"Ah, so you go the false choice route, so that someone can pretend they're being rebellious and defying you while still doing exactly what you want them to. A solid enough strategy." Caprice stretched her arms, lacing her fingers together and giving them a crack above her head. "I think I've come to a decision. I'll offer to do what I want, and if it counts as a crime, then you can give it a score and say I was in the Umbral games."

"Your final exam...is a crime spree. Wow, that is evil. I like it." Kanbaru chirped, twirling her pen now that the paper work was completed. It sounded a lot like the premise of movie she saw but the name seemed purged from her memory when she grasped for it. Shrugging indifferently she turned her gaze to the others, finding the party either as eager as her or indifferent in two cases. She may have shared their attitudes had her first impressions of the city not been informed by Iona relentlessly chasing her around the city just for existing outside the school's registry. Detention with that pervert sounded like it involved bondage in a dungeon, and not the fun kind either.

Also, there was a fox groping people and she hadn't even attempted to sneak up on Kanbaru. She would have been offended if she had the first idea who she was outside her brief introduction.

"Well I for one adore our new student faculty's decisions, so let's get our uniforms and hit the campus. I totally want to find out when these Umbral Games are too. Oh, and Rose, we need to find out if their's an airship in this city so we can steal it without being punished!" The Bluenette said, whirling excitedly on her partner in crime, clasping her hands together over her chest with stars in her eyes that looked suspiciously like visions of icicles raining down from atop a flying battleship.

---

"Don't worry about that. But I gotta say you are quite fit. Looking at you, I would guess you would be a bit more... squishy, I guess?" Clair returned Itsuko's ID to her pocket after taking a quick look at it, ascertaining her doubts about the other girl who had just refused the President's offering. "Since you didn't wanna join, I guess this means we are going to be rivals from now on, right? But I like you, so why don't we make a bet? The loser in the tournament has to do anything the winner asks," the blonde said, extending her hand to Itsuko.

"I'll be taking my uniform in advance if you don't mind it. Don't wanna go around looking like a delinquent on my first day at a fresh new school," Clair said after the President accepted her request.

It would only be a matter of moments for Iona to point the right way for her, and for Clair to leave the room and come back dressed in a sailor-style uniform that wouldn't look out of place in a Saturday morning anime.

"Ok guys, I'm ready for it now. What're your plans for these games?" Clair said as she walked to Kanbaru and Rose while eating a toast she stole from the kitchen on the way here.

---

Rose payed little attention to what Kanbaru was signing up for, more than trusting her 2nd mate to not do something ridiculous and sign her up for some ridiculously packed lesson plan in the hopes of turning her into a pirate lord. She would really hate that.

So the graduation ceremony was the world's biggest crime spree. Rose could get behind that, maybe she could finally cut loose and have some real fun around these parts. Of course Kanbaru and her had the same idea at the same time, gotta steal an airship, Rose was in desperate need of a proper vessel.

Claire stepped away to grab a uniform, Rose looked thoroughly unimpressed as she rested her hands behind her head. "If you think you're getting me into a uniform you've got another thing coming." She said aloud as she looked at Iona, her look particularly challenging as she stared down the fake angel. But her mood brightened when Claire asked their plans. "Well I'm glad you asked my fellow thief slash ne'er-do-well! Our first and foremost plan is to of course discover where the airships are in this city! But perhaps we shouldn't discuss our plans in front of the judges. Don't wanna spoil our surprises right?" She winked mischievously, before popping out of her chair and stretching her arms.

"Alright gang, let's get a move on. Caprice, Akiko, you can have fun in the BDSM dungeon if you want, maybe I'll visit, but we pirates need to get moving. So if you're coming with, it's now or never." She remarked to the two as she walked towards the door, before stopping and turning back to the president and Iona. "Now where the hell are the dorms?"

---

"Poetic. Hopefully I'm not gonna leave a bad impression." Akiko smirked over to Caprice, though her smirk was immediately wiped away when the pirate spoke.

"Speak for yourself, Rose." Akiko spat at Rose before she thought about her decisions once more. This was definitely against any sort of moral compass she had, considering her pacifism all the way up to this point, however... she did need several things. Money, power, and the ability to move forward being the primary three. This wouldn't be the worst thing to do. Plus, if she was going to do this, doing it with allies would give her much better odds at surviving...

She stepped over behind Rose, Kanbaru, and Clair. "Fine. I'll join these Umbral Games." Akiko looked at the girls that she had joined up with in the very beginning. "And like it or not, I'm coming with you two. Someone has to make sure you're not gonna get in another situation."

Hopefully her cards wouldn't mind a little bit of crime...

“Are you calling me fat?” Itsuko glared at the foxy thief, not at all amused with the words. She’d have been even less happy if she noted her ID being pawned back and forth so easily. Her expression dipped to some confusion as Clair made her bet known but the prospect of a challenge saw her hands shaking the fox’s. “Sure, you’re on. But you should know, you’re just going to lose. When I win, I’ll make sure I have something in mind for you to do for me,” she said with a toothy grin as if baring her fangs. The Student President ignored this.

Iona would deal with the delinquent later. The others seemed on par with agreeing to participate in the Umbral Games, some more excited than others. Whether or not Caprice counted as one of them was up to her though Iona would keep an eye on her all the same. The rest were in due process of being registered into the school’s system and once that was done, the Student President pointed them in the direction of the school dorms. Rest would be needed since, as it turned out, the Umbral Games were to take place the very next day.

Seeing no need to inform them of that knowledge, it would have been up to each girl to make sure they weren’t late to the event, though perhaps being late counted as a crime? Such loopholes would have needed to be discussed with Iona. Before long, students of varying shapes and sizes were gathered into the heart of the city eternally cast in shadow. Given the range of species and physical qualities, it was difficult to tell the years between each person despite the similar uniforms, as well as what counted as a Serei Card for fair gain.

All the same, the competition was quick to begin. After a few parted words from Iona herself, the time limit of two hours was delegated before the Umbral Games officially began. Needless to say, there were cops everywhere, the robotic enforcers clearly present to inhibit the students and act as a barrier towards their grades and passing marks. They wasted no time in firing police sirens and screeching their cars towards offenders the moment the games began, sending the area into rampant chaos abode.

---

"Hmm... Perfect timing that it should be the very next day that the Umbral Games would occur. I suppose that puts my scheme in the ground." Caprice stayed put at the starting line as it were, shuffling her cards once more. "No matter. The girls will have their fun in the games, and then another door we shall take."

Seemingly not interested in the direct promises of power or 'treasured reward' as the president offered, Caprice found herself wandering the school, seeking the very Detention Halls that she had been threatened with. She brushed her hands against the school map as eyes and fingers traced the path she walked. "Perhaps I can find someone as stubborn as I am... Hopefully a fun conversationalist."

Or perhaps she'd simply run into Iona again. But if she was off officiating the ceremonies, maybe Caprice would have some time to poke around alone. Hopefully not entirely alone, if no one dared risk detention.

In the wee hours before the day began for the Umbral Games, a flash of light illuminated Kanbaru leaning against her bed, eyes honed in upon the Serei she manifested before her. She'd thought the meeting was overdue given her reckless outburst when they first arrived, the Corpse Collector's actions getting them here in the first place, after all. "So CC, I think we need to have a little chat before I consider slipping you off the leash. I want to know if I'm going to have an issue using you in the future, because as fun as that ride was, it wasn't what I expected when I pulled on your powers before now."

Out of the light came the glint of silver as a gun pointed itself point blank to Kanbaru's face. No stranger to having weapons raised at her, it was more greeting than intimidation but both could have well mixed into the same for Corpse Collector. Her entire body manifest now, gun still cocked and very willing to blow the blunette's brains out. "How about you go fuck yourself. You should have rolled over and died nicely with that crash instead of wasting my time with negotiation," the hacker spat out. "Funnily, this is a nice little world you brought us to here. I don't think anyone'd bat an eye if I pulled this trigger. They might even graduate me before you, hah!"

"Hmm, testy, aren't you?" The Bluenette rolled her eyes upon receiving the Corpse Collector's warm greeting. If the hacker shifted her weight even minutely she'd feel the rug under her boots squish with excess moisture and it only took a thought to freeze it, raising barbed cones of ice between her immobilized feet in an overt threat. "You know, I'd almost sympathize with you. This place is really too good to be true, and if there wasn't a whole Tower still to climb, I'd jump at spending a few years soaking in the classes."

"But there is more to see, and you are a Serei. You think you can do anything without me? That what you call an existence doesn't just stop the moment no one is left to release your card? Shoot me right now, and I bet you'll poof back into a card that no one local to this floor will release. Sounds like Hell to me, CC, so let''s be a little more considerate of each other's feelings, 'kay~?" Kanbaru said brightly, leaning in till the barrel of CC's gun was flush to the skin of her brow. Perspiration from her brow shot down the barrel, freezing the inner mechanism without any outside sign of interference just to be safe from the hacker's spite.

"You think you can do anything without me? Or did you forget almost splattering into a wall because you can't ride a bike." CC ignored the clear threat gathered at her boots, no different than any player's abilities in her own world. Idly, she wondered how much this datascape allowed her abilities and idly she moved a foot around- "Hah!" Her hypothesis was correct, leg bristling and moving through the ice like a living glitch. Indeed, that would prove valuable for the future, because that also meant... "You know, I don't think you were around when I was big and bashful Kanbaru. Sure, my chances are shot to shit if I get dropped in that card again, but who's to say I won't reset in some other save area?" She didn't know; no one did, but that didn't mean Kanbaru needed to know the Serei Cards didn't know what was in the know.

"Oh sure, I'd just be given to some other user. Maybe. Point is, you don't seem to remember I have the advantage here so I should be calling the shots." Even as her gun was blocked by the other girl's body, frezing over near-instantly, she still had another hand, and thus, another gun. With movements of a seasoned gunslinger, she quickdrew another pistol with a grin. "I think one bullet's enough to turn this room into shredded wood, huh? So why should I put my cards with someone like you?"

It was surprising to see CC could actually phase through her ice, seeming to put herself out of phase like her leg was nothing more than an optical illusion. One that still had another gun and wasted no time in raising it to keep the threat alive, so Kanbaru responded in kind and absorbed her first Serei card. There was a rush as the color bled from her hair and she found her back growing straight as she sneered with renewed arrogance at the gunslinger. "You seem to forget I already have one card, one both more powerful and more cooperative then you. I'd wager, glitch or not, that a demon's constitution surpasses your bullet's penetrating power."

Her expression was clear to see under the light of portals now ringing the hacker, barrels belonging to guns of a far higher caliber now aimed squarely at her person while Kanbaru almost lazily reached up and grasped CC by the wrist. "If threats don't work, how about the carrot to the stick, hmm? I'm fond of your weapons and your style, so I want us to get along. To extend an olive branch, I want you to go so far as to walk a day in my shoes. More specifically, I want to let you crush the Umbral Games for me. Go nuts, burn down the city and hitch the Hentai Tenshi's panties to the back of your motorcycle. Just make sure to keep on the coat and mask when I wear your card to make a token effort at pretending to be me, and don't try too hard to kill my party members, and you'll be free to ravage an entire city. Play nice, and I'll let you out on another floor to have some fun."

"I just need a big distraction for the real crime to take place. Something so big, this school will memoralize my- Our names, for the rest of it's days. Assuming, of course, you have the drive to do more then bite the hand that feeds you."

"Tch, and you call me a cheater." CC didn't enjoy the idea of several other guns pointed at her face, especially when Kanbaru was flaunting a power that far exceeded her own. Her grin shirked into stubborn annoyance across her features, knowing when to back down when she needed to. "I don't remember you having those parts in-game. If I didn't know any better, I'd label you just as bad as any hacker. Whatever." She allowed the renewed girl to snatch her wrist and state her business; though for something she claimed wasn't negotiation, there was interest in what had to be said. CC raised an eye at what Kanbaru proposed and second by second her smirk returned. "Now that sounds more like worth my time. You sure you weren't just going to set me loose regardless of what I said?" Yes, the idea of running amok in these Umbral Games sounded almost too perfect for her.

But there's a catch. "There's always a catch. What, took soft-skinned to participate yourself? I didn't take you as anything less of the pragmatic kind, but if you're having me run around pretending I'm you, then clearly you have a plan. While I love the idea of tearing this city apart, common sense demands I ask what are you gonna be doing?" CC thought better of her words then before shrugging. "Not that I care since I get what I want in a short burst, but if I'm going around wearing your skin, the least I want is a reason why. The hell's this so called big scheme of yours, eh?"

Winning over CC's interest dispelled the ice and water, each portals winking out while Kanbaru tugged CC forward. With an arm sliding behind the hacker's back, she twirled the Serei towards and laughed with excitement to get what she needed. Eyes that shined liked chipped ice descended, terribly close to the Corpse Collector's own. "Oh that's the best part. While everyone struggles to earn recognition, I'm going to steal the very prize they clamor for."

"That's right. I'm goingt to steal everyone's graduation by taking the school registry. No one can pass if there are no students on record."

CC stared blankly up at the other girl. None of what Kanbaru said included maiming, violence, or anything of the sort. "Whatever strokes you off then. Nerd," was her instant reply, matching Kanbaru smirk for smirk. "Like I give a shit about some registry. I just wanna blow up stuff and shoot people that look like that hack Moon Rider. Let me do that, and sure, you can have all the fucking time you can have stealing some dumb shit paper, hah!"

"Tch." The name she mentioned caused a spike of something to throb painfully in her head. She couldn't place it and the moment she focused on it, the sensation slipped away like sand between her fingers. In only a second the pain was gone, along with the memory she was in pain in the first place. Instead she was caught up in CC's laughter and she took the Serei for another whirl through the room, reveling in the chaos that was to come over the horizon soon enough.

---

Alas, the few hours that Akiko had before these 'Umbral Games' began. Not much time, sure, but it at least gave her enough mileage to get a good headspace for what her plan was. Though, this was a whole new world that she had very little grasp of. Robot cops, wild delinquents, everything was just a bit chaotic right now, and way too much for her to easily adjust to. She knew that she'd at least need someone to help her get through this, what with her own passive nature not being the best for many crimes other than jaywalking, and that'd likely get her nowhere. Still, she had just a bit of time, and she laid back against whatever bed she had in this temporary waiting room before fumbling around with the cards in her hand. Ornate and collectible, sure, but with a flash of light one of the cards vanished, leaving Akiko with just two cards, the Eleonor and Monkey ones specifically.

"Lorelai?" Akiko asked the air in front of her. "You're not gonna freak out, are you? I'm a bit afraid of using cards in worlds unknown to you, so..." Her voice trailed off. Probably not the time to overexplain what was going on, or at least not yet. "I wanted to see you before I got in over my head on something."

"You have no need to worry. I am...aware, somewhat, of events that transpire around you." Her Serei answered upon being summoned, wearing nothing more than a disarming smile and a long, heavy dressing gown fitting the late hour. Familiar with the girl who summons her, it was a thick garment and displayed little beyond Lorelai's own figure, but they were well enough acquanted not to bother hiding such. Moving to the bed she sat beside the cat girl and rested a hand on her knee. "While I have no care for thievery and crime, pillaging a hostile territory is not outside the scope of my abilities. Yet still, I find your concern over these matters to speek well of your character Akiko. I have given my card well, of that I have no doubt."

Akiko blushed for a moment. "I mean, you're basically my knight. I'd be rude to not address your concerns with these sorts of matters." She sat back up on the bed and rested gently against Lorelai's shoulder. "Even if this whole place is some sort of illusion created by beings unknown, I'm just glad I can have good partners in times like this. Better than any person that Rose could be, anyway." The cat girl chuckled under her breath. "I mean, who gets captured naked in the middle of a forest, right?" She looked up at her knight, a size difference being clear from that alone. "... though, I guess I can't say much. At least I spent it with someone that'd keep me safe. Better than what the alternatives were."

"Ah yes, the ones who traveled with the Crimson Hound. Having seen this Rose I don't hold her in high opinion, but I must concede it is rather easy to wind up bereft of clothing and senses when around an aroused Luxonne. Thankfully the card you possess is kind enough to spare you that...intensity." The knight reassured her summoner, sliding her arm around Akiko's shoulders and holding her closer. "Now that you possess us, we would be hard pressed to deny you even if you opposed our morals, but knowing you put such care into your bearing does stir even my retired soul. If you require it, you need only order it and Durgan and I shall see these games won with a city wrought to rubble. You need not sully your paws."

"Mass destruction would be a way to cruise through thi- wait, was that a pun." One eyebrow on Akiko's face was raised, pulling up her hands and resting her tail between them, before she just, lowered her arms. Her tail gently floated down into Lorelai's lap without so much as a single noise. "... heh. Nice pun." The cat girl gently pushed herself off of Lorelai before her outfit changed like magic, just becoming some sort of pajama set as she leaned back into the knight. Now she was a fair bit better dressed for the situation. "... you spared me your intensity? What's that like?"

There was a noticable twitch in the knight's demeanor, her eyes fixated upon the tail with a hand open as though to reach for it, but an act of sheer iron willpower stayed her from laying a finger upon it. She worked her jaw, straining for words while her summoner changed her attire into something more suitable for slumber and settled against her, pulling the tail mercifully away from her grasp. "Ummm...ahem, you could say I have a zealous streak for family and country. Add to that, I'm well aware I'm not the brightest of candles, and I have a habit of pursing my issues with a perseverance that most would call foolish. But such is my way, and it had led me to much happieness after a long and arduous road. If I was any less driven I dare say I'd have lost Eleonor entirely."

The knight titled her head back, releasing a heavy sigh as she fell into the bedsheets, pulling Akiko alongside her. Turning onto her side, both arms now curled around Akiko, not so much pulling her tight as she simply enjoyed the feeling of holding another. "Perhaps one day you shall find something worthy pursing at all expense. If you are fortunate, you will find one who shall pursue you, and in turn, shall be united with only half the sacrifice on both parts. A blessed ending we all can hope for."

At first, the cat was scared to move within Lorelai's grasp. clearly unfamiliar with some of these feelings. But as Lorelai spoke, she began to understand something about the knight and herself that they somewhat had in common. Though it was definitely painstakingly obvious that Akiko was a tad uncomfortable in the situation, she gently shuffled closer to Lorelai, and slowly but surely, her arms slid around to hold against the knight. She was on her side, shuffled close up against the busom of this knight she'd only met recently, but she knew that she was safe and protected. Loved, even. It was something that she hadn't felt in a good long time, and she was here feeling it now. Her tail crept up to the knight's arm, wrapping around her wrist gently. "... I... might know what I want to pursue, Lorelai..."

Slowly, as though earning the trust of the genuine animal from which Akiko drew her ears and tail, Lorelai felt her summoner relax against her. Her breath grew steady and there was no longer the flustered flutter of her heart beating as thought it would fly from her chest at the slightest unwanted touch to her arm. The Knight's expression brightened upon feeling a fluffy curl upon her wrist and she shut her eyes to better savor the tactile sensation. "You don't need to share it with me if you are not ready to. Simply hold on to what you desire and affirm your beliefs in the face of coming obstacles. So long as your actions carry you closer and you can still claim to be worthy of it in your own eyes after all you've done, then you can live truly without regret."

"You are blessed with the aid of both a knight and a lady to help shoulder this burden, so rest easy, and know that you shall not face the 'morrow alone while you still reside in this Tower." Lorelai said, curling inwards to lay her chin atop Akiko's head, finding the comfort of the moment drawing them towards the same inevitable land that awaits all the weary and tired.

A sigh of relief was all that Akiko had released. There wasn't anything more for herself to say about that. She was at peace with her own thoughts, or at least, she had a plan for the far future, though she did have a plan for tomorrow. She knew her goal, and she needed Durgan and Lorelai's help with it. But until then, she smiled. Not a fake smile, either. A genuine smirk of actual excitement.

---

"Not that I suggested it, in the first place. But it’s your loss anyway," Claire answered when Rose made her disinterest of uniforms known. She followed through, bringing a hand to her chest and voicing her opinions in a larger than life manner. "The school is a maiden’s battlefield, and a uniform is her shining armor! If you can’t understand even something this basic how are you going to have any romance in your life?"

"But, if it’s thievery you want, I’m your girl! If we want to get our hands on a ship maybe we should try the docks first. We might as well work our way from the bottom up after all." Claire was just as emphatic as before as she pulled a city map and pointed at what looked like a cargo terminal.

"And here I thought we were in this to get in a situation. You’re welcome anyway," she said once Akiko joined them.

"No. But I may be calling you thicc, who knows?" she followed through after Itsuko’s answer. "Just be sure to not get yourself burned, hotshot!"

"Anyway, I guess it’s about time we hit the road, right girls?"


"The time has come, girls. I suppose we hit the jackpot already," Claire said as they—assuming the others were ok with her recommendation—arrived at the roof of an unsuspecting building at the docks’ vicinity. Luckily for them they were in fact air docks, with many different types of airships ripe for the picking, each and everyone of them seemingly powered by the same magitech that run through the veins of this eternally dark city.

All they—again, assuming she wasn’t alone—had to do was pick a target and get going with it.

---

Ah, dormitories. The living quarter of the college student, or highschool student if it was a fancy highschool. Regardless of whether it be highschool or college, dorm rooms always had at least one thing in common. They were incredibly cramped. Maybe a little bigger than your average bathroom when empty, but when you have to fit a bed and desk inside on top of all the other commodities you may wish to bring, there was usually barely enough room to get in and out of the room. It was a cruel reality no matter where you went, dorm rooms were small. Which brought us to now, where Rose had "moved in" to her rooming for the night. It was a miracle that they actually had an empty room for the pirate, she was fully expecting to have to bunk with Kanbaru or Akiko or something, but hey she wasn't complaining. More room for her in the end.

Furnishings are pretty barebones, desk, bed with a blanket and singular pillow, empty closet. Rose opened up the closet and grimaced, scratch the empty part, thing was filled with these dumb uniforms. Reminded her too much of prep school, stupid neck prisons she had to wear every day on top of a uniform that was either just too small to be comfortable or just too big to be worn without looking a little weird. She slammed the closet shut quickly, no point in looking in there. "Geez, they don't even have any TV in the room? What the hell do they expect me to do, go straight to sleep and wake up at a scheduled time for the crime olympics?" Rose complained aloud, jumping into the bed and landing on her back, spread eagle as she stared at the ceiling. Maybe ransacking the school for loot and treasures would count as a good enough crime to pass. Then she could get her revenge and some sweet cash to trade in at Cait's. And then she could load it all in on her newly acquired airship that they would definitely have. Yeah, that'd be cool.

"....the long face...."

The sound of a voice entered the room, or maybe it was always there to begin with. It was low, impossibly low, so low it was almost muted. "...hey little red...." But it was distinctively there, followed shortly by large, heavy pounds. They reverberated enough to sound as if they were breaking loose from Rose's skull-no wait, it was coming from the closet. "Hey, little red, let me out!" More pounding ensued.

Initially Rose brushed off the faint whispering coming from somewhere in the room, dismissing it as a figment of her imagination. Then the pounding started, which definitely got her attention as she let out a faux annoyed sigh. "Oh my god I literally just layed down." She muttered as she swung her legs over the lip of the bed, setting her feet down on the floor and standing up while she turned back to the closet. "If you're a monster in the closet or something, just know that I will stab you if you try to eat me." Rose said as she walked over to the door, yanking it open quickly and stepping back.

A flurrying coat drenched in black sputtered out from the closet, the figure nearly hopping on one foot to keep from tripping compeltely over. Rose making no motion to help didn't remedy matters. "Why I oughta...you kids have absolutely no respect for your elders!" said the Mysterious Dude. Pivoting on his heel, he pointed an accusatory finger at the pirate. "Here I was gonna blow your mind with my grand stunning entrance! But then you go off and shut the door on me! Talk about a mood." The Mysterious Dude shook his head in crossed fashion, clearly annoyed. But whether he was annoyed about his lack of an entrance or Rose trying to send him to a wall, who knew. Soon enough, he cleared his throat. "Ahem. I was going to say, "Why the long face litle red?" right up until you, as aforementioned, slammed the door in my face."

Well this was a surprise! Last thing Rose was expecting to see in the closet was the very Mysterious Dude who had first greeted everyone on their awakening in the Tower. Not an unpleasant surprise by any means though, the Mysterious Dude was much more fun than the other Mysterious Guy who had tried to kill them all. "Oh hey there Mysterious Dude! Long time no see, how's it been?" She asked, completely ignoring his complaints and sucking all the metaphorical wind out of his metaphorical sails. "Ah, I'm just kind of annoyed by this world. Bunch of stuck up weirdos in some Student Council trying to flex their power, managed to rope me and my crew into some kind of crime olympics. Which sounds fun and all, but it's annoying that I'm being forced to do it. You know what I mean?" Rose asked with a slight frown, before stepping back and taking a seat on "her" bed.

"It's like, yeah I'd love to do this kind of stuff normally. Competition for who can cause the most chaos and mayhem in one day, sounds awesome! I would sign up in a heartbeat! But when you're being forced to do something you would normally like, it kind of loses a lot of that luster, you know?"She rested her hand on one fist, looking very thoughtful in her musings.

"Oh you know, keeping an eye on you kiddos and all that fun stuff. Everyone else looked like they were having a nice flashback so I figured you'd have one too. Ignoring some of those other weirdos who just jump into the thick of things." With Rose taking a seat to the bed, the Mysterious Dude planted himself on the only actual chair in the room, taking the seat as his own. "Eh? But don't you love this sort of thing. I would have thought stealing and crime and bad guys was totally your jam! Besides, if you really wanted to do it for fun, you could have just signed up as a student like everyone else. You, uh, aren't a student right? I can't actually tell without your uniform on..."

"Oh nice, I hope their flashbacks are going well. Or at least Kanbaru's anyways." Rose noted offhandedly, before listening to Mysterious Dude's questions. "And I totally would, I would love this kind of stuff if I had a choice! But that's just the thing, I don't have a choice! Which pisses me off!" Rose complained, throwing her hands in the air in frusturation. "Like, Akiko didn't sign up as a student! The weird bard girl. But she's still being forced to participate in the crime olympics!" Was she a student? Kanbaru had ended up signing a lot of papers, many of which Rose was supposed to sign. Eh, she'd figure it out soon enough probably. "I dunno, I kinda let Kanbaru, the one with the blue hair and the keysword, sign a lot of those papers. I might be a student. Not wearing the uniform though. Uniforms are for nerds." She said with a sage like look on her face, nodding as if she was speaking an enlightened truth that anyone with a hint of common sense would know. "Regardless, it's just not the same if I don't have the freedom to choose whether or not I do the crime games. It just ends up feeling like some homework assignment, or even worse, a job." Rose shuddered at the word, absolutely disgusting.

"Oh, I see, I see. That does sound terrible." Mimicking Rose's movements, the Mysterious grasped his imaginary chin and nodded along to her words. "It sounds like you're stuck with a weird little group, especially Hex Girl and Sea Salt. That would put a bummer on things, wouldn't it." Another pause. "Well, maybe not as bad as you make it. You must be making all sorts of friends if you know them on a first name basis. Oooh, I'm almost jealous! Just thinking of all the kinds of girl talk and sleepovers you all host is...kind of creepy. But I bet it wouldn't be creepy in your line of business?"

"Weird is one way to put it yeah."Rose agreed, closing her eyes and sighing. A pacifist and a paperwork obsessed former student council member. It sounded like Kanbaru used to be a part of a student council anyways, or whatever the hell a Detention Club was. "Oh, I wouldn't say I'm really close with Akiko to be honest. Actually I kind of think we hate each other." Rose giggled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head as she thought on how she felt about Akiko. "Actually nah, I don't hate her. I don't really feel anything about her, I'm just not the kind of person who does honorifics."She said with a shrug, her expression going neutral. "My line of business? And what would you mean by that huh? I hope you aren't implying anything about me."Rose's face shifted to one of annoyance, looking at the Mysterious Dude seriously as she crossed her arms and waited for his response.

"....but what if you did hate her?" Like Rose, the Mysterious Dude's tone dipped to a low octave, ignoring her second set of questions altogether. "I mean, yeah, wouldn't it make sense? If you haven't gotten along by now, there's no telling when. Actually, now that I think about it, has she actually been helpful to the group so far? Oh sure, I think she saved you from being sold back in Exilia, but can she really take all the credit? I'm pretty sure you and Sea Salt had a plan, certainly no need to be rescued like damsels." The Mysterious Dude leaned forward, once again mirroring Rose and placing a fist against his cheek, if he even had one. "Not to pry or be rude, but frankly she doesn't seem quite cut for the job here. Even those other girls look like they want to be here or at least want some adventure. Can't say I get the same vibe from Hex Girl, you know?"

Rose listened to the Mysterious Dude intently, especially since it looked like he was actually getting serious. You could tell because he was using his serious voice. He did strike many good points, ones that she couldn't help but agree with. But... "Well I can't say you're wrong about a lot of this stuff. Akiko doesn't really do much aside from tag along, and it doesn't seem like she even wants to be on this adventure. But I still don't hate her." And why may that be? "Honestly, I just can't help but feel this overwhelming... apathy, towards the girl. Like she hasn't done anything particularly helpful or detrimental. She's just kind of around. It would be like hating a cardboard cutout in the background. I notice she's there occasionally, but for the most part I just ignore her and move on with whatever cool stuff I plan on doing. Like stealing an airship. You know if there's any airships in this city, I wanna steal an airship."

"Ah, so she's not even worth your attention. Pretty sure that's not what a friend would say." The Mysterious Dude raised a finger, wagging it in place. "Sure, she hasn't done anything now. Maybe she never will. But the way you talk about her, it sounds like she's not much fun to be around, let alone get along with. Not to say she could be the weakest link, but....how long is it gonna be before she repeats her slip up in Exilia?" The Mysterious Dude shrugged. "Clearly I don't know what I'm talking about, but it looked like you were having fun on that Floor. Well, maybe not the whole getting sold thing but the build up, hoooh, boy! And then it all just ended because Hex Girl showed up. How long's it gonna be before she ruins your fun again, eh? I wouldn't be surprised if she found some way to cheat you out of another adventure, the way she's going."

"Never said she was a friend." Rose said in a rather neutral tone. "If it ever gets to the point where she's actively annoying to be around, I'll just ditch her. I came to this Tower for adventure and fun, ditching my past life without a second thought in pursuit of the unknown. No way in hell am I gonna hang around with another boring person who just wants to play it safe and be a killjoy. Simple as that." She brushed off the matter pretty easily, not putting much thought into the question. Not much thought was needed here after all. If Akiko became boring, then Rose would just ditch her in the bar and continue adventuring with Kanbaru and Claire and whoever else she may find to add to the crew. "Way things are going now, I'd say we've got one or two floors before Akiko does something dumb and boring. But hey, I'd love to see her prove me wrong and shape up. Maybe she just needs to find a good reason to go on this adventure and I'm just not that reason. Whatever the case may be, she's not actively annoying me right now, so I don't hate her. And that's that." Rose's lifestyle was pretty simple all things considered, she discarded what she didn't like and held onto what she did like. The whims of a pirate were ever shifting, just like the tides she sailed upon.

"I gotta say though, you seem to have taken an awful personal interest in my relationship with Akiko. You have some kind of ulterior motive or something?" Rose turned the questioning back on the Mysterious Dude, a look of interest and a smirk on her face. "I'm not gonna get offended if you do, Mysterious Dudes like you always have ulterior motives when interacting with fresh adventurers. That's just how the plot goes in stuff like this. I don't expect you to tell me either, though I'd appreciate it if you did. Then I could be the suave and mysterious protagonist who knows just a little more than her companions at all times."

"Hey I'm just calling it like it is. She's the one who's never actually smiling." The Mysterious Dude waved his hand as if physically brushing off Rose's questions. "And besides, like you said, would I really tell you anything? You're not exactly the best role model to be a dashing protagonist to follow along." A pause then. "Unless....oh no, don't tell me...you...you've already figured it out! Oh, and I spent so much time trying to keep it a secret! There goes all my plans to totally ship you two! Yes, it would have been the perfect romance plot! Two heated rivals who can't see eye to eye, brough together by the trials of their adventures. Or maybe they come to a common agreement as they're ruthlessly captured, trapped and force to work together as young love blossoms whole!" By now the Mysterious Dude was waving his arms about frantically, further illustrating his point.

“Hail to think the fetching pirate would see through my schemes so easily. You’ve completely bested me.”

"Fair enough." Rose shrugged, raising her arms in a "what can you do" motion. And then the Mysterious Dude went on and on about his cheesy fanfic, prompting an exaggerated look of disgust from Rose. "Oh my god, ew!" She laughed, clutching her stomach mirthfully as the Mysterious Dude kept talking. "Yep, I caught you in the act completely. No awe inspiring tales of romance and blossoming love for you now, you showed your hand too early!" Rose stood up, pointing an accusing finger at the Mysterious Dude's "face" in much the same way he had earlier, a stern look on her face. Until it cracked less than a second later as she started laughing again. "You are such a weirdo!"Rose laughed, before hopping back on the bed, laying down once more and turning to look at Mysterious Dude from the side. "Hey, while I've got you here actually. Do you know what was up with that one guy we met a little after we started adventuring? They were wearing the same outfit as you, but they were trying to kill us. Couldn't even touch the guy." She questioned, curious if the Mysterious Dude would answer even that. Probably not, but it was worth a shot regardless.

"Eh? Some guy who looks like me?" The Mysterious Dude vividly jumped in place, looking about as if checking his own shadow. "Woah, super creepy! Couldn't tell you, must have been someone I passed wise words of wisdom to secondhand. Or some fanboy." Once more the Mysterious Dude waved his hand, dismissing the matter. He did this for a few seconds, only to stare at Rose; or rather, stare in the sense he could if he could. "It'd be wise to keep out of his way. Who knows if he'd be nice enough to let you go the next time," he spoke, words reverting back to his 'sage' mode, so to speak. "Course, a feckless adventurer like you would probably enjoy a dramatic end to your tale. You junkie sorts live for that kind of thing. Actually, I'm pretty sure I warned you not to go through that door anyway so you all have yourselves to blame." He actually didn't, but didn't bother to point this out.

"Ah of course, must be completely unrelated to you." Rose said with the most unconvinced look possible on her face, but she wasn't gonna press the issue further. The Mysterious Dude would say what Mysterious Dudes said, if she was lucky it might be something she even wants to hear. Luckily for her, he absolutely did follow up with some actual good advice! "Alright, I'll take note of that. And hey, there won't be any kind of dramatic end to my tale!"Rose pointed a thumb at her chest as she said this, coupled with a rather proud expression as she continued. "My story will never end! A Neverending Story, if you will." Indeed, her journey would only continue forwards and up, all the way until she reached the top of this Tower. And then after that, she would ascend to the sky, and the stars above. When down wasn't an option, the only way one could go was up.

"Well, you've got your work cut out for you," said the Mysterious Dude, rising up from his seat and stretching. "Just like you've got a long day tomorrow Ruby, long day indeed. Or is it night? You know, I don't think there's actually a sun on this Floor, huh. Well, I'll leave you to it then, writing your own story. Or whatever. Shame we couldn't discuss how shady Sea Salt is, or what's really at the top of this Tower." He was already walking back to the closet. "Actually, is this even a Tower to begin with? Who knows, who knows." He was at the door. "Later than little red. Seriously, you should keep an eye on that Sea Salt freak. Yeeesh she's got skeletons in her closet!" Much like how he was inside Rose's, shutting the door, gone from sight.

Rose hummed in agreement, much work to be done indeed. And hey, she'd found a way to entertain herself until she decided to go to sleep. Good stuff Rose. Was there a sun on this Floor actually? Hm, she would have to keep an eye out for that. It'd probably freak everyone out if she like, threw a giant fireball in the air to act as a sun. If she could do that. Which she can't. The little teases of mystery from the Mysterious Dude were met with a noncomittal hum, though they were shuffled away for later questioning when they met up again.When, not if. An important distinction, as there was no way they wouldn't meet again down the line. The Mysterious Dude opened the closet and stepped in, throwing out one last piece of advice before shutting the door, mysteriously. A long period of silence passed, Rose staring at the ceiling and pondering many things. Such as...

"Just out of curiousity, are you just hanging out in the closet, or did you do some magic to disappear?" She asked aloud, really hoping the Mysterious Dude would awkwardly answer her. That would be a very funny end to her night.

"....go to sleep kid.

It was the day of the Umbral Games, and the one most excited hadn't even bothered to show up in person. Instead, clad in her familiar long coat and respirator was one of her Serei in a rather poor disguise. But CC did drive like her and from a distance, who could tell that "Kanbaru" was suddenly a few cup sizes smaller? Hopefully the Corpse Collector would be content to rampage and steal without fragging Kanbaru's group, but just to be safe, she made a note to not dilly dally and complete her own mission quick as could be.

That being, the theft of everyone's graduation.

Slipping into the administration building was a lot easier when all the students where away and attention was diverted to the chaos about to erupt in the city. Any locks could be easily busted without a trace, just add water and freeze, expanding beyond the lock's confines and breaking it. No doubt the Hentai Tenshi was busy terrorizing honest criminals while the real one got to have her cake and eat it too. "Now I just need the records room..."



A flash of energy and a proud knight emerged, standard mid swing to clothesline several students and hurl them towards the robotic enforcers. Lorelai was in prime form, her expression one of confidence and ease as shaft of her weapon exploded with a wave of force, whirling it to come around and smash aside another group of students. A great mass of fur and hair prodded Akiko from behind, the snout of Durgan rising between her legs to lift her up to his back where she would roll back into his mane of hair.

"Cower you pitiful fiends! I am here to crush your hopes and ambitions. All your work shall amount to nothing before my villianous ways!" The knight laughed, laying it on so thick she would have twirled an oiled mustache had she the disposition for growing facial hair. It occured to her after a pleasant night's sleep that crime was rather subjective. There was the letter of the law, the spirit of the law, and general morality to consider. So to participate in these games and preserve the virtue of her summoner, Lorelai thought it quite ingenious to instead deprive the competition of their ill gotten opportunity by sending them into police custody.

"Fear the name Lorelai Luxonne as you rot in your cells and know I delivered you towards penance upon my own assenscion. Bwahaha!" She cackled, explosions rippling from her heels and directed backwards, creating a menacing backdrop of airborne students and ruined roadway.

The roar of the machine and the thundering bellows it left behind trailed every which way wherever “Kanbaru” twisted and turned. Saddled on the bike of destruction with every intent to go wild with mayhem, the draped figured snickered and smirked beneath her respirator. Indeed, no one worth their salt could see through the disguise as far as she was concerned, nor would they have time to. “Kanbaru” zoomed past most police bots, bike tearing up the roads behind her in a streak of fire and ghastly flame. No sooner did she round another bend did she force all her weight backwards against the vehicle.

The bike popped with a wheely, “Kanbaru” nearly raising her bike completely off the ground as she almost slammed directly into the side of a building. At the last moment, she forced all her momentum backwards as well, pulling the motorcycle with her until it was climbing up the side of the building. Defying gravity, the bike sent shrapnel and shattered glass every which way as she tore through the building’s side, riding along without care or mercy. She faintly heard some zealot preach about jail cells followed by the sound of explosions, but it mattered little except for spurning her on in jealousy. How dare she be out staged?

From this high up and constantly in motion, surely no one could notice “Kanbaru” wasn’t quite herself. Nor would they have much time to note she barely even used her ice for traction. Instead, two guns slid into her hands before firing off shots in random directions, cackling all the while. Such bullets instantly warped and twisted the world slightly wherever they flew, air coiled around itself like a glitch as they made their mark. Wherever they hit, great explosions of fire burst out from them, smoke starting to fill the air. “Kanbaru” hardly quivered in her cackles even among the choking hazards.

Meanwhile, the real Kanbaru was busy committing what was, in her eye, the truest crime of all. There was little theatrics involved, especially when all the noise and light shows were happening outside the building’s walls. Even so, one would have thought the administration building would have had some form of security inside it, some presence of life. But in all the buildings, even the one where Caprice idly explored, there was little sign of anyone. Naturally, it made Kanbaru’s life easier in comparison and indeed, following the directions and obligatory building labels would lead her to the records room.

The only mishappen event were some lights that flickered sporadically, casting the building in shadow for brief instances. Truly, the greatest crime taking place was the school avoiding any electrical bills. All the same, once Kanbaru reached the records room, she was to be greeted by…nothing. Nothing at all. The space looked as ordinary as any from her own school back in Miso City. The only item worth any interest however was a picture hanging above a desk with folders; probably the graduation diplomas she sought.

The painting stared back at her with a gentle expression, the visage of a nun sharing a small smile. The holy lady’s face was shrouded by the front of her outfit, leaving only her smile visible. Such spiritual imagery was sure enough strange for an establishment of crime and debauchery, though the school was run by at least some form of an angel. Either way, the painting was settled just above where Kanbaru needed to look.

---

---

"Well, I guess I'm alone in this?" Clair said to herself as she observed the docks from her elevated perch. The blonde thief sat cross-legged in the roof's edge, munching a snack bar she got on the way here.

A cold, nocturnal breeze blew by, ruffling her skirt when she finally got back to her. "I might as well get something good while I'm at this. If nothing else, I can't lose to that tiger girl," she continued her monologue. When Clair had psyched herself up, she reached into a belt pouch, drew a handful of chalk powder, and spread it on her palms.

"I'm gonna borrow some of your power now, Aria. Wish me luck, ok?" Clair said as she threw Aria's card into the air, watching as it burst into a flash of light and moist wind. When all was said and done, she had a really nice sword in her waist and a set of actual foxy ears and tail.

"Let's go!" Clair jumped off the edge. She was a blur of motion was the very winds propelled her forth, leaping, bounding, and grinding her way through roof tiles, pipping, and cables.

"Lucky me!" she exclaimed as she reached the first airship right as Kanbaru roared by, providing a much-needed distraction that would give Clair the time to inspect the ship's goods and decide whether or not it was a nice catch.

---

Caprice found herself surprised to finally stumble on detention and the administrative offices together in one place. "My my, there's keeping your friends close and your enemies closer, but this seems like a bit much." Caprice peered around a corner and into the dual role area. Before shrugging and simply walking in with a clack of her heels against the hard polished floor. "If the president, Iona, or a hound yet unmet lies in wait, it's unlikely I'll evade them, so, pardon me, I'm coming in." Stealth did not seem high on her priorities. Either the games had drawn the eyes of authority elsewhere, or Caprice was just going to deal with them head on.

Her heist was so perfect that there weren't even any guards left to hear either criminal in their moments of triumph. In the case of an adventurous bluenette she was finally able to lay eyes upon her target, out in the open and undefended. Naturaly she assumed this was a decoy, but if it was or wasn't, she was still going to be destroying documentation even if she had to submerge the entire room,freeze it, and rupture the entire architecture of the building- The bluenette blinked, wondering why she had the sudden urge for mass destrouction and feeling vaguely envious of her Serei, only to put said thoughts aside and approach the table. As exciting as her goal was, their drab manilla exterior made the picture of a vague nun all the more striking above it. Was it irony that had them guard the diplomas for future degenerates and reprobates with the image of a holy woman?

"Hmm, nah, not my problem." Kanbaru shrugged carelessly and snatched up the first diploma folder. Water immediately saturated the covering, soaking deep to ruin any chances of reading it's now smeared contents.

The painting stared at Kanbaru serenly, though odd enough, the sound of trickling pittered in its wake. Where once Kanbaru snatched the first of her prizes, seeking water through the paper, so too did water flow from the painting. Long, streaks of it trickled from somewhere behind the painting, tracing down the wall with the same viscosity of her own waters. It threatened to pool along the desk as if leaving clear evidence someone was tampering with the diplomas.

"Ah, greetings." Caprice would nod to Kanbaru as she entered and spotted her. She didn't see any reason to interefere with Kanbaru's goals, and continued about the room heedless of Kanbaru or the painting, looking to see if she could find anyone currently 'in detention', which was probably something extreme if it was used as the stick against the Umbral Games' carrot for delinquents.

"Oh, hey, you." She replied, turning around to check it was indeed the group's resident magician and not some voice stealing guard demon about to shank her in the kidneys. After confirming reality wasn't stranger then fiction, she came back around to find the nun was peeing herself.

At least, it was a very well hydrated nun painting as it looked crystal clear. And it was forming a vaguely human shape as it trailed down in an almost threatening manner. "Hey, you any good with booby traps? Cause this painting is one shade of red away from crying blood."

"I wouldn't call it my area of expertise." Caprice glanced down at the water.

The painting was blank; at least, to Caprice's eyes. Where once there was a nun, only a large dark spot was in place, as if there used to be an object or person occupying the space. The water of course remained, seeping with a thickness that almost made it akin to blood by now, or perhaps motor oil. However, whereas Caprice would see nothing but a blank painting, the visage of a nun still stared at Kanbaru, a shape only seen by her eyes.

"It doesn't seem too bad to me." Caprice continued her search heedless of the potential danger.

"You're kidding me right? There's a nun of blood looking at me right now. I'm not even catholic and this is creeping me out!" The bluenette shuddered and hugged herself, overcome with a sudden heavy sense of Irish guilt, in spite of no such heritage. It passed and she raised a hand, freezing the space in front of the bloody visage like the glass over the same portrait. "I think we should just wreck this table and get on out. Like, quickly."

"I don't share your fear of nuns, nor your desire to commit destruction. You may come or go as you please, but I haven't satisfied my curiosity yet." Caprice simply stepped around the water and continued looking around. Perhaps what she sought was behind the painting.

A translucent sheen of ice coated over the painting, stopping short any more leakage from its source. But when Kanbaru looked upon it again, the painting shifted. There was still a nun only she could see, but where once was a smile was now turned upside down. A discouraging frown stared back at the blunette through her ice as if judging the petulent actions of a child. No such activity was given to Caprice; in fact, the dark magician of sorts would find the drawers and cabinets unlocked wherever she glanced. Whether the academy's staff had little care for security or they expected such crimes to take place in their own abdoes during the Umbral Games was unclear. Were Rose present, she might have raided the placed whole without temptation. All the same, the painting stared down Kanbaru with a flash of searing pain suddenly shooting through her head.

"Are you blind? This is genuine horror material here! It's some kind of trap and it's giving me the stink e-Aaagh!" Like an ice pick driven from on high, sharp pain drove her hard down to one knee, both hands grasping at her hair as her minded pounded under the most merciless of migraines. She nausus and dizzy all at once and looked through bleary eyes at the nun and the unaffected state of Caprice. "The room's cursed! Don't touch anything!"

Caprice continued to ignore Kanbaru and let the cabinets and drawers mostly untouched other than a cursory glance. She had been looking for the detention area and if there was anyone with the will to defy the Student President, but that seemed too well hidden for her. It seemed Caprice had little sympathy for Kanbaru's plight nor heed to her warnings.

Another glance to the painting would show two points of red under the nun's veil, bright enough to contrast with the dark of the painting. No sooner did it lock gazes with Kanbaru did a horrid screech fill her mind as the creature inside, whatever it was, lunged forward. Bursting through the ice like shards of confetti, the screaming nun barreled into Kanbaru. However, there was little damage or even sign of a scuffle. That was because, as soon as the blunette regained her bearings, the painting was back to normal. The nun remained, smiling as it once did and the sheen of ice gone from its surface. However, its position was changed entirely, an arm pointed to its right over to where Caprice was searching without caution or care. Just next to the dark magician was a large book case that appeared almost too worn down and topical. Yet the nun remained pointing, an invisible sense drawing Kanbaru to a dark tome in its corner.

Kanbaru felt genuine helplessness as the specter of the nun took shape, smashing through the ice to the tune of a shriek Kanbaru knew she was one providing. It barreled into her with the bluenette unable to muster a defense, yet in a flicker of inconceivable motion, the room was back to normal. The Nun was a picture once more, only now she had direction that had her turning towards her treacherous cohort. If it was asking her to kill her team mates then she'd have felt oddly enthusiastic, but a sense compelled her to rise and cross the room, coming upon a curious black book. Without thinking she plucked it out by the spine and cracked open the cover.

"Mmm?" Caprice paused not at the shriek, but at Kanbaru coming over. "If you are frightened, you may leave whenever you like, but if you do wish to keep looking around, I'd appreciate it with less screaming." Caprice was a bit curious as to why when Kanbaru had previously been freaking out, and then suddenly came over to check a particular book.

There was hardly anything of worth in the black tome, contents going on about spells and whatnot, methods to summon creatures from other worlds. No, what was perhaps more fascinating was the book shelf moving on its own. A shuddering sound inhibited by wearing age accompanied the wood sliding away in a most trite fashion, a dark corridor revealed before the two girls. The lack of light didn't do much to illuminate the fact it was in fact a stair well that led down into...something. No one mentioned the academy had a basement after all, let alone one kept hidden.

"I'd love to see how you handle cursed jump scare nuns," the bluenette growled, though the words lacked heat as her eyes widened with wonder to see a classic sliding staircase. There were many reasons to have hidden compartments and areas, but most of them involved hiding away some prized treasure, and that Kanbaru could move beyond all rational fear with a greedy glimmer in her eye. "First dibs on the treasure!"

With those parting words she bolted down the stairs, eager to see what non-nun related loot was to be found.

"Ah, delightful, a classic." Caprice could not help but smile at the sight of the turning bookcase. She followed Kanbaru at a measured pase, in no hurry to compete with the girl's lust for treasure. "It's all yours." Caprice kept her hand on the wall to keep herself steady as she stepped down the stairs.

"-late late late late late!" The echo of a panicked young woman echoed through the streets as she ran towards the airdocks, a piece of bread in hand leftover from a rushed breakfast, looking very much like a particular anime trope as she shoved toast into her mouth and tugged on a boot properly. On this most important day of exams, an excuse to commit as many crimes as she wanted, Rose had woken up late because there were no alarms in the school. Two whole hours of missed opportunity, all because these bastards couldn't invest in something as simple as an alarm clock to wake her up in the morning.

She pulled out the card of Suparna from her jacket with her free hand, nearly fumbling the thing onto the ground before snatching it out of the air with adept fingers. Oh god she was so late, it was just like finals week all over again! This was why she hated school, why the hell did she have to show up for this at a specific time!? Why couldn't they just adjust around her schedule! Why couldn't they give her a damn alarm!

A flash of light emanated from Suparna's card as Rose summoned her, running right past the maggot knight and hoping she would take the cue to start running with her. She swallowed a mouthful of toast and looked back to the presumably following knight, oh man her hair was probably a total mess right now. "Ok, not a lot of time to explain, sorry this is such a bad first impression! Basically, we gotta rob as much stuff in this city as we can, so I need you to do that! I'm Rose by the way, probably should have started with that! We're going to go steal an airship, but I woke up late so we need to make up for my lateness by stealing a bunch of stuff! Throw anything valuable in this sack, get more sacks if you can! Please, thank you, all the courtesies and whatever!" Words tumbled out of Rose's lips as she assaulted the demon with facts and requests, tossing her a half filled sack with minor jewelry and other things that might be valuable inside.

And then she kept running. She ran and ran and ran, not even bothering to listen to any protest the knight may have had to this course of action. She was a demon right, demons loved to steal stuff! And then she was off again, docks in sight as she ran down the street like a woman possessed. She could literally see Claire jumping off the roof to get started, oh god she was so late! Another card was pulled from her jacket, this one of a reliable looking fairy, a bright light emanating from the card and enveloping Rose as she transformed into the ever reliable Ryne form.

And as this transformation finished, a weight lifted off of her shoulders, both metaphorical and literal. With the immense loss of mass, her speed increased dramatically as she shot through the air towards the docks, twirling and looping through the air with grace and delight. The mindset of the fairy was quite freeing really, she wasn't nearly as worried about being late as she once was. She was the Pirate Queen after all, she'd breeze through these stupid crime exams with no issues. "Sorry I'm late! Be right theeeere!" She called out to Claire, a bit far from the ship but close enough for her whimsical shout to be heard barely.

The dissonant pair's journey down the steps terminated in a forboding door or blackened metal set into a frame that was rivetted to the wall. Paper talismans smothered the seams with script that was painful to focus upon. They radiated a soft light, but none more so then the shockingly simple 'Do Not Disturb' sign hanging upon the door's handle.

"Pfft, like I'd let a sign stop me here." The bluenette scoffed, tossing it aside and yanking sharply upon the door. Paper tore with its characteristic ease and metal groaned in protest, but a second yank saw the door begin to swing outward-

Then a fist struck the door from the inside and sent Kanbaru bowling backwards to crash in a heap beside the more sedately approaching Caprice. Coming out of the sealed room was an incredibly short woman and her hulking demon. Said demon was cracking the knuckles of its hand, it's visage exuding a universal sense of relief to be freed while the woman remained rather severe with a book in one hand and the other raised towards the unfamiliar pair.

"The last sharply dressed pair of outsiders robbed me of my school and my freedom. Unless you freed me out of the goodness of your hearts," And here both woman and demon rumbled with rueful laughter, "Then you best explain yourselves quickly. I have a student council to disband and precious little patience for obstacles to my revenge."

Caprice gently turned to her side, to let both Kanbaru pass without hitting her, and to allow their new friend passage out if they so wished. "Why thank you!" Caprice smiled and paused as she was complimented by the unusual figure. Not that she was one to judge for strange garb and companions. "You've got quite the fashion sense yourself. Truly a bombastic taste for accessories." She nodded to the hulking demon.

"I believe my eager companion who freed you wished for plunder, but I myself was simply seeking to see what kind of person the 'Student Council President' would see fit to imprison." Caprice adjusted her mask slightly, before then also checking a cuff.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. If I may follow and observe your disbanding of the student council, I will be more than content. That said, I will not prevent your egress one way or the other. Though I have been warned of screaming invisible nuns who might attempt such." Caprice took a bow, even as she still stood on the stairs. "My companion has also warned me of my tendency to useless verbosity, so if you would prefer my silence, you need only ask."

@Flood@The 42nd Gecko

The allusion to nuns went over the Headmaster's head and her face twisted, concerned at the horrors the dark angel had visited upon her academy if nuns were present. "If they have brought prayer into this academy I swear to the Goetia..."

The demon lowered a hand to the floor, it's palm raised for the dimunitive woman to step up and be placed upon its shoulder. She seemed a proud sort, immediately settling upon it with an upwards turn of her nose and a smirk of unfettered confidence. "I'd offer the other shoulder, but the only reason I do not burn is because I summoned him. You'll have to follow at your own pace if you which to see anything of those fools before I reduce them to ash."

"Honestly, a student council president? This is a college level academy!" Her words came with a roar from the hunched demon before it sprang vertically, bounding off the walls with the scraping of stone to herald its ascent upwards. There was something of a cataclysmis sounded crash as it had to tear open a larger entrance then what the bookcase concealed before she was free to reclaim her rightful property. Yet before Caprice would consider the wisdom of following or not, down fluttered a blank card on a breeze, a drifting Serei lazily falling towards her with all the infinite potential therein.

---

Most Serei were allowed a cool entrance and time to introduce themselves, or were perhaps summoned to crush a vicious enemy and display their talents in a memorable fashion.

Suparna got a half filled sack and a request to rob a city by a girl who didn't seem aware she had bed head so severe there was a cowlick sticking two inches into the air. If nothing else, the knight would remember this with a healthy dose of incredulity before her summoner sped off to steal an airship.

"....'know what? I'mma just pretend this is all Victoire's castle and do it right this time." Suparna said, twisting the hilt ofher thrusting sword to cause the segments to expand, releasing an elongating tendril of carrion and larva that she slashed across the street. Whether they struck student or police robot, worms would burrow in through open orifices, ears, and exhaust ports to infest and corrupt, twisting them into her puppets with a few nibbles to the brain/CPU.

"Alright, half you lot start stealing everything that isn't nailed down and bring it here in a nice pile. The other half, go barf on your friends and make me more drones. I want the city on a platter within the hour! Start from the slums and work inwards and upwards till we can all meet up at those academy gates. They can surrender our earned reward or admit my awesomeness once I eat the fight-or-flight centers of their noggins."

Caprice's eyes sparkled a bit at the mention of Goetia, visible even behind her mask. She whipped forth her phone, "Goetia." Caprice whispered into it, scanning the results with a smile. "I knew it sounded a little familiar. Something of the Solomonic tradition perhaps?" She spoke to herself, as was her habit, though perhaps Kanbaru would be interested.

"Nothing would make me happier. Do not worry, I shall keep up. I feel I'll learn a lot more about you by watching you try to change your fate than bandying idle words." Caprice tucked the phone away as the woman spoke of offering shoulders and keeping pace.

Caprice had no need to consider the wisdom of following, as her mind had already been made up as soon as she had seen the headmistress' desire for revenge. She snatched the card from the air, not waiting for it to come to her, as she dashed in the wake of the Headmistress. Candy cane formed up beneath her feet with each leaping bound to provide the perfect platform and launch herself up. "Best of luck in your search for treasure." Caprice paused for a moment at the exit the Headmistress had torn, to yell back down at Kanbaru, before turning again to chase after the Headmistress.

@Lonewolf685