, in terms of Monster activity. It brought him to the contents of the file, then back to Vatalla. "Have to say; I'm glad you asked. Must've been a hell of a morning-"
Aito had planned to segway into a talk of more personal matters, intent on offering to walk with her to school. George's arrival put an end to that, but not to Aito's relatively good mood. "George, dude, what the hell are you doing?" A laugh followed that, and a light tap of his fist against George Jordas' shoulder. "Stairs are easier, man, for sure." Then the launched towel. Then a crate gently set on the ground. Aito stepped away from the window, lowering himself to slide the crate into an unoccupied corner. "Thanks for the repairs, as always, I'm sure some of the rookies have been dying to get their gear back. Cannon or Zeke will probably send pay your way, later today. I'll be sure to put a word through, unless you need it now."
Technically it wasn't his role to pay anyone anything, but Aito felt fairly strongly about services being paid for. Even if it was out of his own pocket, for the time being. George asked him, too, about some work to be done. A sigh escaped him, one that lingered somewhere between uncertainty and amusement. "Seems like everyone's ditching today. Damn. Sorry, man, I don't have a whole lot right now. As far as I remember that batch of repairs was all we have on the list." The list, as it was, didn't really exist; more of a word-of-mouth commandment passed down and passed down again. "Me and Vatalla," he opted to not use the nickname he had chosen for her, around other people, at least not often, "were going to go check out some stuff on the third floor. Got a report about a potential Monster nesting up around here."
He left it at that, but opened his Enlil Network interface to send Vatalla a copy of the document he had received earlier. Then carried on. "As far as Cannon's told me, it's just a lead; with manifestations happening mostly at night. I won't ask either of you to come along for an overnighter, but I get the feeling I'm going to be hanging around here until tomorrow." He took his gaze from the crate and cast it to George, then Vatalla. "But, hey, whatever you guys want to do is cool with me." He took his seat, leaning back again. "Either way, I've got to hang here until this meeting's over with. Or not. I'll give it another ten minutes."
Certain perks were afforded to those in the Monster Hunter Club. Aito Mitsui, technically the third most important on the Committee, aside from those with actual duties, enjoyed one of these perks quite often. Second period had ended and where most of his peers were busy shuffling to their next class, talk of last week's parade still on some lips, he was taking time to clean the club's meeting room. It was one of the larger rooms, and had only of this year come into the MHC's hands.
It's got a nice view, for being on the second floor. At his back were windows that looked over Port Crescendo East Academy's grandiose courtyard. But, man, I bet Cannon is going to push us even harder this year. Before him was a stack of papers. Old members returning, fresh faces pushing for a spot. Thankfully, it wasn't his job to handle all of that. His spot had been secure, as were those of last year's devoted members. Curiosity, however, wouldn't be quelled. He had sat aside his broom to look over them, a mischievous smile finding its way to his face.
I really need the mood lifter, after a couple of days ago. He had updated his Personal Data, uploading a new picture and caption to make it known that he wasn't going to be participating in any more Ranked Fights for a while. The summer gave me enough of that, for a while. Maybe when the year's winding down, or something. He'd won the one-on-one fight, increasing his Rank to D, but it had left him feeling particularly disillusioned about the whole affair.
"Probably better to focus on Monsters, for a while," he turned to lean against the large table that dominated the room. Aito and a few others had been conscripted, over the break, to make sure that the new room was well furnished and in 'operating condition'. Cannon's words, not his, her face serious as they had been passed down. From the corner of his diminished periphery, he could see leaves dancing on an autumn breeze. People enjoying their lunch break. Aito heaved out a sigh, crossing his arms, and holding the papers close.
It was all standard fare. Even him going out of his way to slack, a little. Anybody that had come to know the one-eyed Hunter would recognize the pattern. The lean, the slight smile and the fold of his arms. Aito wasn't paying any attention to what was going on right in front of him; even the papers would get half a glance before he moved onto the next. He wasn't really absorbing any of the information. In truth, he was thinking about something else entirely.
So, he slid the papers back into their place and walked over to the window; cracking it open and propping his elbows on the sill. Voices of all sorts drifted in, casual conversation mingled with talk of more serious matters. There've been a few fights, today, but that's nothing new. Absently, he rolled the sleeves of his uniform up and took a moment to adjust his hat. A flick of his earring finished the ritual and he smiled out over the courtyard. Nothing for us to do, yet.
That usually changed as the year progressed, Monsters appearing in more dangerous numbers during the cold months. Still, for now everyone looks pretty happy. Awesome. The room felt lonely, though, without the more familiar members of the Club. Aito lifted his elbows and turned, careful to shut the window before walking away. He managed to get halfway across the room, tapping out a rhythm with his heels against tile, before a distraction presented itself.
[INCOMING CALL REQUEST FROM 'CANNON']
Her portrait was displayed beneath, with the options to [ACCEPT] or [DECLINE] underneath. She was a fourth-year, as of now, a scar running down the right side of her face. Blue hair and green eyes, both so bright it made Aito wonder if they were real; much like the broad smile she wore in the picture. She's never really all that happy. Immediately the thought soured and turned back on him. Without hesitation, he accepted.
"Mitsui, good to see you're here," her voice was high-pitched, but could easily switch to a deeper more serious tone, "I've been trying to track you, for a moment. Since you're the first in our new Club HQ, I want you to take-"
"Already on it, boss," he lifted the broom for her to see, "this place is cleaned up and-"
Cannon's head tilted slightly, looking at the broom. "I approve of your initiative, but that's not the cause for my call," Oh, right, I guess she would've sent me a text-message. "I've contacted a few of the other members, they should be arriving within the next ten minutes. Unfortunately, I can't make it today."
"Oh, yeah?" It wasn't challenging, or sarcastic. "That means you got the spot you were after?" A nod confirmed this, and Cannon glanced at her surroundings; some kind of vehicle, maybe a bus, from what Aito could tell. "Great news, boss! Proud of you." Cannon had been angling for an internship with a rather renowned group of Monster Hunters. He couldn't help but smile broadly. "So, what's up with the meeting?"
"Thank you, Mitsui. The Committee will be meeting to discuss a potential threat discovered over the summer. I'll send you the file, now that I know you're there; the others already have their own. Make sure to look it over carefully. This matter will be left solely to the discretion of those present. As of now, this is just a lead. No cause to concern the rest of the school's population. Cannon, out."
The screen closed without a prompt from him, Cannon having disconnected quickly after her usual sign-off. A moment later, the file came through. Aito accepted it, opening it immediately.
Last time she said that it meant 'keep this under wraps, or it's your ass.'
He suspected that it would be much the same, this time. Aito nodded to himself, sliding the broom aside and taking his usual spot at the table.
Alright, let's see what we got.
Hello. As some of you have been made aware, prior to this announcement, there has been some concern among the staff about recent appearances of potential Monster interference on PCEA grounds. While no one has been wounded, several of those present during the stretch of summer have reported strange noises and an uneasy feeling while on the third floor. Visual reports have been non-existent, save for a janitor's unreliable verbal recounting of the encounter. If we are to believe this man (Rouben Glenn, a Nobody) the creature appears as thus;
• Humanoid
• Incredibly pale, where skin is exposed
• Wearing some form of outlandish suit-style garb, as well as a headdress
• Purple lips and eyes, pronounced chin; capped by some form of gold adornment
While this is, as of now, an ongoing investigation; I would like the Monster Hunting Club to take some initiative. I know that the appearance does little in aiding your efforts, so I have compiled a list of possible abilities;
• Potential reality warping capabilities, small scale
• Control over other Monsters
As of now, this is the only information I am able to provide. Several of the reports were vague, at best, involving only laughter and the appearance of several weak Monsters. The rest is purely conjecture based on Mr. Glenn's report and the information within that coincides with other more minor reports.
Mrs. Berathabran (first year Math teacher, for those unaware) has agreed to stay after-hours, should you choose to investigate the school grounds at night. The usual cooperation from staff members will not be given, as no official report has been made about this problem.
I would like for you all of you to handle this, as best you can. If there turns out to be no problem, that would be for the best. However, it could be that PCEA has become host to something that poses a potential danger to the students. Regardless, I expect the full effort of our Club to be given in dealing with this tenuous situation.
Be safe, stay sharp, Cannon.
He whistled, closing the file and leaning back against his chair. Situations like this weren't uncommon, but something about it felt off. A test, maybe? Nah, Cannon's not that reckless. If she wanted to test us, she would. He propped his feet against the table, folding his arms across his chest. Whatever was going on, it was enough to warrant a 'secret' meeting and for them to operate under-the-radar. A smile broke the gloom that had settled in, momentarily.
If it's a serious thing, then we handle it. Same as always. Other investigations have turned out pretty well. Just a bummer that it seems like some kind of night-operation.
His eye drifted back to the window, a slight smile still on his face.
I've started on the In-Character Introduction! Sorry for the delay~
I'm about twelve paragraphs in and I plan to add a little more. For clarification, once I've posted, everyone can start. It will be taking place during the 'third period' of the day. Your Character can be in class, or taking lunch, or whatever. Do what you would like. For the slice-of-life portion, I won't be placing any heavy rules on what your Character can be up to.
I should have the Introduction done and posted sometime tonight. If not tonight, in the morning!"
If I've missed anything OOC, please send me a PM or @ me in this thread. I apologize if that's the case, but things have been fairly hectic.
Thanks for your patience!
EDIT: I will be changing the status of the RP to 'Full', once the Introduction is posted. This is just as a note.
Ok, it seems like a lot went on in my absence. So, let's start at the top.
@MordecaiThe 1st I like Rosalie! She's approved. You can move her over to the Character Tab!
It seems like the conversation that arose from this submission has subsided. However, I would like to point out something that was brought up.
@Viatos Pretty much touched on it. At the level our Characters are competing at, the Enlil Network imposes regulations. Of course, that's only for Ranked Fights.
This also brings me to the clarification; Mygis isn't run by combatants, it's represented by them. Those types of fighters get fame and status; along with a certain degree of influence, afforded to their position. That's not to say they actually make decisions. Relera is democratic, as far as I've decided.
Anyway! Onto looking over Characters! My apologies, but this will be somewhat quick.
@Ghost Queen Approved! You can move James over to the Character Tab.
@Leslie Hall Changes Approved! Jayce is also Approved!
@Gentlemanvaultboy The only qualm I have is with Shocking Kill Flash Step. A stated cooldown would be great. Once that's done I'll Approve Icarus! I like the concept and plan to do something similar in the future. Plot-stuff, maybe?
@RyuShura Yeah, there are still a couple of people. I'll prod them tomorrow, if no word is given.
My plan is to start within the next two days. We'll be picking up during the first day of school, rather than having to trudge through the Archprincipal's introduction.
Tabitha, too, had requested food somewhere along the way. Ellard seemed intent on lingering near her, though he walked a bit ahead, and she was intent on lingering near Tristan. She was tired. Her feet had started aching, somewhere along the Long Walk; but they were heading in the right direction. About time, too. Silverbrook had fallen behind them and a large tower had come into view. When she first saw it, dread had pressed into her navel and spread sharp fingers through her guts. Tension was high, at least for her. Everyone seems kinda fucked up, right now, anyway. One person in particular. Koda, I talked to him on the tracks. Ignored him when he asked me to help Michael.
"Ellard," that earned a turn of the boy's head and all of his attention, "s'about time ya start tellin' us what we need to know." Tabitha had her arms folded over her stomach, cradling herself in hopes of dispelling the ill feelings that seemed to be lingering in and ahead of her. "Pretty sure that big fuckin' thing is where he stays, right? Ya ever been inside?" Ellard shook his head, and she gave a slight nod of understanding. "Ok, so what do ya know about that place?" She pointed at it, for emphasis.
Against the waning sunlight, the tower was an adumbral spike; an oddly uneven silhouette that seemed to waver and give little wiggles in the distance. From where they stood, they could see that the spire rose from a squat complex. Tabitha tried to take it all in, but the details were hazy. We gotta get closer. She wasn't sure what banter had taken place, during their walk. The harlequin had hardly spoken a word, unless it was to Tristan or Ellard. Even then it was short and uncharacteristically reserved. Though, from time to time, she found herself quietly giggling. While she wouldn't say it, Tabitha Calvicante was scared. She had done her best to remain distracted, in her own head, thinking of pleasant things; even if those, too, reminded her of home and Rani and Lane and her mother. Will crossed her mind, several times.
"I know that he isn't like an angel or monster, I've seen those before," Ellard spoke loudly enough for the entire group to hear, though his voice sounded uneven; like it might crack, "He's something else. When he came to town, it was on a festival night." How many fuckin' festivals did those guys have? "Me, my mother and my sister were here with a caravan. The people in Silverbrook weren't like...like they are now, when we arrived." Tabitha watched his shoulders drop. She cast a glance at Tristan, then slowly away; letting her gaze flitter over the others. "It started happening the night we got there. A few people said they heard whispers. Others said they heard laughter." The boy's eyes drifted skyward, his head tilting back. "We stayed the night. Everyone had the same dream. I...I don't know if I'd call it a nightmare, but it was certainly strange."
Tabitha didn't interject, but she was curious. She already knew that Magician was influencing minds; that much was obvious. Seems like there's more to it, though. Wonder just what the fuck that thing is up to. Taking her hands from her stomach, she let one linger at her side while the other toyed with the hat-tendrils coiled around her throat. Her eyes roamed, again, to Tristan. Her mouth half opened, then slowly closed; a smile in place of words unspoken. Now ain't the time to be runnin' my mouth. I should be listenin'. Again, they drifted away. To Anni, to Ascot, to Zino, to Stormy, to Mike, to Oedipus, then back to Ellard.
"Some of the townfolk decided..." He tensed, slightly shaking his head and looking at the group, "that a lady who had traveled with us, some kind of mystic, was responsible. They...in the morning they..." Tabitha lifted an eyebrow, letting her fingers fall away from soft fabric, "They drowned her. That's when he appeared." A visible shiver ran through the boy. "He looks like something out of a fever dream. He was taller than any man, at least any I had ever seen. He wore a mask of white and gold, without holes for eyes, and an open robe of red. He was...like a corpse. Rotten wrappings covered almost everything. His voice was like...like parchment being torn." She tried to envision it, but wasn't sure the thing that came to mind was anywhere close.
A mask, though, huh? Sounds like this shit's kind of a big deal. We all got Masks, he got a mask. Fuck.
She sighed, quietly. Ellard was fighting down his terror, again. Tabitha admired that about the kid. He was brave enough to face his fears. It made her feel a little inadequate, though. Now her eyes were locked on the Magician's abode. It had been steadily growing larger, as they walked. She could pick out little details; like the spikes that jutted outward from the top of the spire. Looks like some kinda evil flower. Or, at least, that was the best way she could think to comprehend it. Her pace was slowing, aching tracing along her arches and up her calves. Despite how used she was to walking, running and climbing, this trek was turning out to be murder. As she mulled that over, another small giggle escaped her. Tabitha put a hand to her mouth, her eyes dropping. What the fuck is wrong with me...
"He told us that we would be punished for that woman's death," Anger crept into his words, "all of us. That's when it started. He threw his arms out, wide, and we were changed. I remember it well, now. I could hear his voice in my head, hundreds of his words, all at once wrapping around my thoughts and...and as it stopped, I stopped being...being me." Tabitha felt a chill, at that. The thought of it added to her own growing fear. "We all stopped being us. Festivals started happening every other day. People would celebrate and someone would be chosen to walk this path to his keep. My mother, my sister...he seemed to be choosing the outsiders. I think..." Tabitha's stomach knotted up, she had a feeling she knew what was coming.
Poor kid. M'glad we gotcha outta there. But now, aren't we just takin' ya right to him? That's kind of fucked up.
"I think I was going to be next." Ellard spoke with dread, but he seemed to be steeling himself. "If that's the truth, I want to know why! It's why I wanted to come along with you! I want to know what happened to my mother and sister!" He exhaled deeply, his hands curling into tight fists. "H-He has powers, I've seen him do strange things. Aside from what happened to the people in the village. I've seen him create things from the dirt, that looked like people; that could move and even talk like people. Fire that circled around him like snakes. I don't know what else he can do, but I'm sure it's a lot...and I'm sure it's all terrible."
Ellard fell quiet, after that; turning to give a brief look to Tabitha. Neither of them were smiling, but their eyes met. He seemed more comfortable around the group. Tabitha was a little thankful for that; it meant that she wasn't his sole caretaker. He had become something of a shared responsibility, in her mind. Though, what Zino said earlier was probably true. Bringing Ellard along was a bad idea.
We probably shoulda just sent him the other way. Would be safer, for sure. Then again, he coulda died on the path. The Long Walk? I can see why they'd fuckin' call it that. What's death even mean, anymore, anyway? I mean, fuck, we all died. Look how bad that turned out!
Tabitha giggled, then lightly slapped herself; quiet so she didn't interrupt or draw attention beyond what might already be on her. Really, her heart was sinking. Others in the group had exhibited their gifted abilities. Some used them constantly. I've got nothin'. I can't do nothin' except run my mouth. She still felt the strange something in and around her. It was dull, rght now. Much less than it had been when she had walked alongside Stormy. "Like static, or a dream ya can't remember..." It was a whisper, Tabitha holding her hand out; her purple and green sleeve falling a little over her extended fingers. That, too, was funny; for some reason. Tabitha focused on it, imagining that she was drawing the part of it she felt outside inward.
There ain't nothin' there. She was fuckin' with me. I just want to be able to do somethin'! This shit ain't right! Throw me in a fuckin' clown suit and leave me to die in some other fucked up world?! I'll fuckin' show you! I'll fuckin' show you, Magician, all of them! Everyone! Don't fuck with me! Don't fuck with me! Don't you dare try to fuckin' pull this shit on me! I trusted you! I believed what you said about this place! I stepped on those fuckin' tracks so I could kill you! I stepped on those tracks so my-
Her heart skipped a beat and her thoughts faltered; a realization of the truth too much to articulate, even in her head. She lowered her hand, frowning. Tabitha couldn't look at any of them. I ain't worthless. I ain't. So, instead, her eyes became glued to her feet. Wrapped in the same stocking that covered most of her legs. One step followed another, as they inched ever closer to Magician's ominous abode. She felt her stomach and throat tense. The sun was close to setting and they still had a way to go.
