Magic, Monsters and Mystery (IC) Part 1: Magical Beasts

[Charmera]

Tuesday, August 11 2015

The Advance Magic Academy

A week and a day after school had started, the official club sign up day began. Clubs were rather important to the Academy, after all some of the clubs give the students something to do that wasn’t magic related, others gave extra time to study and others still new ways to apply and use their powers. Some were fun, some were gruelling, some were fairly mundane, some were almost dangerous. But they all paled in comparison to the Monster Hunter Club.

This prestigious club has been around since nearly the inception of the academy. Those who had the courage to join were treated almost like celebrities, on a path wholly different from every student. Their familiars alone marked them out, but their deeds made them legends. They were destined for either greatness or death. Monsters are rarely to be treated lightly, and even the good ones can be extraordinarily deadly if corrupted. There are just as many names honoured as there are names mourned. Despite the fact that the academy takes safety very seriously, sometimes such things are unavoidable.

Yet here the club was, a fairly normal sign up board and a table. They even had a few chairs in their little area, each club being allocated an area outlined by black lines of tape. There was no incantation needed, seeing as how each club jealously and zealously guarded it’s space. There was a banner of sorts, but aside from the “MHC (Monster Hunter Club)” on it, no one would guess they were a club which actually hunted monsters, or any of their linage or history. This was fairly intentional, though for reasons known only to the veterans of the club.

Sophia sat at the desk, her nervousness masked by a warm smile. She had only been club president for a week, unfortunately a large volume, (About 90%) of the club members jumped ship. She was one of the two last members of that year, the other being the VP, who she sorely hoped was going to be here soon. She noticed the students had already been allowed out of assembly and were now trickling into the massive showcase hall. She nervously sorted the papers around her and began to click her pen in anxiety.

Okay, they’re coming now. Act cool.

[Brusia]

William Rogers was near the front of the group of students who had just started entering the showcase hall. At 20, he was one of the oldest students in the group, and being quite tall he was easily able to see over most students to get a good look at all the tables and banners of the various student clubs. At first he saw a banner for some kind of history club and started walking towards it, but his familiar, General George Patton, suddenly elbowed him in the arm, and not so subtly suggested that he check out the table with the "MHC: Monster Hunters Club" banner hanging over it instead. Will nodded his head at the General and made his way towards the table.

Once he got there he noticed a young woman about his age sitting at the desk and smiling. He smiled back at her and said:

"Hello miss, my name's Will Rogers. I'm new to the AMA, and I apologize if this is a stupid question, but what is the Monster Hunters Club? Do you folks actually hunt monsters?"

[Scamvidia]

Alisa had enjoyed her time at the school so far, although she had not made too many friends. She didn't really mind that, though as she mostly just enjoyed talking to her familiar, Thomas. Although all he did really was make sarcastic comments about the school and other students, which annoyed her and caused her to just ignore him for some time.

Alisa was excited for today though, today was the day they got to choose a club to be in. Although she didn't actually know what any of the clubs were, her mind raced with ideas of possibilities as she sat through the assembly that they had been in for what seemed like an eternity. Finally they were let out and all of the students rushed out into the hallway, towards the multitude of tables, each offering a new club to join.

Miranda skimmed through all of the different clubs, and despite not being much of a people person she wanted to join them all! They all seemed so interesting and the students inside them seemed so friendly and were really trying their hardest to recruit her. She finally ended up at a table towards the end of the hallway with a nervous looking girl sitting there. She looked up to see what club it was. The small banner read "Monster Hunter Club." Alisa giggled to herself, surely these people didn't actually hunt monsters. Perhaps it was just a club that sat down and played some kind of game, pretending to hunt monsters. But something told Alisa to stick around and check this club out. So she turned and looked at the girl sitting behind the desk.

"What kind of club is this, exactly?" She asked, curious to this clubs actual activities.

[Charmera]

-snip-

-snip-

Sophia paused, not immediately sure how to answer the question. She expected she'd have to explain things to some of the first years, but she always assumed the title of the club was rather self explanatory. "Well... We're a club that hunts monsters." She replied. "Like, Gorgons, Hydras, Chimeras, Vampires, Werewolves... that sort of thing. We go out and hunt them so they don't end up hurting innocent people, earning extra credit and plenty of prestige." She explained. She then smiled. "Also not a bad way to increase your magical abilities."

"And to answer your question... Will, yes we do "actually" hunt monsters." Sophia said matter-of-factly. She seemed almost offended by the question. "This isn't D&D ciub. This is the real deal."

[Brusia]

Sophia paused, not immediately sure how to answer the question. She expected she'd have to explain things to some of the first years, but she always assumed the title of the club was rather self explanatory. "Well... We're a club that hunts monsters." She replied. "Like, Gorgons, Hydras, Chimeras, Vampires, Werewolves... that sort of thing. We go out and hunt them so they don't end up hurting innocent people, earning extra credit and plenty of prestige." She explained. She then smiled. "Also not a bad way to increase your magical abilities."

"And to answer your question... Will, yes we do "actually" hunt monsters." Sophia said matter-of-factly. She seemed almost offended by the question. "This isn't D&D ciub. This is the real deal."

Judging by the tone of the young woman's voice, Will determined she must have been offended by his question:

"Sorry if that question offended, miss" he replied "We just never had anything like that at my old school. The only hunting I ever did back in Virginia was for game, and the occasional wild animal. Never anything like..."

Suddenly he was interrupted by General Patton "A Hydra!" the General exclaimed "By God, there's something you could hang on the mantle that'd be a helluva lot more impressive than some buck! And you'd have heads enough to go around! And Gorgons, Chimeras, Vampires and Werewolves! You aren't going find that kind of worthy prey everyday!" he looked down at the sign-up sheet and then back up at Will "Well, what're you waiting for man? Sign the damn paper!"

Will chuckled a little, he felt a little embarrassed, but after a few years with General Patton he was sort of used to it. He looked at the young woman again and said:

"Sorry miss, let me introduce you to my familiar, General George Patton. Anyway, sounds like I had best get signed up..." he then checked his pockets for a pen but couldn't find one "Mind if I borrow your pen?"

[Scamvidia]

-snip-

-snip-

Sophia paused, not immediately sure how to answer the question. She expected she'd have to explain things to some of the first years, but she always assumed the title of the club was rather self explanatory. "Well... We're a club that hunts monsters." She replied. "Like, Gorgons, Hydras, Chimeras, Vampires, Werewolves... that sort of thing. We go out and hunt them so they don't end up hurting innocent people, earning extra credit and plenty of prestige." She explained. She then smiled. "Also not a bad way to increase your magical abilities."

"And to answer your question... Will, yes we do "actually" hunt monsters." Sophia said matter-of-factly. She seemed almost offended by the question. "This isn't D&D ciub. This is the real deal."

Alisa blushed, feeling embarrassed that she didn't actually think the club hunted real monsters. She bowed her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, I thought this was just a group that played games." She considered joining this club, even though she now knew what they actually did. Her thoughts were interrupted by another voice speaking in her head. "This seems like a good place to be.. We could kill things. And then maybe use them as our servants!" Thomas laughed and Alisa rolled her eyes. That's definitely not what she would do if she actually joined the club. She really kind of hated the fact one of her powers was necromancy, but it is what it is. Alisa sighed and took out a pen, signing her name on the sheet of paper. "There we go."

[Charmera]

-Snip-

Sophia regained her cheerful yet calm demeanour. "Sorry. I just hate it when people think this is some sort of game." She paused, awkwardly. We've lost a lot of people. There are only a few left from last year... She came out of her thoughts. She spun her own pen around and handed it to the other student. "Be my guest!" She said.

-snip-

She smiled as Alisa signed her name. She was surprised the girl did so without any other questions. "You'll need to sign a bit more paperwork later on, but I'll handle most of it for you." She explained. She was adept at this kind of bureaucracy, and someone who could break through the deadlock of this brueracractic nonsense one had to do to hunt monsters was useful. "But I must warn you that this won't be a walk in the park. Monster Hunting is very dangerous."

[Scamvidia]

-Snip-

Sophia regained her cheerful yet calm demeanour. "Sorry. I just hate it when people think this is some sort of game." She paused, awkwardly. We've lost a lot of people. There are only a few left from last year... She came out of her thoughts. She spun her own pen around and handed it to the other student. "Be my guest!" She said.

-snip-

She smiled as Alisa signed her name. She was surprised the girl did so without any other questions. "You'll need to sign a bit more paperwork later on, but I'll handle most of it for you." She explained. She was adept at this kind of bureaucracy, and someone who could break through the deadlock of this brueracractic nonsense one had to do to hunt monsters was useful. "But I must warn you that this won't be a walk in the park. Monster Hunting is very dangerous."

Alisa just grinned mischievously as the girl told her that this club is dangerous. She loved a good challenge, almost as much as Thomas did. "I'm sure I can handle it." She said matter-of-factly. "At least with the help of Thomas, my familiar." She nudged him in the ribs, telling him to say hi. He merely nodded and went back to staring off into space. "Anyway, my name is Alisa, it's nice to meet you." She extended her hand towards the girl sitting behind the desk.

[Brusia]

Sophia regained her cheerful yet calm demeanour. "Sorry. I just hate it when people think this is some sort of game." She paused, awkwardly. We've lost a lot of people. There are only a few left from last year... She came out of her thoughts. She spun her own pen around and handed it to the other student. "Be my guest!" She said.

"Thank you" Will replied as he took the pen. He signed his name on the sign-up sheet and, hearing what was said to the girl next to him about more paperwork, he wrote his contact information next to his name. He then handed the pen back to the young woman at the desk saying

"There you go, thanks again. Oh, and I didn't catch your name"

[Mnar Secundus]

Jezebel Shem was walking briskly in the Advanced Magic Academy's hallways, heading towards the hall where the club sign-ups were taking place. She held a book which she was quite immersed in -- a curious and well-informed passerby would in fact have recognized it as a recently-published treatise on the electric conduction properties of Dust, written by a German Mage -- and her satchel contained a laptop, an e-reader and several other books and magazines. The young woman was focused on her reading, orienting herself by the considerable noise coming from the vast showcase hall.

"Are you quite certain about this, milady?", asked the invisible presence next to her.
"Absolutely, Karna. This is the fastest way." Jezebel's mental voice was as neat, sharp and precise as her verbal one: the words felt clipped, dry and tidy, as if she took them out of carefully arranged lockers, dusted them off and ironed them out before placing them with industrial precision in the scaffolding of her sentences.
"Far be it from me to contest your decisions, but I feel that your safety takes precedence over sheer progress," the Familiar protested. Under his invisibility, Karna walked cat-like next to his master, his motions flowing effortlessly like liquid steel; even if he had revealed himself, there wouldn't have been a ripple in the air around him, so controlled was his breathing.
Jezebel frowned slightly: she had taken this into account, of course, but her mind had been made up for years. Turning back now would be admitting defeat against her own cowardice; if she did that, she would never be able to progress beyond this point. "Prioritizing risk over return is the privilege of the naturally strong. I can't afford it. You should literally feel that in your bones."
The king of Anga was forced to recognize that Jezebel had a point. At full strength, he had been more fearsome than all the devas and asuras in the world; yet in his current state, he was barely superior physically to any well-trained human. "That itself only matters because you wish it to," he nevertheless countered, worried about his brittle young Mage. "I am not necessary to your success; many illustrious magicians had or have no Familiar. Milady, I have seen your documentation, and this Monster Hunter Club's death toll is -"

Jezebel's expression froze as she suddenly closed her book, prompting Karna to interrupt himself.

"Karna." The Mage stopped dead in her tracks. "Do not speak of leaving my service. Do not speak of not being in my service."
She could tell without seeing it that her Familiar knelt before her. "Yes, milady. I spoke out of turn." Karna knew when to fold them, and he did not want to upset Jezebel. She was doing what she felt was for the best; as her servant, he could only provide advice and give her his strength. "Please forgive my unconscionable outburst."
Jezebel nodded, breathing deeply: her heart had been racing. "It's fine," she thought, waving her hand dismissively. "Let's go."

The subject of their disagreement was a project that Jezebel had conceived three years ago. At the time, she had just started researching her options for magic training beyond the Descartes Academy. The AMA had of course been her first choice; she realized, however, that even if she somehow managed to enter such a demanding school, she would have to make considerable progress to actually graduate at all, let alone obtain the results she was aiming for. Progress required training and great progress great training: in other words, she needed a club to hone her skills beyond the standard workload. She had therefore looked into the panel of extra-curricular activities offered by the AMA, and isolated the one which observably yielded the greatest results for its members: the Monster Hunter Club.
Of course, said results were only yielded to the surviving members, but Jezebel didn't see that as much of a drawback. Can't be more dangerous than implanting Dust constructs in my nervous system, had been her reasoning. Karna, who knew something about monster hunting, had disagreed from the get-go; but he did not know much about Dust constructs, so Jezebel had decided that she would join this Monster Hunter Club as soon as she got into the AMA. Hence, three years later, here they were.

The Mage and her invisible Familiar stepped into the showcase hall, where they started looking for the Monster Hunter Club's table. Jezebel, who was fairly short at 1.61 m, had trouble seeing over the crowd, but Karna had no such issues, and he quickly found the Club's flag. When he attracted her attention to it, Jezebel felt her spirits lift even as a dim anxiety settled over her. This is my last chance to walk out of this. I don't need to do it: I can join a club specialized in Meta-magic. This is to increase my mana, but I can take it slower and get satisfying results with theory alone. Karna has literally fought gods before. Trusting him on this would be reasonable.

But ...

She shook her head slightly, squared her shoulders and smiled at her Familiar's invisible shape, where she alone knew he was. There had never been a choice. If I look back I'm lost. Jezebel strode confidently towards the MHC flag, the ancient warrior at her side. "Karna?"
"Yes, milady?"
"I'll be relying on you more from now on. Be prepared to give it everything you've got."
She knew he was smiling back as he answered: "Of course, milady. That much goes without saying."

Jezebel quickly reached the MHC's table: there were already a few visitors there, but she didn't let that bother her. What was stranger was the lack of actual club members ... Ah, well, whatever. Walking up to the person seated behind the table, who she took to be the club president, she bowed slightly in introduction and said: "Excuse me, I would also like to sign up. My name is Jezebel Shem."
She looked at Patton and Thomas with some curiosity: obviously she had recognized the general, and had assumed he was a Familiar, but he was still a well-known historical figure. Besides, she had rarely seen Familiars before -- a couple of teachers at Descartes had one, but she had never interacted with them to a notable extent. As a gesture of politeness, she nodded to her side, and Karna made himself visible. He was wearing loose white robes with discreet golden fringes and a red turban. As the Indian king bowed before Jezebel's interlocutors, she introduced him: "This is my Familiar: Karna, king of Anga, hero of the Mahabharata."
"I am honored to make your acquaintance," Karna added.

[The Flame Dawn]

Oh no! I'm late!

Ahri was running through the crowd and worming her way inside. She barely managed to get through the group but when she did, Sharkhan, her familiar finally decided to show up. "Good to see you're as late as ever," Sharkhan replied coldly. Ahri always wished he was more like the dragon's fire he breathed and was warm and accepting of everything in it's path. But Ahri still didn;t mind Sharkhan, "well you weren't much help," said Ahri. The two went back and forth like this for a quick moment before they decided to get out of the way of everyone else. Sharkhan's attention drifted off of Ahri and focused on the small sign-up table for a Monster hunting club. His eyes lit up with bloodlust as he grabbed Ahri by the arm and brought her over to the table.

"Hello," began Sharkhan, who still had a powerful grasp on Ahri's arm, "me and my mistress couldn't help but notice this is a monster hunting club. My name's Sharkhan, I was once a dragon hunter seeking the strongest dragon in the land-." Ahri had finally gotten out of Sharkhan's grasp and decided to finish Sharkhan's sentence for him. "-And he was killed at the hands of the dragon," Ahri chimed in, "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention what my name was! Well my name is Ahri and I'm a mage from the Imperial Academy over in Japan!"

[Charmera]

-Snip-

Sophia shook her hand, glad she was eager yet not sure she understood the implications. She'll have to learn very quickly that this is much harder than it would seem. "My name is Sophia Chekov, I'm the club president." She explained. "As for my familiar, it may be best if I don't introduce her. She repeated the same to WIll. So far things were going rather smoothly. Though that was until someone else came and Sophia was starting to be taxed by talking to three people.

JJezebel quickly reached the MHC's table: there were already a few visitors there, but she didn't let that bother her. What was stranger was the lack of actual club members ... Ah, well, whatever. Walking up to the person seated behind the table, who she took to be the club president, she bowed slightly in introduction and said: "Excuse me, I would also like to sign up. My name is Jezebel Shem."
She looked at Patton and Thomas with some curiosity: obviously she had recognized the general, and had assumed he was a Familiar, but he was still a well-known historical figure. Besides, she had rarely seen Familiars before -- a couple of teachers at Descartes had one, but she had never interacted with them to a notable extent. As a gesture of politeness, she nodded to her side, and Karna made himself visible. He was wearing loose white robes with discreet golden fringes and a red turban. As the Indian king bowed before Jezebel's interlocutors, she introduced him: "This is my Familiar: Karna, king of Anga, hero of the Mahabharata."
"I am honored to make your acquaintance," Karna added.

"As am I." Spoke Sophia. She was rather impressed with her familiar. A king. Not like her own familiar who tended to give people a different impression altogether. "I am Sophia Chekov, president of the club." She explained. She then paused. "I really do have to warn you that firstly, there will be a decent amount of paperwork you'll have to fill out too." He face was grave as she spoke the next part. "This is also a rather dangerous club in case you weren't aware. The monsters we're hunting are going to be rather powerful."

-Snip-

"Uh.. well... Hi Ahri... Um." She spoke, flustered as she had to managed four conversations at once. "Well, we would be happy to have you on board." she explained. She was now sweating slightly. She was desperately hoping her VP would show up soon...

[Brusia]

Seeing that the table was becoming quite crowded, Will backed away from the table a little and said "Looks like it's starting to get a little crowded here. I'll give you some more space, it was nice to meet you!" With that, Will waved to the young woman and the others standing near the table and continued walking around the room, looking at the different clubs.

[The Templar High Council]

Wen "Xiang" Lixiang

"You're late, Lixiang."

"I know that, Ao Guang! Is it my fault that they asked me to help clean up after the assembly?"

"You should have planned ahead. A club vice-president should not be held to the same lesser responsibilities as a normal student." The familiar responded, floating after Lixiang as she raced down the hall.

"Ugh, you're insufferable sometimes!" Lixiang continued, finally rounding the corner and passing into the large auditorium, looking around for Sophia and their booth.

"Ao Guang, where—!"

Over in the corner, milady."

"Thank you!" Lixiang raced over, deftly jumping over the table Sophia set up and landing next to her. "Sorry I'm late," she said, "they asked me to help clean up. What'd I miss?"

---

Maiso Kageshi

While the excitable Chinese second year ran through the crowd, she accidentally bumped into Maiso, who was wandering the hall looking for something easy to do for a club.

"Fuu... what's her problem?"

"I don't know, Maiso. It looks like she's running to the... MHC? I think that's the Monster Hunter Club."

"Ugh, sounds like a hassle." Maiso complained. He was about to walk in the opposite direction, before Fuu appeared in front of him. "What is it, Fuu?"

"Your father told me to get you involved with something. The Monster Hunter Club has produced fantastic mages over the years, and you're going to join."

"Why would I do that? It sounds like a lot of work."

"If you don't, I'll tell your father that you've been sleeping through your classes."

Before Fuu even finished his sentence, Maiso was at the desk looking for a pen. "Where do I sign up?" he asked no one in particular.

[Charmera]

"Thank you!" Lixiang raced over, deftly jumping over the table Sophia set up and landing next to her. "Sorry I'm late," she said, "they asked me to help clean up. What'd I miss?"

"It's alright." The club president spoke, Oh thank god. Thought Sophia. One of the members of the previous years MHC cohort, she was someone Sophia could count as a friend. "Not too much. We already got a few people." She replied, some slight concern on her face. She wasn't sure she had stressed the danger of the club enough. "Though I could use your help, It's starting to get a tad overwhelming here."

Maiso Kageshi

Before Fuu even finished his sentence, Maiso was at the desk looking for a pen. "Where do I sign up?" he asked no one in particular.

Sophia paused. "You do know this is the monster hunter club right?" She hoped that giving them a chance to think about joining up would be reasonable. "But if you want to sign up, here's the paper." She showed him the sign up paper.

[Atlannia]

Somewhere amidst the throngs of chatting students a small figure in black stood, occasionally getting jostled by a passer-by.

There's so many people! thought Eveylyn, luminous green eyes poking out from under her black hood. Ineverthoughttherewersomanypeople andIdon'tknowwhatotsyatoallofthemwhatdoIdo?

Eveylyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I'm here to join a club, The professor said to make friends and that's what peopledowhentheywanttomakefriendstheyjoinclubsanddoactivities

Evelyn realised she had forgotten to keep breathing and let of the air in her lungs. Immediately she felt better, less dizzy at least. Cautiously she opened her eyes and looked around at the many clubs on display, her floppy sleeves still covering her mouth.But what club should I join? I don't know anything about chess! or acting! or debating!orchemistryorliteraryaprreciatormonsters Eveylyn blinked, gears turning in her head Wait I know about monsters! she realised, as she singled out the sign belonging to the monster hunting club. I don't know much about hunting though, maybe half is okay? The girl took a small step forward and then hesitated. Oh but I'll have to talk to peopleandIdon'knowexacltywhattosayandIdontthinkIcanhadnl-- her thought process was interrupted when a much taller student absorbed in conversation collided with her, sending the girl staggering forward.

When Evelyn finally regained her balance she realised she was standing in front of the club she had been looking at earlier, face to face with an elder girl who looked to be in charge.

"Uhhh, uhmmm is this the monster hunting club?" stuttered Evelyn, her voice muffled by her sleeves.

[Mnar Secundus]

"As am I." Spoke Sophia. She was rather impressed with her familiar. A king. Not like her own familiar who tended to give people a different impression altogether. "I am Sophia Chekov, president of the club." She explained. She then paused. "I really do have to warn you that firstly, there will be a decent amount of paperwork you'll have to fill out too." He face was grave as she spoke the next part. "This is also a rather dangerous club in case you weren't aware. The monsters we're hunting are going to be rather powerful."

Jezebel nodded briefly in a precise, economic gesture. "Yes, I'm aware, don't worry. I've prepared myself."
She bowed briefly before the other senior member who had just arrived, then smiled at the shy girl who was approaching the table with a look of absolute terror on her face. Fairly entertaining, I would say. Then she added: "Well then. Where should I sign?"

[Charmera]

"Uhhh, uhmmm is this the monster hunting club?" stuttered Evelyn, her voice muffled by her sleeves.

"Monster hunter club?" Sophia spoke, deciphering what the quiet girl seemed to be saying, and then she nodded. She seemed to remind her of herself just a year ago, until she managed to come out of her shell after the events of last year. "Yes, this is the Monster Hunter Club. Do you want to sign up?"

"As am I." Spoke Sophia. She was rather impressed with her familiar. A king. Not like her own familiar who tended to give people a different impression altogether. "I am Sophia Chekov, president of the club." She explained. She then paused. "I really do have to warn you that firstly, there will be a decent amount of paperwork you'll have to fill out too." He face was grave as she spoke the next part. "This is also a rather dangerous club in case you weren't aware. The monsters we're hunting are going to be rather powerful."

Jezebel nodded briefly in a precise, economic gesture. "Yes, I'm aware, don't worry. I've prepared myself."
She bowed briefly before the other senior member who had just arrived, then smiled at the shy girl who was approaching the table with a look of absolute terror on her face. Fairly entertaining, I would say. Then she added: "Well then. Where should I sign?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Alright..." She said, always skeptical when people said they had prepared or trained for this. Nothing could prepare someone for the kinds of things they would see in the club. "I hope your sure about this," She said, indicating the sign up sheet with a gesture of her head.

[Atlannia]

"Monster hunter club?" Sophia spoke, deciphering what the quiet girl seemed to be saying, and then she nodded. She seemed to remind her of herself just a year ago, until she managed to come out of her shell after the events of last year. "Yes, this is the Monster Hunter Club. Do you want to sign up?"

"I uhmmm..." Eveylyn trailed off. This is too scary, there's too many people andIdon'tknowhowtohandlethempeoplearelookingatme!whatdoIdoaboutthatIshouldjustgo the girl swayed gently on her feet as though about to take a step backwards before steadying herself.

I'm gonna do this! I can't run away or give up I have to make friends or else I'll bealoneandYogSothothwillrendthebarriersbetweenworldsandawakenthesleepingonesthedwellebyone'N'gai'ngha'ghaa bugg shogogg , y'hah

Evylyn's eyes took on a vacant, dreamy look as though looking at something far off behind Sophie. Suddenly she blinked and seemed to wake up, her vision refocusing she nodded and lowered a hand from her mouth and extended it towards the table. From somewhere within her sleeve an ornate pen decorated with dark wood golden slid out and appeared in her small hand.
"I have to sign don't I?" she asked, the hand holding the pen hovering uncertainly. Evelyn’s grip on the pen tightened and she met Sophie's eyes for the first time.

[Charmera]

"Monster hunter club?" Sophia spoke, deciphering what the quiet girl seemed to be saying, and then she nodded. She seemed to remind her of herself just a year ago, until she managed to come out of her shell after the events of last year. "Yes, this is the Monster Hunter Club. Do you want to sign up?"

"I uhmmm..." Eveylyn trailed off. This is too scary, there's too many people andIdon'tknowhowtohandlethempeoplearelookingatme!whatdoIdoaboutthatIshouldjustgo the girl swayed gently on her feet as though about to take a step backwards before steadying herself.

I'm gonna do this! I can't run away or give up I have to make friends or else I'll bealoneandYogSothothwillrendthebarriersbetweenworldsandawakenthesleepingonesthedwellebyone'N'gai'ngha'ghaa bugg shogogg , y'hah

Evylyn's eyes took on a vacant, dreamy look as though looking at something far off behind Sophie. Suddenly she blinked and seemed to wake up, her vision refocusing she nodded and lowered a hand from her mouth and extended it towards the table. From somewhere within her sleeve an ornate pen decorated with dark wood golden slid out and appeared in her small hand.
"I have to sign don't I?" she asked, the hand holding the pen hovering uncertainly. Evelyn’s grip on the pen tightened and she met Sophie's eyes for the first time.

"You... Don't really..." Sophie sighed, indicating the list of names. "I can already see I'm not going to convince you. That you're just going to say you can "handle it" like all the others. But please know that you have a choice." She explained. She already knew that she might as well cross half these names of the list, as she knew how dangerous this could be. But they were needed, and Sophia had a small kindling of hope that they would all survive.

[Atlannia]

"You... Don't really..." Sophie sighed, indicating the list of names. "I can already see I'm not going to convince you. That you're just going to say you can "handle it" like all the others. But please know that you have a choice." She explained. She already knew that she might as well cross half these names of the list, as she knew how dangerous this could be. But they were needed, and Sophia had a small kindling of hope that they would all survive.

"I think... I have to," said Evelyn softly "I can't really explain it but it's important... to me, I know lots of monsters so I think I'll be okay," Before anyone could mediate on her odd choice of syntax, Evelyn leaned forwards and added her name to the form, signing with a surprisingly attractive if somewhat old fashioned cursive script, replete with elaborate curlicues. With a deft flick of her risk the pen disappeared back up her sleeve and the girl stepped back lightly, looking pleased with herself. "I'm Evelyn Rythe," she said by way of introduction "I'm 16 and um...” Evelyn searched for something else to say about herself "I read lots of books and I like dream eating only I'm not supposed to do that that anymore because it's..." she screwed up her face as though trying to recall something. "An 'invasion of privacy'" she managed finally. "So I won't eat your dreams I promise, even if they taste really good!" With that she blushed and her hands shot back up to hide her mouth again.

[Mnar Secundus]

Jezebel nodded briefly in a precise, economic gesture. "Yes, I'm aware, don't worry. I've prepared myself."
She bowed briefly before the other senior member who had just arrived, then smiled at the shy girl who was approaching the table with a look of absolute terror on her face. Fairly entertaining, I would say. Then she added: "Well then. Where should I sign?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Alright..." She said, always skeptical when people said they had prepared or trained for this. Nothing could prepare someone for the kinds of things they would see in the club. "I hope your sure about this," She said, indicating the sign up sheet with a gesture of her head.

"Absolutely." Jezebel could tell that the senior wasn't convinced, but that mattered little. She took a pen from her breast pocket and was about to truly sign up when she perceived Karna: "Milady ..."
"Karna." Jezebel's smile went sharp. "I have no choice. I made the calculations: based on the average rates of progress in mana capacity through the AMA depending on activities, this club is not only overwhelmingly superior to all the others, but also the only one which will allow me to reach sufficient mana at all. I know the risks."
The Familiar felt torn between the reality of the facts and his worry for his Mage. "... Milady, you certainly have made your research, but nevertheless, if I may be frank, I feel you lack the experience to make such judgments on your own."
"Certainly, which is why I'm relying on you." She sighed. "You don't know what it's like to be weak, Karna. From the instant you were born, you've never been weak for one second of your life. How many men were you worth on the battlefield? How many hundreds of thousands of soldiers? You were a Maharathi, weren't you? And that was without your greatest advantage. I will tell you, then. Weakness is a poison. It's a cancer. To be weak, to be helpless, to be incapable of even measuring up to oneself ... It's the most terrifying thing in the world. If I don't do this, I will never be rid of this weakness. I would rather die than turn back."

As she signed the sheet with a sharp, precise hand, she felt Karna turn invisible again. This was probably his way of protesting passively, as the Familiar would never do anything that even he could interpret as disloyal. It worked, too -- Jezebel was already feeling guilty about her behavior. After bowing slightly before her new seniors and taking a few steps back to lean against the wall, she thought, "Karna, please understand. I realize that you're concerned about my safety first of all, but being safe is pointless if it means going back to ... that."
She felt him bow deeply before her, appeased. "I understand, milady. I will support you through whichever course of action you take, but please do not make that more difficult than you need to."
Jezebel nodded more lightly. "Of course. Now, shall we mingle a bit?"

She had been listening inadvertently to the conversation between the club president and the painfully shy newcomer. The girl was interesting: her Familiar looked rather strange, not to mention unpleasant, and he alone would have deserved careful study, but the term which had caught her interest had been "dream eating". An uncommon expression. She had seen it used to refer to certain methods of Mysticism or Theurgy, mostly in some of the less pleasant grimoires -- a form of astral projection, or a slang term for it. In any case, it was not something the average 16-year-old would be aware of. Well, let's lay out the foundations. She looks rather nice.
With a smile, Jezebel walked up to the girl -- Evelyn Ryth, then -- and extended her hand in greeting. "I'm Jezebel Shem. I read a lot, too. Pleased to meet you. I'm afraid my dreams would not taste very good, but let's get along."

[The Templar High Council]

"Thank you!" Lixiang raced over, deftly jumping over the table Sophia set up and landing next to her. "Sorry I'm late," she said, "they asked me to help clean up. What'd I miss?"

"It's alright." The club president spoke, Oh thank god. Thought Sophia. One of the members of the previous years MHC cohort, she was someone Sophia could count as a friend. "Not too much. We already got a few people." She replied, some slight concern on her face. She wasn't sure she had stressed the danger of the club enough. "Though I could use your help, It's starting to get a tad overwhelming here."

"No problem! That's why I'm here." Lixiang rolled up her sleeves and waited for someone to approach the table.

"Uhhh, uhmmm is this the monster hunting club?" stuttered Evelyn, her voice muffled by her sleeves.

"YES IT IS!" Lixiang boasted. "How can I help you? Are you looking to join?" Sophia helped her instead, so Lixiang stepped back to watch. They seemed to have a good number of freshmen wanting to join, both a good and a bad thing. Lixiang just hoped those who weren't dedicated would stop themselves now...

Maiso Kageshi

Before Fuu even finished his sentence, Maiso was at the desk looking for a pen. "Where do I sign up?" he asked no one in particular.

Sophia paused. "You do know this is the monster hunter club right?" She hoped that giving them a chance to think about joining up would be reasonable. "But if you want to sign up, here's the paper." She showed him the sign up paper.

"I know. My father will kill me if I don't 'exceed.' And he'll let him know." Fuu appeared nearby as Maiso scratched out his name.

"How do you do? I'm Minami Fuu. Maiso's father has told me to keep him on track." He bowed to Sophia quickly, before returning to face Maiso.

"I'm doing it, chill out." Finished with the preliminary signing, MAiso backed up and smirked. "I'm going to become a great onmyōji. Fighting monsters won't be a problem."

[Atlannia]

She had been listening inadvertently to the conversation between the club president and the painfully shy newcomer. The girl was interesting: her Familiar looked rather strange, not to mention unpleasant, and he alone would have deserved careful study, but the term which had caught her interest had been "dream eating". An uncommon expression. She had seen it used to refer to certain methods of Mysticism or Theurgy, mostly in some of the less pleasant grimoires -- a form of astral projection, or a slang term for it. In any case, it was not something the average 16-year-old would be aware of. Well, let's lay out the foundations. She looks rather nice.
With a smile, Jezebel walked up to the girl -- Evelyn Ryth, then -- and extended her hand in greeting. "I'm Jezebel Shem. I read a lot, too. Pleased to meet you. I'm afraid my dreams would not taste very good, but let's get along."

"Your dreams would be more suited to a connoisseur," said Evylyn, turinging and looking intently into the other girl's eyes. " A mellow opening that descends into a subtle acidity, notes of spice permeating. Unfortuantely my palate is not so developed yet, Father preferred " her eyes drifted downwards and widened as though seeing it for the first time. A delicate shade of pink suffused her cheeks and and she extended one floppy sleeve to meet Jezebel's hand. "It's nice to meet you too... she mumbled, her other sleeve once again hiding her mouth.

[Cainesland]

The doors to the centre stood before Dakota like the a massive fork in a road. To enter or to ignore was the question posed by the large wooden doors. He took a deep breath and walked into the massive room, pushed by the large crab claw of Davy Jones who was beside him. The 2 of them walked over and picked up a pamphlet which detailed the clubs. "History club" He whispered aloud to himself. "Literature club" the option didn't appeal to him, though he read quite a bit he was certain he would have all the reading he could handle from class and was more knowledgable in oral communication then he was in written. "scuba diving club" Dakota shook his head at that option, never had he scuba dived before and now seemed like an ill time to learn, though he considered to himself that he could be wrong. "sailing club" He thought it was a neat option but there was only time for one club so he put that on standby. "arcane study group" Dakota expressed approval at that, he thought that school came first and that was sure to help improve his chances of success. "Monster hunter club" Dakotas eyes shone with the light of uncertainty. He thought that it would definitely, without question, be exciting, but his parents had always told him that everything was to be treated with the respect it deserves, especially if it's from the natural world. "Pranksters club (illusions)" He knew that he wasn't taking illusions, not did he find the belief in himself that there was time to go around prankish others so he passed that club over on the list. Dakota finished reading the pranksters club and then looked up at Jones disapproving eyes which had smoke blowing over them from the pipe. "Are you going to waste your time in this school?" Jones questioned, slowly pushing Dakota in the direction of the monster hunter club. "You can study whatever literature you want on your own time. I can tell you all you need about history. Are you going to spend your time here pranking people? You'd be better off bending that club to your will then being friends with them." Davy Jones stated seriously. All the while pushing Dakota to the monster hunter table. "Be someone. Join the monster hunting club" he stated angrily. Dakota didn't know what to say except yes. All the clubs looked neat but his schooling came first over making friends and he knew Davy Jones was right. Besides the attention and prestige he (Dakota) would gain would be enormous if he could defend the student body against the otherwise unnatural beings of the world.

"You may stop pushing me Davy Jones. It's my spirit empowerment skills that are lacking in strength. Not my legs." The force from behind stopped and the 2 of them continued walking. There backs straight, chins up and their faces forward as to express confidence. Now they walked towards the rather crowded table with the sign above it that said "Monster Hunting Club". The field marching boots silently pounded the floor as he walked as did Joneses crab leg.

Noting that the table was crowded and conversation was not in order until such time as the 2 people behind the desk were ready, Dakota removed his hat in order to follow the usual custom of no hats indoors that was followed by his old school. With his hat withdrawn it revealed a short combed head of hair. There he decided to wait until such time as the desk was clear enough to make his way forward to sign up.