RPG: Persona: A Clockwork God

[Luzifer]

Persona: A Clockwork God


All standard AF forum rules apply



Legend
Pale Turquoise= Louis Cypher
Yellow Green= Vincent Deltoro
White= Sarah Thuster

Prologue

Day One
Saturday August 30, 2025
Not long before Midnight

The sun had long ago set when the car pulled into the parking space and Louis slipped out the car door. The woman who had drive smiled at him gently, with some sort sparkle in her eye that made Louis cautious. Not to say it was a malicious glint, exactly the opposite, but it really didn’t matter for Louis, if someone had ideas about him then he was cautious. It just seemed natural that way. She spoke warmly which helped to take that daggers out his neck, “Here we are. Your new home.” For all he cared it could have been his old one…for all he knew it was for that matter. He had woken up not six hours ago and now he was enrolled in some high school and was going to be situated in dorm. Actually, the real reason he didn’t trust this woman, or anyone right now, and why her eye-gleam had put him on edge, was that he didn’t like how quick and smooth this transition was. At first, he had been groggy but he had managed to get his head together enough to begin find the situation strange. He had been told, several times by this point that he had been in a coma for five years, though they didn’t tell him why. If that was true, then why were they so ready to set him up with a high school? Things seemed too well prepared for this eventuality; it was almost as if he himself had been in charge! But he knew no one with as much foresight as he possessed, though that ought not surprise him.

Still, he didn’t betray these thoughts, his face was blank as he looked at the dorm building. From what the woman had told him there were six other people who would be sharing the dorm and not only that but it was co-ed. He wasn’t looking forward to this a great deal, a bunch insipid annoying worms, completely vapid and lacking in minds all wallowing in their own muck around. Well, he was no Stoic but he was sure that he could follow Zeno of Citium for at least a little bit… and Zeno of Tarsus for that matter.

“Come on inside, the rooms come with all the essentials and…” here she glanced at her watch and dismay shot across her face, “we better hurry its getting awfully late.” What was this woman’s name? Ah yes! Sarah. Sarah Thuster. She had fair form but that was about the only good thing he could say on her behest, she seemed to be lacking in sense but… there was something else. He had a feeling she knew more than she let on but knowledge and intellect were completely different things, an idiot could be well-informed but only intelligence could make that knowledge pay dividends.

Louis followed her into the door, and into the faint glow of soft lights. There was a long table with eight seats, enough for all the students and Sarah, to the right in a small dining “area” (as it could only be described because the entire bottom floor was one continuous room). Over in the distant were was two couches in front of a fairly plain TV and video game console. He thought he recognized it which meant it was probably several years out of date. There were a few vending machines against one wall. A pool table in the center. A perfect space for people to congregate and waste their time playing mindless games. “Where’s my room?”

Sarah looked up from some papers on a counter to his left. It looked like a counter like they would have at a hotel and perhaps this had once been a hotel. The paper seemed to be some kind of registry. It wasn’t something Louis was concerned with so he looked at the clock. The hour hand was one eleven and the minute hand on 59. The second hand was fast approaching twelve; midnight was almost here. He felt his skin crawl expectantly, for reasons which he could not fathom. The clock struck and all the lights went out in the building. A faint yellow-green glow began to emanate from the sickly looking moon. Everything felt strange and just to check he looked back towards Sarah. She continued going about the paper work as though nothing had happened.

It was then that something caught Louis’ eye. It was a piece of paper next to Sarah which she appeared to not notice. Maybe she had dropped it or it slipped out from beneath her pile. He picked it up gingerly, “What’s this?” he asked as he read it. I choose this path of my own free will. What an odd contract… he signed it without a second thought.

Sarah looked up, “Ah… good… It’s the appointed time for the meeting anyway and besides things will start to get nasty here if we don’t go” she nodded her head toward the building which was already beginning to shift and bend in strange ways. “This will give you a chance to get introduce to everyone” Suddenly Sarah snapped her fingers and everything went black.



Vincent leaned back gently on the wall behind his bed and put the carrot into his mouth. He waited a moment before biting it. It was difficult to even wait that long. Soon thereafter he was biting into it at an ever increasing rate till he seemed more rat than man. He tossed away the end of the carrot when he got to it landing it easily in the trash can. He loathed this but he couldn’t stop it.

For the past few years, ever since he had first gone into cocaine withdraw when he was in his foster home he had been unable to satiate this implacable hunger within him. He ate and ate and ate but neither his stomach nor his body (which was skinny and malnourished) seem to notice. He tried to resist but it was no use. The only time in the past few years his hunger had vanished was back when he had been doing cocaine again before going into rehab and then the couple of time he had relapsed during the treatment. It was either drugs or food, and either way he couldn’t stop.

He reached next to him. He didn’t look though, he could bear to look at what he was doing. Could bear to watch as he grabbed another carrot (he’d realized years ago that it didn’t matter what he ate as long as he was eating he could feed this damn addiction) and put it in front of his mouth.
He opened his mouth and hesitated…

The lights went out.

There was a knock on the door

He bit. Chewed. Swallowed. Looked up. He had no idea who could be knocking at the door, especially at this hour. He looked at the alarm clock next to his bed but for some reason it was off. It was plugged in though… odd. Must have been a power outage, that’s why the lights went out. Still, who could be knocking? He had been the first person to arrive, after Mrs. Thuster, of course, who was the dorm monitor, so he knew everyone who was there, though not there names. There was Lilith (the only one whose name he knew), who he could see knocking on some boys door clandestinely late at night, what with the way she moved her body when she walked, but she did not like him by any means. In fact, she seemed to detested him. There was one other girl, black haired and red eyed, she was something but she was even worse than Lilith in terms of how she felt about him. But that girl, the black-haired one, seemed to dislike anyone so he didn’t take it personally. There was a dark haired boy (Chris) who seemed to always be moody and angry but he left Vincent alone and Vincent left him alone so Vincent didn’t mind him too much. But there was no way that guy would be knocking on his door. Then there was the rich boy. Vincent had a little bit of a grudge against him because his parents had been “living” off welfare when he had been young and his foster home wasn’t much better but he realized that this was unfair and tried not to begrudge him it too much. Still, he probably wouldn’t be knocking this late at night. Then there was “nobody” as Vincent knew him. He was a quiet unassuming young man. And that was about it. He wasn’t unfriendly but he definitely lacked the initiative to come here… unless he was drunk or high… but then he lacked the initiative to do those too.

Vincent stood up and walked to the door. As he stepped in front of the poorly constructed wooden door to look through the eye-hole, he heard a slight crinkling sound. Looking down he saw a sheet of pure white paper with black writing on it and a pen next to it. He read it, thinking it was some note from the knocker. “Contract” was the heading and then a single sentence and a line for a signature. The sentence read “I choose this path of my own free will”. Without thinking twice he signed.

Suddenly, things began to feel amiss and looking around he noticed the walls had begun to bend and change. Just when he was about to panic a loud finger snap pierced his mind and everything went black.



Louis opened his eyes and quickly took in his surroundings. He was sitting in a chair laying across some sort of table. He pushed himself up to get a better view. There were seven other chairs, six of them were occupied by six teens all just regaining consciousness like him. In the other was Sarah who either had not been unconscious or had recovered much faster. By the way she seemed relaxed and calm he bet it was the former.

“Welcome to the Dark Hour.” She said in a calm measured tone. It was obvious from the glint in her eyes that she was completely in her element. Louis immediately reviewed the situation. He was in foreign… his eyes dodged back and forth…space, there was just void. There didn’t even seem to be ground, the circular table and chair just floated in darkness. He looked at the six other people as he stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned back with apathetic confidence. It was impossible to make a great assessment of them from just looks so he turned his attention to Sarah who was sitting right next to him in the circular arrangement. On his other flank was a black-haired girl. Was a…boy… no more, too plain to be worth Louis time. Continuing around clockwise was a aggressive looking boy, a red head girl, another boy wearing lush clothes, a pasty white kid with scraggly black hair, and then back to Sarah.



Vincent was getting nervous. Everyone, and one new kid, were around a table in some strange pseudo-world and Mrs. Thuster was talking about some sort of “Dark Hour”. But that’s not what made him jittery and nervous. It was that he had no food. His fingers began to tap on each other, his foot began moving up and down spasmodically. Eventually he put the collar of his over flannel shirt into his mouth and began to nibble on that to help curb the pangs of longing.

“Mrs Thuster,” he muttered from behind the piece of cloth in his mouth, “what are you talking about?” She wasn’t making any sense to him.

Mrs. Thuster smiled, “Don’t worry its nothing bad but… it is hard to explain” her eyes positively glitter with joy.

She was ever the teacher, enjoying the act of imparting knowledge to her pupils.



She was ever the teachers, enjoying the act of lording her knowledge over her pupils and puffing herself up with a false sense of dominance

“Let us start with the present. We are currently in the Dark Hour. It is a hidden hour between 12:00 and 12:01. During this time things a number of interesting things occur. First is that those here and others are granted the power of Persona. Second, others are Transmogrified into coffins. Third, all complex mechanical devices and electronics cease to function. Fourth, and most importantly, Shadows come forth.” She stressed the last part more than adequately. Louis felt like he knew what she was talking about, like it was on the tip of his tongue but just wouldn’t come out. His head hurt. His face remained calm and passive though.

“Shadows, I should say, are denizens of the Dark Hour and feed off the souls of those they consume leaving broken husks. They have been causing the sickness known as Apathy Syndrome, for the past five years, I don’t feel it necessary to elaborate on the effects.” Her face had grown more serious as she had spoken and now spoke with deathly certainty. “We know little about these Shadows, what they are here to accomplish other than devouring souls, what relation they have to the Dark Hour. These questions are unanswered and I know its asking a lot of you but I need you Seven to help combat them. You seven, and others who have not yet been found, have the potential to combat these shadows. Admittedly, I have no clear idea how we will end this but if all we can do is fight these small shadows and investigate then we, who have been granted this power, have a moral calling to rectify this. For a Pure World.”

She looked sidelong… “But I know I can’t force you to do this but I implore you to help. You Seven have been granted a power, and even though your fight will be when no one else is aware and you won’t get credit you deserve, I implore you to help. I know this is sudden so I’ll give you some time to think it over while I explain but I think you deserve a chance to speak before I continue.”





Vincent was the first to speak and he did so eagerly as he chew his collar, “I’m in!” This was the perfect chance to free himself from his addiction or at least to try and turn over his horrid life. But then again… “Well… maybe not… I don’t know… explain more…” he was always going to be an addict. It was foolish to rush into thinking things would just suddenly change. He, had thought about that in high school and he had gotten stuck back on cocaine and forced to go into rehab again. His expression became sullen and he sighed mournfully. “Actually never mind…” He felt bad for evening having spoken.

[KuroTan]

Xavier was unmoving for a few seconds as he tried to comprehend what was really happening here. Okay, only a few minutes ago he was in his room talking to his company's PR about an important deal they had to close when his phone stopped working and the lights suddenly went out.

Then there was that knock, who could it have been? He remembered a slip of paper being slid down the crack under the door where it met the floor. How odd, he thought to himself. Who would slip him a message at the dead of night? Perhaps, he thought as he bent to pick it up, someone needed money again?

But no, it wasn't a plea for money. I choose this path of my own free will the paper said. Of course I choose this path of my own free will, he said haughtily to himself. The very absurdity of someone telling him, him the CEO of the Maddock Industries and ranked second only to a king in terms of richness, what to do was laughable. Without as much as a second thought he signed the paper with the same pen he was using to buy out his rival's company.

Seconds later, he felt disoriented as he noticed the walls swimming around him. I've been overworking... was the last though he had before he heard a sound not unlike a finger snapping and he blacked out.

When he came to, he saw that he was seated in a chair. A chair which was part of what seemed to be a set of eight. Acting on instinct, he looked around wildly. However, his brain, having decided that there was physically no way the body it was inhabiting was in a place like this, forced him to concentrate on the table and the seven other people around it and ignore the seemingly impossible.

It seemed everyone from the dormitory he was staying in was assembled around the table. That girl beside him, Lilith wasn't it? Of course, how could he forget? She practically stood out from anywhere what with her style of clothing and that oh so tempting look on her face which right now was arranged into a frown. Then that boy to his left, what's his name? Xavier had no idea. The guy almost never talks for crying out loud.

Then there was the teacher, Mrs. Thuster. What is she talking about? Dark Hour? Well what on earth is that about? And who's that kid beside her? He's never seen him in the dorm before. Ooh, Ms. Personality's beside him. What is her problem anyway? It seemed that ever since he flew into the high school all he's ever gotten from her were icy stares and sneers that would have made a mountain lion proud. He quickly looked away as she flashed him yet another look. Next to her was that...kid. Yeah... whoever he was. He knew he'd seen him somewhere in the dorm before. Then there was that guy who looked positively stoned. He was actually perspiring in this cold environment. Odd that.

"... I think you deserve a chance to speak before I continue." Mrs. Thuster finished.

And that brought him back to now. Subconciously, he knew he just heard her talk about shadows and powers. Something about fighting with, what was that called, Persona?

"I'm in!" the stoned guy said. In for what? Are we really buying this? "Actually, never mind..."

Mrs. Thuster was looking expectantly at them.Clearing his throat, Xavier asked something that was really bugging him ever since he heard her say it.

"What power?"

[.Gogo]

The plane ride there had seemed long, and equally as boring. Evi Nikol Valentin' sat in an aisle seat in coach. Though her father hadn't bothered to send her off with the luxuries of first class (which had sent her into a fit of rage), he did given her a credit card to use freely, so there truly wasn't much cause for complaint. She was an attractive young girl, but her beauty was only skin deep. Her eyes alone were enough to send chills up ones spine, and many who exchanged words with her left feeling upset, or at times, left with some sort of injury. She sat in silence, her posture rigid and upright, her narrow gaze sweeping the plane. Many children would have been upset to be shipped off clear across the country from their home and family, but Evi was contented with the thought of the distance between her and her so called family.

A man suddenly emerged from first class, for one reason or another. Evi glared at him, eyeing his expensive suit and rolex, a cocktail glass in his hand he passed right by her.. and then he stumbled forward, the liquid in his glass now splashed across his shirt. Evi casually removed her foot from the aisleway without notice, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Hours later she had arrived at Pan Des Moines. Determined to be one of the first to arrive, indeed she was early but was certainly not the first. For some reason or another she was angered by this. Gazing around the school though her focus shifted and instantly her peircing red eyes narrowed in detest in response to those around her. These people.. that one had more suitcases then her. Another had cuter shoes.. that guy over there she had seen earlier arriving in a porsche.. A couple cut directly in front of her, arm in arm. Evi shot them all steely gazes as she passed by. Icy enough to freeze a person in their tracks. Carrying her belongings to her dorm, after coldly refusing offers for assistance, she quickly found her way and stood outside of the door. Here it was. There were people enjoying more lavish boarding schools while she had been shipped off here. She attempted to satisfy herself with the pleasing thought of being so far from home, but her mind was not entirely put at ease. Tossing her belongings aside she slammed the door violently behind her, frowning.

She had been absently wondering how long it would take her until she was kicked out of this school, just like all the others, before it happened. A knock at the door, and then a paper sliding it's way into her quarters. She stood from the bed, walking to the door and bent over to retrieve the parchment.

It simply had the lines "contract" and "I choose this path of my own free will". She reached into her handbag, and, retrieving a pen set the paper against the solid door and signed it. "Tch. What a stupid contract." she muttered as she mused over it again. It was then that the lights went out, her eyes widening as she adjusted to the darkness around her, she was for the most part, unnerved. It was silent.. all except for the sudden noise that reminded her of someone snapping their fingers. It echoed in her ears and then.. everything was black.

Blinking she found herself at a table.. her heart skipped a beat, but it was a momentary incident. After all, there were others at the table who looked calm. It was unnaceptable for them to look more collected then she. Her eyes narrowed as she viewed each of them.. The guy to her right she barely noticed, the next male appeared to be angry about something, though she could care less why, past him was.. a red haired girl of which she immediately loathed. Drawing her attention next was a boy who was dressed in expensive attire, she shot him a dark look. The guy next to him suddenly calmed her quelling rage though, his appearance was wretched and she nearly snickered at his pitiful state. Sneering in his direction her cold gaze swept around the table to the older woman and then to the guy sitting right next to her, who she eyed suspiciously for a moment before returning her gaze to the speaker, Sarah.

The woman had finished her explanation. Evi didn't care much about protecting others or whatever else the lady had been babbling on about. Who did this lady think she was anyways? What made her think she was so important? "Tch.." Evi muttered under her breath. Although, the women had said something meaningful. A mention of power piqued Evi's interest. Yes... if there was power involved.. but, the rest of these people could have it too? No, that wasn't fair. That was unnaceptable..

"What power?" The boy with the expensive clothing asked, interrupting her thoughts. It appeared as if she wasn't the only one with the question.

[Opinionated]

Mike had been doing little, actually. He'd been propped up against the wall, reading a book he'd read many times before, out of the little sure enjoyment it provided him. He'd found his room easy enough, and set it up to be liveable. Though the plot had no suprises left to divulge for him, he did still enjoy it.

And then a knock on the door. Mike meandered over to his door and bent down to look at the contract and pen slid underneath it. He paused, for what some would call a long while, silently pondering whether to sign it or not. Silently may be an understatement, his mind was totally blank to the issue, he was more or less just sitting there looking at it. Finally deciding that it couldn't hurt too bad to sign it, he did.

There was a flash of darkness and a snap, and he found himself in a chair, at a table, facing a woman(one of the teachers?), along with seven other students. He listened to the woman speech about Shadows and other such things with an apathy. Change the world? Would it be worth the effort? Was the world going good enough as it is? Did it need to be changed? Of course, he did sign the contract, so apparently he was in this buisness wholesale. With that in mind, he'd have to do it, then. He didn't have any questions to ask, as it seemed either someone else asked them or the woman would explain it anyway.

[Ranryou Roga]

Chris had only been here for a few hours. he didint like this place that much but it was better then a cold,dry,jail cell. Chris was sitting at his bed not thinking about anything but his life. His pain.Anger,love,and hate. That all he thought about. Then he heard a knock at his door. he stood to his feet and slowly walked over to the door. Then came the contract.

"What is this...." Chris said to himself as he picked it up and looked at it. at the bottom it stated sigh your name here. Chris reached into into his pocket to find a pen. But when he couldnt find it he feld the papaer tight and looked at it. Then his phone rang. Chirs jumped and cut his finger on the paper. The crimson red color that dripped form his finger landed on the papar. The blood then turned into his name. Chris looked at the papaer and then all sound stopped around him.

"What the hell........" Then casme the darkness and then Chris was at a table in a seat surronded by seven others and a women that seemed to be a teacher to him. She was speaking about something dealing with shadows,and changing the world. It had ntohing to do with him. Then Chris thought about the contract he sighed. Nevertheless it was sighed in his blood and now he had to go alone with it. This made him very very mad.

[Luzifer]

Louis looked at the boy who had spoken first, the pale one. He was confused, by his measure, unable to decide on what he was supposed to think at any given time. The boy shouldn’t have even spoken if didn’t know what he was going to say, especially not before hearing all the details and obtaining a more clear picture of what he would be agreeing to. The boy curled into himself and gnawed with annoying nervousness on the collar of his jacket.

“The power,eh?” Sarah muttered musingly before she turned her eyes to the person asking, “Well, I suppose that’s as good a place to continue from as any. The power I was talking about is called a Persona, it facet of one’s spirit which can be given a physical form through use of an evoker. More than that though I am ignorant. There isn’t much information on what they are and what information once existed has been lost, those who knew, dead. Besides, I doubt an explanation with words would serve as good as well as a demonstration anyway.” With that she pulled a gun like object from he pocket and placed the muzzle under her jaw. Louis Cypher didn’t bat an eye, it didn’t bother him in the slightest.

Which is more than could be said for some. The pale boy yelled, “Stop!” and reached for the gun as she pulled the trigger. A gunshot echoed. Shards of what seemed to be glass spread from the opposite side of her head and then took form. They swirled and danced only a moment before placing themselves in a perfect arrangement, creating from their pieces a woman with great white, angelic wings. Looking closely he noticed it was Sarah herself, white hair and piercing blue eyes glaring brightly. Her clothes were different, more antiquated, blue linens drapped over hair and form with yellow sleeves and a silver diadem hanging in the middle over her forehead. The woman brought her hands up and a sudden flush of life beat into him. And he seemed to glow. After the glowing faded the woman shatter once more into shards of glass which vanished into nothingness.

“That was a persona” Sarah said definitively. “Using this evoker I am able to summon it for a very brief period of time. It has much power, to attack, to heal, to protect, all at the whim of the person who uses it.” She pointed her hand at Louis, “Just now I used my Persona to heal this boy of some bruises that had been left by a poorly placed needle, it can do so much more though.” She looked at each person, “The Persona is unique to each persona, no two are exactly alike. These will give you the power to fight the shadows, if you so choose. However, they can only be used during the Dark Hour, like Shadows, this is the only time they can manifest themselves into physical forms.”

She put a single finger up in front of her face in an almost chastising fashion, “Now, that’s not to say this doesn’t have some risks. During the Dark Hour fatigue sets in at a faster rate then it does during normal hours and summoning your Persona is particularly exhausting. Until you get used to the Dark Hour I’d suggest you use your Persona conservatively otherwise, you will get sick and be unable to fight effectively. In fact, for the betterment of the group we’d have to leave you back at the dorm otherwise your condition would just get worse and you would drag the group down.” Louis noted that she had started talking like they had already consented, a small error by his judgment but a revealing one. It showed to him that she so strongly desired their acceptance that she didn’t dare think they would refuse, despite the fact she had said otherwise that they could refuse.

“Did that answer your question about the power?” she asked the boy who had inquired about the power.

[Ranryou Roga]

Chris sat their not listening that much. It didint seem to effect him. Then the women pulled out a gun like objuect and then came the shot. She got his attenetion. He watched and looked at the persona. It seemed to look right into his heart,body and mind. Chris blinked a few times and then stood to his feet. he growled before looked at the women and speaking.

"So you wnat us to fight and protect people we know nothing about? to save their life and maybe choose us are own. Is that what your saing to us. Why should we have to put are lives in danger for the people of this world? Their green and ingnorance know no bonds. I cant beilve someone would try and save them. If im to fight against something ill be fighting just to save myself."

Chris growled at the top of his lungs as his anger grew and grew. Chris continued to think about the people that would just leave right now not caring. Thinking that they are better then some. that's why Chris hated everyone and everything,but at the sametime for some reason he didint want to leave. he wanted to fight. From the day he was born chris felt like someone in him was speaking to him. It anger and hatred towards the world as strong as his. That why Chris didint leave. Maybe it was a Persona? Trying to tell Chris something? Chris didint understand. maybe this was the time to find out.

[KuroTan]

Xavier was speechless as the boy beside him vented out his anger. She just shot herself in the head! He really expected her to die, a massive mess where her head used to be.

But she didn't. Instead, something very much like her only with wings appeared. It did something in the room, he could feel it. For now, he would have to accept that this really was happening.

Slowly, and unknowingly agreeing to an implied service at the same time, he nodded.

[Luzifer]

"Let the woman finish!" Vincent snapped at Chris. He was getting high-strung. He needed food. He had really meant to snap at Chris but he felt like if he didn't eat something soon he was going to snap in half. Normally he wasn't this aggressive. "Let us no the whole story before you start spewin' bloody ignorances around!" He had dealt with enough drug dealers and loan sharks in his darker times that he knew you always should wait till the end of the deal to speak. He had broken that rule when he screamed "I'm in!" earlier but he was trying desperately to stick to it now.

Sarah smirked slightly at Chris and responded with measured, though cutting, wisdom, "Indeed Christopher? That sounds like your blaming the man in New York for not knowing about the War in Sudan! If someone can't experience something can they be blamed for ignorance? But that is not the point. I do not care why you may wish to fight. You may desire the joy of battle, you may want the feeling of purpose, you may want to understand why you have been granted this power, you may wish to protect either someone you love or yourself, because rest assured the shadows will come after you just as much as anyone else. I do not care what reason you have. All I wish from you is that you will agree to fight against the Shadows and help me to rid this world of them. Take from this what you will." she had gotten worked up and lost some of her ethereal calm during her speech but after taking her breath she managed to regain some of it. But Louis had already noticed her mistakes, already read into her motives. Louis never seemed to be bothered by anything but he reacted more than people would guess.

"Now... I must reiterate that I realize that this is a lot to take in in such a short period of time. So I will give you the night and the day of tomorrow to think it over but for now I'm going to continue and finish my explanation. Unless you still have more questions about what we've already gone over in which case we have plenty of time and I can take all the time you need." Her face was gentle now, almost motherly as she tried desperately, so it seemed to Louis, to try not to come off to forcefully. She was treading a fine line between the part of her that was about to bend her knees and beg their help and the part of her that needed to maintain her teacher's dignity. Reality and Appearance. What tangled webs they weave.

[Ranryou Roga]

Chris could feel it in his body. Something trying to get free. It held so much power and anger that Chris almost blacked out again. Chris shook his head to get rid of the thought circling his mind and sat down softly. He thought hard and listened. So what would he do? Protect the every people that dont try and protect themselves? or would he save them all and be the one to say that he cared for all livning things? Chris didint understand,but for now he would sit here and listen to every word this women said. She would be the gateway to finding out his detiny in this o' so fake world.

[MaruDashi]

OOC: Im late, Im know, my bad <3

BIC:

Upon arriving at the dorm, Lilith went straight for her room and unpacked some of her things. Once she felt enough was unpacked for the time being, she decided to go browse through the dorm in hopes of finding some male students. After all, there was a purse she really wanted...

Before she could reach for the handle, and piece of paper and pen slid under the door. She read it over, though there wasnt much to read, and signed it, assuming it was a promise to behave in the dorm. Once signed, Lilith found herself in a room with others and a teacher, and had several things explained to her. She tuned in and out of listening, as she was too busy looking over the male students, and a female student too.

"Hmm, interesting..."

[Luzifer]

Sarah looked around, presumably to check if there were anymore questions, "None? Then I'll continue. But actually there is little more I can tell you, save that even among those, such as myself, who can use the power your powers are unique. Like I said before all the people who knew about what was going on are all lost to us but I am bending all my focus to the task of finding their records but they are difficult to find. So I suppose I should close this by saying to think about what I have said. This is ultimately your choice, I cannot force you to do anything. Those who wish to at least learn more about how we will be going about accomplishing this task can meet me in the dorm lobby at Noon. If you decide your not going to fight than how its done won't matter to you so I won't burden you by listening to that long lecture until your more properly rested. Don't be late,though, because we will have much to do to get you ready for tomorrow night."

Louis didn't like how this was shaping up at all. He understood everything she said, to such a degree it was as though he had already heard it all before, but still there were to many parts he didn't have the information to comprehend. He desired this knowledge. There was something important looming in the back of his mind that was struggling to get free and he wanted to know what it was. He decided that over all he would at least meet her at noon to learn more and see if that illuminated anything.

"Before we go I ought to introduce the latest student who will be joining dorm 2-B." She set her hand on Louis' shoulder, "This is Louis Cypher, he will be your senior when school officially starts on Monday. Last chance to ask any questions before I return you to where you were before the Dark Hour started."

[.Gogo]

Evi leaned back into her seat. When the teacher had pulled out her pistol, she had been on edge, not wanting to end up shot herself. But Sarah Thuster had only put the gun to her own jaw, and pulled the trigger, an action that Evi would have percieved as a favor. Although, the result was shocking.. so this was the power the woman had spoken of? If this woman could have this power, Evi wanted it too.

When Sarah introduced the newest of them, Louis, Evi turned to look at the boy again. "Hn.." she found herself muttering under her breath. Something about him struck her as odd, though she couldn't quite place it. She found herself scanning the circle again. So, all of them could have this power.. even the scraggly looking guy. No way would she let the rest of them have it and not her. She would be at the meeting for certain. And if possible, none of the others would be.. "I don't have any questions for you." Evi said somewhat snootily in response to Ms Thuster's query. She crossed her arms in front of her somewhat impatiently. Being around all these people for so long was becoming an annoyance.

[KuroTan]

Xavier fidgeted in his Armani suit. So everyone has a unique power. Since he had no idea what his was yet, that meant the possibilities were endless! He could see it all now, his company soaring ever higher than even he dared to dream.

But wait, there were the others. They could potentially ruin his plans. They had to be taken care of. Not to worry though, his bank account had more than enough to even buy a kingdom from its own king. He just had to see how high his "comrades" set their own individual prices.

And that Louis Cypher? He looks like a kid. He'll be easy to buy off. But Xavier couldn't help feeling a slight chill run down his spine when he locked eyes with the newcomer. Pulling his suit tighter, he settled down in his chair and envisioned the future.

"No questions."

[MaruDashi]

Lilith was a bit taken aback by the demonstration of power shown to her and the others. This was turing out to be very interesting indeed. What really caught her attention however was the boy introduced to them. For some reason, she felt she had to have him. It was the first time she felt an attraction towards someone else, usually she tried to gain the attraction of others for personal gain, yet here stood a boy who did absolutly nothing and had already had her charmed.

"So, what room will Mr. Cypher be staying in, for future reference if I have any questions, seeing how hes our senior."

[Luzifer]

Louis felt a certain pair of eyes staring at him challengingly and he gently bent his head so that his visible grey eye stared into the two red ones of the girl beside him. She was obviously sizing him up for competition so it was up to Louis to cut her down to size early before she got to thinking she could annoy him. His eyes met her smoldering anger with frozen antipathy. His body was in a complete calm and not a single part of him seemed to be out of place and it was obvious he knew it. He resisted saying anything though, it would only detract from the effect.

Attention returned to the matter at hand as he moved his eye back over to Sarah.

For a brief moment a look of dismay flashed over Sarah's face and for once Louis was at a loose for why it was there. But he supposed that was to be expected, the female mind had its own structure and while he could extrapolate to a certain degree what a girl was thinking there was no perfect way of knowing all their ins and outs. The look was there only a moment though and then it was replaced by her normal smile, "Studious, eh? Well, since the first corridor of the boy's floor is full, the 201-204 corridor, so I'll put him in the 205-208 corridor, don't know the specific room just yet."

"Well, than that is all for now." she said with finality and raised her right hand and with snap of her fingers everything went black.

Day 2
August 31, 2025
12:01

Sarah stepped into her room after she had gotten Louis settled. Which, as she had expected, was fairly easy. All she had had to do was open the door and he took it from there, his face giving clear indication that aid was not required nor desired. She smiled faintly.
Overall the explanation for the Sinners hadn’t gone as well as she would have hoped. She kept having this nagging feeling that she was forgetting something but she was sure that she had said everything and if she had forgotten something she was sure that she could just explain it tomorrow. If any came… she hoped they all would. They had to. It was their destiny.
She took a quick shower and after drying herself off sat down on the bed, towel still wrapped snuggly around her form. Her eyes were caught, as they often were, by the single picture which stood in its gold-leaf frame, on her bed side table. It was a picture of her fiancé from five years ago, though perhaps calling him her fiancé was reading between the lines but even if they had never said it aloud she knew it was there. In the picture he was standing there, in his normal laid-back fashion, with a small enigmatic smirk dancing across the corner of his lips. She had been… overeager that day and normally such things would annoy him but he seemed to be finding her amusing at the time and showed it, just barely, with that small grin.
She frowned sadly as the memories returned. How he had been lost to her for so long. He had known there would be danger, that sacrifices were necessary but he hadn’t cared. He would say, “All things worth having are expensive.” Something short and simple, never one to mince unnecessary words, though sometimes he would lecture, when someone was being particularly wrong-headed. But he was always right. For all the heavy-handedness and barbed edges his words would possess he was always right. But than he should be. He had graduated from college at the age of sixteen, majoring in Philosophy and Religious Studies. She had just been graduating college at the time, a young girl of 19, him a younger boy of 17, when they had met. He was working with her father as one of his graduate students and had been assisting him on a project at the time.
He had been aloof at first, and he could be condescending at times which annoyed her but he won he over if only because he was one of the only people her age (or close to it at least) that could not only speak on matters of religion and philosophy at her level but also surpass her. She had been somewhat jealous at first but later he earned her complete respect.
But she knew now that he was still alive, and that made her smile. Though she wondered if he even remembered her. She slipped the photograph into the drawer. She would have to keep it there from now on lest anyone find it and ask questions which would pain her to answer.


Vincent opened his eyes and he was back in his room leaning against his door. He pushed himself up and walked back to his bed and put a carrot from beside his bed into his mouth. The crunch of his first bite passed through him with a balm of ecstasy. His heart rate dropped his twitching subsided and his chewed collar fell out of his mouth. He smiled but than immediately frowned. He was pathetic.

But he supposed he could forgive himself this once because he had been completely unnerved when Mrs. Thuster had shot herself in the head. He had been so terrified when she had put that gun to her jaw. And then he had gotten only the more nervous when he saw the power of that Persona.

But was the power something he wanted? It wouldn't solve his problems, wouldn't cure his cravings. But perhaps if he helped protect people from these "Shadow" things that Sarah was talking about then he would be able to be forgiven for his faults. Perhaps, he may even be able to change. But he frowned. He didn't dare hope that. Perhaps he would be allowed forgiveness for his faults but he would never be free of them.

Gradually he fell asleep, carrot still in his mouth.

Sarah had closed the door behind her when he had told her to leave him, which relieved him. He wanted to be alone for awhile. He sat on the edge of his bed and looked to the side out the window. What was happening? How deep did this go? He wanted to know. He craved knowledge. For a man was only as perfect as his intellect, his knowledge, and his body. His body was strong and his face fair, and his intellect vast but he didn't yet know everything. So he would learn. He would follow this trail for as long as it went.

He was about to roll over to go to sleep when a splitting pain shot through his head. The agony was centered behind his right eye and it felt like it was going to force that eye out of its socket. His breathing became labored and he struggled to stay conscious. He could feel something creeping through him, slowly wrapping its tendrils round his mind. He struggled towards the sink and when he got their he bow his head to wash his face. When he finished his eyes were caught by what he saw in the mirror. It was his face but he had thought he saw something else. He gently pushed the hair away from his right eye but it was normal. The pain began to subside. Must have been some sort of aftershock of the coma. Yeah that was all. He comforted himself with that thought as he went to bed.

[.Gogo]

At the snap of Sarah Thuster's fingers, Evi found herself standing in front of her door once again. Despite being returned to her room, she could still feel his stare matching her own. Why did it cause such a lingering feeling? She closed her eyes slowly. His gaze had been challenging, provoking.. she didn't like how inferior it had made her feel, to have her rage answered by such an empty, unacknowledging gaze. She detested him already, detested them all for what they were and what they had.. or could have.

Balling her fists she turned away from the door, pacing the room. She couldn't stand any of them.. they were taking away everything that she deserved! Catching her reflection, she paused for a moment. For all of the rage she always felt inside, her face remained empty, all but her eyes that were forever ignited with flames of jealousy and hatred. She detested the reflection, and at the same time.. that girl there should have it all, she should have everything everyone else possesses handed to her on a silver platter. Why couldn't she?

Turning away she crossed the room back to her bed, her frown replaced with a knowing smirk. If she couldn't have it all, then she'd make it so no one had anything. It was true that everyone was better then her.. but if she took away whatever it was that made them so? Then that would make her the superior one, wouldn't it? "Yes.." she answered herself. There was still that boy.. Louis.. he acted like he knew, knew what she was thinking. She'd have to watch for him.

For now she would try and play a part of the team, until her opportunity to crush them all and obtain everything they possessed. She had done it many times before, after all. Evi fell onto the bed, and after some further thinking she soon fell asleep..

[Opinionated]

Mike took a brief moment to observe the other six students sitting here. All of them looked like they were brooding over something, whether it be how to cheat the others or the price of tea in China. Predictably, he spent a bit more time in observing the two female students. One seemed annoyed enough to be avoided, and the other... well, she... she...

Probably aimed for higher things in life than Mike Fletwood. "Nice guys finish last because they don't go grabbing attention." he think he heard a friend say. Oh well, probably wasn't worth the effort to get that kind of attention. He didn't have any questions for Sarah, so he didn't speak up at all, he just leaned a little further back in his chair to get a tad more comfortable. Then Sarah snapped her fingers and he found himself back in his room.

He set the dog-eared old book on his nightstand and slid between the covers. And, as you might expect from someone who seemed so peaceful, he fell asleep quickly.

[KuroTan]

As suddenly as he left his room, Xavier was back again. The lights were back on and oddly, even though it felt like an hour to him, his Donisthorp grandfather clock had just finished chiming the hour. Midnight. 12.01 to be precise.

"Pardon me Master Xavier," his PR Erin's voice came startlingly clear from his cellphones speaker. " There was some slight static along with your previous statement. May you repeat it?"

Meeting tomorrow... Xavier was lost in his thoughts as he paced the room. Now that he was out of that room, his initial eagerness was replaced by doubt and fear of what he was really getting into. Did he want to go? Was this really what he wanted in his life?

"Hello?"

Arguably, the chance of this happening to anyone was slim. Virtually impossible even. And for it to happen to him... Dare he pass it up?

"Master Xavier? Are you still there?"

He decided then. He would go to the meeting tomorrow, see what happens. He could always back out, he was sure of that. If Mrs. Thuster won't let him, well, Mrs. Thuster will be getting a nasty surprise at her doorstep if that happened. Persona or no Persona, Xavier was the one who had a fully-equipped elite squad of mercenaries under his control. Her against 1000, no contest.

"Master Xavier?"

"I'll be busy for a few days Erin..." Xavier said distractedly to the receiver. "Tell Anton to fill in for me."

"But sir, the takeover -"

"Match his price."

"Match it?! But sir -"

"I said match it Erin," Xavier said as he moves towards his bed. "I'm too busy to deal with trivial matters at the moment. Just do as I say."

"V - very well sir."

As he lied spreadeagled on his bed, Xavier slowly drifted to sleep.

[Ranryou Roga]

OCC: August,31 is my birthday so if you dont mind id like to make it Chris's birthday as well. I didint know that it was the 30th.And now today is the 31st my real birthday in real life.)


Chris was sitting in his room on the side of his bed. It was 12:01. His birthday. Chris had just turned 18. Chris was good at lieing. Always telling anyone that asked and didint make me mad that he was one year older then he really was. Chris was smart and that was way he could be a jounir and only be 16. Chris even let his graded driop because even in this wrold that he hated he couldnt survive without some form of knowlegde.

"So now im 18. Wow. i hate this day. The day a demon was born. The day when someone with hatered and rage was born in a world of greed and envy. Nevertheless the pride these people hold is sick. They make me sick to my stomach."

Chris growled and layed back. He had alot to think about. Would be go their and join them. Fight an enemy that would come after him no matter what. Was it because of the way he was? Was he cursed to deal with a burden like this? Chris hated this,but their was nothing be could do at the time. he had to deal with it. He would go and join them. maybe this was what he needed in his life? Friends..............

[Hiryonin]

ooc: Late I know. I have dislectia so if you dont understand anything pm me.

bic:
Mic had entered the dorm late last night, his father had taken him in his car. Mic had walked to his room dropped his bags the moment he entered and fell on the bed that was right under the window. He was so tired that he did not undress or even closed the curtains. Mic tought he would be sleeping with in a few seconds but he was wrong again. Just at the moment of midnight he again got the strange feeling he always had, that one minute took around one hour to complete. as a little kid he would always wake up around that time and heared the most strange things outside. He never realy dared to go look, he just spend his time by counting to sixty over and over again hoping the last minute beyond midnight would come fast.
And also that night he could not realy sleep becouse he knew what was going to happen. And like always he just spend his time counting and counting he did not care what happend outside. Oh sure after he got older he started looking and saw the most grotesk things he ever saw in his live. and that was including the strange things he was so fond of, manga and anime. The being that he had called demons in his had would roam over street entering houses, and always the day after that some one inside that hous died.
Once he had seen a man running acrose the streets at the moment but he had never ever saw anyone els alive at that hour-minute.

Mic opened his eyes, a new day had started he tought by himself. he was done counting and he knew time acted like the hour-minute never happend. Mic got off his bed and knew he was not going to sleep tonight, to many things happened and he was no longer interested in sleeping. He walked back to the place he droped his bags and started unpacking them. Slowly he toughts dwell to the warm feeling inside him, the voice of a woman always counting with him as long as he could remember. At first he tought it was his mother who counted with him in his memories of her but soon he learned it was not so. The warm feeling was differend it was more friendly more like him more... Mic stopped, "What am I doing?" He softly said against him self. He got up from the floor and walked back to the bed fell on it and slept.

[MaruDashi]

Once everything was said and done, Lilith found herself back in her room.
"Tch..."
Deciding that she'd meet the boy again soon, she decided to head to sleep.

The next morning, Lilith woke up feeling refreshed and energized. She took a quick shower, dried off, and got dressed. She then headed out into the dorm hall for a bit of exploring.
"I wonder which room they put him in..."

[Luzifer]

Day 2
6:00 am

Louis woke up early, before anyone else had arisen for the day and changed into plain casual clothes, Thin t-shirt, white with blue shoulders over which he wore a gray flannel shirt, unbottoned. For pants he word gray cargo pants and equally gray sneakers on his feet. He looked good in gray, not that he noticed, for he had gray eyes and the dull color of his clothes helped to emphasize his deep blue hair.

He looked over the summer reading that was expected to be turned in tomorrow. There were three books, two of which he must have read earlier in his life because as soon as he read the title the story, plot, and symbolism all flooded into his mind. There was one however that he hadn't read, "Two Nights and a Day" and looking at the inside cover he wasn't terribly suprised why. It was a recent book copyrighted 2022. Normally English classes had one read the classics and less modern fiction. Still, he ought to be able to read the entire thing before tomorrow.

He walked to where the meeting was supposed to be around noon and waited there for the others to arrive. He read the book and was profoundly disappointed by the work. It was an absolutely horrendous, self-righteous psuedo-depth and no more. A dull archetypal protagonist moving through a plot constructed from the standard conventions, all while the author pretended it was novel. It was supposed to be historical fiction but Louis noticed a couple anachronisms. Modern fiction, tch, what a waste of time!

Vincent woke up around 10:00 and immediately finished the carrot that had been in his mouth when he had fallen asleep. He walked to the cupboard and got a box of cereal and a large salad mixing bowl. From the refrigerator he grabbed a half gallon of milk. Emptying both the box and the milk he had ate the entire enormous bowls worth and drank the remaining milk before grabbing a bag of grapes to take with him to eat. He decided to wear the same ratty clothes from yesterday, not bothering to change.

He walked down stairs and went to where the meeting would be and noticed Louis sitting there already, reading a book. Looking at the cover he noticed it was some summer-reading. Vincent had already done all his summer reading but than again, it sound from last night, that Louis hadn't known he was coming here until recently so it wasn't surprising he was still catching up. however, he was halfway through so he must have made decent progress.

Vincent went back to ignoring him though and Louis, well, he wasn't even sure he had ever noticed him. Instead vincent focused on his food, specifically, trying to lengthen the time between each bite. Forcing himself to not eat... but it was impossible.

[Hiryonin]

Edit: some mis understanding from us.

As Mic woke-up the next morning around 10 ó clock he fastly got some fresh cloths on. A dark green swetshirt with one large white bar over his chest, wide black jeans that looked like a few sizes to large for him. And wite with green sneakers he had bought the day before comming here. He opened his window and smelled the fresh air comming in his room. "well now" he tought, "it seems like a nice day, lets find some other students and hope for some nice once" He opened his door and grabbing the floorplan that was given to him from the table he walked to the stairs down. After a little walk he realized that he was holding the floorplan up side down. With a little dull grin on his face he turn it the right way up and walked in to a room that the floorplan called the meeting room. When he entered the room he saw that is was almost empty, some people most elder then Mic where eating. So Mic joined the line for some food and then went all the way to the back of the room to eat it while still paying great attention to the floorplan.

[Light Buster]

OCC: Sorry I'm late. Parent issues.

Bic:
Paul woke up and getting dressed in his usual clothes and looked in the mirror for any acne. "Acne," Paul said to himself. "So annoying." He was ready to do anything. Even ready to rock. "Well, time for school again. My practicing time will be cut down. But at least I get payed to do shows like these."

He walked out of his dorm and went down his hallway, hoping he can pick up a girl along the way.

[Ranryou Roga]

Chris awoke around 7am. He didint care to much about breakfast so he quickly toke a 45 minute shower to think. The water was warm on his body. Chris liked it and smiled. The first smile he had cracked in a long time. Chris liked the running water on his back. This was the first time he could take a good shower and not be mad. Something about this place and its aura made Chris fell at ease,but still his anger never left him. it would never leave. It was calling him and was telling him that it would never leave as long as his heart wanted it to stay. Chris smiled about that too. Soon he would meet that owmen and talk more about the persona.

[.Gogo]

Evi shot upright in bed, cursing herself for waking up so late. She checked the clock-- it was almost 11. Throwing the covers off she scooted out of bed, hurrying to the bathroom to take a shower. Only 15 minutes later she emerged, picking through her clothing until she found something worth wearing. She slipped on a blue-gray sundress over some distressed blue jeans and, putting on her shoes she checked her makeup and tied her hair back into it's usual fashion. Satisfied she threw a few things into her handbag before closing the door tightly behind her. Walking through the hall she slipped on a pair of large white sunglasses. For some strange reason people didn't bother her as much when she wore them, a reaction she always preferred.

Arriving in the lobby, she was dissapointed to see that she was in fact the third one to arrive for the meeting. If only she had awoken earlier that morning.. dangit. Her lips formed into a thin line of dissatisfaction. "Hnn.." Behind the safety of her dark glasses she could pick out two of the others that had been present the night before, that scraggly looking guy [she took note that he was wearing the same outfit that he had worn last night] and the senior that was introduced to them as Louis.

Evi didn't make her presence obvious at all, and in fact opted to hang back in the far corner of the lobby near one of the entrances. Leaning against the wall she waited, still quietly observing the lobby.

[Opinionated]

Mike awoke, and stared for a time at the red digits thrown onto his ceiling by a projecting clock next to him. He finally thought, "I should get up," and did so. He took a brief shower and ran an electric razor over his cheeks a few times. He slid into naturally faded blue jeans and pulled on a black tee. Add two well-worn walking shoes long since discolored from their original white coloration, and he was presentable.

He moseyed down the hall, one hand in a pocket. He passed that beautiful girl from last night, gave her a small wave, and kept going. He'd already decided that she'd pass him by, so what's the point anyway?

Eventually he found his way to the meeting room, and sat back in a chair, finding a comfortable position and keeping it. His eyes squinted slightly, as if he was trying to see something far away, which he might have been, as he had started a quick and dirty count of the tiles above him. Waiting, just waiting.

[KuroTan]

Xavier woke up at exactly 5.40 that morning, a habit he had acquired early on in his life as he felt this gave him more time in a day than most people. Anyone who was watching him sleep would have been surprised at how fast he opened his eyes, as if he had just blinked and the six hours between sleeping and waking hadn't really happened.

Cringing at the shower facilities that came with the room, Xavier hurriedly washed himself. I need to get this changed, he thought as he towelled himself dry. No way I'm settling for this. He made a note to talk to someone about it.

Running on automatic, he sat down for the whole morning to work out this day's accounting figures. Even though he was officially supposed to be busy, as he told her PR Erin last night, there was no way he was going to get careless and let everything he worked for crumble away to nothing.

It was because of this that he failed to notice the time and it was only as he stretched that he noticed the time. It was close to twelve and he was almost late for the meeting.

"Holy -"

Standing up quickly he threw the figures he was working on into his briefcase and slammed it shut. Pausing only to put on his suit, a white one this time to complete his all white ensemble, he ran for the appointed meeting place.

A hundred meters from his destination he slowed down his pace to a leisurely walk. No point giving his "comrades" a sense of superiority over him. "Here is Xavier Maddock, he's never late, you are the ones who are always early" was what he was trying to achieve with his carefully calculated swagger.

Nodding recognition at the four others who arrived before him, he casually sat down and propped his feet up a stool. He was itching to get started.

[MaruDashi]

Remembering that there was to be a meeting, Lilith went to the meeting room. A smile crept on her face as she spotted the Louis boy, along with a few other male students. She sat down close to Louis and tried to act nonchalantly around him, and also made sure to brush back some of her long, red hair, in order to show off more of her slender neck. She then allowed herself to sink back into the seat a bit, puffed out her chest a bit, crossed her legs, and allowed her loose skirt to fall back a bit, allowing for more leg to be shown.

[Luzifer]

Louis, however, didn't notice. Calmly he finished his book and set it on the table. Even the ending had been absolute dreck, he could have most certainly penned a better book than that, but sadly he had not the opportunity to prove that point at the moment. Sticking his hands into his pocket coldly and leaning back into the couch he closed his eyes to think but was almost instantly interrupted from his musings by Sarah walking into the room.

Sarah walked into the meeting room feeling quite rested. She had slept until about 9 and spent the rest of the morning working on the curriculum for her classes of next semester. She hadn't had time, nor really the need, to preen herself more than in the most course fashion. He soft white hair was well brushed but she wore only the most marginal of make up but somehow looked all the better for that. Her clothes were casual, a nice comfortable t-shirt and jeans with soft leather boots.

She counted heads and sighed at the fact only six of the seven were currently there, "Well, Chris will have to get what I say from someone else because we have alot to do today and I can't be stopping to wait. Alright." she clapped her hands together and got herself mentally prepared to begin, "As I said yesterday what I will now be talking to you about is how we are going to be accomplishing are mission. Well, over the day it shall be explained. But first we need to get you armed.

"As I mentioned before overusing your persona, especially before you get used to the Dark Hour, can cause fatigue and illness and that will affect both your ability to keep up as a member of this unit but also affect your classwork, which by the way I am not letting you off on. I am a teacher too. So to that effect we need to provide you with an alternative way of defending yourself. Hence you shall be given weapons. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the dark hour, as I also mentioned, electronics and complex mechanical devices do not work, thus guns and many other weapons that would make our lives easy will not be available to use. However, over these past few years, in preparation for this, i have been acquiring weapons that are more...primitive. I have them kept in a Storage Garage, and we'll be going there today to pick some up. I have more than enough for everyone and hopefully you'll find one you like. I might suggest rapiers, for those who may join the fencing team, a bow and arrow for the archery team, etc etc, since it will allow you to put practices to good use. But of course thats just a suggestion.

"After we have armed you we will be coming back here and later tongiht we'll be going on a foray into the dark hour and I'll be able to show you some of the things we will be dealing with during that time. To try and explain it would be impossible or inefficient so its better just to show you."

[Ookie]

Eika frowned, she held her bleeding hand tightly as she slipped into the garage, her newest hideout. Kicking aside some dusty looking, museum artifects, most of them seemed to be some sort of weapons.. the rest were mostly cardboard boxes filled with useless papers. Blood dripped from her arms and onto the floor. She sighed , looking at the mess and dumped her gainings from the nightly raid on the ground.

"God Damn it." she swore. "Who the hell keeps guard dogs around anymore? Blasted beasts." she kicked the ground savagely. Security devices, and anything computerised she could handle, but enourmous dogs where out of her leauge. She picked up a sword that looked like a katana and ripped away the tight leather binding around the blade, she then wrapped that around her arm. It was extreamly unhygenic, but that was the best she could do at that moment. That task done with she opened her bag of loot and toppled the contents on the floor.



Many of them would fetch a good price, she thought, examining a sort of doll, it was priced at a very lage amount. She laughed sarcastically as she looked at it. It was almost funny the way rich people found money to spend on such trinkets. At the moment she would have given up anything for a bite of bread. She was starving. She shook out the bag again in frustration and a piece of hard stale bread fell out. She picked it up,

"Hurrah. For today's meal." she said sarcastically tossing it in the air and catching it in her mouth, devouring it whole. She smiled, thinking back on the days where she has screamed, because she didn't have her favourite food set out for her on the table.

Eika sat down, sliding down the wall and mentally made notes about her loot, and plans for the next raid. She closed her eyes and sighed her calculations slowly lulling her to sleep. Under the tight bandage some blood dripped down, pooling at her fingers. She smiled sleepily knowing that even if her arm was completely cut off, the next raid would happen, a mere scratch wouldn't deter her..lazilly she dozed off, the morning sun streaming through a small window.

OCC: I'm pink da-ba-dee da-ba-dare~

[KuroTan]

Weapons huh, Xavier thought to himself silently. Well, that wouldn't be a problem. As the only son in the family, his father had made sure that his son would be well acquainted with various forms of weaponry.

The problem was, he wasn't that good with a bow, preferring a rifle as a boy. Never mind, he thought to himself. I still know the basics.

And if all else fails, any knife would do.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith let out a deep sigh.
"Im afraid Ive never used any sort of weapon, unless a letter opener counts."

She played with her hair a bit and pouted her lip, making it seem as if she was really upset over her lack of weapon skills.

"I suppose I'l have to learn. Would anyone be willing to teach me?"

She batted her eyes a bit, though her eyes wondered over to Louis.


OOC: sorry, short post, in class >_>;;

[Luzifer]

Louis thought to himself, Do I know how to use a weapon?. The girl next to him's question had raised a question of his own because he couldn't remember whether he had actually used a weapon before... it felt like he had before but there was no real conclusive proof. He allowed only the most vague of pensive frowns to linger on his features as he gave this matter much thought, but decided to wait till he got to wherever these weapons were stored before he worried to much about it.

"Don't be worrying to much about that right now,Lilith, I'm sure we'll find out whose good with such and such a weapon and who isn't once we get there. Lets hope that the late comer arrives soon so that we can leave because I'd like to be able to get back in time for an early dinner so that we are not weighed down by a meal when the Dark Hour comes" Sarah replied to red-haired girl

[.Gogo]

Someone's arrival drew Evi from her solemn state, it was the other female student from last night- she didn't have a name attached to her just yet, but there was certainly a feeling of detest. Evi watched her from behind her dark sunglasses, she could feel her teeth clench as the girl enacted her charms of seduction.. on Louis? Evi was slightly taken aback. This girl was after him.. was he some sort of prize that Evi had not taken note of? If he was something special, Evi would not just allow this girl to have him then.

Sarah's arrival drew Evi's thoughts to the moment at hand, obtaining her power- er, persona. She ignored Sarah's constant reminders that overusing your persona would fatigue you blah blah blah. Evi only paid attention to the parts that she considered important. Like this 'choosing weapons'. She frowned, wondering absently what sort of weapon that Ms. Thuster had in her posession that would suite her. Probably none, Evi would never picture herself in a fencing or archery club-- ha. What a joke. Although, she did have a number of after school curriculars under her belt- soccer, which she was kicked out of, basketball, also kicked out of, volleyball, yes she was kicked out of that most recently.. even kickboxing, which was not a team sport, she had been thrown out of. For some reason her instructors, despite her excessive skills in the subjects, had said she 'didn't have teamwork skills', and that 'she wasn't able to lose gracefully'. HA. What did they know? So maybe she had been caught a few times sabotoging her oppossition's equipment or something, but that was something that should have been overlooked. After all, she was always one of the better players, and besides, they should have respected her strong desire to win!

Anyhow, she could not picture a weapon that would go hand in hand with her abilities. Still, she would certainly be the first to take her pick. No way would she let any of them get the better weapons. Feeling slightly eager, she rose from her leaning position against the wall, readjusting her handbag on her shoulder she took a few steps forward, closer to the group. The faster she'd get all of this over and get her persona, the better.

[KuroTan]

Chance! said a little voice in Xavier's head and before he could stop it the words "I can teach you." escaped from his lips.

Well, that was akward.

[Luzifer]

OOC: Congratulations Des Moinians I have officially given your city a subway. You can thank me later

Sarah sighed annoyed as she looked at her watched, "Its time to leave. If you'll excuse me real quick..." she left momentarily than about five minutes later came back, bodily dragging Chris behind her "Come on we're late."

Louis followed Sarah as she guided them through the subway, along the way she pointed out which line they would be taking to go to school, which lead to such teenage past times as malls and the ilk. Louis noted the train for school but then began to drift in and out attentiveness. Apparently, Des Moines had obtained strong economic growth after the depression of 2011-2015 and since had been growing in population and wealth at extensive rate. Pan Des Moines High, built in 2017 was an off shoot of this growth and so indeed was the subway, built circa 2019.

The subway ride itself was uneventful and in few minutes they arrived at their destination. Stepping once more into the light of day Louis followed Sarah to a large Storage Garage place "The Lock and Key" or some such idiotic name. From the sign they were having a special for those who purchased two storage areas.

Sarah opened the lock at the bottom of one of the doors and raising it up revealed a positive cache of weapons. How much had all this cost? There were axes, spears, sword, knives, bows, arrows, katar, a bardiche, two halberds, four katana... the list went on.

"Where in the hell'd you get all these?" asked Vincent from behind Louis.

"Oh... its not too hard if you know where to look." she walked to a corner and pull out a large strong box from behind a stand of polearms, "But the real treasure of the collection is over here." With another key, an electric swipe card, she opened the box and revealed the contents. At least 20 copies of the device she had used last night to summon her Persona, evokers, if his memory served, "Your all gonna want on of these."

[Ookie]

Eika turned around on the floor, a shuffling noise breaking through her dreams.
She grumbled and sat up, "It's not even nightfall dammit, who would wake me up at this our... those Damned rats!" she swore standing up, the noise seemed to be coming from the garage next door, lazilly she crouched to the ground and looked through a sizeable knee hight hole in the wall. What she saw took her slightly back, people. And young ones at that. She snapped away from the wall hpoing no one had seen her and covered the hole with an empty cardboard box. They didn't seem to be dangerous.

Eika settled down again, trying to fall asleep but was suddenly struck with curiousity. What could those people, and quite well off people be doing at such places. Carefully she inced back to the hole to observe,
Maybe... if I'm lucky I can ambush someone... no that's too risky. But for now.. I can observe them. she thought, then she snapped to attention as she caught the word 'treasure'... alas most of them where obsuring her view.

ooc: Short post.. but I'm dropping of ta sleep here v.v;

[KuroTan]

ooc: Thank you then.^^ Dragging Chris was funny. No offence to Hollow Ichigo of course.

Xavier seemed composed on the way to wherever it was this pitiful excuse for a train was going but inside he was seething with anger and embarassment. It was bad enough that he blurted out such a childish thing, but to have her act as if he wasn't there at all? Bah! He'd show her. No one ignores Xavier Maddock. No one!

Calm down, said a voice in his head. You're overreacting. It's not that bad, maybe she didn't hear you.

That's right, maybe she didn't...

Yes, that's the reason. Now, let all your anger go.

Let my anger go...

Now get your butt off the seat, everyone's out of the train.

What? Then Xavier saw that everyone was indeed waiting for him. Feeling strangely light headed and confused by what just happened, he followed the others silently.

The group came to a stop in front of what Xavier would only call as a dump but for everyone else who wasn't as well off as him, it was a garage storage. Mrs. Thuster opened up the door and he saw that it was filled with all sorts of close quarter weaponry, except for perhaps the bows.

Inwardly he gave a sigh of relief. So he wouldn't need to work with a bow. He had more than enough choices. As much as he was tempted to take a katana, he knew that this would be an unwise choice since there was no way he could conceal it if the need came to that. He decided to take the hooded katar, but before he could move a step he was distracted by what he saw at from the corner of his eye.

It was the same type of weapon that Mrs. Thuster used the night before to, oh the horror, blow her head up. Then that Persona thing came out.

Does this mean that they'd be getting Personas of their own then? Xavier could hardly contain his excitement. Get the show moving already!

Once again, there was that one little thought that seemed out of place in his head. Xavier shrugged it off to exhaustion.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith had been so absorbed with the ony boy that she forgot that there were other male students around her. One had even offered to teach her how to fight with a weapon.

She smiled to herself, it seemed that even though she didnt try anything, it seemed her charm worked on the Xavier boy.

Lilith looked over the weapons offered to her and sighed a bit. What should she choose? Bows would need skill...perhaps a sword? This way she could just blindly swing and hopefully do something.

[Luzifer]

"Here," Sarah said as she handed Vincent a evoker and the holster to go with it. Vincent bowed slightly as he received it and stopped chewing long enough to say a proper thank you. The holster was and around the waist type, though there were some leg holsters. He slipped it around his waist and tightened it to the greatest extent the premade holes would allow but it still dangled pathetically around his emaciated waist. Still it would suffice. Sarah smirked, "And don't bother trying them out now. Your Persona would only work in the Dark Hour, trying it now would avail nothing."

He turned his attention now to the weapons within the place and he decided on a heavy three foot long falchion for one hand and a two pronged military fork spear. He had been blessed from birth with the gift of ambidexterity so he thought it in his best interest to put that skill to work by wielding two different weapons, however he thought it best to only take one with him in the beginning, that way he wouldn't overextend his concentration with two weapons until he actually had some experience and talent.

Louis sighed as he looked among the weapons but than suddenly one weapon caught his eye. It was had a long (about three feet), gently concave blade and mounted on a four foot pole. He would place it as an off shoot of the fauchard family of polearms though this one, far from being of peasant quality which most were, was masterful and well crafted. He picked it up and spun it easily, the weight of it feeling familiar in a strange way, as if he had felt it time and time before. Then he moved his hands, by instinct, twisting in the proper way at a certain point in the pole and it split in half. The blade and a small bit of the pole on one side and the major of it on the other. He felt a firm tug from within the pole, desiring to reclaim it head but instead he spun twirled the steel wire in one hand before letting go and letting the blade return. Interesting. "You found that one,eh?" said Sarah with a vague smirk, yeah thats about as complicated weapon as can still function in the Dark Hour, theres also a couple katar that maintain their scissor function and similar weapons but thats about it. A crossbow doesn't work, I already tried. Well... actually, shooting it works but the winching mechanism doesn't work. And without that you really can't get the penetration to make the thing worthwhile, you just end up with a small bow."

Louis didn't really care why the thing worked, as long as it did. But suddenly he had an idea and picked up a double-bladed hand axe that was lying on the ground and with a strong kick knocked off the head. Picking up the head he walked outside to wait for everyone else.

[.Gogo]

Evi took her sunglasses off as she walked up to the garage, eyeing the weaponry. Now to take her pick.. but Sarah pulled out something first that caught her eye. It was a case of evokers, looked like one for each of them. She smirked to herself, this was the reason for coming here. She moved to recieve hers, only for that wretched boy Vincent to recieve his first. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him pass by to pick out his weapon.

Following she came up alongside him, looking at the weapons herself. She lifted a katana from it's position and swung it with some dexterity, nearly slicing the side of Vincent's face. "Oh, my apoligies.." she said, almost politely, sneering in his direction as she returned the katana to it's spot.

She turned away, a different weapon suddenly catching her eye. It was a long slender polearm, pure black in color with a gleaming silver hooked blade at the end. It seemed easy enough to weild, and strong enough to use in battle. Lifting it from the wall, she leaned it casually against her shoulder, as she curiously turned to see what weapons the others were picking out.

[Luzifer]

Vincent jumped back from the blade nearly causing a gash across his face. His fingers fidgetted on the ground as he shakily stood up, "Wha-what are you trying to do? Are you crazy? Its not like I'm pinchin' or annything!" he began eatting more frantically from the box of cereal that he had brought with him. What was with these people! They were all eight-ball crazy! He held his falchion close to his chest as he stared out at the black haired girl from behind his bangs.

Louis danced lazily from outside the garage to inside of it when he heard the vincent kid scream. Apparently, the black haired girl had nearly sliced him with the katana she was at that moment putting down, he merely shrugged and turned his attention away. The boy would get nowhere if he let himself get trampled around by a girl like that one. She was the tough kind, but only when she knew she could win and get away with it. If you didn't crush her kind's spirit hard and fast and show yourself the better one they would eat you alive for all to see, if you did though, they'd only try that from behind and that made them easy to predict. As soon as you showed them your back they'd go for it. Which could be used to your advantage. Louis smirked vaguely before he wiped it away.

[Opinionated]

Mike maintained his mellow disposition as he followed Sarah and the others onto the subway and rode on the subway. This was his first time to ride a subway, too. Where he grew up, there weren't enough people to be worth it. As he sat, he sang to himself in side his head a few songs he liked for their peaceful, calm sounds.

Eventually, of course, the got to their destination, and Mike walked with the others to the storage. In a break with his unchanging appearance, he leaned forward to peer into the garage, because the concentration of weaponry was suprising even to him.

In looking through the array of weapons, he couldn't find one that really spoke to him. They all just seemed too... busy for him. There wasn't really anything just for him to be with. And simply being was one of the central aspects of Mike's personality. And then he saw something completely different: A shield. It was patterned after the Roman scutum, rectangular in shape and curved to protect the weilder better. In the center was a large, polished knob of metal that would be useful for stunning an enemy. In stead of the usual metal bar in the center, there were two leather straps to slip an arm through. Mike lifted it, it wouldn't be unreasonably heavy.

And then he stood the shield on the ground and waited patiently for the others to pick and choose.

[KuroTan]

Xavier jumped back. He had no intention to be a part of this confrontation. Wordlessly, as if to draw less attention to himself, he took the hooded katar from the pile.

It was ordinary looking, as much as a weapon designed to inflict pain could look ordinary that is. It had no distinguishing marks save from a little emblem of an tiger on its blade. Xavier tested the blade and was glad to note that it split into three separate blades when gripped. That would give him an extra edge when the need for battle arises.

Stepping back, he waited for the others. Absent mindedly, he gripped and ungripped his weapon causing it to eerily open and close at a set rhytm.

[.Gogo]

Evi just smirked after Vincent's outburst, reveling in the attention she had drawn to herself. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that rich boy scramble away, and attempted to resist the urge to laugh. She had gotten her message across. Evi refused to be outdone by any of these people in any way. Especially not that pathetic kid who was always chewing on his shirt. She was better then that. But, she could think of a few of the others who were competition enough. The rich guy for one, the other girl, Louis..

Speaking of which, that particular spectator caught her attention as she looked around the garage once again. She met his eyes for a moment with mixed feelings. Catching his smirk Evi felt slightly threatened and she shot him a challenging look in response. Who did he think he was anyways?

Reajusting the polearm on her shoulder she turned away from the group, pretending that she didn't care what any of them were doing anymore.

[Hiryonin]

Mic had a realy boring day futher more, he walked around the dorm looking for people to talk with but most people seemd bussy with there own things. Later that day after dinner Mic returned to his room and starting to read some manga. He would be going to bed early tonight so he would be more awake during the minute-hour. He wanted to count again, together with the warm feeling inside him. He loved the warm female feeling inside him.

ooc: Short post, not much to do for me in the RP atm.

[Ookie]

Eika fumed inside the garage, it was too early and they were all making too much noise. A guy screamed in the most pathetic kind of way. That was the last straw. She needed sleep, and she needed it now. Grabbing a rock from the ground she kicked open the door and tossed it at the first person she saw. A weird looking blue-black haired guy, without pausing to see if it hit of not she shouted out,
"Keep your damned voices DOWN. People are trying to sleep here damnit!" with that she turned around and slammed the door behind her, only after noticing what she had done, those people had guns.

OOC: Must dash work @_@

[Luzifer]

Louis was taken by surprise for a moment and it was only by a sudden jerk of his head to the side that he managed to avoid getting hit by the rock. He didn't return the yelling though, after all, he had his pride to think about. He wasn't about to sink to the level of childish back talk or shouting. No. Maintaining a dignified silence was more his style.

Sarah almost groaned in annoyance as she grabbed Evi's wrist, "Mrs. Valentin' Watch what your doing and certainly don't be threating your comrades, you never know when you'll need one to save you." Of course Sarah had known that at best these Seven would be at each others throats but she had hoped to be able to keep them in check. Fortunately she had someone she could depend on, well two. Mike was nice and calm but unfortunately that also had its disadvantages, he didn't go about causing problems but he was less given to solving them. But... "Louis?" she asked as she dragged Evi out of the room, "Make sure she doesn't get into any more trouble"

"Why?" he responded evenly

"Because your the only one who can..." she added sounding desperate. But that was honestly a bit of a trick. If her hypothesizes were correct, Louis was Arrogance and would take any chance for authority.

Louis sighed. She was trying to trick him and he knew it. She thought that he would jump at the opprotunity to take over authority over on of his juniors but he wasn't that stupid. Still he looked down at Evi and decided that it was best to go along under the premise that he was that stupid. This task was beneath him but if she thought he'd take these tasks he might be able to put himself in a better position later. He kept his face flat but inside he was grinning. He loved being a step ahead of everyone, knowing they thought they were better but at any moment he could show his true potency and dash their little misconceptions. But he never did. Just the knowledge that he could was enough

[Ranryou Roga]

Chris was very late. Once he would them at some garage and then at the weapons he guess that he had to choose one or two of them. Chris walked right in without saying a word to anyone and picked up a katana with its egde looking like a saw type. Crhis then grinned and shealthed the sword on his back and then picked up twin daggers. Lucky for him in his early days he had taken some gym class and was very acrobatic. he could do a few flips but his reflexxes and ability's when it came to the heat of the momnet would come in handy. It was strange then dring that time it felt like something inside of him was still him to do all these things to get ready for this. It was wierd.

OCC: School is up and running and im overloaded with work.

[Light Buster]

OCC: I don't know what time it is right. Also, work is putting me down.

Paul: Blue

Paul went on for a walk to get some fresh air. He kept his guitar the whole entire time with him. "Ah," he said to himself. "Nothing like fresh air and riffs and live shows...wait. I shouldn't be saying this stuff in public. Damn it. What the hell I'm saying?" He felt stupid after saying stuff to himself.

OCC: Sorry for the short post. Got work to do.

[KuroTan]

Xavier was taken aback. Someone was throwing stones at them. Looking at the hole where the girl disappeared, he debated as to whether to look in or to pretend nothing happened.

Look in you coward.

That seemed to settle it. If he couldn't trust his own brain to tell him what he needed to do, who else would he trust? Slipping his katar on, he inched towards the door. Carefully, he silently eased it open.

[Ookie]

Eika swiveled around, she was going to be cautious this time, these young people had guns.. and weapons. She narrowed her eyes at the intruder and observed him, as it was a boy carefully. Smart clothes, perfect haircut, polished shoes, the aura of getting all that he wanted. One word discribed this guy.. rich. She smiled.

Well.... hello there. she thought. She glared at him, but inside she was smiling.

"What do you want?" she snapped. "Why can't you people leave me alone, I'm just a night sales woman havein' a kip." All this time she was looking for clues as to where this rich guy came from, and keeping an eye on his weapons.
"What do you need those for? Aren't they illegal?" she snapped,

even tho, they fetch a good price in the market she thought. What are you planning to do? Go bird hunting? With that she laughed coolly.

This guy is brimming with money.. I can feel it. she thought, Time to play cat and mouse... she waited for a reply, hoping that no one would enter the garage.

[KuroTan]

Xavier was taken aback by her forwardness. Then the businessman in him took over. Okay, first off, don't look intimidated.

"You're the one throwing stones lady," he said. Looking around the room he wrinkled his nose. What a dump. And she said she was a night saleswoman? Whatever she must be selling was clearly not enough to support herself. She's living in a storage facility for crying out loud.

Hiding his distaste he continued. "Illegal or not, what's important for now is that I'm holding one and you're not. Care to explain why you threw a rock at us?"

Us he said. He must be crazy. Xavier Maddock bonding with his companions? It sent shivers down his spine just thinking about it. He was with them by circumstances and not by choice.

[Ookie]

"Yes, i'm the one throwing the stones, the reason being that i was disturbed from my sleep. I need a lot of energy for my nightly raid- er sales." she cursed in her mind. She was still sleepy and didn't know what she was saying. Absent mindely she clutched her wound, then turned and looked towards him.

She picked up something from the ground next to her and tossed it at his feet, it hit him and then the wall behind him with a small tinkle. She glared.
"Don't point that thing at me." she swore looking at his gun, "And get out, unless you want to buy something.. that is you can afford it." she said mockingly.

Maybe if he bought something she could buy a piece of bread to last her the day, she was starving but she made sure not to show this.

[KuroTan]

He was about to say something scathing when he noticed the wound she had crudely bandaged with, what was it, leather? That would lead to an infection, he was sure of it.

"You're hurt," he said as he took a step closer to her, petty grievances put aside for now. "That needs to ba looked at. I know a good doctor."

He wasn't lying. He employed a team of, if not the best then surely the most capable, physicians in his company.

[Ookie]

"I don't need a doctor." she gave him a glare that said Do I look like someone who can AFFORD a doctor and treatment She took a step backwards and her back brushed against the wall. As harmless as he looked this guy could be a robber like her. She had met plenty her age and younger, who would kill for the loot they would gain. This time she was at a disadvantage, what if she disagreed to go with him to his 'doctor'.. would he shoot her there and then?

She narrowed her eyes, "All you rich people are the same, if you do take me to this .. doctor of yours you are sure to expect something of me in return. Whatever it is, I can't give it. Plus, it doesn't hurt at all." as soon as she said that a small trickle of blood seeped through the bandages What damn bad timing! Damn those dogs! She shrugged as if it was nothing. "Now. will you buy something or not? If not get out" She gestured around the storage garage and at the pile of loot on the floor. She would not beg, what left of her pride would not allow her that. If he didn't buy, she wouldn't eat. It was simple.

[Luzifer]

Vincent sighed as he walked after Xavier. Where was he going anyway, "What are you doing opening this..." he looked inside the storage garage that Xavier had opened, and began gnawing at his collar, "The hell!? GAH!!" he jumped backwards when he saw the girl. "Wh-where'd she come from!"

He looked around at the place for the place for the first time. There were various artifacts of all descriptions all over the floor and wall. "What the hell are these?!" He had a really bad feeling about this, something wasn't right. And then he heard Xavier yelling, "A doctor? For that cut?" Even he found that a little over the top, "I mean maybe a bandage or something but its doesn't look particularly bad, just like a sharp slice, it'll bleed pretty bad for a while but than they get better really quick. Now its not like a she got are rusty syringe of heroin... then she'd be in trouble." during all this his tone oscillated with varying degrees of nervousness

[KuroTan]

Stubborn. Very stubborn. Xavier could see that she was just pretending not to need a doctor. That tell-tale drop of blood confirmed it.

Well, as much as Xavier resented giving out money, he had been thought as a child to never let an injured person walk by without him doing anything and out of respect for them, he decided on a compromise. Something she could use to justify her seeing his doctor without feeling as if it was out of pity.

"Tell you what," he said as he picked up the object that she threw at him. "I'll buy everything you're selling. Name your first price, I won't haggle."

Father and mother I hope you're looking, he thought to himself. I'm offering charity to someone I barely even know.

He was so preoccupied at the thought of giving away the money that he didn't even notice the nervous guy standing behind him

OOC: Sorry they're all short. Internet's acting up. I keep getting connected and disconnected.

[.Gogo]

Evi's mouth had dropped open in stunned silence as Sarah gripped her wrist forcibly, leading her off. Suddenly gaining the nerve to protest Evi had tried to slip away "Wha-what the- wait a sec--" she gritted her teeth as soon as she heard the news. She was to be babysat by that boy Louis.. darn it all. It wasn't fair, being punished like this. After all there was no proof that she had intended to hurt that scrawny scittish kid. Away from the action going on inside, Evi stood with Louis, just studying him for a minute before turning her face away. She didn't like this, not one bit.

[Luzifer]

Louis looked right back at Evi, meeting her gaze bit for bit, and said, with a dull bored voice, "Don't worry. Its embarrassing for the both of us." He hoped she wouldn't be difficult but really from what he had seen of her he couldn't imagine her being anything but difficult. And for that he would surely loathe Sarah for making him do this.

[.Gogo]

Hearing Louis speak to her Evi turned back towards him "Tch... whatever. You're the one that's teacher's pet, what do you know of embarassment?" She didn't like Sarah putting Louis in charge of her, why did he deserve to have that power? Crossing her arms across her chest defiantly she turned to walk away. She didn't have to deal with this, she had what she wanted already.

[Luzifer]

Louis sighed mildly at the immaturity of his charge, but he had decided that he was going to comply and he would not fail, if he decided to do something he would not let his name be tarnished by the word failure. So he followed her. He was going to make sure she didn't cause anymore of a bother for anyone, besides, it stroked his ego a little to see her angry at him for being superior. He couldn't admit that wasn't a reason. Still, he himself wanted to leave as well but he really didn't see a point. If he left early he'd arrive early and then he'd be just as bored but in a different place. He hoped Lilith finished choosing her weapon soon. Indecisiveness was not a trait he looked highly upon

[Yugure's Goddess]

OOC: ugh! That took forever to read!! I'm sorry I'm so late; my teachers have been drowning me in a sea of homework. I suppose it's good that I chose not to take a sinner, eh? Anyway, here I go. Guess I'll be using 'dark olive green'

BIC:

Beatrix blinked open her eyes and sat up absentmindedly, allowing the thick comforter to fall away from her chest and pool before her weary form. She barely registered the unchanged feeling of the small room around her, stepping down from the lonely twin. She looked at her alarm clock; she'd awoken before it went off at its usual time of 6:30. It was exactly 6:29. Before it could utter a single outburst, she turned it off and calmly pulled the string to the lamp beside her bed, closing her eyelids a bit as the piercing light it emitted cut through her eyes and head.

Beatrix didn't pay a single bit of attention to anything around her -- it was exactly as it had been the night before: calm, orderly and quiet. Just as she liked it to be. She made her bed in silence and shuffled slowly over to a chest of drawers near the bed with everything she planned to wear that day stacked neatly on top. Calmly she reexamined it to be sure it was what she wanted before she placed it neatly on her bed. She'd taken a shower the night before but decided it wouldn't hurt to have a quick rinse-down. 30 minutes later (exactly) she was in her room pulling on a rather long olive green dress with dull violet flowers embroidered around every hem. She combed out her blow-dried hair and pulled it into a tight bun held by an even number of deep brown pins placed uniformly on both sides of her bun and head. Vaguely aware of what she was doing, she pulled on dark green and brown bracelets, and a rough wooden-bead and hemp necklace. In her ears dangled simplistic wooden earrings cut into crescents. Fairly satisfied with her appearance, Mrs.Burtly picked up her modest purse, left her small room and headed for her classroom a building or two away from where she slept.

The previous night's Dark Hour seemed to be somewhat uneventful. After all, she'd managed to stay asleep through the whole thing and when she awoke she was no different from how she had been the night before. It was a curious thing that she should sleep through it, too. It wasn't unusual for its disturbances to wake her violently from anything she might be doing.

She blinked in annoyance as a soft breeze flowed through her loose gown and fluttered its fairly thin clothe. After she pulled a heavy door shut behind her, she straightened up and brushed away almost non-existent bits of dust she seemed to have gathered together on her dress in the gentle winds. She walked briskly through her hall to her classroom and pulled a ring of keys from her purse to unlock the classroom door. There were no classes as of yet but she still had quite a bit of work to do. She'd been assigned a new computer room for her classes this year and her files still weren't entirely in order though she'd found the time to work out her syllabus and lesson plans for this year. She flicked the switches to her right, illuminating the dark room in harsh florescent light.

The door clicked quietly behind her as she took a deep breath, placed her purse on her desk at the back of the room and began silently cleaning up the 'enormous' mess still left for her. She fluttered away every bit of dust that had accumulated over night with an old duster, straightened then rearranged the books in her cabinets at the back, rumaged through and thoroughly resorted most her files, and straightened every keyboard, monitor, tower, and mouse in the room before she finally set herself down next to her own heap of wires. Mrs.Burtly promptly turned on the system and vaguely acknowledged the time in lower left of the screen that registered at exactly 12noon.

OOC: meh... tried to catch up in one post but it was... bleh whatever, I made it here. I'm happy, anyways.

[.Gogo]

Evi smugly continued on Ha, Mr high and mighty isn't even trying to stop me! I knew he was pathe-- Hearing footsteps behind her she turned to see that Louis was indeed following her. "What the.." she muttered to herself, coming to a halt some yards away from the storage unit, but they were yet to be completely out of view from the others. "What are you following me for?" she questioned him. This time though she didn't sound as angry as she sounded curious.

[Luzifer]

Louis didn't really react much to her question but he did give it its due mulling. He shrugged, "It was better than standing around doing nothing" he replied evenly, "And you may have the others scared but you don't bother me at all" and after that he leaned against the wall of the storage unit. He wanted things to move, he didn't like waiting around in stagnation. But he supposed things moved in their due time and while he had the power to change it he had to be cautious. He felt like he had gotten bitten last time.

[.Gogo]

Evi could only stand there blinking while she processed his reply. True it should have angered her.. but it also intrigued her. The girl was so accustomed to repelling people immediately after first impressions were exchanged, and for this boy, Loius, to 'not be bothered' by her, well.. it was oddly refreshing. No one had ever said that of her. She brushed the thought away though, she couldn't believe it had developed in her mind at all. His statement was still offending, he was implying she wasn't a threat, that she was insignificant. Evi shook her head, opening her mouth to speak but then changing her mind, her mixed thoughts preventing her from coming up with an immediate reply. She just looked away then, realizing she had stared at him too long, long enough for it to be noticeable anyways.

[Luzifer]

He glanced over at the black haired girl, she had been about to say something than decided against it. Well, whatever it was if she had felt it was worth her time to say it was beyond a shadow of a doubt not worth his time to hear. He pushed off against the wall and began to walk back to Sarah and the others. He didn't want to go far afield. When everyone was down Louis wanted to be able to leave without much of a hassle looking for a bunch of different people. He stopped and looked behind him at the black haired girl, "Come" was all he said before he started walking again. His hands tucked neatly in his pockets

[Ookie]

Eika grinned, maybe them passing by was not such a bad thing after all, and the short speech of the nervous guy that had just entered the room gave her a perfect excuse for not visiting the doctors'. But she ignored him, the rich one had the money. The other guy was just there at pretty good timing.

"Okay Mr. who ever you are, I hope you'll keep your promise, or you'll regret it." she forgot the guns and weapons for the moment and gathered various items, dumping them in cardboard boxes. Then she pushed them to his feet. "No haggling remember, I demand a thousand paper ones." she grinned. This was her lucky day indeed. A guy she never saw in her life and would probably never see again offering to buy her loot was not something that happened every day. While she let him think overit she observed the other guy, inside she laughed. One of them is so rich and neat and even good looking, the other one is a nervous wreck... and chewing his collar? Not even when I'm starving would I do that. she thought.

[KuroTan]

Xavier breathed a silent sigh of relief. A thousand dollars wasn't so bad. He thought she would ask for more, take advantage of the situation. She looked like the type anyway.

Although, as he looked at everything she sold him, some them didn't even look remotely recognizable. Oh well, that's one good deed for the day.

"You better get that checked some time," he said as he counted out the money. "It's going to get infected if you leave it like that."

Hefting the heavy box, he took his leave. As he turned to leave he noticed Vincent standing nervously behind him. When did he get there? Still feeling the effects of a good deed he accidentally let "Hello" slip.

Man, he was getting soft.

[Ookie]

Eika sniffed when he mentioned her wound again but she grinned as she stuffed the wad of money in her back pocket. She watched him walk off and turned her gaze to the other one. She looked him over once and yawned.

"As you can see, I have nothing more to sell. So you can take your leave. Anytime soon would be great." turning away from him she grabbed a rusted sword from the floor and ripped off the leather from the hand piece, then she tossed the blade aside and took off her old make shift bandage, now full of dried. crusted blood and tossed it aside, she wrapped the wound with the new bandage, tying it in a crude knot. She would not waste any money for a doctor to see a dog bite that would heal in a mater of days, or even.. hours. She turned back towards the guy and the bandage slipped down her arm.

"Look what you did! " She snapped, even though he had nothing to do with it. She pulled it up again and pointed at the door, "Like I said. I have noting to sell."

Kids these days....

[Ranryou Roga]

Chris stood their watching them all act and move like idiots. This was pointless. Chris had no skills with a sword. If someone here did chris would have to find them and gt some training. Even if he didint like to listen to anyone. "Where is that women at." Chris then spotted the women that rbought them all together. he slowly walked up towards her and looked directly into her eyes. "If their is nothing else that you need from me id like to leave now. I have training to do and i have to get ready for tonight."

[Luzifer]

"shahlohm, nephilim" Sarah responded calmly to the boy's demands to leave, "when Miss Maxwell has chosen what she wants we shall be ready to leave but until that time please remain calm, Mr. Thomas" Sarah clicked her tongue slightly in he cheek and checked her watch, she would admit it was getting awful late but as long as there weren't too many bad delays in the subway things would be fine

[Light Buster]

Paul decided to take the walk to the subway where he can do whatever he wanted. Something in his mind guided him to the subway but his question is why. When he arrived at the subway he found a bench and sat down on it. "Damn it," he thought. "I forgot to go to church yesterday. Hope I go tommorow." He began to lay down on the bench in hope something big will happen. He began to feel something inside of him he began to get up. "Better get back to my dorm."

[Ranryou Roga]

Chris growled overly loud at the women. He was ready to leave. Being surronded by these idiots only made him madder. Chris was ready to explode. he wanted to fight someone or something at this point. all this talk about fighting and stuff had caused him to want it more then anything. Chris turned around and walked back to his seat and sat down. Their was nothing to do now. The only thing to do was to sit their and look at the blades in his hands.

[KuroTan]

Xavier set down the box he was carrying and threw in the katar he had into the mix. He was now the proud owner of what seemed to be an assortment of weapons, trinkets and a, what does this say, "I'm with stupid-er ->" shirt?

He sighed as he sat down on a nearby bench, making sure to wipe it clean first since he was wearing white pants. Got to wait now.

[.Gogo]

Tch, like Evi was really about to take orders from this guy. It was true that Sarah had given him power of command, but Evi did not wish to acknowledge that. He didn't deserve the superiority. If anyone should have it, it should be herself. Crossing her arms against her chest defiantly she just remained where she stood, watching Louis walking away.

[Luzifer]

Immediately becoming aware that the girl wasn't following him, Louis stopped and looked back so that his uncovered gray eye was all she could see. "Is it worth it?" he asked with a calm measured tone and the assumption that he would immediately be understood. This girl was more stubborn than an oak root. He should tell her to go in the opposite direction from him and she'd follow him! But even he didn't think that even she would be so dumb as to fall for such rudimentary reverse psychology.

[.Gogo]

"Is it worth it?" What the heck was that supposed to mean. Evi turned her nose up and walked up to Louis, shooting him another look. He thought he was so superior didn't he.. she hated that. She turned away and, smirking slightly she picked up the pace and walked past him, just to arrive back to the garage before him so that it didn't appear she was following him. Ha. She sure showed him didn't she? Feeling smug she rejoined the others inside the storage unit.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith decided to go with a light weight sword. She figured it'd be easier to learn over the other weapons, which was good for her since she hated having to 'study' and practice different things.

After making her decision, she noticed the Louis boy was out of sight. Oh well, there were many mre male studens around. She spotted the boy who offered her lessons and sat down next to him. She allowed her arm to slightly brush aross his and gave him an innocent, helpless face.
"You're gonna help me learn how to use this thing...right?"

She then pouted her lip a bit as if asking 'please'.

[Luzifer]

Louis faced was blank but inside he was quite amused. What did this girl seek to gain by arriving before him? Some sort of superficial superiority? Did she not grasp that such things were ephemeral and meaningless? Well, if she wanted to seem better than that was fine with him but until she actually was, which he doubted would ever happen, then he really didn't care. He sauntered back to where everyone else was waiting for Lilith to choose her weapon so they could leave.

As soon as he got back, "Alright, now that we're done we can head back to the dorm, and on the way we can stop and get some dinner, cause I imagine you are all rather hungry. As usual try to stay together on the subway and-" she continued giving the usual lecture that teachers gave, not that Louis failed to see the reason that she would give it. Otherwise one idiot would go and get himself lost and then everyone would be bored and miserable while they track that fool down. Not that he, himself, would get lost but there were these others, none of which seemed to be particularly competent.

When Sarah had finished talking they left. On their way back they stopped in the subway's food court and they were able to buy whatever food they wanted. The nervous boy must have eaten twice his weight in Sbarro (OOC: please note that Sbarro is trademarked but according to the fair rights and usage acts they can't sue me. TAKE THAT TOOLS!) pizza. Louis himself ate only conservative amounts.

They promptly returned to the dorm and Sarah told them to meet back at the meeting room at 11:30, people who came late being screwed. So Louis decided that, since he had nothing to do in his room, he'd just lie on one other couches. It wasn't long before the proper time began to roll around.

[KuroTan]

Xavier was, to say the least, disappointed as he relaxed in his room. The Lilith girl had finally initiated a conversation, finally acknowledged that he existed, and that Thuster teacher cut everything short before he could reply. What a pain. Everything seemed a blur after that. He looked for every opportunity to talk to the girl again but she was always fawning over the Louis fellow. He made it back into the dorm without once even answering her question.

Well, we'll just have to do better at later's meeting then.

Yes, he would.

[Hiryonin]

Mic went outside the dorm for a walk in the city and maybe buying some more Manga's. He walked slowly with his hands deep in his pockets. "I need to eat somewhere to" he tought After seeing some stores and buying a few little things he walked up to a nice little fastfood restaurant and eat there. After that he returned back to the Dorm for some more reading. "When was school going to start again? Oh well, Im bored" He tought.
When he was almost back at the dorms he saw a large group of kids around his age entering another dorm. They where let by a tall woman clearly a teatcher or so. Mic looked eager, "maybe some of those kids are my soon to be class mates. Man did I get in the wrong dorm or what" Mic kicked a stone infront of him. "maybe I can get dorm chances around here somewhere"

[.Gogo]

Evi sighed, walking through the hallway she had opted for heading to her dorm, instead of hanging out in the meeting place. Being with the others didn't suit her.

As she traveled past the other dorms and other students she attempted to look as inconspicuous as possible, carrying the rather large weapon she had recieved back to her dormroom. She really didn't have to bother though, most other students were intelligent enough to pick up on her unnaproachable attitude.

Safe in the confines of her own room she tossed the polearm onto her bed, and sank into a chair. Pulling out the mysterious revolver Sarah Thuster had passed out to them, she examined it suspiciously. Shooting herself with this thing, like Sarah had done, would bring out her persona? Sarah's persona had looked nearly just like herself, Evi wondered if hers would resemble herself also. Just what exactly was a persona anyways? She knew it granted them power, but.. personas were still a mystery despite Sarah's explanations, as were the dark hour and these 'shadows' she had spoken of.

Evi's expression remained blank as she tucked the revolver safely into her handbag, not wanting to leave it behind. Changing into a more sporty outfit (soccer shorts and a baby tee), she opted to go out and find something to do to pass the time before the meeting later. Maybe she'd go find some poor defenseless person to whoop in a game of basketball. Shrugging to herself she locked her door behind her and once again entered the hallway.

[Light Buster]

Before Josh got back to his dorm, Josh decided to go grab a bite to eat at Sbarro. He decided to eat a slice or two. When he got his food, he sat down at the nearest table. "Even though I get paid," he thought, "I still want to join a band. Any band." He finished his slice of pizza and finally decided to head back to the dorm. "Well, better hit the sack and get some sleep."

He continued to look around for someone interesting while heading back to his comfortable dorm. He rubbed his head and neck and finally began to walk quicker.

[Luzifer]

Louis looked up at the clock and noticed that still not much time had passed so, deciding his time might be better spent in his room where he could at least preview his textbooks and see if he would be learning anything this year, he stood up off the couch and departed in dead silence. He got to the stairs and began to ascend toward the the boys level, the second floor, when he glanced up and noticed that the black-haired girl from earlier was coming down. He wondered, with hidden amusement to himself, what sort of way she would attempt to chew him out now, knowing with good certainty that her attempt would fail.

Vincent sat in his chair and ran his finger along the edge of his falchion as he chewed a long stick of celery in his mouth. He had gotten good enough at the task, over his years of eating, that he could stick a stalk of celery in his mouth and not need his hands until it required replacement. Actually, he didn't like the taste of celery but it prevented him from accruing calories from his eating and the relief it got him from the pangs of longing. The feeling of the blade was somewhat intoxicating but in a different way.

[.Gogo]

Evi nearly passed the boy, not noticing him at first although, as soon as his face registered with her she stopped on the steps. A mischevious thought crossed her mind, and, turning around she called out to him. "Louis.." she started "You wouldn't know how to play basketball would you? Well, probably not as well as me anyways.." she smirked. He did seem arrogant, maybe this would coax him into joining her. She was eager to make him look bad after what had happened earlier, and she couldn't think of a better opportunity.

[Luzifer]

Basketball? Louis thought to himself and realized he did not remember whether or not he knew that sport, "I don't know..." he replied calmly. But should he play? It was interesting that she asked and he instantly bent his entire mind to determining her ploy. Judging from her lithe body, she probably was very athletic and he wouldn't be surprised if her sport of choice was indeed basketball. She wasn't the type to take a risk. If she felt there was a chance she could lose than she wouldn't take the risk but would rather accept a challenge which she felt guaranteed her victory. But that didn't bother him, after all, it was mere basketball, a sport. And sports were a waste of time and not something which he put stock in. Such time would be better spent reading a book of ancient lore or scientific theory, or perhaps training in fighting, something of practical value. So in essence he had nothing to lose from this except reputation in the face of people whose opinions he did not value. What he had to gain was a better understanding of the person who seemed to be gunning for him. Besides, this was a challenge, he wanted to see what she would do if he accepted. "Let us find out..."

He followed her outside and to the basketball court. The four dorms of 2nd Pei (named after the architect that had designed them), 2-A, 2-B, 2-C and 2-D made a square around a large central park area in which was, surrounded by a chainlink fence, two basketball courts. One of these courts was unoccupied. When they both had entered, Louis letting Evi entering first so he could keep his eye on her, Louis unbottom the jacket of his school uniform but did not take it off. Just as always, he downplayed his every action maintaining complete and other composure. He almost wanted to lose. He expected that she thought she could fluster him. It would be funny to see her expression when he wasn't.

[Opinionated]

Before they left, Mike made sure get one of those Evokers. In the food court, he had found an asian outlet that had sweet-and-sour chicken on its menu. The chicken was quite good, for all the reasons why Mike liked sweet-and-sour chicken. He didn't draw attention to himself, and it seemed to him that indeed since he wasn't drawing attention, no one was giving a whit of it to him. Oh, well. Could be worse.

He meandered to his dorm, propping his new sheild against the wall and setting his evoker on top of it. Then, he read. And read. On a rare and sudden impulse, he set the book down and fished around in his bag for a personal item: a multitool he used for fishing. It had the standard fare: screwdriver, knife, file, can opener, file, and so on. He set that and a pen on his nighstand and then went back to reading the time away, waiting for 11:30.

[KuroTan]

Xavier was getting bored. His initial displeasure had dissipated with the passing of the hours. Unable to take it any longer, he went out of his room to get some fresh air.

Walking around the campus, he noticed a park. As he went closer to it he noticed that Louis guy and the girl who he recalled was called Evi inside on of the basketball courts. Apparently, they were going to face off.

This should be interesting, he thought to himself. Sitting on one of the benches situated outside the boundaries of the court, he made himself comfortable. He couldn't wait to see who would be the winner.

[Ookie]

Eika sat up after they had left, it was time to see what they had left behind in the store. She slipped in easily through the hole in the wall and looked for the area where she had seen the guns last. Those things would fetch some money in the market, if they had bullets, well that would be even better. Instead what she found was some sort of safe, it required a swipe card to open. She laughed loudly, she wasn't a theif for nothing , eletronics where her speciality.

Allthough she had said that it was five hours before she managed to open the safe. But then it was done, her hand rested on the slightly open door of the safe. I should be doing this.. that guy was kind to me. she thought, then she shook her head, in this world it was kill or be killed, and eat or be eaten. For the moment only she mattered. Plus they looked like they had enough money to replace anything. She opened the door cautiously and reached inside and dragged the contents out, they seemed to be pistols like the others had.

"ALL Right!" she cheered, she inspected the pistols wondering where the bullets would enter the device. She found no entrance at all, she sighed and turned at the wal pointing the gun at it, maybe it was some sort of disposable pistol, with bullets already installed. She prepared herself for the blast and pulled the trigger aiming at the wall. Nothing happened, she clicked the trigger again for good measure, and again and again.

"This is just a piece of JUNK." she yelled, cursing the hours she spent trying to open it. "How was I fooled by this .... this... child's plaything!" She cursed remebering how the rich kid had totally fooled her into thinking it was a real weapon, she glared and kicked it away. Then she thought the better of it. If she had one of those she copuld do some fooling herself, she grinned and strapped it around her tigh, but inside a little voice mocked her for carrying a child's toy. She crawled through the wall back to her sleeping place in the other garage.

"It's time to sleep mother, father." she said reaching out for her pocket watch, in it she kept pictures of her dead parents, she closed her eyes and reached out but her hand met nothing. She sat up in pure panic, where was it? An image flashed through her head, as if slow motion as she absent mindedly put the pocket watch in the box with the other items she gave the boy, she cursed loudly. She HAD to get it back.

OOC: Buga buga buuuuugaa~

[.Gogo]

Evi was sure she could beat Louis in a game. She had played for years, after all, and Louis, well he appeared to be more of the studious type to her. At least that's what she was assuming. And if he did somehow pose a challenge.. well, she had underhanded ways of dealing with that. Grinning she made sure her jet black hair was tightly fastened, and picked up the ball, standing in the center court. She turned towards him "You ready? I get first ball." He was crazy if he thought she'd let him go first.

Appearing to look a bit more focused she rested the ball on her hip, watching him. Beyond his form she recognized another, the rich kid that was part of their group. So they had an audience hm? She focused her gaze back to Louis, awaiting a conformation from him.

OOC- Sorry I was so late with my post... >_<;

[Luzifer]

A good, she wanted to make the first move. He always preferred to let his opponent move first and to react. He had his talents it was always better if he could bait his opponent into them. He dropped down into a loose and springy stance, every part of him ready to move. His eye looked at her, "Come." He realized at this moment that, no, he didn't have much experience with basketball, but his muscles were supple, and his legs were long. He didn't think he would be at much of a disadvantage...if indeed at all. He just had to remember to watch her... she was not above, in fact well beneath, using the occasional illegal toss of the elbow or carry of the ball. He wouldn't call her on them, it was in fact quite amusing to play with a "handicap", but he would have to keep his eye out lest she try and take it out for him with a jab of the elbow.

OOC: Not a problem!

[.Gogo]

"Hn.." she eyed him suspiciously before allowing the ball to hit the floor, bouncing it casually with one hand, her focus too remained on him, as was essential in the game. Tensing up she waited to make her move, the ball's steady rhythm the only noise. Unexpectedly so she moved, faking a right she instead turned left, with above average speed. Pivoting around her opponent she reached the net easily, Performing an agile layup the ball sank into the basket without much effort. Smirking she retrieved the ball, tossing it to her opponent. She was fast, and she did know how to play. She wouldn't have dared challenged Louis to something she didn't excell at. Not unless she had a good plan as backup. "Looks like I score first point."

[Luzifer]

Louis didn't reply as he took the ball himself... he hadn't rely tried to hard the first time. Best to let her hubris work to his advantage. She would get frustrated more the more confident he let her get and the first point is a huge psychological boost to the side that got it. Thus he had a good feeling she was floating with confidence. He dribbled the ball lightly in one hand, at first just to make sure he knew the motion well enough and the more confidently and quicker. She thought he would break, heheh, indeed. He would break like water!

He moved in quickly putting sharp forward pressure in then leading back for a nice easy fade away shot. Using his height and leg strength to his advantage he easily cleared the shot over her. It banked gently off the backboard before entering in the net with a nice clunking sound of the board to mark his score. He didn't make a comment though and as he picked up the ball and handed it to her, staring her in the eye. Of course, he could have through it to her but he preferred to be close to his opponent, to meet their gaze and to be able to taste their breath and have them taste his. It was a battle of wills. And Louis knew his will was the strongest that existed and was another advantage of his over anyone else. She would lose her resolve before he did.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith went back to her room and looked over her sword. She swong it around a bit and shrugged to herself.
"Eh, it'll do I guess."

She heard something from outside her window and looked to see the one girl playing a game of some sort against Louis. It wasnt long before she found herself captivated by him once again. She scurried down to the court and sat on a nearby bench and watched him.

However, she did find herself wondering why this other girl...Evi she believed her name wan, would actually play such a game. It was so...unattractive.

[KuroTan]

Xavier's heart almost leaped out of his throat. For a moment, his attention wavered from watching the game to watching the girl who had just come down to the court. She was just a few benches away.

Go closer.

No, he decided resolutely. She was obviously watching the Louis guy. It would be bad form to disturb her.

Go on.

Shaking his head, he crossed his arms and forced himself to watch the game. They were tied and both haven't showed any signs of weakness yet.

[.Gogo]

Evi had tried to intercept the ball, but Louis had outmanuevered her and scored. Attempting to save face and hide her dissapointment, Evi didn't return his gaze but just took the ball from his hands, turning on her heel to walk to the center of the court. Allowing the ball to hit the floor she began to dribble it steadily, moving towards Louis slowly, waiting to get some idea of what his next move would be.

OOC- Sorry for the slowness, and shortness, of this post. This weekends been rough because we're redoing sswars ^^;

[Luzifer]

Louis hide his amusement. She was on her back foot and, if that refusal to meet his gaze was any indication, she knew. Maintaining his stone face he gently dropped into a ready stance rocking side to side as he waited for her move. He wasn't going to let her score this time... His grey eyes focused intently on every part of her body at once... the bend of her ankle... 70 degrees, ready but hesitant... her dribble .5 dribbles per second... calm and thoughtful (already playing into her worse traits)... Observe and react. That was the key to victory.

OOC: As always, don't worry about it! If it was an issue i would have already dragged you to your computer by the scruff of your neck

[.Gogo]

Evi looked past Louis and towards the net. She was assuming this Louis was more of the studious type and that he was researching her movements. Although he was naturally athletic, she could safely say that he hadn't played the game devotedly like she had. This could work to her advantage, perhaps she could bend the rules if need be. Moving even more quickly then when she had first scored, she attempted the same play as before, a fake to the right and then a charge to the left. Hopefully it wasn't what he was expecting.

OOC- HAHA. I'd like to see you try =P Mmm have to get up for work in 3 hours... x_X; *flee!*

[Luzifer]

Louis sighed. He was being underestimated badly. She ought not try the same trick twice in a row expecting similar results, even if she was doing it faster. Rather than attempting to stop her body, he punched the ball out from underneath her and sent it bouncing and rolling across the court. Wasn't that out of bounds? well, he didn't care... if she didn't score then she couldn't win and a tie would be more than enough to irk her

OOC *is behind Mia with a menacing glint in his eye* cough

[MaruDashi]

Lilith noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It was the Xavier boy. She waved until she got his attention and gestured that he should sit next to her. If she couldnt flirt with Louis, then perhaps flirting with someone else might make him jealous.

ooc: sorriez for da shortie postie [Im tired...dont ask]

[KuroTan]

What me? Xavier's first reaction was of stunned disbelief. Wasn't she totally infatuated with the Louis kid just a few minutes ago?

Who cares? Seize the day!

There it was again, that oh-so-quite-different voice that kept echoing through his brain since last night. Was it really his?

Yes it is. Now move.

Giving in, he stood up and tried to cooly move to the next bench. Trying to act suave as he sat down, he gave her a slight wave and said, "So... How you doing?"

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Xavier suddenly got an image of someone rolling his eyes. Idiot

[Light Buster]

Josh sighed as he was making was walking all over town to kill his boredom. "Hmm...what should I do?" he thought in his mind. He scratched his black hair as he continued his walk. Before turning the next corner, he sees a boy and a girl. But he gets a usual feeling from them. "Something feels weird about them I know it," he thought. "What can it be?"

OCC: Sorry for not posting for a while. I'm seriously overloaded with work.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith smiled. She noticed that he wasnt being natural, which she took pride in knowing that he was trying to impress her.
She gave a little giggle and answered him.
"Oh, Im fine."

She leaned back and stretched a bit, but did so in such a way that her chest puffed out a bit.

"Isnt it a beautiful day? Shame its wasted here watching our leader and an amazon fight over a ball, right?"

She gave him a smile. In reality, she was hoping he'd suggest going somewhere else, and perhaps she could sucker him in into getting something for her. Louis was busy, so she'd have to leave him alone for the time being.

[Ookie]

Eika ran as fast as she could following the pointer on her tracer. She had been right in attaching a tracking device on the boy. It came in handy. Her heat pounded against her ribs so hard she felt it would burst right through her chest. Thankfully the place where the boy was, was a school. She could run past unnoticed for the most part, unless he caught sight of her, then she was in big trouble. She mauled over in her head, trying to remember the faces of those that had seen her and hoping that they didn't recognise her. She hoped the luck she had that day would still be with her.

It wasn't long before she spend in through the school gates, she had no idea what the school was called, just that it was a school, because her tracer marked it as so. She ran past a basketball court not even pausing to see what was going on, luck, it seemed was still with her for most of the residents seemed to be in the court. But she couldn't relax just yet, she had no idea how many residents lived in that building before her. The tracer as usefull as it was could not pinpoint the exact location of what she was searching for, in this case.. the bug on the boy's trousers.

If I had a bunch of stuff... i'd dump them...where... she thought, THINK! THINK!!!! she screamed inside her head, Bedroom. Dorms. Whatever. In the SCHOOL! she spend round and in front of the entrance,

"Damn it! Security." she swore. Calm down.. people will look at you weirdly... blend in Ei... blend in.. blend in... she slowed to a walk casually looking around as if she was just out for a stroll in the yard. Then she spotted it, a window. Open on the second floor. She smiled, climbing was no big deal to her, she was a theif anyway. She looked around, glad to find the area empty and took a few steps back. Checking again to see that the coast was in fact clear she spend towards the wall her sneakers pounding against the hash, vertical surface. In her mind she counted the steps to the window, hopefully it was empty, if not, she would have to temporarily silence them.

Her feet slipped from under her and she sprang and clutched the windowsill flipping over and diving feet first into the open window, the landing wasn't as gracefull as she hoped it would be and she landed on her back on a hard surface. She sat up cursing, then looked at the window and cursed loudly. then she stood up rubbing her behind and turned around, her eyes met the ones of someone else...

"Damn it."

[Luzifer]

Vincent had been walking to the corner of his room to set the falchion he had acquired to lean there while he took a nap when suddenly a pair of feet shot across his path from the window, nearly knocking him over. "GAH!!" he shouted stumbling backwards his muscles suddenly turning to wood. He very slowly turned his head toward the figure on the floor. It was a girl... and not just any girl, "You!...Storage...Selling...Vendor...Girl... Garage..." he was being completely incoherent, his mind was too stunned to form anything resembling a cohesive thought. He stuck his falchion out, pointing it at her. He didn't know if he could actually use it at a time like this but it he hoped she didn't know that, "Wha-wha-what are you doing here? what do you want?" he gnawed nervously at the collar of his shirt...

[Light Buster]

Josh decided to ease drop on the conversation but quietly without being spotted. He knew this would be tough and it could be trouble if he gets spotted. He walked closer to the boy and the girl who is talking.

OCC: Sorry for short post. Just ease dropping on Xavier and Lilith conversation.

[KuroTan]

"I - It is, isn't it?" he said with a weak chuckle.

Pull it together man.

"I have an i - idea," he said as he unconsciously brushed back his bangs. He was slowly gaining control over his emotions. "Since this is a beautiful day and all...You want to spend it somewhere equally as beautiful?"

OOC: Sorry it's not much. My head hurts from school. ><

[Ookie]

Eika took one look at the boy and grunted, it was that loonly looking one back at the storage garage. For the most part he seemed harmless and almost comic looking pointing a medival looking sword at her. She laughed out loud,

"Another one of your toys I suppose, this school makes me laugh." she said out loud while testing her arms to see if they were still in one piece. She cracked her neck too, it was fine. She wiped some of the blood on her arm on the floor rudely then tightened the makeshift bandage. Eika gazed briefly back at the boy and then her gaze fixed onto something behind him. She stood up walked past the boy and picked out a packet of crisps, she plopped herself back in the middle of the floor and munched through them,

"Ah Great, I haven't eaten in days." she looked back at the guy, " You, I want your name. And I'd like to know where I can find the room of this rich fella thing-a. He bought a box of stuff from my store, and there's something I want back. Oh, and if you try and scream for help I'll kill you." she ended casually while munching on the chips. Mmm.. Barbecue flavour...

[Luzifer]

Vincent let the falcion rest easily on his shoulder but was still very wary of the girl. He trusted her no farther than he could spit. Keeping his eyes on her he walked over to his refrigerator and pulled out a carrot which he began to eat. What should he do in this situation? Well, he'd start by answering her question and then seeing how long he could stall for time, "I'm Vincent, Vincent Deltoro...Whats yours? And why were you living in that storage place?"

[MaruDashi]

A spark glimmered in Lilith's eye. She had to admit, she nabbed a good one this time. Cute, rich....rich. She gave him one of her signature smiles and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, exposing a bit of neck.

"I'd love to. Did you have some place in mind?"

'some place pricey I hope. I havent gone window shopping in such a long time...' she thought.

[KuroTan]

Xavier couldn't help but let slip a genuine smile. Looks like the injustice done this morning would be repaid after all. Now, where could they go that would absolutely impress her? He was new to the locale and as such, he had no idea where the good places where.

"Well...Not really," he said a bit hesitantly. "I'm not that familiar with the place yet. Maybe you could show me around?"

OOC: My mind went blank thinking about a good place. Sorry about that. And thanks for the blog comment Maru. You better.>=D kidding.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith's smile grew. She knew excatly where to go where she could do the most 'damage'.

"Its a beautiful day for the beach. And its not too far from here. Plus, Ive been dying to break in my new bikini."

She made sure to emphasize[sp?] that. She loved wearing bikinis, since it covered very little. Not to mention, there were great shops along the beach side, and being half naked could have great influence if she wanted anything.

She waited for him to agree of disagree, pouting her eyes to show that she really wanted to go.

[Ookie]

"frrreka ferjjakamnjh." she mumbled with the food in her mouth. Then she swallowed. "I'm Eika, you can cal me Ei. I'm not planning to hurt you yet, so no worries. Any more of these?" she asked showing him the empty packet. She didn't mind answering his questions, she would be gone pretty soon, even tho those chips were pretty addicting.
"The garage? Ah, I live in many places. I'm a sales gal' I sell stuff, so these days you have to travel to do that, gets rough some times tho." she gestured at her bound arm. Lying came easily to her, she was so used to it, that it was flawless. "I have another question, I'm looking for the room of this guy. he's like.. this tall and very rich. he bought some stuff from me and I have something I want back."

[Luzifer]

He pointed to the cabinet over her head, "In there," Vincent was quiet for a moment while he thought over what she had said, "Sales girl eh?... so you're a drug dealer huh? Reminds me of my younger days. Though I used my neighbor's tool shed rather than a storage garage." he sighed depressedly as he thought back to those shameful days, living from hit to hit. He got so drawn into his own thoughts he completely forgot about the question involving Xavier...

[Ookie]

She pulled out another packet, "Drugs? What makes you think that?" she asked rolling her eyes, "and speaking about your old days like that, you're probably younger then me. And I don't want you to get my proffession wrong, I'm no drug dealer. Done a fair bit of that but that's all in the past now." because now I'm a proffessional theif.. she added silently in her mind.

"Well then, since you won't be telling me where I can find this guy's room Im afriad I'll just have to search every room, and I pity the ones I encounter. Cause you see, I might have to make them keep quiet..." she turned away grinning, this ought to convince him, that I mean buisness.

[Luzifer]

"Oh? I'm 18 how old are you? And its a good thing you got out of the drug business that stuff destroys your..." his eyes looked to the side and he sighed gently, "Its not important. But look I'm really sorry but I can't let you steal anything, despite my personal distaste for the Xavier" Of course he had guess from the moment she dropped in what she was doing, he had done a little petty larceny of his own when he was really desperate to get that next once of blow. He raised his falchion, "please, just don't fight back. Just give up... I don't want to hurt you... and maybe we can work this out, this isn't worth dying over, trust me."

[Ookie]

"I want something that's mine. And I'm not leaving without it." she stood up and tossed the packet aside, her dagger arm was injured, but that didn't mean she couldn't fight. The guy handled the falcion like he just recieved it for god's sake! Eika pulled out the dagger, flipped it in her arm and pointed it at Vincent, "I don't really want to kill you either. But I won't give up on anything, and I suppose you won't either. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you, you'll just have to nap for a while." with that she stood to attention, waiting for him to make his first move.

Short post, x.x; Study time. @_@

[Luzifer]

Vincent sighed, and from his pocket pulled the evoker he had just recently been given and set its muzzle next to his temple, his eyes were cold and uncaring. The nervousness seemed to drain from his body as he stood their, "Trust me... you don't want me to pull the trigger... and I don't want to clean blood off my ceiling for the rest of the day." His voice was hard and filled with daggers. "Just drop the knife and make this easier for the both of us." Reminded him of his boyhood, nothing quite like it.

[KuroTan]

He gave her a curt nod. "Yea sure. The beach sounds like fun." Underneath the composed exterior, Xavier was rejoicing like mad. At the mention of the word bikini, all his thought processes came grinding to a complete halt and it was all he could do to just agree to it.

"Walk you to the dorm?" he offered. All thought of the basketball game he was supposed to be watching was forgotten.

[.Gogo]

Evi darted for the ball, slapping at it before she finally caught it in her hands. It was true it had ventured slightly out of bounds. Standing with the ball in her hands she started to dribble it again. Cheating was not beneath her. Taking a shot from farther away this time, the ball rolled around the rim a few times before falling off without score. Evi narrowed her eyes in silent protest but otherwise didn't appear disgruntled, she just turned towards Louis, waiting for him to retrieve the ball. It was closer to her but she wasn't going out of her way to get it for him.

[Ookie]

"A suicide attack? Nifty." she said laughing, "I'll leave you to it." she grinned pulling out the exact same gun like thing, "You can't scare me with a toy. I know what these are, kids stuff." she pulled the trigger a couple of times hearing it click, "It might have worked the first time, but it won't work again, I won't be frightened by any more of your bluffs and toys." she twirled it and stuffed it back in it's hoister.

She stared at him intently, at the sight of that pose, with the gun to his head, it should have been comical. But inside her mind voices where echoing, they urged her to get out. They weren't hers, no voice in her mind would have been that cowardly. She laughed pushing her thoughts away and before he could say one more word she threw the dagger at the window, causing the it to rip off the curtain holders and cast the room briefly in darkness, in that moment she had fled past him and through the door straight on through the corridor and into the first room she saw.

It was luckily her target's room. All she had to do now was find her objective before the crazed Vincent person killed himself and she got blamed for it.

[Luzifer]

Vincent sighed, she'd read his bluff. Sarah had told him these evokers didn't work outside of the Dark Hour but he'd hoped she didn't know that... oh well... he wasn't about to let her win just yet. Grabbing his trident he charge out of his room, his nervousness overtaking him again. What if he screwed this up and damaged something in Xavier's room? What if he accidently killed the girl? But he had to keep moving forward.

He ran to Xavier's room and spotted her. "Stop!"

[MaruDashi]

Lilith gave a giggle and a nod, and made sure to hold on to his arm as if he were escorting her to her room. he even allowed herself to rest her head on his shoulder. In her head however, she was beaming about what a catch she made with this one.
Once at her door, she opened in and stepped inside.

"I'll meet you in the main lobby in about 20 minutes, ok?"

She leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"Dont be late!"

She then closed the door and a wide grin crossed her face.
'I probably shouldnt ask for anything expensive just yet...now, wheres my swimsuit?'

[KuroTan]

Xavier was in heaven. Imagine that, just this morning he was barely even friends with her and now, now he was getting light pecks on the cheek. I love this day! he crowed in his mind triumphantly.

Not even wondering why the door to his room was open, he entered it.

"What the- What are you doing here?"

[Luzifer]

Vincent paniced when he heard footsteps coming and with nervous speed he grabbed the girl and shoved her under the bed. Just before Xavier opened the door. Vincent looked at him, "Hmm... oh nothing, nothing nothing nothing... I was just looking to see if you had any valubles... you see... I'm getting low on some of my stuff and I could use a hit or two so I was planning to pawn something off for a couple onces of snow... you don't need it right? and its for a good cause!" Vincent smiled anxiously, he hoped that Xavier believed that. He was pretty sure it was well known in the dorm that he was a druggie, even if he had technically stopped abused he doubted they cared enough to let him off the hook for it.

[KuroTan]

Was this guy serious? He's talking about stealing my stuff and he's all smiling? Xavier narrowed his eyes. He didn't take well to thieves.

Then he remembered the box he bought. Hmm... Maybe he should give it to him? Xavier really didn't have much use for anything in it, but then again, he did spend 1000 dollars on it.

To heck with it, he was in a good mood today.

"There's a box over there by the bed," he pointed. "It's full of a bunch of different stuff. I don't know if it'll be useful but you can take a few pieces from it. Do with it what you will."

He walked closer to him and added. "And the next time you need money, just ask me straight. I can set you up with a few thousand dollars no problem. Just don't go rifling through my room. Some of the stuff here are private."

[Luzifer]

"Oh yes-yes, yes-yes..." he turned to the box and looked for the item the girl had been talking about, but he couldn't tell which of the items it was so he picked a couple, a watch and some other random items and shoved the rest with the box under the bed, "I'm putting the box under your bed so its not in your way, you now with the tripping and the falling and crashing and the pain?" he was speaking very quickly by now so much so that his syllables crashed into one another without space between. He lifted lift up the skirt around the bed and looked under as he slid it in... "look in here for you want, " he whispered to Eika, "if its not in there then I have it... come to my room after he leaves... and keep with the quietness."

[Ookie]

When she was suddenly shoved all Eika wanted to do was curse out loud. REAL loud. But as soon as she noticed what was going on she quietened. This Vincent was bonkers, insane, crazy. One moment he was talking about wiping her blood of the ceiling, all because she was STEALING. The next he had hidden her, also given her a chance to look for her pocket watch AND said he was stealing. She hoped it was in the box, if it was she could just jump out of the window and be done with that insane school. She shuffled through the box franticly, although as quietly as possible. It had to be in there, it just had to.

Tears sprang to her eyes when she found out it wasn't. Vincent, he had to have it. If he didn't she would have to... Eika shuddered. She hoped it didn't have to come to that. Furiously she rubbed the tears out of her eyes and prepared to face Vincent and demand for her objects once it was clear. She couldn't let him know she had cried, for that indicated softness. She wanted him to realise that she was a person to be feared not to be pitied. She searched through the box one last time, just to make sure. Then put her head to the floor and waited for them all to leave. She slipped the dagger back into her back pocket. Eika doubted that would be needed for a while.

OOCL Rofl.. this RP makes ookie scribble (http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a160/werewolf0fan/pencilsketch.jpg). Now buy ookie a scanner.

[KuroTan]

He watched Vincent shove the box under his bed. Uneccesary, but a thoughtful act nonetheless. After he left, Xavier freshened himself a bit before changing out of his suit to something more appropriate for the beach. He ended up wearing blue shorts and a loose red polo. Grabbing the keys to his ferrari, he exited the room.

ooc: are those bite marks ookie? and sorry short. I is sad today.

[Luzifer]

Vincent let out the breath several minutes due a few seconds after Xavier left the room, "Alright," he whispered to Eika, "the coast is clear." He than stood up to his full height briefly, which was actually very tall, before his back bent into his usual slight hunch. Waited patiently for her to get out from beneath the bed...he hadn't had a rush like that since his parents had searched his desk drawer with the false bottom. They had almost found his stash that day, and given that most of it was what he had stolen from them he couldn't imagine getting off easy.

[Ookie]

Eika rolled out and stood up streatching. She dusted herself off and held out her hands for the items.
"Guess I have to thank you now huh?" she muttered looking up at him. Since when did he grow up to be that tall.. she wondered silently, she was sure he wasn't that tall when she was facing him for the fight. She took the item she wanted from him, her pocket watch and stuffed it inside her pockets, then she turned away.

"Thanks." she muttered. "I owe you one. But I can't repay you. The little money I have, I need to survive. If there is anything you'd like, that i can give I'll try my best to make it happen. What's in this watch is very dear to me, that's why I'm offering my thanks. So don't get any other ideas." she ended roughly.

OOC: Blackerz, i don't nibble my pencil I GNAW HARD on it =p

[Luzifer]

Vincent watched her as she got up and listened as she spoke, "Don't worry about it. I don't need the money anyway, I have enough money for food and thats all the money I'll ever need."

But he couldn't just stop there, this girl was reminding himself too much of himself when he was a child. He remembered living off the streets for a week or two at a time because his parents at caught him stealing from them and he needed to lay low while their anger blew over. And even when he had their roof over his head, his existence was still very hand to mouth, all his money being siphoned away so he could by that next once of coke. Technically, he could have eased things on himself and bought crack instead and he had indeed tried it but he hadn't liked it, made him sick for a week. He had not enjoyed that pathetic life but he had been addicted to it.

Now there was someone else going through such things as he did and he couldn't just let that happen. "Listen..." he said scratching his head, hoping for the love of god that this didn't sound nearly as sleazy when he said it as it sounded in his head, but it was the only solution he could think of, "You should stay here, in my place for a while. Its really not safe to stay out on the streets and you can have my food if you want so your not going hungry."

[Ookie]

Eika considered it silently, comically a phrase her mother had used pretty often popped into her mind, "Living with a guy!? What would the neighbours say!!" She considered it, it would be nice not having to go steal each night just for a bite to eat, and it would be even nicer not having to sleep in a cold storage garage, or the occasional sewer. The main problem stil remained, the school didn't seem so cheap, she doubted she could afford staying there for a long period of time. Also she had not been in school for such a long time she doubted she could keep up with her age group's current knowledge. Then there was that rich Xavier guy, how could she explain her being here? It was enogh of a conincidence meeting once.. but twice? And how could they explain this to the teachers? Problems whirled around in her head, it all pointed out that this idea was impossible.

Eika flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling, she looked at Vincent and voiced out her problems, unless he could think up some good excuse this frail hope of straying away from her theivery was broken.
She turned over, "I suppose... I could try and rent the shed.." she muttered, the school seemed to be rich enough to have a comfortable shed ,at the least.

[Luzifer]

"you do realize," he said with a smirk that would have seemed witty were it not being gnawed away by a nervous frown on the other side, "That they can only charge you if they know you're hear right... and I'm the only one who does..."

But he really ought to try and come up with a plan to get her into the school, it would make things easier in the long run and it would serve her well in life, as he was learning now, to have at least a high school degree under her belt. "Perhaps, later, we could talk to Mrs. Thuster, the Dorm Monitor, she seems like she may be able to you. Maybe she knows about a scholarship you could apply for or something like that? But in any event you should stay here, even if you have to hide to make sure nobody knows."

[Ookie]

She sat up suddenly.
"You are totally right!" she exclaimed, "Maybe you aren't as stupid as you look after all!" she said playfully slapping his shoulder. "And this Miss.Thuster... I hope she can do something about it. I've missed too much of school. But untill then, I thank you." She bowed slightly. Maybe things could work out after all. Maybe.. just maybe she might even make a friend. She didn't count on it though. People were easily repeled by her wherever she went.

Her stomach grumbled, "We've been talking too much.. so..Talk later... I'd like some more of those barbecue chips now.."

[Luzifer]

He smiled nervously again, this girl had a one track mind and he found it quite amusing,"Alright, my room has lots of food you can get everything you could possible eat there... I'm hungry as well...but I'm always hungry..." he said and opened the door, leaving Xavier's room.

Sarah sighed as she leaned against a tree... She really hated fate sometimes. She knew what had to happen, knew what must occur, knew in the strongest sense of the word. It was a knowing beyond knowledge. It echoed through her, a truth that made up the core of her being. Purity, why did it often have to come at the cost of happiness. Before she had let herself play, knowing it would make no difference but how foolish she had been!- it only made the pain at the end the sharper. But there was much to be done.

She stood up.

Louis picked up the ball and began to dribble again. Once more he charge but this time he didn't go all the way to her... he stopped short, at three point distance and took the shot before she could close the distance between them and interupt.

He took the shot

"Hey Louis! Mrs. Valentin!" Sarah called to them a mere moment after Louis had shot, "its time to start getting back inside... its getting dark out and I want everyone to be ready for tonight!"

The ball went into the the net just as Louis turned to Sarah and nodded. It was getting dark and as welcome as the distraction had been it was best to start refocusing himself to the tasks at hand. Leaving the basketball court he looked back at the black haired girl... "Woman! Come!" he said in empty, staccato tone... making sure she didn't drift off into a revelry of rage at their game ending with her down three points.

[Ookie]

Eika shrugged and left right after him but she could go back to the room just yet... she wasn't sleepy although it was getting dark. What she really felt like was ripping something apart. She shook her head, those weren't her thoughts. She decided to stay put in his room, before the voices in her brain started again.

The room was dark yet again, Damn.. is it just me or does it get dark too quickly here? she thought as she went to Vincent's cupboard. She removed her worn and tattered clothes and replaced them with a black shirt she found. Vincent was taller then she would ever be, so it can down to her tighs, slightly longer then a miniskirt. She tightened her belt around her waist and in a short while it had become a tunic. Perfect if a need to escape the murder scene arises... again the thoughts in the back of her head sounded, was she going insane? These had started ever since she started carrying that toy gun around... she huddled in the darkest corner of the room and wrapped her arms around herself and rested her chin on her knees. Something told her it was going to be a long night...

[MaruDashi]

Lilith got dressed and looked herself over. Simple, black bikini with embroded[sp] detailing, and a silver shear skirt to wrap aroung her waist, covering the matching black thong a bit. With a giggle, she left the room and met Xavier in the lobby. Her smile faded as she saw Sarah bringing Louis and the amazon girl back in. She looked to Xavier and sighed.

"Guess we have a curfew. What a shame."

'There goes that purse...damn, it would've looked great with that retro top I have too.'

"So, had any ideas for indoor activites?"

[Light Buster]

OCC: Dang, work is killing me. I'll try to post whenever I can.

Paul decided to play his Gibson SG to the school again. He got as much rest as he can and now he must play again. He walked down the hall, out of the building, find a place to sit, and play. He knew this would comfort him in hopes his parents return. "Man," he thought. "When will my parents come back. It's been a while and I'm eager to see them."

[KuroTan]

That woman again? Curse it all! He just couldn't get a break. Shaking his head at the stupidity of it all, he allowed himself a sigh.

"There goes the beach," he said to Lilith. "Maybe tomorrow? Or how about dinner? I'm sure she wouldn't object if it's someplace close. Right Mrs. Thuster?" he called out the last part.

Hopefully, if they were to go out, he didn't have to change out of his summer get up.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith's smile returned again.

"Dinner sounds great! I'll be right back."

Before anyone said anything, she headed back up to her room and changed into a simple, black dress. She fized her hair a bit and put on a simple lip gloss so that her lips shimmered a bit, and headed back downstairs. Knowing that perhaps the teacher might stop them, she stated:

"We should all get a good dinner in us before midnight right? For energy and what not."

[KuroTan]

Xavier immediately sensed what was going to happen when Lilith left. Not wanting to look like an out of place fratboy, he hurriedly ran back to his room. Choosing a black suit for the night, he rushed back to the lobby. He didn't even notice that his sheets had the look of being lied in.

He got back a few seconds before Lilith walked down the stairs in an oh-so-simple-yet-flattering dress. Xavier had to remind himself not to gape open-mouthedly.

"Y-yeah. No good fighting on an empty stomach." he said as he looked at the teacher. It was all up to her.

[Luzifer]

Sarah crooked an eyebrow smugly, "Why is it that teenagers always act like adults have never been kids ourselves? I'm hardly five years your senior and yet you think I have no idea the what you are trying to do! Well, I am not one to stand in the way of a date.." especially in this case "nor am I the type to care about your business. But I'm not letting you leave simply because you need to learn to treat me as you would treat anyone else. I am your equal in addition to you teacher, not some authority to be tricked and deceived. You could have sex in your rooms if you wanted and that would be your business. Its rather insulting to me that your acting like this."

"Well, I have something that is requiring my attention and so I'm going" Vincent said over his shoulder to Eika as he left the room and started to head down stairs.

Louis sighed gently as he leaned against the chainlink fence next to Sarah, "Time" he muttered and Sarah looked over at him briefly before she continued.

"Don't worry Louis. I'm aware of the constraints as I'm sure Mrs Maxwell and Mr Maddock is as well... but all the same, I'd rather play it safe for the first night. I don't want anyone to be late because they lost track of time or the subway broke down." Louis sneered internally, why did this women have to give voice to all the things that any idiot could figure out on their own? That was what he had implied with the simple, elegant word, 'Time' but here she wasted an entire paragraph to explain something that didn't need the explanation.

[Ookie]

Eika soon got bored in the room. She knew that it was wise to stay put, he was being kind enough to her by letting her stay anyway. But she just couldn't help it. She left after him, as quiet as a shadow. Her curiousity overpowering her common sense. He won't find out. I'll be back in the room before he knows it. Anyway, he made it sound like it was something important.


Ooc: School hurtz ><!

[KuroTan]

Ahh, foiled again. But perhaps there was some truth to what the teacher was saying? Then again, if she did want to be treated like everyone else, Xavier could just pay no attention to what she just said and go out on that date. But he wouldn't and he knew that. His background in the corporate world had thought him that disobedience of a higher power would only lead to chaos, even if said higher power claimed they weren't in command.

Bloody hell, you're ruining everything.

His own mind was insulting him? Xavier hoped he wasn't slowly going insane. Turning to Lilith he said

"I guess we're grounded huh?"

OOC: Sorry if that was confusing, I just woke up.^^'

[MaruDashi]

Lilith was pissed. Not because Sarah put a damper on her plans, but because she suggested that she was a easy.

"Five years our senior yet you assume such vulagrities, and with someone Ive known for a few hours. Should I assume that you've done something similiar to that at our age, or perhaps even recently? My, my, my, someones easy."

She turned to leave back to her room, but paused, keeping her back to the teacher.

"You want to be seen as an equal, then fine. I'll treat you as a I would any other female."

Meaning, Lilith thought nothing of other women. And if she did, it wasnt anything nice. Espically if they got in the way of her goals. She headed to her room and locked the door behind her. She changed into something a bit more casual, sat on her bed and thought of ways to perhaps get Sarah out of the way. She thought of the amazon girl, and how jealous and vengeful she seemed to be.
'Perhaps a temporary alliance with her might be in my best interest...'

[Light Buster]

As he was writing down the things that must be done in his classroom, Paul had a feeling something was haunting him. He continued to write but this feeling got worse and worse the more he heard it. He grunted to himself and knew this was making him more pissed every minute, soon he'll find someone to take his rage out on.

"This feeling is starting to piss me off!" He thought to himself. "I never been this angry before and now I am this angry!"

OCC: I still need to know what time it is during my RP or I will be totally lost.

[KuroTan]

Ahh, another mistake on his part. Looks like he's been making a lot of those recently.

"I'll go out for some air, it's getting stuffy in here."

Leaning on a wall, he tried to arrange his thoughts. Almost instinctively, he reached for his cellphone and pressed speed dial one. But thinking the better of it, he put it back into his pocket. "He's probably busy right now anyway." Xavier thought. Sitting down, he willed the time to go faster so he could end this day. Moments later, he was dozing lightly.

OOC: I think it's around six or seven in the evening right now in the RP.

[.Gogo]

Evi had gritted her teeth as she obligingly followed Louis, although she didn't cry out in anger at the result of the game or throw a tantrum, the final score and his obvious disrespect towards her was enough to make her blood boil. "You can call me V. Not woman. And I hope you know that you didn't win. I wasn't finished playing yet." With that she passed him up. No way was she going to acknowledge defeat. Especially not to him, who seemed to have a talent for everything he did.. man did she hate that. But her glaring red eyes were focused on another. That Ms. Thuster, their teacher. Of course she had to come and interrupt their game at that very moment, when Louis was ahead. Darn her, she had authority, she was fairly attractive, and obviously she was more experienced with persona then any of them. Evi realized she hated her too. But although she narrowed her eyes in detest at the both of them, when they set their eyes upon her, her expression changed immediately, and she would return their looks with a blank stare. She made it a priority to be somewhat deceptive, you could cause someone's downfall far easier if they had trust in you, or at least weren't expecting it. Although Evi had never been too good with people skills. Still, she had caused alot of pain to others.. it was something she was good at.

[Luzifer]

"Wait! Lilith! You miscon-" Sarah sighed as Lilith stormed off, deaf beneath the thunderclouds of anger that must be burst in her head, "-strue..." This wasn't the first time Sarah had accidently said something she hadn't meant to... she hadn't intended to imply the girl was easy but merely used sex simply because it was something that teenagers often expected a DM (Dorm Monitor) to crack down on. Sometimes, here lack of social experience was a hamper sometimes, though her bookish learning wasn't completely useless. Years of reading the great novels had given her some ability to interpret responses symbolically within the context of the persons emotion framework and to use the echoes caused by such reverberations of emotion to determine the matter of person underneath. Lilith was certainly Lust. Her response, a sign of a guilty conscience, identified her. Sarah had not known that until now. Indeed, she had known that Lilith was a sinner, her ability to tap in to the omniscience of the gods, to a certain degree, allowed her to sense the spiritual signs of power within people, and shadows. However, it only told her of what the power was not its nature...

“Of course, Eve” Louis replied evenly to the girl. He wasn’t about to claim such a victory, it was the victory of circumstance and not success caused by his own skill and therefore not to be consider a true win. Victories by circumstance and the weakness of his foes were not anything to be proud of, only those earned with his strength were. But that was a thought for another time.

“I leave…” he muttered and walked back toward the building and up into his room. That had all been quite amusing but the distraction, however enjoyable, was still a distraction and there were some things he needed to do before the meeting later that night. It was hard though, it was somewhat nice having someone around him constantly trying to cast him down, it was familiar in a way. And stimulating, he had to be constantly on his guard, constantly reanalyzing the dynamics of each action he did and it was enrapturing. Besides, anyone gunning for his head was someone he could count on, someone dependable… it was the others whose motivations he could not perceive which were dangerous.

Arriving at his room Louis turned around and locked the door behind him, before grabbing his fauchard and splitting it into its two halves. He sat down at his desk, still empty for lack of personal effects. The hospital had still been in the process of finding his remaining items from wherever they had found there way to while he had been in his coma, which from what understood was at least 2 years… possibly more. His mind was plagued with vague wonder at what had caused his coma as he took the shaft half of the now split fauchard and remover the axe head he had gotten at the garage from his pocket. It took him a bit of effort but he did manage to get the axe head on and giving it a couple test swings it seemed to hold solid. He hadn’t wanted to be stuck without a weapon when he was throwing one of the halves.

He walked along the wall, tapping at it gently until he heard the proper sound. A stud. He walk back to the opposite side of the room split his fauchard once more and through the axe blade at the wall… it hit with a biting sound and stuck in the wall. Instantly the slack in the steel cable which tethered the two halves vanished and was replaced by a strong pull… there was e returning mechanism and it had quite the ferocious grip too. Louis yanked the hilt of the blade end and the axe snapped out of the wall. Catching it out of the air, he returned the two pieces to one whole and headed down to the waiting room.

Day 2
11:45

Eleven had come around fast and found both Louis and Vincent in the waiting room. Louis was reading from a Bible he had found in one of the drawers of the table, one hand supporting that age worn leather in a gentle cradle, the other in his pocket. Vincent was eating. He was a good cook, if he was allowed to say such things about himself, he had learned to cook from making dinner for his parents at a young age and then when he would occasionally find a job in a restaurant to earn money for his…habits. He hoped Eika was doing alright and hadn’t got herself caught…but he didn’t think he had to worry overly about that.

[Light Buster]

Paul sighed in his dorm. He got all the money he needs and now he needs to find a band to join. He layed down in his bed and looked at the clock. "11:45....," he said to himself. "I'm just going to lay down here, thinking about the plans for tommarrow." He got a strange feeling about this school he still can't understand fully.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith wrote a note to Evi and slid it under her door. It was simple and straight to the point:

"We both dont like Sarah, lets do something about it"

Although Lilith didnt like the thought of teaming up with a girl, she knew that she could get more done with her than with any of the boys in the dorm. She went back to her room and decided to play with her hair a bit, trying new hair styles and seeing if she looked sexy with them. She'd pick up her hair, blow kisses to her reflection, and start over again.

'Hmm...pigtails give a nice 'innocence' look, guys go crazy over that.'

She dressed in a black top, a black mini skirt and a red tie, left her hair in pigtails, and headed downstairs.

[KuroTan]

Xavier awoke with a start. Glancing at his watch, he noted the time. 11.45. Good Lord, he was almost late. Stifling a yawn, he started for the meeting place, stopping only to pick up his katar and "evoker". He was about to open the door when he stopped. Did he even want to go to the meeting tonight?

What are you talking about? Yes you do.

I do? What about the whole Ms. Thuster thing.

Forget that! Just go!

Ok fine. Just don't shout.

Where did that conversation even come from? Xavier wondered as he started walking again. Some after effects from a dream maybe? Shrugging it off, he entered the room.

[.Gogo]

Evi, after having been abandoned decided to also retreat to her own room. The events of the day still playing in her mind she found herself tossing things about in aggravation. Her eyes fell on her 'weapon' and she examined it from a distance. About to stride over for a closer look something else stole her attention. A note under the door.. just what could that be about? And even more curious, who could it be from?

Reaching the door she leaned over and grabbed it, standing there she read it, finding herself muttering the words aloud to herself as she did so. "Hmmm.. Lillith.." she knew of her, though she at first she hadn't taken care to notice her even though she was a part of their 'group' [more then that, she wished to pretend she didn't exist] rumors and stories seemed to attach themselves to her.. Evi often heard whispers of her in the halls. Usually with some sort of adjective attached, like "gorgeous" or "hot" or something of the like. Evi sat down on her bed, going over Lillith's proposal. No, she did not like Lillith, and it was because of all the attention she recieved. No one was saying those things about Evi. She clenched the note, suddenly heated. No way was she going to team up with her, not in a million--

But a sinister thought nagged at her in her mind. Yes, she could kill two birds with one stone. This could work in her favor. Sarah Thuster was too big to take down herself, but with Lillith's help... and then when Lillith least expected it, she could take care of her as well. She smirked to herself as she layed the note down on her bed, instead rummaging through her drawers for a more fightworthy outfit. If indeed Sarah were to take them into the dark hour tonight to try out their persona, a dress wouldn't work in her favor. And she needed to be at peak perfomance ability... there was no telling what these people would do.

Slipping on some familiar black shorts that she had often worn to volleyball practice, she also put on one of her white button-up long-sleeved school dress shirts with a black tie. She'd have to get a more casual wardrobe.. she hadn't anticipated on fighting shadow things with some strange persona power. To think she was expecting just another regular, boring school year.. how silly of her. Lastly before she left she fastened her gunholster around her thigh. Good thing most of the students were in bed by now, or else such weapons would evoke a panic.

Folding the note Lillith had given her (it wasn't smart to leave such things laying about..) she hid it in her bottom drawer under some clothes to be disposed of later and, locking the door behind her went downstairs.

Looking somewhat determined she walked at a quick pace down the hall, seeing Lillith just before the waiting room. Evi strode up alongside her, so that Lillith would notice her. "I've accepted your offer.." she said decidingly. Her face remained facing forward, but her red eyes were fixed on Lillith, awaiting some sort of response.

[MaruDashi]

OOC: Baka, we both made the mistake of assuming 11:45 meant the morning, but its actually the same night.

BIC:

Lilith was about to enter the waiting room when Evi agve her a response to her offer of partnership. She smiled to herself.
"Understood. This'll be fun."
She entered first to give the sense that they werent on speaking or friendly terms, in hopes that no one would catch on to their plan. She spotted Xavier already seated there, but so was Louis. God, what was it about him that drove her crazy? Perhaps it was the fact that he ignored her attempt to flirt with him. Yeah, that had to be it.
'Fine, hope he doesnt get jealous'

SHe sat over by Xaiver and gave him a warm smile. She twirled her finger through one of the curls of her pigtails and gave him an insecure face.
"It doesnt look bad, does it?"

[Opinionated]

The time had winded down, and Mike slid off his bed, setting the book back on it. Into his pocket went his multitool and pen and hefted his shield up before he left the room. The multitool reassured him, being a reminder of long, lazy, summer afternoons spent watching a bobber in he water.

He eventually found his way to the commons,and slid into a chair, setting his shield down, leaning it against his chair. He felt a general weariness, the kind that comes from staying up past accustomed times. Eyes closed and breathing deeply, but not sleeping, he waited for the whole affair to actually begin.

[KuroTan]

OOC: Thanks. Did the necessary changes.^^

Xavier rallied magnificently considering that he was still groggy from just waking up, had an internal dispute running through his brain and a cold from sleeping outside. He returned her smile two-fold

"Are you kidding? It looks absolutely, as our company's Japanese PR would say, kawahih."

It took all of his resolve to keep his eyes from wandering away from her face.

[Luzifer]

OOC: Thanks Opinionated. Because Hollow Ichigo has not responded to my PM and hasn't post in a number of weeks I'm talking over his character for a while. Hopefully he'll be able to reprise it, if not...well... we'll bomb that bridge when we get to it.

Chris arrived shortly thereafter completing the seven.

Louis rolled his eyes slightly at the rich kids atrocious japanese. Japanese wasn't that language with which he had the greatest command but it was better than that! His best language (after english of course) was probably either Greek or Ahrimaic... possibly Latin. Not Hebrew... he could read Hebrew but his speaking was not up to his lofty standards of competence. he had smatterings of a few others, but they weren't worth going into.

Sarah came in at 11:47 and looked around the room, "We are all here?" she counted them off one by one in her mind. "And everyone brought their weapons and their evokers correct? Good..." she nodded gently to herself. "Alright, we leave now, the school has a curfew of 10:30 unless you are with a teacher, such as myself, so its doubtful we will run into any other students, however, if we do, our excuse for being out and so equipped is that we are practicing to be Renaissance Fair re-enactors, as a "team/ trust building exercise. Cliche, I know, but it just needs to allay suspicion a little, people aren't going to have the idea that a bunch of students and a teacher are out hunting in the middle of the night for Zoroaster knows what with primitive weaponry. Thats in an emergency and if that does occur, let me do the talking."

Louis smirked. Her excuse would most likely work. People saw what they wanted to see and would not raise an eyebrow if the excuse was quickly given with proper confidence.

"Alright, everyone come with me and stay close."

[Ookie]

Eika was about to leave, thinking that nothing interesting was actually going to happen. But fortunately they had started moving. She wanted to laugh out out at Xavier's Japanese but decided not to. She was undercover anyway. Making sure she was well hidden Eika set off after them silently.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith unwillingly obeyed and followed. Her eyes wondered towards Louis several times, but she kept her main focus on Xavier.
She whispered to him:

"So, what do you think about this whole 'fighting monsters' thing?"




OOC: short post, sorry bout that =]

[Luzifer]

Louis continued to follow Sarah outside. The night was think with emptiness, the curfew was indeed keeping all the students inside and Louis could see their windows glimmering, distant but bright. The stars were beginning to hide, only the brightest of them showing through the light pollution from Des Moines. The moon looked grim and expectant as it cast the world beneath it in a silver hue.

Sarah guided them deep into a park and it was close to midnight when she stopped, standing with lofty grace upon the top of a rolling hillock. The hill gave a descent view, as best as could be expected of a hill in the middle of a city anyway and Louis used it to get his bearings. They were not far from the dorm building and he could see the school, black and forboding in the distance. There was a small creek running not to far from the base of the hill. It was rather picturesque in a way.

Sarah looked at her watch, "Not long now. You might want to pay attention, what you see may be a bit of a shock."

Day 2
Dark Hour

It was a sudden shift. The silver-etched gold of moonlight and lamp light suddenly turned into a sickly yellow-green, that seemed to stab the eyes. Every light in the city had turned off as one and the moon's light had change to some strange mixture of lemon and lime, like some horrendously colored sports drink.

Then the buildings started to shift. One the horizon towers rose high above the city landscape, there must have been more than two dozen of them, and one of them was located where the dorm had been. They towers were a twisting amalgamation of shapes and forms, like several buidlings thrown together by some child in sick play. They bent and twisted in unreal ways that even M.C. Escher would have had difficult comprehending. The one that had risen from the dorm had a large clock in its center gently ticking and next to that was the glass panes of a great skyscraper which itself led to architecture that would have seemed appropriate in a Greco-Roman edifice.

But all of these paled in comparison to the tower that had arisen from the school. It bristled with strange bony protrusions and bricks and steel. All the others had stopped some few hundred stories up but this tower went past the clouds and seemed to have no peak. It was also of such width that fully three other towers could have been set side by side within its radius. Still stranger, around the base of the tower was a great dome of what looked to be a hard, dull gray substance.

Louis adjusted to these sights in moments, showing no great deal of surprise but rather as if he had expected them and instead turned his attention to the others. Vincent's mouth was slack and his collar dangled in front of it, unchewed. He must have been chewing on it before he had been stunned into a stony stillness. Sarah seemed to be marveling at the towers with intimate familiarity, like one looking at some old familiar site of home.

Louis turned his attention to his more immediate surroundings. And notice still more oddities. The creek had stopped flowing and its water had turned to blood, thick and still. In the streets where people had been walking there were no coffins standing erect and motionless.

Overall there world had an unearthly stillness to it. Nothing seemed to be alive but them.

Sarah smiled slightly and pointed her finger in a sweeping motion at the smaller towers, "Those are the Pillars of Heracles and that..." here she pointed to the tallest tower, the one where the school had been, "that is the Tower of Babel, where seven men committed greatest of sins and released unto this world the curse we are still dealing with today."

[KuroTan]

Xavier was about to answer when the whole world turned inside out. One moment everything was normal; the next, everything looked like something out of a dark comic. Xavier could only look speechless as he gazed at the suddent transformation, too shocked to even move.

What did you get yourself into Xavier? he asked himself silently.

At last!

Who...? Shaking it off to exhaustion, he looked at the others.

[Ookie]

Eika was about to laugh out loud at their nonsense when the darkness fell.

"What the???" she swore looking around, it was like something that could be found on halloween advertisements. Eika did not like it, not one bit. She drew out her dagger, just in case.

[MaruDashi]

Watching everything twist and turn took Lilith's breath away. She stood there in awe as regular buildings turned into towers of twists and turns.
"My God..." she whispered to herself.

Around her were coffins and blood, but her amazement was suddenly adverted to Sarah as she spoke.
"You mean, like the seven deadly sins?"

It didnt take her long to notice that there were seven of them, plus Sarah making eight.

"You dont mean that we're..."

[Luzifer]

Louis spoke, is voice quick, cold, and knowing, "Sin... according to the hierarchy of sins the greatest of all Sins was the Sin of Arrogance, since that was the first sin committed, and the Sin which rent the hosts of heaven asunder. Such a Sin led to all other Sins, for it was Lucifer in the guise of the Serpent which tempted Eve and Adam, as the story goes. So I suppose it is of great symmetry that those men of which you speak committed some great Sin of arrogance, something of Luciferian scale, and we would be the Sins born of that greater Sin. Only this time it was a Sin born of Man and thus... the punishment more severe..."

Sarah looked at him and smiled slightly, he wondered what to make of that but before such thoughts could crystallize she spoke, "Indeed. I cannot speak for all but one of those men, from what I have gathered, wished to use God to remake the world which he saw as sinful and another..." she hesitated, "another wished... I think... to challenge God. The Sin of Arrogance in the former was that he believed God a mere tool and the later obviously believed himself superior to god."


Sarah's mind was backwashed with stray memories of this time and the time before... here ancient self which had walked the dusty streets of Persia and spoke of knowledge. But suddenly a warning shot through her head... it was not the person that had been following them, that individual had merely been observing... no... these were shadows and they were...close... "Everyone!" she shouted in her whisper quickly... "There are Shadows near by... I don't know if they've sensed use but they are drawing close so steel yourselves and remain quiet!"

Vincent was getting less and less enthused with this entire set up the more he learned about him. What was he even doing here? What destiny could some meager little fool like him have? He was no fighter, no noble knight willing to plunge into battle so that his body and soul could become the shield for all those yet born, and all those birthed who could not fight for themselves. No... he was a mere recovering drug addict and he had too many of his own problems just trying to stay off the floor to be getting involved with all this mess with "Pillars" and "Shadows".

When Louis began to speak Vincent began to wonder something. Louis was younger then himself but he spoke with a certain certainty that placed him as someone who had studied such things for some time... he need to talk more with this Louis, this world was starting to reveal its secrets, ones like the Dark Hour and this horrid world there in contained, and Vincent now saw anything of which he did not know as a potential nest of threats. And that went for all his other classmates as well... who knew what secrets they had.

But Sarah's voice stunned him out of his thoughts and he looked around. He couldn't see anything but it was dark and if shadows were anything they would most likely be black and therefore hard to see against the obsidian night. Vincent gripped his evoker in one hand and his falchion in the other.

[KuroTan]

Shadows? Say what? This isn't a game! Or at least, that was what Xavier kept saying to himself again and again. Not one to throw caution to the wind though (at least not all of it)he tightened his grip on his katar. If he died here he would never forgive himself.

The evoker you fool!

Too tense to acknowledge that it wasn't really his voice who said it, he automatically closed his hands on the gun that the teacher gave him.

[Ookie]

Eika stare transfixed and a suddenflashback caught her by surprise.

She was 15, her parents lay in front of her, cold souless shells, the darkness was think yet she could still see their attackers as the slid away into the night, as horrible as monsters yet quiet as shadows. No tears where shed just a burning resolve for revenge.

"Such power..." she mused, she couldn't see them yet but her blood was pumping with excitement, It was a good thing I came to this school, she thought grinning wickedly. I shall overpower these demons, and i shall rule over them.. and make them suffer. with that she laughed maniacly and slashed madly in the air with her dagger,
"Come out.. come out wherever you are..." she whispered. She no longer cared if she was heard by them or not. They were just human, it was the demons which concerned her.

She didn't know why, but something inside her was growling with pleasure at the situation. Someone.. deep in her heart wanted to fight and bask in the enemy's blood.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith really couldnt concentrate on one thing at that moment. So much was running through her mind from the sudden load of information. Her mind snapped back when told that creatures...or shadows, were faslty approaching them. She breathed shallowly and stood perfectly still, her hand gingerly over her evoker.

[Light Buster]

Paul woke up suddenly and saw his room wasn't ordinary anymore. "What the hell? Is this a dream or is real?!" He got up and looked around his room. His alarm clock is blank and everything doesn't look ordinary except his black Gibson Les Paul guitar. "This is strange. This never happened to me before." He decided to take a look around outside of his room.

As he pushed the door opened, a monster popped up right in front of him. "What the hell is that thing?!" He picked up an old guitar that was next to his Les Paul and was in a fighting stance. The monster charged at him with a fierce look. Paul swung his guitar and hit the monster. The monster was down but he went up to it and continued to smack it to death. The guitar he was holding broke and Paul decided to stomp and kick the monster until it died.

"You like that huh, you like that huh, you want some more huh?!" Paul said to the monster. He didn't know how many times he kicked or stomped the monster but he made sure it didn't move again.

[.Gogo]

Evi couldn't resist being amazed by the world within the dark hour, as much as she fought not to show her astonishment. Never would she have dreamed to be involved in something like this.

Evi had been slightly conscious to another of Sarah's explanations, although Lillith's words had actually drawn her attention.. So, she had put two and two together.. and the seven of them.. had something to do with the seven deadly sins? How strange.. but did she really care? Not especially. She wasn't bothered by destiny or saving the world or God for that matter. All that mattered to her was herself. Evi had learned long ago, every person for themselves. Expecting charity was suicide.

At Sarah's sudden mention of the shadows, Evi appeared uneffected. Though her eyes narrowed in search of movement, she wasn't quite sure what to expect. Readjusting the polearm on her shoulder slightly her eyes ventured to her evoker strapped around her thigh, before peering into the darkness again. If these 'shadows' were indeed around, they wouldn't stand a chance.

[Light Buster]

Paul looked around the place looking at every object. "Wow, this place is stranger than fiction," said Paul to himself. He looked up and down the spooky hall and saw it was real and began to talk again. "Well....this real but....it's more spookyer than a haunted house." He moved carefully not to hit a trap and watch out for more creepy monsters that can pop up. "This is not what I had in mind."

[Luzifer]

Silence hung thick. The green light of the morbid moon twisted around Vincents arms like tendrils. He barely breathed, the silence was so suffocating that he could not. The moment echoed of eternity.

Suddenly it shattered with reverberating force when Mrs. Thuster shouted, "They come!" he did not think he was alone when his entire form tensed up and he stared intently into the black-wreathed woods, his ears pining for the sounds of feet, the sounds of attack.

But no sounds came. Only silence.

It was his eyes that saw the foe. The first one broke into the green light from beneath the tree boughs. It was horrible in appearance yet having a strange beauty to it. It looked very much like a human, nude, no sexual organs, and its skin was obsidian black. Only it had no head, where it would be there was only void. In its left hand it clutched a mask which it directed as though it were its equivalent of a head. In its right hand was a massive axe, like one and executioner would hold. But the strangest and eerie part was that the creature was entirely silent. Not even its feet made noise as it made its long leaping strides towards them.

The first sound Vincent heard was the bang of his own evoker against his school.

He hadn't thought, he couldn't think. The only thing that passed through his mind was the realization that he was very hungry.

Shards flew from Vincent's head as he pulled the trigger. They moved and arrange themselves, taking the form of a great, twisted and slightly anthropomorphic fly above Vincent's head. Skulls and crossbones where branded onto each wing. Indeed it was the Lord of the Flies Vomit, the thought left Vincents mind almost as soon as it was formed. The beasts thorax convulsed for a moment and then expanded to twice the size it had been before suddenly contracting. A viscous acid spewed for from the creatures mandibles in a stream that hit that first Shadow which had broken through the tree line. The force of the impact not only drenched the initial shadow but also splashed over onto the others which were now breaking into the clearing with similar silence.

Beezlebub immediately shattered and Vincent fell to his knees exhausted. Vincent breathed heavily. It felt like he had just run a mile in little over five seconds but at least, he thought with a smirk, he had slowed them up and killed one. Grinning he looked to check his handiwork.

His eyes widened in horror.

Not only had none of the ones that had been splashed with acid slowed down to any meaningful extent but even the one which he impacted with the full force of the blast was still moving forward, albiet at a much slower pace. Vincent scrambled to his feet but he could barely remain standing, he was sorely weakened by the expenditure of energy.

Sarah was surprised by the fact it was Vincent who moved first. She had expected the Valentin girl or Christopher to be the one to twitch first, those two were by the far the most aggressive of the Seven. Still, it made little difference in the end.

She pulled the trigger of her own evoker.

Her deified form appeared over her head, for from her Soul Shards, eyes closed in a state of pure serenity and knowledge. Lesser Key of Solomon Sarah let the thought skim from her mind and into her Persona which acted accordingly. A great book appeared before her and the pages flipped quickly and then suddenly stopped at a certain one. She tore it out and her Persona shattered. She felt slightly winded from the expenditure of effort but she would be far better off then the others if they use their personas. Especially Louis.

The paper had a picture of the Shadows and notes concerning it

Name: Vengeful Spirit
Constellation: Wrath

Notes: Move in groups according to the Divine Number led by a Fallen King.
Personify the anger of those whose lives were lost in futility during War.

Sarah looked up. They were fast approached but... she only counted six. Where was the seventh... the leader?

Vincent hobbled to his feet and looked up and saw one was already in front of him, its axe looming wickedly over its head. He couldn't make his legs moved and any sort of attempt at parrying with his falchion would not have enough muscle behind it to deflect the blade. He closed his eyes and awaited death.

But it did not come.

Something whizzed by his head. He opened his eyes and saw a large nail sticking out, its head had been filed away but he could still tell what it was. Another flew past and stuck in the creature was now silently being forced back. Mrs. Thuster stood in front of him and pulled from a pouch at her waste another of the large nails (he could see it was at least four or five inches long and a centimeter thick). She pulled it up, aimed for the span of a breath, and then threw it, cleanly piercing the shadows mask and knocking it from his hands.

The shadow began flailing it axe around, obviously blinded it compensated by cutting at all sides hoping to kill by chance any that attempted to close in. A large, wickedly curved sword pierced its chest. The sword was attached to a cable and Vincent made the connection just as Louis charge through the creature violent swings. Louis slashed the creature cleanly across the chest with the converted-axe portion of his blade and breaking up his opponents "guard" before pulling out his blade and reconnecting the two parts of his polearm. Spinning it behind him he sliced the creature through the waist.

The two halves fell to ground and convulsed for the longest time before they finally ceased moving and then shattered into shards, much like the Persona's did.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked and Vincent nodded in reply, "Well, thats good, it'll take you a while to get used to using your Persona." he nodded again leaned on her to help him stand. Louis was already gone.

Chris leaped back slight from the Shadow's attack and grinned. Too easy. He brought his greataxe down upon his opponents arm and sliced it off clean and then cutting it through the side and turning his back on it. That was pathetic.

He didn't remember what happened but a second later he was rolling across the ground and his head felt like it was being used by a drummer. He felt someone pull him up, "Fool... your not worthy of being conceited!" Chris blinked a bit, still recovering from the impact that had stunned him before he looked to his side but whoever had been there was gone now, he looked at his opponent again and to his disbelief saw that the creature was not only still standing but actually charging at him.

To weak for conceit,eh? I'll show you! The shadow attacked him with a kick to the midsection which Chris side stepped before cleanly hacking off the other arm. The creature now seemed confused and blinded and flailed about in its wretched panic. Chris smirked and began hacking into it while bellowing fiercely, "DIE!!". Again and again he hit into it and didn't stop until the black ichor stopped flowing and the creature shattered. Tch... these things were like damn cochroaches.

[.Gogo]

It was quite the experience, for your own ears to betray you. The abominations neared closer, yet were soundless. Evi could hear her own deepened breathing deafening in her ears yet there were no sounds erupting from the leathery black feet of these 'shadows'.

She did hear the gunshot though, turning to her right some feet away she realized Vincent had fired his evoker. (Bastard! What makes him think he could use his persona first!!) Feeling a fit of jealous rage coming on she narrowed her eyes nastily in his direction but couldn't fight the sudden amazement that came with the appearance of Vincent's persona. It was.. gross.. that was the first word that crossed Evi's mind.. but it did look impressive. And it's attack was powerful too.. or.. so it seemed. Just when she thought he had made do of the shadows, they seemed unneffected, and one was charging at Vincent head on.

Evi just watched, she herself was safe for the moment and so she hadn't felt the impulse to move. If anything these shadows were doing her a favor, helping to get rid of some of these pests. She felt a smirk tug at her lips only to be squashed by the appearance of an object flying into the shadow's chest.. and more, until the being was subdued. (That's too bad..) She thought to herself. Of course that was none other then Sarah's doing.

Frowning slightly, she realized she had more pressing matters to attend to. The shadows had spanned out, and one was coming her way. She ducked agily, spinning to the left and around it's clumsy form, as it charged on before realizing it hadn't run into anything at all. Evi smirked more confidentally as it turned to charge towards her again.

Although Evi didn't have the muscle mass to be a powerhouse, she was admirably quick on her feet and dexterous. Dodging each of the shadow's swings with gracelike ease, her overconfidence soon proved fatal. Toying with the beast she should have finished it off earlier, at least, that was her thought when she backed into another of the shadows.

It brought it's axe over her head swiftly, and she had barely tossed herself out of it's way in time. The first shadow that had been tailing her abandoned her then, bounding off to one of her comrades while this shadow, who seemed somewhat a better fighter, lunged after her. Evi needed to fight back.. although.. her polearm.. where was it? Shoot, she had dropped it when she had leaped out of the axe's path.. well, being second to use her persona was better then being third she supposed.

Pulling the evoker from it's holster, she sneered in the direction of her opponent as she lifted the gun to the side of her head. Her eyes seemed to spark with excitement, excitement that dulled at the sound of the gunshot. Flecks of black erupted from the oppossite side of her head, twisting into a snakelike form.

It's pure black shape contorted and grew.. it was massive.. as large as one of the towering buildings that surrounded them. Sharp gleaming daggers.. no, they were teeth, began to protrude from a blackened jaw. It was beginning to take form.. spikes jutted from it's body and large wings grew from it's back. It was.. a dragon, and massive one at that. It's blazing red eyes fixated upon the, in comparison, miniscule shadow figure. Black ooze dripped from between the dragon's white fangs as it hovered over it hungrily.

Words without relative meaning crossed her mind in that instant, Essen Sie Kraft. All she had thought about was what she wanted from this creature, and the words had come to her. In response the dragon screeched shrilly, shattering windows nearby is it dipped down upon the shadow, it turned translucent, passing through the shadow it came out the other side with a glowing orb in it's jaws. Turning around the dragon flew straight back towards Evi, dissapearing completely now after passing through her but leaving behind a reddish glow over her body that dissepated seconds later.

It was gone, and Evi felt.. strong.. The shadow shook itself for a moment but lifted it's axe to attack, although Evi caught his fist easily. The shadow.. it was as weak as a small child. Evi pulled on the shadow and powerfully flipped it over and onto it's back, yanking the axe out of it's arm in the process. She lifted the blade over it's body and brought it down with swift strength, watching it twitch for but a moment before it had ceased movement.

Evi rested her hands on her hips, looking over in Vincent's general direction she sneered "And to think you looked so wimpy after you used yours. Ha, how pathet--" Her vision suddenly blurred and she stumbled backwards slightly. She couldn't breathe.. she felt like someone had sucked the wind out of her, like she'd faint.. She was on her knees suddenly and her breathing was coming out slow and ragged. "D-dar.. darn.. it.." It seemed even she wasn't immuned to the first time effects of persona.

[Light Buster]

Paul had a very cold feeling that someone else is here. He kept looking around, hoping to find a way to kill these monsters and figure out what's going on. "Well, someone else is here," he said to himself. "If I can find him or her, I can probably find out what is going on..."

Paul kept walking and eventually came across more monsters. He counted their numbers and looked at them. "Hmm...interesting. Looks like more monsters are eager to fight." Paul charged them head on and prepared to fight.

[Ookie]

Eika stopped swiping carelessly as she saw the shadows approaching, they were grotesque and horribly deformed monsters. She put the knife back in her pants pocket and obsereved as Vincents' opponenents approached, she didn't blink and eye when the equally ugly monster exploaded out of his head and failed to defeat the monsters. She smilied yet didn't move in to help him, she turned her attention to another girl, she seemed strong. A worthy rival. She tought yawning.

Casualy she walked towards them so she could get a better look at their strange powers. It was the weird gun that seemed to trigger it, her hand slipped to the pistol but as she watched the side affects on both Vincent and the girl her hand flopped back to her side, she couldn't risk it. Not just yet. even as she decided something inside her wanted to burst out and fight.

Be patient... she whispered as a blackshaped appeared in front of her, Your time to shine will be soon.. her dagger flipped into her hand, it was quicker then anyone could have noticed, she waited and then took her fighting stance glaring at her opponenet.

[Light Buster]

Paul continued down the hallway, dusting off his hands from the battle from the monsters he came across. "Well, that turned out to be more bloodier than I expected," he said to himself. "Let's keep going. I'll eventually run into something or someone else."

His walk eventually ended when he came across a big room filled with more monsters. He seeked cover back the way he came from and observed the room. "Looks like more monsters are here," he said to himself silently. "Wait...there is someone else here! Looks like I'm not alone. Well they can take care of themselfs. But I have to take care of the monsters with my own bare hands. This battle may be interesting...."

[Luzifer]

Louis sighed. Man he was being more helpful then usual. He'd drawn one of the shadows off Evi, who, in her foolishness, was about to get herself killed. He managed to avoid the creature a while and disappear going over to help out Chris. Damn everyone seemed to need his help and it was rather annoying that he seemed to be the only one competent enough to handle himself. But he seemed to have an intuitive understanding of what was going on. Still, he kept out of the main fights perferring to avoid direct conflict for now.

[Ookie]

With quick precise strikes Eika hit against her opponent trying to find a weak spot, there seemed to be none so she took an alternative and used brute strenght her leg rising up to perform a full moon strike against her opponent. It struck and the head it held in it's hand rolled off into the nearby gutter, nothing impresive but it worked, Eika let her foot fall on the head and watched as it disseaped into black matter, it soon dissolved into the night sky.

Breathing slowly and carefully Eika danced and struck at every opportunity, trying her hardest to ward off as many as possible. She was enjoying it,
"This.." she whispered as she struck down on another's arm, "This is the beginning of my revenge..." She no longered cared about anyone else, it was just here and the demons of the night, and if anyone go in her way- they died. Blood from her earlier wound ran down her arm, the cut opened once again by her rapid movements.

((OOC: Short post, I are busy D=))

[KuroTan]

Xavier stood motionless as the... things came swarming around them. This can't be happening, he thought to himself as he watched Vincent transform into this beast. This can't be happening, he repeated as he watched the Evi girl fall down after she herself used the evoker.

"This can't be happening," he said out loud as he watched the girl from this morning appear out of nowhere and finish off one of the things.

Too bad it was. And he was about to be dragged into it forcefully. Rearing behind him almost unseen, one of the Shadows prepared to deal him a fatal blow.

Behind you! That voice screamed in his head again. Almost as if in a dream, everything slowed down as Xavier pulled out his evoker and, looking at the thing head on, squeezed the trigger.

Yes! A triumphant voice cried out in jubilation as Xavier felt a wave of nausea overpower him. Time to let loose! Out of the specks of black that came out of his wound, a massive figure took shape. It let out a laugh of pure triumph as it seized the Shadow by the head and, almost effortlessly, crushed it's entire being. "You're way outclassed." it said before it disappeared in the same manner that it had appeared.

Xavier was about to let loose a cry of triumph himself when he was overcome with fatigue. Feh, he thought. That took more out of me than I expected.

[Light Buster]

Paul suddenly saw a monster come his way from a crowd of monsters he saw that the girl was battling. "Opps..." he said. He cracked his hand and struck the monster as it came to him. He punched it in the face, chest, and stomach of the monster. He even pulled off a suflux to kill the monster.

The head came off the monster after Paul pulled off the suflux. Blood gushed out of the monsters neck. "Cool..." he said to himself. "I never knew I can do that." He saw more monsters turn their attention away from the girl and onto him. "You guys want more huh? Come on!" Paul and the monsters charged at each other as they prepared for another battle.

[Luzifer]

OOC: Okay I'm stepping in here before things get out of control... there were only six creatures... by my count we're down to... zero (1 killed by Sarah and Louis, 1 by Chris, 1 by Xavier 1 by Evi 1 by Eika and one by Paul)

Also pay attention to my posts for clues about how durable Shadows are. I'll come out and say it specifically here but in general I won't. These creatures are not easy to kill. Chris (the strongest character without a persona at this point) almost got killed by a normal one. In general an individual can't handle more than one at a time until much later on.

So just keep that in mind when your posting. The idea is that your run of the mill shadow could, if someone doesn't play their cards near perfectly, kill someone in a one-on-one fight... trying to stay close to my source material if any of you know what I'm referring to (I know Maru does)


Sarah, called everyone closer, "Everyone pull in! Regroup! There's still one more out there somewhere" The leader was around here somewhere but her Persona's couldn't sense it, and since her deified form derived power from knowledge, the Shadow must be going to a great deal of effort not to be found. She didn't want everyone spread out so they could get picked off one by one, they would need to bring all their strength to bear at once. She doubted that any one of them could handle the leader in a one on one fight.

Suddenly, Louis was at her side, as if he had been there the entire time. He had certainly appeared out of nowhere to finish off the shadow earlier. His face was as calm as it had ever been and he didn't seem the slightest bit flustered. Most of the others were completely fatigued. The boy Vincent could hardly stand on his own.

Chris shouted back "Shut up! These things are nothing! I'll find that last one myself" Idiot she snapped at him in her mind. He had taken a good beating in the fight against the original shadow

"Don't go out on your own!" he just yelled something back at her incoherently

Louis sighed. He hated when weaklings got to thinking they were grand because they managed to win some small victory. A vicious presence rose up within him, concentrated behind his right eye and he could feel it bubbling. It was struggling for control of his flesh. He covered his right eye with his hand (though it was already quite well covered with hair) a sickly feeling began to over take the skin around the eye. A clammy chill.

His sight changed... he could see... not people but the Persona's within each person... He saw Leviathan- Eve and Mammon- the rich boy, Beezlebub/a Raven/ and a...familiar white light-Vincent?. He saw the others each in their turn but it was the white light that was within that held for him the greatest fascination... it felt like something he wanted... something that was his. But then he noticed something near Satan. Beneath the surface of the ground was a black form and instantly he knew it for a shadow. The sin-slick black of it was a tale-tell sign for Lucifer- no- Louis. He shouted, "Chris MOVE!"

But Chris turned and yelled at him, "Shut up you little teacher's pet!"

The black form rose up behind him, its mask was more regal than the others, a crown was upon it. The shadow placed its hand on Chris's skull and the hand turned to a thick liquid and flowed into Chris's skull and the boy just stood their stunned.

Peasants.

Louis pulled out his evoker in his left hand and put it to the side of his head, speaking a slight prayer. He pulled the trigger.

The right side of his head exploded. Rather then shards slashing out of his head it was coverted itself into shards and the only thing that remained of that half of his face was a gray orb behind where his eye would have been. The shards floated around then returned to his head only this time they were black as the night.

A grin covered the black half of Louis's body and the gray orb glowed menacingly beneath. Louis(?) moved. He seemed to cover the ground between him and the shadow in three huge strides. His entire body bent and cortorted to bring the full force of his muscles into the next strike. The blade of his polearm glowed black. Blade of the Lost Seraph.. His blow cleaved deep into the creatures chest and black ichor splashed from the cut, covering him with its slime. The creature slowly began slow its struggles.

Gradually, the shade upon Louis features began to recede back into his right eye but at the last moment the darkness in Louis made a thrust for control of his body once more and Louis was forced to grip his head. He didn't see the axe that smashed against his skull.

Sarah was stunned. She hadn't expected one of those to be this strong... she worried about what would happen when they had to fight the other six! ... Father... But at Louis had things under control. She broke into a run toward Chris, hoping against hopes that he would still be sentient.

Suddenly Louis flinched and grabbed his head and at that moment the Shadow he had been fight made one last flail with his axe, smashing Louis to his side causing the boy to roll and crack his skull against a nearby tree. She hestitated briefly, split between checking Chris and making sure Louis was alright but she had faith that Louis would be alright and moved towards Chris.

She kneel down before Chris... But it was already too late, his soul had already been drained from him and he just lay their, breathing but no longer truly alive.

Louis pushed himself off the ground. By all that was holy it hurt! There was a pulsing throb and he could feel a sickly, wet warmth running down the side of his face. He touched his head to it and stared at the substance that came off on his fingers... blood.

He forced himself to stand. Which he managed to do rather easily. Despite the pain and blood he still seemed better off then any of the others who had used their persona's all of whom seemed to barely be able to crawl let alone stand. Face resetting itself into its normal unphased calm, though now marred heavily with flowing blood from a gash somewhere along his scalp line he walked back to where Sarah was kneeling before Chris' body. "Too late..." he muttered with an echoing apathy that belied him.

[Ookie]

Eika wiped her blade on her sleeve, it was a habbit she had picked up, but it wasn't needed, there were no marks on her blade, it was as clean as it could be. She slipped it in her trousers and looked up to where they had gathered, one sould had been lost and it was only what seemed to be the students' first experience. She shook her head in disgust at herself and muttered a little prayer under her breath. the kid probably didn't wish for this, she wondered if they were even asked wheter they wanted to join or not.

Eika she slipped back into the shadows, out of sight and bound up her arm again, it seemed that no one had noticed her, so she prepared to slinker back to school before Vincent noticed she had disobbeyed his instructions.

[Light Buster]

Paul looked around and saw nobody at the scene of where all the monsters were killed. "Hmm...," Paul thought to himself. "Could've sworn that someone was here. Man, my life keeps getting diffricult these days. First, I wait for a band to accept me for 3 months and now this." He looked around for that girl he saw earlier. "I wonder where she went. I could've asked for name at least."

"What time is it anyways," Paul began to speak to himself again. "He looked at his digital watch and saw nothing. "Great, now my watch doesn't work. I just replaced the batterys. This is totally screwed up." He went up to every monster on the ground and kicked them to make sure they're dead. He inspected his clothes and saw blood on them. "This is just great, I just washed my clothes. Now I have to clean them again." A little angry, Paul continued to look around the place. "Now, let me hope that someone else is here. My strength is wearing down."

[.Gogo]

Evi wobbily returned to her feet, regaining her vision and her breathing slowing to normal speed, she was left with a light headed feeling that normally came with lack of sleep. What did these people think of her now, she wondered. They probably thought they were better then her, they hadn't shot off their evoker and then fallen to their knees in exhaustion. Louis, her advisary, and Chris, whom she hadn't noticed til now, had performed admirably. Muttering under her breath she walked over to where she had dropped her polearm previously, and she returned it to it's comfortable position resting on her shoulder.

It was then that Sarah had exclaimed; "Everyone pull in! Regroup! There's still one more out there somewhere" Evi only narrowed her eyes at the woman disobediently, and didn't move to 'regroup'. Like she wanted to be anywhere near those concieted fools.

It was then that that boy Chris decided to go off. "Good for him. Evi thought to herself. That was the way things should be anyways, everyone for themselves.

To her surprise though, she heard the shot of an evoker.. but it wasn't Chris. Turning around she saw the familiar shards erupting from Louis's head.. to form.. well.. Evi looked somewhat dissapointed. It was himself. Though looking closer he was.. different. Half of his body was black. Was this his persona? Evi was happily unimpressed. But as Louis moved forward, she realized this 'persona' of Louis's knew how to fight.

Some time later when Sarah had proclaimed that it was too late for Chris, Evi couldn't fight the quiet snicker that came from her. "That's unfortunate isn't it.." she smirked, her red eyes glimmering somewhat sadistically. Although her statement read would have sounded sympathetic for Chris's condition, with the way Evi said it that was hardly the case.

[Opinionated]

It would be wrong to say Mike's apathy runneth over, but at least the cup was filled slightly. Rivers of blood, changed buildings, coffins everywhere, it was suprising. But he let his suprise run over and through him. He raised his sheild and slightly crouched behind it. But the monsters didn't notice him, and his hand never went for his Evoker. Why, when others would fight for him?

Then... Chris died, abruptly. He walked over to the body, no particular thought in mind. but as he stood over the corpse, he wondered, "what if I had done something?" Finally did he finger his Evoker, wondering what his Persona would be. He decided that he would find out the next change he got.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith tried to watch the others at first, as she found herself afraid to even move. Everything seemed to go so fast, it was hard to keep up. Before she even knew what hit her, Sarah's voice rang through her ears.

Not being very far off to begin with, Lilith moved in a bit and watched Chris run off. It wasnt long before he became one of 'the lost'. She could see that he was almost brain dead, but still had a pulse. Reguardless, he was usless now.

Her eyes wondered to Louis and widend.
"Youre bleeding!"

She pushed his hair back to see excatly where the blood was comming from, and soon found herself surprised as to how motherly she was being.

[Light Buster]

"Great," Paul thought to himself. "More monsters..." The monsters were looking in a different direction away from Paul. "Look's like they don't notice me yet..." Paul looked around for an alternate route. He stopped and made his move. "Better go this way..."

Paul now needed to look for a way out of this place. Most of his strength was taken up to kill the monsters. Now he has no choice but to go around them. He scratched his hair for a second and began to think to himself again. "I wonder how I am angry tonight. It doesn't seem right for me to take my rage out on a monster." His thoughts were usually clear, but in this situation, this was a different story.

[Luzifer]

Louis felt a hand on his forehead and his attention shifted from Sarah and Chris to the person touching him. It wasn't a harsh shift though, like always he failed to be surprised or fazed by it. The fact that there was a girl whose name he did not know touching him skimmed off of him like water off a duck's back. He did recognize her, though he did not know her name, she was the girl who had wondered where he would be staying when she first met him. He remembered that when he had looked at her with his Shadow's eye that he had seen within her the demon, Asmodai, the Demon of Lust. That made him careful. If she possessed that Sin then he would have to be careful around her, though she was by no means a threat to him. He just couldn't be caught sending mixed messages.

He gripped her wrist, not tight enough to beconsidered forceful, but with enough firmness that he point would be carried across, "I'll be-"

Sarah cut him off, "He'll be fine." She was standing now and seemed to be thinking. No doubt she was deciding what to do about Chris' body while at the same time getting the group back to dorm. They were in no condition to fight at the moment. Hell, half of them could barely stand, and to Louis surprise Eve was one of those. He would have thought her more prideful then to let her weakness show, but he supposed that there was a limit to how much exhaustion willpower and hubris could compensate for...though he hadn't reached his limit yet.

"Alright, those who can still walk help the people who can't. Mrs. Maxwell you help Deltoro, Fleetwood get Maddock, Louis help Mrs. Valentin. I'm gonna stay here and make sure that when his body is found tomorrow it will be seen as just another case of a Lost." she smirked bitterly at the word just. And Louis knew why. Just someone loosing there soul? How could that ever be described as just? At least in her mind. To him it was just the way of nature. The weak are killed and the strong survive... well thats how most people thought nature worked but indeed he amended that. The weak AND the stupid are killed and the strong or smart and preferably both, survive.

He stepped away from Maxwell, as her name appeared to be, and sighed sticking his hand lackadaisically in his pockets. He didn't expect Evi to need his help, just the fact he was supposed to offer it would make her want to handle it by herself.

Vincent stopped leaning on Mrs. Thuster and half-walked half crawled over to Lilith. He wished that someone else had been told to help him. He didn't really like Lilith. She reminded him a bit too much of some of the less... chaste, girls that shared the streets with him in his youth. But he could not be picky at time like this, "I'm sorry, Mrses Maxwell. but... I can barely make with the standing... so please..."

[Ookie]

Eika half ran, half stumbled in order to get there before them, her heart was pounding when she reached the school, she dived under the gates and streaked across the drainpipe and diving into Vincent's room.

Once again she made her, not-too-impressive entry by tumbling head over heels and landing face forward onto the ground. She dived under the bed wiping her blood droplets in a rush and faked sleep. She lay down on the cold floor listening intently for footsteps.

OOC: No interwebz. D=

[KuroTan]

Xavier held up a hand "I - I'm ok." he said as he slowly tried to get up from his half crouched position. "Don't worry about me."

So, we're one down. he thought as he glanced at the lying figure of Chris. Xavier didn't know him well but still, to die like that? In the hands of the unknown? Seemed like a pretty harsh way to go.

Xavier stood alone to one side as he waited for everyone to get ready as well as to catch his breath. That power just now... It was brief but I - I want more of it. Though it drained him of seemingly everything he had, Xavier couldn't help but enjoy what he just went through. And who wouldn't? The ability to suddenly gain tremendous power with just a simple motion? These are the stuff of dreams!

Although, with another look at Chris and the grotesqueness around him, this plays more of a nightmare if anything.

[Light Buster]

Paul continued to move around the monsters without being noticed. "So many monsters," Paul thought. "There should be a way out of this haunted place...maybe someone is here..." Paul's strength was worned down that he couldn't fight anymore.

Paul finally reached the main entrance room and went to the door to take a breather. "Finally, I'm at the exit...maybe this will end as soon as I leave." He couldn't move anymore so he sat down near the door. He looked around for any monsters that attempted to attack him.

[.Gogo]

Evi crossed her arms defiantly. Like she would allow Louis to help her! Was this teacher blind?! Evi was standing just fine on her own, and despite the lightheadedness she had recovered. Seeing Louis coming towards her she just glared at him, she could only imagine what he was thinking of her now. Even though Louis had used his persona, he wasn't exhausted like the rest of them. Evi hated that. Walking ahead of the others, she was determined not to wait for Louis catch up to her.

Looking over her shoulder she could see Vincent half crawling towards Lillith. Ha, she almost felt pity for Lillith's situation.. almost. Evi would certainly have refused to assist him herself.

It was now, having broken away from the others, that Evi thought about her 'persona'. Leviathan.. she couldn't help but feel proud of it. And there was more where that came from.. she could feel it, there was much more power she could acquire. Evi resolved to keep summoning her persona, until she got used to these 'after effects'. She wasn't going to just allow Louis to keep showing her up. Frowning she knew it would be difficult to keep up with all this competition.. there was too many of them. Thankfully, Chris was no longer in the picture. But if Evi could just eliminate a few more..

[Luzifer]

Louis sighed as he caught up with Evi. He knew already what she was probably thinking about, she wore her emotions on her sleeve if one took the time to look. She seemed to be eternally caught up in some sort of ranking structure she had developed the reason behind which Louis could not even begin to fathom. For himself, he had never considered ranking people to be that important. There were only two categories in his mind that people could be placed in, the weak and the rivals. Normally they were placed in the former but he always prayed for a few more in the later category because otherwise his life tended to grow stale and boring.

Like he had expected, Evi was muscling over her exhaustion and trying to make it to her room before she collapsed. He made no move to try and help her. It was what she would have wanted and it was what was best for her in the long run. People had to learn to depend upon themselves and themselves alone. It was only then that they could be useful to others, both as comrades and as opponents. Still, he didn't stray too far. He had been told to bring her back and he wasn't about to let her fall and break her skull open on the sidewalk. Only if it was required would he help her. Other than that he would keep to himself and let her conquer her weakness.

If she could.

[MaruDashi]

Lilith was taken a bit aback when she saw Vincent asking for help.
'Hmm...this may be to my advantage....'

She helped him up and offered to help support him since he was injured. After all, she still had all her strength from not fighting.

'Perhaps I dont have to fit afterall...not if theres someone willing to protect me.'

A spark lit in her eye. She looked discouraged and pouted a bit.

"I wish I could've done more. I wonder what'll happen if I freeze up again...I may end up like Chris..."

[.Gogo]

Evi quickened her pace, sensing Louis close behind her. Though she knew better, he wouldn't leave her be. Heh, he's probably just waiting for me to pass out or something. I'll show him. I'll show them all. I'll be the strongest member out of this.. this 'group.' The rest of them won't last, I'll make sure of it.

Her resolve was strong, but not strong enough to eliminate her exhaustion. Still, she did not falter, she refused to give anyone the satisfaction of pointing out a flaw. Especially Louis.

Entering the school's lobby she stood in front of the stairs, now looking over her shoulder to speak to Louis. "You don't have to keep following me. I've never asked for help, and I certainly don't need your help now." Her tone was sharp as usual. With that she continued up the steps to head to her room.

[.Gogo]

Evi quickened her pace, sensing Louis close behind her. Though she knew better, he wouldn't leave her be. Heh, he's probably just waiting for me to pass out or something. I'll show him. I'll show them all. I'll be the strongest member out of this.. this 'group.' The rest of them won't last, I'll make sure of it.Her resolve was strong, but not strong enough to eliminate her exhaustion. Still, she did not falter, she refused to give anyone the satisfaction of pointing out a flaw. Especially Louis.Entering the school's lobby she stood in front of the stairs, now looking over her shoulder to speak to Louis. "You don't have to keep following me. I've never asked for help, and I certainly don't need your help now." Her tone was sharp as usual. With that she continued up the steps to head to her room.

[Luzifer]

Louis waited a moment... debating whether or not to let her hear this thought. A slight irony struck him... if he hadn't been there, she wouldn't have pushed herself as hard and might not have made it without stumbling. In a sense... she did need him. The irony of the situation was amusing but Louis kept his features straight as he too walked up the stairs, more so that he could get to his own room then out of any desire to continue to pester the girl.

...he did speak, "I do have to keep following you." his voice was calm, cold, and cutting, "You're trying so hard not to be weak...would you do that if you were alone? Envy shows power only when in the presence of others." With that spoken he left the staircase towards his own room.

He left the door to his room open though...for now. Just to see if she'd try to to get the last word in... if she did he wondered what she would say. How much defiance would she be able to bring to bear against the truth? It would be food for thought in any event. He felt if he kept pushing her the way he had been, her percieved rivalry toward him would continue to grow and perhaps she might even keep him on his toes. Which would be good. He needed at least one person keeping him from getting bored. Still, she was proving to be as aggresive as he could have hoped and that left a number of possibilities open.

But this was little more than a side project, he reminded himself, as he sat down in front of his desk and gathered his papers together. All these other people were side projects. His main concern at the moment was figuring out what was going on and what Sarah knew about him. It was obvious to him that she was withholding knowledge but what was it? Did she know about who he had been before? The "amnesiac with special powers" was a tired plot point and a horrible starting point for a story; he did not want to be part of such a story so the sooner he got rid of his ignorance the faster he could clean himself of having a life that seemed to be strong together by some B-Level writer... he deserved at least A+ Level.

Vincent thanked Lilith when she took some of his weight off his tired legs and let him lean against her. He listened to her words as they walked forward and he realized that her sentiments echoed his own. How worthless he had been in that last fight... he had done so little and if Sarah and Louis hadn't saved him then he would have been dead several times over.

"I know..." he muttered with sullen voice in reply... "This is beyond our control...beyond my control." I don't want to loose control of my life again! The memories of his life of addiction and substance abuse were still fresh, and the two years of off-and-on rehab were still sharp in his mind. "Do we...actually have a chance... against such creatures? Will every night be like this one?... I'm sorry... I'm just making it worse for you." He shouldn't spread his depression to others... such was cruelty of the highest order.

Eventually they returned to the dorm building and entering the lobby Vincent took his wait off of Lilith... "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you but I'll be fine from here on out." It was something of a lie for his legs were still weak but he had taken advantage of her generosity enough as it was. Besides... if Eika was in his room he didn't want anyone else around. The last thing he needed was someone spreading gossip about how he shared his room with a girl... people could take that the wrong way.

[Ranryou Roga]

OOC-Well it looks like in to late for tgd return of my character sorry everyone i let you all down

[.Gogo]

Evi quickened her pace, sensing Louis close behind her. Though she knew better, he wouldn't leave her be. Heh, he's probably just waiting for me to pass out or something. I'll show him. I'll show them all. I'll be the strongest member out of this.. this 'group.' The rest of them won't last, I'll make sure of it.
Her resolve was strong, but not strong enough to eliminate her exhaustion. Still, she did not falter, she refused to give anyone the satisfaction of pointing out a flaw. Especially Louis.
Entering the school's lobby she stood in front of the stairs, now looking over her shoulder to speak to Louis. "You don't have to keep following me. I've never asked for help, and I certainly don't need your help now." Her tone was sharp as usual. With that she continued up the steps to head to her room.

[Ookie]

Eika crawled out of the bed once she was sure Vincent was alone in the room. She gave an artificial yawn of someone who had just been disturbed from a deep sleep,

"Mhm, oh it 'syou." she gave him a fake look of surprise, "You look awefull, fell down the stairs on your way to the loo?" she said coldly, she wanted it to seem obvious she knew nothing of what had happened let alone been with them.

She yawned again, streatching.

[Luzifer]

Vincent smirked slightly, "Well... I suppose that you could be saying that..." he sighed and lay down on the bed for a moment to catch his breath. God but he was tired and his mind was still shaking from the events of the night. And he had to go to school tomorrow? He was not looking forward to that...

He stood up to go take a shower when there was a knock on the door. Looking through the doors peephole he noticed it was miss Thuster. He waved for Eika to hide and waited for her to do so... when he was sure she was well hidden he opened the door, slightly so that Mrs Thuster couldn't see in, "Yes... what is it?"

"I'm here to see your guest... you know if you want to have someone stay over you could have just asked and i would have found them a separate room."

Vincent was taken a back that Mrs Thuster had known... how?

[Ookie]

Eika's hand immediatly went to her knife and flipped it in her hand, her mind automatically went over escaping procedures. She knew that the woman was serious, she knew Eika was there.
Knock Vincent out, slit her throat.. she mind blanked and she sped out from under the bed glaring,

"Don't move.. " she growled looking at the woman in the eye.

Without her persona she's just a frail lady.. right.. RIGHT? she was panicing now. she looked at Vincent, but there was nothing this guy could do.

[Luzifer]

Vincent fell back shocked that Eika was approaching this situation with such violence. he looked at Sarah who didn't seem bothered in any real way. She didn't have her hands on a weapon but one was floating near the pouch on her belt that contained her improvised kunai. "Please, child, lets not resort to violence. I mean you no harm." In a good faith gesture she held her palms in front of her.

Vincent stood up and walked to Eika, grabbing shoulder and shaking her gently, "Come on Eika. She's not gonna hurt you... Lets not being spilling the blood and slicing the flesh... lets calm down a try to solve this with out the hurting." He was genuinely concerned, he didn't like the idea of the two women battling it out, he didn't want to see either. Sarah was a nice lady and he felt that she wanted what was best for all of them and Eika was like himself when he had been younger, which made him empathize a lot with the girl.

[Ookie]

Eika was frightened, not that she would admit it. But she had never been a fan of places with blocked off escape routes. She took a deep breath and stood up straighter. Her knie didn't leave her hands. It looked like she wasn't going to hurt hurt her in any way. She shook Vincent's hands off her shoulder, not out of mean intent, but so if the situation called for it, she could run off. She lowered the hand holding the knife and glared at her suddenly feeling hopeless.

"So, I'm going to be thrown out. Or will you call the police?" she laughed sounding unconcerned, but inside she was worried and slightly sad, she thought she could have settled down there, even in hiding.

[Luzifer]

Now, Mrs Thuster was surprised, "Thrown out? Police? Gods no..." Vincent had thought that Mrs Thuster would throw Eika out, because the teacher had always seemed very kind and motherly, definitely not one to abandon someone to the street, "You can stay here... well not HERE here but here, as in this building, not here, as in Vincent's room. I'd get in serious trouble with the school if I let a girl and boy share a room. They like to at least keep up appearances."

Sarah smiled, kindly at Eika and Vincent turned his eyes to the girl hoping she would just accept this kindness gratefully. He was afraid that if she didn't he'd end up chasing the girl through the streets, she seemed the type to run from things she was uncomfortable with... like he had been. But maybe that was just Vincent just forcing to much of his own personality upon the girl.

"I can get you situated in a room upstairs with the rest of the girls. The main problem I foresee is that you have to be a student in order to live here but it you wouldn't be adverse to applying I'll see what I can do about procuring scholarship money to go here. You wouldn't bee the only student here on scholarship. Though he might not seem it, Vincent's here on scholarship as well, as is Louis. Different scholarships, Vincent's being a scholarship for the underprivileged and Louis being entirely academic in nature. Still, if you'd be willing I think I can write away enough money to get you into the school." Sarah walked up to her in a comforting, non-threatening fashion, and smiled sweetly, "Now wouldn't that be better then living in a storage unit?"

Vincent was once again surprised at Mrs Thuster's knowledge... how'd she know that she had been in that storage unit? Had the rich kid told her? He didn't seem the type to do that... but...

[Ookie]

Eika was starting to feel uncomfortable, the idea of sharing space with any of the girls appalled her. Just as she was starting to get comfortable around a person too.

All i have to do.. is pretend to accept it, then I can run off once they situate me in my room. That way I won't have to resort to violence. she glared realising it would mean leaving everything behind.

"That's kind of you, I'll gladly accept."she said roughly, she clenched her fist tightly and stuffed the knife in her pocket, she looked at Vincent, if she managed to escape it would be the last time she saw him. "I'd like to see my room." she said to the woman. "See you around Vince."

[MaruDashi]

Lilith sighed to herself a bit. This Vincent person was obviously too wrapped up in his own worries to be infactuated with her. But, Xavier was still there.

Feeling too tired to flirt...or even talk for that matter, Lilith headed off for her room, but not before overhearing a conversation between the boy she helped earlier and Sarah...and a third person? She heard a female voice, but it wasnt Evi's...so then who was it?

Feeling far too tired to even care, Lilith headed off to her room and decided she'd figure it all out in the morning.

[Luzifer]

Sarah gestured the girl to follow her. So this was the new wrath...she would be lying if she said she wasn't thankful for this providence. But then again... was not this entire chain of events provided for by His will? It shouldn't surprise her that the boundaries of coincidence were beginning to be blurred. But this girl was seemed pretty obstinate so it wouldn't be easy to show her that she was already caught up in something whether she like it or not. Sarah didn't really like the idea of how all these people were being forced into circumstances beyond their control but she supposed that it had to be someone and no matter who it was it would be unfair...

She opened the door to one of the empty girls rooms "Here's where you'll be staying.."

[.Gogo]

Evi had gone to her room, slamming the door behind her in unknown frustration, she stood for a moment in the dark. It was quiet, preferably so, and she made no move to flick the light on either. Instead she traveled to her bed, having been accustomed with her surroundings already it was no trouble. Though she'd never admit so, she was tired and didn't feel like she had even enough energy to change, just enough to plop onto her bed, which she did. She had already exhausted what was left of her stamina on the way up here. Evi didn't even set her alarm, she didn't even remember locking the door behind her. Her heavy eyelids didn't give her an option to leave her bed either, she quickly fell asleep.

[Ookie]

Eika shot into the room rudely. She was determined to hate it, so she sat down on the bed roughly and looked at the window, it wasn't too high from abouve the ground, once the woman left she could make a run for it. Eika trust her hand in her pocket fingering the sharp blade of the knife.

It seemed so easy now, just to pull it out and slice the woman's head off. It would be so quick she wouldn't even know what hit her. Eika bit her bottom lip and stared at the woman's neck, right where her blade would pierce if she decided to strike her. Then she shook her head, she was being too nice, and probably didn't know how uncomfortable it was to Eika, there was no reason to kill her, unless she stood in her way.

"Thanks." she said gruffly, indicating that she was not at all thankfull. She plopped herself down on the bed and stared at the wall.

Once she leaves, i'll jump out and make a run for it.

Eika stared fixedly at the wall as if interested in the blank surface and clutched her locket tightly to her heart, those monsters she saw that night,there were like the ones that killed her parents.

Mamma, pappa, i will avenge you, and anyone standing in my path shall die.

OOC: I've git a loverly bunch of coconuts..

[Luzifer]

OOC: I'm SOO sorry about how long this post took but I've been busy with exams and finals and what not the past couple weeks so I haven't had the time to sit down write the MASSIVE post that was required to finally bring an end to the prologue.

Sarah smiled gently as she walked out of the room, waving gently with her left hand in an informal farewell, “Well I’ll see you tomorrow… everyone will be going to school first thing but I’ll see if I can’t talk to someone about getting you enrolled minus the fees… if you get up early enough I’ll see you in the morning… if not then when I get back”. With that Sarah returned to her room.


Entering the her little sanctum she gave out a haggard breath. These people drained the life out of her. They were like little children, each of the squabbling about with their own selfish plans first and foremost in their minds, not thinking about the common good. Of course, she had sort of expected this, they were after all, the Sinners… the seven fallen Aeons… the Vices. So many names… some many forms that these concepts inhabited, each one ascribed a different word, and now they were made flesh and given deceptively human names… Vincent… Lilith… Mike…Xavier… Eika… Evi… and…Louis.


She worried about what the coming months would bring… these would only begin moving faster and with greater fury from here on out… each day would a brief calm of school and then the shuddering speed of the Dark Hour. As their Dorm Monitor she’d have the great burden of trying to make sure that they had their school work done in at least good enough a condition to graduate, something she doubted most of them would one to do given that they already had to deal with the demons of the Dark Hour… she would understand their disdain but it was something that had to be done. At least Louis probably wouldn’t need much prodding, if she remembered him as well as she thought she did he did his work always… a point of pride with him. But she somewhat feared that given the ease of the work he would resent performing such menial things.


But that was a worry for another time. The night was still young… and there were many things still to occur. She opened one of her drawers.


Louis walked into his bathroom and looked in the mirror… he dabbed at the blood with some toilet paper. The red darkness of the blood had covered most of his face by this point had he had filled up the waste bit with crimson-stained wads of synthetic fabric by the time he had gotten most of it off his face. All that was left red was the wound itself, a large gash on the side of his head. He placed a wad of toilet paper over and using some masking tape made a sort of make shift poultice.


However, the blood loss, combined with the fatigue from his first day walking around after waking up from his coma, was making him feel rather dizzy. He began walking to his bed. The room bent and stretched around him, his eyes unable to get it into focus. He never made it to the bed. He collapsed on the floor.


The moon shone bright as the six of them converged. The all met on the hospital roof, as they always did before they returned to where everyone expected them to be when time began to move again. But for now it was still the Dark Hour… still their hour.


She sat down on the edge of the roof and waited for the others. She was thinking of him again… that bastard that had always chosen another over her… had always chosen someone younger even though it was with her that he had made his greatest innovations. But such was her fate. She was the Archon of Lust… she would always fall for those who did not love in return… it was the fate of all who were touched by Lust. Why… she wagered the Aeon felt the same.


But it had been amusing to see all the Sinners, even when one of their number perished it had proved quite enlightening. It seemed that the Aeonic nature could move and shift easily from individual to individual. Perhaps this meant that the individuals themselves harbored no destiny of their own… rather, they were mere Vessels of Destiny. Much like the Holy Grail which was useful not because of what it was but what it contained, the blood of the Christ. The blood of a previous incarnation of the Masculine Demiurge.


She could here the thud of someone landing behind her and knew very well who it was, “Ben, do you always have to make such a racket?”


She got no response, but than that spineless fool never had the guts to do anything of his own volition. He clung to the coattails of others and provided little but rehashes of obvious axioms rather than original ideas. He had always been her most dispised, before the Descent and after. Only one had managed to meet her lofty standards.



Thankfully she didn’t not have to put up with Ben for long as the others arrived in short order.


“I assume we have all seen what has transpired this night” said the old man… the man-stealing girl’sfather. She loathed the man on account of his daughter but she hid it behind a mask of her usual antipathy.



“Of course… such an opportunity was too delicious to pass up. We are scholars after all, first and foremost.” Laughed a chubby man of middle age. He always possessed an annoyingly good mood no matter what the situation and she had long ago taken a disdain towards it. She believed that it was caused by being dropped on his head too many times as a baby. It had broken his sense but obviously not his intellect as he wasn’t completely brainless, like Ben.


“That we may have been but are no longer. You would do well to remember that… the past can be a shackle and we most be completely free… the world depends on it” hissed a woman’s voice. She was always angry and no one paid her insults any mind, something she found to be incredibly frustrating. Of course, that made her all the more amusing to ignore.
“Calm down Maya, you’ll get yourself an ulcer with such acidity. Your point is taken but… what is more important is what we learned from what we saw, not in what capacity we saw it.”


“Whatever, you wish to believe, you cancerous braindead oaf.”


“Silence!” said the old man in a voice both gentle and menacing, “Let us not get caught up in petty things. Now, let us change the subject to Yaldabaoth.” Everyone nodded, certain parties more reluctantly than others, and one party, a thin girl of no more than twenty, didn’t nod at all… but then… she didn’t do anything. “His halves are still very much out of sync with one another. This bodes well. We must completely destroy him and Sophia before the Anima Departitioning can commence. Otherwise they were will resume the roles the possessed before and remake the world. Fortunately… Sophia will be less of an issue… Ben here has half of her essence. As long as we can prevent her from regaining it she should be easy to kill. And once we are free of her Yaldabaoth will be that much easier to devour. “


The Archon of Lust spoke, “That is all well and good. But what about the Grand Mechanism? The Clockwork God? We still haven’t managed to find it. Without that we might not be able to trigger the Departitioning before Yaldabaoth resurrects again. Even if we do kill him.”


“Be patient Gamora.” Said Ben with a slight air of spite she knew he wouldn’t dare use if they were alone. “The Nag Hammadi states that it the Grand Mechanism had a failsafe that after being used it would slip into the Anima to be reincarnated inside the flesh of men. Since the Virtues used the Grand Mechanism to defeat Sophia and Yaldabaoth with the other Vices after they had succeeded in Partitioning the Anima, it must have entered the Anima. That means that some person possesses it within their soul. We just have to find that person and remove it.”


“Idiot! I know that! But we need to find that person… We currently have no clue who holds it.”


The old man clapped his hands and everything was silent once more, “Why are you, my Archons, so much like children? We have survived the worst drawback to our plan when we did not notice that the reincarnation of Yaldabaoth had managed to infiltrate our ranks and used use to reunite with his shadowed half. We have weathered that… and now things are to our advantage. We have gained godhood now we need merely to slay the conflicted Yaldabaoth, the incomplete Sophia, and the ignorant and disorganized Sinners. Our greatest threat is not Yaldabaoth himself but rather the Serpent. If she feeds him of her Fruit than we he may actually prove a threat… however… the Serpent is a creature of her own. She is not whole with Yaldabaoth and will not feed him the Fruit until it is to her best interest and the betterment of her ends. She is the true threat because she knows. Yaldabaoth may suspect but he is in ignorance for now, he’s barely able to keep himself conscious, let alone tap into his older memories. She however does know and that means she can move against us and more she can feed information to the Aeons as she pleases and use them to her ends. However, she is frail… if we can isolate her we can kill her. But let us observe a while longer… there is still much time left. We have all eternity to wait.”


It moved swiftly through the darkness, flying smoothly in the air and then landing upon the window sill. It wrapped itself in darkness. Its eyes gazed at the girl and confirmed its suspicions… this was indeed the new Aeon of Wrath. It was somewhat disappointed at having to deliver another contract but that was alright as long as it could continue with its plan. Heh… the Virtues would pay for what had been done to him… He may not have the Grand Mechanism but now neither did they, and they had always been the weakest of the Aeons. Now all he had to do was organize these pathetic fools into something like a decent force and he could succeed with ease. It was truly a pity that a Virtue could only truly be killed by its corresponding Vice otherwise he would just to this all himself.


Gently he let the contract fall to the floor. If she was indeed a Sinner, than she would have no choice but to sign it… it was instinctive, something that an Aeon did without thinking. The contract was a piece of solidified Anima… it was something so intimate to an Aeons nature that they could not help themselves, it was using their on nature against them. And once it was signed the Sinner that the Aeon was possessing would have to walk this path… it was destiny… a fate. All so they could make that final choice. He wished that he knew what that choice was… but that was something only his higher nature knew. All that his fallen mind was allowed to know was that in the process the Virtues would be slain and that was all that he cared about.


Smirking slightly with dagger teeth the creature took off into the night, flying upon six bat like wings.


Sarah sighed and set her unique chessboard on the table. She normally kept it in the drawer to keep the pieces from being shifted, a futile gesture as this bored was a physical manifestation of Asa and something which was tied not to the physical plane but the Anima. Only she, a deified human could see it.


An apple appeared in her hand as she sat down to look at the board. The apple to was a manifestation of Asa… her personal symbol. She bit into it and the chess pieces moved and the board shifted. It changed shape to become a stout cross*. In each of the arms was a different set of chess pieces. One of blood red, one was black, one was white and one was split between two colors two different shades of gray, one a dark gray and the other a pale gray. That faction was divided against itself but it was the faction that she feared the most. The person behind was by far the most circumspect and if that factions piece were united before they killed to much of their own then it would be the side to watch. Hers were the white pieces. Across from her were the black which was the side with the least chance of winning. They were essentially mindless, those the seven that led the faction were wholly inferior to those who there were against… and if the gray faction was united behind the darker gray then it would be the black that suffered. The red faction was a threat though… that group had intelligence and power on their side but they had defeat the other three factions and a fifth, as yet undeclared faction. Here Sarah looked to the side of the board at six clear pieces. They had yet to take a color… but they would not follow either the red or black factions as those to factions sought their death. But the question is would they follow gray or white? And if they did which gray? Or would they remain clear and follow their own path. Their was also the chance that one of those clear pieces might form its own gray faction if it managed to capture the right red piece… if that happened the entire game could change directions… it was complex. The red faction hadn’t moved yet and the black had lost a pawn… but the black faction had many pawns, in fact it was the only side that even had pawns at this point. The gray faction hadn’t moved either nor had white but she didn’t want to move yet. She was waiting to see what gray would do. If red began to threaten she would retaliate but it was the clear and grey pieces that had her eye.


Speaking of eyes, her lids were becoming rather have so she slipped the board into the drawer and the half eaten apple vanished from her hand. It had been a long night… an things would get worse.


End of Day Two


End of Prologue


First Testament


The Gospel of Lilith

Day One
Monday September 1st
6:00 AM


Louis woke up in his bed.


He pulled back the covers and sat up. He looked at the clock by his bed side, its bright red letters read 6:00. It was still very early. School started at 8:30 but he wanted to get some books before he got to school. He doubted the classes he would be taking would provide anything intellectually stimulating for one of his caliber but he wanted to be stimulated. That left procuring his own source of enjoyment. He looked at the debit card that Sarah had given him… apparently he had a checking account from before his coma with a few thousand dollars on it. He would use some of the money to get some good scholarly books. Of course those were the most expensive ones, scholars tending to be less price-sensitive, the Johnny-come-lightly readers of popular fiction and similar drivel but that was a knock on the head he had to take.


He stood up from the bed and walked to bathroom, stripping off yesterdays cloths as he did so… he hadn’t bother to change… he had just collapsed… just… collapsed…on the… wait… hadn’t he fallen on the floor? He didn’t remember making it to the bed. He shook it off. With the blood loss and fatigue he was amazed her remembered anything. But still… this was a fact to note and save until he had some more information. He couldn’t ascertain anything from the information he had now and thus any though he put into it would be purely useless speculation. But every bit of information was potentially useful, especially given how little he currently possessed.
Entering the bathroom he turned to the mirror. The poultice was still on his forehead which was good, at least that had been removed during his sleep. However, when he removed it he noted, rather apathetically, that the wound had completely healed… without even a scar. He knew that something like that ought to surprise him a bit more than it did but never thought himself an easily surprised person, and with everything going on that just jaded him even further.



He quickly cleaned himself up for school and put on his school uniform which consisted of a button-up stiff-collared Oxford-style shirt with a black tie and long dark blue pants and formal style shoes.**He slipped on a flannel jacket over top of it to keep out some of the chill of the Iowan fall. Making sure that his bang of hair covered the his right eye and its adjoining scar he left his room carrying a satchel with his school books.


He walked down stairs to the common room and then to the kitchen where he found Sarah, calmly reading the news paper and sipping her coffee in a fashion that seemed a bit too motherly for her age. She looked at him with a warm, questioning smile, “What are you doing up so early? Sneaking out of some girls room to avoid me catching you, mayhaps?”



Louis didn’t vindicate the second question with a response but the first was harmless enough, “I’m going to get books.” He replied in his usual even tone. He plucked a banana from a bunch that were sitting on the counter. He would need a breakfast that he could eat on the go and this would suffice.


Sarah’s smile remained on her face though not quite as jocular now, “oh… I need to talk to you sometime about something. Its nothing bad so don’t worry. Are you free after school?”


Louis just stared at her blankly, “Unless they assign lots of homework the first day and I suddenly make a bunch of idiotic friends that steal my time.” Sarcasm dripped from his lips as he spoke, “Yes. I’m free. But why not now?”


“Oh I’m going to school with Evi today. I’m going to school with each of the people in the dorm so I can get to know them better. After all, I’m taking care of you little punks I might as well be familiar with you,right?” her joking smirk returned to her lips, “ I figure that I’d start with Evi today.”


“Your hardly old enough to call us punks… and I’m last aren’t I?”


“why…yes… how did you know?”


“Just a guess.” He said as he turned to leave. A smirk crossed his face. Of course, he would be the last one she went with because she already knew him. The only problem was that this was mere circumstantial evidence but combined with the knowledge he had already amassed he was becoming more and more certain… now… he just needed away to get that information out of Sarah.


Vincent woke up with a carrot in his hand, and using it as a bludgeon to smash them damn alarm clock into silence. Finally, the carrot managed to hit the snooze button and there was quiet once again. But he decided to look at the time and immediately lunged out of bed. It was 8:00! He had to hurry! School was starting in half an hour and he still had to get to the subway!


He didn’t have time to clean himself up or change clothes, but fortunately he had been wearing his uniform anyway and just had to through on a tie before he dash out of his room, haphazardly shoving a textbook into his messenger bag as he ran.


Not taking time to get breakfast (but already carrying a carrot in his mouth and several more in his bag) he ran out the do and towards the subway station where he got on the train to take him to school.


*See attachment 1 for what Sarah’s Board Looks like. I didn’t do the boxes because I don’t have a mouse at the moment and I don’t feel like doing them with a laptop touchpad… it would be a pain. But I think you can fill them in with your… IMAGINAAAAATION!


**See attachment 2 for a drawing of the male and female school uniforms. Louis and Evi modeling them respectively. Forgive the roughness of the drawings… I’m not good at it. Also, note that the jacket that Louis isn’t part of the uniform, he just likes wearing flannel jackets.

[Ookie]

Eika woke up, her eyes fell on a digital watch set on the bedside table. 5.00am. She sat up straight, she didn't even remember going to sleep on the bed, she had been quite certain to leave as soon as that woman.. Sarah... how did she know her name? It wasn't important, was angered her was that she had fallen asleep instead of taking the chance to escape. She streatched and looked at what seemed to be a uniform laid out on her bed, that woman had seemed pretty sure she'd accept the offer. She took one look at the skirt and kicked it roughly off the bed.

"The hell I'd ever be seen in that." she swore. It occured to her that it wasn't actually very polite to throw clean clothes on the floor and bent to pick it up. It was an envelope, Eika wanted to toss it over her shoulder and get out, but something compelled her to open it, she read what was inside and without thinking signed her name, then she reached for the pen to cross it out again,

"free... will?" she put her pen to the paper again and automatically the pen fell from her fingers, she picked it up again and put it to paper but it didn't write. "If I was insane I'd say someone or something doesn't want me to cross this off." she shook her head and looked at the clothes, she needed a uniform. Checking her pocket watch she found out that it was already 5:30.

"Damn it." she swore and ran out of the room, she ran straight to Vincent's room and plucked out spare trousers from his cupboard and ran back outside leaving him to his snoring. She paused in front of a drink machine, Did I forget something...? Nah. She ran off in hopes to find Sarah and tell her she was going to stay there. The note had completely slipped from her mind.

[Yugure's Goddess]

OOC: oh my. I've missed a lot but it seems I arrived in time for the start of school. Forgive me for being gone so long. My Chemistry teacher is evil and assigns like 3 or 4 pages of homework every night so naturally I've been tied up in homework and other lame school-related junk but christmas break is near so I should be able to be more active, I hope.

Beatrix shuffled from her bed, turning to fix the sheets and covers before drifting to the shower, to get ready. After her shower, she stepped out and dressed herself in a rather nice but plain outfit: A long, dark blue skirt and a white collared short-sleeve top with floral designs laced down the sides. Her conservative make-up was perfect and her hair was blow-dried and brushed straight. Her jewelry, simple diamond stud earrings, a necklace with a white cord and blue beads with a small blue flower dangling down the middle, and blue bracelets on either hand, really made her look coordinated and quite nice.

Satisfied with her appearence she picked up a black bag with her books and supplies in it, then took a quick gander at the clock before stepping out. She managed to escape by 7:00AM. She was doing well on the first day. Things seemed to be going fine.

Her classroom was nice and clean. It was ready for the usual first day of 233introductions and the hassle of getting the students usernames and passwords. The first day was always her least favorite day of the school year. It was always so unorganized, and she never much cared for the routine of getting to knownew students. Even so, she wanted to be as ready as possible. She walked briskly to the white board at the front of the the room and picked up a black dry-erase marker. She carefully wrote the name of each of her classes, seperating them by small spaces of only a few inches, stretching each class across the board. Then, under each, she wrote the word 'Introductions', to clarify what they had to get done for the day in each class period.

She walked to her computer, plopped herself down in her wheeled black chair, and turned on the machine. She wanted to go through her lesson plans and class rosters just one last time, before her first students stepped in at 8:30AM.

OOC: ewww... that was short. I'll try to do better on my next post.

[.Gogo]

OOC: Welcome back Yugure =D

Evi squinted into the light that shone through her window. Sighing, she looked at the clock by her bed. She had awoken over a half hour before her alarm would have gone off. Sighing she lifted herself from bed, like she really wanted to get up early. Feeling a sharp pain in her head, she wondered what sort of medication she could get and where to get it. There had to be some school infirmary somewhere.

"Dang.. feels like I got hit with a tank.." she muttered to herself, rubbing her head as she traveled to the bathroom. What happened last night..? Oh, that was it. She remembered now, that dark hour business.. her persona.. she recalled what it had looked like, the dark beastly dragon that had erupted from the shards of her skull.

She looked into the mirror, peering into her red eyes. She noted that she appeared paler then usual, maybe she was coming down with something. "Maybe a shower will help.." she thought aloud.

Some time after her shower and getting dressed, she was fixing her hair before she took the care to check the time. "Hn, looks like about 15 minutes til class.." Even so, this knowledge didn't appear to invoke an urgency within her.

Tying her hair back, she eyed her school uniform. She frowned, slightly she loosening her tie. That was a bit better. As Evi slipped her shoes on and grabbed her book, she felt the headache return. Irritatedly she left the room, slamming the door behind her and donning some large, dark sunglasses. "Looks like I'm late.."

[MaruDashi]

OOC: w00t! MY chapter =D [lol]
Sorry Ive been away for a bit...comp problems >/


BIC:

Lilith woke up and stretched a bit before slumping over to her closet to get dressed. She decided to be sophisticated today. She dressed in her school uniform, but on black socks, nice loafers, pinned her hair back a bit, put on nice and simple black studded earings, and one of her own ties. After a tad bit of makeup, after all, she didnt need any to begin with, she headed over to the meeting room to see if there was perhaps a quick meeting before heading off to school.

OOC: yeah, short post, sorry