[IC] A School for Deities.

[harinezumikouken]

Asmodeus' eyes glanced at the blackness spreading from the chair and onto the carpet as Phobetor took his seat. As he spoke, his eyes looked up and stared back into Phobetor's own. Holding his gaze, Asmodeus developed a slight sneer at first but smiled and shook it away. He didn't appreciate having being lumped into the same category as this petty dream eater. He is a King of Hell, damn it. So what if his brothers and sisters held higher stations and more power? That wasn't his decision, but of the Emperor's and one that he would respect. He was proud of his rank. He was proud of who he was and he was going to make it clear that he was not to be compared to a simple dream eater. Needless to say, he was a bit sour at Phobetor for having being compared to him and reduced in a sense. Sitting up straight and interlocking his fingers, he waited until Phobetor was finished speaking before he took his turn in the conversation.

"Though we may both hail from the 'Underworld' as you put it, we are not the same. We are not family and we will never be related as such." he said, snapping one of his fingers as a book appeared before him. Opening it, his eyes scanned its pages as he read, continuing to speak. Not affording Phobetor the respect of direct eye contact as he felt disrespected and insulted by his comments to his rank and station.
"You are a God and I am no such thing, the opposite in fact." he turned a page of his book. Its cover holding no writing or marks.
"If it was your intention to fill my Andrew's dreams with terror, then I must apologize but no such thing will be happening. Now, or ever." he closed the book and it shot back towards its place on the vast book shelves that lined the walls.
"While he may require sleep, food, and other necessities for human life, I require no such thing. While he sleeps, I am always awake. So if you wish to invade his dreams, I'm sorry to say but that will be impossible as long as he and I share a mind, a body, and a soul." smiling, he leaned forward in his chair.
"So, might I ask that you please leave my cherished Andrew's dreams and leave him be? Phobetor, was it?" he smiled, a strange knowing gleam in his eyes.

His powers afforded him precious information, a intimate view into others' hearts to as to manipulate them and cause chaos. He knew something about Phobetor and he wasn't afraid of hiding it.

[Overwatch]

"Welp, looks like we are here, people!" Taiyo announced. He went to the front of the bus as it stopped. "Follow me." He stepped off, and walked up to the shrine. "This isn't what it seems. It's a gate to the School of Natural Law." He walked up to the well with the group of students. "Last chance to denounce godhood. After this, every power you have will be kept in check, and easily watched until you reach God stature, or accomplish your duty." He sat on the edge of a really old well. "All you have to do is Jump in.", he said, and waved at the others. "I'll be last in, as, I have to watch you."

On the other side of the well was a courtyard with an elaborate fountain, and a mansion of a school. The well led down and through a horizontal gate. That would be disorienting, and they would probably fall over, or get launched out of the gate by the velocity of the fall. He could only imagine the humor that would ensue when the true got of law and sun met them on the other side, a shining white beacon of justice and order.

[Lugubrious]

Sheesh, and I thought Morpheus had a big ego. Though something about the way the King of Hell was looking at him made Phobetor uneasy, he managed to bury his feelings and execute an exaggerated bow. "As you wish, my learned lerd. I shall not attempt to enter pretty boy's mind again." His eyes flickered, watching Asmodeus even as his head was dipped. He left out an important addendum: he would see if he couldn't make up for it while he was awake. As he regained his full height, Phobetor's skin began to gloss over with the same inky shadows that were even now blotting out the carpet around him. He looked around as he began to dissolve. "Hard to believe such an unimpressive lad could harbor a demon king." With that final remark, he wasted away.

Phobetor blinked his eyes in the real world, turning them back to normal in the process. The bus had stopped, and people were getting off. Impatient to leave, he shapeshifted into a stoat and slunk beneath the seats to reach the stairs off the bus, mercifully managing to avoid all tramping feet in the process. Once out in the open, he pattered to the other side of the bus to try and hide himself before shifting back. Upon returning, he found himself to be the only one yet who had both disembarked the vehicle and had all his belongings in order.

He wasted no time in following the ghost up to the well, watching as he walked the sunlight flooding through the specter's body, making him all but invisible. barely had Taiyo finished explaining about the well than Phobetor, in an act of fearless -and perhaps foolish- bravado, leaped in. He used his shadows to soften his fall and landed in the school courtyard, a little off-kilter. More surprising was the humanoid floodlight awaiting him, almost blinding his sensitive eyes with harsh light. Using his powers, he tried to create a dark visor to shield himself from the glare, but instead had to settle for pulling up his hood since the shadows melted away beneath it. "Hey! I'm bein' edgy here!"

[Esayo]

Ashil was quick to disembark, not wanting to risk any more accidental conversations. The sun didn't hurt his eyes, but he squinted anyway just to spite it. Childish? Inane? Definitely. Did it gain him a little mental check mark from Apep? It sure did, and that made it worth it. A little make up for the incident with Evera. What did aggravate him was the ghost-boy's voice as he explained the process of entering the school. At first, Ashil didn't pay attention, and was surprised to just see a well there. But as Taiyo went on, he connected the dots, though it didn't relieve any of the surprise.

All of the sudden, the creep, Phobetor, dashed past them all, and without a hint of hesitation it seemed, dove into the well. He was stunned, blinking and looking around as if to see if the shadowy boy was actually still among them. He wasn't. It wasn't such a bad idea, really. People were still filing out or listening to Taiyo, and he did not want to wait in a line with this people. No more conversations until he'd had time to formulate a truly villainous demeanor.

So, he followed suit a few moments later, though with a bit more dignity. He strode forward, making sure the bind in his hair was secure, and then fluffed the side out a bit. He stepped up onto the lip, and then, looking down into the dark, fell. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander as he fell. The darkness was not the same as the "nothingness" he met Apep in, but he still almost expected to see the evil being's eyes. Then the gravity seemed to shift, and at first he didn't even notice it. He'd spent much of his time in places like that, where directions were varied from moment to moment, and it wasn't until he was making momentum-rushed steps out of the gate did he realize there'd been a change.

He didn't ponder it long, however. At first, he noticed Phobetor, and was already making moves to stand away from him when he took notice of the elephant in the room. His mind screamed with rage in the primordial serpent's tongue as Ashil looked up at the lighted figure. No, oh god, no. Already, it was here; the antithesis to everything he was and would be. He hunched, low, slinking back a few steps, an audible hiss leaving his teeth, but he couldn't pry his eyes away from the god. What fear he had felt with Andrew before was nothing compared to the shear, furious panic that rushed in his veins, and glued his feet to their spot on the ground. To any onlookers, it might appear odd that he was hunched, but there wouldn't be much out of the ordinary, he wasn't about to make a scene now, and risk drawing the light's ire. Without a doubt, he was in the house of the enemy.

[MiddleEarthRoze]

Roxanne could tell she had missed plenty from the bus ride she had missed, simply by looking at the others. There was Taiyo, who was... well, glowing. And see-though. Huh. A guy with fantastic looking hair, all dyed and sticking up, yet he radiated something fairly negative. Perhaps their Godly patrons were opposites? There were two other girls, both fairly normal looking like herself, a sleepy looking ginger boy, and an older looking guy who had just rather casually dropped into the seemingly bottomless well.
They sure didn't mention that thing to her. She wasn't fantastic with heights. Or darkness, for that matter.
"'Last chance to denounce Godhood''." She muttered under her breath dubiously. She doubted that would stop her visions. She hadn't had all that many, but the few she had witnessed... God, (Or Gods, should she be saying that now? God/s, this was confusing.) she shuddered lightly just thinking back on them. Stepping forward with her bags hesitantly, she peered down the well, then looked at Taiyo.
"Not the easiest way I can imagine getting there." She said dryly, still dithering. She didn't want to be last in, but there was no way she was just going to leap in all happy-like as Phobetor did. She wondered idly if they'd look any different on the other side.

[Shiinen]

Ah...She'd tried to speak again and found herself tongue-tied as everyone began talking again...A small frown fell upon her lips as she sat back and held her parasol until the bus came to a sudden halt. So many people around and it seemed...As if she wouldn't be making friends quite easily, if at all. She rubbed her eyes and yawned a bit as she sat back and relaxed, amethyst orbs watching across the conversations buzzing on the bus until it stopped and Mai lifted her head in order to look into the old well that Taiyo had taken a seat by....Huh. Standing up as everyone else began to file out, she to the time to open up her parasol as she stepped up to the well. ...Ah, a leap of faith? She probably was one to have the most faith of the group if all was taken into account. A step forward and she closed her eyes as the soft, soothing chimes of her parasol danced with all of its colors with her descent.

Moonlight was the first thing that would be seen around her as she "landed". Whereas it was bright and daytime all around everyone else?... Mai held what looked like pure night underneath her parasol. Even to the point that -- if one looked at the sky under her parasol -- they could see stars and the moon rather than clouds and the sun. A soft smile would fall upon her lips as she looked over to the others that arrived-

..Huh? One seemed to be in pain.

Ashil, was it?...

...Oh, darnit. She was bad with being nice to people that did rude things. But she had to at least try to help. Stepping forward in hopes that he wouldn't go scuttling of to some corner, she moved her hands up to hold her umbrella out above him. It should act as enough of a shield for the time being to keep him from suffering with the soothing night's breeze that lingered underneath its shade.

"A bad foot was stepped to with meeting. ...I take it that the sun and yourself are not companions, judging from this horrific reaction you've having. Does this help at all?"

The shining beacon before them failed to intimidate her in any way of the like. Years of seeing figures and scriptures of her family's matron goddess, Amaterasu, had desensitized her to things of this nature.Topped off with her beloved status for the Moon God, and she was potentially one of the calmest individuals here (if dread and suffering were not counted).

Well, let's see if she could be a helpful little Shrine Maiden! It was always nice to see a smile, but...Pushing it never did anyone any good, as Tsukuyomi had taught her with all the care in the world.

[Esayo]

Apep hadn't warned him about this. Why hadn't he warned him about this? How could he not have known that waiting at the doorstep would be the most detestable thing in the world? He knew there would be a presence, it was the school of natural law, after all, but for some reason he hadn't expected this, or anything like this. To stand at the foot of law itself.

He didn't notice the shrine maiden until the darkness had fallen around them, and if he wasn't so shaken he'd have cursed his inattentiveness. The pounding in his head obscured his hearing for a moment, as the girl -Mai, he thought?- spoke to him. Normally his reaction would have been toxic, perhaps a jab at her "inferiority", or a simple "don't stand near me". He could feel all of these possibilities int he back of his mind, but they didn't matter right then. The darkness, while still not as complete as a the void, was a welcome defense against the light, and he was quick to slink back further into it,

All he could do was pray the law god couldn't see him, or wouldn't pay him any mind beneath the eerie umbrella. Ashil just stood, shaking hands staying with him while his mind calmed back down. He sucked in breaths through lips parted in a grimace, and his eyes at last went to Mai. It wouldn't be hard to see the confusion in his eyes, even if it was beneath a layer or two of panic. It wasn't her fault yet, in the same way it wasn't Evera's before. They didn't know who he was, what he'd be, and do. As with before, he found himself unable to muster up anything vile to say, no venom to snap at her with. Instead, he just bowed his head to her, -unwilling or unable to voice an actual thank-you- and kept his gaze at the ground. He couldn't bare to look back at the god then.

[harinezumikouken]

Asmodeus sighed boredly and leaned his head on his fist as Phobetor said his final piece and bowed, leaving. With the room's only occupant now being the Lecher Prince, peace and quiet had returned. The room's only ambient sound now being the gentle crackling of the fireplace behind where Asmodeus sat. Emerald eyes staring up at the ceiling, he slowly smiled. Taking a breath, he then spoke to the sleeping Andrew.

"Andy-boy...It's time to wake up...We're here..."

~

With a snort, Andrew's eyes slowly opened and he sat up having heard Asmodeus. Yawning, he rubbed at his eyes and wiped at his mouth. How long had he napped for? Blinking and waking up more fully, he looked around the bus and realized that they had now stopped and that he was alone. No, not alone. The rest of the students had already left, save for Evera who still sat at her seat for some reason. Clearing his throat and straightening his clothes, he got up from his seat and walked down the aisle of the bus. As he came to where Evera sat, he stopped suddenly. Cheeks slowly reddening, he could feel his embarrassment grow as he stood there. He figured he shouldn't be rude and at least try a bit harder to socialize with the others. It would be a very long and lonely school term if he didn't. Swallowing dryly, he turned to face Evera, being careful not to make eye contact. His eyes flickering up to her face and back down repeatedly as he attempted to speak to her.

"Sh-...shall we g-go, miss? I-it seems as we're the only ones s-s-still on the bus," he gave her an uneasy smile and nervous chuckle.
"Oh-ho! We may have hope for you yet, Andy-boy! You actually gathered to courage to speak to another human being, and a woman at that!" Andrew could hear Asmodeus clapping, applauding his efforts.
"Th-thank y-you...?" Andrew was unsure if he was mocking him or sincere.
"That hurt, Andy-boy. I was being sincere. Ohh, this one is rather attractive don't you think...?"

Before Asmodeus' hunger and curiosity could grow anymore, Andrew lowered his head and briskly walked off of the bus. Making sure to remember to open the storage compartments under the bus to grab his luggage. As he pulled his luggage behind him, he saw a newcomer looking down into some well with Taiyo sitting at its edge. His breath caught in his throat and his froze in his tracks. Gulping, his face continued to grow even more red as he looked at her. Exactly how red could one's face even get?

"A-a-asmodai, wh-who is sh-she? Wh-when d-did she get on?"
"Ah, I believe she was picked up along the side of the road as you slept. Don't ask me how she ended up there. Isn't she a beauty too, Andy-boy?" Asmodeus teased.
"It's going to be a very interesting term..." Asmodeus chuckled.
Andrew could detect the intent behind his words, sending a shiver down his spine.

Looking down at the ground, he sighed whining slightly. Nervously, he adjusted his tie and decided to look around. Apparently, they had stopped at some Japanese Shrine. Wincing at the brightness of the sun from having just recently woken, Andrew reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. Wearing them, he hoped it would help hide his intense anxiety as he walked up to the well. Keeping his distance from Taiyo and the new girl...

"Her name is Roxanne. But you can call her 'Roxy'" Asmodeus informed him.
Andrew hated how Asmodeus could do that. He was never one to afford others their privacy.
Gathering his courage, he spoke up.

"Wh-what d-did I m-miss? Wh-where d-did everyone e-else g-go?"
Looking around, he saw none of the other students from before. Specifically Mai, Ashil, and Phobetor.

[MiddleEarthRoze]

"They jumped down there." Roxy answered, tearing her stare from the abyss of the well to look at Andrew, and she offered up a smile for him. "Apparently it's the entrance... obviously a good, old-fashioned road was too boring." She added, chuckling slightly, although it sobered up a bit as she looked back at the well. It appeared she wasn't the only one having second thoughts about this whole 'Deity' thing. Her mind kept wandering over to other questions about this new life; when she'd been alerted, she hadn't been told too much, other than to hurry her darn butt over to Japan. In fact, it it wasn't for the visions, she would have ignored it entirely. She somehow knew the visions would continue, and yet, there was some part of her mind that wondered if accepting her fate meant controlling the visions. If it meant controlling the pain she often saw in them.

[Whirlwind]

Evera had gently fallen asleep, but was in the space between sleep and awake, where her spirit had not left her body as of yet. She was brought awake by a snort, and blinked her eyes rapidly. She looked around the bus and everyone was gone, save Andrew who now walked up to her. She smiled gently as he politely, albeit clumsily, said they were the only ones left. ”Yes! I guess I was drifting off,” she said with a light chuckle back as Andrew walked off the bus and Evera followed. She grabbed her bags and continued on, seeing Andrew, a girl, and Taiyo. They seemed to be congregating around a well of some sort. ”Ah a rebirth through water is it? Into godhood?” Evera asked as she approached. She knew spirits were attracted to water, and water often symbolized a rebirth or cleansing in the spiritual realm. She moved closer and heard Roxy explain how the others jumped in, and it was their entrance. Well, it did make sense despite its rudimentary nature. Hesitating briefly, Evera shrugged and slowly eased over the side of the well before falling in. She landed with a thud, blinking in the brightness around her. Now in her golden spiritual form, the light shone off her skin blinding her a bit more than the others she assumed. She walked out of the way of the entrance, wearing a golden gown now that covered from her chest to just above her knees. It seemed to blend with the gold of her skin, though her hair remained the same dark shade as did her eyes.

[harinezumikouken]

Andrew sharply gasped when Roxanne informed him that the well was the entrance to the school, looking at her incredulously. His eyes widening as he looked at Taiyo and then back at the well. Jump into the well? Just like that? Why? Hairs on the back of his neck standing up, he gulped as he inched closer towards the well to peer down into its depths. Like a dark abyss staring back into him, Andrew quickly stepped away when he couldn't determine exactly how far the well ran. Looking away from the well, he stood there trembling and shaking. There was no way he could jump into that well. He'd cry, he'd scream, he would do...something. Anything to not have to jump into that darkness. It was obvious that Andrew was terrified of the idea. As he stood there fighting with himself, Evera had walked past them. Looking over his shoulder, he saw as she simply shrugged and eased over the side of the wall, falling in. His body grew cold as he saw her body vanish over the side, ice running through his veins.

"Andrew! What is wrong with you? You're acting like a baby!" Asmodeus angrily scolded him for his cowardice.
"N--n-n-n-no! I d-don't want t-t-to! I-I'm n-not g-g-g-going to!"
"You're embarrassing yourself! Pull yourself together and just get in the well!"
"I r-refuse!"
"Andrew!"
"Noooooo....I'm sc-sc-scared!"
Asmodeus sighed, "Fine. Then I'm taking over again. I refuse to let you make a fool out of yourself like this. My goodness, act like a man Andy-boy!"
"W-wait, wh-what? Y-you're g-g-going to take over again!N-n-no, w-w-..." At that moment, Asmodeus forcefully silenced him by shoving his consciousness down deeper within his mind. It took a bit of effort, but it helped that Andrew's fear made him weaker. Assuming control over Andrew's body, a ring of black diamonds appeared around his left eye.

His shaking and trembling ceasing, Asmodeus as Andrew straightened up and smoothed the front of his blazer coat. Turning back around and grabbing their luggage, he walked up to the well and comically tossed it in without a second thought. Placing one foot on the well's edge, Asmodeus peered over to glance down into it.

"Hrmph." he merely huffed. Reaching up, he removed Andrew's sunglasses and pocketed them. Placing his gloved hands into his pockets, he stood on the edge of the well and turned on his heels to look at both Taiyo and Roxanne. Ignoring and disregarding Taiyo, he looked at Roxanne and flashed her a smile with a wink. Turning on his heels once more, he did an about face and took a single step forward. Immediately, he plunged into the well's depths in a rather hilarious fashion, that is, with no real care or emotion showing on his face about the fall. With his body straight and hands in his pockets, he just stared at the walls with a blank and uninterested stare. Eventually, his body was corrected in midair and turned horizontal. "Well, that was interesting" he commented on the sudden and odd correction.

Soon, he landed as he had entered the well. Standing straight and hands in his pockets with a dull look on his face. Greeted by a blinding light, he squinted as he took out Andrew's sunglasses and placed them on his face. Looking around at the other students and the courtyard, he ran a hand through his hair that was tousled and ruffled by the fall. "That was easy enough."

"Andy-boy. You can have your body back now." his inner voice echoed out within his mind.
"..."
"Andrew?" Asmodeus called out to him again.
"..."

Still no response. Huh, curious. Asmodeus figured that having to witness all of that even under Asmodeus' control was too much for him so his consciousness...passed out? Slept? Whatever. The Lecher Prince wasn't going to waste any time and energy on trying to figure that complexity out. As he stood there, he then realized that his horns, wings, and tail had appeared. Very interesting. It seemed that the energy that resided in this special world empowered him enough to bring out his truer form. Maybe that added to Andrew's suppression. Again, he wasn't going to dwell on those thoughts for long. While Andrew was out of commission, he might as well enjoy himself and await further instructions as to what to do next from the Ghost Boy.

[MiddleEarthRoze]

Sighing heavily, Roxy shouldered her bag once Andrew had dropped into the well, and Taiyo was looking at her expectantly. Looks like it was now or never.
"Let's hope this doesn't disintegrate my bags or anything." She said with a smile at Taiyo as she climbed over the edge, clutching her suitcase to her body, and then easing herself in.
Admittedly, the journey wasn't all that bad. She had expected a free-falling notion through the blackness, but it was more of a pleasant floating feeling. So pleasant, that she was somewhat stunned by her arrival in the next world, suddenly upright as she fell to the floor, stumbling as she landed nearly on top of Andrew.
"Phew... that was..." She then blinked, looking at him. Wow. What a change. Then she realized the light radiating off of herself, and she pulled a face as she looked at her glowing arms.
"Yikes. I hope this isn't permanent. I hate sleeping with a light on." She said with a chuckle, aimed at Andrew; he did admittedly look strikingly frightening, but she supposed she had to get used to it. He wasn't the only one who looked different, after all.

[Overwatch]

After the last student hopped in, he drifted after, appearing on the other side. From what he knew, the well led to a dimension of the gods, far apart, but, very closely tied to the reality of earth. The maintenance and creation of these ties were up to somebody else. It turns out the more important a god is, the longer they live. Those tied to human affairs usually wore out far before the creator gods, and since Utu was both the sun and law, He was pretty high on the totem pole. There were still those far above him, as well. He thought about this as he passed through the void, and into the light of the other dimension. Utu stood before them.

"Welcome." The god said warmly, but seriously. "This is the school of natural law, as Taiyo should have told you." He turned, and extended his arm at the huge school. "Despite it's size, we actually don't host that many students at one time. Gods don't retire by season, so we are working year round. Your group is pretty large. But that's natural." He put his hands behind him, and led them up the long row of stairs, before sitting at the top. "Your class is here mostly because of your association with my role. You'll usually find that gods such as us usually all retire in groups, by our duties. He reached out under the parasol, and gently grabbed Ashil. He lowered the intensity of his shine, and it became a gentle flame. "You are the heir to apep, are you not?" He smiled, and chuckled at the boy's look. "Your duty is to extinguish light. You may not know it, but that's somewhat of a good role. A god such as myself can create and control the intensity of light, but the sun has to set sometime doesn't it? Without you, humans would have a hard time sleeping." He called forth the heir to hypnos. "And you keep balance in people's subconscious, with dreams." He smiled at both of them. He meant no ill will. "You two are very important figures in the grand scheme of things, and, without you, there would be far less order." He let go of them, and gave them pats on the back. "We are all here to maintain natural law. In one way or another, you will be the cogs that keep the universe running. I and Mephisto stop souls lingering on earth to torment the living, And Apollo foretells when gods must retire, and when things don't run so smoothly.", he explained. "That is what the school of natural law is for. It maintains the cosmos by teaching you all your roles. Some of you may have notions about what you should be. You might even have such a god speaking to you themselves. I'll tell you this. What you do with your powers is your choice alone. In the end, the god that laid the mold for you won't matter. It's important to learn from history, and decide if the errors and triumphs the past embodiments made are the ones you wish to pursue."

He walked up to the doors, and pushed them open. "With that, I welcome you to the School of Natural Law. Taiyo will lead you to your rooms, and administer order. Sadly, you will only see me if severe action is needed." The imposing man bowed his head, and disappeared. Taiyo was on the spot, and now he had a body.

[MiddleEarthRoze]

Roxy had to admit - she was stunned into speechlessness; which didn't occur very often. A God - a real life, physical GOD - had just appeared in front of them. And had been rather pleasant, she was pleased to see; although not so much about the jobs of Apollo. She was his heir; did that mean she had to do all that stuff that Uta had mentioned? She just had this ridiculous picture of her walking up to some giant-ass Godly dude and telling him to bugger off.
Um, yeah, hi, I'm the new Apollo. Bad news buddy, you've kinda got to go and fade from existence now... And then a zap. Oh boy. This was her life now. Stifling a sigh as Uta disappeared, she glanced at Taiyo for him to lead the way, then blinked in surprise.
"Hey! You're solid now!" She announced with a bright laugh. "That's pretty cool."

[harinezumikouken]

When the final student Roxanne had come through the well, she had nearly fallen on Asmodeus. Placing a hand on her shoulder he assisted in steadying her, giving her a smile when she regained her bearings.

"Phew... that was..." the girl spoke, her words cut short when she saw Asmodeus' current appearance.
He shrugged in response, the whole look part kind of part of the package.
"Yikes. I hope this isn't permanent. I hate sleeping with a light on." she chuckled at him.
Smirking, he glanced down at her.
"Ah, I know what you mean. I prefer to play in the dark" he then lowered his sunglasses and gave her a wink.
It was then that Taiyo had come through the well. With his arrival, the shining God that stood before the group began to speak.

Immediately, Asmodeus tuned him out. Ignoring all that was pretty much said. It was nonsensical blabbering to him anyways. He didn't care, he knew full well of his purpose within the scheme of things and was happy with his job. More than being a King of Hell and the incarnation of Lust, he believed himself to represent freedom. The freedom to desire, to want, to crave. Freedoms of the heart. Leave it to the holier-than-thou goody-two-shoes up on their high thrones above with all of their restrictions, rules, laws, and regulations to deem him and his kin as 'evil', 'dark', and 'sinful'. Things to be shunned, avoided, hated, and feared. Boring, all lethally boring. How was it sinful to give into the desires of your heart and live your life freely and happily? He never understood how the practitioners of various faiths could truly enjoy their lives the way they do. He didn't think celibacy was all that fun and enjoyable. It's only natural for one to long for another's loving touch. Why reject that part of your nature? Besides, Order could not exist without a little Chaos. Just as Life cannot be without Death, and Light without Dark.

As the shining god, Utu continued to speak, they began to move. Looking at the palm of his gloved hand, he wondered how much more power this world afforded him. Would it allow him to call his underlings to this place? If it allowed his dark presence, surely it would allow his minions too. Stretching hand towards the ground, he decided to try it. He hoped that summoning a minion wouldn't adversely affect Andrew's fragile human body. He didn't really care if it got him in 'trouble'. What was they worst they could do, expel him? They would damn Andrew's bloodline if they did, but the both of them would discover other ways. All he needed this school for was to help Andrew accept his spirit and to become one. With that, he can assume full power in the human world and commit to his role more fully.

As he focused, his Mark etched itself into the ground of the courtyard. With a crackle of electric power, the winds slightly swirled and coalesced around his Mark. With the ground blackening into a void, the long arm of a Lesser Daemon burst forth from the Mark and slowly pulled itself out of the darkness. Pulling its body completely from the Mark, the creature bowed its head low in Asmodeus' presence. Skin black, eyes a blazing crimson and form Imp-like in nature, it spoke to its King in a language unknown.

"How may I serve you, my King?" its voice deep and guttural.
Pleased with himself, Asmodeus smiled and returned his minion's bow with a slight one of his own.
Looking at Andrew's luggage, he motioned towards it with a hand.
"These are my belongings. Take them with you and safeguard them until I summon you again. That will be all I require for now."
The Daemon looked at the luggage and pulled it towards him, bowing his head again once it was in its clear possession.
"As you wish, my Lord."
With that, the Daemon sank back into the Mark it came from with the luggage.
His Mark vanished moments later.

Asmodeus then shoved both of his hands into his coat pockets and followed after the group. Walking past the fountain in the center of the courtyard and making his way up the steps of the front stairs, he took in all the sights. At least whoever created this world had good taste. It seemed like they would be living comfortably in the lap of luxury. Andrew was already accustomed to that, so life here shouldn't be too different or difficult for him than from home. Asmodeus wondered if they had any servants here, that would save him from having to summon his own if so. He wondered what the teacher's would be like. What exactly is the curriculum you give to God-like figures anyways? Having been completely engrossed in his own thoughts thus far, he blinked when Utu finished speaking and vanished. The Taiyo Ghost Boy now with a solid body of his own. Aww, he would have to come up with another nickname for the boy now. Drat.

[Esayo]

Ashil hadn't noticed it at first, but many of those entering through the gates looked...different. At first he thought it was just the light from Utu making Evera glow, but then he noticed the wretched boy, Andrew, sprouting horns and a tail like some marketplace devil. Then came the new girl, Roxanne, who was glowing as well. Strange effect this realm had on them.

He wasn't afforded much time to ponder it; the moment he managed to pry his thoughts off of the law god, Utu grabbed him out from his shelter. His throat closed up and his pulse picked up its rapid-fire pace as he stared point blank at the being. Ashil heard him say something, vaguely, about his duty. Extinguishing light? In part. But simple darkness wouldn't be enough. Not for Apep, and not for him. If he could have actually focused, he might have offered a defiant gaze, but instead Utu would only see wide eyes and a mouth slightly parted in disbelief. When the god let him go, and moved on to the creep, Ashil actually fell onto his rear, only to scramble back up and under the dark parasol when Taiyo too his place.

The doors were open, and they were to be brought to their rooms. He was looking forward to that very much, anything to be away from these people after such a disastrous day. He'd had bad starts to setting his identity, but this? Being shown up by Andrew, mumbling to Evera, cowering behind Mai, and to top it all off he'd practically shattered any illusions of villainy to the actual god of law. He needed time to recoup, come up with something dastardly, something to get him back on track for his victory.

[Whirlwind]

Evera smiled as Andrew and Roxanne followed, looking over everyone. So, she wasn’t the only one with a new appearance. She was fairly used to appearing gold, as she did in all her dreams and night wakings. She assumed her father looked of a similar nature, though she had yet to meet him officially in any of her spiritual realm escapades. The closer she got to lifting his burden though, the closer he would probably get to her. She was interested to speak to him in the spiritual realm at some point while here, though she knew it couldn’t be guaranteed.

She saw Taiyo was the last to appear, now seemingly solid, before who she could only assume was a current god, began welcoming them. She gave a polite smile, listening and nodding as he spoke. It was interesting to hear the god’s interpretation of their abilities, giving her a better idea about what some of her comrades did or, would do anyway.

She followed up to some doors and dissipated, leaving Taiyo to show them around. ”Well, that was interesting,” Evera said sincerely despite the small smirk on her face She was already entertained by everything that had happened so far, reaffirming her decision to come. ”Are we allowed to decorate our rooms how we would like?” she asked Taiyo curiously, unaware if they were already personalized or if it was inappropriate.

[Lugubrious]

((Oh dear))

[Lugubrious]

((Oh jeez))

[Lugubrious]

Phobetor's blindness remained for a few moments. While he could make out figures among the hurtful radiance, he couldn't keep his eyes open long enough to discern any of them without tearing up. He could only follow these silhouettes and stumble over stairs, furious but helpless to save face. The words of Utu rung in his ears, but it wasn't until that he dimmed his blasted glow that Phobetor could focus enough to make them out. Flipping off his hood, the God of Nightmares quickly looked around. His face had undergone a change; black streaks, as much tears as they were tattoos, trickled down his cheeks in upside-down triangles originating at his eyes. Other than that, not much was different. He hadn't time to properly survey his grand surroundings, however, before the sun god drew him in.

In such an intimidating presence, Phobetor couldn't do much more than flinch at Utu's touch. His complimentary words fell on suspicious ears, for nobody except for his family saw any value in his work. He didn't see his role as balancing out the dreams created by Morpheus or the illusions cast by Phantasus and never had. Certainly, the concept of 'order' didn't involve him. Still, it seemed to Phobetor to be vaguely nice to be in charge of something important.

The rest of Utu's speech received only lukewarm interest from Phobetor. When it was over, the sun god vanished, leaving the not-so-ethereal Taiyo to steer them in the general direction of the dorms. Phobetor paused at the door to watch a very demonic-looking Andrew summon a monster from some glyph on the ground, take his luggage, and depart. For a moment he was jealous, but the remembrance that he carried no weighty bags reminded him that there was nothing to be jealous of. He did learn one thing from the event: magic was stronger here. The prospect delighted him.

He paid cursory attention to Taiyo for the time the group was together. After being pointed in the right direction, Phobetor went right ahead, leaving before Evera had asked her question about remodeling.

Once inside his room, Phobetor wasted no time in redecorating. Clapping his hands, a wave of darkness spread from his feet across the floor, washing over objects and up walls. He removed Vox from his belt and placed it in a shadowy hand that extended from the wall. Rather than taking off his longcoat, the God of Nightmares merely banished it, since it was formed of his power. In the process, his hand brushed against Aliter, and he grabbed the locked to open it. Inside was a ring of gems harbored ebony inlay, and as he watched they began to glow and project a tiny image in the palm of his hand. These he cycled through: crow, octopus, rat, spider, centipede, scorpion, dart frog, dog, bull, sparrow, fly, stoat, otter, snake, wolverine, sea turtle, and eel. All of these he could become at a second's notice, to utilize as he wished. Taking the inlay wafer, he flipped it, and a new image appeared. A smile spread over his pale, gaunt face. “Very, very nice! Looks like Aliter's at full power here.”