@Aqutanama@MagusDream@Dezuel

Darla watched as the situation unfolded on its own. The scream and the enticement had drawn a crowd to her spot, it seemed. The creepy teenager whom she had labelled a pervert was making half assed excuses. Then a hero arrived. Or a would be hero. Of course the other guy played some cheesy lines, trying to make it so it was a play. Everyone believed him, despite obviously making such outrageous statements like two million gold bars? What were you, trying to collapse the city's streets with such weight?

Darla looked increasingly livid and aghast, perhaps disgusted.

Sheep, that's what they were, sheep.

Darla's expression of sheer disgust and cringe were patent on a scoff. "Oh you did terrific. You drew in this fella, who is a gallant knight, of which few do exist...just to be laughed at. Well...I am not laughing. You are worse than a creep. You are a deluded idiot, who thinks and breathes in an alternate reality." Darla added, her fist tightening before putting a shoulder on Al's quivering form, whispering a thank you formula in her native Vauquelin. "Merci, mon chevalier en armure rutilante."

Well, another one had come to her rescue. "Merci, messieur Lambda. Both of your efforts shall not go unrewarded."

"You...think yourself as a slick one. Disguising your stalking as a script, saying the lines are crap. Oh..aah...and you get laughs and applauses. Good for you. Well I'm not the one who...stalked a dozen of girls all the way up to me on his way in. And this no longer makes me fearful. It makes me...livid." Darla said, her eyes pointing at the assorted females that had been bothered by Mav's antics.

"Yeah! He's a creep!"

"He kept staring at my breasts too!" said another voice.

"And you...who laughed and applauded, are all accomplices." Darla said, before putting both of her hands on Al and Lambda. "Only these two, of all students and staffers, did believe me. Whatever happened to helping people? Is this a circus or a library? Why would anyone do a play here! Think, people, think! Are you even qualified to be here if you fail at such basic common sense?" Darla's words were potent, as even now a staffer grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Oh, and what were you doing, oh so competent staff? Don't touch me! Seize that one, he's using his gift inside the library!" She added, as a couple of figures interposed between the converging staff and golems, and Darla herself. Her robot maids.

Reverio needs more time. Darla thought to herself.Aaargh, do I have to do it by myself? Dance before these subhumans? Fine! It's worth a date with Reverio dearest.

She clasped her hands, as her face became pleading and radiant. This time... she was really trying, putting her courtly manners to use.

"Please, my knights! Deliver us ladies from this vexing injustice!" Darla beseeched."Deal with this blackguard who makes light of a lady's chastity and objectifies women!"

Alex bade farewell to Michael after a walk that felt too long. In another situation she might have felt a little weird at having a boy walk her home... but it was the least of her worries right now. She made no attempt to hide her late return home. She knew that her parents wouldn't care.

Alex's room was a comforting place to return to after the frantic experience of her stint at Midnight. The blinds eternally shut; the lamp just barely casting enough light to allow walking without tripping. She just wanted to fall into her bed and sleep for several... dozen hours. Pulling her hoodie off her head, she sighed. At the very least she should do something to relax.

---

Alex returned to her room from a thankfully uneventful bath. The sweet smell of strawberries helped calm her down, at least. She was just glad she wasn't visibly covered in bruises thanks to Michael's healing. That would have been far too awkward to explain at school, she thought. 'Not to mention what would happen if my counselor decided to-'

Ring!

'-meet with me.' Alex's phone chimed in to interrupt her thoughts. She already knew what it was. She had set up her phone to use a specific tone for that number.

"Hello?" Alex put on her most even voice for this. Her counselor never called unless something was up.

"Alexandria. I've heard reports from the Rhean Police Department about an incident." She cut straight to the chase. As expected of a professional.

Alex feigned surprise. "Oh no! W-Well I've been at home all day, so it's a good thing-"

"Some of the people there said there was a girl with an eyepatch throwing around 'spells.' They said she cracked the foundation of the building with a single punch."

"A-Ahaha... I suppose there are all sorts of bodybuilders out there..."

There was a brief pause, and a faint sigh over the phone. "Alexandria, I'm trying to look out for you here. If you get caught up in the wrong place, with a Gift like yours, there's no telling what would happen. Not to mention that your parents didn't answer my call..."

"W-Well they probably didn't answer because nothing was up! I was home all day, of course."

"Well. I'm going to schedule a meeting during club period at Laurels. You've been resting at home all day, so you'll be attending class tomorrow, of course." The statement left no room for argument.

Alex looked over her uniform, which was hanging up separately, away from her other casual clothes. It was far too ornate for her tastes, stained far too easily, and had too many layers. She would have loved if her enrollment due to remedial schooling included a clause that waived the dress code for her. "Right. I'll be there." Eventually.

"Stay safe, Alexandria. The incident at Midnight was very dangerous. And please tell your parents to contact me." The call ended with a click.

Alex fell backwards onto her bed, sighing with exhaustion. 'No chance of that happening. Sorry, counselor.' It was bad enough she had to go to classes tomorrow at all. Alex had already gamed out the amount she could miss without being flunked, and tomorrow would have been totally fine. As she fell back onto her bed, she could only wonder to herself:

'How will Wolf react when I come to see him... After all this time?' Her chest felt tight with the thought as she laid in bed.

---

Alex's sleep proved to be terrible, mainly due to watching videos in her bed late into the night to drown out her own internal anxiety. Looking back on it, Alex considered it better than sitting in a dark room alone with her thoughts. She'd do it again. ...She may have to do it again, depending on Wolf.

Of course, her entire body was sore from the exertion of the fight at Midnight. She hadn't a clue how she was going to hide that from her counselor - She could barely stand from a chair without groaning. Maybe she'd just stand up the whole time. Or maybe she'd blame it on gym class... which she has a pass from due to her hospitalization. Alex frowned as her brain tanked her own potential excuse.

Perhaps worst of all, she hadn't brought any lunch. Given that it was now lunch time, she was becoming acutely aware of that issue. Unfortunately, she had not drawn the spell that summons food; she blamed it on not offering anything to her shrine the night before. Stalking the bustling hallways of St. Laurel's Academy, she tried her best to avoid bumping into other students, though her slightly off-balance gait made it clear that she was both sleep-deprived and running on fumes.

'Forget after school... I'm not gonna make it to my counselor's meeting...' Alex couldn't help but think to herself. No doubt it would be clear that something was wrong if her counselor heard that she was sent to the nurse's office during class today, and then her entire cover story would be blown. 'Get it together...!'

He had felt good the moment he had placed himself inbetween the obvious villain and the blonde girl, but somehow his tongue and lips had not obeyed his mind. His words had come out with a delay. He wasn't stuttering. There was surely a clear but other reason for it, even if he couldn't think of one in the spur of the moment. As Maverick's initial words came out, the young man had felt pride fill his heart. He was doing something brave and good which would leave him well respected and possibly earn him some money too.

Laughter. Laughter? They were laughing at him? The various visitors of the library had made him a laughing stock for the day. He stopped momentarily in his thought process to look around. They weren't taking him seriously at all, and when he was going to speak up a voice came from the upper floors of the library, as they had a railing overlooking the lower floor. Taunts were hurled by the fluffy-eared boy he had seen before entering the building. He had prior thought about touching them, wondering how they actually felt like. But after hearing the mocking words of the other boy, he could only feel anger.

He tightened his hands into fists, as the laughter persisted. How had things come to this? He just wanted to help the girl. The ongoing words of Maverick only now helped to add to confuse him further. What was he on about? All he did was an act of some kind? What about the girl? She still looked upset.

"I-I didn't st-stutter! You pervillain!" He exlaimed in a defensive manner, his fists tightening and arms slightly shaking. Al could feel how his eyes were getting watery from the mix of words from Kurogane and Maverick, coupled with the various laughter still heard around him. He felt nausea as if he needed to throw up. Like a big stone was pressing down on his chest.

'This doesn't feel good...' His thoughts seemed to dullen the voices around him temporarily and take him out of the situation, to the point he didn't even register that Maverick had placed a card between two of his fingers. The purple haired boy began to breathe rapidly as if he was about to have a seizure, but then it seemed to dissapate as Lambda approached in his and Darla's defense. Then someone had touched him, he had momentarily before heard something about a knight, but his eyes were too watery to notice said knight. The one which had touched him had been the blonde girl, the one which had been labeled a princess by the pervillain. She even said something in a language he couldn't recognize.

'Huh? Mercy?' He blinked momentarily and then wiped his face with his arm to take away the natural phenomen of watery eyes. His body twitched in it's complete form the moment that Darla's hand pressed down on his shoulder abit further, she even added her other hand to the other boy which had come to her aid.

It was around this time that Al's attention became better, she was actually defending them? The lady which they had rushed in to defend was now defending them? What a twist. "S-she didn't do anything wrong! Honest! This is just a big..uhm..." He began as he stepped up to one of the staffers currently grabbing Darla's shoulder. He was at a loss of words however, why now of all times? All these words used by politicians and other grown ups, he needed one of those words.

"...a case of Accrusifixication." Al waved with both his hands in front of the staffer, one hand still holding unto his magical guitar, which was clearly something not appreciated in the library. Also that was an actual word right? The blonde girl proceeded to request her knights to deal with the pervillain, at least that's as far as Al understood as the rest of her words seemed to be how rich people talk. But how? He couldn't use his powers inside of the library, much less to harm someone with it?

"Su-surrender! I don't want to h-harm you. But you really need to give up your pervillainous ways!" Al pointed an accusing finger towards Maverick. Oh gods. He was still being observed. These lines better hit home. He might still be able to look cool too. The pervert-gone-villain was certainly one of those who had caused him much pain, but so did the fluffy eared boy on the second floor. He had to make a stance against him too, and now after having taken a few moments to gather himself. Perhaps it was due to Darla and Lambda being present that he felt that he had the kind of support a team would give.

"A-and you! Bad dog!" Alrune pointed an accusing finger up towards Kurogane, as if he had practiced the role of a lawman yelling out objections.

@AtomicNut@MagusDream@Aqutanama@Lewascan2

Everything seemed to spiral. People pointing fingers here and there. Some accused Maverick of being a pervert and/or villain. Others placed blame on him for people laughing at someone else. The fact that someone came up and accused him of bothering someone. While some of the staff seemed to be moving to arrest Darla? He raised an eyebrow as she stoked the fire even more by playing the part. Other females even called him a pervert stating that he looked at their breasts as well.

“It seems that you just can’t laugh. Furthermore, I didn’t mean to make people laugh at him. I had assumed that they were laughing at my cracking voice and terrible acting. I mean I’m only thirteen and have about zero experience in acting.” He admitted as he looked at Alrune. He only shook his head not really knowing where to go from here. He made sure to reaffix his hololens making sure that it was secure. While ignoring the new irritant that forced his way into this conversation. All points of speech seemed to have been cut off by Darla. It didn’t matter what he said she would just twist it into something else. Even if it was untrue. He looked around the room to the females and when they noticed him looking at them they covered themselves up. His face only brightened as he smiled at everyone. Soon after he took out his phone and threw up a movie of sorts. It was sped up and showed his interactions with everyone. There was an orange dot indicating where his eyes were looking. The video split in half and showed the recording of the females shifting back and having a scared reaction. Then he showed the part with Darla on the other side.

“I don’t know about you but when someone feels threatened then they usually act like the females on the left. Furthermore, I did stare at her breasts. While it wasn’t why most people think, people will draw their own conclusions. Filthy minds live in the gutters.” Mav informed them all as he pulled back his hood.

“Staring isn’t against any laws and I am not one to touch without permission. Even though I found through research that those are just pains in the back when they get too big. I honestly wanted just to talk and have a conversation but now I’m being crucified here and I see why. A majority of you are from the same school or share the same sex with her.” He couldn’t help but feel actually hurt and trapped in this situation. He didn’t like this feeling so he opted to do what would help him best.

“I see. You were using me, so that someone who I thought got up to use the restroom could do something bad.” He informed the library staff. Their motion to capture Darla faltered after that and they started to move to check on the no no zones.

“It seems that she would throw herself into a possible dangerous situation for one person. Understandable when someone is in love. Are you?” He asked Darla as he looked around the room.

“Furthermore, what do you look for when looking for a significant other? You look for looks, money, status, upbringing. In the end you look for someone you can spend your day with that provides extra security to your already secure lives. You call me a pervert and a villain but I’m neither of those things. Only dirty minds will think of that. I believe that she has the dirtiest mind of all.” He mentioned as he looked at the quest. Technically it was complete but he felt like they would vote him a failure. He didn’t care at this point. Anything would be better than staying here and getting roasted alive. His muscles tightened in his legs as he bolted towards the exit. His movement was accelerated by the lack of gravity after he used his power. Sure enough the mission message became red with a big red square and line through it. The words “Failed” were stamped over it as well. As he made the door he started yelling.

“YOU FUCKING PIECES OF SHIT GODS!” He lamented loudly as he walked over to his vehicle. His Chief of Staff Sir Gideon Glover was waiting and knew exactly what was going on. Gideon knew that words would only take time away from the young master. After that Mav got into the vehicle and they drove off. The Video was fully uploaded to the Library’s computer as he had access after they connected his phone to upload his books. It should clear him mostly and condem Darla for all wrongdoings.



@Dezuel@AtomicNut@MagusDream@Lewascan2

@Dezuel@Aqutanama@AtomicNut@MagusDream

The sound of a sharp, brief cry of pain and the scraping of stone echoing off the stonework halls almost made her hurry her pace, but "Liliya" resisted willfully the urge to act recklessly. Honestly, despite the seeming inevitability of it, she hoped to go unnoticed by Reverio as long as possible... for the entirety of this venture ideally. The disguise was just an insurance policy at the end of the day.

To be honest... She wasn't sure how she wanted to go about... "all this", as it were. Reverio's impulsiveness had forced her own hand in turn. The disguise was something she'd thought up more by lucky happenstance than anything else. She barely had a plan -if what she had could be defined as a "plan" at all- beyond keeping the demon inside her close enough to hear what it needed to hear and fulfil her end of their Deal, and that lack of direction -that vague "winging it" bullshit- didn't sit right with her.

As Liliya approached the bottom of the stairs, she quietly closed her lighter, extinguishing its glow as a cautious measure. Still suspended above the ground, she listened to the area beyond... and received only ominous silence. Tucking her snow-white hair behind her ear so it didn't potentially hang out obviously, Liliya chanced a peek around the corner, and her single exposed crimson eye narrowed at the sight of a grand expanse of checkered black and white... and the familiar "pieces" atop it.

'Chess?'


Pursing her lips, Liliya glanced at the door on the opposite side of the room, which appeared to be swinging closed, quashing the majority of the white light spilling from within the space beyond the first obstacle. 'Reverio... you moron.' Even mentally, the words simply couldn't help but be very exceptionally done already with this blonde with a martyr complex. Honestly... this trap looked not so simple. How had he crossed it so quickly?

More importantly, while she didn't want him to get too far ahead of her, did she really want to catch up?

Liliya finally moved out of cover, hovering out to the edge of the "playing field", as her brows furrowed minutely. Scrutinizing the field, she could see the pieces lying deceptively still, but she would have bet her left tit that they were golems of some sort. This sort of... flamboyant trap seemed exactly the sort of thing to include such an extra "flair" from whoever had made it. Eccentrics aside, however, what was more important was how this trap functioned...

Did the intruder have to "play the game"? With what? Could they order the pieces around? If so, which ones? Both? Did they have to choose? Was it a fake-out or unwinnable scenario? Was she facing a magical AI? Did the pieces reset between "games"? Hard to say; she hadn't been quick enough to watch Reverio "play". And on that note, if there was a "game" to be played, how had he done it so fast? Was he just an idiot savant at chess? No, that didn't sound quite right. She'd heard Reverio's cry of pain, and the lightest scent of copper tinged the air to her Spirit's superhuman senses. If there was a strategy, Reverio wouldn't have had time to use it. He was on an obvious time crunch. He didn't have the time to indulge obvious delaying tactics. More likely than not, he had just bulled on through and accepted the consequences.

And she might just have to follow his lead.

Not. Ideal.

She had no doubt that doing it such a way would be loud, as her crimson eyes scanned the board, black and white pieces alike, looking for gaps in the formations. The board was arranged as a game already in progress. Assuming the pieces were limited to attacking within their game rules (and she'd have to be cautious of a reverse psychology fake-out letting her guard down), then she could only safely traverse accordingly. The odds that this were the case were... higher than her tenuous confidence in the competency of the government would like to believe. Why? Well, who in their right mind made a trap that could actually be beaten? To guard stuff like she could only assume was hidden below, you'd ideally make a trap with no solution except a secret passphrase or some-such that would temporarily disable the defense.

But digression aside, assuming the pieces had to play by the rules... that still didn't do anything about the first major hurdle.

The puppy-guarding white queen.

Sitting in the "bottom-left" corner of the "board", the white queen canvased the entire length of the battlefield in three threatening directions. There was no way to get past her without being imperiled. Even if Liliya were to cross on the opposite corner, that too would be additionally guarded by the presence of the white rook, looming midway up the field. And that wasn't even mentioning that this "bottom" side was the home territory of the black pieces. The more she looked at the board, the more she could vaguely see how the black team was disadvantaged. In fact, their position was so bad that they all seemed to have moved up at least one space, leaving their entire backline open to the white queen's predations.

Was she supposed to play as black to remove the obstacles? Did that even mean black was on her side? Even if they were, how was she supposed to make them move in the first place? Could she move white? Perhaps the scenario was that she was supposed to play out the finishing blow.

"White queen, A8 to A5," Liliya commanded with a whispery confidence. If she estimated correctly, that would not only remove a major direct obstacle, but open the queen up to being immediately captured by the black bishop currently guarding the black king. Even if that potentially left the bishop vulnerable, the trade for an enemy queen, strategically, was surely an irresistible target. Honestly, when it came down to it, she could perfectly well tolerate slaughtering as many pieces as possible on both sides until crossing the board became trivial. A final victory was meaningless and a waste of time. There clearly wasn't an invisible physical barrier, or Reverio wouldn't have been able to cross so easily, so all she needed to do was clear the path... not that it would be so easy.

The white queen remained unmoved... And perhaps it was her imagination in the relative darkness, but Liliya could almost have sworn the pale statue was glaring at her even in its unnerving stillness. She suppressed a shiver and looked away. It looked like she couldn't control white... so how about black? If she could, she would need to be very careful about her next commands. Even if the act would be a test, it would be one with stakes. There would be no backing out in a move made in chess.

One hand made it to her chin in thought, as she tried to think several moves ahead. The black bishop could still be her tool of destruction against the white queen. Could she bait it? Was it too transparent? How advanced was the "AI" of this trap, if one existed at all. Was each piece independent? She needed to keep in mind that victory wasn't the goal here, only getting the enemy out of the way. If Checkmate came, it would be by happenstance. So, keeping in mind that the white queen's mere existence threatened every possible path forward, that thing would have to go before anything else.

Liliya lightly chewed her bottom lip. Moving the black bishop might provoke retaliation from the white rook. Would the rook give up its cover of the white queen's coverage blind spot? Perhaps. If she moved the black bishop onto the back row, it would cut off the majority of the white queen's attack route, and she wouldn't be able to attack it without being captured by the black king, himself. However... the white rook could move to the center of the board to threaten the opening instead. In two turns, the rook could have the black bishop captured... No, rather, the queen could then safely capture the bishop, and the black king would be in checkmate, unable to take the queen without being struck down by the rook.

So, how could she pressure the rook? Did she need to? Perhaps she could go on the attack instead. She had a rook left that could put the enemy king in "check" for a moment, but the predicted chain of actions that would follow was... not particularly advantaged towards herself, unless she missed her guess. Canvasing her other assets did not bring forth particularly promising possibilities either. Nearly every piece at her disposal was being threatened. Thankfully, most of the threatened ones were also guarded in some manner... if somewhat more effectively in some places than others.

Perhaps she should test the waters a bit.

Taking out the book she had palmed back in the library proper, Liliya lowered herself to the floor, casually slipped the book onto the "battlefield"... and waited for a response. She received none. "So, they only respond to the living, presumably? Or, at the least, the trap cannot be cheesed by an object as small or light as a book." Briefly wetting her lips in trepidation, she leaned down and carefully edged her hand across the line towards the book... No movement. She snagged the book and pulled back, standing up again. Was her arm too small, or were the parameters of the likely retaliation more specific than that? Was it actually like chess in that she would have to fully commit to her "move" before the enemy could respond?

Again, she had to revisit the question: should she even attempt to play by the rules or just smash on through? This -just considering a strategy- was already eating up way more time than she was comfortable with... but she had no way to know what the defense system would actually look like without taking the plunge directly. She had no way to tell if her Spirit could protect her without taking a chance. And without the ability to heal herself any longer? She wasn't particularly keen on unnecessary risks.

The longer she stared at the board from an aerial position, hovering once more above and outside the line to the battlefield, the more ideas started to sprout... and the more she began to realize that this position that black was in was nearly guaranteed to lose. The crux of it was her own lone remaining rook. Once the queen took that on the next possible turn, it would be a death spiral. Nodding her head, Liliya was decided. Even if she might not be able to get the white queen, she could hopefully eliminate some of the annoying crossfire.

A muted snort of amusement(?) caused the girl to startle abruptly, whirling around to the stairs to find-

...Nothing.

Right, she had almost forgotten that she wasn't alone. The damn demon had been suddenly pretty quiet for the last good while. 'Anything you feel like sharing with the class?' she grumbled, only half-interested. Frustration and unease colored her tone. This fucking trap... She knew Reverio had cleared it both quickly and seemingly easily, but he'd been injured. She could smell it. So, how? What was the catch? Was she overthinking things?

"This One was merely partaking in the adulation of the observer."

Liliya's lip twisted briefly in distaste at the succinct elaboration that followed in regard to the situation upstairs, and then her blood ran cold upon processing the end of "This One's" report. Darla's plan had worked fairly well, but it unfortunately was up against a wellspring of spiteful pettiness and annoying sufficient technology to enable it. The intrusion was detected, and the librarians were coming!

She was out of time! Do or die!

Gritting her teeth and steeling herself, Liliya's Spirit propelled her into the air over the top of the chess board. She was fast, not as fast as her Spirit could move unburdened (mostly for her own safety than anything else) but certainly fast enough that she would clear the obstacle in moments.

And in chilling, slow-motion unison to her accelerated vision, the statues on the board all silently turned to look at her in a singular hair-raising moment. But it was okay, surely? There was every indication that they had to play by the "rules" and were bereft of offence outside of mel-

A criss-cross of searing white and pulsating black beams bloomed from the staffs of the bishops and the damned white queen. Liliya veered wildly, unable to chance taking the unknown energy of the attacks head-on, as they cored ominously into the ceiling, carving bubbling paths through the stonework. Immediately after, she balked, as shimmering white and black barriers of hexagons snapped into place. She bashed into the far one, closest to the exit door, and rebounded violently, flailing back unharmed but disoriented by the unexpectedly unyielding nature of the obstacle.

The rooks now!

And also the fucking white queen!

The positioning of the pieces unleashing the barriers meant she was entirely boxed in, even as the bishops and queen unleashed a fresh salvo, their beams seemingly totally unhindered by the barriers. Liliya's Spirit hurriedly yanked her puppeted body into a corkscrew dive, passing under the assault, along with curling uncomfortably over the follow-up in space that was increasingly cramped by the moment, as one of the white rooks started to move closer, bringing its barrier with it.

Gritting her teeth, the girl chanced a glance around and saw that even the black pieces were against her. Was that because they'd never been on her "side" to begin with or because she had "cheated"? Impossible to know and irrelevant to the situation at hand. This was the sort of ruckus that even normal hearing could likely catch from the top of the stairs, should someone open the door. All she was doing was supplying the guards urgency! Only seconds had passed since the engagement's start, but she needed to-

"-Be done with this already," she forcibly hissed out in a colder and calmer tone than she truly felt. Rage, indignity and something else warred within, crawling and bubbled underneath her skin, as crimson eyes narrowed to reptilian slits.

The girl dropped like an anvil, unyielding, and the first of the white bishops stood no chance. There was some resistance, certainly, as her feet crushed the statue into rubble, enchanted resistance even... But these creatures -these things- weren't alive, and so as was so very uncommonly the case... she had no need to hold back.

Two white pawns served as brief excellent "meat" shields against the incoming fire, as Liliya's gaze snapped to the all too close and deliciously vulnerable white king. She wondered if killing it would make short work of those other white pieces? The answer seemed to be emphatically yes, as the white king flicked away a moment before her enhanced blow could land, replaced with one of the white rooks! Liliya blinked in recognition and frustration. She knew that move! Even if she didn't know what it was called, she knew of it... and that it could only be used once. Sure, counting on the pieces to play by the "rules" at this stage seemed foolish, but a girl could hope, right?

Still, the king may have lived, but that just meant her Spirit-clad fist scythed into the white rook instead, blowing the castle-shaped statue to smithereens. The barrier tried to stop her... only for her Spirit's invisible arm to briefly phase off her own limb and straight through, completely unbothered.

The only barrier barring the way to the exit shattered... and the white king had nowhere left to run.

"Checkmate."

Liliya lunged.

The living pieces almost seemed to howl in helpless fury-

...And the door shut behind her.

Now tensely staring down a long stone hallway with another surge of nostalgia, Liliya smiled grimly. She could have destroyed the king, but instead, she would leave the trap active. Anything to buy herself some extra seconds, whether the guards could disable it or not. The pieces were riled up, and with any luck, they would not be so easily pacified.

The excitement of the Midnight Tournament had passed, and it was now another day. The morning arrived, and classes came and went.

And Michael was bored.

There was no combat involved in any of his lessons, unless he counted the history lessons involving the gladiators of old, which he didn't. As he walked, his mind raced to yesterday's events. He could still imagine every punch he threw, every Symbol pattern on his body, and even the fear he felt when his last opponent broke free from his art constructs. Then his mind wandered to a certain girl that also participated in the tournament. With her "demon" persona, the power her spell cards gave her, and even a certain misunderstanding on his part...

Michael shook his head, blushing fiercely as he tried to clear his thoughts. He didn't want to believe it, but the beating of his heart forced him to confront his feelings. He didn't know when it started. It certainly didn't happen when they first met, nor when they first started hanging out together, but somewhere along the way, it happened.

He had fallen in love with Alexandria.

Still, Michael tried his best to repress them. He enjoyed challenges, but this was one he was not willing to deal with. In his mind, his goal for strength was his main drive in life, and these lousy teenage hormones were only distracting him. Lost in thought, Michael kept walking and almost crashed into someone, just barely swerving out of the way. "Agh, dammit, sor-" Michael was about to apologize before he got a good look at who he had almost walked into. Alexandria, just the girl plaguing his thoughts. And from the looks of things, she wasn't doing so well. She was barely shuffling around rather than walking. Michael hoped she had gotten something to eat at least.

He may not have wanted to deal with his emotions, but he could never turn away from someone who looked like they needed help. Quickly catching up to Alex, Michael cried out, "Hey, Alex!" and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok? You don't look so good."

@Scarifar

Alex had bumped into someone, and nearly stumbled into an epic spill before they caught her. For a brief moment, she wanted to go limp, allowing the person that grabbed her to do all the work of keeping her standing - but she resisted the urge. Then she heard their voice.

"M-Michael?! Is that you?" Alex spun around, looking as though she might ascend from her mortal body at any moment. The sudden turn gave her a headrush, and she found herself teetering forward, coming to a rest on Michael's chest. "T-This is it for me... Please... Look after my mobile game accounts..." Alex for a moment felt like she might fall asleep standing up, in this brief moment of rest against Michael...

Then she snapped awake, realizing what she was doing. Quickly straightening up, she took a quick step back. "Bwah?! I'm so sorry! I-I'msorryIdidn'tsleepatallandI'mstarvingsorryforhuggingyouI'mdealingwithalotrightnowsorrysorrysorry!!!" This was too much for her poor heart; Alex covered her face with her bag, which promptly opened due to being half-fastened, spilling her papers and folders all along the floor.

"A-Alex!?" Michael stuttered in surprise as he caught her, his heart beating rapidly as Alex practically collapsed onto him. His mind was blank, unable to function from the sudden development, and all he could do was stare at her. Fortunately, Alex came to her senses faster and decided to hide in her backpack. After a second more of his continued silence, Michael suddenly doubled over and burst into laughter. Yeah, that was the Alexandria he remembered. Not the idealized version of her that kept popping up in his mind, but a simple girl who performed such silly actions.

Michael crouched down and began to pick up her papers. "I'm not mad, Alex," Michael reassured her. "But really, you should take better care of yourself." Handing over the papers and folders he had collected back to Alex, Michael continued, "Come on, take that thing off your head. And seriously, quit making me worry about you so much." Then he realized what he was saying. Clearing his throat, he said, "I- I mean, um..." Thinking quick, Michael reached into his own backpack and handed over to Alex a small plastic container with a basic homemade lunch inside. It was his own lunch, but he was willing to part with it, especially since it seemed Alex needed it more than he did. "Here. You, uh, said you hadn't eaten, right? K-keep your strength up," Michael said, turning away as he blushed fiercely.

Reverio Galand

The corridor after the field of chess had been awfully long, leading down a section of stairs to a second warding magic, like the one he had first dealt with when he first broke in. He pierced the second one in a similar manner and then stepped through, only to be shot from the side by a small dart that ended up in his arm.

"Ahh!" He gasped as he was struck. He had unwittingly lowered his guard after lowering the warding that he had stepped on a pressure plate, triggering a trap.

"Damn it... I need to be more careful. But this... is too small to cause any serious injury. Hmm.. could it be poisonous?" The blonde carefully inspected the dart, but no matter how much he looked it over, he couldn't tell. He knew he had to use his magical gifts now, despite the risks of possibly being detected. If the dart were poisonous or some form of slow-effect paralyzation or something of that kind it could ruin the entire plan. He couldn't afford that, so he had to risk using his powers. The blonde closed his eyes and placed one of his hands on top of his arm where the dart had hit him and channeled his healing power to cleanse himself of any lingering condition. At least he hoped his gift was strong enough to neutralize whatever that dart had been coated in.

As Reverio continued along the way he finally came to a large room with large bookshelves, dusty and vast. It was almost as big a library room as the main one upstairs. But this one was also decorated with old statues, old tapestries and paintings of days gone by.

"Releaseeee meeeeee.... help me...." A voice called out to the exiled king, causing him to stop in his tracks yet again. The voice was ghastly and sent a chill down his spine, yet when he looked around he could see no one. He gripped his sword of light and readied himself to fight.

"Whose there?!" Rev called out, his blue eyes scanning the surrounding bookshelves and the little 'plaza' in the middle of the entire room, which contained some old stone benches and tables.

"Oveeer heeereeee..." The ghostly sounding voice replied, and it drew the young man's attention to a bookshelf towards a peculiar book which were bound in chains and a lock.

"A talking book? What demonry is this? What- who are you?" Rev asked in a fashion of disbelief as he moved closer to the somewhat creepy book.

"A record of the past... a past none should know... I am the Sawol Grimoire. I know that which must not be known." The book's ghastly voice spoke out, it's form shaking the book itself, as if it were tugging at the chains that were binding it.

"Sawol? I am not sure I understand what that means but a grimoire is indeed the name of a book. You claim you know of things none should know? Like matters concerning the great evil?" Reverio asked in a manner which was both hinting of curiousity and amazement that this book was a thing.

"There... has been many great evils throughout the ages... but I believe the one you speak of is the greatest of them all... " The ghastly voice exclaimed.

"That may be the case, and what did you mean before? You wanted someone to help you? With what?" The blonde asked while looking around for a second time, and this time around he noticed a peculiar looking altar in the end of the room, surrounded by some form of magical barrier.

"Yes... I am contained within this book. My soul is unable to leave for the... beyond. I have been... forgotten... by time." The echoing ghastly words of the grimoire left Reverio shuddering again.

"So you are a person bound to a book somehow? I see... what is that big old book over there surrounded by the barrier?" Rev's attention shifted over towards the book in the other end of the room.

"That.. is the tome of the Trium Throne..." The words came out were still as ghastly as before, but this time the voice carried words of warning.

"The Trium Throne? What is that?" The blonde ex-king asked, his curiousity perked again.

"Look... look upon the tapestries and the great painting of the chamber..." There was a foreboding warning in the book's voice, of errors of the past? Or perhaps of nostalgia? Reverio turned his attention away from the talkative and chained book, setting his eyes on the large painting.

"An imposing figure... three heroes... three swords... and a great door?" The blonde tilted his head slightly to the drawing, inspecting the details of the people. The figures were none he could recognize.

"Three were those which set out to form lands of their own, each taking a key with them..." The book continued.

"Lands of their own? Keys? The swords? They were keys? But if what you are saying is true... these people depicted here were all royals?" The blonde blinked as he couldn't stop himself from hearing what the book had to say, he always had a liking for stories.

"Bah... empty titles for empty lives liven. They were keybearers to the great sealed door. Entrusted upon them by a man greater than them all." The book spoke with spite that only a locked away book could, which in itself would be a spectacle in itself were it in a more casual setting.

"Wait.. these swords... could it be?" Reverio raised his own sword, the Damoclaimh Solais. He began to compare it towards what he saw in the great painting.

"Hah...hah...hah... took you long enough to realize. The keys are the three royal swords belonging to Vauquelin, Izumo and Albion. You bear one in your possession... I can feel it. I know where to find the great door and I can tell you more of this great evil you seek. But all things have their price. I ask for my freedom..." The book seemed to humm in anticipation of a potential release.

"I don't know. I don't know anything about who or what you are? If what you've told me so far is true, then I already have one of the four things I need." Reverio explained his line of thought, there was after all a good chance this book was trying to take him for a fool.

"Oh, I am but a tortured old soul in search of some relief... it's been soo long. But if you want to spend the remainder of your life searching for the keys and the door, you may go and do so. And never find them all." The book said in a mocking manner, it knew what buttons it needed to press somehow.

"Perhaps I was being abit hasty..." The young blonde said in a ponderous manner, if what the obviously very evil book was saying were true. There wouldn't be great odds for him finding all the pieces he would need to unify the world against a great foe.

'The royal swords of Izumo and Albion. Is the sword that Ken carries that particular one? If the books words are correct. Hmm. They do say books contain knowledge for those willing to delve into them. Besides if the book is evil, it too can be destroyed later. Would all this mean I would have to steal Ken's sword?' The former king thought to himself as he made up his mind. Yet again.

"Allright. How can I see about freeing you?" Reverio asked while looking around in a worried manner, he didn't know just how long time he had before his intrusion would have been noticed.

"Good... I knew you were the right kind of.. hero... to bring peace to an old pained soul. First you will need to take me out of here, and then you will have to find the key to my lock. The key was last I hear taken towards the Rhean administrative building. Start your search there..." The book hummed with energy as Reverio's hands connected with it, picking it up from it's resting place and then attacking it by his belt by one of the chains that were wrapped around it.

"I will release you, but I want you to tell me everything you know about this great evil and how to open that door..." The young saint laurel student added before turning his attention towards the warded tome at the other end of the room.

'I could use the knowledge kept in that other book... allright here it goes.' It was with a leaping motion that Rev flung towards the barrier, but as soon as he connected with it his entire body was flung to the other side of the chamber, his body landing on the floor. What in the world just happened? Was that barrier so much stronger than the wards he had managed to break through before? Perhaps this one were not ethereal in nature.

"Fool! You cannot break this barrier with that sword, not even if you had all three. This barrier were put up by mages of ages past. It cannot be broken by mere childsplay. The tome contains knowledge of events which Rhea wants forgotten in the dark. Among other things. Such as what lie beneath the city. But that is not important for what you wish to obtain." The book chastised it's ride, not because it felt it was timely, but because it was due and it could.

"It is time we left. Go over to that bookcase over there... throw out the books of the third shelf. Behind it you will find a lever to a hidden passage..." The book said in an eager and amused manner. Reverio quickly got to his feet and strode over to the bookcase and began to carefully remove the books from the shelf and putting it on a nearby table.

"Young fool! There is no time to tend for useless memoraphilia!" The book chastised him again in a tone which clearly showed it was not amused.

"These books still contain historic and important records to Rhea, perhaps the only source of it's kind. It must be preserved and taken with care..." The blonde explained his manner of action.

"If you start thinking about petty things you- we will run out of time. Now hurry up before you are noticed. I do not desire to spend anymore time in this place." The book said in an agitated grimoirely voice, while Reverio finally found the lever the former had spoken of, and then he pulled it as the shelf itself seemed to move.

@Lewascan2

@Scarifar

"Michael..." For a brief moment, it seemed like Alex might cry as she gripped the lunch Michael gave her. "I'm not worthy of such a comrade..." She sniffled. "B-But what will you do for lunch?!" While she felt like she should try to refuse, now that food was in her hands, Alex felt a primal desire to never let it go. Nonetheless, she had to ask - she didn't want to take advantage of her friend.

'Maybe... Maybe I can use the Root to fix this...' For a brief moment, Alex's single card flickered into existence, her eye quickly peeking at it. 'T-Though I'm definitely not supposed to cast spells on campus...' As quickly as it appeared, it winked out of existence.

"Y-You won't have to worry! I'll figure out how to repay this, somehow!"

@MagusDream

---

Wolf was honestly astonished the school was even open, but then again it was Clausewitz. They let nothing stand in their way. In a way, it explained everything that happened. It really was the kind of place that could push you over the edge.

"This place is going to hell."

It wasn't a surprising statement to hear as he walked through the halls.

"What this time?"

"Zephyr, of course. Two more victims."

"Must be his favorite number. You know, I bet he's responsible for the other night, too! Two girls!"

"No, they actually caught who did that. It wasn't him for once."

"Isn't that even worse!? I mean at least they got the guy, but how many things do we really need to worry about?! They said those girls might not be able to ever come back to school. Y-you don't think-?"

"I'd rather not think about it at all!"

"Did they say how they caught him?"

"That's just it. At first they thought he was another victim. He was all messed up..."

Wolf just kept his head down and kept walking. No doubt the rumor mill would only churn faster and faster as the day wore on. He didn't need to hear it now. He was well aware of Zephyr anyway and always made it a point to steer clear of him. There was no way anything good could come from their paths crossing...

He wasn't too worried, though. While Zephyr had his reputation as a menace, Wolf had his reputation as a bottom-of-the-barrel nobody. There was no reason for them to ever meet.

@Dezuel

The cowgirl beamed at Suzakura, bouncing slightly at the mention of Kiburi. "Lord Kiburi always treats me to sweets! Let's go, Suzakura!" She said, giggling as she latched onto the bully's arms, before blowing a last raspberry at the haunted building. That haunted building was a meanie!

And then a lightning blast the size of SUV sent her careening against a lamppost in the road, instantly taking her out, and leaving a certain aroma of smoked beef and burnt clothes.

"What did you do?" It was an eerily quiet voice on the street, belonging to a girl(?) who couldn't have weighed more than a wet chihuahua. She was standing there, her back arched and shoulders hunched, with a prospective of violence. The pink dyed hair gave them away. As well as the psychotic and liberal use of such heavy firepower. "Parker is gone out of the city. For training. My favorite toy gone. I demand...answers." Celestine said, clenching her teeth. They were not in a good mood. Usually they were far too whimsical, but first the flop at the library and the subsequent disappearance of Parker had brought them in a very foul mood.

"Oh. Unconscious. Well I guess that's all I can ask for a mountain of useless flab." They admitted casually, before their eyes met Suzakura. They gritted their teeth."B-flick prop. I will ask nicely only once. During the tournament, what.Did.She.Do?" They breathed deep, as the diamond spell component from the lightning crumbled to dust.

Suzakura Plagerzes

They were heading towards Kiburi, or at least they would have had Mina not gotten attacked and flung into some nearby lamppost. Not only did they part ways, she took one of his arms with her. "Not this again.." He said aloud in annoyance lifting up his remaining amrs into the air, it was such a bother to grow back them arms all the time. Not because it was difficult to someone like him, but that he was lazy.

Ahead of him was someone speaking in a hushed manner and with pink hair. It wasn't pinky perksy from the Midnight freckfest... The pinky finger exited his ear with a plopping sound, followed by a casual flinging away of any earwax on his fingertip.

"Eh? Speak up ya scrawny lil rat, and better appologize to my bovine babe over there- Eh? Parker? Training?" The bully took a brief moment to consider the idea.

"Pffft! Haha! If your favorite toy is that useless giftless git then you got fucking scammed! Also my bulbous babezooka ain't useless, see those cannons? Wish ya had them don't ya? What she did in the tournament? Fuck if I know. I ain't memorizing anything concerning petty party Parker protruding porkface. Oi! Wait a sec... I know that pitiful short-stack frame. Holy frigging hells it's Silly Celly! I ain't gonna ask how you've been, cause I just don't care!" The bully chuckled and seemed more amused now that irritated.

"Holy hells, to think you didn't grow even a tiny little bit. Well, that should be a freggin' achievement, heck it might be your only one. Sad. Unless you want to get the reward of being the first person I whack across the face today with my floppy-fleshy... arms. Gotta fucking love them masocistic bastards coming back for more. But you are just a freak! And they call me that, do you believe it? Apex Flex right here baby. Four- no three arms and three legs. Hells I can even multiply, bet none of the math teachy's can do that. So are ya gonna appologize to Mina or do I have to subtract you from my daily calculations and make you friggin kiss her hooves until they become chrome-tinted? Ehhh?!" Suzakura taunted, while keeping two of his hands behind his neck and the other pointing straight towards Cel.

@AtomicNut

Location: The Grand Library
Interactions: Lambda > Darla (@AtomicNut), Maverick (@Aqutanama) and Alrune (@Dezuel); Kurogane > Alrune

---

Location: Sir Clausewitz's School for the Militarily Minded, Faculty Office
Interactions: Zephyr > Wolfram (@KillamriX88)

Erisse Augusta Narrativia

Midnight Tournament

Erisse had unfinished business with Michael and Andras, and watched the two of them talk to each other, and then Andras go back home, alone. She was at least glad that Michael had realized he loved the girl; the latter seemed to have so little love and affection in her life.

We take what we can from these campaigns, were her thoughts as she teleported onto a high rooftop, using her aura of familiarity to befuddle the Rhean police's minds and hide her presence - The Narrativias knew the dangers of flouting the laws of the nations they encountered, especially nations which were not innately unjust, but it was a necessary evil in this instance as she followed Andras home with short bursts of teleportation. And a new romance blooming is not something to laugh at.

Then she broke out the wiretapping equipment as Andras arrived home, well aware that what she was doing counted as stalking but deciding that recording and maintaining the story was worth the risk to her morals. She has a counselor whom she is keeping her 'nocturnal activities' secret from. She also does not seem to have good relations with her parents. And she also has anxiety issues.

Then a thought struck her: I should leave well enough alone. I've found out what I wanted.

Years of following after Kyros, her brother, and having to repair the damage he had done, the wreckage both physical and interpersonal which he had left in his wake, had left Erisse unfit to resume her duties of recorder, mentor, and helpmeet. She had lost all appetite for meddling in others' tales, even if it was for a good cause, and like her brother, was prone to dealing with her problems with a burst of overwhelming firepower, albeit for different reasons than he did; impatience rather than a desire to show off.

Some Fairy Godmother I am, were her thoughts as she left the rooftop of Andras' house, removing the wiretapping equipment as she went. I made things worse instead of better, at least for you. And the worst part is, doing something about it would just wreak more havoc.

Is this necessary? she asked herself as she teleported back to the small house where she had been staying, a residence owned by the Narrativia family; her dimensional space was too dreary plus her few contacts with the outside world needed to know where she was. Kyros once accused us of being stalkers and meddlers, no better than villains ourselves - The sort of villain who does despicable things behind high ideals. Maybe he is right; maybe we need a better way. God of Stories, please give us one.

She prepared to bathe, dress herself in her nightgown, and then sleep, her thoughts gloomier than ever as she thought, What good is our knowledge if our methods of gaining it corrupt our psyches? Can't true heroes take care of themselves, just this one? God of Stories, please give me an answer...

Present Day

She had drifted off to sleep; there had been no answer in her dreams. So Erisse Augusta Narrativia changed to her 'work clothes', got into a small car she had paid for with gems of her own creation, and drove off to her favorite breakfast joint. Once she had gorged herself on pancakes, she was going to see if Michael and Andras had developed their romantic relationship.

But who knows, anything can happen. I can change my mind and go to either The Great Rhean Library, or to Clausewitz's, or some other area with a good story...

@Dezuel@Scarifar@KillamriX88@Crowvette

@MagusDream@AtomicNut@Lewascan2

Alrune

"That p-pervert has recorded her!" Alrune burst out the moment he saw Mav present his phone and a video on it. A few moments later didn't make the situation any better when he admitted to them all what he had done. He said it! He actually said it. He intentionally looked with his pervert eyes on the blonde girl's chest. It didn't take Alrune long to show his disapproval of this unsavory display of ruffianship, it took the shape of a pout then became more of a frown.

'He's just standing there being all perverty and accusing her. This isn't about schools at all, this is about class!' The young boy's face began to lighten up and his entire form almost seemed to beam up in a more confident stance.

After Mav's addressal to the gathering of people, he had quickly made it towards the exit of the building. Initially Al began to dart after him and yelling for him to stop in his guilty-tracks. Yet along the way he realized there was no use chasing him, it could only create a bigger mess. So he returned to the gathering. When Mav had been present, the purplehaired boy had kept mostly quiet and allowed others to take the spotlight as he was still feeling out of his comfort zone. While Lambda had been a supportive help for both Al and Darla, there were the other guy with the fluffy ears. Perhaps it were the rough way he spoke, or that he seemingly didn't seem to care that instantly put him on Alrune's list of people he didn't like. It didn't make it any better once Lambda insisted that Kurogane would applogize for his behavior.

'I am not a jellyfish. Stupid dog.' Alrune thought in a grumpy manner, he was not transparent, soft or a good swimmer. Yet Kurogane had thought it proper to refer to him as such, and show what he thought about appologizing. There were no intent to do it. Al's gaze went from Lambda and Kurogane's faces and then stared down at Kurogane's hand.

'Why are you stretching out your hand if you don't want to applogize... this is so awkward.' He mentally muttered to himself as he analyzed the situation and his next course of action. Then it struck him.

"Your collar huh?" The young man said aloud, looking at the outstretched han- paw... it was like a dog making a trick wasn't it? The guy really was like a dog after all. Alrune's facial expression began to change, from looking irritated and uncertain to sniffing, and then he burst out laughing. Reaching up one of his hands to his mouth to attempt to cover his amusement, but to little avail. Nothing was stopping his laugh from being heard.

"Hahaha! You are just like a dog aren't you?" Al smiled after collecting himself momentarily and tilted his entire body slightly to the side, his hair and jacket following along with his every move. Before he took a pose to mimic how a dog would reach out to shake it's paw. He never did reach out to shake Kurogane's paw though.

"Woof woof. Oh catch!" Al said aloud as he did his best impression of throwing something past Kurogane, but there had been nothing in his hand.

@MagusDream@AtomicNut@Aqutanama

Lynnwell Tourmaline

Founder's day... 200 years ago...

The skies were cloudy and dark, the rain was falling, the rumble in the distance making itself known. A few bright flashes would be seen in the sky above Rhea. Arcs of lightning would spread out, followed by the booming sound of the thunder.The bolts of lightning would illuminate two figures atop of the Rhean administative building's roof. One moment they stood still, then when the lightning bolts illuminated the place again. One had been fatally wounded. It were with determination and swiftness that the hand of the old man found it's mark, piercing the chest of his opponent. A woman, physically far younger than he were stood there close before him, even as he withdrew his hand, with the blood dripping down upon the wet rooftop. They were but a few steps apart, and it were with difficulty that the woman stumbled forwards, before slumping against the old man, her head falling to rest on his shoulder.

"It were mine appentency, to hie see thee... with mine eyne one last time. Did thou ever divulge... what the lynx hidith within? It does nay matter nay more...'Tis hoar o' night...imminent afore us.. puissant... yet.. soothfast to be.. mine eyne fell only upon thee... beorn o' beorht... I.. bid thee mine final vale... Laurel." The words were soft, yet he could hear them well, even amidst the rumbling skies above. The final words uttered by his adversary of a lifetime took her final breath before her body slumped down.

The end is often the end, the end of life is death. But not all things only have one life. One beginning. One role. The line of hero and villain can be difficult to discern to the untrained. As the old man faded into history as a legend, the other became mere myth and lost in time. Stories told to children to keep them out of harms way, lest the Lyngurium Lie would get them. The lynx of Laurel, the undying warrior. The enemy of Rhea. Yet time can change people, and change stories. Heroes become villains, and villains becomes heroes. History is ultimately written by those which taste victor, even if it may be bittersweet.

In modern Rhea, few are those who even remember the old children's tale of the dreaded lynx. Yet the memory of the great warrior and founder of the school of Saint Laurel lives on, even if tales of his exploits may have given rise to untruths and variations. There is no doubt to the people of Rhea, that Laurel the saint has been, and still is regarded as the greatest of heroes that Rhea, possibly even the world have ever seen. His sacrifices and achievements are celebrated across Rhea, most commonly on Founder's day.

Founder's day... present time.

A day which once had much more meaning. It was with graceful steps that a young woman strode into the schoolgrounds, catching a few glances by various onlookers.

"Whoa look at that killer bod- Hold my drink. I'll be right back..." A young man said in a mix of amazement and clear interest.

"Whose that? Is she a firstyear?" A third year student asked to his associates, as he had never seen this girl before. Were she a firstyear? She looked to be around his age.

"She's pretty... where's her uniform though?" A girl said in a hushed manner to her two friends which formed a gossip triangle.

The young-looking woman simply strode past all the various students, including a select few who tried to engage her in conversation. She didn't even look in their direction but instead walked up to the statue dedicated to St Laurel that stood in the courtyard, before giving a graceful bow towards it. While the statue itself didn't resonate at all with her memories of the founder, it was still a monument dedicated to his honor. The mighty were to be remembered and respected even in death. A slight smile crawled up on her pink lips.

Would there even be someone alive at this age to make her truly feel alive again? Like he did. Her hair hung over her eyes, concealing her wandering gaze amidst the gathered students, hoping that she would see someone worthy. That's when her eyes fixed themselves on a young man and woman, one has clumsily bumped into the other which looked like she was barely awake. Causing all her paperwork to litter the area around her.

'Weake.' A lone word to describe what she saw, it was not only disappointing it were an affront to the memory of he who fought so hard. Not to mention the male had the gall to offer the female some food she had seemingly done nothing to deserve.

'A pismire afore this grimalkin o' yor.' The woman scoffed before she decided to approach.

"Hearken to this beldam, ye purblind baseborn. Thou aswell, fainéant maid. Afore thee tread avaunt. Thou must rise, lest wanion shalt befall thee erelong. Thou sully the fane o'Laurel. 'Tis my gardyloo. Tread into his garth with care, would be mages..." It were in an olden tongue, and an eeriely manner in which the woman addressed Alexandria and Michael.

The woman wore a black sweatshirt lacking any visible insignia of belonging to St. Laurel's, her dark red pants were wide yet looked comfortable, ending just above her ankles. She wore some wrapped up sandals aswell. An odd combination of attire, which looked like a mix of something a librarian would wear or someone going to the beach on a stroll. Yet the oddest of all were a broché she wore at her shirt, located where most military personell would bear their medals. Yet this was no medal, it depicted the silhuette of a man, likely carved in some horn from an animal. Aside from her attire, the woman had a tail akin to that of a cat, along with a pair of extra ears. Giving her four in total. Her hair was pink and slightly hanging over her eyes, concealing them from any beholder. The girl seemed to otherwise be about 5'9 and was much more well endowed in her bosum than most others present. Yet there she stood, her pose was that of someone confident, yet with a tinge of feeling she were watching them very closely. As if she was critizing their looks... or perhaps their whole existance alltogether.

@Crowvette@Scarifar

Orpheuz

Vera's words uttered in irritation had done nothing to unsettle the military clad young man, he merely had left the Midnight area around the same time the rest did.

'Hmph. What an insolent girl. No matter, I will do what I must. No matter what anyone else thinks. I don't have time to bicker needlessly no more.' It were with determined thoughts that he passed the night. Though it were not to a warm cozy home he had spent the night. He found himself staying the night in the tower of an old church, rumor had it that it were the base of some sort of vigilante type of group. But these rumors were of no concern to him, not when he had spent the night in the tower, not in the morning that greeted him. His mind was set elsewhere, there were people he needed to find. That Vera, Andras and Michael had parted on decent terms with each other was at least some good news.

There were still others which had to be brought into the scene, yet who knew where to find them all. This Rhea was different, the people too may have experienced things that shaped them to become different from how he would recall them. Perhaps some would not exist at all. There had been that obnoxious bully aswell, someone he had never seen before. While he was surely not as important as the others, perhaps he too could be brought into the plan in time. Either willingly, or by force. There were after all more at stake here than most people knew, out of all within the city, perhaps there were only two who knew of the looming danger. One of those was he, the other were his benefactor. The one which had made the traversal from the dark possible. The day had been uneventful so far, a nice change of scenery from the night before. Yet it was at the same time disappointing, there were none about which he would recognize.

'Where are you. Where are you now? My lady of shadows...' The passionate eyes wandered around at any blonde girl which happened to pass by. None of them matched what he sought. That were the case until he passed by some windows to a candy store. In there stood someone browsing the various sweets and pastries. She were a potential match. It was with determined steps that the young man opened the door and stepped inside, giving one of the confectionists a nod, before he approached the blonde girl.

"I've been looking all over for you. Listen. I need you to come with me my lady, Rhea is is danger- you are in danger and I need your help." It was with sheer and utter confidence and dedication in which the young man addressed the girl, even before she had even turned to look at him.

Amidst his traversal over to Alyona, he felt a sensation. Almost as if something had bounced at him, something barely noticable in weight, yet there was nothing there. Nothing he could see anyways.

@Crowvette

@Dezuel

Alyona had taken some much-needed 'me time,' as people in Rhea said. She had a concerning feeling with how Cel acted after the incident at Kiburi's. She dared not get in the way of that. Her survival instinct was well-honed. To that end, she was perusing one of her most favourite places in Rhea - apart from when it was filled with noisy brats. She had found this small confectionery nestled amidst other, less interesting shops. It was ran by a kindly fellow that must have had Yekaterinan roots, given that he stocked some rather obscure treats.

Alyona was loading up a bag with a concerning amount of candy - mixed varieties, seemingly of any kind so long as it was sweet. In fact, Alyona had already double bagged it, since she knew it would grow to be very heavy. She didn't have many expenditures, so she was okay with splurging for something important. She had her hands full of Tsar's Delights when some punk accosted her.

She stuffed the candy into her bag, quickly turning around. This guy wasn't the normal type of kid that haunted these kinds of stores. He seemed to be lost from some kind of sketchy modeling shoot. 'This guy looks like a pain...' Aly didn't want to deal with it.

She had a good defense for this situation. She usually resorted with it when she was in a place where she didn't want to cause a scene... Which was mainly this store and few other places. She gave a confused, uncomfortable-yet-polite smile, holding up a hand. "[Sorry. I don't speak your language. Idiot.]" She spoke in Yekaterinan, keeping her confused and polite look even when adding in an insult.

Hopefully the guy would hear her speaking something foreign and give up. It worked for some of them, at least; Yekaterinan speakers in Rhea weren't super rare, but not exactly common either. If he kept hitting on her, she'd just guide him into an alley and rough him up.

"I'll be fine, Alex. I can just go get a bun or something," Michael dismissively waved away Alex's concerns. A bit of hunger pains were no big deal to him. There were some buns at the school store too, which would fill him up until he could get a proper meal later. "Don't worry about repaying me, I-"

Michael turned to the girl who had suddenly suddenly come over. While she was remarkably attractive, the fact that she was not wearing the St Laurel's uniform and had been using some ye-olden-speak dialect distracted him greatly. Michael's only reaction was to stare blankly at Lynnwell Tourmaline, unable to come up with any other suitable response.