Elysium Academy (IC)

[AllyKat]

Tana took a deep breath as she looked around at the students that were still mingling and spreading out from where they had been listening to the Headmaster’s welcoming speech. It was a refreshing change from the atmosphere of the previous academy she had attended, but there were some things that never changed about a first day at a new school. Excitement thrummed through her veins, and even though she had faced down creatures of the Dead World, her heart rate picked up at the thought of meeting new people. Or old familiar faces.

Tana looked around, keeping her eyes open for the familiar red hair that belonged to her best friend, Kell. In their occasional e-mails, the older girl had notified Tana that she would be attending Elysium Academy, and Tana hadn’t hesitated to follow. Now if only she could find her.

Tana moved to the side, out of the way of the flow of students around her, and closed her eyes. It had been some time since she had last seen Kell, but that wouldn’t stop her. It took her only a moment to find the older girl, approaching a desk easily identifiable as reception. Tana opened her eyes to begin moving that way as well, though it was slower going when she divided her attention between watching Kell and watching where she was going, and she knocked into another student or two in her distraction.

She paused when she heard Kell’s still familiar laugh trickle through her scrying, and she turned all her focus on Kell.

“I know you’re listening, you little spy.” Tana laughed at that, and saw Kell smiling as well as she held up a dorm room key. “You think the cafeteria here has apples, Tana? I’m starving. Meet me there?”

Tana knew there wasn’t a way to give Kell the affirmative, so instead she hurried along to the reception desk as well to get her own room key. By then the line had lengthened, but Tana waited long enough to gather what the receptionist needed, then quickly telekinetically signed her - admittedly messy - signature, grabbed her room key, and jumped out of line headed toward the cafeteria.

When she finally reached the cafeteria, she easily spotted Kell, and smiled when she also caught sight of two others that had been through the Academy fiasco as well. She was about to speak up or wave or do something to catch their attention when she realized Dante and Hellios were stirring up trouble - again.

She sighed as Dante swept the poor boy’s apple off the table, and when Kell suddenly whacked Hellios over the head with her tray, and Tana burst out laughing.

“Don’t ever change,” she murmured, shaking her head at the antics of her former - and now renewed - schoolmates.
Kell shook her head and the turned to Tana, a smile on her face. "Boys, huh? Can't live with those two, and the world is so much less interesting without them."

"Too true," Tana replied. She paused for only a moment before throwing her arms around Kell in what could best be described as a glomp. "It's so good to see you again! It's been too long!" She said excitedly.

The redhead returned the hug with the best enthusiasm she could muster. "I know, right? I suppose we should get used to each other's faces though. You know who your roommate is, I'm guessing?" She added with a wink.

"Of course," Tana grinned. "And if it hadn't worked out that way, I'm sure we could have made some kind of adjustment." When the hug ended, Tana continued to bounce on her feet, the excitement of the day and the training she had received since their old Academy days had made Tana more confident and energized than she had been before.

Kell chuckled. "Luckily, Serra was way ahead of us on that count. As are Dante and Hellios on the troublemaking front. Already picking fights. Can you believe it?"

"I wish I could say I couldn't. I just got into town the other day, how long have you and the others been here?"

"Serra and Erika live around here, so I've been here for a while. She's been trying to get me back into school for a while, but I always found my excuses not to. You have to admit- our track record with boarding schools is not particularly" She paused. "Stellar."

Tana gave a small sheepish laugh and nodded. "Too true. Probably more 'shocking' than 'stellar'." There was a loud bang and Tana nodded in the direction that Dante and the other guy had gone. "Um, any idea what that guy Dante is fighting does?"

Kell visibly winced at the sound. "See, I still hadn't gotten very far past 'oh, this guy is kinda cute,' yet, so your guess is as good as mine. My guess?" A long, drawn out sigh escaped her while she rubbed her forehead in frustration. "Dante's learned how to blow things up. Dear lord, we may never be safe again."

"Safe is relative," Tana reminded her, but then had to agree. "And we're still probably not safe, especially if Dante's learned how to blow things up. I'm not sure if I want to see this or not. Too bad I can't project for you," Tana tapped the side of her head, "else we could enjoy the fight from the comfort of... well, a school cafeteria. Could be worse, I guess."

"That is too bad." Kell agreed. "Although I'm not sure if I want you having the ability to project things into my head anyway. Not with the dreams I know you're capable of." A snide grin crossed her lips. "Are we brave enough to go check it out for ourselves? You know, risk bodily harm?"

Tana blushed but brushed it off in lieu of responding. "I think the risk is worth the reward, especially if Dante takes a few hits." She opened her mouth to say something about the dangers they had already faced, but thought better of it and instead added, "And I could always clock Dante on the chin for you, if you wanted."

"And get him back for the time he clocked me in the face with the heated brass knuckles?" She chuckled. "Nah, that's okay. I'll let Alexander take care of that one for me, I think. Besides, if I remember correctly, I won that match anyway." Kell neglected to mention that while she had won, it had only been barely.

"Fair enough," Tana shrugged. "Let's go see how our resident pyro is doing against... Alexander? It'll be good to meet some new people too. Training is great, but seeing no one but your mentor for months is boring."

"Or your cousin and her girlfriend," Kell amended. "Let's go check this out before the creepy vice principal breaks up all the entertainment."

Tana spun lightly on her feet and strode toward the door, pausing only briefly to scry ahead and make sure that stepping out wouldn't cook them both. “Oh, this is going to be good.”

[Collab with Veldrose]

[Hellis]

Deadworld: Ruins of white house. Oval room.

Kain sat, staring at his creation. Incomplete, the sculpture like being was still earily lifelike. The entire room hummed with the energy that the vile crystal siphoned off its latest victims. Kains eye were dull, almost as if the man had turned into a husk. Only when another person entered the chambers did they start to shine with that malignant, horrid gleam of his. With his head rising slowly, almost as if the motion took exessive effort he looked at the other man. A hand motioned for him to step into the red sickening light of the room.

“I trust you took care of the South American team?”
The slender, blonde man clicked his heel against the floor as he chuckled- slowly and velvetine. He made a minute adjustment to the hemline of his favorite coat before answering. "Oh believe me," came the words in a voice as sickeningly sweet as syrup. The tone practically dripped. "They will never be heard from again."

"Did you get all of them?" His eyes stared right trough the man. A cold dead stare that would freeze any other man in his steps. However, this man was as close to his equal as someone could get. Cruel, seductive, monstrous and yet tantalizing and alluring. A perfect Emmisary for their masters. He rose to his feet, his movements still sluggish, the machinery on his back still, no longer pushing the sweet, powerfull mix of drugs into his system.

"Are you sure..." He asked again. That strange, hollow stare fixating the on the man. Kains hands twiched a little as the other man began to speak.

"You don't believe me?" Mock surprised graced his face- delicate fingertips brushing full, reddened lips. "You wound me." The flesh-eating grin returned with a flick of his tongue over his lips. "It was less than satisfactory actually. The cattle hardly put up a fight. Mindless beasts, the lot of them." For a moment, however, his smug smiled faded. "There is, of course, the matter of the one little mouse that escaped my grasp."

"His eyes flickered to life entirely at the other mans words. For a second, he looked near livid again, as if the prospect of a survivor was near insulting to them both. "Someone got away.." He hissed, and suddenly the machinery in his back was kicking into high gear. Cogs and pumps began to move, the transparent tube on his back suddenly rec with liquid. With the combat drugs flowing into him the madman gripped at the other, pulling him closer. For a minute, there was killing intent in those cruel eyes of his. Then it ebbed away and Kain let go. "..No matter. They are stretched thin now, relying on regular transports gonna cost them time." He sat back ,still in a much more lively state. A sickenin, joyless smile on his lips. " Our... Third Emmisary should be opening the gates for the assault soon. We'll feast on their future."

The outburst didn't seem to phase him one bit. Then again, little ever did. With another flick of his tongue, the blonde wet his lips. "Sounds absolutely delicious. But I desire another flavor, if you will. I have such particular- and stubborn- tastes." Ice-blue eyes gazed up with paradoxically firey intensity through thickened dark lashes. Alexei's whole demeanor had changed with the gesture- gone from dangerously playful to a predator focused with desire on his prey. It was as if he was coiled to strike. "The mouse."

"...Very well... We just took down the pesky little defense grid they put up. Our spies tell us they are sending people to fix it, the mouse is there with them. Sate your hunger my precious little viper. We have much to do."

[Collab with Veldrose]