Holy High-Worlds Beyond IC (Holy High Reboot, Open!)

[5pb]

~Patriah angers Nyaru~

~Azazel Escapes~

Kimiko
Her attack had somewhat worked, Azazel had quickly attacked again. When Azazel's knee collided with Kimiko she staggered back, and the flames dispersed. She fell to her knees and grasped the point of impact somewhat struggling to breath. Not too long after that Azazel threw two flash bangs which went off not to far from her. She had been able to cover her eyes in time to stop them from blinding her but when she looked around to find Azazel he had already gone. She struggled to stand up but eventually managed it and walked over to Hamiri. "We should probably look for another envelope," her voice was quiet as she was still recovering from the blow. She allowed her sword to burn up and then started to look around the area.

Nyarlathotep

Nyaru got pinned by Patriah who was now covered in emerald scales, but instead of immediately reacting she returned to her human form. In her eyes was the look of shock, but it didn't last long. Her eyes were then lit up with a green flame, "I showed compassion for your companion when he bit into my flesh, restraint when you attacked me without thinking, and I even offered you a chance to walk away. Yet you continue to fight? Mortals really are stupid creatures!" As she finished talking a large tentacle tore through her stomach and struck Patriah's. The green blood splashed out in every direction. Jagged scales formed on Nyaru's arms and legs and she slowly began to lift herself up. "No more compassion, no more restraint, and no more chances," she smirked, "I think it's time for you to know who I am, don't you agree? My name is Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos."

She raise both of her arms up and several tentacles, covered in the same jagged scales that she is, rose up from the ground. The sky appear darker for all of the people that were looking at her and Patriah and Razorclaw began to feel an inexplicable fear. An unwieldy sword with its guard wreathed with black tentacles emerged from a portal. "Let us play then, scaled mage," she lifted the sword unto her shoulder and glared at Patriah.

[Luminesa]

~Patriah angers Nyaru~

~Azazel Escapes~

Kimiko
Her attack had somewhat worked, Azazel had quickly attacked again. When Azazel's knee collided with Kimiko she staggered back, and the flames dispersed. She fell to her knees and grasped the point of impact somewhat struggling to breath. Not too long after that Azazel threw two flash bangs which went off not to far from her. She had been able to cover her eyes in time to stop them from blinding her but when she looked around to find Azazel he had already gone. She struggled to stand up but eventually managed it and walked over to Hamiri. "We should probably look for another envelope," her voice was quiet as she was still recovering from the blow. She allowed her sword to burn up and then started to look around the area.

Nyarlathotep

Nyaru got pinned by Patriah who was now covered in emerald scales, but instead of immediately reacting she returned to her human form. In her eyes was the look of shock, but it didn't last long. Her eyes were then lit up with a green flame, "I showed compassion for your companion when he bit into my flesh, restraint when you attacked me without thinking, and I even offered you a chance to walk away. Yet you continue to fight? Mortals really are stupid creatures!" As she finished talking a large tentacle tore through her stomach and struck Patriah's. The green blood splashed out in every direction. Jagged scales formed on Nyaru's arms and legs and she slowly began to lift herself up. "No more compassion, no more restraint, and no more chances," she smirked, "I think it's time for you to know who I am, don't you agree? My name is Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos."

She raise both of her arms up and several tentacles, covered in the same jagged scales that she is, rose up from the ground. The sky appear darker for all of the people that were looking at her and Patriah and Razorclaw began to feel an inexplicable fear. An unwieldy sword with its guard wreathed with black tentacles emerged from a portal. "Let us play then, scaled mage," she lifted the sword unto her shoulder and glared at Patriah.

Hamiri

So the fight with Azazel was over. Hamiri heard and saw the flash-bang split through the forest...and then it disappeared. Their battleground became silent once again, save for the two girls. Hamiri waited a few seconds, as though she needed proof that the demon had really vanished. When she indeed felt he was gone, she took a deep breath...and exhausted. “Gaaaah. Yeah, that...that was intense...ugh...” Her leg had stopped bleeding, but it needed to be washed and disinfected. Luckily a nurse was on the campus to help, but for now they probably had maybe fifteen minutes of time left in the challenge. She dug in her pocket for one of her envelopes, and she stared at it. ...These things...better be important...after all the fighting we’ve done over them... she thought.

After pondering over the envelopes for a moment, she looked-up and saw that Kimiko was staggering toward her. Hamiri put the envelope away, and ran to give her support, wrapping an arm around her friend’s shoulder. The fox-goddess had done a lot to help her, and she was weary from fighting. “...Hey...you’re awesome, if you don’t mind me saying...” she panted, she herself rather unsteady and achy, “...And yeah...we should...but...for the ones we’ve got...we’ve done well, I think...Heh...I think we should just...hide it out, honestly. Take a breath or two...”

Patriah

Obviously, Patriah had not seen Nyarlathotep’s gesture as a sign of compassion. The goddess had possibly poisoned his friend, thus he was now ill and needed to be protected. Plus time still remained, and he wanted to get another envelope. For a moment, the possibility flashed that he and Razorclaw needed to run to safety, so he could be treated. Yet Patriah was enraged. Thus he had charged the goddess and had pinned her to the ground. He was lucky he himself was immune to poison, because his rage had clouded his mind and could have caused him to be hurt even further.

Seeing her take the massive form she took now inspired fear, but also excitement in Patriah. He smirked, and decided to level the battle by growing larger himself. Yet before he could do so, Michael walked over onto the beach, and thrust open his wings-a sign of his anger at the events having taken place. “Enough!”

Patriah was about to transform when he turned and saw the co-teacher, and the size of his wings shocked him. Michael was roughly about 6’, over a foot shorter than himself, but his wingspan was at least twenty feet. The wings were thick, powerful, and pristine-white, in stark-contrast to his long black tunic and pants. Yet his eyes glowed an angry ocean-blue, as though a storm would begin on the beach simply as he stood among the three combatants. “You have poisoned a classmate. This battle ends now. All three of you disperse, you have roughly five minutes until we are finished. Patriah, you are disqualified,” he ordered, raising his voice only slightly. Yet in the ears of the three students it boomed with authority.

“Are you seri-”

“Am I, Patriah? Would you like to see if I am serious?” Michael interrupted. “Your classmate was given a life-threatening injury, and instead of halting the battle to seek medical attention for him, you instead sought to attack your combatant, who had realized the accident which had happened and had decided to rightfully stop the fight. This is not an all-out brawl, this is a training exercise. Go to the courtyard. Razorclaw, you will come with me to the nurse. Nyarlathotep, you may continue. You will not have much time to engage anyone else, however. Come back to the courtyard in five minutes.”

The Wind Mage withered with rage, but knew that he could not fight a teacher. Nyarlathotep has just threatened them and she got away with it, no consequences? He wanted to scream. He had been a good combatant, fighting in a clever manner and working well with Razorclaw. Now he was being eliminated. With a hard, deep swallow, he ate his pride and followed Michael back to the courtyard, alongside Razorclaw.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Otohime

"Right," she paused their trek, reaching out a hand towards the water. To be fair, she really didn't need to move her body to control the water, but it just felt right, so she did it anyway. She couldn't make out exactly what was in the water, but she did feel what vaguely seemed to be a school of fish...or just a bunch of jellyfish that were wondering too close to the shore. It was difficult to tell with her somewhat less advanced command of the water.

Either way, she pushed the current out, searching for any signs of anything, and to her dismay, nothing appeared. But that changed when she let go of the tide, and it washed back in even farther than it had gone before, the water just brushing their toes along with a rather obvious envelope.

"Hey, look at that!" The water goddess reached down and plucked the parcel from the quickly retreating tide with a grin, "Good thinking, that makes two for us."

Admittedly, she was still wary of Lucifer, but he'd already proven helpful, and it couldn't hurt to at least try to get to know him. It might be her best chance to make friends here, after all. "So, how did you end up here? It doesn't seem like a place that many people would attend voluntarily."

That, at least was true. While she was here for her own reasons, it was difficult to see an assortment of gods and goddesses, all powerful in their own ways, wanting to attend a place that claimed to teach them about powers that most would likely claim to have mastered by now.

Lucifer

Finally, they found an envelope and could return to the room now, luckily avoiding any other students that tried to steal the envelopes.

"You might think that I am about to lie, but... Boredom. The place that I command can be so dull sometimes... So, eventually I knew that my brother was present at a school where other Gods and Goddesses were attending as well, and I decided to pay a visit, maybe stay for some time... Still deciding if I will stay here or not. And you? How did you end up here?"

[Saleon]

Death
A simple gas station

---

A poorly attended gas station lies on the edges of the holy realms of gods and the mortal realms. It exists at the edge of the godly realms. An old woman, roughly in her 50s, had been tending to the gas station for years. It was more a passion project that she had kept going as best she could. She cleaned it for dust every day and polished the countertop and kept it shiny and lacquered. The floor, unfortunately, still creaked in every step. She was leaning off her chair while reading a newspaper that seemed about a few weeks out of date and placing her feet on the edge of the counter .

Relatively, Gods and Goddesses often used it as a pit stop as they headed along their way. It was the type to be "in the middle of no where." There was a little bell that hung off the side of the door as to ring when a holy figure had entered. It was, in one word: quaint. It was a wayfarer's resting spot as they headed off to their own location. Never the destination. The gas stations gave out gas, along with other equivalents along the ages. Some gods might travel by horse, so it had food for horses and a place for them to sleep.

In this case, the door opened with a small jingle and ringing. At the entrance stood a somewhat pale looking girl. She was tall, wearing a black sweater that depicted an old 80s rock band. She wore somewhat loose jeans that fit her well. Her hair was tangled and silk-like as it goes down a little past her shoulders. Her ears were pierced with large hooped earrings. She seemed tall and lanky with grey eyes and soft eyeliner.

The old lady lift down a portion of her newspaper, looking at the girl. The old lady didn't say much, before returning to the newspaper. The tall girl at the door walked in, looking around the store a bit.

"Do you need something, stranger?" The owner said.

"Hmm.... a pack of gum would be nice. That, and I could use some petrol. It seems there is not enough energy to resupply my bike all the way for the rest of my trip," the girl says.

"Do you have something to pay for that?" The owner says, barely even moving her newspaper until she reaches the end of the page. She then turns the page and continues to read what seemed to be main page news.

The clock seemed to be one of the few noises in the gas station. It had this audible "tick. tick. tick" that seems to narrate any silence between the two of them. The girl walks over and hands two gold coins--greco-roman drachmas. The old lady put down the newspaper slightly, slowly letting the wood-chair. She collected the two coins, inspecting them a bit, "greek god, yes?"

"No, just been there every now and then."

The owner sighed a little, "alright, I'll fill the gas. I do see a lot of gods pass by. Are you sure I haven't seen you before? I don't know many gods to be forgetful."

"I'm... let's just say I don't talk much with other gods. I don't get called 'forgetful,' often."

"Ah, I didn't mean to be rude."

"Don't worry, I don't mind," The girl says, picking up her pack of gum. She then heads out of the store and holds the door out a bit, "you ever feel like retiring, lady?"

"Ah... I do. I've kept this thing open for a long time, but even I know it isn't going to last forever. This place and I could go any day now. forgotten and lost forever. I feel as if a soft wind could blow everything away at this point."

"Well, I disagree," The girl says, "we may disappear. Gods and people may be gone... but I think I remember an old saying that while someone may be 'gone,' they are never truly 'forgotten.'"

The tall girl walks over to her motorcycle. It was a custom ride that looked like it had seen many things and gone many places. It was a black and silver beast with a sturdy engine. She began pumping oil into the motorcycle while resting on it as she looked at the old gas station. It was like a photo, preserved and kept as a memory. A time capsule. Like with any time capsule, it held on to something that was lost but preserved on a small bit of print-paper. The girl then lift a small pocket device, a handle. She flipped it open a few times, before it formed a scythe, "kept like a memory to all who see it. Gone. But not forgotten."

She then lift the kickstand on her motorbike. Riding off after consulting her map and heading over to Holy High. The waystation had vanished. It was gone. The girl was the last person to visit. Maybe the Owner already knew who it was, but wanted a slightly unceremonious send-off. After the girl left, the place vanished and could only be returned to in memories.

---

The grass leading to Holy High was smooth and soft. The motorbike had run out of steam with only about a tenth of the way remaining. The girl walked, holding the handlebars of the bike as she calmly and softly looked around. It was a decent day. She wasn't one to ignore the good sights.

She then found the pathway, the bricked walkway with a lake at the entrance that welcomed one to the school. She kept heading forwards, meeting a few people on the way. She heard she had been pretty late for her entrance and so she was told to head to her class in the courtyard. More just to meet everyone than anything. She walked by her motorbike, heading towards class.

[5pb]

Kimiko
Her attack had somewhat worked, Azazel had quickly attacked again. When Azazel's knee collided with Kimiko she staggered back, and the flames dispersed. She fell to her knees and grasped the point of impact somewhat struggling to breath. Not too long after that Azazel threw two flash bangs which went off not to far from her. She had been able to cover her eyes in time to stop them from blinding her but when she looked around to find Azazel he had already gone. She struggled to stand up but eventually managed it and walked over to Hamiri. "We should probably look for another envelope," her voice was quiet as she was still recovering from the blow. She allowed her sword to burn up and then started to look around the area.

Nyarlathotep

Nyaru got pinned by Patriah who was now covered in emerald scales, but instead of immediately reacting she returned to her human form. In her eyes was the look of shock, but it didn't last long. Her eyes were then lit up with a green flame, "I showed compassion for your companion when he bit into my flesh, restraint when you attacked me without thinking, and I even offered you a chance to walk away. Yet you continue to fight? Mortals really are stupid creatures!" As she finished talking a large tentacle tore through her stomach and struck Patriah's. The green blood splashed out in every direction. Jagged scales formed on Nyaru's arms and legs and she slowly began to lift herself up. "No more compassion, no more restraint, and no more chances," she smirked, "I think it's time for you to know who I am, don't you agree? My name is Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos."

She raise both of her arms up and several tentacles, covered in the same jagged scales that she is, rose up from the ground. The sky appear darker for all of the people that were looking at her and Patriah and Razorclaw began to feel an inexplicable fear. An unwieldy sword with its guard wreathed with black tentacles emerged from a portal. "Let us play then, scaled mage," she lifted the sword unto her shoulder and glared at Patriah.

Hamiri

So the fight with Azazel was over. Hamiri heard and saw the flash-bang split through the forest...and then it disappeared. Their battleground became silent once again, save for the two girls. Hamiri waited a few seconds, as though she needed proof that the demon had really vanished. When she indeed felt he was gone, she took a deep breath...and exhausted. “Gaaaah. Yeah, that...that was intense...ugh...” Her leg had stopped bleeding, but it needed to be washed and disinfected. Luckily a nurse was on the campus to help, but for now they probably had maybe fifteen minutes of time left in the challenge. She dug in her pocket for one of her envelopes, and she stared at it. ...These things...better be important...after all the fighting we’ve done over them... she thought.

After pondering over the envelopes for a moment, she looked-up and saw that Kimiko was staggering toward her. Hamiri put the envelope away, and ran to give her support, wrapping an arm around her friend’s shoulder. The fox-goddess had done a lot to help her, and she was weary from fighting. “...Hey...you’re awesome, if you don’t mind me saying...” she panted, she herself rather unsteady and achy, “...And yeah...we should...but...for the ones we’ve got...we’ve done well, I think...Heh...I think we should just...hide it out, honestly. Take a breath or two...”

Patriah

Obviously, Patriah had not seen Nyarlathotep’s gesture as a sign of compassion. The goddess had possibly poisoned his friend, thus he was now ill and needed to be protected. Plus time still remained, and he wanted to get another envelope. For a moment, the possibility flashed that he and Razorclaw needed to run to safety, so he could be treated. Yet Patriah was enraged. Thus he had charged the goddess and had pinned her to the ground. He was lucky he himself was immune to poison, because his rage had clouded his mind and could have caused him to be hurt even further.

Seeing her take the massive form she took now inspired fear, but also excitement in Patriah. He smirked, and decided to level the battle by growing larger himself. Yet before he could do so, Michael walked over onto the beach, and thrust open his wings-a sign of his anger at the events having taken place. “Enough!”

Patriah was about to transform when he turned and saw the co-teacher, and the size of his wings shocked him. Michael was roughly about 6’, over a foot shorter than himself, but his wingspan was at least twenty feet. The wings were thick, powerful, and pristine-white, in stark-contrast to his long black tunic and pants. Yet his eyes glowed an angry ocean-blue, as though a storm would begin on the beach simply as he stood among the three combatants. “You have poisoned a classmate. This battle ends now. All three of you disperse, you have roughly five minutes until we are finished. Patriah, you are disqualified,” he ordered, raising his voice only slightly. Yet in the ears of the three students it boomed with authority.

“Are you seri-”

“Am I, Patriah? Would you like to see if I am serious?” Michael interrupted. “Your classmate was given a life-threatening injury, and instead of halting the battle to seek medical attention for him, you instead sought to attack your combatant, who had realized the accident which had happened and had decided to rightfully stop the fight. This is not an all-out brawl, this is a training exercise. Go to the courtyard. Razorclaw, you will come with me to the nurse. Nyarlathotep, you may continue. You will not have much time to engage anyone else, however. Come back to the courtyard in five minutes.”

The Wind Mage withered with rage, but knew that he could not fight a teacher. Nyarlathotep has just threatened them and she got away with it, no consequences? He wanted to scream. He had been a good combatant, fighting in a clever manner and working well with Razorclaw. Now he was being eliminated. With a hard, deep swallow, he ate his pride and followed Michael back to the courtyard, alongside Razorclaw.

Kimiko

She blushed as Hamiri said that she was awesome, she was not used to receiving compliments. She put her arm around Hamiri to help support herself and her ally, "I guess you're right, we probably should either hide or head back to the courtyard." While looking around the forest, where the battle had taken place she saw the scorch marks from her flames. She thought for a second and pulled the envelope from her tail, hoping that it wasn't burned by her flames. She held it in her hand and looked at it, the edges were slightly darkened in color. She sighed in relief, "Good," she looked at Hamiri, "You're magic is pretty cool too."

Nyarlathotep

Michael came over to the site of the battle and halted it. She was a bit disheartened to say the least, but she knew refusing was a very bad idea. She returned to her human size and form, the jagged scales and tentacles also vanished. When the fact of the poisonous blood was brought up she spoke, "The amount he consumed will not be fatal, I believe normal medication should do the trick." Nyaru began to walk away, but turned back around to speak, "I would also suggest keeping a sample of my blood... In case something like this happens again." With that she left the three people and began looking around for any more envelopes.

She walked along the beach thinking of places the envelopes could be. While she was remembering the one she found in the turtle she felt a sharp pain in her right foot. She looked down and saw her an envelope and the shattered remains of a hermit crab's shell, "Well, you're a rather aggressive one aren't you?" Nyaru reached down and picked up the envelope, looking up at the sun she sighed and began to head back to the courtyard.

[Luminesa]

Michael brought Razorclaw to Persephone without delay. As soon as he began to walk away with the wounded fish-god, he turned into a beam of light and appeared on the other side of campus, by the infirmary. Razorclaw would feel rattled, as though the world had passed before his eyes while he had blinked. The Archangel turned back toward him and smiled. “We’re going to get you well again, don’t worry,” he assured him.

He knocked on the door, and Persephone stuck her head out. “Hello! How are you?” she greeted. She wore pink scrubs covered in yellow daisies, and had her hair back in a neat bun, and thus looked as cheerful and cute as ever. Yet her expression became more serious when she looked at Razorclaw and sensed a toxic aura coming off his body. “Razorclaw, are you alright?”

“He was poisoned in a fight. I brought him here so you could care for him,” he explained, stepping back so that Persephone could take care of the fish-god.

“Oh no! Don’t you worry! I have the best cures against poison in my humble abode! Come inside! I made cupcakes, hope you’re not allergic!” she re-assured Razorclaw. She pulled him into the office, and then Michael turned toward the campus.

He flew back to the courtyard, in which Patriah was waiting. Xavier and Apophis had somehow gathered two letters, and only about a minute remained. “...Well then! I see our standings will be interesting,” Michael suggested. He then turned as he sensed a new presence behind him. First he eyed them over his shoulder, and then he turned to face them. A young girl on a motorcycle, pretty and punk, with the aura of death around her. He raised an eyebrow. “...I assume you’re a new student? I didn’t see anything in the office about expecting a student with your profile picture today. Though perhaps a new face was added while I’ve been out here. What’s your name?” he inquired, cautiously.

[Luminesa]

Hamiri

So the fight with Azazel was over. Hamiri heard and saw the flash-bang split through the forest...and then it disappeared. Their battleground became silent once again, save for the two girls. Hamiri waited a few seconds, as though she needed proof that the demon had really vanished. When she indeed felt he was gone, she took a deep breath...and exhausted. “Gaaaah. Yeah, that...that was intense...ugh...” Her leg had stopped bleeding, but it needed to be washed and disinfected. Luckily a nurse was on the campus to help, but for now they probably had maybe fifteen minutes of time left in the challenge. She dug in her pocket for one of her envelopes, and she stared at it. ...These things...better be important...after all the fighting we’ve done over them... she thought.

After pondering over the envelopes for a moment, she looked-up and saw that Kimiko was staggering toward her. Hamiri put the envelope away, and ran to give her support, wrapping an arm around her friend’s shoulder. The fox-goddess had done a lot to help her, and she was weary from fighting. “...Hey...you’re awesome, if you don’t mind me saying...” she panted, she herself rather unsteady and achy, “...And yeah...we should...but...for the ones we’ve got...we’ve done well, I think...Heh...I think we should just...hide it out, honestly. Take a breath or two...”

Patriah

Obviously, Patriah had not seen Nyarlathotep’s gesture as a sign of compassion. The goddess had possibly poisoned his friend, thus he was now ill and needed to be protected. Plus time still remained, and he wanted to get another envelope. For a moment, the possibility flashed that he and Razorclaw needed to run to safety, so he could be treated. Yet Patriah was enraged. Thus he had charged the goddess and had pinned her to the ground. He was lucky he himself was immune to poison, because his rage had clouded his mind and could have caused him to be hurt even further.

Seeing her take the massive form she took now inspired fear, but also excitement in Patriah. He smirked, and decided to level the battle by growing larger himself. Yet before he could do so, Michael walked over onto the beach, and thrust open his wings-a sign of his anger at the events having taken place. “Enough!”

Patriah was about to transform when he turned and saw the co-teacher, and the size of his wings shocked him. Michael was roughly about 6’, over a foot shorter than himself, but his wingspan was at least twenty feet. The wings were thick, powerful, and pristine-white, in stark-contrast to his long black tunic and pants. Yet his eyes glowed an angry ocean-blue, as though a storm would begin on the beach simply as he stood among the three combatants. “You have poisoned a classmate. This battle ends now. All three of you disperse, you have roughly five minutes until we are finished. Patriah, you are disqualified,” he ordered, raising his voice only slightly. Yet in the ears of the three students it boomed with authority.

“Are you seri-”

“Am I, Patriah? Would you like to see if I am serious?” Michael interrupted. “Your classmate was given a life-threatening injury, and instead of halting the battle to seek medical attention for him, you instead sought to attack your combatant, who had realized the accident which had happened and had decided to rightfully stop the fight. This is not an all-out brawl, this is a training exercise. Go to the courtyard. Razorclaw, you will come with me to the nurse. Nyarlathotep, you may continue. You will not have much time to engage anyone else, however. Come back to the courtyard in five minutes.”

The Wind Mage withered with rage, but knew that he could not fight a teacher. Nyarlathotep has just threatened them and she got away with it, no consequences? He wanted to scream. He had been a good combatant, fighting in a clever manner and working well with Razorclaw. Now he was being eliminated. With a hard, deep swallow, he ate his pride and followed Michael back to the courtyard, alongside Razorclaw.

Kimiko

She blushed as Hamiri said that she was awesome, she was not used to receiving compliments. She put her arm around Hamiri to help support herself and her ally, "I guess you're right, we probably should either hide or head back to the courtyard." While looking around the forest, where the battle had taken place she saw the scorch marks from her flames. She thought for a second and pulled the envelope from her tail, hoping that it wasn't burned by her flames. She held it in her hand and looked at it, the edges were slightly darkened in color. She sighed in relief, "Good," she looked at Hamiri, "You're magic is pretty cool too."

Nyarlathotep

Michael came over to the site of the battle and halted it. She was a bit disheartened to say the least, but she knew refusing was a very bad idea. She returned to her human size and form, the jagged scales and tentacles also vanished. When the fact of the poisonous blood was brought up she spoke, "The amount he consumed will not be fatal, I believe normal medication should do the trick." Nyaru began to walk away, but turned back around to speak, "I would also suggest keeping a sample of my blood... In case something like this happens again." With that she left the three people and began looking around for any more envelopes.

She walked along the beach thinking of places the envelopes could be. While she was remembering the one she found in the turtle she felt a sharp pain in her right foot. She looked down and saw her an envelope and the shattered remains of a hermit crab's shell, "Well, you're a rather aggressive one aren't you?" Nyaru reached down and picked up the envelope, looking up at the sun she sighed and began to head back to the courtyard.

“Yeah...go to the courtyard...and then...to the nurse...” Hamiri suggested, wincing as she put one foot forward. Her wounded leg ached and throbbed, and she felt a stabbing pain every time she tried to shift it. She decided to use her wings instead, and took a risk by pulling both Kimiko and herself into the air to fly to the courtyard. When she flew over, she landed about ten feet from Michael and the other students, and faced Patriah. He had come back to the courtyard alone.

“...I got eliminated,” Patriah explained, before she could ask.

Hamiri sighed. She felt annoyed that he could not control himself without her around. He was 19, he needed to be responsible about his fighting. Maybe the teachers would pound that into his head, if she could not do it herself. She then turned to Michael. “...Hello. If you don’t mind, we both need to go see the nurse. But...we have envelopes,” she explained.

He turned away from the new girl briefly to face them, and he examined their wounds. Both girls were exhausted, and Hamiri had a huge gash in her leg, but Azazel had obeyed him and had not gone further to try and do enough harm to put them unconscious. “You can hand them to me, I’ll hold onto them. Go to the nurse, you both need it,” he answered.

[Ranoria]

Azazel

While he wasn’t quite sure, he was fairly certain that the excercise was almost over, and, fortunately, he hadn’t rested too far from the courtyard.

Forcing himself up from the tree he’d rested against, the demon winced. The laceration in his back wasn’t improving, and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how he’d let her get behind him, but it didn’t matter now. With his wings having been retracted, he noticed that his shirt was in absolute tatters, and with the entire backside of it split, he simply let it roll off his arms as he trudged his way back to the courtyard, three envelopes in hand.

It wasn’t long before he passed the dorms, and he simply leaned against the nearest wall once he returned to their starting point, obviously tired, and somewhat pale. After all, he’d left a trail of blood limping back here, the gash in his ankle certainly not helping matters.

Presenting the three letters to Michael, he couldn’t help but surrender a small smile. He’d enjoyed himself, despite what he viewed as unnecessary intervention, and that was something. “Here you are, Michael. And, I’m not exactly sure what the protocol is for first aid around here, but I’d rather let my wounds heal naturally than have an angel heal them. Trust me, it never goes as planned.”

It was true. He’d discovered that the healing of his former brothers was only detrimental to him. While his wounds would be healed, even a being on church grounds weakened his body. Willingly accepting holy energy into his systems? That was disastrous. It left him severely ill and helpless for days while his body warred with itself.

“Regardless, you have my gratitude. I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy myself.”

[Luminesa]

Azazel

While he wasn’t quite sure, he was fairly certain that the excercise was almost over, and, fortunately, he hadn’t rested too far from the courtyard.

Forcing himself up from the tree he’d rested against, the demon winced. The laceration in his back wasn’t improving, and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how he’d let her get behind him, but it didn’t matter now. With his wings having been retracted, he noticed that his shirt was in absolute tatters, and with the entire backside of it split, he simply let it roll off his arms as he trudged his way back to the courtyard, three envelopes in hand.

It wasn’t long before he passed the dorms, and he simply leaned against the nearest wall once he returned to their starting point, obviously tired, and somewhat pale. After all, he’d left a trail of blood limping back here, the gash in his ankle certainly not helping matters.

Presenting the three letters to Michael, he couldn’t help but surrender a small smile. He’d enjoyed himself, despite what he viewed as unnecessary intervention, and that was something. “Here you are, Michael. And, I’m not exactly sure what the protocol is for first aid around here, but I’d rather let my wounds heal naturally than have an angel heal them. Trust me, it never goes as planned.”

It was true. He’d discovered that the healing of his former brothers was only detrimental to him. While his wounds would be healed, even a being on church grounds weakened his body. Willingly accepting holy energy into his systems? That was disastrous. It left him severely ill and helpless for days while his body warred with itself.

“Regardless, you have my gratitude. I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy myself.”

Michael took the letters, and examined Azazel more closely. He had suffered quite a bit of damage himself, giving proof that Hamiri, Kimiko, And Azazel had all fought a difficult battle. Azazel was not his closest friend, sure, but as a student, he was entitled to be healed. Once again, he turned away from the new girl for a moment, and held the letters. He smiled slightly.

“Well if you don’t remember, Persephone is the school nurse. I’m sure most of you are going to keep her very busy, but she does not mind. If you need medical attention, which you do, go to her. I’m here to collect the letters from their respective finders, and I can assure you I won’t accidentally get yours mixed with another student’s out of spite. Now get going. I need to attend to this new student. You completed the task and did not cause for me to intervene a second time,” he answered calmly, without hostility.

Sure, Azazel still made him feel the chill of darkness from below, but he was his student. Perhaps he could subdue some of the darkness within him, and show him how to be a champion of good. In another time, this task would be impossible, and even now it was fundamentally impossible to turn Azazel away from being a demon. Yet he could teach him, at least, how to refuse to use the darkness within him, and to defend the weak. At least, so he hoped. In the meantime, he turned back toward the new girl, and awaited her answer. She had appeared without warning, and now seemed to wander the campus as though it was her house. He wanted a good explanation for her actions.

[5pb]

Kimiko

Her breathing at this point had almost been returned to normal, she was still in pain but she wasn't worried about herself. Instead she was worried about her companion, Hamiri had sustained far more damage than Kimiko had. While they were walking to the nurse's office Kimiko focused her energy on her wounds. This allowed her natural healing to speed up and the damage to her bones to heal almost immediately. Her breathing began to normalize and when they made it to the nurse she was nearly back to peak performance. She helped support Hamiri to the nurse to receive her aid for the wounds.

Nyarlathotep

She walked back to the courtyard where Michael and some of the others were, the hole that she put in her chest while fighting Patriah was still there and rather prominent. It leaked the toxic blood onto her dress but Nyaru herself didn't seem to be phased by pain or blood loss. As she walked up to Michael she pulled out the envelopes that she had found and asked, "What would you like me to do with these?" She felt a bit rude for interrupting him and another student but being who she was, she shrugged it off.

[Saleon]

Death
Courtyard

---

He flew back to the courtyard, in which Patriah was waiting. Xavier and Apophis had somehow gathered two letters, and only about a minute remained. “...Well then! I see our standings will be interesting,” Michael suggested. He then turned as he sensed a new presence behind him. First he eyed them over his shoulder, and then he turned to face them. A young girl on a motorcycle, pretty and punk, with the aura of death around her. He raised an eyebrow. “...I assume you’re a new student? I didn’t see anything in the office about expecting a student with your profile picture today. Though perhaps a new face was added while I’ve been out here. What’s your name?” he inquired, cautiously.

"I'm not... necessarily new...." the girl says, putting the kickstand on her bike down. She has a piece of gum in her mouth, chewing it casually, "it would be better to say I am late. I was on my way here... when someone unleashed an unexpected pandemic in Yemen. I thought the war was bad, but then it turned out the Doctors without Borders couldn't get in... and tons of communities were out of food. Hunger plus disease plus civilian casualties. Left me busy for months until I could catch up. I was able to call in some help after a while, so... yeah."

The pale girl unclipped the hook of her helmet and placed it down on the bike. Death nodded, before turning around and resting back on the seat of her bike, "uh.... what were you asking again? I went off on a bit of a long story."

[Luminesa]

Michael frowned. The new girl seemed a little spacey, but she was also far wiser and far more powerful than she allowed others to assume of her. She was supposedly rambling, but one who listened to her story would understand the point of the current event she was referencing. War, starvation, pestilence...all followed, almost in a biblical fashion, by Death herself. Of course, she was not evil, she seemed almost uncanny. Sure, he had no trouble with reserved students, but she seemed almost more than reserved. Nonchalant, even, about the disease and hunger about which she spoke.

“...Well then! You are the personification of Death then, I see. Interesting. Welcome to Holy High! We’ll see if we can fit you into the class, we were just finishing our opening exercise...which has taken quite a fair bit of time...Many of the students involved have gone to the nurse for some quick healing. Luckily most of them do not have major wounds, only minor ones, though some were rather badly cut,” he explained. He turned toward the infirmary and watched the students going to seek Persephone’s help.

Of course, she made sure all of them were comfortable and at peace. Persephone has adjusted her office to be full of fresh, green, healing herbs, tiny, colorful bottles of essential oils, and she even had aromatherapy available, as the scent of lavender filled her office. Anyone who entered to felt immediate sensation of peace and serenity, the light dancing of purple lavender plants in a wild, unknown field far from civilization. Persephone’s love for her job helped, and as she put healing pastes over the students’ wounds, she gave them all a cheery, reassuring smile. “You’re going to be just fine! Just make sure to rest for some time, and don’t put too much pressure on your leg!” she told Hamiri, as she cleaned and wrapped her bloody wound. She also mended Kimiko’s wounds as she spoke to the swordswoman.

Hamiri grinned. “I’ll try...I’ll want to get back to training as soon as possible...” she explained. She winced as Persephone touched her wound, but as the salve began to work, she felt the cool sensation of...peppermint? And perhaps some other herbs which had been magically enhanced.

“Studying is also training for your mind, you know! You should read lots of books while your leg is healing! You too,” she told both girls. She also went to heal Azazel, who had plenty of open wounds and who seemed quite unhappy to have them. She frowned at all the blood he tracked, not out of annoyance but out of worry. “I can’t believe you actually walked all the way over here! You’ve lost quite a lot of blood, and you exposed it to the elements for such a long period of time! All of these open sores could be infected! You’re lucky I’m a good nurse!” she scolded, though she hardly sounded menacing or angry. She sounded more like a doting mother telling her cute baby not to dump his bowl of spaghetti on the floor.

[Saleon]

Death
Courtyard

---

Michael frowned. The new girl seemed a little spacey, but she was also far wiser and far more powerful than she allowed others to assume of her. She was supposedly rambling, but one who listened to her story would understand the point of the current event she was referencing. War, starvation, pestilence...all followed, almost in a biblical fashion, by Death herself. Of course, she was not evil, she seemed almost uncanny. Sure, he had no trouble with reserved students, but she seemed almost more than reserved. Nonchalant, even, about the disease and hunger about which she spoke.

“...Well then! You are the personification of Death then, I see. Interesting. Welcome to Holy High! We’ll see if we can fit you into the class, we were just finishing our opening exercise...which has taken quite a fair bit of time...Many of the students involved have gone to the nurse for some quick healing. Luckily most of them do not have major wounds, only minor ones, though some were rather badly cut,” he explained. He turned toward the infirmary and watched the students going to seek Persephone’s help.

Death nodded a bit as he guessed. "Oh, and then after the bit in Yemen, Santa decided to call in a favor. He wasn't happy when I took one of his elves just before christmas one time, so he decided to call me in to cover while him and Ms Clause went skinny dipping in the bahamas," Death continued, more just for the heck of it, "I am terrible with kids. Why he would put me in malls across the world asking kids about what they wanted for the holidays. He can be so petty."

She then snapped her fingers, causing her bike to seem to ride off, fading away and leaving only a trail of ghost-like fire. Not, seemingly, physical. It did not spread, merely stayed there for a bit before blowing away with the wind.

"Next the Easter bunny is going to ask that I help disburse more eggs," Death retorts, mumbling partly to herself. She looks at him, "so... do I wait for everyone else to finish their exercise? Should I introduce myself to them? Well, not all of them, I guess."

[Luminesa]

“Oh don’t worry. They’re more or less done with their exercises as a whole, so as soon as Persephone heals them up, we’ll discuss the exercise with them. And their reward as well, for completing this exercise,” Michael explained, with a grin. He was confused by Death’s seeming rambling, but she did not mean any harm by it.

Hyperion had also gone to the infirmary, but not for anything related to the combat. His hangover had gotten particularly painful during the exercise, and had been exacerbated when he had used his powers as the sun to scan the entire campus. Persephone sat with him as he described his pain, smiling and nodding as she continued to heal the other students.

“It feels like I’m going to explode. Like...the inside of my head is like a bunch of Pop Rocks in Coke, and it’s excruciating,” he described, clutching his head with one hand.

“Yup! Sounds like another hangover. Oh well, I know just the trick!” Persephone held-up her hand, and a takeout bag magically appeared before her. “Special delivery from Hestia! She guessed you’d be sick this morning,” she explained.

“Wise ol’ Hestia, she knows me too well...” He dug in the bag, and found an enormous, beefy burger, with a hash brown, an egg, and ketchup piled on top of the beef, all in-between a fresh, sesame seed bun. Hyperion practically started drooling. “Oh man, and she’s dealt with my hangovers for far too long.” Before Persephone could add to her statement, he dug into his burger, and she simply giggled at his eagerness to eat.

Michael decided to enter the room, and he brought the other students along in order to make his announcement. In his arms were the envelopes the students found, and he smiled at the students as they sat around on cots, chairs, and stools, all receiving Persephone’s prompt and bubbly care. “Well, congratulations! You all have completed your first assignment for this class. I know it feels like it took forever, but now I will hand you back your envelopes. Inside, you will find two things. Your prize, and a piece of paper. The piece of paper is something you will most definitely need to keep, but I believe you will appreciate the prize as well. You can open them as I pass them back.” He flew to each student and handed them their envelopes, and then moved back to his original location.

Hamiri opened her envelope when she got it-she was grateful that Michael had somehow accurately noted who found which envelopes, and had marked them with their names. When she opened her envelope, she looked inside and was shocked at the prize. “$200?!?!” she exclaimed, as a stack of money fell out into her lap. As she had counted it, her eyes grew huge. She had not ever been given this much money at one time.

Michael was surprised himself. Another prize was in the envelope, but he had not placed the money. He stared to Hyperion. “Did you...?”

“Yeah...what’s...the problem?” the sun god asked between bites. When he swallowed a huge chunk of the burger, he reasoned, “The kids might wanna buy some fun stuff. Let’s be honest, we’re like an hour from New York City, what if they wanna go touring, eat somewhere nice, or buy some fancy clothes? Sounds like a good reward for them don’t it? Even gods like to have some cash I’m sure.” He grinned toward the students, and then added, “And that’s $200 for each of you, just so you know.”

The Archangel could only sigh and chuckle. He then added, “Your other reward inside is a ring, but not just any ring. Because you have passed this first assignment, we have entrusted you with this special and magical tool. With it, if you are anywhere on the school’s grounds, or anywhere within 200 miles of the school’s grounds, and you or someone else in your class is in danger, you are able to contact the school and to get help from one of us. All you have to do is press-down the diamond on the top, and we will receive a signal here that you need immediate help. It might seem like a paltry reward, but trust me. We want to also give you rewards you can use responsibly. Of course, you should use your money responsibly, but this reward will also keep you safe.”

Patriah took-out the ring and put it on. A beautiful gold ring, it was shaped like a tiny, delicately-crafted model of Holy High, with a champagne-colored diamond glittering in a carved space at the top. He figured that even if he could not find use for the ring, he could sell it and make an incredible amount of money. Yet doing so would be rather ungrateful, he thought, and so he decided to turn from that thought and to open his envelope. Inside, he read the word written on a piece of parchment in fancy black script. “...‘Patience’. Huh?” He stared at Michael and Hyperion.

“Based on where you found each envelope, a different trait is written on the parchment within. You’ve all done well finding envelopes, and so we will develop your individualized lessons based on the traits written in your envelopes. You can look over them with your friends, and you need to keep them. You are not to trade them with someone else.”

Hamiri opened her parchment, and she nodded. “...’Self-Confidence’...Okay then...” she muttered.

Xavier opened his as well. “...’Forgiveness’...Interesting...” He nodded, and looked toward Michael. His expression was slightly confused, but Michael only gave him and the other students a knowing smile.

[5pb]

Kimiko

She opened her envelope after Persephone had treated her wounds, pulling the three items from it. She first the ring on, it wasn't dark colored like the rest of her accessories but still it seemed to match perfectly without sticking out. After admiring the ring for a few minutes she focused on the money that was also inside the envelope. She quickly counted it to confirm it was as much as her classmates stated, and indeed it was $200 in cash. She put the money within a secret pocket on the inside of her miko's outfit, the last thing was the paper. Upon inspecting it it had the words, "Self Confidence," written on it. She didn't think that that was what the teachers would pick, but it was a fair choice.

Nyarlathotep

She placed the ring on her finger and the money in her pocket dimension. She wasn't as impressed by the money and ring like the others were, but the slip of paper that was to be a form of personalized lesson is what intrigued her. Upon pulling her paper out and reading the contents she gave a little chuckle and whispered to herself, "They think I'm compassionate?" She didn't see herself as compassionate, she was just acting with reason, and ending the fight was the best course of action for her to not get disqualified for what had happened. She threw her head back and looked towards the ceiling as she thought to herself, My dress is torn, and the qualities my blood possesses has been exposed. All because of the two boneheaded mortals who decided to fight me. This school might be more entertaining than I thought.

[Luminesa]

Kimiko

She opened her envelope after Persephone had treated her wounds, pulling the three items from it. She first the ring on, it wasn't dark colored like the rest of her accessories but still it seemed to match perfectly without sticking out. After admiring the ring for a few minutes she focused on the money that was also inside the envelope. She quickly counted it to confirm it was as much as her classmates stated, and indeed it was $200 in cash. She put the money within a secret pocket on the inside of her miko's outfit, the last thing was the paper. Upon inspecting it it had the words, "Self Confidence," written on it. She didn't think that that was what the teachers would pick, but it was a fair choice.

Nyarlathotep

She placed the ring on her finger and the money in her pocket dimension. She wasn't as impressed by the money and ring like the others were, but the slip of paper that was to be a form of personalized lesson is what intrigued her. Upon pulling her paper out and reading the contents she gave a little chuckle and whispered to herself, "They think I'm compassionate?" She didn't see herself as compassionate, she was just acting with reason, and ending the fight was the best course of action for her to not get disqualified for what had happened. She threw her head back and looked towards the ceiling as she thought to herself, My dress is torn, and the qualities my blood possesses has been exposed. All because of the two boneheaded mortals who decided to fight me. This school might be more entertaining than I thought.

“Some of you are probably a little confused about why you’ve received these particular traits in your envelopes. Well...” Michael looked around at the different reactions and smiled. “This is a way of individualizing your training. We will work with each of you on the particular traits you have been assigned. If it seems you are succeeding in your training, but another student is not, we may switch the focus of your training with them. So Nyarlathetop, for instance. You received ‘compassion’. Obviously, you may feel this is some sort of a personal attack, but it is not,” he explained, as he turned to look at her. “We will assess your skills in a series of lessons based on the trait you received. If you succeed, we will find another way to train you. We may give you Patriah or Razorclaw’s traits, for example, if you are succeeding but one of them is failing.”

Patriah liked the idea of personalized training, but he did not like being told about his flaws. He grumbled, and looked toward Persephone as she sat nearby. She said nothing, but smiled encouragingly at him. He then turned toward Hamiri, who was busy paying attention. Another groan.

“What is it, Patriah?” Michael inquired.

“What if we’re already fine with the trait we’ve got?” Patriah questioned, “and what if it doesn’t fit what we need to practice?”

“I saw what you got, kiddo. ‘Patience’? You can always get better at patience,” Hyperion jumped in, raising an eyebrow at him. “Hey, look, I’m not patient at times myself. In fact, if you ask Michael, I am very impatient, all the time.” When the Archangel made no comment and only grinned, the sun god continued. “We’ll be the judges of who needs work and who doesn’t. Tomorrow we will give you the assignments you will begin for your own practice. We will have partner-work during this year, and sparring! I’m sure you’re all thrilled with the idea of punching the snot out of another kid! Woohoo!”

“As long as property damage, or severe injury, does not ensue. Any questions?” Michael inquired, looking around the room.

At that moment, Hyperion seemed to remember something, and he pulled Death into the room. “Also, we have a new kid! Come on, new girl, introduce yourself to the class! Then you can go get a cupcake from Nurse Persephone. Trust me, she makes good desserts,” he introduced, with a grin toward the new girl.

[Ranoria]

Azazel

"Right," Azazel grunted, "Sorry about the mess." The four appendages on his back quite literally withdrew back into his body, leaving smooth flesh, almost as if they were never there. Without the wings, he looked almost scrawny despite a wiry and muscular frame, and his wounds did little to help in that regard.

But despite all that, he couldn't help but crack a small smile at Persephone's concern, "You don't even know me, or any of us, if I may presume." The demon sat down on one of the empty beds, visibly relieved to take weight off of his legs, "Why are you so concerned for our health so soon?"

With that said, however, he opened his letters to reveal their holdings.

Wisdom, respect, and humility.

His initial reaction was a physical one, scowling ever so slightly at the sight of them. Humility he would readily admit was not his strong suit. And likewise for respect. But wisdom? That struck a chord. He'd been wise enough to not blindly follow a conceited god, and wise enough to force himself away from a path that led only to destruction of everything that dared to stand in his path.

"Wisdom, what a joke," he muttered audibly, not worrying about Persephone overhearing.

Otohime

Empathy?

In truth, she wasn't sure what the difference between empathy and sympathy was, but perhaps they were meant to be synonymous in this regard.

Either way, the goddess sighed, lowering the note after Michael and Hyperion spoke to them. She wasn't sure how that was meant to help with her training, but she had her goal, and if buying into whatever they were doing would help her to achieve it, then it certainly couldn't hurt to at least give it a try. And Hyperion's gift certainly wasn't one that she'd take for granted.

Before she could continue her thoughts, Hyperion very unceremoniously pulled this 'new girl' in front of them, and she had time to examine her. The girl was certainly beautiful, if a bit off putting. As with many of the others, she had trouble making a guess at what exactly she could do. Otohime made a mental note of that common theme, vowing to try and discover the general range of her classmates' powers and abilities.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Razorclaw
There was a flash, and Razorclaw was in the infirmary. He said,"What was that? Some kind of teleport?" Persephone offered him a cupcake and asked about allergies. Razorclaw accepted a cupcake and said,"No, I'm not allergic to anything." He took a bite of the cupcake, and stared at the ceiling. He felt mostly fine, so he didn't think he would be in there too much longer.

[5pb]

Kimiko

She had listened to the explanation of the terms that were in the envelopes. After hearing what they were all about she thought about it again, "Self Confidence". She wouldn't like to admit it but the way she was treated back in her world absolutely destroyed her self confidence. Maybe these courses can help? Kimiko thought to herself for a minute before Hyperion attempted to introduce another student. It was an odd moment to do such a thing and she decided to speak up about it, "Not to be rude to the "new" girl, but we really haven't met all of our classmates yet so i don't think an introduction like this is necessary."

Nyarlathotep

Nyaru rethought the whole situation but decided not to let the thought of being compassionate put her down. Instead she began to look over her red dress that was now stained with her blood and had a gaping hole in the stomach region. It was at that moment that she realized she still had a gaping hole in her stomach as well. She glanced around the room and saw that no one had yet noticed somehow and quickly tried to summon a jacket from her pocket dimension without being noticed. She had put the pink jacket on and made sure it covered the hole, the healing process was sure to be distracting if anyone were to see it or even hear it, so she held off until they were allowed to disperse.

[Saleon]

Death
Mars, Before

---

A large dust storm blew across the rocky hills and valleys of Mars. A lone rover had spent years, speaking on a small microphone to voices that it could never hear or see. All he did was travel by himself, talking to the many voices that now and then came to speak to him. The rover was not much of a talker and mostly worked independently, but he liked the conversation, even if it was one-sided.

After the dust storm, the voices grew fainter. The rover could look back every now and then and see his wheels as they left a faint, momentary footprint of his existence. He had traveled for a long time. The dust storm hurt. The people didn't seem to be talking for a long time. He moved forwards one last few meters, before stopping to see a lone girl on the rock surface. She has a motorcycle that seemed to glisten from the sunlight. She looked at him; he looked at her.

"Hello," Death says, looking at him.

The rover hummed and buzzed a bit, looking at the girl. He had never seen a human since he was shipped on the rocket to mars. At the same time, the human had a feel to her that was oddly familiar.

"You've been here for a long time. Longer than a lot of people expected."

The rover buzzed a little happily, the lights flashing a little bit in joy.

"Yes, I'm here to take you home. I hear more people than you could imagine will miss you, but one day... they will come to give you a proper memorial."

The rover gave a somber hum, before walking forwards with the girl and her motorcycle. He looked back one last time. His wheels didn't seem to leave any prints in the ground. He also saw that what looked like him had been stationed about a half a mile back. He then continued moving, having a lively conversation with the motorcycle.



Death
The Infirmary

---

Death gave an awkward cough to gather everyone's attention. She gives a small scan of the room, before beginning to speak. "My, um. My name is Death," The girl says, just sorta awkwardly pausing right at that. She pulls out a handle that almost looks like that of a pocket knife. She begins flipping open one side of the knife, then another. It fwips open until it is around the size of a large handle. The blade pops out and she looks at them.

"I am the psychoemotional manifestation of how humans and nonhumans conceive and deal with the finality of their own existence. I was late getting here do to a conflict in Yemen that had been spiraling out of control. Fortunately, I was able to finish my share of the work before sending over some of my ferrymen and ferry-women to handle the massive number of creatures that are going to die. I know that is a slightly sour note, but that is why I was late. Oh, and the scythe is mostly for show. It is, um, more or less part of the branding. Among other reasons."

She then gave a little bow, before yawning a bit and then turned back to everyone, "thank you for the opportunity."

[Luminesa]

“I thought Hades kinda...accidentally introduced us all to each other?” Patriah asked Kimiko, looking over at her as he leaned on his hospital bed. “Anyway my name is Patriah, and I’m a Wind Mage. You got partnered with my friend Hamiri right there, I see. So...yeah. I don’t like my trait and I want to switch with someone else,” he explained, looking from Kimiko to Michael. When the Archangel shook his head, Patriah grumbled. “I can totally show patience when people earn it,” he mumbled.

He was not the only person grumbling. Azazel had taken a look at his traits and had scoffed at them, wondering why he would need to learn things such as wisdom, respect, and humility. He not only scoffed at his assigned traits, but he did so in earshot of Persephone, who blinked for a moment as if she had not heard him. Yet just a moment later, she disappeared and then reappeared in front of him, her arms folded and her face stern. “What’s not wise is mumbling and being rude to your teachers! And to your nurse. We are trying very hard to help you! I think a good way to teach you wisdom today is to have you stay here with me for the rest of the day!” she scolded, her voice bright-but-firm as she spoke to him.

Hamiri kept quiet, and then turned toward Death as Michael introduced her. The girl seemed nice enough, if perhaps more than a little apathetic about the world around her. She understood the state of mind well, as it came from being surrounded by war. Death would of course be busy during any war, including the war on Hamiri and Patriah’s own realm of Altaria. Yet underneath perhaps she had a kind heart. “Hi there! I’m Hamiri, as Patriah said, and I am a Mage-in-training. Right now I mostly fight with a sword,” she explained.

Xavier nodded and joined in the welcoming. “I’m Xavier, a Throne...which is an Angel...and I am excited about what this year brings. Even if that might sound cheesy to some of my classmates. I hope you will feel welcome here too,” he said to Death with a bright, cheery smile.

[Ranoria]

Azazel

He really couldn't help but let his ill feelings drain away when Persephone spoke. Her attempt at being stern, however accurate, had fallen short due to her rather cheery demeanor, and the demon actually cracked a smile. He knew when he was beat. "You're right, you're right," raising his hands in defeat, he continued, "Besides, I'm here anyway, so it would only make sense to follow along with the curriculum." He'd have been angry with many, but Persephone's very nature made it almost impossible. That said, he didn't intend to simply kneel down without any compromise.

And, leaning back against the wall, he knew exactly what his demands would be. "But if you intend on keeping me here, you'll have to provide me with some sort of nourishment. After that exercise, I'll readily admit that I'm starving." If he was being honest, while it was true, he just wanted an excuse to help himself to more of the goddess's cooking. It was, to say the least, exemplary.

[Luminesa]

Everyone was properly fed, as Hestia was glad to give everyone nourishment. The food flowed freely from the kitchen, and hot meals abounded. Patriah ate at least five plates of every food from his world which he could name-recipes he had to describe to Hestia, for her to cook them, which caused everyone else to have to wait a couple minutes while he described them. Nevertheless, because the goddess of the hearth worked quickly, nobody was left to grumble for long. Everyone had different plans for their money and their rings, while the teachers had plans for all of the new students.

The next day came, and with everyone recuperated, lessons could officially begin. When everyone awakened and looked outside their doors, they would find a note on the ground. Groups of the students had been placed together based on the traits which they had been given. Otohime, Razorclaw, and Azazel were to go see Persephone. Hamiri, Patriah, and Apophis were to go to Michael and Hyperion. Nyarlathetop and Hermes were to go to Osiris. Xavier, Kimiko, and Death were to see Thana.

When Patriah had slumped out of bed and had found his note, he was confused. He was being personally requested to go see Michael and Hyperion, and was being told this was a part of his lesson. When the reality hit him, he groaned. “...This is about yesterday’s stupid test. Lovely...Probably just gonna tell me I failed and then I’ll tell him what I think...” he muttered, as he pulled a pair of pants over his shorts and grabbed his bag. Looking at his pants, he did realize the patches on the knees were falling apart. Maybe Hamiri was right about me needing new clothes... he thought grimly. He then headed out to the courtyard.

Hamiri was there before Patriah, and she stood waiting for her other classmates to arrive. She had also been summoned to see Michael and Hyperion, but she did not know what to expect. Apparently the teachers had plans for all the students, and Kimiko had not gotten a similar note. She wondered what sorts of lessons all the students would receive. ...What do I need to learn about trust?...I’m so confused. I trust the right people, and I distrust those who need to earn my trust...What have I done wrong?... she wondered.

Xavier went to Thana’s office, wondering why he had been summoned himself. He had not done anything wrong, and he mused in his mind that the second day of school was a little early to be sent to the vice-principal’s office. He knocked on the door, and heard no sound on the other side. “...Hello?...Anyone there?” he muttered. He knocked again. Still no answer. With a frown, he wondered if Thana was elsewhere. He turned around, and he jumped back a little. Thana had appeared, dressed all in black and looking as ethereal and mysterious as usual.

“...Good morning, Xavier! How are you?” Thana questioned cheerfully, as though nothing had happened.

“...Oh! I slept fine, and I feel good this morning, thank you. Where are the other students?...” he inquired.

“Oh, they should be coming soon. Did I scare you?” the professor inquired.

Xavier shook his head and chuckled. “I just didn’t expect to see you there. Is this about yesterday’s lesson?”

Thana nodded. “Yes, all of your classmates are being grouped to get their close lessons with their mentors. I will be your mentor, as well as Death and Kimiko’s mentors. I believe we will have a very productive year,” he explained, with a knowing smile.

[5pb]

Everyone was properly fed, as Hestia was glad to give everyone nourishment. The food flowed freely from the kitchen, and hot meals abounded. Patriah ate at least five plates of every food from his world which he could name-recipes he had to describe to Hestia, for her to cook them, which caused everyone else to have to wait a couple minutes while he described them. Nevertheless, because the goddess of the hearth worked quickly, nobody was left to grumble for long. Everyone had different plans for their money and their rings, while the teachers had plans for all of the new students.

The next day came, and with everyone recuperated, lessons could officially begin. When everyone awakened and looked outside their doors, they would find a note on the ground. Groups of the students had been placed together based on the traits which they had been given. Otohime, Razorclaw, and Azazel were to go see Persephone. Hamiri, Patriah, and Hermes were to go to Michael and Hyperion. Nyarlathetop and Apophis were to go to Osiris. Xavier, Kimiko, and Death were to see Thana.

When Patriah had slumped out of bed and had found his note, he was confused. He was being personally requested to go see Michael and Hyperion, and was being told this was a part of his lesson. When the reality hit him, he groaned. “...This is about yesterday’s stupid test. Lovely...Probably just gonna tell me I failed and then I’ll tell him what I think...” he muttered, as he pulled a pair of pants over his shorts and grabbed his bag. Looking at his pants, he did realize the patches on the knees were falling apart. Maybe Hamiri was right about me needing new clothes... he thought grimly. He then headed out to the courtyard.

Hamiri was there before Patriah, and she stood waiting for her other classmates to arrive. She had also been summoned to see Michael and Hyperion, but she did not know what to expect. Apparently the teachers had plans for all the students, and Kimiko had not gotten a similar note. She wondered what sorts of lessons all the students would receive. ...What do I need to learn about trust?...I’m so confused. I trust the right people, and I distrust those who need to earn my trust...What have I done wrong?... she wondered.

Xavier went to Thana’s office, wondering why he had been summoned himself. He had not done anything wrong, and he mused in his mind that the second day of school was a little early to be sent to the vice-principal’s office. He knocked on the door, and heard no sound on the other side. “...Hello?...Anyone there?” he muttered. He knocked again. Still no answer. With a frown, he wondered if Thana was elsewhere. He turned around, and he jumped back a little. Thana had appeared, dressed all in black and looking as ethereal and mysterious as usual.

“...Good morning, Xavier! How are you?” Thana questioned cheerfully, as though nothing had happened.

“...Oh! I slept fine, and I feel good this morning, thank you. Where are the other students?...” he inquired.

“Oh, they should be coming soon. Did I scare you?” the professor inquired.

Xavier shook his head and chuckled. “I just didn’t expect to see you there. Is this about yesterday’s lesson?”

Thana nodded. “Yes, all of your classmates are being grouped to get their close lessons with their mentors. I will be your mentor, as well as Death and Kimiko’s mentors. I believe we will have a very productive year,” he explained, with a knowing smile.

Kimiko

Kimiko woke up and saw the letter with instructions telling her to go meet Thana. She knew that it had something to do with yesterday's trial and was rather excited to see what was in store. She took her time ti get ready, grooming her tail to perfection and picking out the best outfit for today. She chose to wear a black and deep blue school outfit, she brushed her teeth and departed to meet her Instructor.

Upon arrival she saw Thana and Xavier, she waved her hand back and forth with a bright smile in her face, "Good morning!" Normally in the mornings she would be groggy and slow, but the promise of knowledge and progress gave her energy. She stood next to Xavier and Thana, both of them were taller than her so she was forced to look up at them. She awaited the orders of her Instructor, willing to complete any task to further herself.

Nyarlathotep
Nyaru had claimed a dorm the previous day, she wanted to be alone in her dorm so she had waited that extra day. She awoke to find the notice and was astonished to see that she was supposed to meet with Osiris. She didn't argue with the request and began to prepare herself for the meeting. She took off the jacket that she wore during the meeting in the infirmary, the wound had fully healed but she could not say the same for her favorite dress. Maybe she could take it to either Hestia or Persephone later in the day, "Either one of them could fix it, I believe," she spoke aloud to herself as she took the dress off. She hadn't brought many outfits with her so she was left with three choices, swimwear, jeans and a t-shirt, or she could take on her masculine form. Nyaru wanted to remain recognizable so she choose the jeans and shirt.

She left her dorm and began heading to meet Osiris, she didn't know the place all that well but she managed to find it rather quickly. She walked into the room and saw Osiris, "Good morning Osiris." She spoke very casually even though she held an air of formality in her mannerisms. "So when do we get started?" she was eager to finish her lesson and get her dress fixed.

[Saleon]

Death is Always on Time
Her Bedroom

---

Everyone was properly fed, as Hestia was glad to give everyone nourishment. The food flowed freely from the kitchen, and hot meals abounded. Patriah ate at least five plates of every food from his world which he could name-recipes he had to describe to Hestia, for her to cook them, which caused everyone else to have to wait a couple minutes while he described them. Nevertheless, because the goddess of the hearth worked quickly, nobody was left to grumble for long. Everyone had different plans for their money and their rings, while the teachers had plans for all of the new students.

The next day came, and with everyone recuperated, lessons could officially begin. When everyone awakened and looked outside their doors, they would find a note on the ground. Groups of the students had been placed together based on the traits which they had been given. Otohime, Razorclaw, and Azazel were to go see Persephone. Hamiri, Patriah, and Hermes were to go to Michael and Hyperion. Nyarlathetop and Apophis were to go to Osiris. Xavier, Kimiko, and Death were to see Thana.

When Patriah had slumped out of bed and had found his note, he was confused. He was being personally requested to go see Michael and Hyperion, and was being told this was a part of his lesson. When the reality hit him, he groaned. “...This is about yesterday’s stupid test. Lovely...Probably just gonna tell me I failed and then I’ll tell him what I think...” he muttered, as he pulled a pair of pants over his shorts and grabbed his bag. Looking at his pants, he did realize the patches on the knees were falling apart. Maybe Hamiri was right about me needing new clothes... he thought grimly. He then headed out to the courtyard.

Hamiri was there before Patriah, and she stood waiting for her other classmates to arrive. She had also been summoned to see Michael and Hyperion, but she did not know what to expect. Apparently the teachers had plans for all the students, and Kimiko had not gotten a similar note. She wondered what sorts of lessons all the students would receive. ...What do I need to learn about trust?...I’m so confused. I trust the right people, and I distrust those who need to earn my trust...What have I done wrong?... she wondered.

Xavier went to Thana’s office, wondering why he had been summoned himself. He had not done anything wrong, and he mused in his mind that the second day of school was a little early to be sent to the vice-principal’s office. He knocked on the door, and heard no sound on the other side. “...Hello?...Anyone there?” he muttered. He knocked again. Still no answer. With a frown, he wondered if Thana was elsewhere. He turned around, and he jumped back a little. Thana had appeared, dressed all in black and looking as ethereal and mysterious as usual.

“...Good morning, Xavier! How are you?” Thana questioned cheerfully, as though nothing had happened.

“...Oh! I slept fine, and I feel good this morning, thank you. Where are the other students?...” he inquired.

“Oh, they should be coming soon. Did I scare you?” the professor inquired.

Xavier shook his head and chuckled. “I just didn’t expect to see you there. Is this about yesterday’s lesson?”

Thana nodded. “Yes, all of your classmates are being grouped to get their close lessons with their mentors. I will be your mentor, as well as Death and Kimiko’s mentors. I believe we will have a very productive year,” he explained, with a knowing smile.

Kimiko

Kimiko woke up and saw the letter with instructions telling her to go meet Thana. She knew that it had something to do with yesterday's trial and was rather excited to see what was in store. She took her time ti get ready, grooming her tail to perfection and picking out the best outfit for today. She chose to wear a black and deep blue school outfit, she brushed her teeth and departed to meet her Instructor.

Upon arrival she saw Thana and Xavier, she waved her hand back and forth with a bright smile in her face, "Good morning!" Normally in the mornings she would be groggy and slow, but the promise of knowledge and progress gave her energy. She stood next to Xavier and Thana, both of them were taller than her so she was forced to look up at them. She awaited the orders of her Instructor, willing to complete any task to further herself.

Death had set an alarm for when class would start. Unfortunately, in her half-asleep haze she accidentally sliced the alarm in half with her scythe. As soon as she woke up, she fumbled off the bed with her clock landing straight on her head. She got up slowly, "f%ck."

She stumbled on to her legs, putting on a new shirt that had not yet formed a hole in a random location on the front. She then realized she forgot her bra, so tried to weasel it in underneath her shirt and awkwardly clipped it on. She then put on her underwear and pants (which already found holes in random locations).

She then slouched and slumped over to the mirror, checking her hair as it fell in front of her face and covered her eyes and mouth. She grabbed a few hairbands and fixed it into a partial ponytail, before putting on a pair of hooped earrings. She placed one of the hairbands. With a bit of powder and some very subtle applications of lipstick, she was feeling a bit better. Death then walked over and lifted the clock to look at it, "ack. Aaaaaand... almost late. Damn, I'm usually on time for things... Welp, let's see what I can do about that. I have a record to keep."

She opened the door to see the note with instructions, "well, itn't that convenient."

Death moved back to her window, opening it. She whistled from her window. A rift in space appeared as a motorcycle revved through the portal. She jumped down the window, landing in her seat. She then revved forwards. After carefully swerving so as to not hit any student, she began heading closer and closer to the building. Some students began to note that she was careening closer and closer to the wall of the building, rather than a door.

After a slight scare, the motorcycle seemingly latched on to the wall and carried on forwards as if it was normal ground. Death checked her classlist, "well, considering the first number is what floor... should be--" Death seemingly faded ominously, poofing through and off her bike as she vanished through the wall. The motorcycle then seemed to carry on before vanishing into some mysterious portal just as before.

Death then began running forwards, materializing as she checked the room numbers until she found hers. After checking her wrist-watch, she realized she had just made it.

Deathis Uncharacteristically a Fan of Cute and Fluffy Things
Classroom

---

As she looked around, she noticed her classmates had already arrived, including the teacher. Well, at least she made it. Of course, her eyes then moved over to the fox-like girl. Her heartbeat jumped a bit as she oggled a bit more than normal.

She crept closer, her hands deciding to feel the soft tail, "fluffy.... Cute...." She kept petting it, not really noticing that somebody was attached to the tail.

Death looked up, currently pushing her face into the soft tail. She looked at Thana, her mentor, "so.... what are we going to do for lessons?"