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@Sifr@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark@ERode@AThousandCurses

CAMPUS GROUNDS, LEYLINE ATTUNEMENT ZONE


The school grounds came alive with the rush of eager students. One after another, the protectors of tomorrow couldn’t help but declare their platitudes and swear their vows. Some spoke of their future glory as champions that would arise to ensure the death of villainy, while others kept it short and sweet, and more still simply saw it as their opportunity to put themselves in the spotlight for a brief moment.

Amidst it all, Raja watched on, ensuring that no matter how vapid or longwinded the speeches were, they all ended with one notable confirmation. Whether confident or hesitant, anxious or proud, all needed to say it before the near entirety of the campus’ residents. She observed the future potentials of the nation stand on the podium and, after attuning to the golden pillar behind them, would make their choices.

“I’ll become a Sword of Wund,” one student or another would state. Others would instead move to exclaim, “For I, a Shield of Nero!”

Slowly but surely, those of the standard curriculum would be filtered through, planting themselves firmly on one side or the other of the pillar. From further north of the pillar, where the group exiting the forest would witness the ceremony, the imp would groan with disdain at Iraleth's prodding, before turning back to the group while they deliberated. "Perhaps you could leave my fate until after the ceremony? Leave me tied up to a tree where I can't get away? It is, after all, a moment for your future yearbook - a glimpse of yesteryear's joyous days, innocent and full of fire. Certainly you lot would prefer that over reporting a humble shadeling like myself, yes?"

As Otis entered into the ceremony grounds as well, he'd have felt a violent glare threatening to burn into his back as he left the clinic. Gulliver hadn't said a word, nor had his plastic smile broken, but the aura of aggression was nearly tangible. This vanished as he entered the vicinity of his peers, where ideas of assault were surely the furthest thing from possibility.

As time drew on and the standard students had finished their attunements and declarations, the split between sword and shield seemed even. If one were to take the time to count each and every entrant to each side, they would find that it would have a slight lean towards Wund over Nero, but not notable enough for the untrained eye to catch on to. The loudspeaker would ring out once, blaring with Raja's voice, "The standards have said their piece and made their sides known, and so we will be moving on to the compacts! Proceed when ready, Compact 1."

And so they would. Much like Compact 3, the groups of Compact 1 and 2 also contained exactly eight students, as did the remaining groups that bore the 'Compact' name. While standard classes seemed to ballpark the number of students into a rough range of late twenties to early thirties per class, the eight-person groups remained entirely consistent and exact within compact classes.

Eventually, as Compact 2 had finished with its last attunement, Compact 3 was called to move towards the pillar, attune, and declare their faction. From further back, Valen - who had yet to attune - would observe expectantly, were Iraleth or Ciara there.
Sorry for the delay, I'll have a post up later today!
Four hours??? Shit, that's dire. No pressure. I'll be busy for most of tomorrow anyway, but we'll go to the next round on the day afterwards if you can't get a post up.
@Sifr@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark

CAMPUS GROUNDS, FOREST


Throughout the entire conflict, the silhouetted imp simply shrugged its shoulders and stood where it initially surrendered. As things settled down and the group came to a consensus, it tapped its foot impatiently, its toothy grin flipping down into a tired frown. It remained silent until it was addressed, all the same, its vacant face taking the time to stare towards each of the girls even with its notable lack of eyes.

"If you have reached an agreement, then off we stroll," it mused, raising its arms above its head, the last wisp of a shadowy tether to the grey wolf's corpse fading away. "Cover yourselves."

After taking a few steps away while now at the mercy of its new captors, the flesh of the newly detached wolf corpse would rapidly bubble just under the skin as if boiling, before bursting apart seconds later, bringing a brief crimson rain to the surrounding area. The imp scoffed as it walked, arms still raised in submission.

"I suppose a wolf's body cannot meet the endurance threshold for long. A shame."

The imp's head would spin to look towards Iraleth, trying its best to continue speaking before the paladin could think about holding to her words from seconds prior. "But you should know it was an inevitability. By the time its body had been pierced by a bullet, its fate was already sealed. It was no conscious decision of mine to waste perfectly good flesh," it would finish that sentence by turning its head towards Hildegunde, continuing to walk down the forest path.

"And you," the imp would sing while finally cocking its head on a swivel towards Ciara. "You dance with the darkness well. Your movements are more rigid than a bride's, so clearly you are not one, but I remain impressed even so. Were it under different circumstances, a talk between us would serve well."

The being would go quiet after that statement, progressing obediently as the group reached the end of the forest path. Once more, they had returned to the campus proper.

Off in the distance and echoing towards them through faint loudspeakers, Principal Raja's voice could be heard once again. "We will now be conducting the Leyline Attunement Ceremony. We will be starting with students belonging to the 'Standard' curriculum, and conclude with students belonging to the 'Compact' curriculum! As each individual makes contact with the convergence point - the golden pillar - they will simultaneously declare themselves a Shield of Nero or a Sword of Wund! Contact with the pillar will amplify one's voice during their declaration, such that all of their peers may hear their resolve! That will be all. The students of Standard 1 may now progress in an orderly single file line towards the pillar when ready."




@ERode

WINGRAM CLINIC


"I... well, you don't need to. But if you deem it a matter worth devoting time to, then I would thank you all the same," Chloe muttered and turned away, a pout creeping across her features, the faintest smile resting there beneath it.

As they exited into the clinic, the receptionist immediately rose and sighed, almost appearing to develop bags under his eyes in real time as he waved them over. "More, huh? What a painful first day for the students. We'll see to it that she's taken care of. Would you kindly take a seat, my boy? Give the girl some privacy."

Chloe would go through the registration process of the clinic, syncing her Adapa with the clinic's terminal, before being led through a door and down a hallway by clinic staff. There was only one other individual in this waiting room, though he appeared to be in no rush - Gulliver Bronsteel, seated in a chair on the opposite corner of the room. He had no visible wounds on his body, nor were his clothes in tatters, but there he sat. A small plastic smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he stared at Otis, but he said nothing otherwise.

Moments later, the tattered dress was carried out by a nurse and handed to Otis. "She stated that this is given to you under the condition that you take no creative liberties in its repair process. And that she, er, would 'much rather pay good money for perfection than receive an amateurish job as charity'. Passionate, that one."

With a chuckle, the nurse left the waiting room, returning back down the hallway.

Over the radio within the clinic by the front desk, and muffled from loudspeakers outside, Principal Raja's voice could be heard once again. "We will now be conducting the Leyline Attunement Ceremony. We will be starting with students belonging to the 'Standard' curriculum, and conclude with students belonging to the 'Compact' curriculum! As each individual makes contact with the convergence point - the golden pillar - they will simultaneously declare themselves a Shield of Nero or a Sword of Wund! Contact with the pillar will amplify one's voice during their declaration, such that all of their peers may hear their resolve! That will be all. The students of Standard 1 may now progress in an orderly single file line towards the pillar when ready."




@AThousandCurses

CAMPUS GROUNDS, LEYLINE ATTUNEMENT ZONE


Chunji would witness as Rio walked around the curved walkway back towards the front of campus, without another word. He made his way to the plaza upon which students had first entered in from yesterday, by the bridge. However, rather than head towards the bridge, Rio instead moved towards the fountain that had found itself repaired after yesterday's battle. He stood in front of it for a few breaths, scanned around to see if anybody was watching, and upon confirming a satisfying lack of people, dug into his jacket pocket.

He'd procure what appeared to be some kind of coin from his wallet, and after once more confirming there were no witnesses, flicked the coin into the fountain. The moment it splashed into the water, Rio's body seemed to be sucked into the fountain as well, leaving no trace of the boy after a mere blink of the coin's descent.

Over the loudspeakers, Principal Raja's voice could be heard once again. "We will now be conducting the Leyline Attunement Ceremony. We will be starting with students belonging to the 'Standard' curriculum, and conclude with students belonging to the 'Compact' curriculum! As each individual makes contact with the convergence point - the golden pillar - they will simultaneously declare themselves a Shield of Nero or a Sword of Wund! Contact with the pillar will amplify one's voice during their declaration, such that all of their peers may hear their resolve! That will be all. The students of Standard 1 may now progress in an orderly single file line towards the pillar when ready."
Hey guys, sorry, I had an exhausting day today and I'm completely fried. I'll need to delay the next round until tomorrow morning!
@ERode They are, yeah. They're not immortal, but elves can definitely live to be over 1000 before they become elderly. A 1000 year old elf would be equivalent to a 100 year old human, physically. Though half-elves notably don't gain much of that extended lifespan and typically live normal human lifespans.
No rush! Earliest I could post a new round is tomorrow morning anyway.
Think I'd like a post from @ERode, and then we'll all be back in alignment. Eventful round! :P
@ERode

WORLD BETWEEN DOORS


"I cannot... no, rather, I will not say much."

Chloe crossed her arms and turned her gaze, looking off into the distance of this dimension - anything to avoid looking at its creator, whose approach to inquiry mentally disarmed her. It was all so direct and so forward, nothing like the verbal dances she had often heard of the nobility swaying to. It was foreign and odd, to be around somebody so direct - to be around people so direct, in general. Perhaps, if nobody could hear her but the singular Strigidae before her, a small fragment could be told?

"I and another have been cursed, I suppose you could say. I with far too much essence, and they with not enough, and yet neither of us able to balance those scales," she began, raising a thumb to her teeth to bite down lightly, recounting something in her mind. "Not permanently, at least, and never again," she would end with a mutter.

Uncrossing her arms, the frill-elf once more stared at Otis, her body now openly facing towards him as she floated.

"I came here to find an answer to cure the two of us. As it stands now, should our natural lives play out, I will live to see every short-lived person I know die before me while I wither into a husk, and they..."

Trailing off momentarily, Chloe shook her head, defying her own hesitation and bringing the words aloud in this world that housed only two.

"Their prime essence will expire in six years, and they will die before having truly lived. So my time here will be spent doing what I can to ensure that we both live our lives at their intended lengths - no more, and no less. And perhaps as a result of that, I allowed myself to fall into talks with all sorts of individuals with all sorts of knowledge. That's all I can say."

Chloe would allow silence to fill the air, a portion of her secret off her chest to at least one person. When Otis had moved on, a scowl of regret crossed her features, nodding.

"I think it would be best if I were dropped at the clinic, if that suits you. The blood loss is making me a little lightheaded..."

The girl would slowly blink her eyes open and closed, a drowsy disposition gradually overtaking her.




@AThousandCurses

CAMPUS GROUNDS, LEYLINE ATTUNEMENT ZONE


"Aggrieved? It's nothin' like that. It's not like you did anything to me personally, didn't burn my house down or kill my parents."

Rio would take a half-pace closer, eyes locked.

"But you do remind me of all those shitty cement kissers in the capital. The kind to abide by the law while rising to the top off of the charity or success of others, only to toss 'em all aside when they got where they wanted to be. Smoochin' the ground of their superiors until they had the power to overthrow 'em."

Another half-pace, now with a small grin on the fighter's face that still held a look of annoyance in the eyes. He dug into his jacket pocket and unfurled a stick of gum, lobbing it into his mouth and chewing quickly. He was one step away as he continued speaking.

"Your stoicism hides it, but you have just as much to prove as any of those anxious goons. It's in the way that ya give the bare minimum until forced, I didn't need much time at all to see that. There's something in there, right? That thing ya brought out in the leyline, for example. Sorta tells me that if ya gave it your all from the beginning, the thing with Alto would've gone a lot more smoothly."

Rio's right foot slowly extended forward, but stopped before making a full step. He would spit his gum out onto the ground where his foot was about to touch, the shoe now hovering just over it. Looking back up at Chunji, the grin had faded.

"Now, I was goin' somewhere. Things are almost definitely covered with Pink and Shoots by now, I imagine, so no point in me making the run there. Am I gonna have to finish taking this step and ruining the sole of my shoe with this foul piece of gum underneath it, or are you gonna fuck off and let me do my thing?"
Yeah, I can do that.
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