MechA cademy [IC/PG-13/Co-Hosted by Skaia/Not Accepting]

[LordCowCow 839]

Kansuke

"Are you done?"

The girl's shoulders began to shake as she tried to contain her laughter. Her hand moved in front of her mouth as she leaned over and struggled to contain it. A few moments later she took a deep breath then looked Kansuke in the eyes.

"You've got a lot of nerve for a newbie." She said. "Usually I like that. Maybe down the line you can join up with me. But right now I think that it'd be a good idea to show you where you stand." she nodded and suddenly the males on either side of Kansuke stood and grabbed him. Roughly dragging him off the bench and, as his head went towards the ground, grabbed his legs and lifted him up.

They held him tightly as the girl walked around the table, taking her time, and ended up standing in front of the upside-down boy with her fists on her hips. If Kansuke were to glance around he'd notice people watching and whispering. Several of them, more specifically some of the girls he yelled at, were badly trying to hide small smiles.

"Alright newbie. I won't be too hard on ya. You couldn't know any better. But you gotta keep it in mind that no one messes with Tor Garell. Got it?"

---

Erica

"Ah, excellent." Merlin said as Erica gave her answer. He gave a short bow and swept his hand out. "In that case I have the perfect place. It's a bit of a walk but I'm sure that's no problem yes?"

He then led her out of the school grounds and into the city. Many people were moving about. Vehicles raced overhead on the sky-road as well as on the ground. While they walked Merlin talked. "The city is so full of life you know. It's easy to get lost in it. Not just physically but mentally as well. So much to think about and do. But there's one place in particular that I like to bring...new people."

The destination turned out to be a rather tiny cafe. It was easily missed as it stood between much more grand looking buildings.

As they entered Erica could hear soft, jazz, music playing quietly as if in the background. There were only a handful of booths and no tables. Only one pair, sitting off in the corner, were there.

The person at the counter looked up and gave a small laugh. "Another one? Take it you want the usual?"

"Ah, none for me, sorry. But if you'd like anything just let me know. I'll pay." He flashed Erica a smile and headed off to one of the booths.

---

Vivian

The man let out a sigh and straightened himself out as Vivian made her way towards him. He was sweating and his chest rose and fell rapidly from the running he had just done. But he raised up both arms in front of him as if to block an incoming attack. Though Vivian was aiming lower than expected and the man grunted as she kicked him right in the side.

"Fuckin brat." He growled, his crazed tone from before gone for a much more rough, gravelly, one. He then went in for a swing at Vivian. He didn't look particularly muscular but his reach was long and his jab was quick.

Behind the girl the woman was closing in. She reached for her side and pulled out a small cylindrical object. With a flick of her wrist it popped out, revealing a foot-long metal baton. "Shoulda just listened to me kiddo. Shame we're gonna have to get our hands dirty but what're ya gonna do."

---

Sammi

The boy, whose name has still not been stated, trembled slightly at Sammi's announcement. He tried to argue, to say he didn't want to go, but her expressionless face brokered no argument and he just lowered his head and went along with her.

Once they got to the school he muttered directions, hiding behind the girl best he could, which led them around behind the dorms to a strangely dark area.

Three other students, around the boy's age, were standing there leaning against the wall and talking among themselves. They were the type of people to warrant a brief description but were clearly not meant to be much more as their appearances were rather vague and generic.

Two taller boys and one shorter, but muscular. The muscular one wore a baseball cap over his shaved head and the two boys had slightly messy, brown, hair. They could be twins if there was enough importance to them to get that much backstory.

The muscular one noticed the two of them first. "Hey, Kaiser, took you long enough...But where's my stuff? I told you to bring that back not some girl. What gives?"

The boy, evidently named Kaiser, shrunk even more behind Sammi, and stammered out an unintelligible answer.

[ZetaRESP 5]

ERICA KATRIANNE SAPPHIRE (RIKA KATORIAN SAHIRA)

Erica looked the city and was somewhat impressed, but not really surprised of the place. She heard before the place was not an abandoned place, so she expected life to be there. She felt somewhat relaxed of not being in the reach of the youkai right now. She saw the cafe, however, and she had the feeling this may lead to discomfort. The fact the place had boots was... well, not that strange. Cafés back at Asari also had booths instead of just tables.

"Another one? Take it you want the usual?"

"Ah, none for me, sorry. But if you'd like anything just let me know. I'll pay."

"Tea. Green." She stated in a pretty droned way, as a way to try and be as little amicable as possible, not wanting any emotional response to come out. That was a sign that she was finally calming down and getting back into her normalcy. And her normalcy was telling her to be wary of any advances Merlin may had on the booth. She sat down across him. "So, you mentioned to have information, right?" She kept a serious gaze upon him. "What do you know about the Heliosians?"

[ChampionZero 62]

"Oh my god-- You are so RIDICULOUS!" Kansuke's voice rose so the whole room would hear him. They had him held up by his ankles, but his boots were tall enough he could probably slip out of them if he managed to get a little slack while they weren't paying attention, then unclip the tops fast enough-- especially since they didn't bother to restrain his arms.

Glancing at the guys backing her (and hoisting him) up, he threw as much attitude into his complaining as he could, so they would focus on his face, which was beginning to tic from restrained anger, and not his feet, which were trying to slowly, unnoticeably raise (well, technically lower) his heels so he could slip out as soon as he needed to. He only needed to buy a few seconds-- and he was speaking loudly, so the whole room could hear what he was saying.

"You talk like you're this total badass, but you see one first-year people don't like and you feel threatened? And what's with your guys stringing me up like this? You can't hit a moving target, or do you think you'd lose in a fair fight?"

Either she'd take the bait and they'd let him down for a fair fight-- not that any fight with him could really be fair-- or she'd take a swing at him and he'd have to get out of those boots fast. He just hoped his core muscles were strong enough to get him out of the way before she could land a hit.

[LordCowCow 839]

Erica

"So, you mentioned to have information, right?" She kept a serious gaze upon him. "What do you know about the Heliosians?"

Merlin's smile twitched slightly but it was back a moment later. He chuckled as he leaned forward. He reached out and took Erica by the hand with both of his. "Now now, we can save all that serious stuff for later can't we? No need to rush things after all. How about we get to know each other before diving into all that business?" His smile flashed, almost dazzlingly, and he leaned in a bit. "After all we only just met. Don't you want to take things slow."

They were interrupted briefly as the waitress set a cup of tea in front of Erica. She glanced over to Merlin then back to the girl. "If you need anything else let me know. Especially if this boy gives you any trouble okay?"

Merlin gave a laugh and leaned back, letting go of Erica's hand if she hadn't pulled away already, and he shrugged. "It's not my fault such a beautiful creature appeared before me. Is it wrong to be a little curious?"

---

Kansuke

"You talk like you're this total badass, but you see one first-year people don't like and you feel threatened? And what's with your guys stringing me up like this? You can't hit a moving target, or do you think you'd lose in a fair fight?"

The girl's eyes flashed. Then she snorted. The snort turned into a full blown belly laugh. The two guys holding Kansuke laughed as well. Their laughter was quieter and more a chuckle but it caused their hold to be shaky and Kansuke would find himself lightly hitting the ground with his head several times before the girl snapped her fingers and told them to get a grip.

"Threatened? Oh, no, no no no. You misunderstand. I don't think you're a threat. But if I just go around letting any upstart act tough then that makes me look weak. People might start to think they can do whatever they want, without my permission, and I can't have that can I? I'd have to spend all my time beating them down and that's just no fun."

Tor nodded and the two let go of Kansuke, letting him fall awkwardly to the floor. "As for fair fight, that's the problem, a fight with me isn't fair at all to a guppy like you. So why don't yo-"

She stopped mid-sentence suddenly and her gaze turned towards the doors. A frown formed on her face.

A young man with red hair and a rather severe expression came into the cafeteria.

He didn't say anything. Didn't so much as glance their way. But Tor's eyes followed him with a frustrated animosity in her expression as he walked around to the kitchen and got some food. As he turned his eyes flicked over towards Kansuke for a moment before moving to sit at the nearby table that they had just been sitting. "The floor is cleaned regularly but you should get your clothes washed anyway. And be sure to get rid of those wrinkles." He then started eating his soup slowly and methodically.

[ZetaRESP 5]

ERICA KATRIANNE SAPPHIRE (RIKA KATORIAN SAHIRA)

Erica saw him advancing on her. She was expecting it a bit, but she was not really wanting it. Actually, she was totally not wanting it. "Now now, we can save all that serious stuff for later can't we? No need to rush things after all." She felt a bit of discomfort from his touch and her instincts told her to swat him with his fan and leave, but she was not willing to get in troubles now after that thing happened. "How about we get to know each other before diving into all that business? After all we only just met. Don't you want to take things slow." She was mentally counting before she would present his face with her tessen... well, they are made of metal junk, after all, she can call it like that as well. Before she would do something, though, the waitress returned with the drinks.

"If you need anything else let me know. Especially if this boy gives you any trouble okay?" Erica simply nodded knowingly before the waitress left. As she pulled her hand from his grasp she simply sat down and took a sip of her tea. She was going back to her no-nonsense attitude and she was out for answers.

"I shall let you know I am not interested in any romantic relationship now. I am interested on what do you know about the entity that captured me back then."

Edited December 29, 2019 by ZetaRESP

[Chaos Sonic 442]

"Er, yeah, maybe. So that actor guy. Really seemed to rub you the wrong way. Kinda surprised you didn't say nothing when that uh...what's his name, the big dude who yelled at him. The student all the girls have been glaring at. When he got up in his face."

"Oh you happened to notice that?" Chase asked, snickering some with a bit of a shrug. "Yeah, I'll be totally honest, as much as I wanted to say something myself, I've sort of learned to keep my tongue under wraps with that." he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Then again...that's not too much saying for myself at the current situation..." Chase specifically referenced their little spat there, just because of this little scenario and the fact he didn't control it that time.

"Regardless, the fact that someone else decided to get into Weston's face...that's something in itself." Chase continued, shaking his head. "Just goes to show ya that a good portion of people don't get sucked into the whole celebrity and they don't like him at all."

[yui 574]

"Fuckin brat."

The man swung out at Vivian. She would have been surprised if he didn't, all things considered. That's why she was ready for him to strike out, though he did move a bit quicker than she would have guessed. She was able to get an arm up in time to let it take the brunt of the attack, but not quite soon enough to stop him entirely from delivering a punch right in Vivian's face. If she was a particularly strong type, this would be the part where Vivian grabbed his arm and swung him behind her, giving her time to grab her purse and jump up to the fire escape behind the man to make a clean escape.

But a particularly strong type Vivian wasn't.

"Shoulda just listened to me kiddo. Shame we're gonna have to get our hands dirty but what're ya gonna do."

"You could try giving me my purse back before I beat up both of you and then call the police."

But she was agile, and had a pretty good set of legs to use. And so, Vivian grabbed the man's arm all the same, but rather than trying to throw him, Vivian jumped up, bringing her knee with her, looking to knee the man's arm hard enough to break it. If it was in self-defense, it would be fine, right?

---

"Hey, Kaiser, took you long enough...But where's my stuff? I told you to bring that back not some girl. What gives?"

"Your alcohol is in the security booth, where it belongs," Sammi deadpanned. "If you're so upset over losing something you shouldn't have had in the first place, you could always try getting it back yourself. I'm sure that would go perfectly well, and it will certainly get more results than pressuring somebody else into doing something you're too afraid to do yourself." Counting off offenses on her fingers, the robot girl continued "It's not like you're drinking underage, bringing alcohol onto a school campus, using intimidation, and trying to become a repeat offender. If you want to go for five, knowing your type, you'll probably try to resolve this by assaulting another student now that I've called you out. Quite impressive for a day one rap sheet!"

[Skaia 578]

Stella was still unsure what to make of the man's method of repair, but was all  the same thankful for his demonstration. Thinking there was still much for her to learn as well, the girl couldn't help but smile as Kelsey seemed to be in overall higher spirits as the duo made their way out of the shop. Unfortunately for the both of them, Vivian was nowhere to be seen as the two left. She couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about just leaving her roommate by herself, but she was also curious as to where the girl had wandered off to. So, Stella sent the girl a quick text. 

Hey Vivian, just left the mechanic shop.

With that out of the way, she turned her attention to where Kelsey had been pointing. While Stella was more partial to just waiting around so that her roommate would know where to look for them, she could tell that Kelsey was curious about it. So, figuring it would be easy to just text where they were when Vivian responded, Stella smiled to Kelsey saying, "sure. Though, let's try to stay on the edge of it." With that, Stella made her way to where the commotion was to check out what was going on. 

[LordCowCow 839]

Erica

Merlin sighed. "So you're that type are you. I should've guessed that from the start. Lapse of judgement on my part." He flashed her a smirk and continued "Perhaps was love that clouded my mind." The smirk vanished and he shook his head. "Alright, alright, I understand. All business with you. I suppose I can enjoy that too in some way."

He leaned back and clasped his hands in front of himself. "I'm not sure how much more I can say. I don't think it's entirely right to say it captured you. That implies it was targeting you specifically. I think it would have grabbed anyone it could. The Sandman is a tricky thing. If I had to guess I'd say it was some leftover from some half-devoured spirit. It doesn't seem all that malicious, it doesn't really attack anyone, and it only pops up from time to time."

Merlin gave a small laugh. "Just another thing that makes this school unique I'd say."

---

Chase

"I wouldn't say a good portion, seems a bit optimistic." Sid said with a shrug. "Way I see it it's the minority. I get the feeling that guy is gonna have a rough time of it. I just wanna know what he's doing here. Guy like that probably doesn't do anything they don't want to."

There was a sour look on Sid's face as he spoke about it. "Ah, whatever, who cares about some silver spoon dandy." Sid ran his hand through his hair. "So what, uh, what're you planning on doing? Last free day before we have to deal with school crap. Planning on messing with that design cra-stuff more?"

---

Vivian

The man cried out in pain as Vivian struck his arm hard. "You vicious little brat." He hissed at her. His eyes glaring with a venomous expression. While she was still holding onto him he managed to twist himself out of her grip in a fashion similar to an escape artist magician. "You're gonna pay for that one. Get her!"

His partner, behind them, stepped forward to strike at Vivian with a blow from the baton in her hand. But then she let out a shout that was cut short and when the man glanced over Vivian's shoulder he found that the woman was nowhere to be found.

The man backed away and, one arm hanging limply, pointed at Vivian with the other. "What did you do? What did you d-ack!"

Right before Vivian's eyes the man was lifted up into the air and vanished over the roof of the nearby building.

There was a silence until she heard the noise of a lighter clicking.

Leaning against the wall was a gangly looking man with tired looking eyes holding a cigarette.

He took a drag from it and nodded at the girl. "Kids should be careful. Shouldn't go run off on your own like that." His voice was gravelly, and Vivian had to listen closely to hear it.

Another drag. "Scum like that are all over. Hard to clean the streets up with them multiplying like they do."

A third. "But they won't bother you. You got friends? You should find em and stick with them."

He hesitated then pushed off the wall. "Name's Stone, Glenn Stone. People call me Massasauga." He started to pass her by. "I'll see you around the school, kid. Stay out of trouble."

And then he was gone. She didn't see him leave but in his place there was instead what looked like a trash can. As she watched the can lifted up slightly and started walking down the alley.

---

Sammi

The three boys stared at Sammi for a while, mouths agape, before looking at each other. Then they broke out in laughter. "Are you serious? Kaiser, where'd you get this chick? She's a RIOT." The lead boy walked up to Sammi and poked her shoulder hard. She saw his face wince and he seemed confused for a moment before getting back together. "What does it matter if I break some rules? We're gonna be mech pilots right? The people on top of the food chain. What's some rules to us huh?"

A chorus of "Yeahs" and "You tell her." followed.

"So why don't you just skip on back to your flower patch girlie and let me and Kaiser have a nice little man to man talk, eh?"

---

Stella and Kelsey

"sure. Though, let's try to stay on the edge of it."

"Aw, come on, you gotta dive into these things." Kelsey whined. Though she conceded the point to the other girl. She grabbed Stella by the hand, making sure she grabbed with her real hand, as they poked around the edge of the crowd.

No one seemed to be paying them much attention. Mostly looking off in the other direction and talking among themselves. "What was that?"

"Some girl just plowed through, how rude."

"Kinda looked like she was chasing someone."

"Really? Thought someone was following her actually."

"Should we call the cops?"

"Eh, I'm sure it's nothing."

Kelsey glanced over to Stella. "Think your roommate might've found some fun of her own while we weren't looking. Sure you just want to stay at the edge?"

[ZetaRESP 5]

ERICA KATRIANNE SAPPHIRE (RIKA KATORIAN SAHIRA)

Erica was decidedly not in with the "uniqueness" she found herself tangled with back in the elevator and she really expected to get any form of clearing about the situation so she could move forward, but it seemed that was not going to happen. She made a mental note that Merlin was "not entirely trustworthy", which may make her attempts to gain information from him to be a bit more on the hard side. She did pay attention to what she deemed pertinent. "Half devoured spirit" was the part that stuck with her the most. If only because there was a popular legend of such in her home town, actually. "So, your 'Sandman' may be a hanshin, from the sounds of it." She took a sip of her tea. "Or, at the very least, he acts like one."

[ChampionZero 62]

Kansuke kept perfectly still for a few moments, frankly paralyzed by a combination of her absurd logic and the sudden appearance of a guy who she clearly found distracting for some reason, but provided the least helpful advice for the situation, so it would seem Kansuke was still on his own.

"Yeah, not helping, Private Pastel." He grunted as he stood. "As for you, rewind a sec-- if you let other people act tough, it makes you look weak?" He glanced around the room, half-smiling as if to say 'are you guys hearing this?' or 'get a load of this freak'.

"Are you people actually afraid of princess cranky paws and her Faberge ego?" He looked back to her, then shook his head. "Look, I was just trying to eat my food in peace, but if I'm such a challenge to your "authority" then come get me." He lowered himself into a combat crouch. "Unless you're a scaredy-cat."

Kansuke forced his expression to remain cocky, but the ticking had moved to the right corner of his mouth, and it was tugging downwards. I say that, but my odds aren't great here. I could probably outmaneuver or overpower her. She looked tough for a girl but I've  been training in hand-to-hand for the better part of a decade-- by an ex-military man. I'm sure I'm strong enough, fast enough, and most importantly smart enough to take her down. but there are two problems: One, these implants are still inhibiting my ability to count, and the other is the fact that she has... one, two, three-- backup, she has backup.

Edited January 3, 2020 by ChampionZero

[LordCowCow 839]

Erica

"So, your 'Sandman' may be a hanshin, from the sounds of it."

Merlin tapped the table with his fingertips as he thought over Erica's words. "Hm, hm, the word sounds familiar." He said, gaze drifting as he pulled back into his memories. "Ah, I think I know what you're referring to. I think there's a misunderstanding. This isn't a spirit like a ghost, something that was alive, this is something that is, and always was, just that. A spirit. Things that covers every inch of the universe in some way or another. I'm not an expert on the subject but that's what I can gather."

There was a buzzing sound and Merlin checked his phone. He slapped a hand to his forehead. "Oh, whoops. I forgot we had plans..." He looked up at Erica. "Sorry for this but I really have to get going." He stood, then gave a sly smile, "Unless you'd like to come with. I'm sure I can convince them that company could be more interesting..."

Soon after, whatever Erica said in response, Merlin left. Making sure to pay the bill and leave a large tip on the way out.

Spoiler

If you want more from Merlin before he goes ask me so I can get some lines. Also if Erica decides to stay there Merlin will promise to pay for whatever else she gets. Otherwise figure out where Erica wants to go next

---

Kansuke

As Kansuke glanced around the room he found it impossible to catch anyone's eyes. As he looked at them they'd all suddenly find themselves looking at the floor, the wall, their food, anything but at him. Except for the girls he had yelled at who were still giggling at his expense.

Look, I was just trying to eat my food in peace, but if I'm such a challenge to your "authority" then come get me. Unless you're a scaredy-cat."

"Tch, see? This is what I mean. You brats sure do get uppity before you get beat down don't you?"

Tor cracked her knuckles and got into a stance of her own. The young man from before glanced up "You know fighting isn't allowed." He said. Though he just went back to his food right after.

Despite the lack of action Tor seemed to hesitate slightly as he spoke. Then, with a low snarl, he nodded towards her lackeys. They formed a human wall between the seated student and Kansuke. "Alright, let's get this over with quick. You're so hasty to take a beating why don't you come and get it?"

[ZetaRESP 5]

ERICA KATRIANNE SAPPHIRE (RIKA KATORIAN SAHIRA)

As Merlin vacated the table, Erica remained there for a bit longer in order to finish her tea. She did not like the response about the presence being, for the sounds of it, a kami, or rather an akuma due to the circumstances. She sighed heavily and retook her tea sipping until she was done. She didn't like to rush her tea. After that, she stood up, bowed to the people and left the place. She decided to go sightseeing, looking if there was a garden or something where she could go and check. The fact she was in the middle of a living city so far from home was a bit overwhelming but she was not gonna hole herself in the academy, specially not with that in there, probably waiting to catch her by surprise.

[ChampionZero 62]

Kansuke grinned back, his confidence rising again. That confirmed it. He'd directly told her to come and get him, but instead she was trying to goad him back. How were these people afraid of her? Her logic alone was a mess, she was probably a brute-force fighter.

He raised his hands to his center mass, open-handed. He was ready to counter anything she threw at him. He had enough room to sidestep, so he could use her momentum against her. Flip her over, put her in an arm-bar, sweep her legs out... so many ways to disable the enemy, which was the right one... She seemed well-rounded, but lacked the disciplined attitude of a martial artist. She probably fought with her fists, so taking her off-balance would be good. "You're the one who wants to put me in my place so bad, you come and get it...

"Kitty."
 

[Skaia 578]

As the duo made their way into the crowd, what the commotion was about soon became apparent. With the the people seeming to think that there was a girl involved in either a chase or an escape, Stella quickly became concerned and such concerns were swiftly voiced by her friend. Sighing, Stella couldn't help but feel two emotions. One, that her friends in general seemed to be a magnet for trouble. The second was a sense of dread and guilt for having left Vivian by herself and something potentially dangerous happening to her. So, in a bit of a panic at the thought, the girl said, "well, no. Not now. We have to trouble to get involved in." Though, the girl was not exactly sure how she would deal with any trouble that they did run into.  

Thankfully, at least for Stella, there was no trouble to be seen. Instead Vivian seemed to be alone by an alley. Definitely a concerning sight in of itself, but that her roommate didn't seem any worse than when she left her, it was definitely a relieving sight. "Sorry for - well," the girl stopped herself, not really sure what she was apologizing at first but then just simply asked, "there was some commotion and well, was that you? Are you alright?" 

[yui 574]

The woman assailant let out a noise, and certainly not one of aggression! Vivian turned only briefly to see what was up, to find... she was gone? Then she heard something from the man's direction. And... he was also gone? Vivian didn't let her guard down. If anything, it was more up than ever right now. And then she heard a voice. It was hard to make out, but not impossible. She looked at the source, to be met with a man she'd never seen before.

"Kids should be careful. Shouldn't go run off on your own like that. Scum like that are all over. Hard to clean the streets up with them multiplying like they do. But they won't bother you. You got friends? You should find em and stick with them."

"Th, That was my plan now, yes..."

"Name's Stone, Glenn Stone. People call me Massasauga I'll see you around the school, kid. Stay out of trouble."

Mr. Stone then. The man - who had abruptly been replaced by a trash can that started walking away - must have been a teacher! Was it just her, or was this school's staff full of weirdos and Mr. John? Oh well. Wasn't it the case that weird people were the best at what they did? In that case, this school clearly had the best teachers! And Mr. John. For now, reuniting with her friends was a good idea. But first, Vivian had to check her purse!

So engrossed was she in ensuring that nothing was stolen, that she didn't even register Stella & Kellz's presence at first. "Keys, wallet, mhm, mhm, so far so good... oh man. That was my only one. Well, I can just buy a new one anyway."

Well, aside from one very replacable item that didn't really have any sentimental value, it seemed everything was there and accounted for. Good thing she kept the cheap stuff on the top of the pile of items in her purse, after all. It was then she remembered, her friends were here! Zipping up her newly-recovered purse, Vivian gave the pair a warm smile and a friendly wave. What was it Stella had asked, again? Something like...

"There was some commotion and well, was that you? Are you alright?" 

That. Yes.

"Oh, I'm just fine! Had a bit of trouble with somebody trying to run off with my purse, but I got it back a-okay. With a bit of THIS!" she exclaimed, springing off one of the walls and demonstrating the kick she'd led off her fight with to the pair. "And some of THAT!" she continued, showing off the move she'd used to break the man's arm just moments ago. "And then someone showed up and made them both disappear. I could have handled it though." They weren't impressive or anything, but all the same, Vivian held out an arm to flex it, putting her other hand on her bicep.

"Remember that compulsory service I told you about when we first met? I got some CQC training in before it was time to catch my flight here, and coupled with all that exploring and climbing I do, I'm pretty capable of holding my own in a scuffle. Would've had even more training if my birthday was earlier in the Colian year."

---

The boys were laughing. Did they think she was funny or something?

"Are you serious? Kaiser, where'd you get this chick? She's a RIOT." He also seemed surprised to be met with metal when he poked her shoulder. Sammi's gaze didn't falter as she continued to stare down up to the boy's face. "What does it matter if I break some rules? We're gonna be mech pilots right? The people on top of the food chain. What's some rules to us huh? So why don't you just skip on back to your flower patch girlie and let me and Kaiser have a nice little man to man talk, eh?"

Still unblinking, still unflinching, Sammi replied "You don't seem like much for conversation. By 'talk,' did you perhaps mean your fists will do the talking instead of your mouth? That would be the assault I talked about just now. I really don't care what happens to Kaiser, but people who can't follow basic rules or take action themselves irritate me. And you would probably split a knuckle if you tried to 'talk' with me, right? Why not actually talk this out, perhaps over a cup of tea with some herbs from my flower patch? I've heard foxglove is really good for a daring man's tea."

And an incredibly stupid man's tea.

[LordCowCow 839]

Kansuke

"You're the one who wants to put me in my place so bad, you come and get it...

"Kitty."

Kansuke heard a couple students gasp at that last word, and a few began to whisper among themselves, shaking their head at his word choice.

Meanwhile Tor didn't seem too bothered by it. It seemed she almost expected it. She glanced over at the boy who was sitting at the table. He had started to focus more on the two of them and was just starting to get up. She winced a moment but shrugged. "Your funeral." She said as she moved.

She was fast. And her movements seemed graceful yet powerful. Much like the tiger that she shared some physical traits with. She closed in on Kansuke in a moment and went for a hook with her fist. Though even as he reacted to that motion she paused, shifted, and swung her leg out. Snapping it into Kansuke's side with startling speed. He felt something crack as her leg made contact with his ribs and he was pushed to the side. The next thing he knew the girl's hand, almost claw-like, had grasped his face.

And then he woke up in the infirmary once again. The nurse sighing and shaking her head. "Twice in one day. Not a record but I wouldn't aim to top that. Seems you don't have any permanent damage at least. But I hope not to see you three times before evening."

She leaned in and waved her hand in front of Kansuke's face. "I hope classes will distract you enough to keep you out of trouble."

She stood back up and turned her head. "Thank you again for bringing him in, you didn't have to wait here though."

Over by the door, leaning against the wall, was the red-haired young man from earlier.

---

Kelsey and Stella

Kelsey was relieved to see Vivian unharmed. Mostly because she knew that Stella would feel better about it. She patted Stella on the head "Looks like there was nothing to worry about eh?" she said.

She grinned as Vivian described what happened. "Oh really, so you're a bit of a fighter after all eh? Maybe we should test that out sometime instead of our mechs, could be fun..."

Her voice trailed off as she noticed the trash passing her by. "Um, is that trashcan...." Suddenly the can stopped moving and settled and, for some reason, Kelsey felt ridiculous for having thought it was moving. "Must've been my imagination."

She looked back to Vivian. "Well anyway, looks like you got all the fun today. All I got was...er, all I got was meeting some wack-job mechanic." Kelsey scratched the back of her head awkwardly but soon shook it off. "So was that enough adventure for you two, or do you still got some gas in the tank?"

---

Sammi

"What, you some kind of...rule book or something? Ha, Kaiser you brought a little rule book along with? How lame can you get. You were supposed to get my stuff back and you didn't. You know what that means."

Kaiser was shaking a bit, staring at the ground, and stammered out "I-I d-don't want to help you break r-rules."

"What was that? Speak up! You trying to stand up now? Cause this girl is here?" He cast an annoyed gaze at Sammi. "Well fine then, since it's all her fault, why don't I start with her then. I don't mind hitting ugly girls."

Kaiser gasped "W-wait!" But it was too late, the boy had cocked his fist back and then swung it directly at Sammi's face.

What happened then was to be rather comedic however the amount of kind of comedy that ensued would, of course, be up to Sammi herself.

[ChampionZero 62]

Kansuke placed his hands over his face and collected himself as he sat up and swung his legs off the bed, trying his damnedest not to scream in frustration as he tallied up the day's events. He got half his year on his bad side by giving that actor kid an attitude, then he got his brain stuffed full of machines, he got his ass kicked by that cat chick for having a personality she disapproved of, and he didn't even get to finish his sandwich.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Kansuke winced as he got to his feet, his pride as bruised as his midsection. He definitely underestimated that girl...

I won't make that mistake again...

But more importantly-- he turned to the boy in the doorway. "So you brought me to the infirmary, but you didn't do anything to talk down that freak?" He wanted to add, 'some help you were,' or something like it. Something to preserve what little dignity he had left in this situation... but he didn't. Instead, what came out of his mouth was, "Thanks... you're better than those spineless choffers who just watched. Just don't think this means I owe you anything, a'right?."

[Skaia 578]

Stella just stood there with a somewhat humoring yet speechless smile as Vivian went on to describe how it was that she managed to get away from her pursuers. She was certainly not expecting the photographer from the jungle planet to also have some manner of martial arts under her belt, though since arriving at the academy the expression about books and covers never seemed to be more true than now. All the same, it had seemed that she had been in some form of danger and had managed to get out of it both unscathed and un-stolen from which had been a relief in its own. "Well, good job fending them off, and glad to see you're fine. Though, do be more mindful of your surroundings and where you have what you have." They were in a city after all. The part about them disappearing was a cause for concern as well, though, Stella was fine to not really poke at that beast of a topic either. 

Stella couldn't help but chuckle, though, as Kelsey seemed raring to fight her roommate now that she knew that they had some kind of combat training. While Stella of course did not really condone it, she couldn't but find her friend's excitement at the prospect both endearing and relieving in a way. As Kelsey then brought up their own adventures, Stella couldn't help but give a slight chuckle, though her expression seemed to still be one of disbelief as she said, "yeah, I learned that...there's still many things I need to learn today. And yeah, we should probably head back about now, right?"

[yui 574]

"Oh really, so you're a bit of a fighter after all eh? Maybe we should test that out sometime instead of our mechs, could be fun..."

"Maybe..." Vivian didn't want to curb Kellz's enthusiasm by breaking it to her that, generally speaking, she only fought out of self-defense. And even knowing what that prosthetic arm could do, fighting someone with one at all felt... unfair. No matter how strong it was, there were some things you could only do with good old flesh and bone, after all. But if she thought of it less like a prosthetic and more like a non-lethal weapon... "Sure! We can spar it out sometime!"

"Well, good job fending them off, and glad to see you're fine. Though, do be more mindful of your surroundings and where you have what you have."

"Well anyway, looks like you got all the fun today. All I got was...er, all I got was meeting some wack-job mechanic. So was that enough adventure for you two, or do you still got some gas in the tank?"

"Yeah, I learned that...there's still many things I need to learn today. And yeah, we should probably head back about now, right?"

"I've had enough action for today, too. We could totally stop by a store or two on the way back though, to see if we can't find anything to pretty up those creepy box dorms with." And a convenience store for some snacks, perhaps? Those sorts of things were hardly an adventure, so surely there would be no objections, right?

---

"Well fine then, since it's all her fault, why don't I start with her then. I don't mind hitting ugly girls."

Now that was just plain rude. As the boy cocked back his fist and then swung forward, Sammi tilted her head back a bit. Before suddenly swinging it forward, slamming her metal head into the boy's flesh and bone hand with a satisfying clang, and not really being any the worse for it. That had to hurt. "It's your fault for doing all this in the first place, you simpleton," Sammi sighed, checking her forehead for any dents with her hand. Didn't feel like anything was there. Her other hand then swung up, slapping the boy right across his face. "And immediately resorting to violence will get you nowhere. I don't feel like putting up with you, so how about we meet halfway? You drop this whole thing, and I don't get you expelled."

[LordCowCow 839]

Kansuke

"So you brought me to the infirmary, but you didn't do anything to talk down that freak?"

The young man stared blankly at Kansuke's accusation. Then proceeded to shrug off his thanks. "I didn't do anything really. I don't like seeing fights. It's against school rules and she knows that." He paused for a moment then proceeded "It's best to avoid her. It could be worse if you encounter her and I'm not around."

He didn't sound condescending in his statement. Nor arrogant. It sounded more like he was just stating a fact.

The nurse cleared her throat. "Well I don't know what you're talking about. And I didn't see any rules being broken. That said, I hope I don't see you back here again today." She looked Kansuke over once more before letting him go off.

The other student, when the nurse said that Kansuke was fine, gave a nod and left. He didn't seem to be in a rush nor did he seem to care for continuing the conversation.

Spoiler

You can still catch up with him if you want. Either way make sure that it's clear what Kansuke is gonna be doing next so I know what, if anything, to post next.

---

Kelsey, Stella, and Vivian

"I've had enough action for today, too. We could totally stop by a store or two on the way back though, to see if we can't find anything to pretty up those creepy box dorms with."

Kelsey looked at Vivian, then Stella, and then let out a sigh. "Fine, fine, guess that's that then. Maybe I'll set out after you old grannies take your nap and have some fun myself." She winked at Stella as she said this. Then, putting her hands behind her neck, she laughed. "Seems even cities out here have their share of thugs, don't it? Shame. Wish somebody would do something about that..." She smirked as she walked, taking the lead in going down the street, expecting the others to stop her if they came to a place they wanted to go. "Maybe I should get a costume and fight crime or something." She glanced back. "Either of you want to sew something up for me?"

Spoiler

Yeah, if you want to do more, you're gonna have to let me know.

---

Sammi

The boy howled and looked at his hand. It was already red and somewhat swollen and he kept glancing back from it to Sammi. He heard what she said but it didn't seem to change his startled and angry expression. "What the hell kinda chick you hanging out with Kaiser?" He glanced back at the other two who were eyeing him in confusion. "This chick has a metal face. Fucking hell, what kind of freak are you?" He glared at the girl. "I won't forget this, you weirdo, and you too Kaiser. Next time I catch you you'll regret it!"

He then took off.

The other two didn't move. Then looked at each other. Then took off after him. Having not said a word as a proper pair of lackeys.

Kaiser shifted awkwardly as silence fell over the scene. "Um...thank...you?" He said, glancing up at Sammi with uncertainty. "Er...how did you do that?"

[Chaos Sonic 442]

"I wouldn't say a good portion, seems a bit optimistic. Way I see it it's the minority. I get the feeling that guy is gonna have a rough time of it. I just wanna know what he's doing here. Guy like that probably doesn't do anything they don't want to."

"Probably a publicity stunt or something like that." Chase shrugged. "That's normally how celebrities do things, right?" Least that's how the young man assumed things worked with celebrities. They go somewhere and get publicity in certain locations just to help put their names out and possibly promote themselves and whatever they're career was involved with.

So that probably would be the reason why Weston was here to begin with.

"Ah, whatever, who cares about some silver spoon dandy. So what, uh, what're you planning on doing? Last free day before we have to deal with school crap. Planning on messing with that design cra-stuff more?"

Chase was silent for a moment, before shrugging and sighing a bit. "Nah, your right. A good portion of my design stuff can be labeled 'crap', plus I've heard it before so don't try and hold punches about stuff like that." he said with a smile. "Regardless, I could...but I'm fairly certain going to be designing stuff the entire time during the semester, so I guess I could possibly stay off the sketchbook for a while. So I guess this whole conversation between us helped me out there from driving myself into a corner with designing."

[ChampionZero 62]

Despite saying he didn't owe him anything, Kansuke was still bugged by the whole thing. Why? Why was this bothering him so much? The guy didn't know him, and he only barely cared. He did almost nothing to try and break up the fight-- but he'd had the decency to take him to the nurse. He was more soft-spoken, but they were both pretty direct people, which Kansuke could appreciate. Why did he feel like he couldn't just let this go?

Kansuke watched him go from the doorway, before stepping into the hallway to shout, "Hey!"

"What's your name, Red?"

[Skaia 578]

Stella rolled her eyes at Kelsey's comment, but similarly couldn't help but smile as the girl winked at her. Her expression became a bit more somber as Kelsey mentioned crime also being present in this city as well. It seemed obvious to Stella at first that cities weren't the safest of places to be in, though only now did she realized this had remained true across planets and perhaps systems. While the girl was wondering why crime was plentiful here - and her own world for that matter - her train of thought was interrupted by Kelsey's next comment. Not being able to help but giggle at the thought of Kelsey running around punching thugs in a costume and making heroic speeches. "I'm sure the streets would be much safer with your fists on patrol, Kelz." Still a bit of jokingness in her voice she said, "though, my old granny hands could probably sew something up."

[yui 574]

"Fine, fine, guess that's that then. Maybe I'll set out after you old grannies take your nap and have some fun myself. Seems even cities out here have their share of thugs, don't it? Shame. Wish somebody would do something about that..."

"That would be nice..." Vivian agreed. Come to think of it, this was her first real encounter with criminal types. Well, second. But this was the first time she had to deal with them herself. It was an exciting experience, but not one she wanted to have a second or third time.

"Maybe I should get a costume and fight crime or something. Either of you want to sew something up for me?"

"I'm sure the streets would be much safer with your fists on patrol, Kelz. though, my old granny hands could probably sew something up."

Like a superhero? That could be interesting! And also dangerous! Vivian couldn't help but wonder what sort of name Kellz would have as some sort of vigilante superhero. The Iron Fist? ...maybe don't blurt that one out. Unfortunately, sewing was never a skill Vivian had picked up, and so she simply had to wave off that offer. At the same time, Vivian simply couldn't help but imagine what a villainous nemesis to The Iron Fist could be like.

...

...

I might be taking this idea too far. That was enough thinking of heroes and villains for now. That wasn't really her scene anyway, so she had no idea what was good or not. "After a short break when we're back at campus, we could have that mech sparring match you wanted," Viv proposed. "I need to get some practice in with mine anyway, so this is a good opportunity! I'm sure there's a training room somewhere we can use."

---

"What the hell kinda chick you hanging out with Kaiser? This chick has a metal face. Fucking hell, what kind of freak are you?"

"The kind that's putting off an existential crisis until later."

"I won't forget this, you weirdo, and you too Kaiser. Next time I catch you you'll regret it!" The ruffian and his goons alike departed, leaving just Sammi and Kaiser. Sammi felt around on her head again for any dents or bumps, just in case. She did not want to schedule an appointment with a mechanic on top of everything else she was dealing with right now! Kaiser then dropped the question of how Sammi managed to do that at all. Which, it was surprising he hadn't pieced that together himself.

"The short answer is that I'm made of metal," Sammi sighed. "And I really don't want to get into the long answer right now. Don't go around telling people that either. I'm having a bit of an existential crisis like I said, because my entire reason for existing and trying to keep that under wraps may or may not have been invalid for hundreds of years before I was even constructed, so I have to sit down and do a lot of research and process a lot of information. For now, I want to continue keeping that info on me close to my chest. Do you know where the library is in this school, by any chance? I've got a lot of history books to read today, it seems."