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3 mos ago
Current And maybe most people don't like getting a single line back in response to a few paragraphs? Like whatever floats your boat, but there's a reason Free exists.
4 likes
1 yr ago
Hey now, he's becoming self-aware. Don't take that from him.
3 likes
2 yrs ago
If the man's is asking for a ban, might as well give it to him. Good riddance.
3 likes
2 yrs ago
Then you'd just be crying about why it's permanent instead.
2 yrs ago
Oh no, oh no. Someone warn his "roommate" Smarty's about to lose it.
7 likes

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Shou Zheng

Enrolment at the Academy had not made mention of any terms, so it wasn't a surprise that students were free to come and go as they pleased. Shou couldn't imagine that nations would willingly surrender some of their brightest if they were bound to the island, for all the talk of cooperation to a brighter tomorrow. Irregardless, he doubt it would be a concern for him in the immediate future. The Ministry had not stressed any particular urgency for his task, and the reasons he could be called back were few enough to be counted on a single hand.

Meaningful news aside, it seemed that the newspaper was more of an recruitment board if one judged it by the quanity of content. Some of them earned a chuckle or snort from Shou given the audacity of the requests, but he supposed that the island was filled with those willing to push boundaries. The healthy selection of clubs and societies already on the lookout for members was promising though. Between the strangeness of what laid underneath the island and his own efforts to improve his Egoism, he'd see plenty of benefit from the more martial/combat focused clubs and the exploration sorts. Finding the time to check out each of them would be a task in and of itself, and there were still the official lectures and activities held by the Academy to consider.

With nothing but free time on his hand though, he decided to go check out one of the socieities holding an event nearby. The Hollow Earth? Certainly nothing he had heard of before and a bit odd of an idea, but it could be hard to tell where the line between genius and nonsense was drawn. Without bothering to waste time sitting down for a meal, Shou picked up a sandwich from a nearby cafe and had his meal on the go.
Shou Zheng
With a grunt and a few escaped air bubbles, Shou managed to wrench his sword free before he pushed it too far into the pressurized zone. Tapping at border in front of him was almost like pressing his fingers against a film of sort. He could push into it, but it wasn't pleasant at all. His body adjusted to the intensifying pressures as he dived deeper and deeper, so just suddenly being exposed to the stark difference was actually a bit painful. He was reasonably sure he could survive being shoved into the zone, but it wouldn't be without injury.

He shook his hand after he pulled the finger free and huffed before he continued to dive even deeper. Plumbing the depths beneath Bermuda for anything of interest revealed that the island seemed to be situated above an even deeper trench of sorts. Of sorts because it clearly didn't seem to be natural given how it was precisely the shape of the island and allowed the pressurized zone to extend even deeper. There was no way for him to know just how deep at the moment, and his head was starting to hurt a bit from the constant electric buzz. Given the scope of the island, he must have been diving for at least an hour or two by now. Discovering this strange pressurized zone was a start and meant he hadn't just wasted his time. Maybe there was something being trapped at the bottom of the zone? He'd have to see about finding some sort of container that could withstand the pressures and some sun rods. For now though, he swam back up to warmer and clearer waters.

Thankfully the beaches weren't just an afterthought, and some of them had clearly been meant for the students to enjoy. Beyond the various palm trees that provided some shade and greenery to the area, there was also access to fresh water via fountains and a few shower heads. It saved him a trip back to the dorms to get changed as he simply rinsed and rung out his clothes right then and there. Between the sunny afternoon and the warm tropical breeze rolling through the island, he'd be dried off by the time he found a place to eat for lunch.

There were naturally a few spots by the waterfront for the beach-goers, but Shou found himself wandering into the more built-up sectors of the island in search of fare. It also gave him the opportunity to swipe a copy of the newspaper being hawked and he blinked a few times at the headline. "Damn, you are as bad as the rumours," he muttered with a shake of his head as he skimmed over the paper for any other noteworthy news. With his eyes glued there, he started to test out just how best to get his echolocation to function out of the water. As he was in public, he began with a few higher pitched clicks. Something beyond the normal range of human hearing so as to not bother the other students around him.
Nerio Luchessi
For someone who apparently did not know how to ride his horse properly, Nerio had little problem in staying mounted and comfortable as the procession slowly wound its way through the town and arrived before the Academy proper. With both legs on one side of his steed as he sat on it sideways, the horse hardly seemed bothered by the unbalanced way he sat on the saddle. As the nobles before him filed through one at a time, he leaned forward, propped his elbow up on a knee, and covered up a wide yawn that almost had him tearing up a bit. His eyes and attention wandered as he waited patiently for his turn, and he didn't hesitate to wave and smile out into the crowd. It was no hero's homecoming, but the similarities were there and who was he to deny the celebratory atmosphere in the air.

"Presenting, Nerio of House Luchessi!" He raised his head slowly as his name was finally called out and with a patient smile, he leaned backwards a bit and patted his horse's side. It was one that had been given to him for the occasion as he was never much of a rider. He liked animals though, and a week of riding around town with the creature had been enough for the two to come to an understanding of sorts. Setting off at a steady pace, the horse was well trained and had participated in the ceremony five years prior, so it had little trouble in keeping with the rest of the nobles.

As he passed through the city gates, Nerio smiled at the crier and gave a slight nod of thanks. His introduction had been short and simple, avoiding any of the titles he had garnered from his time in service. It would be a bit needlessly provocative to remind the Perrench in attendance of how he had profited at their expense. After all, he could already see some cold expressions in the otherwise cheering crowds that lined the procession. He shook his head slowly to dismiss them from his thoughts for the moment though. This was supposed to be a momentous occasion and he raised a hand towards the rose petals that showered down around him. The sheer energy exuded by the crowds gave him plenty to work with, but that was just the easy part. The hard part was to snag each of the petals as they fluttered and danced in the wind and bend them to his will without simply tearing or crushing them apart.

What should have been a rain of rose petals was instead turned into a flowing stream of red that moved in tune with each flick of his hand. Tracing his name through the air in Avincian for all to see before he guided it down towards him. He leaned his head forward just enough for the gathered crown of rose petals to set itself on his head before he bowed to the surrounding crowds. Nearly tipping from his horse, but almost floating back into place as he sat up straight once as his horse cleared the gates for those that would be coming afterwards.
Well drat. If a spot opens up, lemme know?
Well this looks like a whacky ball of shenanigans.


Shou Zheng

Shou may have had a purpose for diving into the surrounding waters, but he could still appreciate the lively and colorful ecosystem established on the island's shores. He would have expected them to be a bit more barren given Bermuda's recent construction, but there was no telling how long the island had been around while the Academy was built up on it.

The tingle made Shou grimace, even as he pushed through the sensation and dove straight down. There was enough light for him to see the end of the cliff face that marked the end of the island. Flipping himself upright as he passed it and squinted into the darkness, he could just barely make out the various constructions built into the island's underside. Even if it was currently too unrefined to use, the sheer amount of electricity being circulated to keep the island afloat made the pathways light up in ways that almost hurt his head.

Of course, the island being reliant on that much Formulae was quite the vulnerability, and he couldn't imagine there wouldn't have been some protections built in against sabotage. It would be more expensive to have each Steam Core function independently, but clearly the countries responsible weren't too concerned about expense. If he were a Technologist as well he might have been able to discern any countermeasures to deal with saboteurs, but the entire underbelly of the island was just a thrumming beacon of electricity to Shou.

Curious, but he hadn't left his dormitory first thing in the morning to oogle at the sheer cost and scale of Bermuda's construction. As he lingered there by the edge of the island, he cut loose with his echolocation to map out his surroundings. Almost instantly he recoiled a bit from the disappearance of half his created waves. It wasn't as bad as if they had been reflected to him instantly, but their absorption was a bit more unsettling. It was a good thing there was still a bit of light available to him, otherwise it would have been like finding himself right before an abyss!

He sent out more waves as he swam downwards, carefully mapping out the exact range of Bermuda's influence on the ocean. Given how the zone began right under the island, he doubted it was a natural phenomenom and likely the work of some piece of equipment. Aside from somehow rendering the water completely still though, he had no idea about its other effects. Would it render him immobile if he tried to swim into it?

Spinning his sword around by the strap looped around his wrist, the blade seemed to cut through the water without any resistance as he grabbed onto the handle. He had descended to the point that there was no more sunlight, and his clicks had yet to bounce back to him either. Nothing but ocean water for at least a couple hundred meters around him, and this weird still zone right in front. With a deep breath he swung the sword lazily into the zone and waited for something to happen.
Shou Zheng

With his mood considerably soured even after he had taken a shower to freshen up, Shou had silently returned to his room and left Kiran to his investigations. Falling asleep was never a difficult task for someone who could manipulate their own biological functions, and he was out in a matter of moments after he had hit the bed. Ensuring that his sleep was actually peaceful was a bit more difficult as control slipped away once consciousness faded.

Awake at the crack of dawn once his dreams had calmed down a bit, Shou grunted in annoyance as he looked around the unfamiliar room. He didn't need much sleep these days, but if his head was going to be filled with dreams of the depths every night then he might just have to become nocturnal, rules and curfew be damned. His morning routine did not take very long and he was quiet about it once he noticed Kiran's investigations had gone on for long enough to leave them collapsed on the couch.

Leaving the other student to catch up on his beauty sleep, Shou was out of the dormitory only a few moments after the mists had rolled off the island. The air still a bit clammy as the sun just barely poked over the horizon. Taking a deep breath, the salty scent of the sea filled Shou's lungs before he set off to reclaim his weapon from the armoury it was being held at. Even if he only planned on investigating the surrounding ocean and seabed around Bermuda, he might as well be prepared in case he did find something.

Thus he did not hear the announcement that came a few hours later. By then, he was deep underwater. Plumping the depths for whatever had been missed by those who had built up the island.
Shou Zheng
Even at a respectable distance from where the Clocktower was located, Shou's "finned" ears still vibrated a bit with the sheer volume of each ring. He pitied anyone who lived in a dormitory closer to the source without any sort of protection. As the final clang's echoes faded and died down, he rose from his seat to glance outside and see if anything had changed outside. Had patrols risen from their alcoves in search of rule breakers?

It certainly sounded like there were changes within their dormitory. He could hear the clicks and clacks in the walls, although to what end he wasn't quite certain yet. He was able to notice the windows move to slam shut against his face though. The hinges taking on a life of their own as they began to close. His forehead was sturdier than whatever glass and wood the windows were made out of, but that wasn't exactly a good reason for vandelizing their shared room. Shou snapped his head back as the windows slammed shut in front of him, glass panes shaking in place, and he hummed as they clicked and latched shut.

"Well, that seems a bit like overkill," Shou finally remarked as he reached up and tapped the glass with a finger. From everything he heard, it seemed like every building in their vicinity had been modified in a similar manner. The fog had also considerably thickened in the moments since the lockdown started. The streetlights just outside their building were little more than indistinct orange blurs, and any prospect of exploration was certainly going to be hindered by the lack of visibility. He should probably look into further improving his senses that didn't rely on sight.

Thoughts of that nature quickly faded though as Shou grimaced. A sharp crack as the mug's handle broke under his tightened grip. His eyes darted around, trying to pierce the thick fog uselessly, and beads of sweat suddenly dotted his brow. His entire body tensed, ready to spring into action, before he closed his eyes and shook his head furiously. The half full mug finally clattering onto the ground as its handle was reduced to mere mulch in his hand.

His attention snapped downwards at the sound and the feeling of wetness against his foot, and Shou just managed to stop his tail from smashing a hole through the floor. He stared for a few moments, doing his best to collect himself, before he just shook his head and let out an uneven breath. He breathed in deep to continue calming down a bit further before he muttered a sullen warning, "Yeah, I wouldn't go out." Picking up the fallen mug, he made his way over to the kitchen, tossed it into the sink, and picked up a towel on the way. That was tossed over the spill before he stalked out of the room in search of the bathroom.

@SilverPaw
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