Session 02 Team CARP

[21:10] <@ArgentGM> With the Valravn's dealt with, the Windrunner continues its path through the skies unperturbed, the gleaming tower at the heart of the Pendragon Institute growing closer with each passing minute. Your future classmates, the eight other students who helped fight off the Dreaded Eagles have once again scattered across the deck - but, somehow, closer than they had been before the fight.
[21:12] <Rareven_Lirodni_> Rareven begins reloading his weapon of the one shot fired in the previous battle. There was no sense in a half-empty ammunition stock.
[21:15] * Caldia sighs again, going back to looking out over the railing wistfully. "Well, that could have totally gone better." She said, offering a pout at the shining structure approaching, giving a tiny shrug. "You still handled that really well, Allandria."
[21:16] * Allandria remains back to Caldia's side as she swore to the girl's parents before she stepped on the ship deck. The jam in her broom-stick was fixed and another shell was loaded in. Her animalistic slitted pupil glanced over to Caldia as she worked,"As did you."
[21:17] * Cirrus` tidies up his blazer: the life sphere user had very kindly healed him during the battle, but that didn't fix the new tear across the chest of his clothes. Holding the rip closed with his right hand, he gestures silently with his left as he casts something - it takes him a full minute, but with a final sweep of his hand, there's a tidy patch of the same material as his blazer sewn over the damage. Not as perfect as magical reforging, but
[21:17] * Cirrus` he'd have to make do.
[21:18] <Rareven_Lirodni_> A final clunk told Rareven his weapon was back at full operating condition, and from one of many little chambers inside his armor, he procured a cloth, small mirror, and bottle of clear fluid, before beginning to clean his shield and weapon.
[21:18] <Caldia> "Well, I don't think it was that much, but I did help out. And I'm here to learn how to better myself anyway, right?" he said, nodding. It just made sense. "Still, I wonder how many prospective students get that kind of crash-course in monster hunting?"
[21:19] <Rareven_Lirodni_> "I would imagine few."
[21:19] <Rareven_Lirodni_> Rareven spoke up
[21:20] <Rareven_Lirodni_> "If one of the grander beasts had engaged us, it would have ended... poorly."
[21:20] <Rareven_Lirodni_> "We are not guardians. Not yet."
[21:20] <Allandria> "If they all go like this, then I'd doubt many. Be a good way to cut on the population for these lesser ones."
[21:22] <Caldia> "Huh. I wonder if they like, use it as a secret test sometimes?" She asked, shrugging her shoulders as she straightened out her back slowly, wishing that armor wasn't so cumbersome. "Good thing we're almost there, too."
[21:24] * Cirrus` pats down his jacket, walking back to the edge of the deck rather than the center, past the Caldia and Allandria pair, but seeming to pay them no mind.
[21:25] * Caldia blinks, suddenly seeming to remember something as her eye widen, pointing at the young man walking by. "Hey, you looked like you had things in order, without even any kind of crazy gimmick." She said, grinning widely. "What's your story?"
[21:27] <Rareven_Lirodni_> He finished cleaning his shield and spearhead, leaving them a dull, gleaming grey, the color of well-forged steel. A grunt came from deep in his throat as he put the cleaning materials back into storage, and he could see his face, if slightly distorted, in his shield and blade.
[21:27] * Allandria watches Cirrus pass by, the frays caused by combat immediately coming apparent to the dedicated worker and seamstress as it's needed. She steps up along side the man, bluntly speaking after Caldia got her question in,"Magic sewn repairs will look terrible over time, I can sew it properly for you later."
[21:27] * Cirrus` stops. No crazy gimmick, huh... which meant the techniques he /did/ use were less impressive than the others'.
[21:27] <@ArgentGM> The girl leaning on the railing - her back to the setting sun while the young medic worked to sketch a portrait of her - taps the toe of her boots against the deck, staring up at the stars slowly fading into view. She stops as something seems to click, and marches over to Caldia.
[21:27] <Rareven_Lirodni_> His armor was slightly under performance and/or dirty, but removal was rather nonoptimal at this time, with no private areas.
[21:28] <Cirrus`> "Does an ordinary fighting style come from anything but an ordinary story?" He turns partially around, not to face her directly but enough for them to see his side. "I'm here to study and train, and there's nothing else to it."
[21:30] <Cirrus`> "And..." He considers Allandria's request for a moment. "Well, if we ever have the chance once we're landed, that would be welcome. This is a temporary repair meant to only last a few hours, anyway."
[21:31] <@ArgentGM> Her eyes, glowing with the characteristic magic of an elven pureblood, seem to glare out from under her bangs at the young knight. "You. Your aura has the look of a Durant - are you of that family, then?"
[21:33] * Caldia seems to deflate a little, but gives a nod, jumping to the most easy assumption to make. "So it's just like, a career thing for you?" She asked, before giving a shrug. "That's fine, I mean, I was just starting to get a bit starry eyed with all the cool tricks the others did. Maybe we'll like, have some proper time once this whole thing settles down a
[21:33] * Caldia little?" She asked, gesturing at the tower in the distance, grinning almost wickedly as an idea pops in her head, oblivious to the approaching girl until she spoke up. She twirled around, changing giving a less evil grin. "Uhh, yeah, technically. Caldia, pleased to meet you." She said, offering a wider smile as she held out her hand, seemingly oblivious to
[21:33] * Caldia the hostile intent.
[21:35] * Allandria keeps her attention to the woman behind her and questioning Caldia of her nobility, but remains respectful of Cirrus' presence. "I'll see if I have the right threads to match." Her thougths and words move without transition. "You had an interesting style yourself, but, did you call out your attacks?"
[21:38] * Cirrus` gives Allandria a slightly incredulous look. "Surely someone's battle presence should be judged on more than whether they did something as silly as call out their attacks."
[21:38] * Cirrus` totally did call out the names of his techniques though. He totally did, once or twice.
[21:40] * Cirrus` looks back at Caldia's new conversation, drawn in by the stark contrast between the two girls' attitudes.
[21:40] <@ArgentGM> "I see..." If anything, the elf-girl's glare seems to intensify, but she takes the proffered hand respectfully and shakes it. "I will be upfront: I want to know where we stand. My Greatbrother killed a relation of yours in the last war between Lyonesse and Camlann. Will this be a cause for issue between us?"
[21:44] * Allandria feels herself relaxed. She's certain that of her mis.. no, no, she's not to use that word. The connotation behind it around so many young ears can be damaging. Her friend's attitude is a touch unlike other nobles, surely she'll be tame. Her look to Cirrus remains inquisitive and curt, but a good eye can see the corner of her lip restraining itself from
[21:44] * Allandria smiling,"Perhaps. But I still find it a touch interesting that for someone who seems to be focused upon their battle prowess that they'd call out their attack before they did it? It's a good call for your target."
[21:44] * Caldia thought about it. Honestly, thought about it, before shaking her head, offering a grin. "Not at all. Totally fine. Like, the past is in the past. Any bad blood that happens will be because someone makes it in the here and now, yeah?" She says, nodding. "I'd like, offer my condolences, but that'd be shallow and fake, seeing as I really didn't know either of
[21:44] * Caldia them. So, like, as I see it, we're starting fresh. I dunno who you are, you dunno me as anything but like, a name. I mean, I can assume you're a Lyonesse but like-" She stopped, making a small bopping motion on her head with the ball of her hand. "Rambling, sorry. Like I said, pleased to meet you, Miss..?"
[21:50] * Cirrus` is slightly taken aback at this exchange too, but he doesn't let it show on his face. Something about it... nothing either of them said was unreasonable at all, but the starkness of it from both sides hit him. A conversation where what they traded wasn't blows, but openings.
[21:50] <Cirrus`> (A reminder not to expect the ordinary out of anyone on this ship...)
[21:52] * Allandria is a very blunt woman. If she thinks something and considers it thoroughly, it gets said without so much of a filter. Aside from calling Caldia her "mistress", yes that's the proper use of the word for the maid, but, again, it has a far more terrible meaning.
[21:52] <@ArgentGM> "Offer... condolences?" the elf tilts her head, eyes glaring and mouth scowling - but that might just be her resting face, "Is it not the duty of the aggrieving party to make symbolic reparations towards the aggrieved, or is it Camlann's custom to reverse the tradition?" At the idea of a fresh start, she blinks, and shakes her head. "I did not know the Knights of Camlann were so easily forgiving, but perhaps this is what [LYONESE] means."
[21:54] * Allandria leans back to murmur the meaning of what the "foreign" speak is for her companion.
[21:56] <Cirrus`> (I'm not sure it's that, so much as her simply taking it in stride... No trespass to forgive as she didn't even take it as an offense in the first place. ) Cirrus thinks, but again doesn't say it out loud. (...Or that's the image she was trying to give, at least.)
[21:57] * Caldia offers a nod to Alladria, grinning back at the elf. "Like I said, if you were like, part of something official for my family, that's different. But I'm a long way from my family, and we both prefer it that way. I'm Caldia, and you're talking to me about something two people I never met did. I'm me, not some long heritage of grudges and mean tricks, and I
[21:57] * Caldia want to be judged by what I do, not like, my great ancestors. If you were to like, hurt someone close to me, someone I know, then we'd talk about... forgiveness, or whatever. But as I see it, we like, have nothing to feel bad about. At least not me towards you." She added, raising an eyebrow at the elf.
[21:57] <@ArgentGM> At that, she draws her knife and in a quick, flashing motion, she slashes her palm, before offering the bleeding hand to Caldia. "If that is your will, I nonetheless ask that you accept this [LYONESE #2] as a testament to my resolve to uphold the [First Word] between our kith and kin."
[21:59] * Caldia glances at the hand a bit surprised, but gives a short look to Allandria, hoping for a clearer understanding than her own abysmal grasp of Lyonese.
[22:01] * Allandria furrows her brow in thought. Acting as translator once more. Mhn. Ahuh. She speaks back to the elven woman in the native tongue. [Forgive me for interrupting, but what was your name, ma'am?] She then gives Caldia the transalation for the second phrase.
[22:06] * Caldia nods, whispering a quick line back and looking slightly flushed as she reaches awkwardly to extend a few inches of her true blade, running her palm across the edge, and taking her hand in her own. "What was done is done. We're comrades in arms, and like, students together in this, and there are plenty of better things for us to be fighting than each other."
[22:06] * Caldia She said, nodding with a grin coming back to her face. "I look forward to working with you!"
[22:08] * Allandria seems taken aback, not with a grimace, but with meager shock upon her face from Caldia's words. It passes, but, hmpf. These darn noble types.
[22:11] <@ArgentGM> [My name? Can you- no, you can't. My apologies.] Her eyes catch the scorpion youkai for a moment, but when Caldia draws her sword, she starts with wide eyes, the glare dropping for the first time. "You've no need to... ah, it can't be helped. We both know too little of ways foreign to us. Very well Lady Durant - to a fresh start and - Oh! Your friend reminded me, you do not see as we do. My name is Lunette Forres..."
[22:13] * Caldia can't help it, she giggles as her hand comes free, looking at the blood. "Whoops. I suppose I've still got a good bit to learn. Still, it's nice to meet you, Lunette." She said, shrugging it off. "I'll like, try to brush up on some proper etiquette for once, now that I actually have a reason to."
[22:15] <@ArgentGM> She squeezes on Caldia's hand, her knife flashing in her other. "And by our blood, may this [LYONESE #1] bloom into something greater." The knife pierces both hands before its withdrawn, but there's no pain as the palms are impaled.
[22:16] <@ArgentGM> In fact, when she withdraws the knife, the cuts on both her hand and Caldia's have healed over, without scarring.
[22:17] * Caldia blinks down at the act, expecting to feel a sudden spike of pain and regret over poor decisions, mystified by the surprising lack of pain and even... healing? She let out a low whistle, glancing at her hand, trying to remember if she even felt the metal inside of it. "May it indeed... I have a -lot- to learn."
[22:19] <Allandria> "A pleasure to be of your aquaintance, Miss Forres. Simply call me Allandria, assistant to Miss Durant." Keeping it humble with the introduction and to the point. Don't need to bring any more attention to herself, the thunderclap her shotgun gave was more than enough.
[22:22] <@ArgentGM> "I see... well, it is a pleasure to-"
[22:25] <@ArgentGM> The sound of crashing water and pair of squeeking young women interrupts Lunette as she was finishing her introductions to the young scorpion. The redhead and the large girl can both be seen being pushed into the railing by... a tidal wave washing across the deck? The same voice as the one on the intercom can be heard after the water dissipates, chastising the two of them.
[22:26] <Rareven_Lirodni_> Rareven blinked.
[22:26] <Rareven_Lirodni_> That was new.
[22:26] <Rareven_Lirodni_> Generally water stayed on the ground.
[22:26] <Rareven_Lirodni_> Not washing over the bows of an airship.
[22:26] <@ArgentGM> "You can suck face all you want when you get to your dorms," the man tells them. "For now, please refrain from any PDAs."
[22:28] <Rareven_Lirodni_> Rareven blinked again, taking a moment to process the statement on the intercom. Then he grinned under his helm, smothering a chuckle.
[22:28] * Caldia suddenly took a look on her face, gloomier and angrier than it had been in the fight, an almost palpable feeling of vitriol seeping from her at the sudden announcement over the intercom, growling and mumbling seeming nonsense in [AKLO].
[22:28] <@ArgentGM> Lunette eyes, having traced the tidal wave, blink at the soggy pile. "Good heavens."
[22:28] <Rareven_Lirodni_> He wasn't about to condemn people for having... fun when they could.
[22:28] * Cirrus` looks at them, wondering if he should help them up - and thinking that they probably don't want to attract any more attention than they already had.
[22:29] * Cirrus` does take a few careful steps away from the spreading water, though.
[22:30] <Rareven_Lirodni_> Still, water was not exactly a pleasant thing to be doused in unexpectedly. Not the worst, to be sure, but not a good one.
[22:31] <Rareven_Lirodni_> And so he moved over towards the pair, not close enough that it would bother them if they wished to continue, but close enough to at least watch if something amusing happened.
[22:32] * Allandria bundles up two handfuls of her dress, bringing it away from her ankles and from the sodden deck and ties it off around her sash. Can't be doing laundry already! She meanders around, moving closer to Caldia's and Lunette's sides.
[22:34] * Caldia takes a deep breath, making an attempt to calm herself from the sudden affront, nodding, as her smiley demeanor returns like clouds parting. "Right, well... That was interesting." She said, taking note of the two. "I would have thought daring like that would have been rewarded. Guess I'll need to be careful." She said, shrugging, doing nothing to make it
[22:34] * Caldia clear if this was directed at anyone present, or merely thinking out loud.
[22:37] <@ArgentGM> As the tangled girls pull themselves up from the sodden puddle - the water evaporating faster than water had any right to - the airship begins its landing pattern towards the Institute's docks. You can get a better view of it now, the gleaming glass tower planted beneath the shadow of a dormant volcanoe, cutting the sky in two as it rises what must be nearly half a mile...
[22:37] <Allandria> "It's unsightly to do that out in public any how. It's nothing to concern with, Caldia."
[22:37] <Rareven_Lirodni_> Rareven shrugged slightly, leaning out on the rail. "There is rarely a loss in being cautious."
[22:38] <Rareven_Lirodni_> "Still, I can't say I approve of public..." his brow furls.
[22:38] <Rareven_Lirodni_> "I believe the word is fornication."
[22:38] <Rareven_Lirodni_> "I may be wrong."
[22:40] <@ArgentGM> ...And in the tower's shadow, a shoreline littered with squat buildings of steel and cement, none approaching the tower's height even if they might have been called skyscrapers in a proper city.
[22:40] <Cirrus`> "---Yes, that's slightly wrong." Cirrus shot back, before he could even think about it, before coughing and walking closer to the front of the deck.
[22:41] * Caldia shrugs, giving a shake of her head as she takes a step closer to the railing, admiring the sight. "I approve of affection. Like, in general. As long as folks aren't like ripping clothes off and going all the way, right?" She asked shrugging before adding "Doesn't help that I'm mostly surrounded by cuties here- Oooh, wouldja lookit that?" She asked, pointing.
[22:41] * Caldia "There must be some like, crazy engineers who figured out how to get that to stand that tall."
[22:41] <Rareven_Lirodni_> "Ah. Then what would the proper one be for this?" the Dwarf asked the half-elf.
[22:42] <Rareven_Lirodni_> The knightess earned a slightly cocked head instead.
[22:42] * Cirrus` takes a drawn-out breath, exhaling slowly as he looks up at the looming tower. The heights it reaches no doubt also a metaphor, and its pristine glass symbolising... something. Focus, clarity, purity. Very fitting.
[22:43] * Cirrus` frowns, not really wanting to talk with the dwarf about different terms for making out.
[22:44] <Cirrus`> "General affectionate displays." He gives the safest answer with a shrug.
[22:44] <@ArgentGM> The boy in the corner finally stops his solitude, coming around to the main group to give the tower a look. "Well, it's not just engineers. Mages, too. Plus, this place is on a Dreamline, I think, where the Red Dream runs a bit thicker - most of that tower is just one big ritual circle, from what I understand."
[22:45] <Rareven_Lirodni_> "Ah. I thank you for expanding my vocabulary. I'm not exactly the fastest of learners."
[22:45] <Rareven_Lirodni_> At the words "Red Dream" Rareven turns to the boy. "Oh? A holy site, of a sort?"
[22:45] * Caldia chimes in, not looking away from the tower "Affection, kissing, making out, snogging. All work, depending on the context here..." She said, looking over to the boy, eyes wide. "Oooh. The parts of that I got, seem really impressive." She said, nodding. "I mean, obviously there's gotta be some magic involved, but that still takes some engineering."
[22:46] * Allandria rolls her eyes upon hearing Caldia call those aboard, including herself, a "cutie". Sigh. It'll be a long semester, a long semester with her likely being roomed with Caldia.
[22:47] <@ArgentGM> The boy snorts at the word Holy Site. "I mean, yeah, if you're into that. More a massive generator to power all the stuff the Professors try their hands at when they're not teaching adventurers how to properly kill monsters."
[22:48] <Rareven_Lirodni_> "Faith is a weapon all its own." A brief flare of silver peaks Rareven's spear. "And every weapon that can be turned against the Dreaded, should be."
[22:50] * Caldia grins a biiit wider, an awful wonderfully twisted thing coming to her mind, but she simply bites her lower lip, just soaking in the impressive sight for a moment, nodding to herself. "Maybe they use it to learn, I mean, they're certainly using it to teach..."
[22:52] * Cirrus` knew a decent amount about the nature of the tower, but that didn't make him any less tense in anticipation. Settings and circumstances were one thing, but the nature of upcoming trials was another.
[22:52] <@ArgentGM> "Hey, I ain't judgin'" the boy throws his hands in the air. "False Gods, True Gods, Ancestors, River Spirits - gotta respect 'em all for their strength, at the very least."
[22:53] * Caldia unable to keep it in any longer, for fear of actually exploding, Caldia shrugs. "I prefer the one you try not to shout TOO loudly for." She muttered, finally pulling back from the railing. "Can't sit still, I'm getting excited." She said, deciding to start a slow pace up and down the railing.
[22:55] <Rareven_Lirodni_> "Shouting is not exactly conductive to most worship."
[22:55] * Allandria brings a hand to her forehead and just, looks down. This boat trip has turned into a torture chamber.
[22:55] <@ArgentGM> Soon enough, the Windrunner lays itself out on a landing pad in the midst of a grassy field, the lightning holding up the nacelles fading a bit as they close in on the hull, locking into place before ramps extend from the interior of the ship.
[22:55] * Allandria oh thank any gods.
[22:57] <@ArgentGM> The upper deck is the last to disembark, a bridge to a small tower finally locking into place as you hear a woman's voice shout, all too gaily: "Hellooooooooo~!"
[22:58] * Caldia pivots on her step, stopping the motion to look in the direction of the ramp, excited to see what lay ahead. "We're here, Allie, we're finally here." She said, grinning. "A school that's gonna teach us, help us on our way to becoming actually powerful, and miles, miiiiiles away from any fami- Eep." She says, cutting off as she glanced about for the intruding
[22:58] * Caldia voice.
[22:59] <@ArgentGM> "Allllllright everyone!" the lady calls from down in yard, where students have begun to gather. "Now, some idiot is going to tell you that my name is 'Knight-Captain Morgase d'Igraine,' and they'll be right, but they'll also forget to mention that you really should just call me Marge. Anyways, fresh green students - who's ready for initiation? Let me hear it!"
[23:01] <Cirrus`> (I've seen pictures of her-) Cirrus watches, (That's Knight-Captain Morgase d'Igrai--- well then. Good, I didn't say that out loud.)
[23:01] <@ArgentGM> You can see even from the upper decks that the woman appears to be wearing a particularly elaborate uniform, and you can hear a lone voice call out in response, with enough enthusiasm for three people:  "Ready, Miss Marge!"
[23:04] <Caldia> me blinks, off-put for the moment by encountering someone legitimately bombastic, before grinning, and responding to the woman as well. "Yeah, Ready!" She shouted up, wondering what on earth you were supposed to do with your hands in a situation like this. She... actually wasn't ready at all.
[23:04] <@ArgentGM> With the ice broken, a few others join in - including some of the ones on deck with you. The blonde Chevalier, in particular, falls off the bow of the ship with an enthusiastic sound, and surfs her sword towards the crowd. Lunette and the platinum haired boy both just blink, but only Lunette speaks: "Good heavens."
[23:06] * Allandria keeps herself shut up aside from mumbling to Lunette,"Yes, I've learned that a good deal of the races like to be very.. ah, energetic."
[23:07] * Cirrus` is unsurprisingly also in the calm and quiet crowd.
[23:08] <@ArgentGM> "Wonderful, wonderful!" Marge smiles as the other students express their enthusiasm. "So, let's begin these proceedings and get the first batch of you out and underway! Humm... let's see here... everyone who's name I call, you'll need to file into the building where, well, the Headmaster and I will await."
[23:08] <@ArgentGM> She gestures towards a small building, squat and flat and topped with a cap of glass, letting in the setting sun and waiting stars as the dusk slowly turns to night.
[23:09] <@ArgentGM> "Alright, let's see... Allandria Tyrian, Caldia Durant, Cherise Fontaine, Cirrus Pascal, Florence Chevalier, Hoel mac Fee, Kardeiz Black, Lunette Florres, Melody Kaherdin, Morgan Dreadfur, Oswald Hamilton, Ragnal Jones, Rareven Lirodni, Rivalen Royce, Sagremor Miles, and... Seraphtor... no surname given. Huh."
[23:11] <Allandria> "Come now, Miss Caldia, before they ask us to yell out again or before another moment is ruined on deck." She takes the lead for her, guiding her, and keeping an eye on her attention deficit lady.
[23:12] * Cirrus` nods, checking how noticeable the patch on his blazer is, before heading in without waiting for the others. Not rushing, but not hesitating either.
[23:12] * Caldia grinned wider, glad that things seemed to be working out, at least so far. "All right, then." She said, grinning at her friend, and.. new friends? Probably. She looked to the building she was being lead to and began to stride towards it, feeling like a child in a candy store. Sure this'd be hard, this'd be probably one of the few difficult things she ever
[23:12] * Caldia did in her life, but she was feeling like an uncaged bird, and her selection of people around her was certainly a marvelous fringe benefit.
[23:13] <@ArgentGM> The group that follows you down the tower consists of Lunette, the redhead - who waves a quick goodbye at her... new girlfriend? - the unfortunate spearwoman, and the blonde Chevalier, who rockets toward the building to be the first one there.
[23:14] <@ArgentGM> The building - marked "Outdoor Ritual Hall 107" and given the nickname "Nimue's Cave" - is a simple enough structure as you enter, the first of many such groups, given the number of students. Tiled floors and open space, at the center of which is an aging man in a simple, yet quite professional get up. He looks at you all with a gaze that might have seen who you were through every pretense and posturing you place upon yourself, but if he did, he doesn't judge.
[23:16] <@ArgentGM> He simply speaks.
[23:16] <@ArgentGM> "Like many before you, you have come to the Pendragon Institute to learn," he says. "To learn strength. To learn cunning. To learn power, and - if the lesson can be taught - the wisdom of when to use it. Your reasons are your own, and your reasons do not matter. What matters now is that you show us the resolve your reasons grant you, and if it is enough to carry you through this trial, we will help you forge it into something greater."
[23:16] * Cirrus` is instinctively uneasy under the gaze, but tells himself to stay composed, as he takes the first open space. He didn't come here to shy away from adversity.
[23:19] * Caldia remains at ease, but that's not to say relaxed. Unperturbed, she listened to the speech,but slowly began to eye the room, as if looking for something, counting the people up in her head.
[23:20] * Cirrus` looks to his left as well - noticing people he didn't recognise from the upper deck. Just when he thought the selection of students couldn't get any more varied...
[23:22] * Allandria keeps her tail still and her eyes focused upon the superior in the room. She's no soldier, she's not trained, but she knows where the attention goes where it's needed.
[23:22] * Cirrus` in particular notices the pair of girls at the far side of the room, both their auras blazing up with flares of wild and uncontrolled elemental energy. Animus - a natural affinity to the flux of elements.
[23:23] * Allandria ..just makes sure to pinch Caldia's wrist when she's been staring at someone far too long.
[23:23] <@ArgentGM> The smiling knight-captain gestures at the circles, dark adamantine engraved with runes and humming with magic. "Please step within the circles now. On my mark, you will be transported above the ruins of Castle Pendragon, the original seat of this institution's campus. With it fallen into disrepair, we've allowed weaker Dreaded to infest it, making it one of our primary training grounds for students."
[23:23] * Caldia mutters something, barely more than breathing, her attention going back to the old man and the circles in question.
[23:24] * Cirrus` breaks his gaze from the others at the alert, and already reaches to draw his sword. They'd just been told they were being sent into enemy territory, so he wasn't going in unprepared.
[23:24] * Caldia takes a deep breath, suddenly looking a lot more serious as she takes a position in the circle, steadying herself, and looking much, much less certain of herself as she stops moving.
[23:26] <@ArgentGM> The old man raises a hand, and Marge backs down, letting him speak. "Do not think this is simply a ruin, or just another survival exercise. The Dreaded upon this island are very real, and very deadly. Should you hesitate, should your resolve fail you, you will die. Which is why, upon landing, you're to team up with the first person you lay eyes upon. With them at your side, retrieve a runestone from the castle's main hall, and return to the Institute."
[23:26] <@ArgentGM> He makes a gesture, and a thermos falls into his hand from the ether. "Do not worry about a passing grade in this. If you fail, you will be dead. Now, before we begin, are there any questions?"
[23:27] <@ArgentGM> A cat youkai raises her hand:  "Will the Institute be visible from wherever we end up?"
[23:27] * Allandria remains in her circle, right next to Caldia.
[23:28] * Caldia winces, tearing her eyes away to look at her fellow students again. Allie first, of course, then the others, wondering who she could trust... But she stayed silent. There was nothing she could think of to contribute, and was much too afraid of looking even more of a fool. She stole a glance at Allandria, wondering if they'd be lucky enough to stay together.
[23:28] * Caldia Probably not, but a girl can dream, right?
[23:29] <@ArgentGM> "A five hundred meter high tower is difficult to miss on the worst of days," the professor says through a sip of coffee, but before another question can be asked, the hall seems to vanish.
[23:30] * Cirrus` does note the circles come in pairs, and wonders if that's linked to the exercise - he looks at the student next to him, Rareven. He definitely could have been paired with worse.
[23:30] * Cirrus` thinks of a question of his own, and is about to raise his hand in turn, when---
[23:30] <Allandria> She waits for the other youkai to finish speaking, then lets a pause fill the beat as she brings her hand to attention,"These are weaker Dreaded as you mentioned, but, what sort of abilities do they have? Aside from possibly rushing us down."
[23:33] <@ArgentGM> It's as if you've been squeezed through a very tight tube, or maybe simply stopped existing at point a and began to exist at point b. You're... not on solid ground anymore. The air is cold and howling as you rush past it, and you can see a handful of others falling from the sky near you. A castle - no, a tower, with towers about it, stone and old masonry, connected by a great fortified wall - looms below you.
[23:35] * Cirrus` is stuck in mid-air with his hand half raised. Well then.
[23:36] * Allandria is stuck in midair without an answer to her question.
[23:36] * Allandria IMMEDIATELY tucks a hand to her dress, pushing down the front of it from the rush of updraft pushing out the back. Agh, terrible terrible terrible!
[23:37] * Caldia nearly shrieks as she finds herself falling, flailing to make sure she's got her ring, trying to think of something, anything that could be useful in this situation, finally finding the words to match the feelings she's experiencing. "WHAT. A. SHIT."
[23:40] * Cirrus` 's mind quickly jumps to the natural solution: make a parachute, or a sponge, or something-- he can think of any number of things to create that would save him, but they're all fleeting imagines, and he couldn't lock on to any of them, not in a situation like this-
[23:41] * Cirrus` has nothing else to do but try, though. Stretching his hand outward, he tries his hardest to imagine a body-sized sponge materialising in front of him, just the right mix of firm and soft to break his fall--
[23:45] * Allandria grinds her teeth together and considers how terrible firing just one barrel with both hands was. Her broom stick pointed snowbounds and she already had two shells crackling with unstable energies. The gunpowder had been transmuted into something akin to nitroglycerine, minus the "explodes when jostled" part, and the force could easily dislocate her arm if
[23:45] * Allandria she felt bold enough to do it with one arm.
[23:48] * Caldia takes a moment to sigh, looking at the snow. Panic would not help, and despite the fear starting to grip her from the base of her spine and slipping upward, she acted. She forced herself into motion the way she always did, by rambling. "I'mma die." She said, reaching into her pack. "I had the chance to learn a spell to give wings. But did I take it? Nooo, I
[23:48] * Caldia was all like "'what? Like, wings that'll only slow me down falling? Like, what's the point If I'm not even flying?' Well guess what, Caldia. You're a dumb slut, and you're about to die because some old shitlord decides that it's his school, his rules." She rambled, digging around in her pack, yanking the fabric of her tent out and hoping she didn't lose the
[23:48] * Caldia rest of her pack in the process. "Didn't get to have fun with anyone, didn't get to do any pranks, Allie probably thinks you're just an Airhead, and Mom and Dad get to have an easy out. Damn it, seriously." She said, yanking the cloth around one leg, then the other, and grabbing at the corners as she fluttered and fell like a rock, hoping that somehow, this
[23:48] * Caldia exercise in stupidity would pay off...
[23:48] * Allandria ..r-rrrgh. Damnit, damnit, damnit! She removes her hand from the front of her dress, begging desperately to any power that heard her pride screaming inside her head for anything that glanced at her was hit with a bit of mindfog, as her dress fluttered upbound! Aiming to the snow with both arms steadying a supportless grip, it sounded as if a thunderclap
[23:48] * Allandria struck where the maid was falling as the ground below her became a thick swarm of grey pellets.
[23:50] * Cirrus` | With a flash of magic, a chunk of sponge the size of a small mattress appears underneath Cirrus, and he grips it for dear life while the increased air resistance threatens to throw his fall off course. He grits his teeth together, bracing for impact he can only estimate since his view to the ground is now blocked, and--
[23:51] * Cirrus` | With a giant FWOMPH, the combined mass plows into the snow in a flurry of white, the sponge absorbing the force and then rebounding right back and throwing Cirrus off it.
[23:52] * Cirrus` flies about two feet in the air and lands on his back in the snow - not the most graceful, but at least unharmed.
[23:52] * Allandria timed her shots well, a delay to not completely halt herself, but to instead greatly reduce her decent with two bursts of retrograde bound speed! Perhaps she's played a few space simulators, maybe she's profanely lucky, but at the cost of her decency, the maid makes a gentle landing into the dotted crater she's made upon the ground. Huff.
[23:54] * Caldia winces, as amazingly, her plan seems to work. The fabric catches the wind, ballooning behind her and threatening to dislocate several joints all at once, forcing her into an awkward spread-eagle pose, grimacing and cursing as the speed is slowed, but still not enough to be a pleasant landing by any stretch of the imagination, face planting across several
[23:54] * Caldia feed of snow. She was going to learn that spell, she decided, amidst the cross between biting cold and burning sensations across her face from scraping along the ice.
[23:54] * Cirrus` is flat on his back with his limbs spread in the snow. His glasses flew off somewhere in the process, and he takes a moment to breathe in and out, staring at the sky.
[23:55] <Cirrus`> It's a nice sky.
[23:55] <@ArgentGM> All of you manage to land safely in the deep snow covered grounds of Castle Pendragon, by whichever means were most readily available to you. As luck would have it, nothing was around to see Allandria's brief stint of indecency, leaving her dignity intact.
[23:56] <@ArgentGM> Cirrus, however, is the first to spot the Valravns. Circling - waiting for something, but not diving. High in the sky now...
[23:56] * Allandria still feels unwell. Not the "threat of getting snow under the dress" part, but the "people could have seen" part.
[23:56] * Cirrus` jolts himself up, immediately out of time for leisure.
[23:57] * Cirrus` looks toward the wall - he'd heard the shotgun blast and put two and two together there, but the scorpion maid was outside his vision.
[23:57] * Caldia continues to frown, groaning as she gets to her feet, ring-hand drawing her actual blade as she glances around, orienting herself on the tower in the distance, then looking around. Please be Allandria, please be- Oh. "Gaaah." She muttered, traipsing through the snow towards him. "At least you're one of the cute ones"
[23:57] * Cirrus` looks the other way - where for some reason there's a large tent.
[00:00] * Cirrus` reaches for his face, which feels odd without his glasses, but fortunately he didn't need them for the fight. Rather than correcting his vision, they were made to tone down - but not completely filter out - the aura detection of his elfsight, which while very useful would sometimes distract from his normal observations.
[00:01] * Cirrus` looks at the girl who just emerged from under the tent. "...Caldia Durant." He says, partially to himself.
[00:03] * Allandria shakes herself off free of all that "ech" crawling on her skin and reloads.
[00:04] <Cirrus`> "Your attendant is beyond the wall," He jerks his head towards the set of double doors, before pointing a finger to the sky. "But I'd move warily if I were you."
[00:04] <Caldia> "Cirrus." She responded, trying to close the distance. "I was, not ready for any of this." She said, glancing around at the castle walls, frowning. "We probably don't have a lot of time." She said, glancing up, then back at him. "Kay. I'll keep flirting on the side until it looks like we're not gonna die. But like, they said pair with the first person you
[00:04] <Caldia> see. Never said anything about not making a big group right, strength in numbers?" She asked, tilting her head as she tried to ignore the circling beasts above. Well, not really, that was stupid. She was still paying attention to them. But she was pretending not to, and telling herself she wasn't freaking out about them.
[00:07] <Cirrus`> (You definitely didn't seem ready.) Cirrus thinks, but doesn't say out loud. (An overly relaxed noble girl who sees this school as more of an escape or distraction, underestimating its severity. Didn't have too strong a head for tactics in the fight on the deck. Probably the sort that this test was meant to filter out.)
[00:08] * Cirrus` thinks back to the way he saw her talk to the elf, though, with her smile completely unguarded, but genuine.
[00:09] <Cirrus`> "Well, as they said." He extends a hand to her, "We're a team now. And I'm not going to let you die."
[00:09] <Cirrus`> And he meant it.
[00:12] <Caldia> "That's appreciated. I'll do the same for you." She said, thinking. "I know you saw the battle, but quick overview." She began, holding out her own hand to meet his. "I can enhance someone with claws, stings, and the like, but it was meant to be used mostly on Allandria. She's equipped for it" She said, taking the time for another glance up. She seemed to be
[00:12] <Caldia> all business now, cute comment aside. "I can instill a little fear, or make some small magical attacks. Nothing flashy." She said, nodding to her blade. "I knew I should have gone with the wings though." She groaned, looking back up. "You?"
[00:13] <Allandria> "..Perhaps pants would be.. wise. Or even shorts beneath this dress."
[00:14] * Caldia felt a sudden chill, as if chocolate had been outlawed. She gave a quick shiver, frowning. The snow hadn't seemed this cold a moment ago.
[00:15] <Cirrus`> "I'm fairly split between two fields." Cirrus shakes her hand. "In combat, I've received training in Elemental Flux, Shattered Mirror, and Riven Hourglass-" He lists off names regardless of whether or not Caldia knew of them.
[00:17] <Cirrus`> "But my true specialty is creation magic." He gestures to the sponge-mattress that broke his fall. "Anything at all of up to this size, I can magically create. They last a few minutes to a few hours. While I can craft them mid-combat with some effort, if you give me enough time, I could theoretically keep creating things all day."
[00:19] * Caldia bites ehr tongue, deciding to keep her instructors rather bitter comments about "Fightan' Magic' to herself, nodding in response. "Nothing quite so fancy as all that, when it comes to melee combat, I'm only passable. All my tricks come from, well, magic." She said, nodding to her blade again. "If I'm actually cutting with my sword, instead of using it to
[00:19] * Caldia channel magic, I'm in deep trouble." She explained, thinking. "So my shapechanging magic won't be much good unless you want some claws, or a pair of horns to gore someone with, as disguising you as something else probably isn't much use." She said, frowning. "Looks like the best I could do here is hamper whatever we run into, maybe hurt it with my blasts."
[00:19] * Caldia She said, pointing to the wall. "Come on, I just had this like, totally ominous feeling. We should make sure Allandria's okay. And trust me, she's like, one of the most reliable folks to be around when the s-sssnow hits the fan."