Kaithas

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

If she had to be honest, this was definitely not her area of expertise. Delicate operations, enemy bases--none of that was a problem for her, Atlas and military life had trained her for that and for doing it in every one of the four main kingdoms. On the flip side, computer stuff was NOT something she was good at. Which was ostensibly something Ni was supposed to cover, but due to his role in this whole mess he wasn’t coming along. Complicating matters further was the fact that she had to lead the newest team at Beacon, Obelisk. While she didn’t doubt their competence--they’d given her no reason to do so--it didn’t change that she’d have to lead an inexperienced team, something she’d not done since her Atlas days. And try to teach them at the same time.
Still, fire support and field leadership were two of the things she’d been best at before she’d become a solo operative, so this shouldn’t be--
“HEY NERDS. Pay attention, I’m only going to go through this once.”
Ni Rensa Ryou sauntered into the classroom they were using as a preparatory operations center, a smug grin on his face--one that wasn’t very convincing, admittedly, the dark circles under his eyes more pronounced than usual and his manner harried.
”Since none of you can even match the hacking skills of an underdone baked potato,” he said, looking pointedly at Rowan. ”I’ve prepared a series of USB drives with nice little packages on them that should help you, and color-coded them so even a drunk monkey could use the proper one at the proper time. The colors denote the severity of system they’re capable of breaking, but to keep you all from running rampant on the school’s systems each only has a single use. Violet’s the strongest, red’s the weakest. They’re a rainbow! So pretty.”
He proffered a ring of seven thumb drives, all of which looked to have colored stickers stuck to them. He waved them at Blaine, their plastic casings clattering against each other, waiting until the lion faunus’ eyes were following the ring, then threw them at him.
”Any additional equipment you take will be up to you and Professor Iderson. I’ll leave you to it.”
Ni left without ceremony, Rowan turning to the members of OBIS.
“I’m going to assume you all read the basic mission briefing. If not, do so--It’s on your scrolls. We’re going after some student data that was stolen from the Beacon archives, as well as some missing Armory research. It’s paramount that the data is recovered rather than destroyed or otherwise lost, so we’ll be fully on offense and recon the entire time we’re there. We do not, unfortunately, have a floor plan for the facility in question, so we’ll be flying blind once we enter. Luckily, we’ve been provided with a device that should prevent the electronic security systems from noticing us once we’re inside. That simplifies things immensely since stealth doesn’t seem to be a specialty of your team as a whole. But we’ll need to move quickly, somewhat quietly, and with a mind to eliminate or incapacitate any threats we encounter before they can evolve into something worse.”
She paused for a moment, her fingers tapping on her helmet as she held it at her hip.
“So with that in mind, this mission will have 4 phases: getting in, finding the server, data retrieval, and getting out. I’ll be providing covering fire and assistance as necessary to ensure success, but for the most part I’ll be allowing your team leader to plan for each of your individual roles. This is supposed to be a learning experience as well as something we need done, so you’ll have some autonomy with my input. Are there any questions? If not, we’ll set out.”

Fate/Italian job - Roman Holy Grail War

Rider, Servant of Eric

@Dealdric

He had been called. He had no say in the matter, no option but to charge into the world, no choice but to be restored to being by the power of the Grail. Even in the grasp of inevitability, however, there were still options: the beckoning promised power beyond his wildest dreams and a new chance at a reasonable facsimile of life. True, he would have to serve. But that he was used to that. Those who resented servitude were foolish, and wasted energy on anger that would be better used for furthering one’s aims. It would pass with time.
Still, he wondered if this would be a master he enjoyed serving, one worthy of his service and respect. Far too few of those, in his experience. He was a Rider, it seemed, something he was proficient enough in.
There’d be time enough for rumination later. Information about this war flowed into his mind, though far less than he’d like--he’d much prefer to know his enemies beforehand.
Nevertheless, he was once again to be a champion. His time was at hand.
***
The flame snuffed out, but Rider did not come forth from it. For a moment, Eric had to have doubts--perhaps he had failed in the summoning ritual? But no, the command seals blazed to life on the back of his hand, a loud, all pervading sound of hooves on stone clattered through the room, seeming to come from all corners and all doors before an entity burst through the portal behind him. A horrible whinny rang out, echoing off the stone of the chamber as the massive steed reared, then calmed--and a man garbed entirely in black armor hopped off with practiced ease. He removed his helm with his right hand, allowing well-trimmed but unruly black hair to spring free from it, dark eyes focusing in on Eric’s face. His left gripped the reins of his horse tightly, his lips spreading slightly to make a click click to calm her, before he finally spoke, stroking his neat beard once and sticking his thumb in his belt. A smug grin spread across his face as he regarded Eric, though his tone was serious.
“You are the one who summoned me from my eternal rest, I suppose. I am Rider, and ever your servant,” he said, bowing slightly to Eric as he did. “Since you have my ring, I doubt any further introduction is necessary.”
Rider’s head tilted to the side as he regarded the other man. “I require two things of you before we begin our contract, however. The first is your name, so that I might know who I serve. The other is some sort of tribute as payment--the ring will suffice.”
He held out his hand, palm up.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

”Hey, no worries big guy. I saw you dropped them, but didn’t know which class you were in next.”

If Amy was perturbed by his unclothed state, it didn’t show--one hand gently placed the charms in the massive palm of the lion Faunus, the other went to the back of her head and ruffled up the crimson spikes of her hair as she grinned, her eyes half closed. In contrast to Blaine her posture was relaxed, standing with her hips slightly to the side.

Hopefully having the charms back would let him relax enough to, you know, allow for regular conversation. Her body language was intended to set him at ease, at least.

Sadly, though a hunter-in-training must be talented in many areas, reading signals was not one in which Blaine was proficient. He accepted the small, wooden medallions with steady hands, his unmoving face broken by a twitching lip. The world swam around him, his head light. The charms were back. His honor restored.

The faunus’s head lowered, his back at a 90 degree angle to his hips. Water dripped to the ground as the words fell from his lips in the brittle tones of a poorly maintained tuba. “I thank you, ten thousand times over. I will remember this, always.”

He straightened, back as linear as the art of a discerning 9th grade trigonometry instructor. “I mean...“ You damned fool, calm down! She knows not what value they bear, you will ruin your second impression! Casual! Act casual!!!” “...I ...owe you one?”

He wasn't calming down, not a lot. Amy tilted her head to the side slightly, letting her arms fall to her sides. None of this had been out of character from her impression of him on the practice field, but she did wish he didn't think the interaction was this high stress.

Then again, if you were going to do the old method of calming down during public speaking--you know, imagining the other person in their underwear--it was probably substantially more difficult if you currently were in your underwear. She waved his thanks away, smiling widely. “Happy to do it. You obviously put a lot of care into them, and I’m glad I could get them back to you.”

She has no idea. Cool as a cucumber, Blaine. Cool as a cucumber. The big man relaxed ever so slightly, the last tatters of his shirt falling around him with the small slump of his shoulders. His eyes still shimmered, wet tracks across his cheeks, as the faunus relaxed. He didn’t notice. “Sincerely, I appreciate this. If you ever need anything, and I mean anything, contact me. I would give you my scroll information, but I lack one currently. So… find my room and knock? This is proper?”

There was a lilt to the end of his words, and a thirty degree tilt to his head as Blaine spoke these last few sentences. From his understanding, that was still the best way to convey confusion through body language in Beacon. Or sarcasm, depending on the person. He hoped it was the first.

Amy nodded, her smile getting a quirk as he seemed to calm down a little. “Thanks for the offer. And of course,” she said, pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket and tearing it in half, writing something on one half of it and handing him both, with the pencil. “Um… just write your information on the blank one and give it back, that way neither of us will forget. My scroll information's on mine, too, if you get a scroll.”

Accepting the pieces of paper, Blaine jot down his room number on the blank in a flowing, precise script before returning it. “I believe I will, in all likelihood. School funds are dedicated to most circumstances similar to my own, and a scroll is a vital tool in the field. I anticipate I will receive one before missions.” His mouth crunched into a broad grimace, revealing his teeth in a rough approximation of a smile. “Thank you again. You have done me a great service. I am richer for knowing you… Amy?”

Another nod, her hand reaching out to shake his, her posture relaxing into an easy going one again. “That's me. And you're Blaine. We've been football teammates--that was already a bond stronger than stone. So if you need me for anything or just wanna hang out, let me know. Oh, and welcome to Beacon.”

For just a moment, the smile climbed his face, almost looking like it reached the eyes as Blaine took her hand in a firm grip, surprisingly rough for someone of her stature. This was a good person. “Thank you. I feel very welcome. Now though, I must leave. I fear my teammates may think ill of me if I tally any further. I wish you a pleasant afternoon, classmate Amy.”

With that, the towering faunus turned, leaving the shredded remains of his shirt, the football field, and a new acquaintance behind him. With that out of the way, he could find his teammates and move on with bonding! It seemed that today was going to be better than he had thought.

Amy watched him go, a slight smile still on her face, then pulled out her scroll.


To: Lloyd, Ben; Negasi, Lorena; Naga, Sangue

Potential crisis averted. Are we doing something this evening or nah?

@Tominas @Plank Sinatra @Krayzikk @NaraK

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Amy Desire, Between Places, With Permission of @Tominas
@Krayzikk @Plank Sinatra @HereComesTheSnow

It was a strange feeling, for her to be nervous. She nodded a farewell to Lauren and Ben as they left the classroom, her note in Lauren's pack. She inhaled deeply, letting her surroundings slow, her semblance dial up to let her calm down. Diamond aside for the moment... The note was out of her hands. She shouldn't be letting herself get stressed out over something she could no longer affect.

The exhale came, and the world moved.

She headed for the door, taking the same route as Ben--though she didn't clap Luke on the back, instead just letting her hand brush against his shoulder for a moment and smiling slightly.

"I'll catch ya later too, okay?" she said, waving as she went out of the classroom. She'd like to branch out, meet people outside of BASL, and Luke seemed like a great place to start--but she had some business to attend to right now.

***

She still had the knack, as it turned out. Amy'd spotted the charms on her way out of PE--enhanced eyesight did wonders for noticing things in the grass, go figure--though she hadn't had time to catch up to Blaine before he'd left for his next class. Figuring out whose they were wasn't exactly hard, only Trad and the Lion faunus could have produced the tatters of clothing she'd found them in. Only one of those two had been in her huddle.

A part of her had hoped the big guy would be in Dust Apps, but evidently not.

That being said, given how he'd acted during the football game, he took this kinda stuff really seriously, and... The level of care he'd put into making these things was insane. How do you even convey reflections in woodwork? Regardless of whether or not he was having a full scale freak out, she figured he'd be at least back on the field looking for them--and that bet had payed off.

"Hey!", she shouted, the necklaces dangling from an outstretched hand as she advanced toward the figure on the field. "I think these are yours!"

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Amy Desire-Dust Apps

Lauren's emerald green eyes found her condemnation, alright--her Faunus teammate's mouth was pulled to the side, her brow furrowed slightly. She looked disappointed, almost, her baby blue gaze on the woman she'd once hoped would be someone she could rely on--the only relic from her previous life, some familiarity in a place that was utterly foreign.

Even if she hadn't wanted to, time was making abundantly clear that it was time to let go. Amy had clung to Diamond because she was the only one she knew on any personal level to start with--but falling through on the date, immediately moving on to Emerald--it hurt.

Now this.

There had always been suspicions that Diamond wasn't a good person, but before they'd been pushed back. Business, and nothing more--it was an easy way of accepting someone's money without feeling guilty about however it had been earned. Besides, it wasn't like her past was any less checkered than Diamond's, or her way of earning money any less legally dubious. Sure, most of her crimes would be considered "victimless", but they both had stuff they'd rather bury.

She'd hoped Diamond was doing what she was. Burying who she used to be. Learning from what she'd been. Not repeating her past mistakes. Moving on. Amy had hoped they could maybe do that together. Not in the romantic sense of "together", necessarily, just... Comfortable that they knew the other was in the same boat.

One of her fingers slipped into her collar.

One stutter wouldn't have been enough to change that hope. But it hadn't been just one, and Amy wasn't stupid or naive enough to keep giving someone chances, not when they threatened a friend.

Her face was one of disappointment, but her eyes and whisper to her teammates conveyed all she needed to regarding anger.

"Fuck her."

And that was that.

You Can Become a Hero!

Cool. I'm out of the country, so I'll get one up when I can.

You Can Become a Hero!

Can I jump in on this?

It's A Long Way To The Top... (Band RP)

There were advantages to being in the moment--to taking things as they seemed, to paying attention to what one saw in the here and now and not being concerned with what you'd had for dinner last night or how your clothes looked, or even how those around you perceived you. Despite the way she'd floated through high school, Brandi's mind was a lot keener than most would give her credit for. Which was perfectly fine, in truth, thinking of her as a laid-back slacker tended to let her be just that. Few expectations, fewer responsibilities.

It also let her be a lot more perceptive than expected.

She knew… pretty much everyone that had shown up. Probably a lot better than they knew her. Which was fine. The talent show in middle school had been a mistake, something she still regretted doing.
Brandi hadn't known how to let go then. She did now.

Her outfit was simple enough: jeans, a tank top and jacket just themed properly enough to blend in if you didn't look too closely.

“Eh, I'm no Courtney Love. My name is Brandi Michaels, though. S’a pleasure, Lawson.”

She didn't miss the lime being kicked to the side, her smile widening slightly as the other woman walked up. “Evenin’, Charlotte. Seems s’a high school reunion around here--”

Then the cotton candy man appeared, his appearance and talk a flurry of wispy nonsense. “Ayyyy,” she said, her voice still soft, perfectly loud enough to be heard over the din of the bar but not much more. “Take a breath, friend, shortness and lack of brass instrumentation ain't nothing to mention in a first introduction.’

It's A Long Way To The Top... (Band RP)

Even if we don't get one, go ahead and send a friend request to me. I'm always open for more communication options.

Information's up above.

It's A Long Way To The Top... (Band RP)

She looked at him for a second, her green eyes wide with slight curiosity.

"Well, I only meant to startle you a little. Any more than that I apologize for, but maybe you should work on your nerves before becoming a full time substance abuser. I hear that makes 'em worse," she teased, as her slight smirk reasserted itself. A pop and the cap of her beer was gone--she took a sip, almost lazily, then looked around the bar. The bottle clanked on the table as she set it down.

"I'm doin' alright, thanks for asking. Bored, mostly, but that comes with the territory." Brandi gave him a once over. "You look like you've been doing okay since high school. Music dreams panning out yet? I saw the ad."