Onyx

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

Rowan remained resolute as her opponent's body charged straight at her, his monstrous arms swinging down at her with what appeared to be a lethal blow. Not one second was wasted while she stood motionless, observing the limbering figure that came barreling in her direction. Her focus was trained on the blow that was coming from above her, swiftly bringing a hand upward to deflect the hit. However, a sudden strike connected with her stomach, causing her to wince from the unexpected impact. Rowan had not expected this, and she skidded backwards until she stopped herself with her hands digging into the ground. In a crouching position, she clutched her torso in an attempt to figure out what could have hit her without any detection.

A kick? The vampire rebounded from her stance and dashed at full speed towards Leval, her arms tucked neatly by her sides in preparation for an attack. He does not appear to be fazed in the slightest- the time has come to change that. She became a blur as she gained momentum quickly. Darting from side to side as a distraction, Rowan finally slid on the ground to perform a low sweeping kick at her foe's legs.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

The bat lunged at Leval at high velocity, drawing her wings closer to her body in order to maintain the speed. Convinced she would reach her destination successfully, Rowan opened her fanged mouth and prepared for impact. However, a stern shout followed by a blinding light threw her completely off guard. She attempted to stop herself before she collided with the ground. Instead, she managed to steer herself into the padded wall. The cushions prevented any further injury, and she descended carefully to the floor. "It's no use. I won't be able to get close to him at this rate." Rowan used the few seconds she had to gather her thoughts. Her vision was still blurred, but she was certain the effect the light had on her wasn't similar to sunlight.

Rowan reverted back to her bodily form. She remained crouching for a moment, a dark fog surrounding her as a result of her conversion. Now's my chance...! Using the thick smoke that obscured her for a few brief moments, Rowan sank her fangs into her wrist, procuring the small amount of blood she had in her corpse-like body. With the crimson substance, she used her dominant hand and coated her index finger with it. Shakily, she traced a very crude image of a crescent moon on the wooden panels. The blood emitted a faint red glow, soon replaced with a black aura that rose like steam. Suddenly, a hand rose from the ground and Rowan entwined her fingers with the spirit's. The hand disappeared on contact, but it's voice echoed in the back of her mind. "Be wary- that creature you are facing is very cunning. However, do not be afraid to face him head on."

Rowan closed her eyes and rose from the ground as the fog cleared completely. There she stood, a new air of confidence around her as she smoothed out her hair, now laced with a thick white streak passing along her right side. Regardless, she still felt exceptionally weak, especially after summoning a spirit for assistance. She raised her arms out by her sides and opened her eyes, revealing her gray irises that had gone pale, along with her pupils that had vanish. Rowan stood still, awaiting Leval's next move. "Come." Her voice carried throughout the room, prone to send a shiver down any weak creatures spine.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

Rowan turned to face her opponent after hearing his deep voice cut through the silence, followed by the consistent sound of something burning. She furrowed her brows at how grotesque Leval had become. Her eyes trailed down to the rifle equipped in one hand. Stopping to admire its intricate designs was not going to benefit her during the battle, and she had no time to hesitate either. As bullets were propelled towards her, she proceeded to evade the line of fire to the best of her ability. "I must get to the cross...-" She side stepped with languid movements while scanning the wooden panels for the image she had drawn earlier. However, she came to the realization that she hadn't redrawn the conjuring circle when she had entered the designated training room. "Curses! How could I have forgotten?" Rowan came to a sudden halt and pulled the whole of her robe forward to obscure Leval's vision.

While she created a small window of time, she transformed into a bat, darting aimlessly around the room to disorient her opponent as she gathered her bearings. Tiny squeals emanated from the small winged creature as it dove towards Leval with great speed- Rowan appeared to be shooting for his head when in all reality, she was headed straight for his ankle. Her aim was to latch onto the limb with her newly formed claws.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

Rowan was shaken out of her trance by the familiar voice that echoed from behind her. Her shoulders tensed up from the abruptness and she kept her head lowered. With her face out of view, she was able to avoid the stare of the other concerned party. "Are you sure you want to fight now? You are exhausted. I can conjure false weapons to practice drills. That way you can have energy for the 3x3 battle. There isn't a penalty for not fighting now. If we are to fight, I would prefer that you had the energy for it. But I will accept your decision whatever it is." Leval chimed in apprehensively, clearing expressing his unease. She opened her mouth to respond, but she hesitated as thoughts started to fill her mind with different scenarios. "He is certainly a creature with great solicitude. Maybe I should hold his words in high esteem?" Rowan lifted her chin to meet the gaze of the tall human. "His visage is one of sincerity- but what if it is simply a facade?" She stood motionless as examined Leval.

"It could just be an attempt to automatically win the battle- although the odds may already be in his favor. I must be wary." With that thought in mind, Rowan moved to close the distance between them only by a few steps. She looked up to face her opponent properly, being sure to show him her full expression. Her stoic face had a hint of determination, and her gray eyes flickered up at Leval. She stared at him unblinkingly. After another pause, she finally spoke with a quiet, steady voice. "I am undeserving of your worry, Leval Lamrue. However, I will not back down from this class." She slowly stepped back from Leval, lowering her eyes once again. "I will put my all into this battle, and I hope you will as well." Without looking up, the vampire pulled her cloak along with her as she turned to walk towards the forming line of C students. She kept to herself while she waited on the line. Once she arrived at the door, she looked into the dark abyss that was the hallway.

Rowan flinched when the scanner appeared and requested for her to scan her ID. "This school will require much tolerance for the unexpected..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When the all-white training room replaced the hallway, she stepped into the area only to feel a light tingling sensation envelope her body. "As you wait for your opponent, please note that an individual protective barrier has been activated upon entering the room. This shield will assure your safety during the match." Rowan held out her arms out before her and checked her palms as well as the back of her hands. "Proper precautions were taken to avoid injury, but how much of a buffer is this shield?" As she pondered, she paced over to one of the cushioned walls and pressed her hand against it, which left a visible imprint.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

I kinda like the titanpad idea, that way each group could get their battle done without facing the wrath of the other 1v1s at the same time :P

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

Rowan's eyes flickered towards the holographic screen that appeared before her. The blue pixie that claimed to position of her instructor proceeded to explain what was required of the students for this class. A wave of reassurance swept over the vampire when the pixie stated that each rank would be fighting against their own level, but she still felt uneasy about fighting shortly after her entrance into Rosewood. Her vision went blurry as a searing pain stabbed at her temples and her ears rang for a brief moment. Rowan clutched the sides of her head as she attempted to steady herself. The rest of the hologram's speech was inaudible to her while she went through this phase. "No... no! Why now of all times?!" She pressed her palms harder against her ears and shut her eyes tightly, trying to fight off the daunting feeling- her exhaustion from the fight earlier had awakened her thirst for blood.

"I mustn't let this blood lust take control- I need to overcome it..." Rowan took deep breaths. Her mouth went dry, but her determination kept her concentration set on taming her urges. With a little self-training, the vampire was able to develop a remedy for these sudden attacks. It was very much unlike the practices of her family, who satisfied their hunger whenever they pleased. Her stomach upset at the thought. "I am above them. I needn't dwell on them for long. Just breathe..." After a few instants passed, Rowan had composed herself well enough to sit up straight. She glanced around from beneath her hood to gauge whether or not someone had witnessed her scene. Soon, however, the names of the students flashed on the screen. Her focus returned to the list, a sense of foreboding loomed over her as she scanned for her name. There it was: "Rowan Delacroix will be fighting Leval Lamrue."

Her eyes widened at the sight. "Of all the students..." She clenched her teeth and tightened her hands into fists, digging her nails into her cold skin. Today just wasn't her lucky day. Rather than brooding over her situation, Rowan stood up from her seat and carefully made her way over to the middle floor. She made sure to tug the cloak further over her face to deter any attention from her appearance. She then crouched down to the wooden panels and placed the tips of her fingers on the smooth surface. "Is there even the slightest chance that I may prevail?" Her thoughts trailed off once again. She obtained a piece of chalk from within her drape and pressed the tip lightly against the floor. She hesitated before she began to draw a cross on the ground, very similar to the Gothic one adorned around her neck. Rowan made sure to leave out certain details of the image, that way nothing spawned before the battle itself. "This will be my last resort." She stood up once again, brushing herself off and stepping back to admire her work.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

Rowan looked up at the creature through her lashes. "I didn't realize he was a human..." She watched curiously as the lumbering figure shrunk in size, withdrawing the protruding spikes into his body seamlessly. She gradually lifted her head up. Her anxiety had dwindled after recognizing how approachable Leval really was. She felt a bit more secure around him, so she locked her gray irises with his. Rowan felt a chuckle rise from the back of her throat when she watched Leval imitate a bow, which took her by surprise; she brought a fist to her mouth and coughed lightly instead. "-I am sorry if I frightened you. You just looked a lot like I did after I got past the entrance exam." The vampire tilted her head to the side. Her facial expression changed only slightly, as she was surprised at how accurate he was.

"You too?" she mumbled quickly. Rowan folded her hands over her chest and tightly clutched the golden adornment. "Everyone else went through the same ordeal?" She let out a sigh of relief and the corners of her lips formed a smile that could go unnoticed. Her thoughts were interrupted by the announcement that echoed through the massive hall. "The same elf from the front desk?" She looked from the ceiling back to the face of the human before her. Rowan aimed a more polite nod in his direction this time, closing her eyes when she dipped her head. She pushed her cloak out behind her and it fluttered in a circle as she spun on her heels. Following the instructions, she made her way over to the row of seats that emerged from the floor and found a comfortable spot near the front.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

@Meridian as long as it sounds like something he would say, i see no problem with making Yayo speak :DD

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

Rowan's pace slowed down from a speed walk to a light stop. She stood by one of the windows and stared down at the ground. "Should I have said something?" The vampire clenched her teeth and bunched the sides of her dress tightly in her fists. Her shoulders started shaking as she beat herself up over her anti-social behavior. "What have I done? What should I have done?" She over-analyzed the circumstances. Rowan eventually took a deep breath to calm herself down. Having been born into a family of royalty, it was deemed necessary that she treat every single creature she came across with much respect. No matter how brief her greetings may be, anything is better than the way she dismissed the tall being. She inhaled through her nose and held it there for a few seconds. "I must mend the situation. I shall go apologize..." Once the one-sided conversation came to an end she let the breath go. Confidence quite apparent, Rowan kept her head low and made her way back over to the daunting creature.

She hovered a small distance from the other. She watched him perform the stretches for a short while but unsure of how to initiate any form of communication. Finally she took action and cleared her throat almost inaudibly. Whether or not it actually worked, the vampire continued on with a faint, shaky voice. "...pardon my behavior. I am grateful for your concern, mister." When she was sure she had grabbed his attention, Rowan lowered herself into a curtsy. "I am Rowan Delacroix." The girl could already feel her shyness catching up to her, as this is the most she has spoken to another in ages. She kept her head bowed and was braced for the worst, ready to run away if need be.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

Rowan found herself clinging to the walls of the portal for dear life. "T-That was terrifying..." She trembled underneath her black cloak. Her hands clasped tightly against the ribbed silk while she glided carefully along the shiny marble floors of the training hall. The prominent white strands of hair eventually faded back to their original tone when she calmed herself down. "It will take some getting used to, indeed." Rowan parted her lips to exhale softly. While she was lost in thought, her eyes trailed down once more to the trinket adorned around her neck- she was taken by the beauty of the jewelry. She winced a bit as she felt her body ache from the battle prior. The vampire was soon torn from her own little world when a voice many octaves lower than her own called out to her.

"Are you alright there?"

Rowan froze mid-step and raised her eyes only slightly to see the shoes of the creature who spoke. Intrigued, her eyes fluttered upwards even more to meet the gaze of a brute who towered over her. She wrinkled her eyebrows and slowly took a step back, clearly frightened by the other's grizzly appearance- multiple spikes were protruding from the chiseled body that trumped her height many times over. The vampire pressed her lips together tightly and scanned around the area for another potential target. When she realized that everybody else had long since cleared the area, the creature was most definitely speaking to her- she pointed a finger at herself and mouthed the word "Me?" just to confirm. A brief moment passed and she ushered a quick nod in the direction of the concerned being. In one swift motion, Rowan pulled her hood over her head again, shielding her face from any other onlookers and proceeding to walk past him.