Scribe of Thoth

Of Blood and Magic

---

Max waited until the last possible minute to leave his room before orientation. He was ready well in advance, of course. He hadn't slept much, and it wasn't like his morning - evening, it's evening now - routine took much effort. Shower, throw on an outfit casual enough to inspire disrespect for the institution but not so underwhelming that he looks blatantly out of place, tussle his hair into something resembling normalcy in lieu of combing it, and done. But, he didn't want to risk a chance encounter with Morrigan. The vampire had hid last night - this morning? - for a reason, and it wasn't something Max particularly cared to address this soon after waking up. He hurriedly made his way out of the dorm wordlessly, with the exception of him calling out a casual "I'll meet up with you at lunch, I guess," as he was halfway out the door. He wasn't even sure if Morrigan was still there to hear him.

He paid minimal attention to the flashy displays going on around him as the mages were led to their orientation hall, obviously staged to showcase the academy's magical studies program and inspire the newcomers. He wasn't sure if he respected the transparency of it all or hated it. Likewise, he spent most of the opening speech rolling his eyes. At least the girl that replaced the old geezer seemed genuinely easygoing, if the reactions of the rest of the staff were anything to go off of. If she was reading off some script in a disingenuous facade of informality designed to "connect" with the students, there wouldn't be nearly as many exasperated glares being shot in her direction. She seemed like a good enough place to start. He didn't know his affinity yet, his vampire was tame so far, and clubs sounded like a complete and utter waste of time at this point. Might as well show some ambition.

Once the mages were dismissed, Max made a beeline for Sariel at the front of the auditorium. A few blithering sycophants were already approaching his target, likely to gawk at one of the Noila's favored pets rather than ask anything useful. He rudely shoved past them before they could get close, ignoring any dirty looks or complaints they may have sent his way.

"Miss Asiree," he began, opting for a more respectful address despite her demeanor, "You're clearly skilled, given your position, yet you seem down to earth enough that said skill is likely in a pragmatic sense rather than solely in pointless academics." He peered at her searchingly, but made sure to keep his face carefully neutral during the exchange. "So, I'll be blunt. I don't even know my affinity yet. In your opinion, what's the quickest way to getting myself on a level that's competitive with the rest of these..." His voice trailed off, some unsaid insult hanging in the silence before he tacked on a "...people?"

---

@HecateProxy@Achronum

Jigokuraku Academy

Datari Shun: The Glitch in the Matrix

---

Hero school was more depressing than expected. Shun had begun the bus ride practically vibrating in his seat with anticipation; his head swiveling between the other inhabitants of the bus, an involuntary 'ooh' or 'ah' occasionally slipping out under his breath when a person with a visibly obvious quirk entered his field of view. Not that he could figure out what half of them did, but he was enthused nonetheless.

The excitement quickly faded as the silence fell over the bus. It was early, granted, but the atmosphere was far too grave for a bunch of teenagers in an enclosed space, like they were driving to a funeral instead of a test. Shun furrowed his brow and worked his jaw, repeatedly perking his head over and around the seat in front of him in a fidgety attempt to think of something to lighten the mood. He came up blank; his incessant squirming dying down into a relatively tame bouncing of his knee as he grew more and more discouraged. In the end, he opted to just stare mindlessly out the window. The sky was just as grim as the interior, as if the world itself shared the dreary feeling hanging over the would-be freshman class of Jigokuraku. Or perhaps it was the other way around.

The rubble seemed like only a footnote tacked onto an already bleak experience at that point, but it hit home all the same. He never expected his high school career to take place at some glamorous, state-of-the-art institution, but the state of this city was just sad. The destruction littering the outskirts of town ruined any illusion of Kirisama being a quaint seaside community, instead painting it as a melancholy shadow of what it once was before it was ravaged by villainy. At least it would be good practice for navigating disaster zones in his future hero work.

He sighed briefly after his period of brooding, then shook his head to dispel any lingering negativity. He was going to pass. Everyone else here was in the same boat as him; anyone that could utterly outclass him would've already gotten into a better school, right?


Stepping out of the bus made Shun wince. He'd dressed lightly to minimize the burden on his quirk, but he still wasn't expecting it to be so cold. He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet in an attempt to generate heat as the - exam proctor? Proctor's five-year-old daughter? Sassy lost child? - explained the rules, pausing his movements in minor shock as she carelessly tossed the dummy into the bus. That definitely wasn't proper disaster response protocol. He supposed it was a gesture to emphasize the lack of a need for rescue training, but even so, that seems like a bad thing to be demonstrating to prospective heroes.

At the notice of the others starting to warm up, Shun's bouncing shifted into a series of light stretches. Forget the curriculum, focus on the task at hand. His quirk was suited for this. He should head farther away and let the slower people fight over any dummies near the bus. His gaze shifted toward the red haired girl and the walking lightbulb as they started shouting words of encouragement. Wait, who said they had to fight over the dummies at all? This was a rescue operation. Sort of.

"Uh, guys?" He chirped up rather loudly, trying to get as much attention as he could, "She never said we couldn't cooperate. If we divide the work up, we can get out of the cold faster and look like better heroes! Mobility quirks can scout the area and direct the heavy hitters to the villains, then everyone else can gather all the dummies up beforehand and split them evenly; that way we'll all pass!" He planted his hands on his hips confidently, a friendly grin plastered on his face. He clearly wasn't even considering the possibility that he'd be laughed at or ridiculed, let alone end up causing the entire class to fail through some breach of the rules. They can't fail everyone, after all.

Jigokuraku Academy

Shun's not from the city, so he's just recently moving in.

Jigokuraku Academy

Glitchy Boi

"Teamwork makes the dream work! Or... something like that."

Name: Datari, Shun

Age: 15

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 124 lbs

Quirk: Pixelation - Shun is capable of short-ranged teleportation (at most a few meters) by discorporating himself and other small objects he is in contact with into small cuboid bits. He requires time to restabilize his body after each "jump", and repeated use of his quirk in a short period of time leads to an increasingly unstable body; resulting in impaired vision, coordination, movement, and eventually cognitive function at high levels of bodily corruption.

Description: At first glance, Shun lacks the larger-than-life physical presence typical of big name heroes; he's lean and effeminate, and could probably pass for a girl in the right lighting. While he's clearly not setting any strength records, his build believably matches a runner or gymnast, and he has the flexibility and leg strength to back it up. Small areas of his body seem to dissociate into pixel-like bits at random, seemingly without physical consequence; as if he were a video game character experiencing a weird graphical glitch. The frequency of this phenomenon seems to increase when Shun is nervous or unsettled, or when he's recently used his quirk.

Personality wise, Shun is nothing if not energetic, to the point of coming off as annoying at times. This isn't helped by the fact that he has almost no concept of personal space. He's usually cheery and positive, and any sadness or anger he may be feeling commonly manifests in the form of a brief period of poutiness before disappearing altogether and Shun snaps back to his usual self. He's frequently seen exhibiting some idle tic when standing or sitting still; ranging from innocent tapping of fingers to outright bouncing up and down on his feet. Academically, he's nothing special; having achieved only average grades for most of his school career and never particularly excelling in any subject. This, coupled with his diminutive frame and what he considers an unremarkable quirk, lead him to consider himself pretty mediocre by hero standards. Despite his apparent airheadedness, he has a shrewd mind for tactics on the battlefield, and thus commits himself to being useful as part of a team rather than as a solo glory-hound since his quirk isn't necessarily powerful alone.

As expected by someone so seemingly immersed in mediocrity, his home life was always pretty ordinary. He grew up in a modest home just outside of town, with typically caring parents and an older brother that was distant enough age-wise that he and Shun were never really close. Shun got into heroism at a young age, as many kids do, watching highlights on the news and internet. This proved to be a nightmare for his parents when his quirk manifested, as he would try to emulate the complex maneuvers of heroes with movement quirks - usually inside and around fragile furniture. Eventually, he got (forced) into kickboxing as a way to burn off energy, but he took it in stride, seeing martial arts as both a fun hobby and a way to hone himself for a future in heroism.

Miscellaneous:
Likes:

• Kickboxing
• Inspiring Others and Being Inspired by Heroism
• Recognition
• Video Games
• Friendliness
• Teamwork That Plays Out Better Than Expected

Dislikes:

• Uncooperative People
• Excessive Negativity or Cynicism
• Dragging Others Down

Text Color: 2EFEC8

Of Blood and Magic

---

The vampire had been silent since Max had last spoke. Apparently he'd offended him. Whatever.

He trailed behind Morrigan wordlessly, taking in the scenery of his new home with fleeting interest. The quiet, almost suburban quality of the housing was cozy, yet reasonably luxurious, and the gardens were nice, he guessed, but it wasn't anything awe-inspiring in his eyes. Nighttime always did sour the aesthetics of nature for him. It was ironic, a city can change from a soulless expanse of gray into a lively stretch of neon in the dark, but nature - even the artificial replication of nature present in a simple garden - seemed to lose its grandeur as the sun faded; shifting from something beautiful into something dull at best and mysterious or threatening at worst.

As they reached their dorm, Max fanned himself innocuously with the envelope addressed to him as Morrigan opened the door and casually followed as the vampire hurried inside.

"I guess I’m going to go ahead and get some rest, orientation tomorrow and all."

The boy rushed off before Max could respond. Not that he would've given more than an acknowledging grunt. Definitely offended, then. Or maybe intimidated - a laughable notion, but not entirely implausible.

He did a quick walkthrough of the house, excluding the room Morrigan had claimed. Comfortable, although the kitchen gave him pause. Was food provided? Would he have a choice in what he gets? He'd have to ask. He strolled back to the unclaimed bedroom, finally opening the envelope he'd been given. Meaningless congratulatory welcome, orientation starting time, and a notice that he'd likely be stuck with Morrigan from midnight onward. Great. The schedule behind it was more of interest. He couldn't glean any particulars about how he'd be using magic - that's right, he had magic now - out of the class titles, but he supposed there was no need for the use of magic to be broken into multiple classes when one or two would suffice. Helps tie the concepts together, he'd assume.

Max started peeling off layers of clothing, taking a minute to hastily put his belongings away and change into something more comfortable. He plopped down on his bed with an annoyed huff, shuffling under the blankets. He'd tried to get acclimated to being awake at night rather than the day prior to this, but he'd underestimated the schedule he'd be put on. At least the tiredness would help him ignore the discomfort that came with falling asleep in an unfamiliar locale. Or so he thought. He still spent a good hour staring at the ceiling, too tired to get up but too awake to sleep.

He didn't know when he finally got to sleep, but when he came to, the room was dark. Of course, it always is without natural lighting. He didn't see any light under the door either, which meant Morrigan was either still asleep or hadn't turned the lights on. Wouldn't surprise him. Max opted to lay there in silence rather than move; not much had changed since last night, he still felt drained. Part of him wondered if he had even slept at all.

---

@HecateProxy

Jigokuraku Academy Int Chek (Hero Academia AU)

Glitchy Boi Pt. 2 Electric Boogaloo

"Teamwork makes the dream work! Or... something like that."

Name: Datari, Shun

Age: 15

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 124 lbs

Quirk: Pixelation - Shun is capable of short-ranged teleportation (at most a few meters) by discorporating himself and other small objects he is in contact with into small cuboid bits. He requires time to restabilize his body after each "jump", and repeated use of his quirk in a short period of time leads to an increasingly unstable body; resulting in impaired vision, coordination, movement, and eventually cognitive function at high levels of bodily corruption.

Description: At first glance, Shun lacks the larger-than-life physical presence typical of big name heroes; he's lean and effeminate, and could probably pass for a girl in the right lighting. While he's clearly not setting any strength records, his build believably matches a runner or gymnast, and he has the flexibility and leg strength to back it up. Small areas of his body seem to dissociate into pixel-like bits at random, seemingly without physical consequence; as if he were a video game character experiencing a weird graphical glitch. The frequency of this phenomenon seems to increase when Shun is nervous or unsettled, or when he's recently used his quirk.

Personality wise, Shun is nothing if not energetic, to the point of coming off as annoying at times. This isn't helped by the fact that he has almost no concept of personal space. He's usually cheery and positive, and any sadness or anger he may be feeling commonly manifests in the form of a brief period of poutiness before disappearing altogether and Shun snaps back to his usual self. He's frequently seen exhibiting some idle tic when standing or sitting still; ranging from innocent tapping of fingers to outright bouncing up and down on his feet. Academically, he's nothing special; having achieved only average grades for most of his school career and never particularly excelling in any subject. This, coupled with his diminutive frame and what he considers an unremarkable quirk, lead him to consider himself pretty mediocre by hero standards. Despite his apparent airheadedness, he has a shrewd mind for tactics on the battlefield, and thus commits himself to being useful as part of a team rather than as a solo glory-hound since his quirk isn't necessarily powerful alone.

As expected by someone so seemingly immersed in mediocrity, his home life was always pretty ordinary. He grew up in a modest home just outside of town, with typically caring parents and an older brother that was distant enough age-wise that he and Shun were never really close. Shun got into heroism at a young age, as many kids do, watching highlights on the news and internet. This proved to be a nightmare for his parents when his quirk manifested, as he would try to emulate the complex maneuvers of heroes with movement quirks - usually inside and around fragile furniture. Eventually, he got (forced) into kickboxing as a way to burn off energy, but he took it in stride, seeing martial arts as both a fun hobby and a way to hone himself for a future in heroism.

Miscellaneous:
Likes:

• Kickboxing
• Inspiring Others and Being Inspired by Heroism
• Recognition
• Video Games
• Friendliness
• Teamwork That Plays Out Better Than Expected

Dislikes:

• Uncooperative People
• Excessive Negativity or Cynicism
• Dragging Others Down

Text Color: 2EFEC8

Of Blood and Magic

---

"Man, I miss that first cup of coffee in the morning. Watching the sun peak up above the sky line."

Interesting. Morrigan was, indeed, a new vampire; he didn't have the century or so of experience in twisting his words like purebloods did. He was a boy trying to bridge a gap with his new partner, not carefully choosing his words to further his latest machinations. Max could let his guard down. Slightly.

"I’m sure as long as we keep our main messes to our own rooms, neither of us should have too much of an issue with the living arrangement."

"You're in luck. I've been told I come off as bitter," Max began, voice a tad lighter than before but still flat and unenthusiastic, "If I taste like that too, you might just get to pretend my neck is a coffee mug." Briefly, the corner of his mouth quirked into what might've been the beginnings of a grin, then promptly flattened itself out. His eyes abruptly narrowed in distaste as he diverted his gaze downward, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he shrunk into a more withdrawn stance.

"Do whatever you want, just don't be too irritating. Messes don't bother me until they get in my way. And don't expect any pity from me because you traded caffeine for a place in the ruling caste." His miniscule attempt at affability earlier had faded, but he hadn't reached outright hostility. Despite his ire toward the situation itself, he was stuck with the vampire for likely his entire life. Pointless antagonism would accomplish nothing, if not be a detriment to his position overall. He exhaled audibly at the conclusion of his snappish statement, relaxing into a comfortable aloofness again.

---

@HecateProxy

Of Blood and Magic

---

"You have to admit, she did look stunning."

Max rolled his eyes with an unamused grunt. Playfulness was so hard to gauge with vampires. They could be toying with you, or they could be toying alongside you. The leech even had the audacity to wink.

"But, I only came here for you. So, no, I have no desire to talk to more people I don’t know than I have too. Ready to go see where we’re staying for the next some odd years?"

Max responded with only a hum of acknowledgement, following wordlessly behind Morrigan for the time being as the vampire took his leave. The mage had tugged his tie down into a comfortable looseness and was working on unbuttoning his collar before they'd even fully cleared the courtyard - decorum be damned.

It took some time before he finally spoke up, tone hushed and - surprise, surprise - bored. "You don't have any annoying domestic habits, do you? Can't imagine our living space will be particularly big. I don't think vampires can snore, but..." His voice trailed off as his gaze shifted away in contemplation, as if he were actually scouring his brain for some vampiric behavior that reasonably pissed him off. There were plenty of irrational things, sure, but that wouldn't hold up under scrutiny, and he needed to present himself as being level-headed and in control of the situation whenever possible.

He opted for a simple shrug to finish his statement, playing it off as intentionally open-ended. Let the vampire's mind fill in a mental list of idiosyncrasies, maybe he'd get sloppy and reveal too much.

---

@HecateProxy

Of Blood and Magic

---

"A meal? Definitely not a meal, maybe a snack if I’m being generous."

A snack. A snack. What the hell. Was this belittlement or flirtation? Max's brow knotted in perplexion as his mind raced to sort out whether the comment was some variety of vampiric eccentricity or just a poorly-executed icebreaker, but he didn't interrupt. Not that he had a chance to, Morrigan suddenly seemed hurried in his words.

"Anyway, what I expect is very little. If you think I want to feed on you—you’re mistaken, but after today they’ll cut my supply off. So it’s not like either of us have a choice in that matter. But if it helps we’ll shoot to make it as minimal as possible. Other than that I expect you to focus on your studies and for us to somehow make it through whatever the academy throws our way."

Max let out a nonchalant hum as the other boy finished, having composed himself while Morrigan was talking. Assuming this vampire was being honest - which, of course, Max never does without at least the slightest suspicion - he seemed tolerable. Averse to treating mages like cattle, but pragmatic enough to not starve himself like that last vampire. He must be newly turned. Or just squeamish about where his food comes from. Max wondered if pulsing jugulars were the vampiric equivalent of those gross videos of how chicken nuggets are made.

"That works just fine for me, provided you hold yourself to the same standards. I don't think I'd be able to handle trailing dead weight around - excuse the pun." His voice was flat and humorless, but the joke stood regardless.

"You done with this party, or am I gonna have the privilege of watching you have a million thrilling conversations about Lady So-And-So's dress with these gossiping hens?" He swept his arm out in a wide gesture across the courtyard for effect, face still as impassive as ever. He didn't look particularly impatient to leave aside from his overall aloofness, but he certainly didn't look invested in staying either. There was a genuine quesion in there, somewhere.

---

@HecateProxy

Of Blood and Magic

---

Max followed Joryldin's movements with his eyes for a bit as the vampire stormed off, brow furrowed in contemplation and the barest hint of surprise. He quickly composed himself back into his usual outward apathy as he diverted his attention back to the ground in front of him, lest he accidentally attract another conversational partner.

"Maxwell Alderman? I'm Morrigan Cade, pleasure to meet you."

Now that caught his attention. The only vampiric conversational partner he'd ever have to have, should he play his cards right. Max looked up at the new holder of his metaphorical leash, gaze lingering on Morrigan's outstretched hand long enough to show that he had, in fact, seen it and no, he wasn't going to shake it. His eyes trailed upward and stopped just short of eye contact, instead focusing a bored, lidded stare at Morrigan's cheeks.

The other boy looked true to his picture - still crumpled in Max's hand - albeit a tad more cleaned up. He was smiling, which meant he was at the very least pretending to be friendly. That could be deceiving, however, and this could very well end up like Max's last vampiric encounter. He hated loose cannons. A soft partner would be ideal, in theory, but that last vampire really irked him in a manner he couldn't quite put his finger on. He was so... pathetic. Max couldn't handle being dragged down by that constant weakness, even if it would make his life easier. Deep down, there was a part of him that would've enjoyed having some demeaning lordling partner to rail against, to keep the hatred in his heart alive and burning.

"Uh-huh," he started, voice unenthusiastic but not outright dismissive, "What exactly are you expecting out of me besides a meal? I'd like to know what I'm going to be responsible for. Minimizes nagging."

---

@HecateProxy