Titanomachy Rebirth (IC)

[Vritra]

Ishmael
Location: Zeus High School – Floor 6 (Infirmary)
Time: Noon

A throbbing pain, a swaying room, and me. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship! Well, I’m pretty sure this isn’t what he meant but whatever right? Aaaaaa, sloppy Ishmael, oh so sloppy, sloppy on both our parts really. Falling for a feint and taking a bad hit. I’ve been too used to Zhongli avoiding the head after that time she had to follow me to the emergency room.

…I think I might actually need to brush up on my skills at this rate. Did you my lady get stronger or did I get worse at protecting myself? You’re to good for your own good, you know that. Ha, ha, ha… putting effort into trying to return, at least in some way, that idea certainly makes me want to puke.

Ah… or maybe its just the nausea and (highly) plausible chance of a concussion that’s doing that. Hard to tell, harder to think.

“Seriously, you should stop letting that bitch do this to you.”

Well at least I have a nice pair of helping hands, and legs, hmm her back is pretty good to, isn’t it? Her bust isn’t anything to belittle either I suppose. The reason there are so many girls attracted to our little swim team, yup that’s our Myrthe always here to inspire us to victory.

“Ha ha you don’t need to be like that Myr she’s actually fine …most of the time. I can manage the rest of the time too y’know.”

“Do you even know how much of an issue it will be for our team if our manager ends up hospitalized? And after they went all the trouble to force me to accept you, no less!” The Dutch transfer student complained as you leaned on her.

“Ah but if I’m in hospital think of all the school work I’d get to miss! Pretty nurses, a doctorial mandate to avoid any strenuous work, aaaaaah what is that if not heaven Myr? Also, also, also… something of this level is (probably) only a temporary issue, I’ve made it past worse.” Unless this was the proverbial horse that broke the camels back. Just because something HAS happened doesn’t mean it will happen the same after all, willful ignorance and assumption are humanities greatest follies. We must never let them claim us. Red fed, never dead, blue hue, always twos, yellow fellow- something something shut the fuck up brain nobody cares.

I hope you die alone and in pain you know that.

Horse? Was there a horse in that proverb?

…Damn must have been quite the camel to carry a horse, or was trying to make it carry a horse that was the problem?

“Geez, as if I had nothing better to do!”

Wait, wait …wait, why was Myr helping me again? She should be pretty busy, I know several members who were struggling and we had that competition coming up, yes Myr I already got all the travel plans in order, no Myr I’m not abusing my position in the girl’s swim team to make coerce or make advances on them I’m making sure everyone knows the schedule. “You know I am capable enough to be relied on, right? Just say the word and I’ll sweep you off your feet and slay whatever foul problem assaults you!”

I, I…

…

Wait…

Wait…

A hostile attitude…

A willingness to help despite it…

Is, is the legendary Tsundere a reality? Was it truth all along and it was just labeled as fiction by those who wanted to keep it for themselves? Aaaaaaaah truly I am a sinful man, leading ladies into temptation by my presence alone ~~~.

“Oh, it’s you again, Freeman. Had another lovers’ spat with Liu?”

“What can I say I’m a lover not a fighter, always here to rush to a lady in need ~~! Ha ah, you know you can just, ow, call me Ishmael, right? Sorta rolls off the tongue a bit better I find.” Why hello Mr or Ms chair how do you do once again we meet on this turbulent sea. “Yeeeeaaaa don’t mind me just rollin’ in I’ll just take the usual bed by the window and stay out of your hair. Its nothing serious, I think? We were just a bit naughty and got let ourselves go! Ah before we knew it, we were both tipsy, bordering on drunk! On the flowers, oh that romantic atmosphere!” With a flourish of my hand, I embellish and exaggerate the words only to have to catch as the world begins to roll again.

Words, words, words, one after another, just let them flow until it all becomes meaningless. Just lay back until everything bleeds away, until all that’s left is only an echo of your heartbeat. Ah normalcy I don’t truly know you but invite me in for the world is not ending today, the world is not ending tomorrow just lay me down and let me drown in your embrace.

Yeah, I definitely need to be better about guarding against those strikes, the pain is starting to get to me, this blows. Oh, dear clouds won’t you sing me a lullaby again?

“Actually wait Myr that sounds like it would be a lot of work. Never mind I’m useless don’t rely on me.”

Wiseup

???
An unobtrusive self, a quiet demeanor, friendly and kind, an easy going confidence, an assuring indifference, that enchanting smile, the reasons given are varied and numerous yet they all describe the same thing. The creeping aura of peace, comfort, tranquility, calm and gentle attraction that has always followed him. Disarming and comforting in equal parts Ishmael's presence gently smothers aggression, a rather useful thing in a school filled with trouble.

[SnowSpartan]

Willow Durand
Location: Zeus High School – 5^th Floor (Music Club)
Time: Noon

Willow watches as the red-headed musician scolds the idol, amusement clear on her face. It’s nice to see that Cynthia has people looking out for her. Undoubtedly, with these musicians at her side, Cynthia will be in good hands. She has no doubt the idol will have a fantastically passionate performance. Willow almost starts vibrating in place as her mind drifts to the song, considering what ways she could bring out its strengths.

As she was thinking, it seems the red-headed musician turned to address her,

“What sort of choreography did you have in mind? Adelyn and I are going to edit this, so it would be best if we knew what the end product might look like. I…uh, just realized that we never got introduced. I’m Xavier. Nice to meet you.”

Willow’s smile widens, now being as luminous as the sun itself.

“Nice to meet you too, Xavier! And you, Adelyn! My name is Willow Durand. Feel free to call me whatever you want, I won’t mind!” Willow gives both musicians a quick bow.

“I’m looking forward to working with you two and to helping make Cynthia’s performance the best it can be.” Willow turns, thoughtful. “As for your question, X, there’s some information that I still need to give a detailed answer. Mostly I’d need to know the venue and what Cynthia is looking for in her performance. Oh! It would also be great if I worked with her one-on-one. That would let me see her strengths on the stage and how I could tailor the choreography to them. What I can say is that I’m thinking there will be some jazz and contemporary influences to fit in with the energy and emotions of Cynthia’s song. Though I must admit that a big reason for those influences is that I have some familiarity with these styles.”

Willow smiles apologetically at Xavier, wishing she had more to give. Not too much work can be done until she has a better idea of what Cynthia wants for her performance. Oh well.

“Give me a day, and I’ll have much more to say. Heh, that rhymes. If any of you want, I could prepare a sort of preliminary demonstration once it's more fleshed out?“

Willow is excited to start working with the three. She bounces on her heels as possibilities come to her. This will be so much fun!

[Eru Erufu]

Aaron Arturio
Location: Zeus High School – Courtyard (North Side)
Time: Noon

Aaron Arturio had been enjoying a lovely boba tea when fate had once more sought fit to thrust itself unto him. It’d been a deliciously fruity mixture of green tea, milk, and pineapple; the kind girls adored and men wouldn’t be caught dead with. Aaron did not care: it tasted good, and bugger what others thought of what an ally of justice used to fuel his righteous escapades.

As our intrepid narrator explained, it was indeed only due to chance and a gut-feeling that Aaron dove into the bushes, straw still in his mouth as he listened intently in on the absolute unjustness going on right next to him. A maiden in danger? Zhongli up to no good? Camila intent on putting someone in the hospital? Ashley… actually, he didn’t know who Ashley was. But she was, without a shadow of a doubt, absolutely up to no good.

Did a hero need any more of a call to action? No, he would assemble tools, learn more about the damsel in distress, assemble a capable team to finally take out the foul and repulsive Zhongli Liu once and for-

Little did Aaron know that while he’d been plotting the foul Zhongli’s imminent demise, he’d been sucking up every last drop of his delectable boba tea. And as straws tend to do once the drink is gone, the last few drops were sucked up with a sudden and sharp sound not unlike that of a motorboat engine roaring to life.

With his hiding spot without a doubt blown, sweat beads on Aaron’s forehead. “A-ah! It seems that I’ve run out of my delicious beverage!” he said in a forced, almost robotic tone. “I’d better go and buy a new one from the cafe. Time to away, it seems…” he stammers out, stumbling from the bush (with the plastic cup still in hand of course. A hero does not litter!) and bolting for Zeus’s main building. Hopefully the bumbling buffoons would buy his story, because he had preparations to make and schemes to set.

‘Hrm… I don’t actually like the sound of the word scheme.’ Aaron thought to himself as he ran. ‘The sound of it is insidious. Most insidious indeed. Far from fitting for an ally of justice like myself!’

Still, if he was to take on the Dread Queen Zhongli, Aaron would need allies. He would need someone as strong, noble, All-American, and sexy as himself. And where else to find such people than on the football team?

[hero]

Masaki Taichi & Eleanor Lansing
Location: Zeus High School – 5^th Floor (Swordsmanship Team Training Room)
Time: Noon


"..."

It's like stepping into a brand new dimension. A graceful yet violent fast-paced dance that vanquishes every aspect it is unable to claim as its own. Even disturbing noises and voices in the background are tossed out of the way and replaced with a peaceful symphony that only contains the rhythmic sound of footsteps and the storming clash of two opposing forces. Trying to capture its beauty in a single moment is simply impossible. Within the walls of this training room, displays of skill last more than they would anywhere else, and yet, the waltz that is swordsmanship often leaves me wanting for more. I offer my thanks with a few discrete claps, before turning my attention to the next match...

... Or that was my intention, but it seems I need to address other matters before that, namely the golden cup of tea staring at me from up-close, and the girl whose name I know only because of the sheer number of times I had to call her out from trampling over Japanese customs. Izabella Lovasz... For someone who fancies herself a noblewoman, her skills as a diplomat fall rather short.

"You should quit calling Japanese students by their first name, Lovasz." I speak my mind without sugar coating any thought. "I am not a big fan of intercultural exchanges... Regardless, people will hardly show respect for your customs if you cannot show you care about theirs as well."

Believing I have expressed myself clear enough, I accept her offer, willing to overlook her mistake this once, both to lead by example and to show recognition to a fellow exemplary swordsman. Such situation would have never taken place outside this room, but since usually show a little more respect to those in the swordsmanship club and I am eager to return to my role as an spectator, I might as well get this out of the way as soon as possible. That said, this tea...

---Doesn't even look like tea at all.

Forget its outward appearance, it doesn't even smell right! Its exotic, foreign aroma already acts as a premonition of its prestigious yet inferior taste. In this case, it's not even Lovasz's fault... Her people have just misunderstood the meaning and essence of tea, giving shape to their mistakes in a single accursed recipe. Alarmed but not afraid, I take a sip of the alien liquid, ultimately becoming the judge of its worth...

"For a special blend, it hardly tastes anything special." I deliver a harsh review. "In fact, I'd say it's missing something. It might be a good idea to experiment with eastern variants."

Leaving this challenge uncorrupted by the foul forces of the west, I can finally concentrate on the match between the Komiya twins. Whereas in the match between Lanser and the President, I focused on learning as much as possible from their interaction, this confrontation holds a different meaning. As their senior, not only do I want to bear witness of their growth up to this point, but also find ways to encourage the progression of their talents.

"..."

As expected, Rumiko is on the lead. When you take the fact that she is the one who designed the style they both have chosen as their own, and combine it with the older sibling's overall physical build and wild personality, it all translates into an advantange that is hard to overcome. Even so, Shinoko is only a single point behind. That alone speaks of how far she has come. Each holds potential in their own way. Now, I guess the question is what should I do? Naturally, I want to help the underdog, but it wouldn't be fair spoil one over the other. That's not the kind of Senpai I am. Therefore...

"Shinoko." I leave the cup in its rightful place, and I stand, calling out to the girl when a proper opening comes up. "Forget the score and focus. Don't let her draw you into her pace. Find your timing."

Kinetic Kendo and Sword Dancer have two things in common and those are that they both rely heavily on footwork and both opt to forego defense in favor of a relentless offense. I'll save the main difference for another time, but for now let's focus on how the essence behind this style naturally favors a swordsman who is direct and straightforward. It makes sense that, at first glance, it suits Rumiko better as both mind and body remain in constant harmony. Meanwhile, Shinoko has a similar mindset to Tomomi, who completes tasks in a well-paced methodical fashion. In short, the problem has less to do with physical frame and more to do with reaching the ideal mindset. Shinoko has to find her own style within the style that she has chosen so that she can confidently swing her weapon and snatch victory. That is my take on it.

"Rumiko. Don't ever think of losing focus now." I turn my attention to the older sibling. "Forget the score as well. Next point takes the match."

Rumiko is high-spirited. That is good. But she also tends to overlook details in the heat of the battle that a swordsman of her caliber should not. In this case, the best method to boost her attention is to raise the stakes. Whereas others might get nervous, granting her a chance to openly prove herself like this in an all-or-nothing bout... I am sure it will turn her into the best kind of opponent she can be.

No matter who emerges victorious, I am looking forward to the conclusion of this match.

[RacingeR]

Johnny Justice & Cyrus Ferdinand
Location: Kansas – Zeus Approach
Time: The Past

“Hah.” The old man looked extremely amused, laughing a little as he saw what Johnny did. The way his bodyguard had shuffled for a moment… could have he stopped the boy from doing what he did? Yet a gesture from Darion had been enough to still him.

“Indeed. Even many men older than you two forget the basic truth of making one’s own luck.” The principal shook his head, amusement still visible in his face. “Luck is a good talent to have, but luck can’t do nothing against strength or schemes by itself. Your capacity to plan… no, to ‘bother making a plan in the first place’ is what truly makes you interesting.”

“And it is a good thing you did so.” He said, suddenly serious. “After all, the next person to step through that door is a woman.”

You felt a chill go down your backs. Almost involuntarily, the both of you turned from Darion to look at the door of the café, that had suddenly been opened, and at the woman that had stepped through it.

The both of you were surprised. After all, you had bought everyone in that café, hadn’t you? Maybe the woman had seen the bet play out and knew the deal was done with? But the question in your minds was answered when the woman took a phone, dialed a number on it, and started ripping into her husband as she walked away.

… Had the principal somehow predicted this? Would you have lost hadn’t Johnny done his thing? Questions that couldn’t be answered.

“Well then. That was fun, Mr. Justice. Mr. Ferdinand.” The principal smiled thinly, no sign of smugness, but maybe satisfaction at having obtained two more students to add to his collection of monsters. “I’ll be waiting for you this Monday. Don’t be late.”

With these words, he entered the café, followed by his bodyguard, leaving you two to take care of your own details before making your way to Zeus next week.

It would only occur to you two, much later on, that you’d never mentioned your surnames in front of him. Strangely enough, you would accept this detail as normal, and would never feel the impulse to question it. It was just how it was.

For you, too, had been witnessed by the shadow of a man.

------

“Those two were quite interesting. Exceeded my expectations, I’d say. What do you think, Mr. Zhao?”

“Certainly, their Deviation Coefficients are more than high enough to qualify. But, are you intending to put them with Liu…?”

“No. There’s no way Ms. Liu would be able to contain that pair. On the first place, these two are inclined to do whatever they want when they want. Liu craves for ‘dominance’ too much for that arrangement to work. I don’t doubt that Ms. Hitachi could’ve pulled it off, certainly, but she herself was the freedom-loving type in the first place. However, we can’t count on her for this anymore.”

“I see. But sir, do you realize that even if everything works as planned, these two would never obey you?”

“Indeed. But I do not mind. A little chaos does any system some good. A pair of wildcards like them might produce a more interesting and unexpected result. Furthermore, there’s no assurance that they might ‘pass’ the test.”

“I understand. Should I investigate their status of guardianship and make the same arrangements as with Freeman, Lee and Shane if necessary, sir?”

“Yes, please. Well, at this point it might not matter much anymore. We shall make our move by this time, next year.”

“Sir? Are you sure?”

“Do you think it is a mere coincidence than those two kids were able to track me down so easily?”

“I thought it was something you had arranged, sir.”

“It was not. I suspect that our enemies have already starting to move behind the scenes. To be honest, I do not fear them. They’re a disappointing bunch that can’t accept that the path to Transcendence is barred from this side of the equation. However, they may compromise our project if we let them run wild like this.”

“Then I shall begin striking at their spies and observers around the school. Any special targets, sir?”

“Get rid of the Teijitsu and the Sixteen ones first. The former are the most troublesome bunch, and if it gets to the point that they summon Amaterasu or any other God, the situation will go completely out of control. And the latter are just too unpleasant. Oh, and don’t bother with the Round Table. Knowing Reign, she probably has her own schemes. That girl is perhaps the worst possible opponent below an actual Transcendent. If necessary, we’ll deal with her once we’re in the ‘other side’.”

“Yes, sir. And regarding Izanami?”

“Hah. If they feel regrets at this late hour, then I shall give them a chance to come at me however they want. Only a few of them will want to betray at this point, so let’s see… that organization you were part of, how was it called again?”

“Orochi.”

“A sense of humor, huh? Fine. They can come challenge me under my own terms. Make that understood for them and all the other groups.”

…

“This is earlier than planned. I don’t think many of the students will be able to ‘pass’. But the Conduit to the other side has been opened already. Zeus has enough Deviation accumulated to attract its namesake. You should rejoice, Mr. Zhao. Soon all our schemes shall be fulfilled.”

“Yes… Father.”

Johnny Justice & Cyrus Ferdinand
Location: Zeus High School – 4^th Floor (Crooklyn Hideout)
Time: Noon

“Fold.” Joaquin Woods spat, throwing his cards on the floor, frustrated. He looked at what was left of his lunch money with a pained expression.

You could hardly fault him. After all, while everyone else had won at least one round and Cyrus had won two.

“Pass.” Camila Shane, a member of Zhong’s gang, sang, a half-smile on her mouth as her arm silently sneaked towards the skirt of the smaller, half-Asian, black-haired girl sitting at her side.

The guys in the room raised their upper bodies from their seats and peered, but-

“Pass.” Ashley Lee, another member of Zhong’s gang, stated plainly as her free arm shot to the side and parried her girlfriend’s attempt to grope her, much to the disappointment of the spectators.

“Ugh… pass.” The third girl of this group of six players, June Blumen, another member of Zhong’s gang, groaned, looking pretty upset at her cards but still soldiering on. It was the first time you met this particular member of Zhong’s gang, and she had turned out to be a rather poor poker player, even if Lady Luck had given her four aces and let her win the very first round of this Texas Hold ‘Em game.

The six of you were the only ones in the deserted classroom that you had claimed as your territory. Today was being quite the slow day for the impromptu gambling ring you had set up there. By now, people should be trickling by, but it seemed that today was going to be a dry day.

Of course, some members of Zhong’s gang would almost always come there. These ‘rebels’ enjoyed their gambling quite a bit, although most of them weren’t able to put too much of a fight. Well, Ashley and Camila were regulars, and they were pretty good. The smaller girl had a pretty good poker face and her redheaded girlfriend had quite the confidence, and was a decent bluffer.

But in front of Cyrus Ferdinand, such things mattered little. When the time came to show hands, his Full House had won over Camila’s Flush, Johnny’s Straight, Ashley’s Three of a kind and June’s Two pair.

“Damn, that was close.” Camila sighed, while the hat-wearing member of the Brooklyn duo pocketed his winnings.

“How come he always manages to have a barely higher hand? Last time he won just because his Full was higher than mine!” June drooped.

“Hell if I know.” Joaquin shrugged. “Want another round?”


Alexandra Gray
Location: Zeus High School – 5^th Floor (Martial Arts Team Training Room)
Time: Noon

“Um, well, you see…” Gwendoline seemed a bit put on the spot. You could see her struggling to find the words she could use to express what she wanted to. “It’s more like, we do need you.”

“What she means is.” Hiyori interrupted, clearly fed-up. “That we need a third fighter in our team.” The blond sighed.

“The only one of our team that can win consistently is Gwen. And now that Jack broke his arm while being stupid…” Jack was one of the bigger names in the Martial Arts Team, a huge broad-shouldered chunky man with quite the strength. “Anyway, you’ve got the talent, believe it or not, and we think we can train you up well enough for the next competition.” She said, putting a particular emphasis on the ‘we’ as she pierced Gwen with her stare, causing the shy girl to look down.

Hiyori’s manners and tone were slightly… well, overly haughty, apparently copying on Ackerman’s mannerisms.

“T-that and the budget...” Gwen added, meekly.

“Yeah, I mean, the reality is that running this club also costs money, you know?” Hiyori explained in an increasingly worsening mood. “Especially all the training equipment. Rosalin is being a pain in the ass about it, we need to show more results if we want a bigger budget. So, raising you would end up benefiting us too, alright? Don’t think too much on it.”

You could tell that despite the fact that they needed your help so irked the blonde, she was being sincere about it, and both of them did truly want you on the team. However…

“Yes, we really need you. Although I can win championships, Hiyori’s just not winning enough, so-“

Gwen’s mouth snapped shut as she realized she had just screwed up. And Hiyori’s expression grew infinitely stormier.


Kaguya
Location: Zeus High School – Rooftop
Time: Noon

“Hogwash!” Mary exclaimed almost immediately. “How couldn’t you be innocent and pure? I can see the Lord’s blessing upon you, thine artistic beauty couldn’t be anything but a signal from Heaven! Thou art someone I must protect from the claws of this pink monster!”

“Hey! How come she gets the different treatment? I am pretty too!” Ludmilla finally started to show signs of indignation.

“Hmph, you are beyond salvation!” Mary said, looking at her… and more specifically at her chest. “You cow! Even the form of your body proves your impurity! It is clearly an evil beauty meant to distract good men and women from the straight path!”

“Huh?” Your friend’s eyes narrowed, and she looked towards Mary’s chest. “Ohh, I see! You’re just envious, aren’t you, flatty?”

“WHA-! HOW DARE YOU!” Mary’s face reddened once again as she crossed her arms across her chest. “H-h-how dare you place your sights upon my pure maidenly body and e-even judge it? You, you- you Whore of Babylon!”

“Whore of Babylon?” Ludmilla blinked at that. “Hm. I like how that one sounds. Whore of Babylon… it has a certain sense of the grandiose to it. Yeah, I think I like that nickname quite a lot.” She nodded to herself. “Thanks, Mary.”

“xjcbnc.” Mary replied smartly, having choked with her own words at Ludmilla’s unexpected reaction to her insult.

[Mormarth]

Alexandra Gray
Location: Zeus High School – 5th Floor (Martial Arts Team Training Room)
Time: Noon

Hm.

I nodded politely through the explanations and hummed neutrally at the mention of Miss Lovell.

So if I was to continuing using the facilities, logically I should have to provide trackable numbers on a spreadsheet to warrant the cost of upkeep, and potentially new equipment, upgrades or repairs to unfortunately damaged facilities.

I sighed, lightly, taking a moment to look at my friend reproachfully for her thoughtless words.

"So, there is a clear and present need for my aid, and I am feeling particularly flattered that you all apparently think I am a potential winner of an actual martial arts championship, rather than merely someone who was a particularly adept communicator in that most primal of languages Man had learnt."

That of course being beating someone around the head until you both understand enough about the other that you stop.

Well, usually.

"Then, I suppose it's fair enough that I'm expected to bring home a gold or two so that everyone may benefit, no? Very well then, I'll step in and help lighten the load."

I paused.

"Oh, and what's gotten old Jack broken again? I thought I'd managed to thoroughly discuss the importance of keeping his head the last time we'd spoken."

[palad1n]

Kaguya
Location: Zeus High School – Rooftop
Time: Noon

Kaguya suppressed the urge to laugh at the scene before her, though if one were to look closely they'd notice the corner of her mouth twitching.

This is actually so much better than she expected! She thought this would be something more serious (and perhaps to Mary it is), but for Kaguya the situation unfolding before her could be called nothing but "cute". Innocence and purity comment aside, she approves of Mary in thinking that her beauty is better than Ludmilla's; her body is, after all, the most noble and eminent in this world, and as alluring as Ludmilla's body is, Kaguya is on the opinion that she's still more beautiful than the redhead.

Playing with her hair as she watched Mary choking on her own words (Kaguya didn't get the 'Whore of Babylon' thing either, it does sounds rather grand), she decides that maybe it's time for her to interfere, because the poor sister's clearly out of her depth in dealing with Ludmilla here.

"Now now girls, calm down." Kaguya stepped between the two with an amused smile, mirroring Mary's own action for her earlier as she shields the nun from Ludmilla. "I'm flattered you're so worried about me Mary, but you've got nothing to worry: I've fended off her 'claws' before, so why not leave this to me? If her comments still gets to you, it's clear Ludmilla is too much for you to handle."

[Frantic Author]

Johnny Justice & Cyrus Ferdinand
Location: Zeus High School – 4^th Floor (Crooklyn Hideout)
Time: Noon

Johnny barked out a laugh, stretching his arms out as he leaned back in his chair.

"You know what they say though!" He said, winking at the people surrounding the table. "Lucky in cards, unlucky in love!"

He paused, scratching his jaw as he turned to look at Cyrus with a frown on his voice.

"Though... Can't say Cy's ever been the type of guy to be unlucky in anything he's put his mind to... Cy, you been holdin' out on me?! Got a set of nice ladies back home that ya didn't want me to know about!?"

He laughed, long and loud at his own joke before looking at everyone with a shark-like grin as he leaned forward in his chair, his heels bouncing off the ground as he placed an elbow on the table, drumming it lightly with his other hand.

"So? What next then? Not that it's unusual for any of ya to visit, but there's always a catch in gangs, right? You looking for an out, or you looking to make an impact?"

Johnny had never paid much mind to the gang. For one, they weren't really much of a gang, more of an endless string of vague acquaintances. Understandable when you've got two hundred under your thumb, but the lack of personal touch...

Didn't that just make it all easier to steal your allies from right beneath your eyes?

"Course, if you're looking for an impact, you came to the right place! Ain't nobody else in this school knows more about letting loose then the dynamic duo right before your very eyes! Whether it's drinking, gambling, or fighting, we're willing to do a little bit of anything!"

Power was in how you exerted it. A friend who would betray you wasn't the kind of friend Johnny liked to keep around himself. Anyone who wanted to leave was free to do so, of course. But walking away always feels wrong when you feel like you're missing out on something spectacular.

[Spinach]

Cyrus Ferdinand
Location: Zeus High School – 4th Floor (Crooklyn Hideout)
Time: Noon

“Always? I lose, sometimes. Nobody wins everything.” The weight of lunch funds felt comfortable in his pocket. Of course, he’d likely be using it to wager, not to eat. But its origin gave it meaning, not just what Cyrus would do with it. “And the answer is knowing how to use my luck.”

Cyrus put his full house facedown and briefly shuffled them.

“You’ve gotta feel when the luck is coming and when it goes. Like the tide, highs and lows. Just think of it as the flow. Sometimes it’s with you,” Cyrus flipped over two cards at random. The eight of spades and the six of clubs. “Sometimes it’s not. Know when, and how to use it, that’s how you win.”

Cyrus put the two back, set the cards facedown, then jostled them around again. He lined up the five facedown cards, then pulled out three.

“Then the most important thing is to know when you’re pushing it too far.”

He flipped over the first two, revealing the eight of spades again and the eight of hearts. Cyrus tapped the third facedown card, then pushed it away. From the other cards he pulled another over and flipped it over, revealing the eight of diamonds.

“After that, start to feel out the opponent’s flow.” Cyrus looked up from his cards toward the girl that had asked the question. “Normally, I don’t even bother answering the question. It’s pointless, someone without abnormal luck can’t begin to use it. But you’re naturally lucky, June. Maybe you’ve never realized it, but I felt it in the first hand. You just need to learn how to use it.”

In fact, her “luck” output might even surpass his own. What she lacked was the edge, the experience relying on it, and the peril to pull it out.

Then, Cyrus glanced at Joaquin.

“Sure about another round, Joaquin? The flow’s not going your way today.”

Cyrus adjusted his hat, his steel eyes peering over at Johnny as the boy built like Goliath posed a ridiculous question.

“Haven’t found a girl willing to bet her future on a hand of cards yet, Johnny.”

Not that Cyrus had been looking for one in the first place.

[RacingeR]

Rika Griffin
Location: Zeus High School – Floor 3 (Hallway)
Time: Noon

“H-hey! You’re the ‘little sister’ here!” Elora argued immediately, although her cheeks flushed slightly at your declaration of cuteness.

Lara seemed like she wanted to comment something at that, but Marie spoke up before she could.

“I think we can all agree that if there’s a ‘little sister’ here, that one is me.” Marie said, smiling beatifically.

“Well… of course you are.” Lara said with a sigh, absently petting her sister’s head. “Guh… I guess I can’t claim it, I’m definitely older… but! Maybe the big sister position will be more advantageous-!”

“No, I am definitely-!” Elora turned towards her, but Bryanna rolled her eyes again and coughed to call the attention back to her.

“Yes, she really is extremely similar to you.” She said seriously, looking closely at you. “The shape of the face is a bit different, and the eyes are a darker green, I think, and her bust is definitely smaller- I mean, err, the body shape also differs a bit too.” She looked somewhat embarrassed at that mistake. “But after I saw her once, and by looking at you, you are similar to a ridiculous extent. It is almost eerie, really… I can’t help but to think that you have to be related somehow, you’d definitely look like almost identical twins if put side by side.”

“I thought you’d like to know, since… well, your parents…” Bryanna looked downwards as she mentioned that, clearly uncomfortable. You didn’t remember mentioning much about your parents’ disappearance in class, although you had told Lara about it, and your closer classmates only knew you’d been adopted into Elora’s family. So, the reporter had definitely looked into your past at some point.


Lorelei Weber
Location: Zeus High School – 5^th Floor (Student Council Room)
Time: Noon

Naïve.

You’d been too naïve.

Some philosopher somewhere must’ve said something about accidentally walking into hell due to merely wanting to help a friend.

If so, you’d wish you could time travel to the past and shake their hand.

“How did the paperwork accumulate to this point?!” Rosalin Lovell, Treasurer of the Student Council, Jozefa’s best friend and the girl who governed how funds flowed to the many clubs and extracurricular activities of Zeus Academy whined as her pen flashed, combating a heaving mountain of paper that looked like it was about to collapse into her.

Good question. Good question indeed, you thought while you processed a bunch of funding request that were, very obviously, going to be plainly rejected. You’d heard that the monthly budget revision was a small slice of hell before, but this was ridiculous even by those standards.

“Well, they approached me during last break, you see! They asked nicely and gave me all these requests and forms and I couldn’t just say no to them! They looked so hopeful! So I told them we’d consider them and brought all of it here…” Jozefa explained contritely.

You exchanged a long-suffering glance with Rosalin. The one who was often called the ‘Dragon of the Treasury’ by students who had watched way too much anime was fiercely protective of Jozefa, and the situation right now clearly demonstrated why that was necessary.

The Pole said yes to any request. Any request, no matter what said request may entail. Even if she showed any initial rejection, she’d end up accepting before long, easily convinced of the fact that her help was necessary. That could be pretty dangerous to Jozefa, but thankfully within the limits of the school nobody would go too far, and the result would just end up being annoying.

Jozefa couldn’t be allowed to be alone. That was why the other members of the Track Team, the members of the Student Council and some friends like you often acted as keepers of some sort, but even then, situations like these arose from time to time.

“Ahaha… don’t worry, Joz, it isn’t as bad as it seems. We’ll get this done… at some point! We just have to keep giving our best. Look, Lorelei’s already done with a quarter of her lot! Geez, I always envy that machine-like way to process paperwork…” Rose Deschamps, the Student Council president, smiled towards you at that last comment.

Overwhelming charisma. That was perhaps a wrong description to make. Rose’s charisma was a bit subtler, something that seemed to emanate from her whole being, rather than just her words and actions. It was something hard to explain, but even someone like you could feel a certain amount of encouragement from that smile. Almost without noticing it, your speed at dealing with the paperwork increased just a bit.

“Not as bad as it seems my ass! Why the hell does the Martial Arts Team need yet another training mat?! I already gave them one last month!” Rosalin growled. “That damned Fontaine! Taking advantage of Jozefa for something like this! I swear I’m going to go enclose myself into a mountain and train until I learn enough Kung Fu to come back and kick her goddamn ass all the way to Sunday!”

“Please don’t go into any mystical mountain retreats for now, Roz. Otherwise, we’re going to be missing your inestimable help to deal with this mess.” Alexander Tanner, Student Council vice-president, commented dryly. “By the way, we’re quite thankful for your help, Weber. Without you this would’ve easily taken us double the time to deal with.”

Alexander dedicated you a brilliant smile. You could tell why he was so immensely popular with part of the female population of the school. He was more towards the pretty-boy side, but he was quite good looking. Shame that his relationship with Rose seemed like a done deal, much to the heartbreak of many girls.

“Still…” The boy brought a hand to his face. “Geez, where did Henry go to? He sure disappeared fast when the time came to work.”

“Oh, I sent him to go talk with Mr. Dawson about the sports clubs budget.” Rose replied, mentioning the name of the school’s Athletics Director. “A lot of them are doing pretty well, and with the American Football Team’s championship last time, we’re really running out of money to meet the goals we promised.”

“I see.” Alexander nodded, and frowned. “Well, I guess someone has to go talk to Fontaine at some point. She can’t keep trying to squeeze money out of us like this, either way.” He sighed.

Paperwork is the Kryptonite of the People. You were fairly sure someone had said something like that before. Karl Marx, probably.


Masaki Tomomi
Location: Zeus High School – Floor 2 (Class 208)
Time: Noon

“Thanks…” Gennadiya nodded gratefully at your help, looking quite relieved. A rare smile floated to her mouth as she used the hints you had given her to change her approach to the problem.

It was hard to say if the fashion comparison had helped. You guessed it somehow had, given her particular nature when it came to the topic, but the Russian girl’s usual lack of verbal expression could make it hard to gauge if a particular bit of advice had helped or not.

Still, now she seemed to be making good progress, although-

“The minus signs, Genna.” Rachel warned in a whisper, and your small friend blushed as she quickly scratched out and corrected her calculations. If there was an advantage to a photographic memory like yours, it was that you never forgot small details like those that could easily ruin an entire hour of hard work for the forgetful.

“And, it is not our beloved teacher who worries me.” Rachel said, stressing the word ‘beloved’ with all the sarcasm she was capable of, although she still kept her voice low. “If it comes down to that I can help Shelia with anything he dishes out.”

“And please. There’s no Shadow Rachel.” She added with a half-smirk. “I’m always honest and forthright with everyone. It is one of my greatest virtues.”

Indeed she was. Yeah. You remembered very clearly how she had lambasted into dust a poor guy who had crossed a limit with Shelia. Honest and forthright indeed. You suspected the boy had never psychologically recovered from that.

However, as she confidently followed your joke, her own pencil tapped the desk seemingly at random.

“The one that worries me is Cynthia.”

So, this was about that blond girl and her rivalry with the pink songstress, after all.

[Airen]

Rika Griffin
Location: Zeus High School – Floor 3 (Hallway)
Time: Noon

"You may be more conventionally responsible, but I am definitely taller-!"

The answer to Elora is teasing in nature, although not the strongest of defenses if one actually thought about it-!

"But you're cute too Lara, very cute!"

The thumbs up she flashes Lara's way also bears a hint of teasing to it, a wink of the eye, and-

"Older girls have a certain charm to them all their own~"

-a questionable remark that definitely toes the flirting line if not stepping over it entirely! Of course she never goes too hard on these sorts of things, perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed about them in her own way? That might just be why her ultimate answer to Marie is a simple pat on the head, something she can do somewhat absentmindedly (or rather, something her subconscious chooses to do once she stops paying attention, because the little one has a strong head-pat energy) as the majority of her brainpower goes towards figuring out exactly what Lara had meant by an 'advantageous' position, but-!

“Yes, she really is extremely similar to you.” She said seriously, looking closely at you. “The shape of the face is a bit different, and the eyes are a darker green, I think, and her bust is definitely smaller- I mean, err, the body shape also differs a bit too.” She looked somewhat embarrassed at that mistake. “But after I saw her once, and by looking at you, you are similar to a ridiculous extent. It is almost eerie, really… I can’t help but to think that you have to be related somehow, you’d definitely look like almost identical twins if put side by side.”

Again, Bryanna draws her attention to arguably more important matters; really, if one was going by this scene alone then the reporter was definitely the most mature out of all of them, staying out of the squabbles everyone else seemed to pile onto instinctively.

Although Rika finds herself smiling with hidden glee at the bust remark, the tiny Freudian slip, and decides right then and there that she can't just let that go without commenting on it later...

“I thought you’d like to know, since… well, your parents…”

But first, this...

"..."

Her silence isn't that of an offended person, no, not a single hint of anger crosses her face at the revelation that her friend had been digging around in her past; her silence is rather that of someone who isn't quite sure how to respond to this information, a thoughtful silence, one that understands where her friend was coming from with this, and wants to make sure that her feelings on the matter would be expressed to her -to everyone- in a proper manner, so that there wouldn't be any misunderstandings from here on...

So it takes her a few moments to answer.

Arms cross, the thoughtful gaze moves up towards the ceiling as if trying to find some sort of answer there, then...

"Well, I can't say I'm not interested in the topic."

That same gaze comes back down, thoughtful frown turning to a gentle smile.

"You don't need to look so worried, I'm past the brooding phase nowadays, I'm not gonna get upset that you brought it up." She shrugs, not nearly as uncomfortable as Bryanna herself about this particular topic. "Any kid would want to know why they disappeared of course, but I try not to let it dominate me nowadays, no use brooding when I already have important people in my life, right?"

A simple enough answer.

Of course, in reality, it's not quite as clear-cut as she says...

A part of her is always going to feel 'off' when it comes to her parents, the sense of abandonment isn't something that just goes away, but...

She was past the brooding phase-!

"Still, if you think we look that much alike, then maybe we are related, might be worth going to see her," arms coming to rest on her waist, the girl grins in a teasing way as she leans ever so slightly towards the reporter, "But if I have the bigger bust, that means I got the better genes, right?"

She winks.

"Got an eye for the little details, eh Bry~?"

...Yep.

Couldn't help herself.

[Erlkonig]

Masaki Tomomi
Location: Zeus High School – Floor 2 (Class 208)
Time: Noon

"Sticks and stones, no, Rachel?" Tomomi put a hand to her mouth and giggled, a gossipping schoolgirl to the everyday onlooker. The facade didn't waver, even as she processed the unspoken beats that Rachel passed between them with stuttering pencil taps. "I must admit my envy. I would never be able to muster the courage to be honest and forthright to our teacher. My frail thighs would not be able to endure Hunt-sensei's spanking."

Beneath the superficial banter, Tomomi's brows depressed in the barest hint of a frown.

Tap, tap, tap, her pencil went.

"Are you thinking the brat might act out of jealousy? She didn't seem like the type."

Within the privacy of their conversation, Tomomi peeled away any veneer of politeness when Cynthia Flag became their target of discourse. No insult was intended, however. Cynthia Flag was, without a doubt, a brat. Perhaps not a hateful one, but Tomomi could not think of someone that let petty jealousy get in the way of friendship as anything more than a contemptuous petulant child.

A moment's silence transpired as Tomomi made a show of going over her sheet one more time, as if she couldn't immediately pick up where she had left off. She spun some strands of blue hair and weaved them around her finger in a lazy circle, seemingly frowning at the sheet while her pencil clicked against the desk once more.

"Though I suppose she is passionate enough about that she could upset Shelia in the backlash of whatever scheme she has."

...Tomomi's lips tittered with a thoughtful, vibrating hum.

"I think she's more likely to hurt herself than Shelia, but that leads to a chicken or egg scenario. Look at you, taking empathy into account. I'm shocked."

"Oh, the woes of keen temporal awareness, will the dawn of lunch break ever grace us with its presence?" Tomomi bemoaned, flashing Rachel a brief smile before she groaned out a yawn. "Here we are, scurrying like rats to find release from this dungeon of sadistic miseries. Will the monotonous arithmetic torture ever end?"

Tomomi let her head slump against the desk, her smooth cheek squishing against the cold wood as her hair dropped from it like a gleaming waterfall. A narrow pout found its way to her lips as her legs swung back and forth, making playful kicks at the air.

"...There is only one way to make up for this." Her eyes recovered their light as she declared. "No meager cafeteria offering will wash the spoiling bite of this nightmarish period. Today, you shall feast on my cooking! Made with the trademarked love of the Ultimate Little Sister (self-proclaimed)."

She glanced between her two friends and gave a little cough, finishing the speech with an awkward deadpan. "Ah, but only if that is alright with you two."

Her little act done, she signalled Rachel one last time.

"We can go somewhere private to talk about it, if you want." Then, with a reassuring grin-

"But, you are Rachel after all. I'm sure you're already thinking of a plan."

[Vorbis]

Lorelei Weber
Location: Zeus High School – 5th Floor (Student Council Room)
Time: Noon

Lorelei sighed as she settled in with a massive stack of paperwork. This was going to take a while. By the count of the stacks she thought... an hour, at least, to get all of these things signed. The others weren't quite as efficient as she was, moving and settling one unkempt pile into another, much neater, well signed pile. Of course Lorelei wasn't a part of student council, but it's not like anyone would be able to tell it was her boxy handwriting signing and annotating these papers. Really, Jozefa needed to go through her friends more, rather than her 'friends'...

"Buy a set of stamps for next break. Manual signage is unnecessary if you can get my help. It would improve your speed dramatically. Consider having requests fileable only through a club administrator, for... expediency." Lorelei talked coolly, though a bit of sarcasm is betrayed in the end of her sentence. Not ten minutes in, and she's already down a fair amount. Her handwriting is fast, efficient, and a bit soulless.

Her mutual glance with Rosalin betrays some amount of understanding in Lorelei, an acknowledgement of just how much Jozefa needed someone nearby to prevent her being taken advantage of like this. All this just over the break, which wasn't even that long. How had she gotten this much over such a short span of time? Because Jozefa just didn't know the word 'no'. Though she didn't really share many interests with the weeaboo, making sure Jozefa wasn't being taken advantage of was a common ground she could respect.

She looks over to Rose when she hears her name mentioned, and gives something of a smile to the comment. "Thank you; it's merely experience. You'll get better with time, as long as Jozefa is so, generous..." Another paper down, Lorelei's fingers moving faster with the compliment... odd. She wasn't used to talked directly to. She had a small following of people around school who thought she was cool, but that was purely by accident; when you don't care about anything, you seem jaded and unflappable, something which others in school seemed to think was a positive trait. So sometimes she would find herself adjacent to these people, but generally she would find herself alone again.

Still, it wasn't the worst being in a cooperative setting such as this. Not that she enjoyed doing paperwork. She was dull, she wasn't psycho. But working on a problem with other people was always nice, even if she would rather this didn't happen. Jozefa you fool...

After the comment of her signing papers in a machine-like fashion, and while she wasn't thinking about it, one of the papers gets signed Maschinenmädchen instead. She sets it atop the stack, not noticing she'd signed with her old nickname again.

A thought occurs to her, and she might as well help one of her fellow Jozefa handlers.

"A mountain retreat is too extensive. Sign up for Judo club and learn pins. You could learn to break arms in two months, Rosalin." Her brief respite ends, and she sighs as she pulls another paper from the stack, the erroneously signed one flitting off the filed pile onto the desk - but it goes unnoticed by Lorelei.

When Alexander addresses her, her eyes turn to him, and she sees his winsome smile. Lorelei may be cold and machine-like, but she felt her heart beat a little faster from that. Alexander was quite attractive, she couldn't deny that at all. A bit of a shame he was with Rose, but it's not as if she was interested in rocking the boat. And despite some interest from boys for being both fit and 'cool', Lorelei tended to be more of a wallflower in that regard. It would take too much time...

Though she did find herself wanting to offer more solutions to their problems, so Lorelei mulled over an idea in her head for a moment, looking up at Alexander again. "You could just show her this and tell her if she wants more funds that she needs to help file some of the excess. That should scare her off." Paperwork was Kryptonite...

If it was Karl Marx who said that, she didn't think she'd shake his hand, like the first philosopher. Most people were scared of paperwork. Lorelei was not. With each paper she wrangled, she felt herself growing more powerful. This was her element. Not that she would ever sign up for Student Council, that was too social of a club. Volleyball and Basketball were more than enough stimulation.

One of these days, maybe Lorelei would be one of those people with a quote. But the most inspirational thing she could come up with presently was 'Complaining about work doesn't get it done'. Though to be fair, she wouldn't be here talking to people if Jozefa hadn't once again dragged her along for something.

Next time Lorelei was going to remember to ask Jozefa what she wanted from her -before- agreeing to it. Even if Jozefa'd crawled her way into her empty heart, she needed to at least keep some semblance of dignity.

"Once I'm done with all of these I can go find Henry, unless you'd rather I continue on another stack. Talking isn't part of my skillset I suppose."

Turning back to her work, she was about a third of the way done now. Talking was a distraction. She continued, but noticed the errant paper she'd misplaced. She reached to pick it up...

[RacingeR]

Neru Sune
Location: Zeus High School – 4^th Floor (Class 409)
Time: Noon

Your teachers’ eyes twitched as she saw what you did, but she let you work, evidently intending to lambast you and destroy both you and your work together in a bath of nuclear hellfire.

Your work was quick and rough. You weren’t specifically someone artistically inclined, but you often excelled when you felt particularly inspired by your nightmares, and this was definitely one of these times. In fact, as you took a step back and looked at the canvas, it was hard to not think it hadn’t been one of your best pieces.

Not that people ever enjoyed being exposed to a slice of your nightmares, but this particular slice was very aesthetically pleasant, in a demented and strange way. You chanced a look at Ms. Polley, and you felt a chill go down your spine.

Her face was hard and severe… even more than normal. An unpleasant sharpness had appeared on her golden eyes, and she looked almost wrathful. No, you’d seen her ‘wrathful’ as many times as you could count, and so had everyone in the school. This one was different, yes, it was almost as if…

As if she was horrified by what she was seeing.

She took a few long steps, arriving at your side, and in a moment, the canvas had been practically ripped away from you and rolled into itself. In fact, Ms. Polley looked like she wished to destroy it right this instant, but had decided against it for the moment.

The red-haired teacher gave you another sharp, withering glance, then announced to the classroom in general: “You all can go on to lunch break. The homework for the next class is- no, it doesn’t really matter. Go.”

Having said her piece, Carmine Polley turned around, took a deep breath, and left the classroom, still clutching your painting as she did.

Of course, after such a daring deed, you (who usually were mostly treated as a part of the background in class, if an annoying one at times) got quite a lot of praises and pats in the back, and a bunch of commiseration from your peers who thought that you’d pay for your daring next class. Well, Ms. Polley was definitely the type that would exact a painful price upon you for your open defiance no matter what, but…

It’d been strange. Too strange. And why did you feel a strange sense of finality from her words?

No matter, you had avoided punishment for now, and you had the entire lunch break to do whatever you wanted to.


Aster Hunter
Location: Zeus High School – Courtyard (Tree Garden)
Time: Noon

Both sides starting trading invective with each other, while Jane remained against the tree and tried to make herself as small as possible. The faces of the Tennis Team’s members became uglier and uglier as time passed, as Cecily’s tongue turned out to be far more acid than theirs.

Of course, the situation soon broke down. One of the boys let out a loud scream to the tune of “how dare you, bitch!” and ran to Cecily by himself. He definitely was new to Zeus, relatively speaking. The others had been hoping to intimidate the redhead with numbers rather than with actual violence, because they knew rather well how an actual fight would go. But this one didn’t.

Cecily reacted almost by sheer reflex. One moment she’d been standing there, angry but her stance relaxed, and then the next moment, her knee had slammed into the stomach of the boy with such strength, that the poor guy flew back a meter or two before collapsing on his knees, retching in pure agony.

That was a ridiculously strong kick. Although the girl definitely had a small body, her legs were a lot more muscular than you’d have expected from her frame. A kick from her would spell trouble even for you, much more for a bunch of sportsmen that you suspected weren’t quite as fit as they should be.

Well, while the other teams and clubs in Zeus usually matched the elevated standards set by the school, you’d heard pretty bad rumors about the male Tennis Team before, and they seemed to be living up to them.

The other four were predictably infuriated. Jane tried to plead with them to stop, but they paid her no mind. “Get the bitch!” The boy who’d tried to play white knight, and whose intentions for Jane had nothing of pure, commanded, and the four of them ran towards Cecily, swarming her with numbers.

And to make matters worse, another three boys, seniors by the looks of them rather than equal in age to the girls, surged from the trees and made a beeline for Cecily too. You hadn’t detected them, but they also hadn’t detected you, the angles of your approaches had made you mutually invisible with them.

Really… eight boys counting the guy puking his guts out on the turf against one girl. That was one hell of a scene to witness. Quite ridiculous, really, but then again Cecily Ridley was well known as a good brawler in the school. Those three had probably lied there in observation to keep their guys from getting hurt, and now that they had so obviously failed in their simple task, they let their wrath free as well.

And to be fair, Cecily gave as good as what she got. Her leg lashed out once more, hitting someone on the knee and causing them to yelp with pain. She flowed with the hit, half-spinning and slamming her fist into someone’s face and taking them down.

She got hit twice, reeled back, and suddenly elbowed one of the approaching seniors in the gut. Not enough to take him down, but enough to push him back. And so, she kept dishing attack after attack, even as her body got punched and kicked. She was definitely a street fighter, and a good one, accustomed to dealing with numerous enemies, but six boys, all of them bigger than her, were more than she could deal with by herself.

Hell, she practically had no space left for her much vaunted kicks. The fight would be over the moment she got grabbed.

Really, this situation was quite extreme. One had to wonder just how far Cecily’s bad luck went. For something this absurd to happen when she was picking on someone helpless…

Well, Zhong was going to be pissed. If one of her subordinates got roughed up like that, you could basically predict most of these guys and their team would wake up tomorrow in the hospital. The question was, what would you do now?


Jordan J. Jones & Aaron Arturio
Location: Zeus High School – Courtyard (Football Field)
Time: Noon

“Oh, fuck off, Jordan.” Lizbeth growled as your poking forced her awake. She swatted at the air, and very well could’ve easily swatted you away like a fly if that had hit you, but you wisely flowed away from her and towards the Rain brothers.

“Oi, why the fuck do I gotta be Luigi?” Will complained immediately. Of course he’d focus on that from all of your discourse, but at least judging by the coloring in his cheeks, he’d actually gotten stung by your reminder of his tactical blunder. Which was just perfect, since that was the part that mattered. Not getting competitive over a videogame reference.

“What are you even talking about?” Nathan rolled his eyes. “Don’t start up some weird rumor about a girl or something like that! Why, what even made you even go there, dude!” He complained, sending you an annoyed glance. “Even if that were a thing, it’d be none of your damn business! The same about my muscles or whatever! What? What are you guys laughing about?”

But the rest of the team was busy having a laugh at the face he’d made in reaction to your wild claims. You could feel the mood of the team lightening.

Lavrenti sighed, although he discreetly winked at you. “I’m afraid that’d be quite the bad idea, Jones. What we’d need the least is having to start training the coordination of the line from zero. Although if some of you guys don’t get your ass on gear quick enough, I’m really considering bumping Duncan up to first string.”

He eyed the linemen, who stopped laughing and looked aside sheepishly.

“Really, everyone is here because we, all of us, are the best athletic talents Zeus has to offer for American Football. We’ve got one of the best backs in the nation, we’ve got a very tough line, we have the ability to crush everything in our path. We just need to become able to use what we have. And the only way we will be able to is with more training, not by giving up halfway through.” The captain spoke, his sharp eyes running over the team.

“HA! WELL SAID, PETROV!” Kian’s voice boomed like an earthquake, causing the locker room to shake. Lizbeth grunted as she gave up on napping. “There ain’t nothing that cannot be accomplished with enough hard work and guts! Leave it to me to get the guys in the line in shape. I’ll make men- and a woman- out of them all!”

“Very well. That’s reassuring to hear, Mr. Philips. Alright. Nathan, you’re going to be stuck with Jordan. He’ll be a linebacker this time around, and your training today will be over when you manage to get past him even once. If I can’t count on you doing your own training, then I’ll have to change my methods to something harsh like this. And as for you, William-“

And then the meeting was interrupted when Aaron Arturio, who had successfully left his would be pursuers behind by running away like his ass was on fire and his hair was starting to catch, burst into the scene.


Myo
Location: Zeus High School – Courtyard (Track Field)
Time: Noon

“Hey, Myo!” The moment you arrived to the locker room at the side of the Track Field, a tall girl, currently wearing nothing but her underwear waved at you, quickly approaching you.

You used your reflexes and speed developed as an assassin to get as far from her reach as you could.

Sonia Flaherty was very friendly. She also didn’t quite seem to understand things like ‘inhibitions’, ‘shame’ or ‘taboos’, and she liked to hug her friends as a greeting. You’d once been hugged when she’d been wearing less than she was now, and you’d endeavored to avoid a repeat of that experience.


“Sonia! Don’t hug Shi without permission! And go finish changing!” Kirstin Wallis approached, already wearing her practice clothing, and told her friend off.


You’d never understand how those two had become inseparable. Kirstin was Sonia’s complete opposite: stiff, formal and very concerned on having everyone follow her morals, which… definitely contradicted Sonia’s normal behavior.


“Aww…” Sonia looked downcast as she went away to put her practice clothes on. She seemed to find you cute for an arcane reason, and tended to treat you as a sort of mascot to dote on.


And speaking of mascots… you scanned the throng of still changing or still getting ready girls, but it did seem that the captain was indeed absent today, still busy with the Student Council. Jozefa Czajka was naïve to the point where she seemed to need someone to keep an eye on her to stop her from being taken advantage of, a role a bunch of the girls here seemed to also fulfill. But she was definitely more mascot-like. Very like a puppy, really.


Kirstin, Sonia and Jozefa were the more noticeably members of the team, aside from you, of course. The subject of who was faster, Jozefa, you, or Jordan J. Jones from the American Football Team, was a hot topic within the athletic circles of Zeus sometimes.

“Sorry about that girl, Shi.” Kirstin apologized. With the exception of Sonia and Jozefa, she always used the surname to refer to other people, and ‘Shi’ had been the fake surname you’d provided with your papers. “How’s your day been going?”

Curious. Normally this girl wasn’t unapproachable, but she wasn’t the type to make small talk, either.

[Tangerang]

Myo
Location: Zeus High School – Courtyard (Track Field)
Time: Noon

“Hey, Myo!”

The moment Myo arrived, Sonia quickly began approaching her, and just as quickly Myo began moving away. As far as people went, she was fairly harmless, but Myo had no particular desire to be 'greeted' by her again, unless necessary.

“Sonia! Don’t hug Shi without permission! And go finish changing!”

“Aww…”

Kirstin admonished Sonia, who complained a little but nonetheless seemed to follow her orders.

"It's not really a problem..." Myo muttered as she scanned the room to see who else was present in the room. It did not appear like the track club president was not here. So it seemed like Jozefa was still at the student council meeting then.

Apparently, there were arguments about who the fastest in Zeus was, her, Jozefa, or Jordan from the football team. It was an argument that Myo did not care much about. Or more to the point, it troubled her. Standing out in such a fashion was something that she did not desire. She regretted running as fast as she did during the initial tryouts. But given that she was here based on her 'talent' at running, she couldn't deliberately run at a slow speed. It was too difficult gauging how fast would be good enough to 'qualify' but not fast enough to 'stand out', and in the end she failed. Still it didn't seem to have created any issues in the end, which is a relief.

“Sorry about that girl, Shi. How’s your day been going?

Myo paused what she was currently doing as thoughts quickly raced through her mind. It seemed like a fairly standard, innocent question to ask, but it also did not seem like the kind of question that Kristin would normally ask, as far as Myo could tell. Or did she perhaps simply misread her character? Was she overthinking things? Or perhaps Kristin also had things on her mind, leading to this uncharacteristic greeting?

Was she 'Shirai'?

But that's not what was important. Instead what was important was how Myo should react. She was still playing the role of an ordinary schoolgirl. She can't give anyway that would jeopardize her goals.

"Fairly normal by my standards, I'd say. Nothing particularly exciting or surprising on my end," Myo said casually. "How's your day been so far? Anything interesting happen?"

[Zagrin]

Aster Hunter
Location: Zeus High School – Courtyard (Tree Garden)
Time: Noon

Aster continued to calmly watch as the spectacle before him continued to unravel, a bored expression adorning his face as the conflicting sides continued to spit venom at one another. It was only when Cecily had changed her stance and delivered her counterattack to the sportsman’s reckless advance that caused Aster to raise an eyebrow.

Hm. She has some potential.

Unfortunately that blow seemed to signal the end of the show, as not only did the remaining four sportsmen that had not fallen for her vitriol joined the fray, but another three had suddenly appeared and rushed her from the trees. These new participants appeared to be older members that were from the same club as the first five. It seemed that the cowardice of the junior members of the Tennis Team extended to its seniors as well.

Thus did the ‘fight’ slowly become more and more one-sided. Certainly, Cecily was still trying her best to fend her opponents off, but she had clearly been put on the defensive. No matter how hard she tried, If things were to continue as they were she would, without a doubt, lose. Aster could only think of one would to describe the situation:

“Pathetic…”

Aster loudly made this proclamation as he walked forwards, making his presence known to all. Those words were not aimed at the members of the Tennis Team that were using such cowardly tactics, but rather at Cecily. In fact, Aster seemed to be completely ignoring their presence, his eyes directly locked on Cecily as he continued.

“When I had been offered to join the gang, I was led to believe that it was a place for the strong who thrived on violence and yet…I now bear witness to this? Make no mistake, your stubbornness to survive in such a situation is not without worth, but that does not excuse the weakness that you are now showing. Weakness for which there is no place in the gang.” Aster crossed his arms, as he continued his tirade at Cecily’s expense. “Surely, you are capable of more than this, capable of handling such feeble opponents?”

With his piece said, Aster once more leaned back on a nearby tree to continue to observe, seemingly unconcerned with how his intervention may have drawn the ire of either Cecily or the Tennis Team members. Any newfound anger or hatred that Cecily may have formed as a result already had appropriate targets to which she could channel such ire. As for the Tennis Team…they already feared Cecily enough that they would opt to challenge her eight to one, surely none of them would be so stupid as to raise a hand against Aster? That is unless they no longer had a use for it.

Impact Guard prepared.

“Now don’t disappoint me again, girl, or these fools shall be the least of your worries.”

[RacingeR]

Masaki Taichi & Eleanor Lansing
Location: Zeus High School – 5^th Floor (Swordsmanship Team Training Room)
Time: Noon

Eleanor:

“I see.” Kaitlin nodded, smiling wryly. “I do agree with you, for the record. I don’t like your methods, but I agree with your meaning.”

She sighed, and shook her head. “I told him talking to you about it wouldn’t help much, but he wanted to bring up the topic nonetheless.”

Although she’d said she agreed with you, and she truly did, the fact remained that both of your worldviews were quite different. Kaitlin still believed in chivalry, striving for the fairy-tale knight ideal you had discarded long ago.

You had discussed with her at length about this before, during your long stay in the school. You found her ideals to be too naïve, and she’d found yours to be too cynical. You could agree with each other most of the time, but the gap in worldviews remained there regardless.

Still, the redhead understood where you were coming from, and you had the feeling that she often felt concern towards you and acted to look out for you. Even if you thought you didn’t need it… it was probably just how this girl was.

Still, she was far from being a social giant herself, and you wondered why Alexander Tanner had set her for this, since you’d expected him to come to admonish and preach to you at any moment. He must’ve been truly busy with student council matters.

“I think we can do something about you participating in the team, eventually. There’s still a lot of room to argue about your probation, and we do have enough influence on the school to do something about it.” She said. “Still, the very public nature of the incident makes it hard to do something immediately. I think we can’t do much about you missing the next competition, but that should be the extent of it if nothing else happens…”

“But what worries me is…” The redhead lowered her voice this time. “We can be sure that Zhong and her gang are going to retaliate for this.”

The incident had involved one grunt of that gang, after all, and you’d done quite a number on him. The problem was that it’d happened with quite the audience, and there’d been a lot of witnesses. Zhong’s gang had an annoying tendency to avoid having their deeds witnessed and reported even if everyone knew that they did what they did. This was normal here and you had to accept that this was normal. But it didn’t mean you couldn’t rebel against it.

Still, they were sure to target you directly now, if only to make a statement.

Taichi:

“My, is that so? I apologize then.” Izabella bowed her head slightly towards you. But you were sure she’d forget to call you by your surname again before long. It didn’t even seem like she did it intentionally. She just was that way, and whether that made it more annoying was hard to say.

“I see, so this tea is no good for your palate.” She seemed hardly insulted or even offput by your cold attitude or your harsh words. “Eastern huh? Maybe I should experiment with Oolong next…”

You turned your attention to the dueling twins, leaving the other girl talking to herself.

Both girls barely made a nod of acknowledgement to your words, their attentions fully centered on each other. Rumiko immediately charged again, her speed going up a gear as she rammed against her sister.

Shinoko parried the attack aside, and delivered a careful counter, which was easily fended off by her sister.

The same exchange occurred similarly about ten more times, the sisters dancing around each other and probing their defenses, and the younger twin still held the advantage.

Shinoko couldn’t attack carelessly for fear of counters. It was annoying to admit, but Alexander’s style went quite well with the sisters’ kendo style, especially with Rumiko, given her borderline superhuman agility.

However, Rumiko herself had trouble scoring the hit she needed. Her older sister was a lot more stable, and her stance, by virtue of being less offensive, was solid. She saw each attack coming, regardless of the angle, and parried it skillfully, letting it hit the air, or merely blocked it. Yet, she simply didn’t have the space to land a counter, and her own offensive was tremendously lacking against her sister’s speedy defense.

At that moment, you noticed the match was already decided. Rumiko was certain to win, if just by momentum alone, and you noticed Shinoko was already starting to attack less and defend more against strikes that would overwhelm her eventually, if just by sheer number.

“Komiya’s got the match.” You suddenly hear Izabella say. You risked a piercing glance at her, and she smiled slightly. “I mean Shinoko.” She corrected.

At that moment…

Rumiko charged once again. You turned your head, and followed her movement, tracing the slash with your eyes. It was aimed at her younger sister’s shoulder, and you knew it would be turned aside barely, although it would push Shinoko back.

And indeed, it was so. Rumiko smiled victoriously as she stepped back to ready another attack-

When Shinoko suddenly stepped forward and slashed.

It was a simple slash, extremely forceful, but it was deadly. The smaller twin had used her more stable stance to force herself to deliver this simple strike that carried the entirety of her strength, aimed at the moment her sister’s stance was at its most unstable. It simply mowed down Rumiko’s bokken aside, and shattered her posture entirely.

The bigger twin panicked, and tried to step back again to rearrange her stance, but it was simply too late. Her sister’s bokken was pushed into her chest, and she fell to the floor on her butt.

“I did it! Senpai!” Shinoko held her bokken on high in celebration.

“Awww… there goes my winning streak.” Rumiko lamented, sulking on the floor.

Interesting. Shinoko’s attack had been completely different from her style until now. Still, how did Izabella predict this victory? Even you hadn’t seen it coming, even more due to the simplicity of the move. Rumiko’s advantage had been just too big, after all.

[Eru Erufu]

Jordan J. Jones & Aaron Arturio
Location: Zeus High School – Courtyard (Football Field)
Time: Noon

Aaron, true to form, marches himself right to the head of the football team's locker room, planting himself firmly beside the team's Russian captain. Gracing the Eastern Bloc footballer with a nod, the hero-by-night turns his gaze on the assembled team with a face set in grim yet passionate determination. "Fellow students! Olympians! You are the pride of Zeus and America both; your exploits bringing honor to our nation with every victory! Though your current record may not be-" the flamboyant young man coughs into his hand. "as awe-inspiring as it normally is, the fact remains that you are prime youths! The pinnacle of American spirit, even those of you from alien lands."

Like a certain starship captain ordering his crew to warp, Aaron thrusts his hand forward towards the assembled Olympians. "I come to you today seeking aid! Though you do not know who I, Aaron Arturio, am, everyone knows the mighty Olympians of Zeus! Like the thunder of the heavens, your stampede across the astroturf strikes fear into the hearts of men and lust into the hearts of their women!" Taking a single step forward, Aaron stamps his foot on the ground for emphasis. "I come to speak of the foul, the cruel, the vile Zhongli." Spitting the name of his most hated enemy, Aaron nonetheless soldiers on through the wave of nausea the mere thought of her caused. "I have been made privy to tidings most ill: the Zhongli has gone too far this time!"

Making a point of looking into the eyes of each, likely bewildered, team member individually, Aaron continues speaking. "The Zhongli targets a fair maiden, a fellow ally of the American spirit! Rhodes, formerly of the school newspaper, is in imminent danger! I know not what she did to provoke the Beast's ire, but the barbarian and her ilk promise a retribution most foul for naught more than journalistic endeavors!" Aaron, understandably enraged (at least in his own mind) at the prospect, is visibly shaking with righteous indignation. "Tell me footballers, keepers of the most patriotic of American sports, will we simply stand by and let such a travesty happen right under our noses? Will we let gangland strip us of our Free Press, or will we stand and fight? Know that I will assume full responsibility for the execution of my most noble and just plan, and beseech the school's administration to expel only myself should it come to that. This cause, the cause of justice, is worth my own pain!" It was for this reason that Aaron did not assume his nightly mantle. Obscuring his own identity would protect him from retribution, but what of his would-be allies? No, a true hero would not abandon those loyal to his cause.

"Because I have a plan." Aaron holds up his smartphone for all to see. "We need evidence for the police to do anything. And what better evidence than a woman's text messages? If we obtain the Zhongli's cell phone, we obtain justice!"

[Katie]

Eleanor Lansing
Location: Zeus High School – 5^th Floor (Swordsmanship Team Training Room)
Time: Noon

“While I appreciate your efforts, Kaitlin, I expect my probation to last quite a bit longer.”

Eleanor looks at the other girl. Maybe a long time ago, she bore the same idealism. The idea that through institutions and justice, there would be a better world. But if those very same systems turned a blind eye to whatever was happening at Zeus, they were no allies of hers, and she refused to abide by their terms. Eleanor gets up from her chair and idly stretches, cracking her back. Better to be limber for the upcoming disaster ahead.

“As you’ve said, they’ll come for revenge. And I have no intention of cowering away to avoid the consequences.”

Eleanor has nothing against strength in numbers, but she thinks it’s unsightly how they flocked like hyenas, waiting to scavenge on whatever prey they saw was weak. And they would attack her in droves, to set the world’s flimsiest example. Of what? That they need five to fight one and claim it was necessary? Pathetic.

“I’m going to get an early dinner from the cafeteria,” she says, grabbing her stuff, moving to leave. “Hopefully, the next time you see me, it won’t be in the infirmary. I’ll try to not cause more trouble than I find necessary.”

With that, Eleanor makes her way out, firmly expecting the worst.

[Bloble]

Jordan J. Jones
Location: Zeus High School – Football Team Locker Room
Time: Noon

A few bad jokes could bring anyone's spirits back up. Jordan J. Jones knew that well. He bounced on the balls of his feet, cackling and dodging out of the way of an irate swipe or protest, finding refuge among the team's laughter.

"What, still snoozing, Liz? If you were awake you might've gotten within the same postal code as me!"

As he teased his teammate further, Jordan's grin grew wider and wider. Yes, this was how it should be. Everyone would cheer up from his silly antics, then Lavrenti would turn their energy into something productive, like a real leader. He'd make a speech, and Coach Phillips would chime in after seeing the crisis over.

Then the captain would start assigning special exercises.

"Alright. Nathan, you’re going to be stuck with Jordan. He’ll be a linebacker this time around, and your training today will be over when you manage to get past him even once."

"Oof, that's rough." Jordan offered Nathan a pat on the back. "Don't worry man, we can go out for pizza or something after - wait, what?" He blinked. "Me? I gotta train extra too?"

Oh the injustice of the world.

"Now hold on, Lav. I got - I got stuff to do, right? Can't you get, uh, like-."

Just then, the door to the locker room slammed open. A student, breathing heavily after having run across the school, stood in the light shining inwards.

His eyes glimmered, he opened his mouth, and...

THE FUCK IS THIS GUY SAYING

"..."

Silence.

The strange new student's impassioned yet incomprehensible speech was met with a stunned silence. He had single-handedly killed the mood.

Jordan looked to his left. To his right. Nothing. Everyone was too confused. Hell, he was confused. Might as well try to figure it out, then. "So lemme get this straight," he said. "Um... Arturio." This guy was new. Not a footballer by any means. Jordan didn't know him at all. "Zhong. Like, queen bitch gang leader Zhong, is going after Rhodes. Chamellia Rhodes. Superspy Rhodes. You know this, somehow."

Okay, all normal up to there. Chamellia was one of the girls Jordan had yet to talk to. He'd heard of her reputation though. An ex-reporter type who'd dug up lots of dirt on Zhong's gang and gotten a few of them expelled. That alone made her cool in his book. Must've put her in Zhong's shitlist too. But the next part...

"So you ran here. To the football team. 'Cus we're awesome. To ask for help." Jordan paced, rubbing his forehead as he pushed his brain cells together to decipher Aaron's insane speech. "And you need help to... get Zhong's phone. So you can look at her texts. So you can get her expelled. Even though she's for sure got a password on that thing."

This was where everything broke down. Who just announces a crazy plan like that? Jordan had trouble wrapping his mind around it. Where did you find the kind of moon logic necessary to come up with such a course of action? Only at Zeus, he decided. Only in a school full of weirdos.

"Look... Aaron. Arturio. Dude." Jordan walked over and patted the boy's shoulder. "Hate to break it to ya... but Coach Phillips is right there." He jabbed a finger towards the tall man. "If anyone helps that plan of yours, we're all getting expelled. And most of us got scholarships to worry about. Besides, we train for sports. Not to be some kinda student vigilantes."

It was impossible from the start. Even Jordan couldn't smile and joke around about this. He sighed.

"Just leave it, man. If you heard something, report it to the teachers and they'll deal with it." No they wouldn't. Everyone knew that. Even Phillips.

It wasn't like he didn't sympathize. Trying to help out a girl in trouble was downright chivalrous. No one here would disagree. But, simply put, no one in the room wanted to risk their own hide picking a fight with a bunch of dangerous maniacs. Even if some of those maniacs were ex-Olympians themselves. Not even that grudge would make them budge. Jordan knew that for sure.

He looked up at Lavrenti and the coach and nodded. "Come on, I'll walk you to the principal's office. You can tell the guys there what's going on." He cast his gaze around the room. "Anyone wanna tag along and look tough in case a redhead wants to ambush our witness? Good way to get half an hour free of training."

Jordan, now behind Aaron, casually threw an arm around the boy's shoulder.

"That'll be justice enough, right?"

His fingers squeezed.

No, they seemed to say. It wouldn't be justice at all. Which was why he had something else in mind entirely.