Posted August 27, 2016 While he was looking for someone to partner up with, Matthew had- perhaps with luck- literally bumped into someone. The girl seemed to be roughly his age, and while appearing somewhat skittish in demeanor, appeared to have a head on their shoulders. She immediately apologized as she stepped back, then losing her balance and falling over. The girl introduced herself as Latoya, and offered to Link with him. Matthew smiled at her gratefully. "I'm Matthew. And I'd be glad to." He knelt down and offered a hand to Latoya. "Need a hand?" Share this post Link to post
Posted August 28, 2016 (edited) Long fingers swiped vibrant red strands of hair behind their ear, blue-green eyes staring out at the crowd of students. Their gaze traveled from individual to individual, watching as bodies paired up and Links began occurring. Floating towards Dr. Robinson and their unwanted company, Rose came to stand beside Sienna. For a few moments, they were silent and merely listened to the hum of the various conversations around them. Finally, they turned their focus towards the shorter girl. They had a lot of respect for the other student, even tried to flirt with her from time to time last year. “Was your summer good?” they asked, trying to strike up a conversation. It was two-fold, really; get Sienna to leave Robinson alone as well as fulfill the desire for companionship. ~~~~ Antonio was satisfied that he’d gotten it right, albeit with incorrect theories. Nodding at Dr. Robinson’s explanation, he looked around and frowned slightly. A bunch of pairs had already formed up and people were starting to Link, flairs of light scattered about the gathered class. Quickly, he searched for a potential partner and spotted Aria by herself. Choosing familiarity, he strode towards her and cleared his throat. “Want to Link?” he asked her. ~~~~ There was a girl who looked lost and Thel spotted her first. She kind of made him think of Opal if the sensitive student was more generally grumpy. Walking towards her, he tapped the brown-haired girl on the shoulder. “‘Scuse me. I couldn’t help but notice you looked a little displaced,” he started. She was just an inch taller than he was but that didn’t stop him from tapping the edge of her green glasses and smirking. “You’re a little cutie, aren’t you.” It was more of a statement than any sort of question. “Let’s Link up, hunny bun.” ~~~~ [[Collabed with Coryn on this.]] Latoya felt her cheeks warm faintly at the boy's smile. Embarrassed by his gesture to help her up, she mumbled a 'thank you' and grabbed the proffered hand. Once back on her feet, Latoya brushed off her skirt, focusing her eyes on the fabric for a chance to recompose herself. After a few heartbeats, she felt a bit steadier and chanced looking up. Returning Matthew’s smile, she held out her hand to shake his. “It’s nice to meet you, Matthew,” she stated. Matthew stood, took the hand, and instead of shaking it like he normally would, he decided something slightly more dangerous for nurturing relations. He knelt on one knee (again) and kissed her hand, as one would a noble. “The pleasure is all mine.” Matthew looked up at her, his smile now confident but brash. She was ready for a handshake, not the light touch of lips on her skin. Latoya’s nerves bristled along her spine, hackles rising out of shock. Practically stupefied, she barely heard the boy’s response, staring at his confident grin. She blinked her maple eyes rapidly, trying to keep herself from acting like a chicken with it’s head cut off. “O-o-okay?” she stammered, unsure of how to respond. Shaking her head quickly, she carefully slipped her hand free of Matthew’s and held it up to her chest, pinching a bit of her uniform coat. “S-should we L-Link now?” Latoya asked him, worrying her lower lip slightly and drifting her gaze down to her feet. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…” Matthew said, trying to make Latoya feel better. His smile was now gone, replaced by worry. He thought she was shy, but not to such a point as to avoid polite gestures like that. But then, to her he was a total stranger, so why would he expect anything less? Might want to be more careful next time. “Yes, we should Link.” Matthew stood up and held out his hand this time, allowing Latoya to make the call. Now she felt ridiculous for her reaction to Matthew’s behavior. Smiling sheepishly, she tried to laugh it off but the sound came out partially strangled and a whole lot of awkward. Clearing her throat, Latoya puffed out her cheeks and shifted her gaze back up to his brown eyes before looking down at his hand. Nodding, she reached her arm out and touched his palm with her fingertips. In an instant, light surrounded her like before and was gone as fast as it came. The frills were back and Latoya found herself feeling a bit more comfortable in the expressive dress than she had in her decorated uniform. Returning her attention to Matthew, she eyed his armor. “I like it! It suits you nicely, I think,” she commented, smiling. Edited August 28, 2016 by Narvix Share this post Link to post
Posted August 28, 2016 ((Collab with Narvix: part two.)) Now in shining white and silver platemail, Matthew did look much more heroic than usual. He hadn’t quite warmed up to it the first time around, but receiving a compliment for it did make him feel better about it. Latoya was in what seemed to be a floral-inspired outfit, full of vibrant colors and covered in frills, but still predominantly green. “Your outfit looks pretty good, too.” Now, he turned his attention to the task at hand: unique elements. Aside from the basics which they’d just learned, the students were supposed to invoke these by Linking with a Stem of another element. But which did he have to use from this partnership? I’m an Earth stem, so which is Latoya? Kind of silly of me not to ask before Linking. “Which element is your Branch?” Subconscious, Latoya took a moment to slowly smooth out her skirt, the frills proving rather defiant of gravity and remaining quite poofy. “I’m an Air Stem,” she answered. “You’re Earth, right? That was your Branch around your neck earlier?” she questioned, gesturing to her throat to reference Matthew’s pendant he’d been wearing with his uniform before his armor. “Yeah, I’m an Earth Stem. So our secondary element should be Light.” Matthew concluded. He’d done pretty well so far in manipulating his own base element, Earth, so he doubted he’d have any real difficulties. Matthew held his hand out against the ground between Latoya and himself, and tried to create a spot of light. Instead, he ended up making a bright flash of light that blinded him for a moment. Blinking rapidly, he averted his gaze. When his eyes readjusted, he spoke again: “Looks like this will be harder than it looks. But I might be going too fast. You give it a try.” Latoya shifted nervously, fidgeting with one of the frills on her skirt. “Don’t you want to try more?” she asked. The flash of light he’d created had been startling, causing her to take a step back but she had returned to her original position before he might have noticed. She hesitated now, moving her twitchy fingers from her dress to her tangle of black hair, tugging faintly on a few strands. “I… I didn’t do so good on my test…” she murmured, largely ashamed. “Come now, you can’t have done as bad as you thought. Besides, that test was just to see how you were coming along, like Robinson said. Everyone starts somewhere!” Matthew said cheerily, trying to encourage Latoya to give it a shot. After all, she’d been accepted just the same as everyone else, so she had potential. He did figure he might have jumped to conclusions, and tried this time to picture the waves of light bouncing off the ground. Matthew visualized light radiating out from a single spot, and a small orb of light floated just above the grass. He smiled, and slowly brought it up higher into the air, then reaching his hand out to support it. “See? It’s not so hard.” Matthew grinned, trying his best to convey positivity to Latoya. Share this post Link to post
Posted August 29, 2016 (edited) Sienna turned to look at the new presence who had approached after Dr. Robinson practically brushed her aside. Unlike some of the other second years, with a few exceptions of course, Rose was one of the few who seemed equally flirtatious. Frankly, Sienna wouldn't have any qualms with having them by her side, but she wasn't sure if they would accept her polygamous stance on romance. So, she simply reciprocated the flirting and grew closer as friends during their first year. "It wasn't that eventful, since Karna and Violet both returned home. With my family always traveling, I opted to remain here, but it gave me time to practice with my branch and explore the beaches. How as your summer?" (( Short... )) Edited September 1, 2016 by zakku_uchiha Share this post Link to post
Posted August 29, 2016 She was busy standing with her hands in her pockets -dear lord I look like an idiot just standing here but I can't approach someone why me- when something touched her shoulder. She jumped and sharply turned around to face another student with a friendly air to him. Hm. Seemed gentlemanly enough. Or at least agreeable. And he approached her, which was good. Social, probably. Her expression softened a little. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after a-- “‘Scuse me. I couldn’t help but notice you looked a little displaced,” That was quite the thing to say, and a very obvious statement. Okay, so she did look lost. Understandable, since she was just standing around hoping something would come to her. Jess didn't want that to happen, but she just couldn't approach someone, which led to her not wanting to. Or something. But she was a bit alarmed and confused when the boy tapped her glasses. “You’re a little cutie, aren’t you. Let’s Link up, hunny bun.” That raised a red flag in her head. Her eyebrows furrowed and she retreated a few steps, flustering a bit after being called a 'cutie'. That was certainly not what she expected at all. Was that normally how he greeted someone new? Without response, she gave him a skeptical look and walked to another part of the courtyard. She hoped he wouldn't follow her or anything like that. Sure, it might've been stupid to turn away the only person who was willing to partner with her, but not if he treated someone like that. Share this post Link to post
Posted August 29, 2016 Aria glanced at the chart, and then at tie of the young man who was approaching her. Fire and Earth makes metal, one of the five chinese elements. She would have much preferred to find an air stem (since lightning was the most appealing of her three options) but many other people seemed to have the same idea, and Latoya had already bumped into another kid who was helping her up. Having an earth partner was not so bad, and it wouldn't be proper to refuse him. The situation was workable. It was better than having a water partner, after Dr. Robinson had spoken about the poor offensive ability of shadow. She was feeling in a much better mood than the past few days, now that she had a while to settle in. "Ah! I've seen you at the meeting. Pleasure to meet you. Antonio, right? You're always with that kid with the french fry colored tuft on top of his head." That clown, who wouldn't stop making offhanded comments or dry attempts at jokes. He was in earth as well, which is probably why they weren't together for this exercise. "Well, let's do this." As Aria grabbed his hand to shake, embers enveloped her uniform, spreading up from her right arm and down her body as new but familiar denim garments wove themselves to replace it, ending in a florish where the flames conjured the red muffler around her neck which hid the bottom part of her face. It was only the second time but already the change felt less surprising. The clothes and bandages of a street fighter, while not protective at all compared to some others, now felt quite fitting (although, her partner did look like he was ready to arrest hooligans like people dressed like her). She struck what she thought was a cool pose, arms crossed and standing straight but aloof. Realizing that it probably looked quite stupid, she salvaged the situation by closing her eyes and focused. She didn't notice the pull when she linked with Latoya the last time, but now that she knew what to look for, there was indeed something else... "Antonio. Do you feel the stuff in the ground?" As if, deliberately, someone had buried ingots around the school. Which was probably the case. "I think it's time for us to do some digging." ~~~ Flint felt like he was scraping at the bottom of the barrel in desperation. He felt kind of bad for scoping out those who did less well on the test just so he felt a little less worthless. And perhaps, he and whichever partner he chose might have a better chance of figuring it out together than alone. As the students began to mobilize, he approached the short water girl who he saw cry earlier at the table -- even though she had more success than he himself did! He saw it with his own eyes. The water rose, though of course it wasn't as good or as flashy as some people who wanted to show off. "Ahahaha hey," he laughed nervously. "Howdy there partner. There's no need to cry about this mess. I wasn't even able to move the thing, so... Let's give this a shot? I'm Flint, by the way," he said as he reached out a hand, his smile more half-hearted than usual. "I don't think we've met properly." Share this post Link to post
Posted August 29, 2016 Around them, everyone had started pairing up. Dae-sung felt himself warily glance around, eyes locking on each student as various others began chatting among themselves. Who should he pair up with? The Korean male didn't know the gathered students too well, beyond the usual pleasantries. He thought he'd seen a couple of them at that strange meeting they'd had a while ago, but he remembers only faintly recognizing a couple faces due to his momentary panic during the event. Then again ... the Asian male looked around once more, feeling a small creeping of nervousness begin at the thought of being without a partner. Wouldn't it have been easier for them to be assigned to each other? Perhaps this is what he gets for not partaking in anything social. Clearing his throat, Dae-sung took a step forward and headed in the direction of the one person he knew the name of--Priam, right? He remembers them talking to him during the event that the blue-haired second year had hosted, and he hoped some of that friendliness still remained. "Hello," he greeted, nodding jerkily. "Would you be interested in linking?" Straight to the point, simple and clean. Keep it polite, Dae. ~ Partnering? This was a new concept. Elliot crossed his arms, flicking a speck of dust from his uniform. Huh. His tutors had always insisted on perfection from himself, never ... working together with others. He knew his parents had business partners, maybe this was the same thing? But none of these students seemed to be well-versed in economics, and he doubted they had the money he did on hand. How did one seal a business deal? Wine. Wine, classical music, and money. But there was none of that here--think, Elliot, think!--so what could he do instead? Robinson, the instructor, wanted them to experience the benefits of this so called 'linking'--was this a common occurrence? It's like opening a business together. A long-term investment, then? How much percentage should he give into the linking relationship for the business to flourish? He had to consider his options. Who was the better partner? Who had more stocks? Who has an heir to their name, drives a Porsche, who had connections in China and Germany and America? And how much of a down payment should he lay down? He remembers asking his parents how to make friends. But he was told that friends were business partners, too, and that everything came at a give and sacrifice cost. So ... what does that leave him with in this situation? Absolutely nothing. Elliot cleared his throat and reached for his wallet. No gain without sacrifice, I suppose. I could spare to pay out entirely for the time being. His brow furrowed. I don't have insurance ... Brought back to the present by the ruckus caused by two students already linking and transforming, Elliot looked around and noticed that everyone seemed to have paired up already. The blond almost dropped his wallet. But ... how could this be? Was he being played? They all have better stock than I do! What young masterminds these students turned out to be! "什么鬼!" he suddenly yelled, then immediately pulled open his wallet. No--he still had a chance--he had a hundred dollars on hand, plus a couple cards--he had a chance-- I won't be outbought just as I've begun! [[ 什么鬼 = shenmegui, what the heck]] Share this post Link to post
Posted August 29, 2016 As per usual, Opal stood off in her own little space, nervously eyeing the other students as they paired up with one another. She had barely spoken to anyone since she had arrived at the academy and the few interactions she did have included someone asking if she was okay while she tried to her hardest to prove that she was, in fact, okay. The tears threatening to spill out of her eyes didn't help her case. She never was good with people and being shipped off to an academy off in the middle of nowhere didn't teach her social skills. Everyone else seemed to be getting their partners rather quickly. Would there be anyone left for Opal? Was she going to have to figure this out on her own? The mere thought of being the only person without a link was enough to pull a soft whimper out of her. Luckily for Opal, someone else decided to take the initiative. She spun around to stare at a vaguely familiar boy chuckle uneasily at her. Hearing him mention her crying, presumably during the test, made her hitch her breath. Oh god, he wasn't going to laugh at her, was he? His face didn't betray any malicious intention and despite the sneering voices in her head, Opal couldn't think of a reason as to why he'd mislead her. He seemed genuine and, after nervously glancing at the people around her, Opal concluded that it wouldn't hurt to pair up with the boy. "Oh, I-I'm sorry," Opal stammered, not completely sure what she was apologizing for. "Um, I'm Opal. It's nice to meet you, Flint." Staring at Flint's outstretched hand, Opal hesitated momentarily before gingerly placing her hand into his. --------------------------------------------------- Much like Opal, Priam stood by themself. Although they were perhaps one of the, if not the single most, tallest person in the courtyard. Despite the fact that they were incredibly noticeable, nobody approached them. They had tried to make a move on several students, but other students had beat them to the catch. Priam wasn't exactly worried that they wouldn't get a partner, but they would much prefer being linked with someone rather than standing around waiting for something to happen. When Dae, the one person they talked to during the secret meeting, came up and requested to partner up, Priam smiled. "Ah, it's wonderful to see you again, Dae-sung," Priam said with a respectful nod. "It would be my pleasure to link with you. Shall we?" Priam offered the shorter boy a hand, smiling kindly all the while. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 1, 2016 (edited) Opal's soft hand touched his, at first just the fingertips and then the whole palm. Taking it as a sign that he had gained some of her trust, he reached forward and wiped one of her tears off her face. "Don't cry, you're making me cry too...!" he choked out, unsure if he was joking or if the water he felt welling up in his eyes was genuine. The link activated, surrounding him with a white glow that dissolved his shirt and blazer. "And don't apologize," Flint continued while his pants transformed as well into something much more eye-catching. "You don't owe anyone anything." ~~ Like some of the other upper years, Harold had chosen to stick around the courtyard to help with the new blood. Dr. Robinson called upon them in case there were uneven numbers concerning element pairs, though the first years overall organized themselves quite neatly. Some of the more quiet students were picked up by those with more initiative, and the gloom and doom from the diagnostic exam began to fade as people began to study their combinations. Like Alistair and Sienna, Harold was on the lookout for those more... interesting additions to the school. He was pretending to play on his phone with one hand, but he was alert to his surroundings. The guy who messed up the fountain (and his girlfriend) still wasn't back from the infirmary. The blonde kid who stood up to him earlier this week (and who Harold had exchanged a few words with) paired up with a dark skinned air girl, and the guy who provoked that water pirate had found someone as well. Sienna was talking to Rose after Robinson brushed her off. There was that short blond kid standing alone; Harold remembered seeing him arriving on that jet. He shouted in chinese (who taught him that?!) and pulled out his wallet in an attempt to bribe others into teaming up with him, or so it seemed. Harold would have taken the offer, but unfortunately they were both in the same element. He didn't even need to shed any attention on the naive rich kid in school because given time, people will all know about him in a few weeks if he kept going on like this. Harold predicted that he would make many false friends who are only in it for his money. What a sad end he would face. The even shorter girl who confronted Robinson earlier decided to come back and make an appearance despite ditching the excersise. The boy didn't recall seeing her around before today, even though her height was immensely distinctive. He heard the tail end of her discussion with the professor -- she wanted access that the doctor was reluctant to give. Being able to sort through original camera feeds was a tool more powerful than Harold could imagine, especially if he were to write an algorithm to sort through the footage... Seeing as that brown-haired girl had no partner because she arrived late, he figured that it would be an advantage to know her better. "Well, I've never seen the doc so agitated." Harold approached Erika, his hands behind his back and his teeth bared in a smile. "I assume you said something to piss them off? And I'm Harold, by the way," he added. "Author of the school newsletter." Edited September 1, 2016 by TehUltimateMage Share this post Link to post
Posted September 2, 2016 Without even shifting her gaze, Erika continued to observe the interactions between the other first years as they began linking with one another. This was a good moment for gathering more information, as this was their first official time, not only pairing up with new people, but also manifesting the secondary element formed by the bond they had just created. For a moment, she sat in silence and continued to observe a few of the nearby students until she figured the other person wouldn't leave until they had traded words for a brief period. "Newman. Erika Newman, first year, just transferred in this morning. As for Robinson, I had no intent of angering them, just establishing the methods in which I operate. In order to prevent unnecessary resistance, I informed them that this was a matter I had already discussed with the headmaster, or one that I was in the process of communing with the head of this academy. If they found it offensive, then I guess I should review my methods." Erika had yet to face Harold, but eventually felt she had observed enough and realized she was dealing with someone who was of much higher stature than herself. No surprise. Looking up at the male, Erika noted the grin he had plastered on his face, probably to make her feel more at ease. Were all the second years like this? No, she was certain there were a few who hated dealing with underclassmen just as much as they hated being at the academy. Still, Erika decided to return the gesture in her own way by extending out her hand. "Based on what you've told me, I take it there's information you seek. I, too, seek information and right now, the best way for me to obtain that information is by experimenting with this exercise. So, in exchange, will you accept the terms of linking for information?" Share this post Link to post
Posted September 3, 2016 Aria's hand clasped his and they Linked. Antonio's school uniform was swept away and replaced by the same combat armor as before. "His hair reminds you of french fries?" Antonio asked, smirking in response to the girl's comment about his odd friend. Shaking his head, he removed the visor and helmet accessory, raking his fingers through his hair to make sure it hadn't gone flat. "Yeah, I feel it," he replied, tapping his booted toe against the ground. "About two feet below us and probably the size of a fist..." He trailed off, rubbing his cheek. "I could be wrong though," he admitted. It was easier to sense a small ball of clay that sat in his palm than something buried out of sight. Holding his free hand out, palm down, he pursed his lips slightly. He brought his leg back and kicked, striking the ground with his steel-toed boot. A rivet was left behind in the packed dirt, small clumps of grass breaking free. "Here." Crouching down, he placed one hand beside the rivet and glanced up at Aria. "Ready when you are." ~~~~ Oops. The girl looked startled, like a deer caught in the headlights for a few heartbeats before fleeing in the face of a predator. Pressing his lips into a thin line, Thel tsk'd and rubbed his jaw. Should he follow and pester her or find someone else to possibly Link up with? Well, he didn't want to be seen as harassing the poor girl so he opted to find a new partner. ~~~~ "Relaxing," Rose replied. Eyeing the group of students again, they tilted their head slightly. Red strands of hair slid across their shoulder, unbound by their unkempt braid. "I managed to complete a project I've been working on. I'm hoping to surprise my parents on the next break." Turning back to Sienna, Rose smiled faintly before returning to the passive expression that was their signature look. "Any first years you like?" ~~~~ She still wasn't convinced. However, she was uneasy and didn't want to leave him disappointed. So, she tried. Holding her hands out, palms up, Latoya tried to envision the same sphere of light that Matthew held. Her face twisted in concentration and, suddenly, a spark of light exploded between her hands. It only lasted for a millisecond but it was visible enough. Surprised, excited, and frustrated all at once, Latoya impulsively slapped her hands together and pulled them apart. In the space between her palms, a sphere blinked into existence, floating motionlessly. A wide smile stretched across Latoya's face and she jumped excitedly. "I've done it! I've done it, I've done it!" She started giggling from joy, lowering her hands and dissipating the magic in exchange for clutching Matthew's arm. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 3, 2016 Dae-sung nodded in agreement, mentally letting out a sigh of relief at Priam's easy acceptance to his suggestion. Well, their agreement to a bond certainly made fulfilling Robinson's request a lot easier. Perhaps it would make the linking easier, too, provided he had talked to the taller other beforehand. Internally, Dae-sung wondered as pairs around them began to link up through the power of their branches. It would be interesting to see the transformations of his classmates, as well as what elements and powers they posessed. The Asian male still wasn't sure how this whole school business went hand in hand with training them to fight, but he would take what he would get--any information included. Cautious by nature, Dae gave a quick, if not slightly awkward nod, and reached for Priam's extended hand to complete the handshake. ~ Ha. Elliot smirked internally as he noticed an interesting sight not far from where he stood, his momentary panic forgotten as he watched the girl walk away from the boy who'd approached her, her movements quick and hasty, bordering on an edge of weariness. Oh? No business sense, the blond internally critiqued, taking in the dark hair that seemed to almost stick out in indiviual strands on top, to the easy way he held himself, to the ... collar? Elliot quirked an eyebrow. He was almost offended on the boy's behalf; absentmindedly, the blond fluffed up his own cravat, rested neatly in the center of his throat. No, he wasn't one to meddle with other's personal tastes, not at all, he reassured himself, as the blond made his way slowly closer to the male currently under his fasacination. The blond opened his mouth, his mind running a thousand thoughts per second--anything from excuse me, but exactly what is that on your neck to apologies for bothering you, do you know how I can leave this place because I'm totally not internally dying at the fact I haven't managed to grab any of the stock. However, when he at last came within speaking distance, Elliot straightened up his posture, cleared his throat, and spoke a little too fast. "Excuse you," he began, "do you know"--wait what are you trying to say, Elliot?--"how much reveune this school generates on a yearly basis? The architecture is most fasacinating I must say but I would imagine there is not much left in the budget once you factor in the cost of student living and the destruction that comes from--would you like to invest in stock? I would. I would certainly like to invest in stock." Elliot fumbled with his wallet before casually reaching out and shaking it at the male before him. "If we invest in stock together I believe it would benefit us better than if we do it separately I mean just look at the second years as an example I'm sure they're investing in a lot of great stock." Elliot shook his wallet agan, and a few coins flew from the opened leather to bounce onto the cement between them. "I think you already know about the great stock in the school, however, as you were before trying to do that, I believe, but, I suppose, you may have to be careful with whom you partner with. I mean if you consider this situation a second year may be best as they have more experience with the market but I can assure you I have more business sense than the ones we have witnessed so far as I believe they are more interested in hair dye than the international world. However I must say as to not offend you that hair dye is perfectly lovely and that if you would like to look into hair dye stock later I could perhaps help with that too." Elliot shook his wallet once again, staring straight at the male before him. "Des Teufels liebstes Möbelstück ist die lange Bank." ~ It was a lovely day today. Caspian pondered that thought to himself as he strolled through the school's halls, knowing that most of the student body was likely assembled to watch the first-years and help out where needed, or resting on some precious time off. He had meant to attend the student's lesson--linking today, was it not?--but it had taken him more time than it was supposed to get out of bed, and Caspian redirected his route to the medical bay when he realised, halfway out the door, that he couldn't quite breathe. So it was one of those days. Well, the sun still shone between a thin misty layer of white clouds, and he couldn't complain when it wouldn't deal him any results. He'd pulled himself up from the bed when his head finally stopped pounding, because he was sick of that room and sick of sleeping, so it was with some argument that he escaped the clutches and weird smell of medicine and overbearing nurses. Mildly, he reconsidered going to the event--his joints were sore, and he didn't want to transform when it was itchy to walk normally. Then again, he could always float into the session. The pink-haired male sighed, coming to a stop. He pushed the black-framed glasses higher up on his nose as he exhaled, leaning slightly forward. No contacts today--he hadn't managed to put them on in time and he didn't want to make a trip back to his rooms. It felt as if there was an uncomfortable sort of pressure on his windpipe, and he took a moment to focus on his breathing. In, out, in, out. Okay. The ground was coming into focus now, and he could count the divide between the inlaid stones. Okay. In, out. In, out. He waved a hand, stirring the air around himself. It was an invisible magic, and it helped clear the airways and direct much-needed oxygen into his lungs. Filter out the bad things. Enter in the good stuff. Simple. The sky is blue. He's breathing. He slips into the lesson discretly, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. Oh, that wouldn't be a worry--the first years were distracted seeing what they could do with their powers, and Caspian smiled to himself. He sitll remembers the first time he linked, and then prompty attemped to blow Ally off a building with his newfound boosted abilities. We hated each other back then, he mused to himself. Ah, well. He was sick and it was making him sentimental. Quickly casting a glance around, Caspian caught sight of a familiar redhead. "Rose, Sienna," he called, greeting them as he made his way over. He wasn't thinking too clearly, as his head was still a bit sore, and in his distraction to work with his self-made oxygen mask, the pink-haired male accidentally blasted both Rose and Sienna with a quick gust of wind before pulling back as soon as he was able. "How are you?" he greeted with a small smile and a quiet cough. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 3, 2016 A ghost of a smile appeared on Opal's face as Flint moved forward to wipe a tear off her face. Even if the sudden contact was unexpected, Opal could not help but feel some sense in relief when she saw that Flint was getting just as emotional as she was. She wanted to say something, express her gratitude perhaps, but before the words could leave her mouth the link activated and white light swarmed both her and Flint's bodies. Opal immediately noticed that she felt heavier. Her uniform transformed into black armor with golden edges and Opal let out a yelp as she felt something materialize in her hands. She stumbled backward, eyes wide with surprise as the light vanished from her body. She might have paid more attention to the fact that Flint had lost his shirt and gained a ridiculously sparky pair of pants if there wasn't a giant mini gun in her hands. "I-Is this supposed to happen?" Opal squeaked as she desperately glanced around, hoping someone would waltz up and explain what was going on. She tried to lift the gun up, and hopefully away from Flint, but it was so obscenely heavy. She could barely make the thing budge, let alone try to move it. Just another failure to tally up for the week. ------------------------------------------ Priam let their smile grow a little as they saw Dae nod in agreement. He was such a cautious boy, wasn't he? Priam knew full and well that they shouldn't judge someone based on assumptions especially considering their own history. Regardless, they couldn't help but notice how wary Dae-sung was. They hadn't done anything to offend him, had they? They couldn't recall doing anything that may make them untrustworthy so it had to be something else. Something else that was none of their business, Priam reminded themself. At least, it wasn't their business just quite yet. When the link was initiated and light began to envelope the two students' bodies, Priam could not help but notice that their vision was suddenly obscured. They blinked rapidly, assuming that the light had somehow temporarily blinded them. Much to their dismay, they were proven wrong. Even as the light left their body, Priam realized that they could only from a short narrow hole in front of them. They raised a surprisingly hefty hand and tried to touch their face. Their hand was stopped a few inches from their face by what appeared to be metal that curved upward. Did they have a helmet on? They could hear the clink of heavy metal as they shifted their feet on the ground, tilting their head curiously as they tried to adjust to their new attire. Did this armor make them taller or did their sudden increase of mass simply make them feel bigger? "I can barely see out of this," Priam joked as they looked down in an attempt to locate Dae. "How are you faring?" Share this post Link to post
Posted September 11, 2016 To prove one's worth, one must be willing to go against all odds, regardless of outcome, if the chance of the desired outcome exists. This is the ambition of humanity, to achieve a goal set before themselves. Without a goal, they will falter. With one, they will rise. For without ambition, there can be no movement forward. Will stood groggily to his feet, then began to move to his full height, hands hanging loosely by his sides. He cracked his neck, then rolled out his shoulders. He'd slept for two hours roughly and nothing had happened - fortunately. Blessing whatever god was looking out for him, he grabbed his boots from the desk and strapped them on, feet sliding into leather. Like the mariners of old, they even had clasps for tightening, rather than strings. Will just couldn't toss away his dreams. He moved to the door, rubbing his eyes. Another crack of bones as he moved from the doorframe out into the hall. A few students gave him glances as he left the medical ward. He really couldn't have cared less. His boots stepped firmly across linoleum, his hands swaying by his sides. He needed some sugar or something now, just to give him that last kick into being awake. Not that he wasn't used to sleeping strange hours. He could remember fondly the days of his father waking him at three or four in the morning, just to teach him something new about boats. "See tha' there, Will? That star in th' North Sky that's still barely visible? That's Polaris, th' North Star. Ol' sailors would follow tha' thin' fer miles. It was their guiding light, their shining goal." He looked up at the ceiling, into the shining lights of the school's proper. A vaulted ceiling expanded into the main hall, showing even more students moving around. Apparently some form of excitement was blowing through the rooms and hallways. Will had no idea why, really. He simply walked from student to student, pushing past some of them with a hushed "excuse me." when he thought it proper. "What are you doing out here, Pirateboy?" Randall stood behind him, a stack of folders under one arm, a glass of what appeared to be soda in his other hand. "Whaddya mean?" Will asked, shrugging. "I'm off to find Frey." "Well I can tell you where she is, and where YOU'RE supposed to be, if you're feeling better." Randall said, taking a sip of his drink. "As in, where you should have been five minutes ago." A rush of anxiety grabbed Will. "What do ye.... mean?" "The test wasn't just an examination of your power control WITHOUT a link. There was a following surprise physical which isn't much of a surprise anymore. I'm shocked the upper years didn't tell you." Randall stated, confused. "Normally they love to scare the newcomers with that information. You're really unlucky." "Then wha' do I DO?!" "Go to the Courtyard. Frey's probably there too." ----- Will dashed out into the open air of the Courtyard, concerned. A crowd of students had gathered, some already linking, some yet to do so... including Freyja. Will had spotted her, almost instinctively, reaching out to almost Link with someone else. An inner fire burst within his body as he rushed forward, knocking the boy aside with a brisk shoulder tackle - not enough to hurt, but enough to make his presence known. "FREY! WHAT ARE YE DOIN'?!" Will asked, shocked. "Well.. I... didn't... want ta fail..." Frey said, frowning. "And what are ye doin' out of bed?!" "I slept!" Will swore. "For like two hours!" "It's only been... thirty minutes..." Freyja replied, trailing off. They looked at each other for a long while. "Look!" Will stated, ignoring this new information. "Please, just Link with me for now. I'm sorry I took so lon'." "Ye BETTER be." Frey crossed her arms. "And ye better do well at this one. No more explosions!" "I can't make any promises." Will said sheepishly. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 12, 2016 Closing his hand, Matthew willed the orb of light in his hand to disappear. Latoya tried to concentrate, seemingly wanting to replicate his own success, and a faint spark of light appeared for a moment. She clapped her hands together and pulled them apart. The result was exactly the same as what Matthew had done. Matthew smiled at Latoya, who after initial difficulty, was able to conjure light just like him. "See? I knew you could- Oh!" It was at this point Latoya had grabbed his arm in sheer joy, hugging it with both arms. He blushed, his mind going totally blank for a moment, and then tried to figure a way out of it. If I protest, she'll go back to being shy again. But then again, this feels weird... Better roll with it. I mean, she's happy, so why does it matter? After a moment, Matthew withdrew his arm and returned the hug with it. "Great job. Now, what's next? We still have two more elements to use." Share this post Link to post
Posted September 12, 2016 What was going to be Earth and Air abruptly became Earth and Water. There was a shout from nearby and, suddenly, Scott was roughly shouldered aside. Landing on her rump at the same time light surrounded her, she blinked wide maple-colored eyes, amber flecks glinting gold from the sunlight. "Excuse me?" she murmured from her place on the ground, looking startled. She had unintentionally Linked with the suddenly-arrived boy, her school uniform replaced with armor uncannily resembling a mage or witch in an oversized cloak. "Wh-What's wrong with Freyja Linking with other people?" she asked warily, frowning up at the boy in his waterlogged pirate costume. Picking herself up, she focused on dusting herself off, biting her lower lip. How embarrassing, to fall in front of everyone. But, in all fairness, the first-year student had shoved her aside. Opening her mouth again, she started to speak but a yell cut her off. "You did not just hit her!" Ren. Fire whomphed through the air by the boy's head, a warning shot. Ren looked infuriated, a snarl twisting her features as she stormed up to the first year. "You son of a . I'll teach ya not to push others around!" she growled. Though shorter than him, Ren had beat down idiots bigger than him several times before. Fist flaming, she thrust a right hook at his cheek, following up with a left knee up towards his gut. Scott hurried to block Ren's assault, chunks of dirt flying from the small barrier she lifted. "Ren! Don't start another fight! Please? If you want to beat him up, do it during the tournament. I mean, we outmatch him with a year of experience over him but..." she said quickly, grabbing her girlfriend's wrists despite the fire still licking her skin. Ren frowned, staring at the barrier blocking the boy's face from her fists before turning to Scott. "But that idiot hit you! You're just going to let that go?" she questioned. Shifting her weight uncomfortably, Scott bit her lip. She didn't want to excuse the boy's actions but she didn't want Ren getting into trouble with the teachers again. "I'm okay. I'm not really hurt," she replied. Leaning to whisper in Ren's ear, she continued. "Though, I'm not comfortable around him. He's very... controlling, it seems. I think I'll report him to the teachers and see if Freyja can't get away from him. Whatever relationship they have, it's not... It's not safe for her." Glaring, Ren pointed her gaze at the boy again, clearly unhappy with not being able to hand his to him today. "Fine. But only because you asked," she said to Scott. To the boy, she pointed a fiery finger at him. "If I see you being a ****lord again, I'll rip you a new one!" Share this post Link to post
Posted September 17, 2016 "Kagome," Dr. Robinson addressed Ren with a warning tone, "these are training grounds." The had approached the fight that threatened to erupt. "As an upper year, you should know better than to threaten violence in the middle of class. If you are unfit to act as an aide, you're better off taking an early lunch." They then turned to Will, who was already holding Frejya. "I assume that Mr. Knight hasn't taught you the benefits of letting go? Perhaps you should take an early lunch as well, Edwards, though it is a little unfair to send you away after you missed the first half of the explanations..." They closed their eyes, a thoughtful hand placed on their chin. "If you stay, you might have more luck with ice than with water." Before taking their position back at the board, Dr. Robinson added, "If any of you have anything to dispute, I will be in my office after class." ~~~ "Woah!" Flint swung his body to the side, a little uncomfortable that Opal's weapon was pointed directly at his groin. "Woah!" he repeated, this time more in fascination than in surprise. "Bringing out the big guns already?" Right. He had forgotten, but when stems engaged in a fight, each of them had a signature weapon, he remembered from watching videos of versus matches. Was it like armor, where it was entirely subconscious, or were they able to choose to a certain degree? Either way, Robinson hadn't taught it yet but it was only a matter of time before the concept was introduced. "Everyone has a weapon, I think. We just haven't been taught to summon it yet. But look at you -- this!" He gestured to the minigun. "How'd you do that?" He himself wondered if he would have something cool like an awesome sword or a death scythe, though all the demon-fighting weapons were sweet in their own right. He'd seen quite a few videos of the huge variety available to students, but it seemed like you were stuck with what you got. ~~~ There was a significant period of lag between his words and the reaction of the shorter girl, but Harold waited patiently for her to acknowledge his presence. Seemed like the bored, apathetic type from her body language and the slow reaction (as if she had some better things to do than talk to him) and the teenage boy knew better than to underestimate the power of those character tropes. "Consider this contract signed and dated." He took her hand for a shake. Maybe nothing too dramatic at the moment. Some second years embellished the transformation with backflips or twirls and stuff just to show off, but Harold was content with standing and having dark petal-like particles fall off of him and get swept away by the wind. His school uniform was replaced by a crisp and formal outfit of black, like a dancer or performer's, before purple light enveloped his hands and feet to form gloves and boots. Lush black fur popped out from his cuffs and collar. His cape and wide brimmed hat appeared as well, but he caught the cap before it had a chance to lose its glow. "There's a lot of people around here looking for answers, but no guarantee they'll share any results with you. And as this exercise shows--" he finally turned to get a look at her, and let out a long whistle at the sight of a skin-tight pilot suit. "...You can't get far without getting to know people." If only she were a bit taller... Or if it were embellished with something cuter... Thankfully, the sound of a commotion interrupted his thoughts and he dragged his caramel eyes away from Erika and into the loose grouping of students, where a second year, Ren, seemed to have a little trouble containing her temper judging by how she looked like she was about to spit fire, and her usual partner was trying her best to limit the damage. He squinted, trying to look closer. Oh. It was pirate boy again (Harold still called him boy, even though he was sure he was younger than that guy). One of the more... interesting new additions to the school. He'd already gotten into a few fights, and wouldn't stop howling last night. Like a few other students, Harold was counting the days before the guy was expelled, but Mr. Knight seemed to had taken a liking to the kid. Personally, Harold would be sad to see him go -- nobody had caused this much excitement on campus since Alistair set fire to the dance floor, figuratively and literally. He cupped his hands over his mouth to yell across half the field. "Hey Ren! Don't scare the newbies too hard or they might end up doing a training montage and whooping your ass at the tourney!" "Anyway," Harold turned back to Erika, "your element is Earth, which means that together we got wood. A classical Chinese element. You can make stuff grow, and it's the only element able to do any worthwhile healing." His preferred pair was with Fire to take advantage of the stealth bonuses, but he had learned a little about all of his elements. He clenched his left hand fingers into claws, and made a motion as if ripping something from the ground. Thin thorns grew and twisted into a small patch since he didn't want to exert himself too hard for the exercise, and, as if it were in time lapse, large red roses bloomed on the bush. He leaned over to pick one. "I didn't use any actual seeds, so they'll disappear after a while." ~~~ That was... Super impressive! The hunk of junk was exactly where Antonio had guessed. With a flick of her wrist, the rivet flew up and she caught it in her palm, before realizing that Antonio had expected them to work on it together. Sheepishly, she crouched down with the piece of metal in her hand all while trying to hide the embarrassment flushing her face with heat. How did she do that, anyway? Like without a second thought, she had summoned the iron to her hand. Maybe that's how Earth stems felt while manipulating their element. Solid, with something to grab onto, unlike the intangible nature of Fire. 'Metal' was really vague, though... There were many types of metal and of earth, but flames were comparatively one-dimensional. Everything burns. Aria's attention shifted as she heard clapping from the Doctor to call everyone's attention. "Manipulating the combination is similar to manipulating your own magic," the professor began as the chatter that accompanied new discoveries began to settle, "but you will all notice that magic comes easier under a link. This is intentional. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." "If that's the case," cut in a girl's voice from the front, "then why can we only link in pairs? Based on what you're saying, we'd be stronger with more people Linked." Robinson had heard this question a few times already. "It might not feel like it at the moment, but there is a certain co-ordination required between partners. Any more than two and it becomes chaotic." "Which is why the school often promotes matchmaking. I hear it makes stronger Links," Mr. Eginhard spoke up, stroking his coarse beard. "Though, that don't give you free reign to do any... monkey business," the older instructor added with a twinkle in his eye and a smile he tried hard to hide. Dr. Robinson proceeded, ignoring the snickers and the flustered faces their colleague caused. "Getting to know your Link partner is a good place to begin, though to begin I would suggest forming many connections to leverage the full spectrum of elements available to each of you. Find out what you like to do and how you like to do it." They stretched out their hands and shrugged with their eyes closed. "It's not in my jurisdiction to how to work through something so subjective." If her brows weren't furrowed, Aria would have rolled her eyes. Then why are they paying you to teach if you're not teaching....!? "We began with individual exercises so you could experiment with magic relatively safely, but now that you are in pairs, do not break anything." At least one student in every class was bad at instructions. Robinson wondered why they even bothered. "Do not break anything, do not set anything on fire, do not use your powers recklessly, and changing weather inside buildings is forbidden." "The combinations' names should be enough of a prompt. Reflect about material properties, spiritual relations, whatever helps your understanding. It may be useful to reflect on how your partner's element operates, as Earth, Fire, Air, and Water behave distinctly differently. Come to me if you have any questions." Share this post Link to post
Posted September 19, 2016 The rocks! Captain! THE ROCKS! There's no use, boy. THE MOUNTAIN! IT'S COMING CLOSER! SOMEONE TURN THE WHEEL! THE CURRENT IS TOO STRONG! I CANNAE GET A GOOD GRIP ON THE RUDDER! It's meaningless, men. Captain! Why aren't ye helping!? Captain!? A sailor spends his life at sea. But it seems we'll die by land. CAPTAIN? THAT .... IT CANNAE BE TRUE! There has to be a way! I've sailed for thirty years, boy. I've seen the power o' rocks and stone and I will tell ye now - we've reached the end o' our line. The British finally got us. Luck ain't on our side no more. It's a fool's gambit to fight fate. Just sit... and close your eyes. But... why? So you don't see God when he comes to claim us. ----- As Will stumbled backward from the sudden Link, his mind reeled. He couldn't grasp what he had just seen. He felt the earth closing around him and breathed heavily, shaking his head. Freyja grabbed his shoulders from behind, concerned. "What the devil's gotten into ye?!" Frey asked hurriedly. She shot a glare at Ren and the other child as she held Will firmly. "Maybe once I woulda liked to pair with ye, Scott, but after hearing THAT little comment, I think it's better ye just leave us alone." Thankfully, due to Randall's training, her sensitivity to sound was increased alongside her sensitivity to changes in air. She patted Will's shoulders, trying to get him to come to his senses. "Will! You need to break the Link!" she whispered to him, slapping his face a bit. "You're scarin' the hell out o' me!" "I can't.. THE CLIFFS! THE STONES!" Will screamed, trying to get free. "We're going to hit the ROCKS!" "WILL! You're not going to hit ANYTHING!" Frey said, absolutely frantic. "Stop! It's ok! Nothing is here! THERE IS NO MOUNTAI-!" A sudden eruption of earth nearby silenced her as a branch shot itself from the ground, wrapping around several times as leaves sprouted from its surface. More vines joined it as stone rose from the earth, beginning to form a structure. "WILL! STOP! STOP!" Freyja shook him, screaming. "STOP! I'M HERE! I'M HERE!" Will's eyes blinked as he began to breathe less frantically. After a few minutes, he coughed. His pirate clothing began to fade away, replaced by his original clothes. He sighed, sweating hard, as he turned his head slightly to see Freyja's face. "Frey...? Frey..." he whispered, shaking. "Where'd... where'd the boat go?" "Well, I found the anchor." Randall walked up to them, whistling slightly. He had his left hand in his frock pocket, his other hand holding a drink. As Robinson yelled at the children, Randall just stared silently at the tall structure in front of them, impressed. He turned to Robinson, gesturing with his fingers. "Don't worry, he won't take an early lunch - he's going with me. Didn't you get my form?" he asked, concerned. "I'm taking possession of Will when I'm not doing classes." "What the hell do you mean, taking possession?" Frey asked, forgetting she was talking to a professor. "He's a human being!" "He's a gifted STUDENT, Frey." Randall shrugged. "There are few like him, including several second years I have listed as well. You ever heard of Gifted Resource Classes? GRCs?" Freyja gave him a weird look. "Guess that's an American thing." He gestured dismissively. "Anyway, congratulations, accolades, and all that garbage. You've earned a spot, Mr. William Edwards, for you and a student of your choice in a program that myself and several other members of the board formed last year. Woo hoo!" He clapped a bit as best he could with the drink in his hand. "Anyway, that also means you're prohibited from several things for safety reasons. You're not allowed to Link with anyone other than designated students we will have given to you in a list form. Yes, these students include Miss Breckenridge, so rest assured. You're not allowed to go to classes other than the ones assigned to you or ones run by myself or other members of the board. You are forbidden from Linking in general unless you are under STRICT surveillance by myself or other members of the board..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small phone, pressing the button to turn it on and unlocking it. "Let's see.... You will be given a diet plan to follow in order to ensure the most from your testing. Don't worry, we're not removing anything delicious. It's just an added pair of pills you'll have to take with most of your meals. They're limiters to prevent things like..." he pointed at the giant anchor standing in front of them. "... you know, this." He frowned. "Yeah this is a lot to take in, isn't it?" he looked at Will, concerned. "But don't worry. There's not much more besides that, and you'll be taken care of pretty much the same you already have been. But after a few of the higher ups saw what you've done so far... they're debating having you removed from the school." Will gasped, pulling himself from Freyja and grabbing Randall's coat. "No! No! Ye can't! I... I have to prove myself! I can become better! I can... I can calm myself!" "Sadly, Will, you haven't been able to do that so far." Randall said, frowning. "However, you're not being removed. You're being isolated. This was the only compromise we could make. But don't worry, you're not the first. And this won't be permanent. You'll pass, I promise, and be back out by next year, and be better than most people here. Your training with Robinson would be about increasing magical strength and testing your limits. You've seen you have more than most students when it comes to magical amounts. Now we need to direct that flow, which is year two studies. But you need them NOW. Think of it as... advancing a year." Freyja's eyes widened as Will released his grip on Randall's coat in disbelief. "Scottish kids do that too, right?" Will turned to Frey, his face beginning to glow with excitement and anxiety. They turned back to Randall, pleased. "We accept!" they said at once, nodding. "Well, you have to sign some papers in my officer for legal matters but... I'm happy to hear you're willing. Robinson, if you'll excuse us." He led the pair away from the rest of the students, heading back towards his office. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 19, 2016 Erika was less than enthusiastic after proceeding with her first transformation, but she did gather some useful data that she immediately sent to her system back in the lab. Of course, she was also paying attention to what Harold was telling her, as it could involve useful bits that she could potentially miss. So, she could now manipulate wood along with her base element of earth and also had healing capabilities. With the initial part complete, Erika wanted to test her control over this new element despite the lack of manipulating her own, but she figured control was easier while Linked and would give her a better understanding of how to do so individually. "I shall now proceed to field testing these abilities then. Wood, you said... so that structure the other boy just manifested should be a reasonable object to start with, should it not?" Holding out her hand, Erika began to search within herself, for the feeling that had erupted in her body when she had transformed and the source in which it resided. Closing her eyes, Erika began to concentrate, focusing on her search until she found something and immediately latched onto it. Now... how to proceed? What she was feeling currently was slightly different than when she transformed, it felt more... alive, as if the source had a mind of its own and it was growing. Pushing and wrapping around inside her body like a vine that wished to strangle the tree it had partnered with. Focus it into the palm of your hand. Erika wasn't quite expecting the metallic voice to resonate within her mind as it startled her to falling backwards. Perplexed, Erika first looked around herself, at the surrounding area to ensure what had just happened was within her mind and then responded. I assume you're a program formed by the branch. Probably based on my consistent usage of my personal system. Not entirely inaccurate. I am LOKI, the system maintainer and battle network monitor. Simply, I collect data and determine the best course of action, both for yourself and for those you work with. Of course, I must have your approval first, unless you give me a direct order that removes the wall preventing me from passing on information freely. Standing back to her feet, Erika dusted herself off and looked back at Harold for the first time since transforming. So, that was his own outfit... No, not even your partner can hear our current conversation, not unless you give me permission to open another network. I wasn't concerned about that, I'm applying the technique you provided me with to test the results. Focus it into my palm, you said. Again, holding out her hand, Erika began to concentrate again, attaining the feeling from before much quicker since she was familiar with it and proceeded to lead the growth from her core and into her palm. Moments later the top of the 'anchor' began to arch over and bend from the center, the shaft spreading apart into individual vines and the hooks grew slightly larger. Eventually, Erika had constructed a vine bridge in place of the anchor and felt somewhat accomplished in her work.Simultaneously, anything she found relevant for her studies was being sent back to AIRIS for cataloging and condensing. After a few more moments of tampering with her 'bridge' Erika decided it was time to move on to the next part of her practice. Healing. Dipping back into her core, Erika searched for that feeling of growth once again, but felt dejected upon her first attempt at manifesting some sort of curative force within her palms. Tips on healing, this skill requires a deeper understanding of what you've already put to practice. I suggest you continue working with what I've already shown you before proceeding. In other words, there's another source I have to tap into, but it's more difficult to find. By practicing and understanding the source of wood, I can better differentiate the sources that I'd be using. More or less. For a moment, Erika stood in silence before turning back to Harold and walking up to him, standing well within his personal space. A moment later, the helmet atop her head faded away and a pair of stern eyes were looking up at him. "I need you to inflict a wound on me and then heal it." (( Will either edit later or make another post with Aiden )) Share this post Link to post
Posted September 20, 2016 (edited) Linking was a very odd experience for both girls, even if they’ve done it before. This would take them some getting used to… Evonna’s body was now covered in knight-style armor, which was silver with accents the same blue-purple as her branch. A helmet framed her face, her hair barely sticking out. She cursed herself for not tying her hair back earlier… That would’ve been smart. Eh… Next time. Lavender almost jumped back when she felt something weird in her hand… A kickboxing glove? What the…? That’s her weapon, huh? Cool. She looked at what was in her other hand… And grinned. There was a bow in her hand again… She admired the light, purple armor that covered her body, a quiver strap across her breast. Boom. This is some killer armor. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of this. Hm. So this makes Shadow? I’ll have to say, this is hardcore. The two girls’ heads whipped around to hear a very Scottish-sounding accent boom through the courtyard. And man, was it an angry one. The two girls tried to re-focus on each other. Shadow. Shadow. Holy ! Evonna gawked at the image in front of them. Jehan? The rather shadowy image of a teenage male gave Evonna a very rude gesture and fizzled out. It wasn't perfect, but it was something. Lavender’s jaw dropped. She had worked with Wind before, thus creating Lightning. It was awesome. Evonna worked with Earth the last time she Linked, creating Wood. And now this. This knocked it out of the park for them. Lavender grinned. Oh the pranks she could pull if she felt like it! This put an all new spin on April Fool’s Day, that was for sure. Now if she could get on Evonna’s good side... … Peridot was baffled by this boy who just came out of practically nowhere and knocking the other student to the side like that. Then this girl, he assumed was close to the one who just got shouldered aside, came rampaging towards the Scottish boy. Lad? And of course another fight’s gonna break out. Maybe not now, but definitely sometime soon. She looks like she’s ready to beat some . He sighed and got back to his assignment, hoping with everything in his being that a fight wouldn’t happen right this minute. It would be a bit of a disappointment to break his Link now. Time to practice making Ice, eh? This would be quite… Interesting. Edited September 20, 2016 by Mikasa361 Share this post Link to post
Posted September 20, 2016 (edited) She wasn't much of a talker, Harold concluded. Preferred to figure stuff out on her own. He flipped his hat back onto his head and tucked the rose into his breast pocket. While waiting for Erika to finish with whatever she was experiencing -- since he could only assume she was blankly staring into space behind that helmet -- the boy took the time to dust off and straighten up his transformed clothing. After making the vine in her hand vanish, the shorter girl seemed to suddenly notice he existed again, and reacted by taking a few too many steps towards him. Her nose seemed like it was about to touch his chin, and he took a step back so he had space to breathe. This was followed by a wide green stare and an odd request. "It would be irresponsible of me to cut you open, miss," he replied with a nervous laugh, throwing his palms up in front of him to stop Erika from getting too close again. Though, I'm sure there's quite a few people on this island who'd jump at the opportunity." If not the school doctor, then the few offbeat researchers that were bound to exist at this school. All those mad scientists getting exceedingly excited about dissection... And that wasn't counting all the weirdos who attended the academy. Harold pulled off his left glove and stashed it in his pocket, before an indigo glow wrapped around his right hand and formed into his weapon. Tammy always complained that she should've gotten the claws and not him, heh. Though they weren't really claws, in the traditional sense, but more like someone had the bright idea of strapping knives to his knuckles and decorating the whole system with an opalescent sheen and etchings of roses. With a slow, deliberate motion, he ran one of the blades over his palm, biting his lip to distract from the pain. Summer vacation ended not a week ago. It had been a while since he last bled. "It's more of an advanced skill, really," he explained, though his voice started to trail into a mutter. "I heard it comes easier to Water stems. Did you want to give it a try or shall I?" ~~~ "Yes, I got the paperwork," Robinson grumbled. They begrudgingly took out a sheet, folded in quarters, from the breast pocket of their shirt. "I do question your choice in signing the form in red crayon, no matter how artistic the cursive," they said while unfolding it and re-reading the contents, unintentionally crumpling the edges of the page with their tight fists. They were already having a bad morning, and getting one-upped by Knight didn't make the day any brighter. One hour until lunch, they chanted to themself. One hour till lunch. Edited September 20, 2016 by TehUltimateMage Share this post Link to post
Posted September 21, 2016 Matthew slipped his arm free of her grasp, only to sweep her into a quick side-hug. Latoya blinked, not really expecting him to do such a thing. She smiled brightly though, taking it as a good sign. Maybe she'd just made a friend here. That was good! She had another person to hang out with during lunch and after classes. Maybe she could get Aria to hang out with her and Matthew? "Try more elements?" But getting a ball of light to pop up was hard enough. Did she really need to try others right now? Fortunately, Dr. Robinson interrupted before they could probably try anything else. Would this be their next assignment? The teacher wasn't very specific. They just laid down some new rules after explaining a bit about paired elements and the boost in magic that Linking provided. "So, we're supposed to explore the other elements, not just our own? And, from that, we're to explore all of the combinations?" Latoya asked, nervously lifting her voice so Robinson could pick it out from the other students. ~~~~ Antonio whistled appreciatively as Aria sucked up the metal lump as if it there were nothing in the space between it and her hand. "Nice," he commented. He had been expecting her to tell him to start digging but the fiery girl had beaten him to the draw. She was crouching by then, what looked to be a blush coloring her cheeks. Humming faintly with uncertainty, he was about to tap her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her when Dr. Robinson spoke. Glancing their way, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Is this a homework assignment or something we'll be doing in class over the next several days?" he mumbled. ~~~~ Ren tsk'ed at Dr. Robinson's scolding, still scowling. The teacher wouldn't have done anything in Scott's defense and the rude boy would have gotten away with shoving anyone he liked, all because the individual just wanted to talk or Link up with his girlfriend without him. What a load of in Ren's opinion. Looking to Scott, she eased her features. "May as well stop the Link. Make Rude Boy happy so he can go snog his girlfriend in a corner," Ren stated. Nodding, Scott lowered her hands, simultaneously letting the barrier drop to the ground where it shattered. Brushing a hand along her opposite sleeve, she hummed faintly. About the same time, the boy began to freak out about something, causing her to jump. "What the hell's he going on about?" Ren grumbled, pressing a hand against her offended ear. "Ren?" Scott whispered, panic crossing her face. "Ren, I can't cut the Link. Something's wrong..." she hissed. Twisting her fingers together, she shifted closer to Ren. There was a burst of emotion from the boy that slammed into Scott's mind through their Link, making her cringe. Inhaling sharply, she clutched Ren's hand for support, fearing that she might topple over as the ground shook briefly. Vines had erupted from a flux of uncontrolled power, twisting upon themselves. Clutching Scott's hand, Ren started to lightly shake the other girl's arm. "What do you mean you can't break the Link? Force it!" she growled. "I can't," Scott grunted, a wave of anxiety beginning to rise. Her chest tightened and her throat felt constricted. "I don't know why but I just can't break the Link! It was an accident on his part and now he's having some kind of episode." Her heart was racing, slamming against her ribs with too much energy. For a moment, she got lightheaded. Why couldn't she break the Link? What was happening? What was wrong with this Link? She felt it. That moment of pause in the boy's panic, like he had an 'off' switch. Odd. But she grabbed it. Fear stricken, she snatched at that peace and snapped their Link in two. In a fevered heartbeat, Scott was back in her school uniform. She rocked on her feet, sweat still beading across her forehead and making her palms slick. Ren caught her before she could collapse on her knees. Scott almost didn't hear Mr. Knight approach or what he said to the boy. She didn't hear Robinson's response. "I couldn't break the Link... Why couldn't I break the Link?" Scott breathed, trembling against Ren. "Something was wrong. He was shouting about something, afraid of something, and I couldn't break the Link until he calmed down." Though, now she was panicking, wasn't she? How funny. Ren made soothing sounds, gathering Scott in her arms as she crouched on the ground. Looking up, she gave Mr. Knight a glare, wanting to riddle him with fireballs. Turning to Robinson, she got to her feet, Scott's head resting against her shoulder. "I'm taking Scott back to her room," she informed. Turning on her heel, she left the courtyard, shouldering her way through first years. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 24, 2016 Picking the metal up again, Aria focused on the rivet. The shape didn't matter to her. Heat makes shape irrelevant, but the idea of reshaping a solid into another solid was foreign to her. From how people seemed to be talking about it, the secondary magic seemed to be a secondary source, meaning that it was no good just firing the iron until it melted. Solid, yeah. She felt a lot more solid now than when she linked with Latoya last class. The young lady figured she liked this feeling better. She pulled her hands apart, stretching the ingot into a rough pole and twirled it once like a staff. "Seems pretty useful as long as you have a source of metal on hand." ~~ "Yes, that is part of your homework," the professor replied, walking closer to Latoya to make sure her question was answered. They then signed for the class to settle down, now that they noticed that many of new students had been successful in trying out their new elemental abilities. Some showed a marked improvement compared to their time at the testing table, now that they were more at ease. That McCarthy kid showed promise. So did that student who was the last to test -- not a minute after the link, he had pinpointed the location of one of the buried scrap metal and got it out of the ground. Any other day, and they would have been impressed. The now-second years were just as useless as ever, with the poor sickly child getting bowled over by some other students and then the outburst that just happened. Robinson remembered they were a pain to deal with when they first introduced, but it wasn't like this new batch didn't have its hiccups. It had been less than a week, so perhaps they just had to wait to accurate assess the situation. "This is your next assignment:" Robinson raised their voice. "Try out your combination abilities over the weekend, and submit a paragraph about what you have learned for Monday morning. "Class Dismissed." ~~~ ((You may still post for the Robinson lesson, but we are doing a two day timeskip. You are free to post for your FTEs.)) Share this post Link to post
Posted September 26, 2016 (edited) Erika's expression remained mostly unchanged after her request was denied, aside from the slight scowl in her eyes that reflected her discouragement. Regardless, witnessing someone heal themselves should aid in her learning, but she had been hoping to gather the knowledge through the experience. Still, as she was watching, Erika noticed something rather peculiar. I'm fairly certain you've already picked up on it, but the wound he just inflicted on himself... Is already healing and at a rapid rate. Do the branches increase our natural healing rate and by how much? They do, indeed. As for the rate, it varies based on the individual and the Linked element they are utilizing, if they are Linked. Your current pairing has the fastest natural healing buff out of all the possible pairings, but you lack combat prowess. Think of it as a support, or healer, role in a RPG. Upon finishing her mental conversation, Erika took hold of Harold's injured hand with both of her own and pulled it closer to her, carefully observing the mending procedure. When he asked if she wished to give healing a try or to simply let him do it, Erika refrained from looking away and responded simply. "You may mend it, but allow me to continue holding your hand as I am now. I wish to see if there's any kind of change or something that I can utilize to help me figure out how to perform the task myself. Additionally, it might help in my research as well." ------ Aiden wasn't the one to jump on the gun when it came to choosing a partner. Rather, he waited to see if anyone would approach him first, but soon came to terms that he hadn't made a decent impression of himself to draw others to him. So, here was scanning the area, looking for someone without a partner. Dr. Robinson had announced that there were second years waiting around for them if they couldn't find someone else to be their partner and just as he was about to approach one of them, he noticed a girl who was still alone. What was her name? Jessica or something like that? Regardless, Aiden frowned when he noticed she was slightly... heavily set. Despite that, he walked up to her and waved. "I see you don't have a partner either. Well, if you don't mind me, we can get this exercise over with and carry on with our day. I don't want to trouble you." This friendly demeanor he put on, Aiden didn't know if what he said was genuine, but he knew he didn't want to hang around for too long either. That's how he felt. Mentally sighing, Aiden then proceeded to look around at the others as they began attempting to use their mixed abilities already while he still needed to transform. One of them had manifested a weapon already which stirred his curiosity a little bit. What kind of weapon did he have? Scratching at the back of his head, Aiden turned back to the girl and held out his hand. "I'll let you choose, but understand that we're falling behind already. Of course, there's still the second years..." Edited October 2, 2016 by zakku_uchiha Share this post Link to post
Posted October 2, 2016 (edited) Saturday - Matthew and Latoya A small note is pinned on the board in the student lounge, near the club signups. The note seems to have been there for a while but it also seems that not many people notice it. Perhaps because its contents were a nonsensical riddle: The key to a good meal lies between art and chemistry. Don't forget to pick up a recipe book on the way there! ~~~ Friday Night - Antonio You can't sleep. Maybe this is rare, maybe not, but it is like some supernatural force is keeping you awake. Most others in the dorm are sleeping, but you hear frantic whispers across from you and two figures -- one of which you recognize was Flint -- trying their best to sneak out. Another bed nearby, which supposedly belonged to a small girl, was also empty. Every time you close your eyes you get a vision of something huge burrowing through the earth and eating everything in its path. You can see glimpses of it, but also sense it in your bones and your connection to the earth. ~~~ Friday Night - Will On top of the usual night terrors is the glimpse of a tentacled beast wrapping its arms around your ship. The waves foam angrily as the wind picks up, and the demon threatens to break the vessel in twain and drag the pieces into the depths, crew and all, to steadily devour. ((putting up some short prompts for now. Will update Aria and Harold when I get back later today, and Flint whenever Esko decides to post. See OOC for details. I lied, no details are present.)) Edited October 2, 2016 by TehUltimateMage Share this post Link to post
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