Sharpening The Talons [Open]

((Chronological note: This post takes place after The Second Arrival, in the evening.))

((Music: This ))


Later that evening...following the Second Arrival...

The sun is setting. People have started to settle down. The Academy is becoming quiet. This was all Drake had been waiting for. All he had needed. He needed a place in solitude. A place that others would not be gathered around. He needed to train. To keep the routine he had kept since the Talons were first fashioned, several years ago. He needed to keep his edge. Their edge. He owed it to his father, maimed and crippled in the incident. He owed it to his sister. Dead sister.

He did not tell anyone of the nightmares. He did not tell anyone of what had been. They didn't need to know. He could still see her face... He shakes his head, regaining his focus, leaving the dorm in silence, carrying the armoured case with him. He glances a few times, initially to make sure he isn't being followed and then...out of habit. He had grown used to their hunt.

His destination is the courtyard. Plenty of open space. A solid floor for secure footing. An ideal spot to train. The metal plates clink a little as he walks out toward this courtyard, moving quickly. Another cursory glance and he places the case down, opening the lid. Now he would arm himself. The first stage is the frame. Strapping it across his chest and back, adjusting the metal pins and rods that ran across his shoulders and down his arm. Making sure they weren't damaged in transit.

And then...the Talons. His Talons. First he checks the fuel canisters and satisfied he slots each gauntlet into place, hearing the satisfying click of the rods connecting. He flexes his fingers, turning his hand around carefully, adjusting to the weight of the heavy metal plates. Then, lightly he twitches his thumb, listening for the hiss of gas, the flicker of flame dancing along the four blades that run from each knuckle.

He was ready. She was ready.

At first his motions are slow. Deliberate. Wide, arcing sweeps, deliberate footsteps as the pattern begins. His arms are brought up and round and he starts to walk a spiral. Then there is a burst. A twirl. The pointed scales of the frayed cloak twirling about. A maelstrom of blades for a brief second. And as the pattern begins...his focus drifts...

He remembered that day. Five years ago. It was winter. It was cold. He was happy. And then the snow came. They came... He could remember the snarling. The howling. Her screams.

As the memories filter in his movements change. The pace picks up. The slashes become quicker. More aggressive. The spiral begins to close. He is lost in the memories. Lost in the movements. But worse still his eyes have gone from those of one focused on a task to something more...wild.

Her screams. Her face. Her blue eyes looking at him, her soft voice pleading for him to help her. He could do nothing. He was angry. He was afraid. He was lost. He swore he heard them laugh. Beasts couldn't laugh...could they?

There is a change. A subtle change, the movements becoming...harder. And without warning he snaps. He shouts, for but a moment. "NO! Not again!" and the black eyes show a glimmer of blue for but a moment. And then with a heavy, cross body slash liquid flame flows out. A crescent of fire, splashing over the stone, hissing. And an impact. Heavy. Angry.

He stands, panting. His breath returning. And he looks to the ground, though not in shame...but instead in apology.

"Never again."

Mao watched intently while sitting in a tree nearby. Why was he in the tree? A story for another time. Drake is quite an...interesting fellow. Judging by the length of the ritual, Mao determined that it was pretty important. As the ritual neared its end (OOC: Though Mao wouldn't know), he nearly jumped out of tree when Drake suddenly shouted. He...doesn't seem to be well.

Hiawatha crouches in the bushes, hood drawn, observing. The insane one starts his dance. "And they call me crazy..." he muttered to himself. Hiawatha had been stalking the insane one since he observed the insane one. He kept glancing at the others and muttering to himself, and he had this deranged look on his eye... He might be important.

Hiawatho also noticed the typical one in a tree. Guess he wasn't the only one interested in the insane one. The dance quickens. It looks like training, but his pupils are dilating, his face is concentrating and contorting.

"NO! NOT AGAIN" he screams. The insane one is an appropriate title. Fire comes out in a slash out of his gauntlets. Weapon? check. He screams of something happening again. His pupils were dilating. A tragedy? He's Traumatized. Someone he loves? No, Loved, the person must be dead. Was he responsible? Either way, he looks as though he has nothing to lose. He must be protective though... Motivation? set.

His use is still undeterminable though....

There is a pause. He stands, panting, catching his breath, regaining his composure after that outbreak. His mind had slipped again. The memory still haunted him. And after a moment he stands, moving his arms, shaking himself limber before he stops.

He hadn't heard anything...

The motion is quick. A spinning slash, triggering the flamethrower to send out two flaming crescent arcs toward the foliage. If someone was watching him, planning something they'd soon learn it was not a wise idea.

"Whoever's there best reveal themselves...."

Mao dropped out of his tree at the sight of the flaming arc. Geez, what was that all about. He stood up and looked up at the tree which was now on fire. I'm sorry tree, this was my fault. He sighed before turning to Drake. "Hey, what was that all about?!"

"You?"

There is a hint of confusion in Drake's voice, but definite anger in his eyes. For one so apathetic and emotionless earlier this is quite a brazen show of something else. Frustration. Betrayal. He shifts from his combat stance, lowering the Talons, letting the flames hiss as he does so.

"What were you doing there Mao? What did you see?"

He glances about, cautiously, checking in case anyone else was present before resuming his usual, apathetic mood. The moment was gone. The memory was being buried, suppressed once more. It needed to stay that way however...

"Whoever's there best reveal themselves..."

The Fire scorched through the foliage(setting it ablaze), but he'd been through worse. The typical one came out.... Would that appease him? How did he even notice? "What were you doing there Mao?". So the typical one is Mao and knows the insane one. Crawling towards the centre of the fire, Hiawatha Notes the change in the insane one's eyes. The fire stung, but at the centre of chaos, no one would notice him... The ashes were also getting all over Hiawatha. good.

The insane one's eyes though, they seemed dead again. Dead and deranged...

Mao watched as the other flame blade hit another location, but nobody seemed to come out. He wondered if Drake would really waste a shot like that on nothing. "Me? I was there the rest of the day just throwing twigs at people. I was relaxing when you came along and did your...," Mao paused for a moment. "...ceremony. Ritual? Whatever you wish to all it."

He watched as Drake went from angry back to his usual self. Note to self: Don't make Drake angry.

Awaking from his peaceful nap on the bench, Pad was still tired and yawned slightly before realising that somebody was talking.

"When you came along and did your,...ceremony. Ritual? Whatever you wish to call it"

Dumbly, he put a drunk smile on his face, walked up and said.

"Hi guys"

What was this?

Irritated he starts to disarm, carefully unclipping the brace and then removing the Talons, flexing his fingers as he does so. How many people had been lurking here? How many people had intruded upon this...lapse of concentration? He shakes his head, glancing at Mao then at Pad before turning.

"You tell no one of this. This is training. Just because we are here does not mean that we can allow our skill to become lax. The world is still a cruel place. The monsters are still out there. Do not become complacent just because you made it here. We're still not here yet..."

With this he starts off back toward the auditorium. He would get what rest he could before the next day's Initiation. He knew it wouldn't be much. He wondered if Mao would indeed listen to his words. He was young, but did not appear to be a fool as others had. He had little tolerance for fools.

"Tomorrow will be a new day. A new chapter. The memory will be put to rest..."

Spoken to no one but himself, those words drift out into the night.

"What's with him?" Pad mumbled, still walking over to Mao.

Mao almost smirked when Drake was speaking. If you want to call it training, then don't act like it's not. Mao had an idea of what was going on through Drake's mind, but he probably wouldn't inquire any further seeing as it seemed to be a rather sensitive subject for him. He watched as Drake walked back to the auditorium before turning to Pad. "No idea," he said while shrugging. No harm in a little lie. Though it was really half-true.

Mao walked over to another tree, one that hadn't been hit by Drake's flames, and went up it. (OOC: Canonically, we shouldn't know each other yet :p)

"You tell no one of this. This is training. Just because we are here does not mean that we can allow our skill to become lax. The world is still a cruel place. The monsters are still out there. Do not become complacent just because you made it here. We're still not here yet..."

Cruel Place? Definitely a tragedy... Relatives? Girlfriend? Definitely going to be reckless and overprotective in a fight The insane one storms off after the training dance, leaving the new one and Mao alone. As Mao went to another tree, Hiawatha crawled away... He should get to the auditorium and find the rest of the learning ones. Cruel? they have no idea...

*CRACK* As Hiawatha crawls away from the fire and nearer to the building, he snaps a twig. Tensing up, he dulls his face and gets up. Wires shoot up from his gauntlets and head to the nearest tree, grabbing on to the flaming branches and propelling Hiawatha forward to the building. Landing with a roll, he shook off the soot and ran. Running, he dulled his face - No one could recognize him.

Into the building, turn the corner, ascend the stairs, turn left and hide behind the pillar. NO ONE COULD SEE HIM

"Well, bye" pad said leaving Mao to his tree as he went on another bench to sleep on.

Darcil walks into the opening with an unlit smoke in his mouth. He goes to reach for his lighter when he notices everyone standing around with a tree on fire. He stops and jokingly walks up to the flames of the tree and lights his cigarette. Breathing smoke out he asks.

"Why is the tree on fire?"

Hearing another voice, pad turns around and shrugs, "dunno? Why don't you ask that guy" he said, pointing at Mao not picking up that it was a joke.

Mao turned as the discussion had apparently been directed to him. He didn't say anything. Instead, he just toss a couple of small twigs in their direction.

"Hmmm, well someone should probally put the fire out before unwanted attention is gained. Anyone willing to help?'

Darcil starts to put water/ice dust rounds in to white snow to put out the flames.

"I would help but, uh, I can't really do anything to stop it." Mao shrugged while still in the tree. "No dusts or anything." He started waving his arms around to prove a point before going back to relaxing in his tree.

"hmmm alrighy then."

Darcil puts out his smoke and starts unloading onto the tree in order to put out the flames.

Hal jumps down from one of the buildings, walks towards the crowd. "Is this a private party or can anyone join. Nice display, I'm guessing it's either training or letting off some steam."

Pushing his head up from the bench, pad replied" nah, we are just cleaning up some other guys mess".

"I see, so what's the deal here, I assume the tree was set on fire."

"Something like that" pad said, throwing all hopes of sleep aside as he got up and watched darcil,put out the fire.

After unloading multiple rounds into the tree with water dust rounds, Darcil puts his weapon away. He looks for the nearest place to rest his legs. He starts fidgeting with his lighter and asks

"So what brings you all out here at this time of night?"