Holy High - The New U - IC I - Use This One

[Syrixces]

Holy High - The New U - IC - I

Here's the IC folks, sorry for the delay - Use This One

Hyperion

Holy High was founded in the early 20th century as an elite training and world education / preparation center, dedicated to helping Gods understand and get in touch with their mortal subjects. The School was initially...

Hyperion sighed, tossing aside the brochure, and stretched his shoulders, yawning. "Boringgggg." Looking around the crowded, Pegasi drawn bus, he noticed he wasn't the only one experiencing the phenomena of boredom, in fact, a good percentage of the students on the bus, from average looking humans, to fiery beasts, were asleep, chatting on cell phones, or generally doing anything but socializing with each other. Expected, really, for the first day, although hopefully it would change, he thought.

He stared out the window, eyes widening, as the campus of Holy High came into view through the mirrors of the flying yellow school bus. A massive marble and silver plateau greeted them, architecture and buildings from all the world spread across the luxurious mountain top. The mountain, as he recalled the brochure saying, had been forged out of the Atlantic Ocean, a perfect replica of Mount Olympus, right of the cost of New Jersey, and had been designed to accommodate Gods and Beings of all kinds.

He grinned as the bus slowly ground to a halt, tossing back his golden, back slicked hair, and flipping his sunglasses down, Hawaiian shirt as bright as he was. Glowing gold, and bored, he snapped his fingers, teleporting right outside of the bus, as far as he dared at this point. Snapping his fingers, light and heat danced around him, as Frank Sinatra played in his ears.

"Time, to have some fun."

Tlaloc

The east side of the New Olympus island grew dark, as thundering clouds drew close, lightning and rain smashing into its craggy shores. The lightning and clouds raged with power, piercing the sky with light and electric fury, before letting up, just as it reached the shore, condensing down to a single, humanoid figure, and eventually, a human form. Tlaloc shook the water from his skin, gold and Crimson Aztec warrior garments glittering, and strode along the marble pathways towards his apartment.

Nineteen years old, six foot one, and nearly 210 pounds, his heavily muscular figure coiled with power, the Aztec armor on his body slowly shifted to more casual clothing, a white tee shirt, jeans, and black boots. Black hair and blue eyes contrasted with power, Tlaloc entirely aware of where he needed to go.

An alumni of the school, Tlaloc was more of a guide to the new students than a student himself, responsible for aiding the students, advising them, and helping them along, as the maid their way through High School. He snapped his fingers, teleporting to his apartment, and kicking back in the adopted Aztec temple, the permanent rain cloud overhead thundering through the thick stone walls. He laid back in his rain soaked Lapis throne, and pulled out his thankfully water proof phone, just in time to receive a message. Grumbling, he snapped his fingers, and disappeared.

Hadryn

Hadryn too, happened to be on the bus, ice crystals from his breath fogging up the glass. Shiba and Shizi climbed over his lap, the tiny stone lion cubs nuzzling up to his coat for warmth.

Each about the size of a small puppy, the stone Shi were warm despite their material, and were as alive as any other lion cub. Shizi, the male, and Shiba, the female, were Hadryn's really, only companions, the life of the Lord of Winter, a relatively lonely occupation. Smiling as they drew close to the mountain top school, he picked up the Cubs, and placed them within his jacket, putting one in each inside breast pocket.

Finally, the bus came to a stop, some kid at the back teleporting off in a show equally arrogance and annoyance. Rolling his eyes, and breath coming out in an icy mist, he gathered his things and walked out from the carriage, ice crystals forming along the marble pathways as he walked.

Honesty, he thought, I'm here, now what?

---

Across campus, a man in a grey suit, with a lightning bolt tie pin, walked purposely from his office, clouds of thunder following him from a distance.

Principal Zeus, had arrived.

He went through his list of duties, everything he needed to complete, and did them all in a matter of seconds, preparing for a new school year an old routine for him. As he made his way down the hall, he snapped his fingers, a black and gold smartphone appearing in hand, tapping a few keys on the interface.

All over campus, students received a short and important message: Assembly in the Grand Theater.

The Grand Theater is a massive amphitheater like structure, huge in stature and reputation. Styled like a Greek amphitheater, the massive iron and silver gates swung open as the students made their way towards the building, Hyperion, Tlaloc, and Hadryn among them.

In the far back of the theater, a janitor stood, sweeping, his son behind him. Both mortals, one stared in delight at the incoming beings, while the other continued to clean, just happy to have his job. Watching the gods go by, the son gaped in awe, stroking his Crow's skull pendant. He was a mortal, he understood that.

But someday?

Someday, he'd be a god too.

[Charlia]

Well, this is going to be fun, Adrienne thought sarcastically. I wonder how annoying everyone's going to be? I hope they're not clingy. Aida, you'd better not screw this up for me. If I end up with a bunch of people fawning over me, I swear I will figure out how to kill you and I will do it as painfully as possible.

You're not very nice, Adrienne...

No. I'm not. Suck it up and deal with it, this is my body, not yours.

---

Why did she have to do this? It didn't make sense. Surrounded by a bunch of immature deities and plagued by constant noise and disruption...

Amaterasu had better things to be doing with her time, like, say, the relatively important duties that come with being the queen of an entire pantheon. But no, here she was, stuck in high school.

She really hoped this wouldn't turn out to be the colossal waste of time it seemed to be so far.

---

One girl didn't exactly look like she was supposed to be there. She wasn't a goddess, clothed in radiance or anything like that. She was just... standing off to the side, watching everyone else, and holding a sleeping infant.

She was lonely, but she didn't dare try and join the others. After all, she was hardly anything special. Just a ghost who'd wound up here after far too long a time wandering.

She would content herself to watch, and care for her child. That was the most she could expect.

---

On the outskirts of the group, two redheaded girls stood together. They were both short, but one of them was so small that she was obviously a young child while the other appeared to simply lack height--other things made it clear that she was probably in her late teen years. They looked enough alike to pass for sisters, even with the age gap--the young one had darker hair than the other and one silver eye, but they could definitely be mistaken for sisters.

In fact, that was what they were counting on.

"Now, remember," the older one whispered, "don't tell anyone about our real relationship, all right? I don't know how they would treat you if they knew. I know it's a lot to ask and I'm sorry to have to put something like this on your shoulders, you're too young to have to deal with this, but... I don't know what else to do." She bowed her head apologetically, and felt the little girl's arms wrapping around her neck as she stretched up and gave the older redhead a kiss on the cheek.

"It's okay, Mommy," she said contentedly. "I won't tell anyone you're not my big sister. Can I still call you Mommy, though? When we're by ourselves?"

"Of course you can, Mara," her mother replied, returning the embrace and the kiss. "When we're alone, you can call me Mommy as much as you like."

[Sky-TheLandOfNekos]

Mason Leventis
Devil's Tower, New Mexico.

He was sitting atop the colossal monument, reading over the School's pamphlet. A school for mythical beings, both good and bad alike to come together and learn as a single unit.

It was a terrible idea...

And to him, it was hilarious.

You have to be kidding me... What kind of fool actually thinks that this is going to end well? he thought to himself, sighing as he sat it down next to him on the rocky plateau. But, I'd be the fool if I am going to allow myself the chance to see how this plays out... Who knows? Maybe it'll surprise me, like the Colonies did when the went to war with England and ended up forming this nation.

Slowly, he pulled his legs back up from over the ledge and got to his feet. His back made a few cracking sounds, since he had been in that position for hours, and the cuffs still around his wrists and ankles rattled in the breeze.

There was one reason he liked this place so much... After all, what else can you do when standing twelve-hundred feet above the surface?

He took a few steps back before breaking into a sprint, pulled off a flip to get his adrenaline running, and plummeted toward the earth. Before he could hit the ground-and severely injure himself-a tear in space-time formed a portal between him and his destination, and he went through to find himself a couple hundred more feet in the air, but now on the other side of the country.

New Jersey, an acceptable distance from Holy High.

To slow his fall, he simply opened his wings and allowed the air resistance to do its work. And once he was safe again, they seemed to vanish as he adjusted his jacket.

"Alas, Holy High, The Grand School for The Gods. I meet you at last," he stated upon his arrival, mostly to himself, his heart still racing from the rush of his little skydive.

[The Flutterlands]

Filia Umbrarum, Goddess of Darkness and Saint of Thieves

Among the youngest students on the bus sat a pretty looking girl that from a mortal human perspective looked just like any other girl at the age of thirteen. That is, if it weren't for her snow white hair, pale ghost-like skin and the blazing orange eyes hiding beneath her sun glasses. Filia Umbrarum, the Goddess of Darkness and Shadows and Patron Saint of Thieves and Miscreants wore a pretty black dress and a black bow in hair. To any boy or even girl her age and just entering puberty, the young daughter of mysterious creation deities, Filia was a sight to see.

As the yellow pegasi drawn bus flew close to the mountain school, Filia, having already read the brochure, relieved herself of her own boredom by reading comic books, some of her many belongings of nerdish paraphernalia. To tell you the truth, she was quite flustered been made to leave the realm she ruled and was worshiped in. 'What do I, a goddess with divine power need to go to school for? I am already in touch with my subjects, right?' she would ask herself, but guessed that it was only part of growing up. Besides there were those in the human world who worshiped her too, but more as secret cults in the wilds and in among the shadows in cities, all of whom of course are all thieves, miscreants and troublemakers. Not to mention that Filia thought that she might actually have some fun at this school of Gods, Goddesses and Titans, along with so many things to steal and satisfy her kleptomanic urges.

When the bus finally arrived, Filia smiled as she glanced at the courtyard before collecting her belongings and melting into a shadow. The shadow goddess scurried beneath the feet of her soon-to-be classmates, sneakily pickpocketing some of them of random items with smal and thin tendrils, and rematerialized outside. The young girl smiled as she looked around at her peers wondering how many friends she'll be making and finding many of the boys and girls to very cute, handsome and very pretty, giving her romantic thoughts of having a boyfriend or girlfriend, but also targets of theft.

Filia blinked as she received heard the school's message. " Ooh, wonder what's going on at the Grand Theater." she spoke excitedly as she began to walk the intended destination, "Hope it's something fun."

[Tracian Empire]

A brown haired boy was sitting somewhere back in the bus, remaining quiet for most of the trip. He looked like a normal, human boy, nearly, if not for his dark red eyes... unnatural, and scary, and his pale skin. He certainly didn't look as godly as others.. as divine as some.. or as powerful as others. But behind his gloomy and somewhat bored expression, it could be seen that he wasn't exactly a weak, backstage god. But even in his normal, human clothes, the boy was clearly a divine being, and he looked like one, young, and good looking, with his dark brown hair arranged a little messily, but just enough for it to perfectly match the rest of his appearance. But for most of the trip, that god remained quiet, seemingly a little shy, avoiding any contacts with the other gods.

Reading the brochure, Heros sighed. This was a really, really bad idea. But his father, or his adoptive father, better said, was right. He hadn't done a lot of things over the past centuries, now that he was no longer cursed to take care of the dead. But that was the problem. Helping Gods understand and get in touch with their mortal subjects... what mortal subjects? He had been a great god once.. a mighty God.. venerated from the Roman Empire to the steppes of Scythia. But that period was long gone. And he had nearly been forgotten. At least, the Greek and the Roman gods survived easily through legends. But him? Nothing much remained of his cukt.. except from some statues. Damn that Christianity.. in fact, he was also pretty sure that not even the Greek or the Roman gods were going to know anything about him. Even if in the real world, he had been their neighbor for centuries. That was the main reason for why the red eyed god had tried to avoid speaking with any other gods during the trip.. he was feeling too inferior, compared to them. What a nice beginning...


As the bus stopped, Heros seemed to simply sink into his seat, as he entered the shadow, appearing on the outside of the bus, avoiding his soon to be schoolmates. But as he received the message, Heros knew that he had to go this Grand Theater. But he tried to be optimistic. Perhaps, he might even manage to make some friends today... and with those thoughts in his mind, the Thracian god joined the others as they headed for the Grand Theater.

[Finsternia]

Regalion, King of the Dragon Gods of Valyria

Regalion sighed as he stepped down of the magical yellow bus. Once again, he's returning back to this dreadful school. He wasn't even thinking about going back yet Tet convinced him to. Well, not really convince. More like turn your entire pantheon against you to force you to go back to school. He then took a deep breath as received Zeus' announcement. 'The Grand Theatre then...'

Hades, Lord of the Underworld

Like Regalion, Hades too was pressured by Tet to attend Holy High once more. He was just reading a book while chatting with Charon down the Underworld when the child god appeared with Persephone and his daughter, talking and laughing for whatever reason. Then Persephone was now asking him to go back for whatever Tet has said to her. The earth shifted and cracked as lave came out and the haunting howls of the hellhounds shook the silence of the first day to reveal the hellish chariot of the nether god. Stepping out in normal teenager clothes and a pair of headphones clamped on his ears, Hades grimaced at the presence of the other gods. "Why do I even need to go here..." Seeing Regalion amongst the bus crowd, Hades silently followed the dragon god, both giving each other a stare of disbelief and knowing of why both of them are here. "Tet forced you to come here, didn't he..."

Tet, Former God of Games and Lord of Disboard

When he heard of the news that Holy High was resuming classes again, Tet jumped in joy and started packing his things despite the objection of the other Old Dei. Since there are all physically dead and just some annoying old voices that kept on pestering him ever since he assumed the throne of godlihood in Disboard, he was happy to get out of the boring place. He was excited to see the familiar faces that he once saw, his two "best friends", and to know new people. Opening a portal through thin air, the God of Games jumped right through... and fell down the ground on his face. He then rubbed the area of pain as he recollected himself. He can hear some people laughing at him and an announcement. Something about the Grand Theatre. That was his signal to start running, towards the great theatre.

[The Flutterlands]

Tet, Former God of Games and Lord of Disboard

When he heard of the news that Holy High was resuming classes again, Tet jumped in joy and started packing his things despite the objection of the other Old Dei. Since there are all physically dead and just some annoying old voices that kept on pestering him ever since he assumed the throne of godlihood in Disboard, he was happy to get out of the boring place. He was excited to see the familiar faces that he once saw, his two "best friends", and to know new people. Opening a portal through thin air, the God of Games jumped right through... and fell down the ground on his face. He then rubbed the area of pain as he recollected himself. He can hear some people laughing at him and an announcement. Something about the Grand Theatre. That was his signal to start running, towards the great theatre.

Filia Umbrarum, Goddess of Darkness and Saint of Thieves

As Filia walked towards the Grand Theater, she saw a young boy run pass her and blushed a little upon closer look. He looked quite young, around her own age in appearance and seemed like the cutest among the students so far. Making a small grin upon seeing the boy as a potential boyfriend, Filia melted into a shadow and scurried towards him. When she rematerilized in her human form, the young thirteen year old goddess smiled broadly at Tet. "Hi." she greeted softly, but quite cheerfully, "Pretty cool looking school, huh? I don't get why gods need school, really, but my name's Filia Umbrarum. What's yours cutie?"

[Saskisdi]

Near the back of the bus, a boy lay in a deep, dreamless slumber. Nobody paid him any mind, as many new freshmen scattered around were catching up on some sleep as well. But as they came to a halt at the school and began to depart, someone passing by was kind enough to nudge him awake. Drowsy, he jumped up with a start and blindly followed the rest out and into the school. It wasn't until he sat down in the Grand Theater that he finally rubbed his eyes and looked around, and had he not just been unconscious he probably would have fainted. All around him sat beings of all forms, from beasts to dryads to angels to some things he couldn't even identify, and he was shaken to his core. Instead of screaming however, he just sat tense in his chair, eyes locked forward and fingers gripping his armrests as he watched the orientation.

Meanwhile, a strange fog moved into a certain part of the schoolyard. A spot that, many years before, had seen the spontaneous arrival of a certain person - the same person who suddenly walked from within the fog out onto the grass.
"...well that worked."

[Finsternia]

Tet, Former God of Games and Lord of Disboard

When he heard of the news that Holy High was resuming classes again, Tet jumped in joy and started packing his things despite the objection of the other Old Dei. Since there are all physically dead and just some annoying old voices that kept on pestering him ever since he assumed the throne of godlihood in Disboard, he was happy to get out of the boring place. He was excited to see the familiar faces that he once saw, his two "best friends", and to know new people. Opening a portal through thin air, the God of Games jumped right through... and fell down the ground on his face. He then rubbed the area of pain as he recollected himself. He can hear some people laughing at him and an announcement. Something about the Grand Theatre. That was his signal to start running, towards the great theatre.

Filia Umbrarum, Goddess of Darkness and Saint of Thieves

As Filia walked towards the Grand Theater, she saw a young boy run pass her and blushed a little upon closer look. He looked quite young, around her own age in appearance and seemed like the cutest among the students so far. Making a small grin upon seeing the boy as a potential boyfriend, Filia melted into a shadow and scurried towards him. When she rematerilized in her human form, the young thirteen year old goddess smiled broadly at Tet. "Hi." she greeted softly, but quite cheerfully, "Pretty cool looking school, huh? I don't get why gods need school, really, but my name's Filia Umbrarum. What's yours cutie?"

Tet

Tet gaved a shocked gasped as the young goddess made her presence known. His mismatched multicolored eyes looked at her with confusion and interest, his diamond and spade pupils staring at her. When he noticed that he was staring at her in a daze, Tet pulled down his beret and fixed it before speaking, his cheeks blushing as he heard her call him a cutie. "Ah... Um... My name's Tet! I'm the god of games as you can see!" He said as he pinpointed his card symbolism and the die earring on his left ear. "Nice to meet you!"

[The Flutterlands]

Tet

Tet gaved a shocked gasped as the young goddess made her presence known. His mismatched multicolored eyes looked at her with confusion and interest, his diamond and spade pupils staring at her. When he noticed that he was staring at her in a daze, Tet pulled down his beret and fixed it before speaking, his cheeks blushing as he heard her call him a cutie. "Ah... Um... My name's Tet! I'm the god of games as you can see!" He said as he pinpointed his card symbolism and the die earring on his left ear. "Nice to meet you!"

Filia Umbrarum, Goddess of Darkness and Saint of Thieves

Filia blushed and almost giggled at the look on Tet's face, confirming how cute he was. Her own blazing and seemingly demonic orange eyes remained unseen behind her sunglasses, protected the from the bright sun, but they gazed right into Tet's own fascinating eyes. "Oh cool! I love games!" she spoke happily, grinning upon hearing his godly domain over her favorite activities, "I bet you're great at games like Dungeons and Dragons. I would love to play with you, but we got to at least get two others to play. Anyway, I'm the Goddess of Darkness and Shadows and the Patron Saint of Thieves and Miscreants. Darkness is my domain with all shadows under my power and all thieves and rogues are my followers, wither they know it or not. It's great to meet you, Tet."

[Luminesa]

Patriah did not care much for the pamphlet. He knew what a school was, it didn't matter what intricacies they offered or whatnot. He would know it when he got there. At the moment, it was all just a dull waiting game. He sat on the bus and stared out the window, bored out of his mind. He had rode the sky before, so not even the Pegasus shocked him. In fact, he was almost certain he could fly higher than a Pegasus.

...The moon rises and sets the scene...

Then there was Hamiri. She was asleep against his shoulder, having fallen asleep during the wait herself. She had two suitcases, whereas Patriah had a single bag of clothing and his sword. She obviously was far more tidy and organized than he was. Yet at the moment, she simply wanted a soft bed. Patriah's shoulder worked, so there she slept.

...And everything is held together under its light...

Xavier sat near the front, by himself, staring out the window. Somehow, he felt he had been here before...what kind of place was this? Holy High? What kind of name was that? What kind of school was this? Was this something out of a Percy Jackson novel? Or was it...something else? He could not tell, so he simply waited to get off the bus.

Nothing can wander away from it, or above it, and everything below it glows...

Finally, the bus landed, and everyone got off in front of the school. The school was enormous and beautiful. It was magnificent, placed on top of a huge mountain and with a view of the ocean far below. Then there were the huge, green, lush courtyards and forests that circled the hidden school. Finally, the building itself seemed to give the aura of being a magical school. It was like a giant, white, Victorian castle. It didn't even look like a normal school.

All of the stars glow around it, expanding out across the horizon...

Patriah got off first, dressed in a white t-shirt, a multi-colored shawl, jeans, and sandals. He looked messy, with his ruffled emerald hair and facial scruff, but he did not care. He slung his bag over his shoulders and looked out around him. Meanwhile, Hamiri bounced off the bus next to him. She, in the meantime, was dressed far more nicely. She wore a red blazer, a white dress-shirt, a short black skirt, black knee-high socks, and red slippers. She looked like a proper student and a proper lady-and someone who would not normally associate herself with someone like Patriah.

And we welcome them all every night, because they make our dim world brighter...even if just for a few moments...

Xavier got off after all of them, dressed in a pastel-pink dress-shirt, white slacks, and black loafers. He had a single suitcase himself, and he wore a big smile on his face. The wind toyed lightly with his light-pink hair, and his ruby eyes twinkled in the sunlight. He certainly looked...angelic. "...Huh. It looks like we're here! So this is Holy High...I suppose now we have to head to the Grand Theatre, just like the principal said?"

"I believe so," Hamiri answered, holding Patriah's arm as they walked.

"Better not take too long...ugh...I haven't eaten in centuries..." Patriah muttered, bitterly.

"You ate before the bus came, didn't you?" Hamiri questioned him.

"Yes, I had a steak, but you know I gotta eat more than that!" he whined.

Hamiri sighed. "I know, I know. You're a growing Mage, aren't you?" she teased, grinning up at him as they walked. They were an odd couple, but she relished in this. She liked Patriah, and Patriah liked her. That was all that mattered to them, as they walked to their destination.

...Yes...all together...

...Once more, all here...

We remember everything, and nothing...all at once...

...The space between is vast...let it be filled with gold...

[Ranoria]

Ryujin and Otohime

This is absolutely ridiculous. Being forced to leave the management of the ocean, and Ryugu-Jo, in order to attend this? What is this, anyways? A high school? Ridiculous.

The dragon, having, painfully, adopted a human form, had been sour enough that he was being forced to come here, and as a result elected to not ride in the school's bus, instead riding in, cross legged, on his trusty, flying, oversized sea turtle servant, Bo. The trip hadn't taken long, the turtle could fly relatively fast, despite really not doing much other than lug Ryujin around.

"You don't seem very excited, Father." Ryujin glanced back at Otohime just as the campus came into view, seeing that his daughter was leaning over the edge of Bo's shell. Obviously, she appeared much more enamored with this idea than he was, "It can't be that awful, right?"

Ryujin grunted, turning back to this 'Holy High' they were attending. Honestly, the most disgusting part about it for him was the fact that it was based off of the mortals' idea of education, making it beyond meaningless to any deity. "I'm frustrated is all. Don't let me get you down, have your fun." Bo, the oversized sea turtle, began to descend, clacking his jaws to announce that they had arrived.

"Okay then." Taking his advice, Otohime hopped right off of the turtle, patting his back as she did, and ran off to go meet some new people. Or gods. Or whatever. The first person she saw, and introduced herself to, happened to be the man who fell from the sky, which she thought looked pretty exciting.

And so, the goddess ran up to him with a wide grin and extended her hand, hoping for the best, "Hi there! I'm Otohime, goddess of the sea. What's your name?" The greeting, in all reality, may have sounded childish, likely because the dragoness was as excited as she'd been in decades to do something like this. Her father, though, wasn't nearly so optimistic.

Dammit all.

Ryujin, growled as he stepped off, dismissing his servant with a wave of his hand. At first glance, he looked like nothing more than human, but upon closer observation, crescent-shaped pupils and the serpentine tongue that flicked out to taste the air eliminated any illusions as to what he was.

It's an impressive structure, that's for certain. But expenses don't equal anything worthwhile.

But, as if just to make this not as unbearable, he saw one face that he did recognize. And she looked just as aggravated as he was.

So, approaching his queen, Ryujin bowed deeply before raising himself up to his full height once more. "Amaterasu-sama, if I may, you look just as miserable as I feel."

Shen Lung
Unlike his Shinto counterpart and rival, Shen was plenty optimistic about the opportunity to attend such a prestigious academy, to learn from the wisest of the gods in their respective fields, and to connect to mortals.

Okay, not really, but he wasn't entirely miffed by the concept. After all, why not? He didn't really do much accept make the rain smell like fish nowadays, and that was only when he was sick, so why not try something new for once?

Granted, he very much disapproved of the bus. It hilarious though, in his view, that he, a god of storms, was being towed by a sluggish machine that resembled one designed by lowly humans. Not that humans were so awful, more that they were just so meaningless, which is what made it even funnier that gods would utilize such a vehicle of transportation, and even more so that the purpose of this school was apparently to educate them on connecting with humans.

So, stepping off the bus, light hearted and mischievous as ever, Shen Lung took a deep breath before opening his eyes, his generous gut making his diet and habits somewhat evident, and looked around for anything to do.


Azazel and Leviathan
It made way too much sense for the too to have sat together on the bus ride, or at least that's what Azazel had thought. But as he hopped onto the terrace their ride had landed on, he reflected on how very uncomfortable the so called 'Son of Satan' had been once he'd tried to make small talk about pillage and plunder and slaughter. Hell, he'd even tried to make that classic joke about bathing in the blood of your enemies, which no one ever really did, he hoped, that was disgusting, and that hadn't worked.

Oh well. Kid's probably just not comfortable yet adapting to such a lie of a human form. I didn't like it either at first, but it's so much easier to get around with.

Tetsu, his trusty shape shifting weapon, was at his hip in the form of a small switch, relatively unthreatening but ever ready, the demon's fingers running along it. Hope I don't have to use you too soon.

His fellow demon, meanwhile, was refreshed, being away from Azazel. Not that he'd been annoying, but it was harder to restrain himself around such beings. Still though, Levi kept to himself, not entirely sure of what to do at that point. He was fully aware of why he had been sent here, he was a living time bomb, after all, but that didn't make it any easier. The Beast was never at rest.

[Charlia]

But, as if just to make this not as unbearable, he saw one face that he did recognize. And she looked just as aggravated as he was.

So, approaching his queen, Ryujin bowed deeply before raising himself up to his full height once more. "Amaterasu-sama, if I may, you look just as miserable as I feel."

"Oh... Ryujin," Amaterasu said with a tone of mild surprise. "So you've been driven here as well? At least there's going to be a familiar face," she muttered. "That's probably the only benefit of this place. I swear, if this ends up like the cave incident, I'm not coming back. There's only so far I'm willing to let my patience be tried..."

[Sky-TheLandOfNekos]

Ryujin and Otohime

This is absolutely ridiculous. Being forced to leave the management of the ocean, and Ryugu-Jo, in order to attend this? What is this, anyways? A high school? Ridiculous.

The dragon, having, painfully, adopted a human form, had been sour enough that he was being forced to come here, and as a result elected to not ride in the school's bus, instead riding in, cross legged, on his trusty, flying, oversized sea turtle servant, Bo. The trip hadn't taken long, the turtle could fly relatively fast, despite really not doing much other than lug Ryujin around.

"You don't seem very excited, Father." Ryujin glanced back at Otohime just as the campus came into view, seeing that his daughter was leaning over the edge of Bo's shell. Obviously, she appeared much more enamored with this idea than he was, "It can't be that awful, right?"

Ryujin grunted, turning back to this 'Holy High' they were attending. Honestly, the most disgusting part about it for him was the fact that it was based off of the mortals' idea of education, making it beyond meaningless to any deity. "I'm frustrated is all. Don't let me get you down, have your fun." Bo, the oversized sea turtle, began to descend, clacking his jaws to announce that they had arrived.

"Okay then." Taking his advice, Otohime hopped right off of the turtle, patting his back as she did, and ran off to go meet some new people. Or gods. Or whatever. The first person she saw, and introduced herself to, happened to be the man who fell from the sky, which she thought looked pretty exciting.

And so, the goddess ran up to him with a wide grin and extended her hand, hoping for the best, "Hi there! I'm Otohime, goddess of the sea. What's your name?" The greeting, in all reality, may have sounded childish, likely because the dragoness was as excited as she'd been in decades to do something like this. Her father, though, wasn't nearly so optimistic.

Dammit all.

Ryujin, growled as he stepped off, dismissing his servant with a wave of his hand. At first glance, he looked like nothing more than human, but upon closer observation, crescent-shaped pupils and the serpentine tongue that flicked out to taste the air eliminated any illusions as to what he was.

It's an impressive structure, that's for certain. But expenses don't equal anything worthwhile.

But, as if just to make this not as unbearable, he saw one face that he did recognize. And she looked just as aggravated as he was.

So, approaching his queen, Ryujin bowed deeply before raising himself up to his full height once more. "Amaterasu-sama, if I may, you look just as miserable as I feel."

Mason Leventis

The Nephalem raised a brow at the goddess when she introduced herself. Still, even though her words were comparable to that of what a 5 year-old would say, he had to give her credit for enthusiasm. It can take a lot out of some people to so much as say 'hi' to a stranger. "Is that so?" he inquired, smiling softly. The girl seemed innocent enough, so he decided to have a little fun.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Otohime, goddess of the sea," he continued on to say, shifting his arms as though he doubted her story and caused the cuffs to rattle once more. "I'm Mason Leventis, escaped convict and world-renowned thief. Now, before my mind starts wondering, tell me," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a 1688 five guinea, "I need some assistance hiding a box of these coins back where I left my chute before the authorities arrive." And in an attempt to really sell it, he pretended to show signs of anxiety, occasionally darting his eyes around here and there and fidgeting with the coin.

[Ranoria]

But, as if just to make this not as unbearable, he saw one face that he did recognize. And she looked just as aggravated as he was.

So, approaching his queen, Ryujin bowed deeply before raising himself up to his full height once more. "Amaterasu-sama, if I may, you look just as miserable as I feel."

"Oh... Ryujin," Amaterasu said with a tone of mild surprise. "So you've been driven here as well? At least there's going to be a familiar face," she muttered. "That's probably the only benefit of this place. I swear, if this ends up like the cave incident, I'm not coming back. There's only so far I'm willing to let my patience be tried..."

"I wouldn't blame you. This is ridiculous." One of Ryujin's hands came up to rub his neck, which felt stiff and somewhat painful, "We have better things to do than attend some worthless, human-inspired school." Despite his obvious disgust with this situation, at least there was someone here who understood just how absurd the whole thing was, and whom he was familiar with.

I wonder who's in charge here. Maybe they'll have some answers. Maybe they'll answer to my fangs, if I'm in the mood. His hand came back down when he heard the announcement, ear twitching curiously.

Right on cue. "They've got some explaining to do, I suppose."

Ryujin and Otohime

This is absolutely ridiculous. Being forced to leave the management of the ocean, and Ryugu-Jo, in order to attend this? What is this, anyways? A high school? Ridiculous.

The dragon, having, painfully, adopted a human form, had been sour enough that he was being forced to come here, and as a result elected to not ride in the school's bus, instead riding in, cross legged, on his trusty, flying, oversized sea turtle servant, Bo. The trip hadn't taken long, the turtle could fly relatively fast, despite really not doing much other than lug Ryujin around.

"You don't seem very excited, Father." Ryujin glanced back at Otohime just as the campus came into view, seeing that his daughter was leaning over the edge of Bo's shell. Obviously, she appeared much more enamored with this idea than he was, "It can't be that awful, right?"

Ryujin grunted, turning back to this 'Holy High' they were attending. Honestly, the most disgusting part about it for him was the fact that it was based off of the mortals' idea of education, making it beyond meaningless to any deity. "I'm frustrated is all. Don't let me get you down, have your fun." Bo, the oversized sea turtle, began to descend, clacking his jaws to announce that they had arrived.

"Okay then." Taking his advice, Otohime hopped right off of the turtle, patting his back as she did, and ran off to go meet some new people. Or gods. Or whatever. The first person she saw, and introduced herself to, happened to be the man who fell from the sky, which she thought looked pretty exciting.

And so, the goddess ran up to him with a wide grin and extended her hand, hoping for the best, "Hi there! I'm Otohime, goddess of the sea. What's your name?" The greeting, in all reality, may have sounded childish, likely because the dragoness was as excited as she'd been in decades to do something like this. Her father, though, wasn't nearly so optimistic.

Dammit all.

Ryujin, growled as he stepped off, dismissing his servant with a wave of his hand. At first glance, he looked like nothing more than human, but upon closer observation, crescent-shaped pupils and the serpentine tongue that flicked out to taste the air eliminated any illusions as to what he was.

It's an impressive structure, that's for certain. But expenses don't equal anything worthwhile.

But, as if just to make this not as unbearable, he saw one face that he did recognize. And she looked just as aggravated as he was.

So, approaching his queen, Ryujin bowed deeply before raising himself up to his full height once more. "Amaterasu-sama, if I may, you look just as miserable as I feel."

Mason Leventis

The Nephalem raised a brow at the goddess when she introduced herself. Still, even though her words were comparable to that of what a 5 year-old would say, he had to give her credit for enthusiasm. It can take a lot out of some people to so much as say 'hi' to a stranger. "Is that so?" he inquired, smiling softly. The girl seemed innocent enough, so he decided to have a little fun.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Otohime, goddess of the sea," he continued on to say, shifting his arms as though he doubted her story and caused the cuffs to rattle once more. "I'm Mason Leventis, escaped convict and world-renowned thief. Now, before my mind starts wondering, tell me," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a 1688 five guinea, "I need some assistance hiding a box of these coins back where I left my chute before the authorities arrive." And in an attempt to really sell it, he pretended to show signs of anxiety, occasionally darting his eyes around here and there and fidgeting with the coin.

"What, this?" She took the coin, holding it in her fingers and glancing at it curiously, "Oh, I have tons of these! But why would you worry about the police up here?" Otohime handed the coin back to him, "I very much doubt there are any human police who would make it to this place, after all."

After that though, she frowned, looking back up at Mason, "But you know, you probably should return this, I'm sure the owner would like it back, and it doesn't hold nearly as much value for you as it does for them. These are pretty expensive in the mortal world, after all."

[Sky-TheLandOfNekos]

"Oh... Ryujin," Amaterasu said with a tone of mild surprise. "So you've been driven here as well? At least there's going to be a familiar face," she muttered. "That's probably the only benefit of this place. I swear, if this ends up like the cave incident, I'm not coming back. There's only so far I'm willing to let my patience be tried..."

"I wouldn't blame you. This is ridiculous." One of Ryujin's hands came up to rub his neck, which felt stiff and somewhat painful, "We have better things to do than attend some worthless, human-inspired school." Despite his obvious disgust with this situation, at least there was someone here who understood just how absurd the whole thing was, and whom he was familiar with.

I wonder who's in charge here. Maybe they'll have some answers. Maybe they'll answer to my fangs, if I'm in the mood. His hand came back down when he heard the announcement, ear twitching curiously.

Right on cue. "They've got some explaining to do, I suppose."

Mason Leventis

The Nephalem raised a brow at the goddess when she introduced herself. Still, even though her words were comparable to that of what a 5 year-old would say, he had to give her credit for enthusiasm. It can take a lot out of some people to so much as say 'hi' to a stranger. "Is that so?" he inquired, smiling softly. The girl seemed innocent enough, so he decided to have a little fun.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Otohime, goddess of the sea," he continued on to say, shifting his arms as though he doubted her story and caused the cuffs to rattle once more. "I'm Mason Leventis, escaped convict and world-renowned thief. Now, before my mind starts wondering, tell me," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a 1688 five guinea, "I need some assistance hiding a box of these coins back where I left my chute before the authorities arrive." And in an attempt to really sell it, he pretended to show signs of anxiety, occasionally darting his eyes around here and there and fidgeting with the coin.

"What, this?" She took the coin, holding it in her fingers and glancing at it curiously, "Oh, I have tons of these! But why would you worry about the police up here?" Otohime handed the coin back to him, "I very much doubt there are any human police who would make it to this place, after all."

After that though, she frowned, looking back up at Mason, "But you know, you probably should return this, I'm sure the owner would like it back, and it doesn't hold nearly as much value for you as it does for them. These are pretty expensive in the mortal world, after all."

Mason Leventis

Well, that certainly didn't go as planned...

The Nephalem sighed as he returned the coin to his pocket. He had judged the girl based on her introduction, which was the fatal mistake in his ploy. She was far more intelligent than she initially had seemed, or simply behaved differently than the average human--who would have panicked, refused, or threatened him to hand them over. In truth, he had little experience when it came to high-level mythical creatures. All he had known were the demons of hell, and he hadn't encountered many throughout either the many wars he took part of after returning or his travels.

"Don't worry about it," he said, forcing himself to remain positive despite his disappointment in himself. "Since it seems you are much more difficult to fool than you look, which I mean as a compliment, I'll re-introduce myself."

"So, all jokes aside, I'm Mason Leventis, soldier extraordinaire and "abomination," from what I've been called down below. It's a pleasure to meet you, Otohime, Daughter of Ryujin. Sorry about before... I was just seeing if you'd like to play 'Pirate'."

[Ranoria]

"I wouldn't blame you. This is ridiculous." One of Ryujin's hands came up to rub his neck, which felt stiff and somewhat painful, "We have better things to do than attend some worthless, human-inspired school." Despite his obvious disgust with this situation, at least there was someone here who understood just how absurd the whole thing was, and whom he was familiar with.

I wonder who's in charge here. Maybe they'll have some answers. Maybe they'll answer to my fangs, if I'm in the mood. His hand came back down when he heard the announcement, ear twitching curiously.

Right on cue. "They've got some explaining to do, I suppose."


"What, this?" She took the coin, holding it in her fingers and glancing at it curiously, "Oh, I have tons of these! But why would you worry about the police up here?" Otohime handed the coin back to him, "I very much doubt there are any human police who would make it to this place, after all."

After that though, she frowned, looking back up at Mason, "But you know, you probably should return this, I'm sure the owner would like it back, and it doesn't hold nearly as much value for you as it does for them. These are pretty expensive in the mortal world, after all."

Mason Leventis

Well, that certainly didn't go as planned...

The Nephalem sighed as he returned the coin to his pocket. He had judged the girl based on her introduction, which was the fatal mistake in his ploy. She was far more intelligent than she initially had seemed, or simply behaved differently than the average human--who would have panicked, refused, or threatened him to hand them over. In truth, he had little experience when it came to high-level mythical creatures. All he had known were the demons of hell, and he hadn't encountered many throughout either the many wars he took part of after returning or his travels.

"Don't worry about it," he said, forcing himself to remain positive despite his disappointment in himself. "Since it seems you are much more difficult to fool than you look, which I mean as a compliment, I'll re-introduce myself."

"So, all jokes aside, I'm Mason Leventis, soldier extraordinaire and "abomination," from what I've been called down below. It's a pleasure to meet you, Otohime, Daughter of Ryujin. Sorry about before... I was just seeing if you'd like to play 'Pirate'."

"No apologies required, there's nothing wrong with a bit of fun," Otohime smiled, laughing just a little, "A pleasure to meet you as well, Mason, if I may call you that."

I knew Father was just being silly. This place doesn't seem to be half bad after all. I hope he's not scaring anyone with his growling. He tends to do that.

Understanding though, that Ryujin was more than capable of handling himself, Otohime cast her worries aside, continuing the conversation, "So you aren't a thief then, you're a soldier, an interesting contradiction there," the dragoness said it with a humorous glint in her eyes, her comment obviously sarcastic, "Where do you come from then? Or do you travel the world?"

[Sky-TheLandOfNekos]

Mason Leventis

Well, that certainly didn't go as planned...

The Nephalem sighed as he returned the coin to his pocket. He had judged the girl based on her introduction, which was the fatal mistake in his ploy. She was far more intelligent than she initially had seemed, or simply behaved differently than the average human--who would have panicked, refused, or threatened him to hand them over. In truth, he had little experience when it came to high-level mythical creatures. All he had known were the demons of hell, and he hadn't encountered many throughout either the many wars he took part of after returning or his travels.

"Don't worry about it," he said, forcing himself to remain positive despite his disappointment in himself. "Since it seems you are much more difficult to fool than you look, which I mean as a compliment, I'll re-introduce myself."

"So, all jokes aside, I'm Mason Leventis, soldier extraordinaire and "abomination," from what I've been called down below. It's a pleasure to meet you, Otohime, Daughter of Ryujin. Sorry about before... I was just seeing if you'd like to play 'Pirate'."

"No apologies required, there's nothing wrong with a bit of fun," Otohime smiled, laughing just a little, "A pleasure to meet you as well, Mason, if I may call you that."

I knew Father was just being silly. This place doesn't seem to be half bad after all. I hope he's not scaring anyone with his growling. He tends to do that.

Understanding though, that Ryujin was more than capable of handling himself, Otohime cast her worries aside, continuing the conversation, "So you aren't a thief then, you're a soldier, an interesting contradiction there," the dragoness said it with a humorous glint in her eyes, her comment obviously sarcastic, "Where do you come from then? Or do you travel the world?"

"You may," he answered, nodding to her when she asked if she may address him informally. It's not like they were meeting at some ritual... It was a highschool after all, and one that is bound to become one of the most chaotic places in the universe. He was glad, though, that she wasn't upset with him. It's good to make some friends that aren't humans that you'll outlive for once.

"I am originally from Rome, sometime around nine-hundred years ago--and I still haven't gotten over how we fell to the Germanic Barbarians," he answered, laughing at the thought of how the might empire collapsed at the hands of a disorganized group of savages. "Until about four hundred years ago, however," he continued, lifting up his wrists with a sarcastic motion so that she could see the magical cuffs, "I was chained up down with Old Scratch, and I still haven't gotten the damn things off. They're a hell of a lot stronger than the chains..."

[Castle Crashers]

One of the many whom had gotten off of the buses happened to be a god with dark hair and blue eyes, and he didn't exactly have an unnoticeable aura for what his domain was, usually carrying a dreadful or otherwise unpleasant feeling around himself, making many uncomfortable...he tried his best to stay under the radar. He didn't like getting a lot of attention; he never did. Instead of pushing himself into the excited crowd, he drifted to the edge, and instead of taking in the glamour of the school ahead of him, he spotted a figure off to the side, that of whom was silently watching everyone pass. It was easy for him to tell that she wasn't a goddess at all, but rather a soul; was she lost? Did she need guidance? She had a baby...was she supposed to be a student there? He had a lot of questions, but she didn't really look like an open-book kind. "...well, you seem a bit...secluded, if I might say." He said as he reached her side. "...I couldn't help but notice. If you'd like me to leave, say the word, but...you look as though you could use some company."

---

Off of another bus, a shining, nearly glowing goddess pranced off the step, excitement written clearly in her red eyes. She hadn't expected this school to be nearly as fancy as it was...perhaps she was expecting something more...mortal? Either way, this was the beginning of something new, and just the thought was enough to boost her spirits. How many people would she meet? How many friends would she make? All the possibilities were endless! She continued on, following the other gods, goddesses, and titans as they proceeded into the school and to the Grand Theater. A smile was on her face as she got a little lost in her surroundings, taking in the building and its architecture with little thought of those around her. It was just so wonderful and bright...she had been a little scared of the place being dim and scary, but this was the opposite of that. It was beautiful, to say the least. It made her feel like nothing could ruin today...too bad she was a bit caught up in this thought. It wasn't but a moment later that she ran right into the back of someone, another god with darker hair. "Oh--sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going..." She apologized a bit shyly, feeling embarrassed of her unawareness.

[Charlia]

One of the many whom had gotten off of the buses happened to be a god with dark hair and blue eyes, and he didn't exactly have an unnoticeable aura for what his domain was, usually carrying a dreadful or otherwise unpleasant feeling around himself, making many uncomfortable...he tried his best to stay under the radar. He didn't like getting a lot of attention; he never did. Instead of pushing himself into the excited crowd, he drifted to the edge, and instead of taking in the glamour of the school ahead of him, he spotted a figure off to the side, that of whom was silently watching everyone pass. It was easy for him to tell that she wasn't a goddess at all, but rather a soul; was she lost? Did she need guidance? She had a baby...was she supposed to be a student there? He had a lot of questions, but she didn't really look like an open-book kind. "...well, you seem a bit...secluded, if I might say." He said as he reached her side. "...I couldn't help but notice. If you'd like me to leave, say the word, but...you look as though you could use some company."

"...Oh!" Haruka--for that was the ghost's name--was surprised when the boy spoke to her. "You... can actually see me? I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, seeing as what sort of place this is... and you... this might sound odd, but you feel familiar. Like..."

Her eyes widened slightly as she remembered exactly when she had last felt this odd aura.

"...nostalgia," she said quietly. "When I died... that's what I felt. Remembering happiness... and yet somehow feeling so sad... Are you lonely as well?"

[Castle Crashers]

One of the many whom had gotten off of the buses happened to be a god with dark hair and blue eyes, and he didn't exactly have an unnoticeable aura for what his domain was, usually carrying a dreadful or otherwise unpleasant feeling around himself, making many uncomfortable...he tried his best to stay under the radar. He didn't like getting a lot of attention; he never did. Instead of pushing himself into the excited crowd, he drifted to the edge, and instead of taking in the glamour of the school ahead of him, he spotted a figure off to the side, that of whom was silently watching everyone pass. It was easy for him to tell that she wasn't a goddess at all, but rather a soul; was she lost? Did she need guidance? She had a baby...was she supposed to be a student there? He had a lot of questions, but she didn't really look like an open-book kind. "...well, you seem a bit...secluded, if I might say." He said as he reached her side. "...I couldn't help but notice. If you'd like me to leave, say the word, but...you look as though you could use some company."

"...Oh!" Haruka--for that was the ghost's name--was surprised when the boy spoke to her. "You... can actually see me? I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, seeing as what sort of place this is... and you... this might sound odd, but you feel familiar. Like..."

Her eyes widened slightly as she remembered exactly when she had last felt this odd aura.

"...nostalgia," she said quietly. "When I died... that's what I felt. Remembering happiness... and yet somehow feeling so sad... Are you lonely as well?"

"...Death is always lonely, I would assume. After all, that is my job..." He sighed a little before he put on a small smile. "I can see everyone, spirits or not. If I were to tell you that you were incorrect about knowing me, I'd be lying. I am the...personification of death, I suppose. Though, I don't quite recognize you as easily..." He mused, thinking it over in his mind before he looked to her. "What is your name, may I ask?"

[Charlia]

"...Oh!" Haruka--for that was the ghost's name--was surprised when the boy spoke to her. "You... can actually see me? I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, seeing as what sort of place this is... and you... this might sound odd, but you feel familiar. Like..."

Her eyes widened slightly as she remembered exactly when she had last felt this odd aura.

"...nostalgia," she said quietly. "When I died... that's what I felt. Remembering happiness... and yet somehow feeling so sad... Are you lonely as well?"

"...Death is always lonely, I would assume. After all, that is my job..." He sighed a little before he put on a small smile. "I can see everyone, spirits or not. If I were to tell you that you were incorrect about knowing me, I'd be lying. I am the...personification of death, I suppose. Though, I don't quite recognize you as easily..." He mused, thinking it over in his mind before he looked to her. "What is your name, may I ask?"

"...I thought I remembered that feeling," she replied quietly. "My name is Miyamoto Haruka. You probably don't remember me, since it's been several centuries since we last met. This might seem odd, but... I'd like to thank you."

[Ranoria]

"No apologies required, there's nothing wrong with a bit of fun," Otohime smiled, laughing just a little, "A pleasure to meet you as well, Mason, if I may call you that."

I knew Father was just being silly. This place doesn't seem to be half bad after all. I hope he's not scaring anyone with his growling. He tends to do that.

Understanding though, that Ryujin was more than capable of handling himself, Otohime cast her worries aside, continuing the conversation, "So you aren't a thief then, you're a soldier, an interesting contradiction there," the dragoness said it with a humorous glint in her eyes, her comment obviously sarcastic, "Where do you come from then? Or do you travel the world?"

"You may," he answered, nodding to her when she asked if she may address him informally. It's not like they were meeting at some ritual... It was a highschool after all, and one that is bound to become one of the most chaotic places in the universe. He was glad, though, that she wasn't upset with him. It's good to make some friends that aren't humans that you'll outlive for once.

"I am originally from Rome, sometime around nine-hundred years ago--and I still haven't gotten over how we fell to the Germanic Barbarians," he answered, laughing at the thought of how the might empire collapsed at the hands of a disorganized group of savages. "Until about four hundred years ago, however," he continued, lifting up his wrists with a sarcastic motion so that she could see the magical cuffs, "I was chained up down with Old Scratch, and I still haven't gotten the damn things off. They're a hell of a lot stronger than the chains..."

"Oh my," legitimately surprised, Otohime's eyebrows shot up at not only Mason's story about this 'Old Scratch,' who she assumed to be the devil, but at the shackles that seemed uncomfortably tight on his wrists, "Don't those, I don't know, hurt?" She was somewhat concerned, shuffling uncomfortably from one foot to the other, considering that wearing cuffs that appeared to be eternally latched onto one's hands seemed very, very painful, "Have you tried to get them off? That can't be comfortable..."

She trailed off though, not sure of what to say after that, since the man who'd introduced himself twice seemed perfectly fine with the arrangement.

[Free Empire of the Low Isles]

"What do you mean, I have to go to high school!?"

All Raphael got in response from his father was a warm, bright glow and a strange feeling in his stomach. That feeling was the angel being moved from his position near a war zone in the Middle East to about fifty feet in the air above Holy High.

"Well... that wasn't ni-" Raphael tried to say, but was cut off by gravity suddenly taking sway and making him fall to the ground with a crash.

---

Genbu sighed slightly as he watched the utter chaos before him unfold.

Clack!

The turtle expressed his dismay to his master, Ryujin, from his position on the dragon's shoulder.

[Sky-TheLandOfNekos]

"You may," he answered, nodding to her when she asked if she may address him informally. It's not like they were meeting at some ritual... It was a highschool after all, and one that is bound to become one of the most chaotic places in the universe. He was glad, though, that she wasn't upset with him. It's good to make some friends that aren't humans that you'll outlive for once.

"I am originally from Rome, sometime around nine-hundred years ago--and I still haven't gotten over how we fell to the Germanic Barbarians," he answered, laughing at the thought of how the might empire collapsed at the hands of a disorganized group of savages. "Until about four hundred years ago, however," he continued, lifting up his wrists with a sarcastic motion so that she could see the magical cuffs, "I was chained up down with Old Scratch, and I still haven't gotten the damn things off. They're a hell of a lot stronger than the chains..."

"Oh my," legitimately surprised, Otohime's eyebrows shot up at not only Mason's story about this 'Old Scratch,' who she assumed to be the devil, but at the shackles that seemed uncomfortably tight on his wrists, "Don't those, I don't know, hurt?" She was somewhat concerned, shuffling uncomfortably from one foot to the other, considering that wearing cuffs that appeared to be eternally latched onto one's hands seemed very, very painful, "Have you tried to get them off? That can't be comfortable..."

She trailed off though, not sure of what to say after that, since the man who'd introduced himself twice seemed perfectly fine with the arrangement.

He smiled and found himself laughing softly. It has been a long time since someone has expressed genuine concern for him, and it warmed his heart a little that this goddess he just met cared so much. "Don't worry about it," he answered as he placed his hands on her shoulders to still her. "After nearly a millennia with them, I hardly notice them half the time." She was right, though, they had been incredibly painful, especially when they tightened themselves at his struggling against his chains. But, as time passed, they were no longer able to tighten themselves against his body, because of his growing power. And the pain was something he had grown accustomed to while down in the fiery depths of the underworld.

When she asked if he had tried to remove them, he sighed before speaking, "It was the first thing I did when I got back, and tried every day up until around the 1800s. One day I will get them off, perhaps from God himself. But, it doesn't seem like he wants to release me from these damn things just yet."

As*hole...