[IC] Keepers of Death (Black University Saga)

[Blaze Gamma]

"Give it a couple hundred years," the dean replied to Ramon as he made his way out of the room. "But I pray that you do. I would like to retire some day!" He laughed. As he reached the exit door, he turned about. "Now then, you've all made appointments with your advisers, they will be able to help you figure out which courses you're going to take. For the time being, I must remind you all that you are not to mention what you have seen here today to any of the other students at the university." With that, the man left.

Ethan blinked. "Huh, well that was weird," he mumbled. Having finally gotten the hint, though, he shrugged and walked up to Ramon on the stage. "Man, you sure look red!" He laughed. "Must've been real embarrassing for you to have that kind of response... Still, Old man seems real tough, huh? Sounds like he's older than he looks too... This whole place is crazy."

[Krodin329]

Ramon faced the people who took pleasure from his humiliation and smiled. While yes, he was embarrassed, he also doubted anyone in the room with him could've done better. The Dean's last comment made him chuckle. THAT was the kind of challenge Ramon was looking for, one that would really push him to the breaking point. The thought of that wiped all thoughts of embarrassment from his mind and flooded them with positive thoughts of new skills, better ways to fight, and ever improving Ramon. There was always something he was going to learn, and it might as well be how to reap the souls of the dead. The combat powers also seemed like it'd be a formitable challenge to master, and he was lookin forward to it. Finally, he spoke.
"I'm not really embarrassed, no, I'm excited. Bedsides, could you guys have done better? I'm not going to take a few hundred years to learn these, oh no. It's going to be just a few years, even if I have to train 24/7 I'll beat him before I gruaduate. This is going to be awesome, what do you think?"
As he said this, Ramon scanned the room, he was looking for anyone there who might have any other fighting experience. The evidence if martial arts presided in the look of seines eyes, and their body positioning. Loose, but always ready. There was only one person he could really pick out. Shiro, the girl who had laughed at his loss. There was nothing but cruelty in her eyes and lust for the pain of others. Ramon did not like her, and he knew she wouldn't like him.

[wonderlandalli]

Alexandra found herself really wishing she were 21. This would be much easier to handle with alcohol. She knew what she had just seen, but at the same time, it seemed so fake. Like a stage show. Like at any minute the mascot would come bouncing in playing the Space Jam theme to get people riled up for a sports game.

Alexandra realized she could leave now, however she stayed put in her seat, letting her medication kick in slowly. She could feel her pulse slowing to normal. The whole event left her feeling tired, and thinking perhaps she would just go find her dorm room again and sleep the rest of the afternoon away.

[Eisenhorn]

Alex watched as the Dean finished speaking and left, dismissing them but warning them not to blab to the other students. Of course some additional conversations broke out, and he stood up, stretching, appearing like he didn't consider anything out of the ordinary happened, although his thought process was running fairly rapidly still, to put it mildly. He could already imagine the various folks here running along different mind sets, including the enthusiastic gal who was probably aiming for the next Grim Reaper, alongside the guy who got his rear beaten on pretty good. He wouldn't presume to put thoughts into people's heads though, he'd figure it out as it came, if needed.

Turning to walk out, Alex listened to the commentary. The Ramon fellow didn't seem too bothered by getting bested, and he did make a valid point. There wasn't any way the others probably would have done any better, so even more so it was better he didn't get hauled up onto the stage to get an example made out of him. He didn't stand like most trained fighters did, but he did keep on his toes just in case regardless. He had thought he could give most folks a run for their money, but this was to a whole new level he would have to work with. Shaking those thoughts from his head, they would wait for later, he paused and commented towards this girl who looked unusually tired for having only watched a fight. Granted, it was a supernatural fight, but still, and commented, a smirk appearing on his face as he did so. "So, jet lagged, or did watching the fight be that tiring? Hell, this has been one weird day all around, couldn't blame you for being tired already..."

[Nytefall]

Shiro got up out of her seat brushing her skirt down her legs to remove the crumples, walking down she approached the small crowd of people who had started to congregate around Ramon. "I'm not really embarrassed, no, I'm excited. Bedsides, could you guys have done better? I'm not going to take a few hundred years to learn these, oh no. It's going to be just a few years, even if I have to train 24/7 I'll beat him before I graduate. This is going to be awesome, what do you think?" She heard Roman say.

Shiro chuckled at his words, she had to admit that such an opponent would of floored her easily. "I'm not going to lie, Ramon? That's your name right? Well, Yeah. I'm not going to lie, If I had been in you position than I would have lost just the same. But I guess it gives everyone here an idea of what this whole grim reaper things going to be like. I have to say that I am looking forward to it." Shiro touched Ramon's arm in a comforting way. "You seem like the kind of guy who doesn't really like losing though. So I can tell that you will do good on your word and beat the Dean. Hopefully I'm still here to see you do it!" Shiro laughed in a friendly manner,

[RainDash]

Kacey moved down to group around Ramon. She smiled, watching as the others talked about who would become the Grim Reaper. "Haha, I don't think I want to be the Grim Reaper, but I'd be happy just being a Reaper. If anyone would be more suited for actually doing the job it'd be you... Ramon was it?" She was honest. She didn't want to be a Grim Reaper, that seemed like a lot of work, being in charge of all the dead people. Being a Reaper just sounded... more interesting. She'd always considered herself low on the totem pole anyway. It wasn't like it mattered whether or not she became the Grim Reaper anyway, she just wanted to be with other people like her for once. Maybe she'd be able to stay somewhere for once.

[Krodin329]

Ramon smiled after hearing the comments from the others. He thought to himself for a few moments and said, "It's not that I don't like losing, though it is the first time it's happened in quite a while, it's that this is going to be really challenging. And as you may have guessed, I'm all about the challenge. This new 'sight' thing has me pumped too, I cant stop thinking about it." He took a look at Shiro, who had placed her arm around him as a sign of comfort and was inwardly confused, but he brushed it aside. Perhaps I was to quick to judge her, he thought. He turned to Shiro and asked, "So, out of all the people here that I've evaluated I'm trying to figure out who has any fighting experience. So far I've only managed to tell with definite proof who can fight, and that would be you, Shiro. I'm curious as to what sort of martial arts you partake in. It seems like we're all going to have to work together on this so I'd think it's best if we all knew about one another so we can figure out the strengths and weaknesses of our group, and how to counter the weaknesses." He raised his voice a little so everyone could hear him, "If anyone would care to join me, I'll be going out to find a good café for coffee and tea tomorrow around 6, it's my treat when we find it! Meet me at the front of the school!"

[MarumasaLuckySpectre]

Grace retrieved an old fashioned candy cane and handed it to Marcus, "Thank you, though i think i may need to go see a nurse or something cos right now it feels as if the walls of my mouth have been set on fire" he laughed, Oh an please call me Grace or if you need a nickname Pepper because what I eat has little or no relation to Granola
"so what do you prefer i call you, Grace or Pepper?" he nodded over to Ramon and the others, "did you know about this whole Reaper thing before or are you as surprised as i am at this whole thing? and should we go speak to those guys too or should we just sit here?" slowly chewing on the sweet that Grace had given him, "this is nice"

[wonderlandalli]

Eisenhorn said
"So, jet lagged, or did watching the fight be that tiring? Hell, this has been one weird day all around, couldn't blame you for being tired already..."

Alexandra blinked, looking up at the young man addressing her. "Oh, uh... a bit..." she muttered. She thought of excusing herself, but remembered that these people were pretty much her classmates now. She'd have to learn to talk to them sometime, and at least this one wasn't threatening. She still looked a little uncomfortable speaking to someone. "I've never seen anything like that,and I'm just kind of trying to figure out why everyone is acting like this is freaking normal."

"Maybe everyone else knew what they were coming into when they got here, but I didn't. This was something my - " she stopped, deciding not to disclose anything too personal yet, "I was sent here under the premise of a scholarship, but I wasn't given any details. I only took it because my grades aren't really scholarship-earners." she explained.

[Eisenhorn]

Alex nodded, hearing out the younger woman's thought process as she described it. Yea, this was certainly not what most would consider normal, that was for sure. She seemed nervous, and he half sat, half leaned against the back of the seat in front of her, mainly so he wasn't just standing there all awkward like, arms crossing out of habit more than anything else. That usually seemed to alleviate nerves from other people he dealt with, so he just stuck with what he figured worked in the past. "I hear that, if I felt like it would have helped, I would be freaked ou and running for the doors. But, way I see it, folks are taking this in stride because they want to become whatever this will make us out to be, beating whatever their normal lives had. Whether its really some mythical Reaper, or not, I can't say. Feels like some overly elaborate prank in some ways, even if it ain't."

He chuckled when she mentioned maybe everyone else knowing what they were getting into, noticing the pause before she continued with explaining why she was here, and he nodded. Alex could see how grades could be a problem, hell, his own scholastic experience was not anything impressive, to put it mildly, and he said as much, not actually giving away much in the personal life department, no need to be that familiar yet. He was keeping half an ear cocked towards that Ramon kid and the posse that was building, but didn't give them much thought right now. "Yea, my schooling wasn't worth anything notable, so this beat working some fast food joint minimum wage for the rest of my life, it sucked what little I had to do before I kicked that place to the curb."

[wonderlandalli]

She shrugged. It was what it was. She had traveled all this way, and didn't have anywhere else to go right now if she wanted to leave. She'd be calling her doc though, to give him a piece of her mind.

"I guess it's hard to imagine myself going around reaping with a scythe? I... well I'm Alexandra, one of the ones he called out for The Sight. I mean, I watch people die in my sleep, I hear about them in the news later, a lot of the times. I think... if I were going to have some kind of superpowers, I think I'd rather learn how to save people from death, not take them out, you know? Or maybe it's not that, maybe it's helping them transition or something and not become ghosts. Even that would be better than setting them up for death. I guess I need to find out more about what the heck we're supposed to be doing. If it's not something I can do, I'm out."

[RainDash]

"That sounds good. I'll meet you there or something." Kacey said. She left the group, feeling a bit ignored. Oh well, he was crowded by people so maybe he just had to take things one at a time. Hmm… maybe her next stop would be to go and buy a phone for herself, it had been a while since she last had one, and since she was settling down here, she might as well have something that might keep her in contact with the others. Maybe someone would tag along with her, but the again she did hit that one guy in the gut for falling asleep. Considering that he was a classmate she really needed to apologize at some point. She didn't see him right away, but she still scanned the crowd for him. It sucked that she didn't know his name, but what was to be expected when you hit someone for falling asleep?

[Eisenhorn]

Alex chuckled at the mental image of both the young girl, who introduced herself as Alexandra, and his own escapades if he was waving around a big scythe. None too good, sure as sure. But the smirk on his face did fade as she described seeing people die, and then having them do so a few days later. The thought of saving said people from those deaths was an interesting one, he could give it that. But he couldn't argue one thing, and that was figuring out what the hell this kind of job entailed before judging it either way.

"Agreed, running around with a big scythe just sounds awkward. Names Alexander Westfield, most folks stick with Alex though. Saving people from preordained deaths sounds interesting, if for no better reason than to give fate and that whole nasty concept of being unable to choose your way in life a swift kick in the junk. I can't really say what this job will hold, maybe a mix of all the ideas you gave? Save some from untimely deaths, make sure others die when they are supposed to and move on peacefully, who knows? Way I see this, personally, is that it beats what I had going for me back home, so I'm here for the long haul." Back home, he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of that. Alex figured wherever he could put his head down safely for a nights rest was home, so the very phrase amused him when he used it. But odds were this would prove to be something someone didn't just walk away from, not easily, so it should prove to be a unique change of pace, sure as sure. And as long as he got to live it as he saw fit, then that was good enough for him.

[RumikoOhara]

"I'm wondering how of our special friends think as Reapers that our jobs will enable us to give others an extension?
I don't think that's our job.
No I believe that our job might be a bit more esoteric at first as we study what it means to be a Reaper.
I'm sure we won't be immediately given the power to Reap Souls. That would be like training cops to be cops by saying "Here's your Badge, Gun an Handcuffs, now go fight crime"
No I think the initial training period will quickly weed out those lacking the required skills, abilities and motivation she says as she leans back in her seat and ponders things a moment

I've always been stalked by death and I often wondered why as so many people died around me that I was left unscathed?
I counted them once; 745 people have died by train accident, fire, auto and other disastrous manners and often I was in their midst an not even a scratch. she turns and looks at Marcus her expression cold and hollow
You'll not die anytime soon so there's at least that.
Please call me Grace, I was given the name when as an infant I was found as the only survivor of a train crash. They never found out my real name and to tell the truth I don't think it matters.
Since I was young I've sensed when death was near and as I got older I could see it. When death is close I see a kind of black inky smoke surround a person. I've never told anyone this because to do so would have had me on medication.
They love to drug Foster kids, keeps us easy to manage.
You can go chat if you'd like but me I have a hard time being friendly because I worry that as soon as I like someone they will die horribly.
No I'll sit here and weigh my options and observe
No offense it has been nice chatting with you but crowds seem to increase the chance of disaster where I'm concerned

[MarumasaLuckySpectre]

After Grace's serious talk about her past and everyone that had died, he felt sympathy yet security with her, "i don't think i know exactly what you mean, i never saw anything dark with my own eyes but, lots of bad things happen around me" Marcus sighed, "see i use to study law in school, and i had a group of friends that invited me out one evening. We usually go swim by a river and have a laugh in the summer now and then." Marcus took a deep breath and then swallowed, "well on one particular day we went to the beach,..... whiles swimming my friends found themselves tangled in the seaweed, even i had found myself wrapped up in it, five minutes later when they had all passed away i was released and swam to safety, some thought it was a miracle that i survived but i thought more of it.... that's not the only time where i should have died but others did in my place, but opening up isn't my forte" he smiled softly as he looked at the crowd.

No I'll sit here and weigh my options and observe
No offense it has been nice chatting with you but crowds seem to increase the chance of disaster where I'm concerned "well if you're not going then i am not going either, i was a very talkative child back in school, but i am not good at approaching people, you saw how i greeted you earlier" he laughed, "i'm just bad at introductions" he looked around the hall and sighed, "this has turned into a mess to be completely honest" he laughed a little, then looked back at grace "i just wanted to study law and be better than my brother"

[Nytefall]

Shiro giggled and slapped him playfully on the arm. "Oh you are cute aren't you, fighting experience? Hmm i don't have that much i can defend myself rather well so you boys best not try anything. " Shiro said in a sing song voice. "Well I don't see why I should hide anything amongst friends. In my Family we are taught how to use Bo staffs for meditation purposes. By this I mean we use the staff as an extension of ourselves in order to reach true enlightenment. I just use it to beat the crap out of people" Shiro said in reply to his comment.

"Removing her hand from Ramons arm she turned and looked at the people who weren't crowded around Ramon. She scanned them quickly before turning back to Ramon and smiling. "But I don't really like hurting people unless I have to so if we ever do have to fight, be gentle. Anyway the Dean said something about signing up for courses, any idea what your going to do?"

[Krodin329]

Again, Ramon was taken back by Shiro's stunningly friendly personality. Especially after she a, laughed at his defeat, and b, threatened to break some kids hand for hitting on her mildly. Did she actually think he was cute, or was she going to use him? Ramon decided he would build a mental barrier between them. Not so much as to isolate her, but he wouldn't trust her fully. He didn't want another Cecelia on his hands.
Ramon, unwittingly, went through their two year relationship being used for popularity, money, influence, whatever his girlfriend could get her hands on from him. And then she dumped him with nothing left to take. Then, she left him, practically for dead. She had no cares about what would happen to him or he would fare. However, Ramon had one secret that she didn't to get over something. Training. It had always helped clear his mind, and that's what he would do. Train.
However right now Shiro had asked him a question, one that he wasn't sure about either. There was no map in the orientation guide. Ramon said thanks to being called cute, and responded to Shiro's question with,
"You know, I'm not entirely sure. It was never really specified. I'll go see if I can find a teacher, you guys can come if you want."

[Lionheart]

Kazuki silently observed his colleagues. Some in his situation might ingratiate themselves with the new found people in a similar situation, they were all in the same boat as it were. Yet Kazuki had no particular interest in socializing, they had nothing to offer him therefore there was no reason to interact. It was as simple as that. Some might call his personal philosophy jaded or cynical, but it made a lot of sense. The only reason people interact with one another is because they needed something from each other, money, goods, emotional support, sex, drugs, alcohol, what have you. No, he needs none of these things from this particular group so he is content with standing alone in the dark and observing, planning his next course of action. His first subject to tackle being what alternate degree to pursue. While he had no intention of failing any of the Dean's tests having a contingency was always a wise course of action.