"Adon, what I told you before, when we were walking here. I still believe that. I can only imagine how terrified you must feel right now, but I still believe that you are a good person and that you can find a way to bring some good out of this. And whatever happens, you're my friend and I'm not going to abandon you, okay? You don't have to face this by yourself," Sadie said, squeezing his shoulder.adon starts to relax, a bit.
"It seems so odd that something like this is aware at all. And I suppose you're right. It's not like... Wait. Wait a second. You think of me as a friend?"
adon looks at Sadie, curious. There's a soft flicker in his eyes, an occasional twitch of static in them.
"Of course you're my friend. How do you not already know this?" she asked with an exasperated smile. "You must have had an even lonelier childhood than I realized. We hang out together frequently, share common interests, help each other with our problems, and generally enjoy each other's company. This is what friendship looks like, Adon. You're probably the closest friend I have right now, if I'm being honest. And I don't just mean physical proximity, in case you decide to turn literal on me. I mean like you're my best friend."
"It wasn't their choice...a long time ago, my tribe aligned itself with a dark spirit to save them and lead them to better hunting lands. They embraced his guidance for a long time, then he disappeared, or they quit venerating him. He used to claim one of our people as his 'prophet', and it was a good thing. Well, after a few hundred years without a word from him or no one being chosen, they began to realize he wasn't a good fit for our people, and they returned to giving thanks to nature for what it provided. Then one day, I was chosen. The darkness that came with it frightened the elders, and I was exiled for the good of the tribe. My family went along with it, seeing wisdom in the decision, but didn't like it. My people are very family oriented. I have siblings I haven't seen in years..."
Asha rested her chin on her hand and examined his expression carefully. "I think these are very different emotions," she said. "I'm the one who exiled myself...and it wasn't an easy escape. I'm happy to be rid of my family. Well, except for my brother, but he's even less in their good graces than I ever was. He's a student here too. So I ended up with more family by leaving than I ever would have had if I stayed. You look sad about leaving your family. At least I assume that is what the extra eye moisture means? They were sorry to see you go and you were sorry to go. That's what you said, right? I'm sorry if I'm getting it wrong. I don't always know how to act around people, and it's hard when there are so many different sets of social rules to learn."
"That sounds really hard. I'd be devastated if I was sent away from my brother again. I'm really sorry. I guess that's why you're here? To get help with this dark spirit thing so you can go home?"
It takes a good long while and several challenging obstacle course type runs over the waves before she finally had to land, choosing a rocky promontory that jutted out over the shoreline as the closest thing. She collapsed against the rock, her wings drooping on the ground beside her, out of breath.
::I am so ridiculously out of shape,:: she said, equal parts embarrassed and annoyed. Her body had come back exactly as it had been before she'd died, and she had spent a few too many hours in the library and too few hours getting any real exercise. Dodging rocks in PE had pretty much been it. Once she passed the one hour mark, everything just quit on her.
Seeing Repp in the process of gleefully stabbing another victim, Ace blurs into his real form, and unleashes a pair of spells designed to incapacitate the vile Gnome.
"That sounds really hard. I'd be devastated if I was sent away from my brother again. I'm really sorry. I guess that's why you're here? To get help with this dark spirit thing so you can go home?"
"It was...and is sometimes..."
"Yes, well, no. I came here because it was a way for me to be around others, and have a somewhat solitary place to live. I used to live in the woods outside the school, but have since moved in and become a student.
Now I'm being mentored by a powerful psychic to help me get Kwabys under control."
SIM Room 3
It takes a good long while and several challenging obstacle course type runs over the waves before she finally had to land, choosing a rocky promontory that jutted out over the shoreline as the closest thing. She collapsed against the rock, her wings drooping on the ground beside her, out of breath.::I am so ridiculously out of shape,:: she said, equal parts embarrassed and annoyed. Her body had come back exactly as it had been before she'd died, and she had spent a few too many hours in the library and too few hours getting any real exercise. Dodging rocks in PE had pretty much been it. Once she passed the one hour mark, everything just quit on her.
"Well," says the voice of Tryko'Sam, as one of the nearby sandstone/granite rocks shifts to display his features as seamlessly as if it were his face melding out of the matter, "part of the joy of these impressive rooms-- the body does experience what you do in here, and that can be done fast or slow, depending on the settings. I'm pretty sure I'm getting addicted to this, it ... and this sounds pleasantly good all things considered, familiar to me. Like a ... good memory, a deep one." There's the barest hint of joy in the voice-- but the crashing surf in the distance, just the slightest disruption to the otherwise idillic scenery atop the promontory, over shadows the moment. "Want me to wrap this up? or there's a rather warm tide pool down below. Soothe the savage beast's muscles, so to speak. Or, could whip up a massage session, but I bet someone in the school can do better than the SIM, fo' shur."
The scenery continues around Andromeda, however, and it is rather soothing for an ocean perch after a good workout.
"Of course you're my friend. How do you not already know this?" she asked with an exasperated smile. "You must have had an even lonelier childhood than I realized. We hang out together frequently, share common interests, help each other with our problems, and generally enjoy each other's company. This is what friendship looks like, Adon. You're probably the closest friend I have right now, if I'm being honest. And I don't just mean physical proximity, in case you decide to turn literal on me. I mean like you're my best friend.""Adon, what I told you before, when we were walking here. I still believe that. I can only imagine how terrified you must feel right now, but I still believe that you are a good person and that you can find a way to bring some good out of this. And whatever happens, you're my friend and I'm not going to abandon you, okay? You don't have to face this by yourself," Sadie said, squeezing his shoulder.adon starts to relax, a bit.
"It seems so odd that something like this is aware at all. And I suppose you're right. It's not like... Wait. Wait a second. You think of me as a friend?"
adon looks at Sadie, curious. There's a soft flicker in his eyes, an occasional twitch of static in them.
adon looks away, for a moment.
"I lived with my family. Mom and dad."he sighs, closing his eyes.
"No-one else. Mom and dad were both dedicated mages. They... Tried to support me in my endeavors. But... The closest thing I could get to sparring was basically "dodge the fireball." Mom and dad never seemed to want another child, and we're always a little distant. I guess I know why, now."
adon opens his eyes again, looking back to Sadie. Or at least, where his eyes are supposed to be. There's a mess of static there, instead, and he doesn't even seem to notice.
"Sorry I made you spell that out. I guess I just figured... I donno. Anyway, thanks. I'll... Try and keep myself under control."
adon looks away, for a moment.
"I lived with my family. Mom and dad."
he sighs, closing his eyes.
"No-one else. Mom and dad were both dedicated mages. They... Tried to support me in my endeavors. But... The closest thing I could get to sparring was basically "dodge the fireball." Mom and dad never seemed to want another child, and we're always a little distant. I guess I know why, now."
adon opens his eyes again, looking back to Sadie. Or at least, where his eyes are supposed to be. There's a mess of static there, instead, and he doesn't even seem to notice.
"Sorry I made you spell that out. I guess I just figured... I donno. Anyway, thanks. I'll....Try and keep myself under control."
"Well, I guess that explains the social awkwardness then," she said. The static eyes were freaking her out a little, but she knew too well how it felt to have people flinch away just because you were different. So she didn't. She was sure she'd get used to it soon enough anyways. As weirdness went, this wasn't really so bad. "I'm sure you've got this, Adon. Just remember you're not all on your own anymore. It's okay to ask for help," she added with an encouraging smile.
Pyry grumbles as he poofs into the infirmary for yet another incident involving getting burned. It was one of the rare times he'd been in the gym this time, the result of a impromptu duel with an older -and rather elitist- firebird. He'd handled himself well enough, but... well, it was different fighting than it was chasing off giant mountain fire bugs.
After catching a couple fish and slipping some stuff out of the kitchen to his room, Tybs brushes his left hand gently along the wall with a couple nicely painted wooden boxes under his right arm.
He glances upwards when the arrows blink upon reaching a door, and he sighs when it reads "infirmary."
After a quick check with the receptionist, the window to the cold room gets a tap. When the ice bird looks up, he sees the familiar face of his catbro, giving a wave and holding some boxes up.
"Well, I guess that explains the social awkwardness then," she said. The static eyes were freaking her out a little, but she knew too well how it felt to have people flinch away just because you were different. So she didn't. She was sure she'd get used to it soon enough anyways. As weirdness went, this wasn't really so bad. "I'm sure you've got this, Adon. Just remember you're not all on your own anymore. It's okay to ask for help," she added with an encouraging smile.
adon looks away, for a moment.
"I lived with my family. Mom and dad."
he sighs, closing his eyes.
"No-one else. Mom and dad were both dedicated mages. They... Tried to support me in my endeavors. But... The closest thing I could get to sparring was basically "dodge the fireball." Mom and dad never seemed to want another child, and we're always a little distant. I guess I know why, now."
adon opens his eyes again, looking back to Sadie. Or at least, where his eyes are supposed to be. There's a mess of static there, instead, and he doesn't even seem to notice.
"Sorry I made you spell that out. I guess I just figured... I donno. Anyway, thanks. I'll....Try and keep myself under control."
adon looks at his hands, his fingers twitching softly.
"My hands feel wrong, my back feels like something is squirming inside and somehow I don't think that's quite the end of it. I need to know how to... Progress. But I don't know where to start. But, in better news, I'm not tierd, anymore."
Keme glared at Repp. "No way," he growled.
He waved a hand and the area around the clearing is suddenly just a little bit different than it had been before.
"No running away. You're done."
"Well, I guess that explains the social awkwardness then," she said. The static eyes were freaking her out a little, but she knew too well how it felt to have people flinch away just because you were different. So she didn't. She was sure she'd get used to it soon enough anyways. As weirdness went, this wasn't really so bad. "I'm sure you've got this, Adon. Just remember you're not all on your own anymore. It's okay to ask for help," she added with an encouraging smile.
adon looks away, for a moment.
"I lived with my family. Mom and dad."
he sighs, closing his eyes.
"No-one else. Mom and dad were both dedicated mages. They... Tried to support me in my endeavors. But... The closest thing I could get to sparring was basically "dodge the fireball." Mom and dad never seemed to want another child, and we're always a little distant. I guess I know why, now."
adon opens his eyes again, looking back to Sadie. Or at least, where his eyes are supposed to be. There's a mess of static there, instead, and he doesn't even seem to notice.
"Sorry I made you spell that out. I guess I just figured... I donno. Anyway, thanks. I'll....Try and keep myself under control."adon looks at his hands, his fingers twitching softly.
"My hands feel wrong, my back feels like something is squirming inside and somehow I don't think that's quite the end of it. I need to know how to... Progress. But I don't know where to start. But, in better news, I'm not tierd, anymore."
"Your body is likely transforming to reflect the form of the being you are bonded to. I'm afraid I'm exactly the wrong person to ask for assistance in this matter. The only transformations I undergo are a matter of instinct, and while it did require some learning on my part that was mostly learning how to control my body in a different form. I think that you should consult the Headmaster honestly. He might be able to direct you to who can best assist you in the next step," she said, as she carefully decreased the number of icicles in the room.
"Your body is likely transforming to reflect the form of the being you are bonded to. I'm afraid I'm exactly the wrong person to ask for assistance in this matter. The only transformations I undergo are a matter of instinct, and while it did require some learning on my part that was mostly learning how to control my body in a different form. I think that you should consult the Headmaster honestly. He might be able to...
"Alright. I'm sure you're eager not to have to be around me, so you can relax. I'll go see the headmaster."
adon hops off the chair, with a soft sigh, before looking at Sadie."Wanna come with?"
Michael watched this all calmly and took a deep breath. His entire body shivered and then Michael took a little mental slumber while the other Michael took a drink from a vial and grinned as he grew fangs and a monstrous claw for a left hand.
He drew a section of what looked like a short pole from a pouch after that and turned the handle. A blade slid out and, after a brief hissing noise, erupted in flame.
Without a word he ran forward to attack.
"Your body is likely transforming to reflect the form of the being you are bonded to. I'm afraid I'm exactly the wrong person to ask for assistance in this matter. The only transformations I undergo are a matter of instinct, and while it did require some learning on my part that was mostly learning how to control my body in a different form. I think that you should consult the Headmaster honestly. He might be able to..."Alright. I'm sure you're eager not to have to be around me, so you can relax. I'll go see the headmaster."
adon hops off the chair, with a soft sigh, before looking at Sadie.
"Wanna come with?"
"Well, it was where we were going to go anyways...but I think your thing is definitely more urgent now. Come on. I can definitely at least be there as moral support," she agreed.
"Well, it was where we were going to go anyways...but I think your thing is definitely more urgent now. Come on. I can definitely at least be there as moral support," she agreed.
"Your body is likely transforming to reflect the form of the being you are bonded to. I'm afraid I'm exactly the wrong person to ask for assistance in this matter. The only transformations I undergo are a matter of instinct, and while it did require some learning on my part that was mostly learning how to control my body in a different form. I think that you should consult the Headmaster honestly. He might be able to..."Alright. I'm sure you're eager not to have to be around me, so you can relax. I'll go see the headmaster."
adon hops off the chair, with a soft sigh, before looking at Sadie.
"Wanna come with?"
adon nods, turning to leave the room, shedding the thermal blanket. He silently brushes up agaisnt the walls to get the arrows to appear. And they do, to a degree. They flicker and flash, as if struggling to remain there.
"Maybe I should handle the directions for now. The building doesn't seem to like that," she offered.
"Maybe I should handle the directions for now. The building doesn't seem to like that," she offered.
adon frowns, but nods, withdrawing his hand.
Nala sagged against the wall in relief after they had gone. She had to spend several minutes in meditation before she could get rid of all of the ice. And then she made sure to clock out. Not that she wasn't technically always on call, but at least now she would only be called in for an emergency. And then she went back to her office, hung her lab coat on its wall hook, and put away her files. And then she went looking for Ryuzo.
The arrows are still a bit sluggish near Adon, but they do respond better to Sadie. She quickly leads the way to the office. The secretary isn't in the front office so Sadie goes straight to the headmaster's door and knocks.
adon just waits behind her, looking around. It's never quite clear what at, having no pupils, anymore.
"She's the only reason you're going to die instead of suffer all the wonderful things I want to do for revenge!" The half-elf shrugs off the attack like its nothing as he snarls in pain before becoming deathly calm again as he attacks in a flurry and steel, fang, and claw! "She is saving you, wretch, and that will haunt you to Hell!"
+
+
"That sounds really hard. I'd be devastated if I was sent away from my brother again. I'm really sorry. I guess that's why you're here? To get help with this dark spirit thing so you can go home?""It was...and is sometimes..."
"Yes, well, no. I came here because it was a way for me to be around others, and have a somewhat solitary place to live. I used to live in the woods outside the school, but have since moved in and become a student.
Now I'm being mentored by a powerful psychic to help me get Kwabys under control."
"Seems like there's a lot of people like that here. With powers too big for them to control I mean. Well, that's what they tell me the school is for. So I bet you'll have this Kwabee thing under control in no time," she said, smiling as she went back to stuffing her face, crunching pieces of charcoal like she was afraid they were going to disappear.
SIM Room 3
It takes a good long while and several challenging obstacle course type runs over the waves before she finally had to land, choosing a rocky promontory that jutted out over the shoreline as the closest thing. She collapsed against the rock, her wings drooping on the ground beside her, out of breath.::I am so ridiculously out of shape,:: she said, equal parts embarrassed and annoyed. Her body had come back exactly as it had been before she'd died, and she had spent a few too many hours in the library and too few hours getting any real exercise. Dodging rocks in PE had pretty much been it. Once she passed the one hour mark, everything just quit on her.
"Well," says the voice of Tryko'Sam, as one of the nearby sandstone/granite rocks shifts to display his features as seamlessly as if it were his face melding out of the matter, "part of the joy of these impressive rooms-- the body does experience what you do in here, and that can be done fast or slow, depending on the settings. I'm pretty sure I'm getting addicted to this, it ... and this sounds pleasantly good all things considered, familiar to me. Like a ... good memory, a deep one." There's the barest hint of joy in the voice-- but the crashing surf in the distance, just the slightest disruption to the otherwise idillic scenery atop the promontory, over shadows the moment. "Want me to wrap this up? or there's a rather warm tide pool down below. Soothe the savage beast's muscles, so to speak. Or, could whip up a massage session, but I bet someone in the school can do better than the SIM, fo' shur."
The scenery continues around Andromeda, however, and it is rather soothing for an ocean perch after a good workout.
::Ooh, warm tide pool. Let me just see if I can drag myself that far,:: she said, seeming like she was picking herself up to fly when she sort of dove down into the rock instead, swimming out of the rock several feet below and sort of just dropping the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, out on the grounds...
Ryleh was enjoying her tea, and setting aside the unsettling feelings that her conversation with the maftet boy had dredged up. Ephebe had come to join her and they were discussing pleasanter topics. Like childproofing. Ephebe was looking for helpful suggestions.
Just then the student council president ran up, out of breath. "I've been {huff, huff} looking for you," she panted. She must have been running for some time. "They've found out who the murderer is, and they've gone after him. I thought someone in authority should know," she continued breathlessly.
"Seems like there's a lot of people like that here. With powers too big for them to control I mean. Well, that's what they tell me the school is for. So I bet you'll have this Kwabee thing under control in no time," she said, smiling as she went back to stuffing her face, crunching pieces of charcoal like she was afraid they were going to disappear.
"Indeed. A lot of powerful creatures here, most of which seem to have control issues. Hard to believe it can be safe here, attacks from outside forces or not." He eats some more of his dinner as well.
Meanwhile, out on the grounds...
Ryleh was enjoying her tea, and setting aside the unsettling feelings that her conversation with the maftet boy had dredged up. Ephebe had come to join her and they were discussing pleasanter topics. Like childproofing. Ephebe was looking for helpful suggestions.
Just then the student council president ran up, out of breath. "I've been {huff, huff} looking for you," she panted. She must have been running for some time. "They've found out who the murderer is, and they've gone after him. I thought someone in authority should know," she continued breathlessly.
Ephebe raised an eyebrow. "Well. There is precedent for such a 'hunting party' for lack of a better term. Although by the rules they are supposed to have a staff supervisor. I think I can arrange that, though. And I hope they are successful in this hunt. Although I may be biased given that one of my students was among the victims. Do you know where they went? Or at least who went?"
Tyrrin shook her head. "I do not know what direction they went. It was Ace, Keme, and Michael who went. There might have been one more. Everything was going on in a hurry."
Ace moves into a flanking position with Michael, and attempts to end this foul murderer's life with one blow.
Smite (Su): You can smite a foe. See the paladin class feature, except that you must declare which alignment (or other approved quality) that you intend to smite before you do so. Treat your paladin level as equal to your class level. If you accidentally smite a creature that is not a valid target, the smite is wasted with no effect.
"Indeed. A lot of powerful creatures here, most of which seem to have control issues. Hard to believe it can be safe here, attacks from outside forces or not." He eats some more of his dinner as well.
"Seems like there's a lot of people like that here. With powers too big for them to control I mean. Well, that's what they tell me the school is for. So I bet you'll have this Kwabee thing under control in no time," she said, smiling as she went back to stuffing her face, crunching pieces of charcoal like she was afraid they were going to disappear.
"Well, it kinda makes sense," she said with her mouth full. "With so many powerful beings in one place, if someone needs to be stopped there's lots of other powerful folks around to do it. And the wards are great. I need to use them an awful lot, so I would know. If you get hurt real bad they just teleport you straight to the infirmary."
Nala is almost to Ryuzo's dojo when she spots him just leaving. He can see that she is tense, if for no other reason than she is leaving snowy footprint behind her as she walks. Also she appears to be shaking slightly.
Morrivan paced back and forth beside the lake, waiting impatiently for any news.
***spoiler***
::Of course.::
Casts greater invisibility, and teleports near Keme's position but behind and out of the way, and watches the events unfold, waiting like the Reaper himself. He is also concerned about the victim at Repp's feet...and how much time they have left.
Nala is almost to Ryuzo's dojo when she spots him just leaving. He can see that she is tense, if for no other reason than she is leaving snowy footprint behind her as she walks. Also she appears to be shaking slightly.
She first sees him smiling, as if seeing her is the best thing to happen to him all day...then quickly fades to concern. He steps forward to assist her but stops short of contact.
"Nala, what's wrong?"
Nala is almost to Ryuzo's dojo when she spots him just leaving. He can see that she is tense, if for no other reason than she is leaving snowy footprint behind her as she walks. Also she appears to be shaking slightly.
She first sees him smiling, as if seeing her is the best thing to happen to him all day...then quickly fades to concern. He steps forward to assist her but stops short of contact.
"Nala, what's wrong?"
"It's been an...interesting day," she said with a slight quaver to her voice. "I'm not entirely sure where to start. Perhaps we can step into your classroom? I'm pretty sure that this isn't a good conversation to have in the hallway."
"Yes, of course." He steps back and lets her in. "Would you like some tea to warm you up?"
Slicing into Repp, Ace digs deep into his reserves, pushing himself even further. Calling upon his god, he steps back slightly and bends to heal the girl on the ground.
"Well, it kinda makes sense," she said with her mouth full. "With so many powerful beings in one place, if someone needs to be stopped there's lots of other powerful folks around to do it. And the wards are great. I need to use them an awful lot, so I would know. If you get hurt real bad they just teleport you straight to the infirmary."
He nods. Then he seems to notice what she's eating.
"Does that taste good?"
As Repp tries to flee, Keme pulls out a wand and fires off a lightning bolt at the fleeing gnome.
"Yes, of course." He steps back and lets her in. "Would you like some tea to warm you up?"
"Yes," she agreed gratefully. She sighs as she sits down, her breath forming ice crystals in the air. "My last patient of the day....his idiot parents had actually bound an Other into him when he was a child. Needless to say, I very nearly froze the poor boy to death. It was....a very strange Other. Intelligent. Not that they aren't often cunning and calculating. But this one was capable of thoughts and ideas like self-preservation. Possibly things it has picked up from its host. I don't know. But it's a lot of blows in one week. First to find out that the barrier has failed, and now to find that there is an Other in the school...the barrier must have failed a long time ago. And my ice powers are...well, they're growing. I...I suspect my mother may be sick. Part of me is happy about that. The rest of me is concerned about what will happen without her taking an active role in leading the Winter Court now that they need to attend to their duties again."