Is anyone expecting my characters for any reason?
Meanwhile many miles to the East. in the Sunrise mountains...
Lang leads Sara, (and anyone else that wanted to see the echo cave) down through a mostly natural cave tunnel (some parts appear to have been carved to widen the passage) but overall it is all natural.
the tunnel opens up to a ledge about 25 foot round overlooking a huge cavern extending beyond the visual limit of most people.
lang light s a couple of lanterns hanging around the ledge.
Once lit more of the room lights up. extending nearly 80 feet below is what looks like an underground lake, surrounded by stalagmites. and high above are stalactites of all sorts of shapes and sizes. the moist rock seems to glisten in the lantern light giving off all sorts of colored reflections.
Lang puts his finger to his lips indicating for everyone to be quiet.
he then turns and looks out into the huge cavern.
and in nearly a whisper. lang says Hello
then in few seconds the echo reverberates throughout the cavern. repeating Lang's Hello from all different angles.
Midori looks around in wonderment. She bends down and taps a shuriken on the ground, the metallic sound echoing across the cavern. Each sound would become a cacophony. This would be a wonderful place to test herself. Another time perhaps.
"It's wonderful." she whispers, smiling as she looks down to the lake below, the echo of her whispers coming back muffled and indistinct.
Maddeningly bored by the tour, Lily has begun searching for something - /anything/ - to keep her interest. Failing that, she had begun to be introspective, following the group with a haughty, unattached expression.
The maftet scours the area, but seemingly can't find anything as he returns somewhat frustrated.
"I can find no other tracks then yours, and hers" he says indicating the corpse.
"You can probably take the body back into the school for rites."
"Rites? Ah, we're just going to raise her. Unless she doesn't want to come back, we'll bring her right back to life."
after grim is done with his nightmare roar, Tarka seems quite upset.
"What was that!? Why would you do that? That hurt! Leng just told you to be quiet!"
"Rites? Ah, we're just going to raise her. Unless she doesn't want to come back, we'll bring her right back to life."
"Well, let's hope she chooses to return and can say who stabbed her."
The clone who has been pretty hands-off during this so far, hands Nala a tissue."Thank you," she said, wiping the blood off of her face as she tried to stay focused and calm so the ice would recede and the room would warm up.
"I'm not sure if it was enough...I tried, but...I don't know if I was able to reach her in the end."
Theres a little bit of a delay, then she can tell it's actually Ryuzo there...
"It may not be enough now, but that comment she made...I think you're going in the right direction."
He shouts "what!" He sticks his finger in his ear "you're going to have to speak up, I can't hear you if you whisper!"
Tarka covers her ears again as grim shouts, before snarling and teleporting out of the cave entirely.
Lang punches Grim in the arm knock it off, that does hurt the ears ya know
looking to Midori, this is one of the places some of the monks would go to learn techniques of stealth. I never did try it but I bet you are already a master of being silent when you really want to be. Lang adds as encouragement to her.
Ace flashes the girl who is quickly becoming one of his better friends a grin "Hey yourself. I know you and Fei are dating and all, but I think you guys need to find better, more fun ways to bond. Like demon hunting, or trying to out lie a devil. You know, safe things" He's clearly joking and trying to lighten the mood.
Shiro had been thinking over the possible responses to the two's troubles. Trying to work out his answer and then their responses, several steps in advance.
Getting lost in that, he is interrupted by a knock at the door.
He nods to Asha.
"By all means, do."
He smiles.
Asha runs and opens the door, hugging Rena when she sees her.
"Oh, good, I was wondering if you were going to come to class at all. I didn't know if anyone tell you what the ringing bell meant. It startled me so much that I fell through my chair. Which got kinda icky when I resolidified too soon. But it's all okay now. Did you take Bradley his breakfast?" she prattled on cheerfully.
The clone who has been pretty hands-off during this so far, hands Nala a tissue."Thank you," she said, wiping the blood off of her face as she tried to stay focused and calm so the ice would recede and the room would warm up.
"I'm not sure if it was enough...I tried, but...I don't know if I was able to reach her in the end."
Theres a little bit of a delay, then she can tell it's actually Ryuzo there...
"It may not be enough now, but that comment she made...I think you're going in the right direction."
"I hope you're right," she said, gripping his hand tightly. It was the closest she could come to a much-needed hug.
"Alright, I think that's about enough of the tour. Let's head back to the office and get you all your class schedules. Come on....wait, did we lose some students?" he asks, looking around, exasperated. "And of course it's the same ones," he added, frowning.
He quickly casts a spell and each of the missing students hears, "Please report to the office to get your class schedule."
"Alright, the rest of you, follow me and then we'll get you lot to your respective classes."
While awaiting Vai's response, Ace gives Professor Sunwake a diagnostic once over "You doing alright Professor? I know this much stress isn't the best for your little ones."
Vai can feel the familiar sensation of being in a collective, and as if noticing it was a summons, Phaezeriel opens the door after a two-knock warning. ::Welcome back, Vai. How are you feeling?::
Seeing Lily's wandering attention, Cindra makes sure that there are a few others between the two of them, blocking line of sight as much as possible.
Alys continues to trail the tour, paying more attention to speaking with her Uncle and Cousin than to anything Sorchan may be saying.
Jessa's teeth are chattering as her breath makes small clouds in front of her face, but as the cold fades from the room, her shaking and chattering teeth do not seem to lessen. The instruments that monitor her vital signs do not report any thermal distress, and it seems that she is being utterly unaffected by the cold.
After a few moments a low sound can be heard from Jessa. Almost like the sound of someone trying to lift something very heavy crossed with an animal growling.
After a few moments her shaking stops and she grows quieter. The sounds she is making change slightly so that is seems she is muttering to herself.
She slowly seems to master herself, and as she raises her head to look at Ryuzo and Nala, they may notice one of her eyes fade from a violent purple to bright blue. She takes a deep breath and meet's Nala's gaze, "You have me trying to hope that the tortures are over, Nala. There have been such elaborate deceptions before, so only time will show me if I am being foolish to give you any trust at all. But this is the first time I have been able to hold her at bay since she came to me, so I thank you for giving me the strength to do this. I do not know how long I can keep her away, but I will do so for as long as I can."
he asks, looking around, exasperated. "And of course it's the same ones," he added, frowning.
He quickly casts a spell and each of the missing students hears, "Please report to the office to get your class schedule."
Runs up and joins the tour.
Hearing the announcements, he sighs, shouting "Iolth, where are you? we're gonna get in trouble agian!" while still searching for him.
Ryuzo smiles at Nala, then focuses on Jessa and her words.
While awaiting Vai's response, Ace gives Professor Sunwake a diagnostic once over "You doing alright Professor? I know this much stress isn't the best for your little ones."
"I'm fine, Ace," she said dismissively. "This is nothing compared to what I went through with the triplets. And they turned out....mostly alright. Better than the alternative," she added hastily.
Advaran gets back onto his bike before heading out at a decent speed to explore the school.
he asks, looking around, exasperated. "And of course it's the same ones," he added, frowning.
He quickly casts a spell and each of the missing students hears, "Please report to the office to get your class schedule."
Runs up and joins the tour.
Once the group gets back to the office, Sorchan starts handing out schedules.
"It's already nearing the end of first period. You should just have time to check out your rooms before your second period class. Which you will be expected to attend. Nobody expects you to be up on the homework, but you should at least show up. Phaedra Svarog and Vis Niyambi, if you will please wait over there, I'll show you two over to the elementary school as soon as everyone else has their schedules."
Cultist City Assault
Jeran conducts his monologue, internally, about the situation after spitting out ichor and such, which had some acid to it, thus melting bits of his mouth. The drink from Casseus does help sooth some, but it's still acidic.
Casseus shrugs
"He hung up."
Looks around at other exits and such starting to puzzle out possibilities in his mind. He repeats everything the voice fro mbeyond said in common for his comrades.
"So, I wonder what it meant? He gonna come kill all the cultists? Everyone on this plane? It basically just said it was taking it's ball and going home, but if we don't give them the blonde, they're gonna start killing people." he looks up in the air...
"SAM! YOU WATCHING THIS?" he shouts
There is no response from Tryko'Sam after a few moments, nor is there any open portal which the three students of Avalon leaped through, into this large, quiet, and death filled chamber at present. Looks like that connection has shut, perhaps shortly after their departure from the room.
Vickory gains more altitude, floating about invisibly. She's blocked LOS from the remaining Gate.
The remaining Gate stays as it was, open and overtly altering the fabric of reality around it in a way that demonic energies of the Abyss would do to another plane, as if they were melding partially. Clearly Nietzsche was right in some of his writing, even if there isn't any gazing upon, or within, and more touching or joining of the two.
Once the group gets back to the office, Sorchan starts handing out schedules.
"It's already nearing the end of first period. You should just have time to check out your rooms before your second period class. Which you will be expected to attend. Nobody expects you to be up on the homework, but you should at least show up. Phaedra Svarog and Vis Niyambi, if you will please wait over there, I'll show you two over to the elementary school as soon as everyone else has their schedules."
New Student Firebirds
The four that had walked along in their own way, receive the schedules from Sorchan.
The mention of rooms elicits various responses, surprise and intrigue primarily, save from the Ash Haired Youth, who's been back to his stoic self after the incidents earlier.
If nothing else, they've been a mostly quiet and semi-engaged band of new folk.
Upon coming up to Iolth, he lets out a sigh of relief before it switches to panic when he doesn't respond "Iolth! Man, come on, the race is over"
He looks around before draping Iolth's arm over his shoulder and walking to the nearest wall. Thinking of the infirmary, the arrows light the way "Alright lets hurry" he mutters, rushing Iolth to the infirmary for help.
Illithia sighs slightly, sitting back in her chair, seemingly defeated by Anahita's stubbornness. Her tattoos remain the same sickly green colour as they were previously. "Stubbornness isn't a virtue, y'know." she mutters, her gaze returning to Vare and his lesson.
Glancing sideways with her eyes, Anahita merely says, "I am not certain that ...well, I certainly do not act in any manner to intentionally be virtuous. There seems little point in virtue, or I might not grasp the point of it." She tries a light smile at the statement.
"Well then. We'll have to have a chat with Mr. Sam about stirring a bunch of shit up then leaving his friends holding the bag." he looks around
"You guys got any ideas?" he says to the others.
Hearing the announcements, he sighs, shouting "Iolth, where are you? we're gonna get in trouble agian!" while still searching for him.
Shoshin finds a card with a hastily scrawled message on it. Iolth having massive incident. Knocked him out, taking him to the infirmary. Kaetar.
Meanwhile, right when Phaezariel was talking to Vai, the infirmary doors swing open and a strange duo rush in. One is a vaguely swirling deck of cards, every once in a while remembering to stay together enough to look like a teenager. Phaezariel can probably recognize her as a ghaele azata from her aura.
In the card-azata's arms, there is a shivering, convulsing silver-haired boy with wings and horns. (Full body, his face looks like the picture above.) He has a dark, red crackling energy about him, and he's obviously in incredible psychic trauma.
The angel-card thing looks up at Phaeze. "If I was an archon, you would most likely be dead on the floor right now. But judging by your appearance, I think you've been redeemed. I'm guessing you can help Iolth, since the arrows lead me to you?"
Halo follows the group waiting to see her room.
This place was mad, kind of like a training camp, you sign up, you got training, food and a room. Seemed all militaristic yet, it looked like a school from back home.
Other than every kid seemed armed to the teeth with swords and stuff. Magic flying around and... hold on... Yes it was some kind of camp, had to be, all this for free!, no way, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Who the hell are they being trained for she would no doubt find out, she just hopped it was not a revelation or fundament religious group, she had had run ins with both and they normally sucked at having a good time.
After seeing the note, Shoshin looks around quickly for a wall. Sprinting over to the nearest one, he thinks of the infirmary before following the arrows. 'My roommate is taken to the infirmary on his first day here, there's no way I'm not gonna at least check on him, I shouldn't have left him alone.'
Meanwhile, far away from the troubles of classes and impromptu races, Kitty and Michael slip back into the Dacamara household to find both Nova and Saffire on Michael's bed. They've been 'manacled' and muzzled by vine. Michael picks up the note near them.
"If you and Anthony, who went to school today can't keep your pets under control, they can't be in the house. Signed, your mother."
"P.S., you own me new curtains and two rugs."
"Geez," Michael sighs a bit. "I only owe her that little? These two must not have been at it long."
Ryuzo smiles at Nala, then focuses on Jessa and her words.
"Well then. We'll have to have a chat with Mr. Sam about stirring a bunch of s%*+ up then leaving his friends holding the bag." he looks around
"You guys got any ideas?" he says to the others.
Jeran circled the open portal warily. "Well...if neither of you know how to close it, then the best suggestion I've got is hunt down cultists until we find one that is willing to tell us how to close it down. It will probably take some not-so-subtle persuasion. If we can get them to help at all."
Meanwhile, far away from the troubles of classes and impromptu races, Kitty and Michael slip back into the Dacamara household to find both Nova and Saffire on Michael's bed. They've been 'manacled' and muzzled by vine. Michael picks up the note near them.
"If you and Anthony, who went to school today can't keep your pets under control, they can't be in the house. Signed, your mother."
"P.S., you own me new curtains and two rugs."
"Geez," Michael sighs a bit. "I only owe her that little? These two must not have been at it long."
"Oh," Kitty said, looking distressed. "We should have stopped them," she added, clearly feeling guilty. "Are rugs and curtains very expensive?" she asked anxiously. "I should formally apologize. It wasn't right to let Saffire run wild in the house."
"Ifs okay, Kitty. They know you're the good girl and you would've gotten them to stop if it wasn't for me." He laughs, holding his girlfriend's hand. "don't worry about the rugs or curtains, okay? It's my fault anyway, wanting to keep you all to myself fir a little bit~"
Ryuzo smiles at Nala, then focuses on Jessa and her words.
She is not being deceptive, but Ryuzo can tell she is under some amount of strain.
"Ifs okay, Kitty. They know you're the good girl and you would've gotten them to stop if it wasn't for me." He laughs, holding his girlfriend's hand. "don't worry about the rugs or curtains, okay? It's my fault anyway, wanting to keep you all to myself fir a little bit~"
She blushed and smiled. "Well...I liked that part...."
"Should we untie them first or apologize first?" she asks, looking at the mournful expressions of the trussed up Saffire and Nova.
After some time in Echo cavern, and nearly going deaf, thanks to grim's rather skilled use of sound, Lang leads those that want to go back to the main room.
these pools of naturally hot water are very relaxing. we can sit in them for a bit, even bathe if you wish.
Lang goes to the edge of one of the pools. I'll go first to show you it's safe, just remember to not go in the center of the pool, that part can be deep.
Lang takes off his robes. (he is wearing modest undergarments) and climbs into the pool. finding a seat on the rocks under the surface. easing himself in as he adjusts to the hot water.
::She is not being deceptive...but...she's struggling for control.::
Jeran circled the open portal warily. "Well...if neither of you know how to close it, then the best suggestion I've got is hunt down cultists until we find one that is willing to tell us how to close it down. It will probably take some not-so-subtle persuasion. If we can get them to help at all.""Well then. We'll have to have a chat with Mr. Sam about stirring a bunch of s%*+ up then leaving his friends holding the bag." he looks around
"You guys got any ideas?" he says to the others.
He ponders that for a second.
"I guess that's our best bet. You have to use some kinda key or something aligned with the plane you want to open one of these gates to. Maybe we can find that and shut it?Other, less fun option is to run in there and kick its ass." he says nodding toward the portal.
Hearing the announcements, he sighs, shouting "Iolth, where are you? we're gonna get in trouble agian!" while still searching for him.Shoshin finds a card with a hastily scrawled message on it. Iolth having massive incident. Knocked him out, taking him to the infirmary. Kaetar.
Meanwhile, right when Phaezariel was talking to Vai, the infirmary doors swing open and a strange duo rush in. One is a vaguely swirling deck of cards, every once in a while remembering to stay together enough to look like a teenager. Phaezariel can probably recognize her as a ghaele azata from her aura.
In the card-azata's arms, there is a shivering, convulsing silver-haired boy with wings and horns. (Full body, his face looks like the picture above.) He has a dark, red crackling energy about him, and he's obviously in incredible psychic trauma.
The angel-card thing looks up at Phaeze. "If I was an archon, you would most likely be dead on the floor right now. But judging by your appearance, I think you've been redeemed. I'm guessing you can help Iolth, since the arrows lead me to you?"