"I'll stay here and help ya Vai, if you want. There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about anyways. Privately, if possible." Ace says as the others figure out what they're going to do.
"They really do. I'm glad they can't fly."
Tyrrin nods to Ghalen. There was definitely something odd. He was freezing for a firebird, and David's firebolt seemed to have hurt him. Plus there was the colouration issue, and the fact that Pyry had not denied being a Firebird when David brought it up.
"Pyry... are you a Firebird? You do not have to answer if it will make you uncomfortable. I have never met a Firebird with your... talents, or colouration." Tyrrin asks. Sometimes the direct approach was best.
Hew bows to those Midori introduces him to. "Hi. Um It's nice to meet you." He tells them obviously nervous.
Zilla flutters over. "It's good to meet you." She curtsy in the air just below eye high, so to be lady like. "I'm sorry for grabbing your arm. everything happened so fast I just tried to help my classmates anyway I could think of. I don't think I really needed too do so in hindsight." She smiles embarrassed.
Kosuke grins at Hew, smiling widely. "Hello, Hew-chan. Hajime mashite. Please treat my sister well."
Meanwhile Koizumi and Yuki both smile warmly at the flitting Zilla. "Hello, Zilla-san." Midori's father says in his deep and imperious voice, and returns Zilla's curtsy with a respectful bow, which is matched by the beautiful woman who is Midori's mother. Beautiful, but dangerous, that much is clear in how she moves, and carries herself. "That is just fine. Combat is a scary place for those who aren't trained, and you were very brave to try to defend your friends, even when you were afraid. It is very commendable, especially for one as small as you."
::I am a Firebird!!!:: He thinks angrily before shifting back. "I'm just sick, and there's nothing wrong with my colors!"
Fieri laughed. "Fighting dragons is bad enough, but James wouldn't fight fair and he can bend reality, so it's best we avoid that problem."
She handed him a folder with the details of his route and picked up the folder that had the details of hers. "Okay, let's go."
"Hah. I need someone to spar with! I would love to spar with Fei... but Aunt Aananda said that wouldn't be a good idea. Do you know any other martial artists in the school? I feel as though I'm going to lose my edge if I don't keep working at it." Ardiente says, halfway between serious and joking. He probably wasn't trying to take things too seriously after yesterday. Keep the pain at a distance. They had a task to focus on.
"Up until this....He's always been kind to me. He's gentle and brave and handsome and generous...and really good in bed. But he's not perfect. He has a definite weakness for women...this was the first time he's ever tried to be in an exclusive relationship....maybe it was too much for him. I don't know...I keep wondering what I did wrong, what I could have done differently to prevent this...."
Thinking on this a bit, Anahita looks to Jaiye saying, "I know of a lot of species, many mate for life, many do not. However-- I do not suspect, given your reactions, that this is your doing, or something you may have knowingly prevented without ...shackling? or bonding him to you, guarding him. It would be a choice, though."
She gives a light shrug and looks in the direction of the school. "As I said before, any doubts you have, perhaps best to quell and speak with him, before letting your imagination and unknowing build up. We are at times, I have heard say, our own worst enemies. Find strength within yourself, there is always tomorrow-- if not right now."
It might sound encouraging, and it's obvious Anahita's trying, but, these social situations, not her best experiences.
"So, tell me, what do you do for ..fun? I was ... introduced to fun, by Bradley. He seems kind and courageous. Do you know he saved many lives a few days ago? Noble, to say the least."
Perhaps a new topic might help.
::I am a Firebird!!!:: He thinks angrily before shifting back. "I'm just sick, and there's nothing wrong with my colors!"
"I understand. And maybe there is some way to help after we get the book. The school we attend has many firebirds. Maybe they can help you with your illness." Tyrrin says kindly, as a thought strikes her. Black... his colouration was black... like coal, or charcoal. A fire that had gone out. "But this is important: are you healed by fire, as other Firebirds are, or has your sickness taken that away? I'm the healer for the group, and it may matter."
His eyes narrow in anger before he looks away.
"Fire hurts me. It burns me like I'm a piece of dry wood."
"And the cold? You must have some reason to choose a freezing location like this to make your home. Many of my spells freeze things, and if that helps you, then it will be a great boon to know that." She presses, digging for as much information as possible. "The more I know, the more I can help you Pyry. I apologize if I seem cruel."
"I'm not sure about that. The rivalries between the teams barely had a chance to get going before it was all about fighting that machine. And most of us from all the teams had to sit that one out because it was just too strong. I don't know that there was any way to be better prepared for that. I never saw it in person, but Morrivan says it was the most terrifying thing she'd ever seen...even worse than the demon invasion or the mechanical dragon that attacked during the dance or the machine zombies that attacked us at the pool.....you know, last year was kind of rough when I start listing it all out like that."
"Yeah.. there's a bunch of stuff that you don't even know about either.... but most of it is personal." Vai was internally trying to weight which was more terrifying: facing down Khoda, waking up again in Aegythrax's lair... or the infernal engine. It was all horrible... but the worst was easily Aegythrax. She shudders slightly.
"Hopefully things aren't following a pattern here." Vai waves a hand in the general direction of Kuros. "I'd prefer if it stayed peaceful."
"I'll stay here and help ya Vai, if you want. There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about anyways. Privately, if possible." Ace says as the others figure out what they're going to do.
Vai wondered if this was about how she kept seeing an Aura around Ace when she wasn't looking directly at him. She couldn't tell what it was. But if I was a Champion Aura... he might be able to see hers as well. She glances at Asch, wondering if he was catching it too, but not wanting to ask aloud. "Sure Ace. I think the others are heading back, so we should have a little privacy." she was a little unsure of that. Ace wasn't exactly a stranger... but being alone with a man she didn't know very well still wasn't exactly pleasant. At least she knew she could defend herself now. Aegythrax had given her that gift at least.
"I didn't... didn't have a reason. It hurt so much to be in the sun, I couldn't stand it anymore.. I flew for as long as I could to get away, taking the book..."
"I'm sorry, Pyry. What about your family?" Tyrrin places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Does the cold make it better?"
He knocks her hand away.
"Nothing makes it better! All this stupid ice and snow.. I hate it! I shouldn't be able to hold it! It should hurt me, not make me heal!"
"You sound like you regret leaving the order...Are you trying to rebuild it here? I'm...not sure how I feel about you wanting to go back to being a monk," she blurted out and blushed. "Unless that's not part of it? I'm sorry. I'm just trying to understand."
Salis considered her reaction. "Do I regret leaving my order? I never wanted to leave my order, but I could now longer just be the voice of reason. Before I left my order I learned that one voice while can make a differnce. Sometimes just a voice alone is not enough." He took her hand. "Though I have a great respect for my old order. I do not regret leaving it. No, instead I feel this world needs something a kin to it." Slowly he lifts her hand and touches his soft lips to her knuckles. "I am still a monk my dear. One that has never taken a vow of chastity. So have now fear my love can be given."
After reassuring her that she won't lose him, he continues. "No I believe a group. Maybe not a monk order should he established to find and keep secret dangerous knowledges. So I wish to start taking apprentaces that could become the seeds of such an organization."
He knocks her hand away.
"Nothing makes it better! All this stupid ice and snow.. I hate it! I shouldn't be able to hold it! It should hurt me, not make me heal!"
"Easy, now Pyry. Have you been like this your whole life? When did you start bending ice instead of fire?"
Starts to consider other possibilities, such as undeath or that he's possibly a simulacrum of the original Pyry...
"Hey. It's okay. I know exactly how you feel. We can help you with this when we get back to the school. But we have to finish here first. If you can help us get done here soon we can get back and help you as soon as possible." He tries to comfort him.
"Hah. I need someone to spar with! I would love to spar with Fei... but Aunt Aananda said that wouldn't be a good idea. Do you know any other martial artists in the school? I feel as though I'm going to lose my edge if I don't keep working at it." Ardiente says, halfway between serious and joking. He probably wasn't trying to take things too seriously after yesterday. Keep the pain at a distance. They had a task to focus on.Fieri laughed. "Fighting dragons is bad enough, but James wouldn't fight fair and he can bend reality, so it's best we avoid that problem."
She handed him a folder with the details of his route and picked up the folder that had the details of hers. "Okay, let's go."
"Well, really there's a lot of them. If you want to spar without weapons you might look at the unarmed combat class. Even if you don't take the class finding out who's in it might give you ideas about who to ask to spar with you."
Thinking on this a bit, Anahita looks to Jaiye saying, "I know of a lot of species, many mate for life, many do not. However-- I do not suspect, given your reactions, that this is your doing, or something you may have knowingly prevented without ...shackling? or bonding him to you, guarding him. It would be a choice, though."She gives a light shrug and looks in the direction of the school. "As I said before, any doubts you have, perhaps best to quell and speak with him, before letting your imagination and unknowing build up. We are at times, I have heard say, our own worst enemies. Find strength within yourself, there is always tomorrow-- if not right now."
It might sound encouraging, and it's obvious Anahita's trying, but, these social situations, not her best experiences.
"So, tell me, what do you do for ..fun? I was ... introduced to fun, by Bradley. He seems kind and courageous. Do you know he saved many lives a few days ago? Noble, to say the least."
Perhaps a new topic might help.
"Yeah, chaining him up is a really bad option...that's no way to live."
"Bradley? This is the guy that constantly has accidents right? I never would have pegged him as the hero type, but I guess I don't know him very well."
"Wait....introduced you to fun? You didn't have fun before? Geez....well, that explains a lot."
"I like reading comic books. That's what I do for fun. There's this amazing spot in the library with shelves and shelves of comic books to read and big comfortable pillows to curl up on...it's my favorite place."
Salis considered her reaction. "Do I regret leaving my order? I never wanted to leave my order, but I could now longer just be the voice of reason. Before I left my order I learned that one voice while can make a difference. Sometimes just a voice alone is not enough." He took her hand. "Though I have a great respect for my old order. I do not regret leaving it. No, instead I feel this world needs something a kin to it." Slowly he lifts her hand and touches his soft lips to her knuckles. "I am still a monk my dear. One that has never taken a vow of chastity. So have now fear my love can be given."
After reassuring her that she won't lose him, he continues. "No I believe a group. Maybe not a monk order should he established to find and keep secret dangerous knowledges. So I wish to start taking apprentices that could become the seeds of such an organization."
She blushed more when he kissed her hand. It terrified her how fast she was falling for him. She wasn't known for making good decisions when it came to love. But he was so different from Ephrem or Zane. Not charming and polished at all. And she was so relieved to hear that this project wasn't going to make her lose him.
"So what kind of organization do you have in mind? What kind of structure do you think will work? Obviously just being passive all the time doesn't work...should there be different branches for different jobs? What qualities are you looking for in an apprentice? How do you expect they can best fulfill those responsibilities?....er, sorry....I'll actually pause long enough for you to start actually answering my questions now," she said sheepishly.
Waiting for the others to take their leave, Ace sits on some nearby steps, resting his staff against the wall. He can sense her unease, so figures sitting down should help her feel better.
Suddenly, he can hear her thoughts, something about aura and more Champion stuff. "No Vai, I can't see any aura around you an I have no idea what a Champion is, aside from the fact that I seem to keep being drawn to them. First you, then apparenty Johnny and now Asch."
Professor Nix, seated in his personal laboratory lets out a small sigh. Having reached a stage where it would be safe to set the work aside for a while, he stands and stretches. Brushing a hand along the wall of the hallway as he leaves his quarters, his brow furrows.
"Well, really there's a lot of them. If you want to spar without weapons you might look at the unarmed combat class. Even if you don't take the class finding out who's in it might give you ideas about who to ask to spar with you."
"You know... I actually have the Unarmed Combat class on my list... but I don't think I've ever actually made it to that class. I always have something that seems to be going on." He laughs at that. "I'm going to be teaching Raelle a little martial arts as well, as self-defense... I wonder if I could make a 'club' out of it. I mean... I'm sure there's lots of students that don't want to take combat in a classroom setting..." Ardiente shakes his head as the arrows do eventually lead them to the teleportation room. "Sorry, I'll save that for later. We've got something to do now."
Waiting for the others to take their leave, Ace sits on some nearby steps, resting his staff against the wall. He can sense her unease, so figures sitting down should help her feel better.
Suddenly, he can hear her thoughts, something about aura and more Champion stuff. "No Vai, I can't see any aura around you an I have no idea what a Champion is, aside from the fact that I seem to keep being drawn to them. First you, then apparenty Johnny and now Asch."
Vai grimaces and wishes she had Nimceleb with her. She didn't like having her mind intruded on like that. It made her even more noticeably uncomfortable. "Ace... please don't read my mind. It.. brings back bad memories." she says quietly, trying and failing not to feel violated. If Ace is still detects thoughts, he might get a flash of Vai's time in captivity: tied to a table, being violated in both mind and body simultaneuously.
"It's... a little complicated Ace." she says, shoving away the flashback with a noticeable effort. "But if you are a Champion... well. You have to accept it first. I don't know why your Patron is waiting , but they have their own agendas."
Tyrrin falls back slightly, allowing Ghalen to take over for a moment. She'd never heard of anything similar to this... the Firebirds were a fairly closed off species though. She appears thoughtful as they continue to walk along.
Ace only read the quick thought about Champions, but he he can sense her pain and hurt. "Oh Vai, I'm so sorry. I can't control my mind reading. I wouldn't even call mind reading, not really. I just seem to randomly pick up stray thoughts that somehow seem to be be important. I didn't mean to intrude, I'm sorry." She can tell he's truly sorry and sincere.
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Vai shakes her head - causing her blonde locks to bounce slightly, and she slowly regains her composure. "It's alright. I understand not being able to control your powers. Maybe I can get Phaeze to ward my mind, that way I don't have to worry about it." she hasn't moved to sit next to Ace or anything, feeling more comfortable in the perceived position of power - standing when he was sitting. "The Patrons... they're like... super Gods or something. They pick Champions to... basically, to solve their disputes. Something like that. Apparently they had a war a long time ago and it almost tore apart the universe, so they all agreed to use mortals instead. I think one might have chosen you, even if they haven't talked to you yet. They can't force it on you though, so you can choose to reject it."
"Hah. I need someone to spar with! I would love to spar with Fei... but Aunt Aananda said that wouldn't be a good idea. Do you know any other martial artists in the school? I feel as though I'm going to lose my edge if I don't keep working at it." Ardiente says, halfway between serious and joking. He probably wasn't trying to take things too seriously after yesterday. Keep the pain at a distance. They had a task to focus on.
Sun, with Sara find the office of Headmaster Ryo.
Sun knock on the door remembering he likes to be formal
As Mel is setting things up she glances toward Roel
Have you ever thought of trying music? I mean maybe you could control you body density to create noises at various pitches and in the right patterns, and thus music
"Hmm. I suppose i could try."
Professor Nix, seated in his personal laboratory lets out a small sigh. Having reached a stage where it would be safe to set the work aside for a while, he stands and stretches. Brushing a hand along the wall of the hallway as he leaves his quarters, his brow furrows.
"You know... I actually have the Unarmed Combat class on my list... but I don't think I've ever actually made it to that class. I always have something that seems to be going on." He laughs at that. "I'm going to be teaching Raelle a little martial arts as well, as self-defense... I wonder if I could make a 'club' out of it. I mean... I'm sure there's lots of students that don't want to take combat in a classroom setting..." Ardiente shakes his head as the arrows do eventually lead them to the teleportation room. "Sorry, I'll save that for later. We've got something to do now."
"That's a brilliant idea. When we get done with this you really need to talk to the student council president about what you need to do to start a self defense club. I bet it would be pretty popular."
"Well, let's get this show on the road! Good luck, safe travels, all that," she said with a bright smile.
Meanwhile, while Lang was in the spirit world...
The leader of the cloaked priests scowled at Grim. "How did you children get in here? Restrain them," he ordered, waving the others forward.
"No!" Ignace screamed. "If you let them move Lang now he might not find a way back from the spirit world!" She was near hysterical and the radius of fire around her was creeping outwards bit by bit.
"That's a brilliant idea. When we get done with this you really need to talk to the student council president about what you need to do to start a self defense club. I bet it would be pretty popular."
"Well, let's get this show on the road! Good luck, safe travels, all that," she said with a bright smile.
"I will definitely do that. You two. Hopefully neither of us will need it though." he says, returning her radiant smile with a confident one of his own. He opens the door for her, sweeping with a bit of flame to indicate she should go first. Perhaps a little bit of that flamboyancy from the first night was coming back.
Kosuke grins at Hew, smiling widely. "Hello, Hew-chan. Hajime mashite. Please treat my sister well."
Meanwhile Koizumi and Yuki both smile warmly at the flitting Zilla. "Hello, Zilla-san." Midori's father says in his deep and imperious voice, and returns Zilla's curtsy with a respectful bow, which is matched by the beautiful woman who is Midori's mother. Beautiful, but dangerous, that much is clear in how she moves, and carries herself. "That is just fine. Combat is a scary place for those who aren't trained, and you were very brave to try to defend your friends, even when you were afraid. It is very commendable, especially for one as small as you."
Hew nods in agreement. "I will I promise you that. She has done so much already for me and Zilla. The least we could do is treat her as a friend."
Some time passes, and eventually Ryuzo returns with the scrolls from his patriarch. Nanami comes back over to recieve the scroll and to hug her sister goodbye. While she and the other two Akuma shinobi appear to be gone, perceptive people will notice that they tail them all the way back to the school, no doubt ensuring that Midori's family doesn't attempt to double-cross the deal and kidnap Kitty as a hostage.
Of course, even they had tried, Midori would not have allowed such a breach of her honour, and no further attempts on Kitty are made, though Kosuke does keep watching behind them, ensuring that the Akuma doesn't attempt another ambush.
They do eventually return to the school, though after about another hour of walking. Midori's parents say that they would like to meet the Headmistress personally.
Shuts off his external speaker, and makes a call via his radio...
"Aananda Sunwake, this is Ghalen Kiln. I'm sure you're busy, so I'll make this short. Do any of the other staff members or students monitor or have radios? I'd like to speak to Sorchan or Fieri Del Sol, or possibly Headmaster Ryo. We've encountered something...odd."
"Just.. just stop talking about it!" He hurries on, putting a bit of distance between before reaching a snow covered plateau. He points to a wall of ice and snow across from them. "We can get in through there. I never land if a bug can see me, so they don't know it's here."
Midori waves goodbye to Kitty-senpai and Michael-senpai, and then guides her parents towards Ephebe's office, and knocks firmly, her family standing behind her in a flanking way.