[Last Time, on Battle High: Finally, the fight with many of Mariah's friends
began, and what a fight it was.  Ao-Lang took down her watery opponent with a
stream of lightning, while Karasu was up against his opposite in the spectrum
and still nearly won.  Hope took on a somewhat draconic opposite and got a face
full of fire, but thanks to self-damaging attacks, they both went down hard for
a double KO.]
[The team wildcard, Mariah, proved to be just the person to send up against a
fighter without an element, as Mariah completely owned poor Demetri and Goat,
while Kai and Isaac, still not sure how to do this whole "Shaman & spirit"
thing, faced off against the team captain, Tao Ren, also a shaman.  They watched
him and copied his basic Shaman technique, and used one of Isaac's signature
attacks to deprive him of the energy to fight.]
[End result, a win for Our Heroes, a loss for Son Wukong 103.]
[Shakeup Match... FIGHT!]
* Hope limps along, obviously still in great pain.
* Isaac floats along, the tune of 'Dixie' being wistled in everyone's head.
* Mariah is walking back to her room, looking reasonably intact -- unless you
count her staff, half of which she's holding in each hand.
* Ao-Lang keeps dragging Kai back to the room. By his feet.
* Kairi is still very, very much not-there. Still smiling, but still out like
the Macarena.
<Ao-Lang> Shut up, Isaac.
<Isaac> ~Aw, why would I do that?~
<Ao-Lang> Because I asked you nicely.
<Mariah> Well, not *everyone* likes "Dixie" over and over...
<Isaac> ~...  Okay.~ ^_^
* Ao-Lang grins. "Y'know, it's too bad this place is so well kept. Can't bump
Kai's head against anything."
<Isaac> ~It's a world of laughter, and a world of cheer, a world of hopes and a
world of fears...  o/~ ~
* A lazy voice comes from behind you guys as you exit the stairs on the ground
floor.  "Oi."
* Mariah looks towards the voice. "... yeah?" If she's responding to the ghostly
aural onslaught, she's not showing it.
* Ao-Lang looks over thataway, completely unashamed of her treatment of Kairi as
she just dragged him down the stairs.
* Isaac looks back. ~Hi Yoh!~
* Isaac waves at the clueless shaman.
* Kairi manages not to come to, somehow. A testament to being thick-headed,
perhaps?
* A young man with spiky black hair, wearing a pair of ear-covering headphones
perched behind his ears, an unbuttoned white dress shirt over a white
wifebeater, black pants, and sneakers is leaning against the wall near the
stairwell.
<Yoh> Yo.
* Karasu casually looks over at that guy.
* Yoh grins at Isaac.  "Felt that all the way across the school, man.  You two
figured it out.
<Mariah> ... oh, you're Yoh!
* Ao-Lang blinks.
<Ao-Lang> I feel so behind.  Someone catch me up on the gossip.
<Isaac> ~Ya mean the shaman thing?  Yeah, Ren was nice enough to show us how to
do it.~ ^_^
* Hope groans and looks over at Yoh. "Who?"
<Yoh> Ren?  Nice?  Looks like his kind heart must be showing through.
<Mariah> .oO(He had a kind heart? Wasn't very good about showing it...)
* A massive ghost dressed in a white kimono with massive shoulderpads and a
katana on each hip materializes in the air behind Yoh.  "Ren doesn't HAVE a good
side."
<Isaac> ~More like he did it so he could kick our butts...  But Kairi adapted
really quickly to the new power level.~
* Ao-Lang blinks a few times at the ghost. "What, is this whole school haunted?"
<Isaac> ~You'd be surprised Ao.~
<Mariah> I think the shamans bring their ghosts with them. But it *could* be...
* Karasu shrugs. "We knew that from the first day."
<Yoh> Amidamaru came with me from Japan.  He sat on a hill for six hundred years
before that.
<Ao-Lang> Wow.  Must've been boring.
<Mariah> Six hundred years? Wow!
* Ao-Lang drops Kairi's feet.
* Amidamaru cries tears of manly sadness.  "It was necessary."
<Hope> Mm.
* Isaac looks flatly at Amidamaru. ~You're over-reacting again.~
<Ao-Lang> For what?  Boredom's your balance for leading an exciting life or
something?
* Ao-Lang pokes Kairi a few times in the side.
* Yoh walks slowly over to Kai's body and pulls up an eyelid.
<Isaac> ~Bah, I'll wake him up.~
<Mariah> ... oh. Well, whatever a spirit has to do.
* Isaac touches Kai's head.
<Amidamaru> If I hadn't waited, I would never have met Master Yoh.
<Ao-Lang> ... Yeah, well, I bet you could've found him otherwise.
* Kairi winces slightly at the poking and prodding and eyelid-raising... and
then Kai sits up like he'd been shot. "AAAAAAAAAH DON'T DO THAT!"
<Mariah> -- Kai? Are you okay?
* Yoh grins at Kai and waves a little.  "Yo."
* Isaac grins innocently. ~Do what?~ ^_^
<Kairi> ... Isaac, you're cruel.
<Karasu> You're just noticing?
* Ao-Lang snerks.
* Yoh cracks up, followed shortly by Amidamaru.
<Isaac> ~I am?  Who woulda thunk?~  He smiles.
* Kairi kinda slumps over. He's up, but he still looks tired as hell and bruised
to boot. "Geh, my head... he didn't hit me in the back of the head..."
<Ao-Lang> You'd know, wouldn't you?
<Ao-Lang> Oh!  That's Hope's fault.
<Hope> H'zis my fault?
* Isaac smiles. You all feel a ting of amusement from him.
* Yoh grins at Kairi again.  "You just did your first spirit merge.  And you
fought with it, too.  You coulda had worse happen."
<Mariah> ... uh, you kinda got dragged on the stairs, Kairi.
* Ao-Lang grins at Hope. "If he whines, Hope, it's your fault." And then she
shifts her voice to more closely match Hope's, "Yeah, yeah."
<Hope> If I wasn't in so much pain right now, I'd hurtcha. ^_^
<Ao-Lang> You only wish.
* Kairi looks at Yoh. "Uh... well... I guess. I did what I had to do. And
besides, I wanted to know what this was all about..." He pays Ao no mind for
now.
<Yoh> Don't worry, nothing bad happened, so it's all good.  ^_^
<Isaac> ~Anyways, Kai, I figured you'd want to talk to Yoh.  So I woke you up.~
<Kairi> Well... I gue---WHOA. Who's that?!
* Amidamaru waves at Kairi.
* Kairi points at Amidamaru in a 'hey, cool!' kinda manner... and then regrets
it. "*OW*."
<Yoh> That's Amidamaru.  He's one of my best friends.  ^_^
<Isaac> ~Yeah.  I bet I could find something on his history if you really
wanted.~
<Kairi> So you're a shaman too, then? Man, how many are there here?
<Isaac> ~Judging by how much more poweful you got when we merged, I'd think
there would be a lot because it's a very effective means of laying the
smack-down on the opponent.~
<Yoh> Lots.  At least two others, not counting me and you.  ^_^
<Ao-Lang> This is fascinating, really, but can we continue this in our cluster?
* Kairi scratches the side of his head for a moment. "... I'm hungry."
<Yoh> You met Ren, you should meet his sister, Jun.  Her spirit is really cool.
<Yoh> Sure.  Where do you guys live?
<Kairi> ... oh, sure, Ao. And I'd love to meet someone else! It's a fight all
the same!
<Ao-Lang> Alexander 103.  And you're always hungry, Kai.
* Mariah thinks. "If there are at least four... and this school isn't that
big... ... well, they're definitely way-overrepresented. Wow."
<Kairi> Well, yeah. That's just life, Ao. ^_^
* Isaac looks around anxiously. ~So... are we going or not?~
* Ao-Lang stretches and starts walking. "*I'm* going."
* Mariah follows along. "Let's...
* Yoh ambles easily along, Amidamaru floating just behind him.
* Karasu walks after Ao-Lang. "Yes."
* Isaac floats all over the place. Gee, think he likes being able to fly?
<Kairi> Yeah, I really just wanna lie down and not hurt as much. ^^;
* Hope limps along.
<Yoh> You'll feel better after a little senzu juice.  ^_^
<Isaac> ~So *that's* what they call it.~
<Ao-Lang> Anyway, if you wanna talk about representation...  Have you seen how
many guys are running around in that white armor?
<Yoh> Nah, there's no official name.  A bunch of us nicknamed it after that one
crazy fighting cartoon.
<Isaac> ~Yeah.  What is up with that?~
<Mariah> White armor? I dunno, I guess it's just in style...
* Isaac smiles sheepishly. ~Oh, okay.~
<Kairi> Heh. I think they should just call it 'terrible'.
<Isaac> ~I don't think it's that bad.~
<Ao-Lang> You can't taste anything.
<Isaac> ~Shhh!  Don't tell *looks around cautiously* _them_.~
<Kairi> ... okay, that's also true. --;
<Mariah> I don't really know that much about heavy-armor fighting, though.
<Karasu> Obviously, they're all like that in case they have to fight me.
* Ao-Lang giggles.
* Hope snerks.
<Hope> Brood boy DOES have a sense of humor. Who woulda guessed?
* Soon enough, Great Al 103 is reached.
<Ao-Lang> He was just hiding it.  Like the ninja.
* Isaac sends with a bit of amusement. ~I do know something about fighting in
armor, actually... I'm just not strong enough to do it.~
* Ao-Lang opens the door and heads in, going straight for her and Mariah's room.
Probably for a change of clothes.
* Hope goes straight for the local six pack of Senzus.
* Mariah walks in but remains standing for the time being, waited for the more
wounded to take their places.
* The six pack is right where it usually is, in Hope's room.
* Kairi crashes onto the couch. Even that seems to hurt. "OW."
* Isaac looks around. ~Hey, Yoh? How are they about having computers and stuff
like that in the clusters?~
<Yoh> I don't think they really care.
* Hope chugs a can and brings Kai one. "Drink up."
* Yoh leans easily against the wal near the door.
* Isaac grins, and sends in an evil-sciency way. ~Eeeeeeexcelent.~
* Mariah sits down. "... hmm."
* Kairi gulps it down. "Muuuuuuch better." He sits up and smiles... while trying
to get the taste out of his mouth.
* Ao-Lang returns, wearing a fresh shirt, and has a seat on one of the couches.
"Hey, Karasu, I was wondering."
<Karasu> People do that sometimes.  It'll pass soon.
<Kairi> ... ow, that was a good one. ^^;
* Ao-Lang grins and raises a finger, taking in Karasu's outfit: black
trenchcoat, black jeans, black shirt, black shoes, black shades. "Does your
entire wardrobe look like that?"
<Hope> Of course it does. Can you imagine him in a plaid shirt and shorts?
<Isaac> ~...  Yes.~
<Ao-Lang> Actually, yeah.  I'll keep it in mind for later.
* Karasu shrugs. "Occasionally I wear a white shirt instead."
<Kairi> I can try, but it would hurt. Karasu's... black-friendly. Oh! This
reminds me...
<Isaac> ~White?  Look out!  Karasu's goin' risque.~
* Ao-Lang nods. "But you have a closet full of the stuff, right?"
<Mariah> Hey, it's easy to shop for.
* Karasu nods.
* Kairi turns to the K-man. "I need to apologize for blowing up at you before.
Guess I'm not one to judge your style..."
<Ao-Lang> Interesting.
* Ao-Lang rubs at her chin with one hand while leaning back. "Where's my pipe?"
<Isaac> ~Where you can't find it.  Duh.~
<Ao-Lang> Damn.
* Karasu shrugs at Kai.
<Kairi> I guess that's the best reply I'll get out of you, Karasu, so that's
settled!
* Ao-Lang hums. "So, maybe..." She looks over the group. "Oh, definitely need a
shopping trip for me and Hope. Mariah and Kai can probably get by."
<Mariah> Uh...
* Mariah holds up her staff. Or, rather, the right-hand half of her staff. "Do
they have a weapon store around here? ... they've got to, but I don't know where
it is."
<Kairi> ... huh?
<Kairi> ---Mariah's got a point. My poor bo...
<Karasu> You can always try a sporting store instead.  You can get a hockey
stick.
<Yoh> It's down by the Krispy Kreme.  Nice place.  They've even got some
do-it-yourself areas you can rent.  ^_^
* Isaac peeks at the staff. ~Hey, next time you get a staff, I can probably
modify it so it *won't* break so easily.~
<Hope> Krispy Kremes and weapons. Sounds like my kinda store.
* Ao-Lang looks Mariah up and down and nods to herself, then grins at Karasu's
statement. "Y'know, hockey sticks would work. It'd have that personal sporting
touch to it."
<Isaac> ~A little metal goes a long way.~ ^_^
<Mariah> Yeah, I need to get a better one... and down by the Krispy Kreme,
that's good.
<Mariah> ... I dunno about a hockey stick. It'd take some getting used to.
<Ao-Lang> Hey, Yoh.  What happens around here come midterms?
<Kairi> Nnnnn, a hockey stick's not balanced. No good.
<Isaac> ~Hey, Kairi.  Just use a sword.~
<Kairi> I like my bo. And I don't exactly like cutting people, either. Still...
<Hope> Never can go wrong with sharp pointy things... well, I guess you can
then.
* Mariah nods. "I mean, I *could* manage, but there's the head to get used to...
and if I'm gonna do that, I might as well just get a different polearm, y'know?"
<Yoh> Oh, midterms are fun.  The tests aren't that bad, unless you've got a real
demon of a teacher, and then comes the annual inter-school match with High Noon
High.
<Mariah> -- High Noon High?
* Ao-Lang raises an eyebrow. "High Noon High?"
* Isaac smiles and doesn't repeat the question.
<Yoh> Yeah.  It's kinda like Battle High, only they train ranged weapons users. 
Guns, bows, that sorta thing.
<Hope> Gun users? Bah, wimps.
<Kairi> ... oh, lovely.
* Ao-Lang snickers. "So, what? We get to fight ranged people. Does everyone get
to participate?"
<Isaac> ~Don't guns, ya know... hurt?~
<Mariah> Guns? ... guns could get scary, yeah.
<Yoh> Each school sends one team from each class to compete.  One of the best
parts is the tournament to be the team that represents your class.  ^_^
* Ao-Lang grins. "Perfect." She looks to Karasu. "Ever feel like your outfit
came straight out of the Matrix?"
<Mariah> So... we have to fight to get a chance to fight? ... makes sense.
* Karasu half-smiles. "Maybe it did."
* Isaac smiles. Canned laughter can be heard in Ao's head.
<Kairi> ... well, maybe we'll be chosen! I imagine they're not at their best
up-close!
* Ao-Lang winks with her blue eye. "If we make it, what say we all go in Bullet
Time?"
<Isaac> ~I'm all for that!~
<Kairi> ... black clashes with my hair.
<Ao-Lang> Are you sure you're not gay, Kai?
<Yoh> The terrain is different every year, but it's always one team from each
side tossed into an arena, all at once.  A massive brawl.
<Hope> Man.
<Hope> Sounds fun.
<Kairi> No, it does! I don't like wearing black much, anyway. >_<
<Isaac> ~Free For All.  Zergling Style.~
<Mariah> That's gotta be weird. Cool, but weird!
<Mariah> ... everyone else gets to watch, right?
<Karasu> Mmm.
<Ao-Lang> I'm tellin' ya, Bullet Time.  We've so got to be in first.  Hope,
Mariah?
<Mariah> YeaH?
<Isaac> ~Bullet Time, eh?  I'll work on that...~
* Ao-Lang sighs and repeats herself. "Dress like Karasu for midterms?"
<Yoh> You shoulda seen last year's senior match.  It was insane.  High Noon High
sent in a team of two, this crazy chick with a plasma rifle and a blind guy who
fought with a gun in each hand.  They tore us up.  Along with most of the
landscape.  It's a good thing they fought last.
<Ao-Lang> (Togo and Margie!)
<Mariah> Oh! Okay, sure. I don't have much black, but I'm sure I could buy some.
Just, uh...
<Isaac> ~I'm all for it Ao.  Just...  How do I change clothes?~
<Hope> All that black? I donno..
<Ao-Lang> Well, you could probably borrow some from Karasu.  He seems to have
stuff to spare.  I'd offer you some black, but you're kinda too big for it.
<Ao-Lang> We'd have to practice fighting in trenchcoats and wearing shades,
'course, but with Karasu as an instructor we can't possibly go wrong.
<Kairi> ... eh, I'll give it a try.
* Ao-Lang grins at Kairi. "Good."
<Karasu> Not much of a teacher.
<Isaac> ~Use the angst, Kai!~
<Mariah> ... just, uh, if Karasu dies, I call not having to be the one who
brings him back to life with love, okay?
<Isaac> ~Yeah.  That's Ao's job.~
<Hope> Or Kai's.
* Ao-Lang laughs.
<Kairi> ... hey.
* Isaac grins.
<Mariah> No offense or anything...
* Kairi rolls his eyes.
* The rustle of paper comes from under the door.  Yoh bends over and scoops it
up.  "Hey, looks like your rankings are in."
<Mariah> ... oh, the rankings are in? Huh.
<Isaac> ~Really?  What do they say?~
* Ao-Lang looks up at Yoh, eyes still glinting evilly from the planning.
<Yoh> So, what order do you want them in? ^_^
<Ao-Lang> Top down.
<Kairi> Yeah, good first. We should be up there, hopefully.
* Yoh grins.
<Yoh> Okay!  Number one!  Son Wukong 102!
* Ao-Lang blinks. "Son- oh, Tulpa's team. Go figure."
<Hope> Hm.
<Isaac> ~Well...  shit.~
<Yoh> Number two!  Alexander the Great 102!
<Kairi> Tulpa. Hm.
<Hope> Good for them.
<Mariah> Hmmm, okay..
* A cheer comes from down the hall as your hallmates discover this on their
copy.
* Ao-Lang snerks and nods.
* Isaac continues listening. ~Looks like they just found out about it.~
<Yoh> Number three!  Alexander the Great 103!
<Isaac> ~Whoo!~
<Ao-Lang> Hey!  Nine to three!
<Mariah> ... man, Serena's team really took a fall, didn't they -- o_o
<Mariah> Wow!
<Kairi> Alright!
* Kairi pumps his fist in the air.
<Hope> Woohoo!
<Yoh> Number four, Musashi 102, and number five, Musashi 101.
* Hope pumps her fist into the a.. damn you Kai.
<Mariah> Way to *go*, us!
* Isaac pumps his fist in the air. Upside down.
<Kairi> Well, this deserves some kind of celebration!
<Yoh> And then... Tecumseh 101, Musashi 103, Son Wukong 103, Tecumseh 102, Son
Wukong 101, and Sun-Tzu 101 in last place.
* Ao-Lang nods, still grinning, then frowns slightly. "Where- oh, ouch."
<Isaac> ~If you suggest fighting as a celebration, I'll smack you sooo hard...~
<Hope> Why not? Fighting is fun. ^_^
<Mariah> Well, we can't stay not fighting *too* long, but I bet we can afford a
break...
<Yoh> Congratulations, guys. ^_^
<Kairi> No, no, no fighting. I've had enough of that for one day.
* Ao-Lang turns that frown into a grin and looks to Kai. "But Kairi dearest, you
owe me a rematch."
* Karasu shrugs.
* Isaac blinks at Kairi, looking at him like a deer into the oncomming train.
~You said you've had enough fighting?~
* Hope eyes Kairi. "ENOUGH fighting? You're weird."
* Isaac smiles. ~Wow! He said it!~
<Mariah> ... but what else is there to do but fight? We could go into town, but
that's a long walk...
<Kairi> ... oh, yeah, I do have to beat you again, Ao. ^_^
<Isaac> ~How about we play a game?~ ^_^
* Kairi smirks, Just So.
* Ao-Lang hmms. "Should talk to Ryo. He's probably taking the fall hard." Shen
she snorts. "Never happen."
<Hope> A game?
<Mariah> A game? Of what?
<Isaac> ~Truth or dare!~
<Kairi> ... eh?
<Ao-Lang> Well, I was about to suggest strip poker, but that *definitely* evens
the odds for the ladies.
<Mariah> ... truth or dare? ... man, I haven't played that since my going-away
party at home! It'd be fun.
* Ao-Lang blinks at Mariah. "You had a going away party?"
* Hope coughs. "'scuse? Truth or Dare?"
* Karasu shoves his hands in his pockets. "Not interested."
<Hope> Hm. Sure. But you try anythin' perverted Isaac, and I'll find a way to
kick your ass.
* Mariah nods. "Yeah -- just some of my friends, before I left, that's all...
nothing big."
<Ao-Lang> Aww, c'mon, Karasu.  You can always take the dare.
* Isaac blinks cluelessly. ~Perverted?~
<Kairi> Hope, Isaac's too young for anything that would fall under perverted.
>=/
* Ao-Lang snorts.
* Hope eyes Kairi. "Maybe where YOU come from pal."
<Ao-Lang> So, Truth or Dare.  Sounds good.
<Kairi> I... guess I could work with that.
<Mariah> Do we want to get more people, or just us?
* Yoh grins.  He does that a lot. "Sounds fun." ^_^
<Ao-Lang> Hey, you're welcome to participate.  Should get a buncha people
together for this.
<Isaac> ~Should I participate too?  It'd be kinda hard if you invite others,
since, well... they can't see me.~
<Yoh> That's what shamans are for.  ^_^
<Mariah> ... man, shaman Truth or Dare. This is gonna be a *great* party.
<Isaac> ~Last time I did that, Kairi collapsed afterwards.~
<Karasu> Sounds annoying.
<Ao-Lang> Yeah, Kai collapsing is annoying.
<Isaac> ~Yeah.  I'd have to wake him up a bunch of times...~
<Yoh> Nah, you'll get better the more often you do it.
<Kairi> Yeah, that was weird. Oh, really? Good, good.
[After school the next day.  Class has just let out, and various people are
heading off to do various things.  You guys, thankfully, have no more detention,
having finished a week or two ago.]
<Mariah> Hmm...
* Isaac floats along. ~I'm Henery the 8th I am, Henery the 8th I am I am... o/~
~
<Kairi> ... Isaac, I'm well aware that you're Henry the 8th. --;
<Hope> You're never gonna stop that, are you?
* Isaac blinks. ~Stop what?~
<Mariah> You've been Henry the 8th the whole day. ... I never knew Henry the 8th
could fight, though.
<Isaac> ~Technically, he couldn't.  But you'd be surprised, if his spirit's
still around somewhere.~
<Mariah> That'd be, like, the weirdest shaman fight ever..
<Kairi> I'd have to be there to see it myself.
* Ryo and Arthur are ahead, walking slowly down the hall, arguing over
something.  Arthur's hair has, thankfully, recovered from the burning that
Mariah inflicted.
* Ao-Lang has her hands folded behind her head as she looks around. "Nah. I'd
rather see Henry the 8th against all his ex-wives."
* Mariah looks and whispers. "... man, his hair grows *fast.*"
* Ao-Lang keeps walking. But a little faster now.
<Kairi> ... hey, it's Ryo! =D
* Ryo stops and turns around.  "Hey, guys!  You're looking awful chipper today."
* Arthur stops a moment later and turns around, his eyes landing on Mariah.
* Ao-Lang grins and shrugs. "What can I say. A little embarrassment never hurt
anyone more than they let 'em. How are ya?"
* Kairi wavies a whole bunch.
<Ryo> I'm cool.  Artie here doesn't want to admit that he's slipping, though.
* Mariah smiles rather sheepishly at Arthur. "... uh, hi. -- I'm sorry about
that; I really didn't mean it that way... no hard feelings?"
* Ao-Lang raises an eyebrow.
<Ao-Lang> Slipping?
* Isaac waves at the people who (probably) can't see him. ~Slipping? On what,
acid?~
<Hope> Slipping?
* Arthur scowls at Mariah.  "I will forgive you... - don't call me Artie.  And
I'm not slipping - if you fight me again.  On the mountain."
<Ryo> Yeah, he's lost his last three fights, and cost us two matches.
<Isaac> ~Woah.  Someone's not happy.~
<Isaac> ~And...  I think I can see why.~
<Ao-Lang> ... Damn.
<Mariah> Hey, no problem!
<Ao-Lang> I was wonderin' about that.
<Ryo> Yeah, like I said, slipping.   But he won't admit it.
* Ao-Lang hmms and rubs at her chin in mock-thought. "Well." She looks at
Arthur. "You doing anything about your not-slipping?"
* Isaac raises an eyebrow at that. His eyes flash red briefly.
* Ryo and Arthur fall into step with Ao-Lang as you guys catch up.
* Hope grins at Slippy McSlipperson. "Maybe ya need more training."
<Mariah> When do you want to fight?
* Arthur winces at Ao's statement.  "I want to fight... now."
<Karasu> Rather sudden.
<Hope> Hey, I'm always up for a fight.
<Ao-Lang> I think he's challenging Mariah.
* Mariah abruptly realizes her lack-of-staff. "Now? ... well, okay. If you could
wait a few days, I need to buy a new weapon, but...
* Hope grins at Ao. "I know, but it never hurts to offer."
<Karasu> Sometimes it does.
* Ao-Lang continues, casually, "And he ignored my question. I'm hurt."
<Kairi> ... erm. Well, heh.
* Isaac grins, and you can all hear Isaac cracking up in your head.
* Kairi scratches the side of his head. "Well, I can imagine why, but... letting
your ego get the best of you isn't a good idea..."
* Arthur scowls.  "Very well.  This time tomorrow.  I will defeat you."
* Arthur turns and walks down a different hallway.
<Kairi> ... goodbye. Er.
<Mariah> Tomorrow? Okay...
<Hope> Nice guy, innithe?
<Isaac> ~Oh, man, that guy's a riot.~
* Mariah frowns. "... he really took that pretty hard. ... guess I'm going
weapon-shopping tonight."
* Ao-Lang idly leans against Ryo, still grinning. "Someone forgot his coffee
this morning."
<Ryo> I think losing like that really threw him off.
<Ryo> At least he's not obsessing over Ao-Lang anymore, though.
* Isaac snickers. ~I know what threw him off.~
* Ryo slips his arm around Ao's shoulders.
<Kairi> ... I see you have an admirer, Ao. ^_^
<Hope> Just one?
* Ao-Lang smiles and stays right where she is. "Really? Who?"
<Kairi> ...
* Kairi rolls his eyes. "You're a mess, Ao."
* Ao-Lang glances back at Kairi. "Boys must like messes, then."
* Tulpa walks in from the courtyard just as you're nearing the main doors
outside.
* Tulpa seemingly ignores you all.
<Mariah> Man. I kinda feel sorry for him. Hope he sorts himself out...
* Isaac glares at Tulpa, but tries to stay away, or at least hidden, from the
Max-clone.
* Ao-Lang calls more or less cheerfully, "Afternoon, Tulpa!"
* Hope growls. "Tulpa."
* Tulpa turns his head as he approaches.  "Greetings."
<Mariah> ... Tulpa?
<Kairi> ... uh. H-hi, Tulpa. ^^;
<Hope> What do you want? Or have you finally come to surrender?
* Tulpa turns his glowing stare on Kairi.  "I see you are enjoying your body."
<Kairi> I always liked it...
* Kairi wilts, just a little, under Tulpa's stare.
* Ao-Lang looks Tulpa over. "Shopping at the Gap. Going for evil points or
something?"
<Tulpa> I don't need any more evil points.  I earned the last prize ages ago.
<Mariah> .oO(What *is* the last evil prize? An evil toaster?)
<Tulpa> The grapevine tells me that you have awakened as a Shaman. 
Congratulations.
* Isaac almost gets distracted counting on his fingers... then stays hidden
behind the biggest person in the party.
* Hope cracks her knuckles.
<Kairi> Er, thanks. I think.
* Karasu doesn't say much of anything.
* Ao-Lang places her arm around Ryo's waist as she keeps her eyes on Tulpa,
smile still in place.
<Tulpa> I would offer to teach you the proper way to harness your spirit's
power, but I doubt you would be interested.  Good day.
* Mariah just watches Tulpa, saying nothing.
* Tulpa continues past, on down the hall.
<Kairi> I probably wouldn't. Good day...
* Kairi shivers as soon as Tulpa's a good distance away. "Gives me the willies
just being near him..."
* Isaac glares at Tulpa when he starts walking away. His eyes flash red, even
though he's not trying anything.
<Ao-Lang> He likes it that way.  Don't let him know.
<Mariah> He's... he's one of those guys who thinks you get more magic for being
creepy for no reason. But the black arts don't work out.
<Karasu> I wonder...
<Ao-Lang> What?
<Hope> I'll kick his ass.. someday.
* Karasu shakes his head. "Nothing.
* Isaac looks worried. ~He really scares me...~
<Kairi> He spooks me, too.
<Karasu> That's a first.
* Ao-Lang shrugs, Ryo's arm moving with her shoulders. "Whatever ya say,
Karasu."
<Mariah> ~... I dunno if that's justified or not. He *might* be worth being
scared of, but he might be a paper tiger.~
* The courtyard is nice and open, now that the cafeteria tent is gone.
* Ao-Lang looks around. "Hmm. Are you sure you don't wanna fight today, Kai?"
* Isaac frowns, still shaking a little bit. ~I don't think he's a fake Mariah...
There's something seriously wrong with him...~
<Kairi> Naw, not today. Even I need a break sometimes...
<Ao-Lang> Wimp.  You just know you're gonna lose.
<Kairi> (And it looks like I might have to jet inna bit... actually, like
nowish. >=/)
<Mariah> ~... I guess you're right. There *does* seem to be something wrong...~
* Kairi chuckles. "Maybe, but I wanna be at my best either way."
* Ao-Lang smirks. "Right."
* In the shadow of the wall, Greg is fighting with somebody in odd orange armor
with a massive pair of horns coming from the helmet.  The armor looks rather
strangely close in design to Ryo's armor.
* Ao-Lang glances that way.
* Mariah glances that way. "... man, so many people with that armor."
* Hope stops and looks at the fight. "Huh. Looks like something is goin' on."
<Ao-Lang> Hey, Ryo.  You know that guy?
<Kairi> I'll be around---oooh, fight. I'll ask later.
* Isaac looks over at the armor person, his eyes flashing red.
<Ryo> Yeah.  That's Kento.  He lives down the hall from you.
* Ao-Lang blinks. "That's Kento? Do *all* of you know that trick?"
* Kairi waves to no one in particular. "Don't get too lost, Isaac."
<Mariah> Oh, *that's* Kento? His armor looks different...
<Isaac> ~Yeah, I'm not gnna get lost...~
<Ryo> Yeah.  We've all got two sets of armor.  There are five of us in the
freshman class.  Kinda strange.
<Mariah> Wow. Weird. Are you all from the same place?
* Isaac frowns. ~What is up with that armor?~
<Ryo> Five connected styles, all descended from one group of five people.  It
just so happens that all of the heirs are the same age.
<Hope> Weird.
* Kairi shrugs. "Later, gang. Feel like going where the wind takes me." That
said, he moseys on off to... well, somewhere in the opposite direction of where
Tulpa went.
* Ao-Lang waves Kairi off, still watching the fight.
<Karasu> Maybe if you all get together, you can combine your armors into one big
suit of armor.
<Mariah> -- Oh, wait, Kairi!
* Ao-Lang laughs.
<Kairi> ... ah? Mariah?
* Kairi stops mid-mosey.
<Mariah> Do you want to go staff-shopping with me tonight? I need to get one
before tomorrow anyway, so...
<Kairi> Sure. ^_^
<Mariah> Okay! That's all...
* Kairi re-waves, then re-moseys. He's even whistling.
* Ao-Lang splits off from the group, along with Ryo.  They're headed towards the
gaming club, or possibly the individual fights.
* Hope uh.. keeps walking I guess.
* Karasu goes to find something to do?
* Mariah hmms. "... wonder what to do now."
<Mariah> I should probably go check out some clubs, see what's to do around
here...
[Fight... Win?  Lose?  Draw?]