[Last Time, on Battle High: Lots of stuff went down, a long, long time ago. Our heroes found out about the impending midterms and the crossover battle with High Noon High, and its accompanying tournament to see which teams would represent each class in Battle High. They discovered that Tulpa shops at the Gap. Mariah was challenged to a fight by Arthur, who may or may not be questing for her affections.] [They also discovered that they'd risen to number 3 in the overall Freshman rankings, which was a great surprise to them all, considering that they'd just been bumped to like, tenth place out of eleven teams.] [It's now the next day, and Mariah has a fight with Arthur sometime today. Everybody wish her luck. She's gonna need it, after that humiliating defeat she dealt out last time.] [We open on our heroes just waking up, in the case of those that bother sleeping, after a hard night of shopping for new weapons and generally having fun.] [Fight... START!] ~Good mooooorning!~ * Ao-Lang mutters and turns over in a tangle of sheets, making a valiant effort to sleep right through Mariah's alarm. * Karasu apparently didn't sleep. He's sitting on the couch in the common room, watching an old Charlie Chaplin film, wearing his usual clothing. * Kairi is indeed coming to... and promptlu jerks to a start when Isaac chimes on in. "... guh, I've really got to get used to that... morning, Isaac." * Isaac floats through the various rooms. ~Wake up sleepy heads!~ * Mariah doesn't sleep through her alarm, turning off the chirping alarm clock as she gets up. "Okay, okay..." She wanders out into the common room. "Hey, is the shower open?" * Ao-Lang cracks one eye open - barely - and deftly snatches a pillow, chucking it at Isaac. * Isaac doesn't care as the pillow goes through him. * Ao-Lang mutters something incomprehensible as she burrows deeper into the blankets. * Kairi rises, shines, yawns and does all the morning stuff guys do, like scratch and stretch and murmur about their dreams. "... shepards's pie..." * Karasu chuckles as Charlie Chaplin dives into a lake for a swim, only to find that the water's actually only about a foot deep. * Hope yawns and gets up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Man, mornin' already?" Yeah, it's the morning already. I was kinda surprised too. ... anyway, showering! * Mariah goes showerward. Yep yep. * Kairi was about to go showerward, too, but is Mariah-blocked. "... eh-heh... morning, everyone." ^^; -- oh, sorry! Be right out, okay? * Ao-Lang stays that way a little longer, then rolls off the bed and stumbles out the door. "Didn't anyone tell ya not ta wander into girls' rooms without asking, Isaac?" Upon entering the common room, she blinks. You'd better watch it, Karasu. Someone might start thinking you got a sense of humor. We wouldn't want that. Cool, cool. And Ao, it's... ah, nevermind. Morning. * Hope dresses in her usual clothing and heads out to the common room. "If he's watchin' that, he ain't got much of a sense of humor." * Ao-Lang squints at Kairi. "What?" * Kairi does note Karasu's activities with a bit of amusement, but that could just be early-morning delirium. Nooooothing. ^^ Spill before I beat it out of you. Nine out of ten problems can be solved with violence, y'know. Mmm... I suppose the lack of sexual jokes and violence would make the film rather unappealing to Hope. But I find it rather amusing. See? He does have a sense of humor! * Kairi rolls his eyes. "Now, now, Ao. We're very much even in terms of who beat who, and it would be better to not start the day with scrapes and bruises. Besides, a man's got to have his secrets." * Ao-Lang grins suddenly, looking much more awake at that comment. "You say that like you're a man." Wonder how funny he'll find it if I punch his face in. * Karasu shrugs helplessly. "You see? Ah well." He laughs as Charlie steps on a hoe lying on the ground and gets whacked in the face. And you speak with a woman's grace, so we're even. ^_^ Damn straight I do. Glad you agree. * Mariah emerges from the bathroom, changed and looking more or less ready for action. "Okay.. So, ya ready to kick ass Mariah? I *think* I'm ready. Don't think, Mariah. You have to know. * Kairi nods once, then quickly slips into the shower before anyone else can. "Toh!" * Isaac blinks clueless at Ao-Lang. ~No?"~ Well... I'm getting there. I should probably do my reading and see... * Ao-Lang flops on the couch next to Karasu and eyes Isaac. "Yeah, figures." ~You ARE going to kick his butt!~ Yeah, what he said. Thought. Whatever. * Isaac smiles. ~And for a veeeeery good reason.~ ^_^ You're going to cheat? * Mariah finds somewhere to sit down and pulls out her Tarot deck. "Yeah, but it's also an honor thing, you know?" ~I don't have to cheat. He's cheating himself already.~ ~_^ * Karasu shrugs and goes back to watching Charlie buy a new house, only to find out that it only looks nice on the outside; it's actually a dump. * Kairi makes with the quick-returning, making his way to the couch and flumping down. "... wow, black and white." * Ao-Lang jumps to her feet and slips into the bathroom. Before Hope! Yes. Rather appealing colors. * Hope rushes into the bathroom.. or not. "Damn it." By "appealing", he means borin'. ~You'd think so, wouldn't you?~ Indeed I would. And I do. * Mariah deals out her array. "Well, to everyone their own!" * Isaac floats over to Mariah and looks over her shoulder. ~That's really nifty, you know that?~ Well, what else did they have back in the day? I suppose it's not that bad... it gives the show a dignified sort of look. Why don't they just make it color, like they did ta The Wizard of Oz. Thanks... it's nothing, really... You mean color over the film with crayons? ~Markers!~ That must've taken forever... ~Of course it does.~ Undoubtedly. * Ao-Lang emerges from the shower, damp and wrapped in a towel, as usual. She wanders back into her and Mariah's room, shutting the door. * Hope rushes into the bathroom, ready to punch Karasu if he tries to get in. ... hey, Karasu. A penny for your thoughts. ~He's charging for his thoughts now! Oh no!~ That's a pretty raw deal. A penny doesn't earn much this day and age. * Mariah frowns down at her Cross. "... I'm not sure this is any good." * Isaac looks down at it too. What's the readout? But if you must know, I think Charlie Chaplin is amusing, and Hope has no sense of artistic culture. * Isaac points at the second card from the left. ~Why's that man upside-down?~ Hope is... she's straightforward. It's a good way to be in alot of cases. That's the Hanged Man. He's... not all good and not all bad, but he's sort of a martyr. See the halo? * Isaac nods. ~What's it mean?~ * Ao-Lang steps out of the room, fully dressed and toweling her hair. "Screwing yourself over for enlightenment." She also thinks with her fists. Not a good way for a leader to act. It means sacrifice, resistance... it's a strange card. * Mariah taps the upper right card. "I'm worried about this one." Well, no. I'll try to help her when I can, though. * Isaac looks. ~The Tower? Why, is it going to fall on you?~ ^^; It means that this is big, and usually it means that there's big trouble. Good. She's going to need all the help she can get. * Kairi smiles, faintly. "We all need all the help we can get, really." Like here... * Ao-Lang jumps over the back of the couch, ending on the seat between Karasu and Kairi. "Speak for yourself, skirt-boy." * Isaac nods. * Mariah sweeps down the row to point at the last two cards. "This one, the Eight of Cups? That's for me.. it's a lot about mediation. Whereas the one above it, with the sticks, means the conflict..." Quite * Isaac looks on with interest. If I've got this right at all, it's that I want mediation more, but he wants a *real* fight. ... I'm not sure what to make of the Hopes card... but the Tower is the outcome. It's not a good one. * Hope comes out of the shower, towling her hair off. "What's goin' on?" * Kairi looks over at the reading, frowing a teeny-tiny bit. C'mon Mariah, don't listen to that stuff. Of course it's gonna end badly if ya THINK it is gonna end badly. ~London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down... o/`~ Well, it doesn't necessarily mean it'll be *bad,* but... I don't know. I think I'm just going to give it my best, and if Arthur makes things go bad, I can't do anything about him, can I? You're gonna give it your best. You mean you weren't in the first place? Of course I was! I just still should now, even if the cards are being weird. * Ao-Lang stands and walks to the bathroom, despositing her towel there and grabbing her brush, getting to work on her hair. "Then why do you care what some stupid cards think?" Yeah, do your part. Let the rest fall as it may and react accordingly. * Mariah picks up the cards. "I guess it's no use worrying about it." She looks to be ignoring Ao-Lang. * Ao-Lang doesn't seem to care. She circles through the room, humming to herself as she finishes combing and braiding her hair. * Isaac looks back and forth. His eyes briefly flash red and he shrugs. * Karasu continues watching the movie. * Isaac smiles and watches the movie. * Hope looks over Karasu's head. "Hey, can't we put on somethin' else?" No. * Ao-Lang finishes, runs her hand through her bangs, and leans over the back of the couch, next to Hope. "I kinda like it." * Kairi watches as well. "... I kinda like it, Hope. Give it a watch, really." -- I think it's kind of cute. ~It is.~ ^_^ * There's a knock on the door. * Ao-Lang scoots around Hope and to the door. She opens it! Who is it? Yyyyello? * Ryo is standing there. Behind him is Kento, along with Greg and Marcie. * Isaac waves at them. Oh! Hi! * Mariah stands up. * Hope turns and waves. "Yo." * Ao-Lang grins. "Mornin', Ryo. What's with the early visit?" She glances, taking in the other three. Hey, what's up? Watching some old black and white thing. * Marcie shoulders her way past Ryo. "We hear 'riah's got a fight today, that's what. On the MOUNTAIN, even." Yeah, I've got a fight... * Ao-Lang blocks Marcie's way. She's standing in the doorway, after all. "Wow, word gets around fast." Hey, Ryo! * Ryo sweatdrops. "Well, there's not far for it to go, y'know." * Kairi waves to the folks, alternating between watching them and the teevee. And she is gonna win too. Better place yer bets early, boys. Sorry, the only person I bet on is myself. Oh, and Ao-Lang sometimes. * Ao-Lang laughs. "I'm touched." Thought it was illegal to bet on yerself. That's okay, I made up for his cowardly lack of betting. I've got my whole month's allowance riding on you. ~Whyzzat?~ * Hope leans forward and rubs her chin. "You cheatin' some poor bookies out of money, Ryo?" Nothing's illegal if the bookie allows it. * Ao-Lang moves now, letting people in. Well -- don't worry! * Kairi just kinda boggles at why people would bet on something as sacred as the fight. "... eh... huh." C'mon, you gotta get out there! * Marcie shoulders her way past Ryo again and heads out for the mountainside. * Ao-Lang blinks and watches Marcie go. Is he waiting? ~I thiiiink so.~ ^_^ What's her hurry? Wants to pick on the winner? She might want to pick on anyone... the fight's not going anyway, so why the rush? I'll never understand some people. ^^; * Mariah sighs. "I think Arthur is taking this a little too hard. Then why don't you tell him that? ~You have no idea.~ Marcie's ALWAYS rushing somewhere. That's just the way she is. Fire to the core, never any time to waste. Quite. He can wait until the movie ends. ~Oops, maybe I just thought too much. ^^;~ No kidding. If he's still upset after the fight, I'm going to tell him that this is kind of silly. Well, here's to hoping things... don't blow up too spectacularly. Aside from the actual things that're supposed to blow up. He won't listen, ya know. He won't, but... I'm going to tell him anyway. * Ao-Lang grabs Ryo by the arm and pulls him to one side. "After the fight, what're you gonna be up to?" Um... dunno. How 'bout the disco? ~Are we going to go or not?~ I thought we were going after the movie? * Ao-Lang grins up at him. "I'm there. If you mean going with me." * Kairi looks between Ao and Ryo, then shrugs and resumes movie-watching. ... I want a hat like his. * The movie ends. Sadly, Charlie Chaplin does not cut anybody's head off with his hat. * Karasu stands up. "I'd have liked the cane, myself." * Kairi stands as well, stretching again. "Alrighty... fight time, Mariah?" * Mariah nods. "One sec..." She goes back into her room, coming back out with her new (better, stronger) quarterstaff. "Let's go!" * Ao-Lang grabs her boots and pulls them on. ~I still think you should let me take those staves to the forge. They'd be a lot stronger!~ * Karasu runs a hand through his hair and looks hot. Rock on! Howso? * Kairi pumps a fist in the air for no damn good reason 'cept that he's Kairi. * Hope grabs her sword and grins. "Kick some ass, Mariah." * Ryo falls in beside Ao-Lang, while Kento and Greg form a rearguard. I'll make us proud. We know you will, no matter what. * Ao-Lang finishes with said boots, checks her braids, and says, "Let's get this show on the road." She proceeds to walk on out of there with a guard? Hey, why not. * Isaac looks kinda strangely at Kairi. ~Yeah. I know something about making swords and weapons, as well as armor. I'm sure I could think of something.~ ^_^ * Mariah nods and runs a hand through her hair. "Okay." * There seems to be a fair crowd waiting just outside the main gates of Battle High. It takes little effort to force your way through, since anybody who spots Mariah walking with you just sorta melts out of the way. In the middle of the crowd is Arthur, fully armed and armored. * Ao-Lang whistles. "Yeah. This should be good." And... no time wasted at all. Good luck, Mariah. Give him your best! * Mariah moves forward through the group, pushing her glasses back against her nose. "I will." * Arthur does not smile at Mariah this time. He doesn't have much of an expression at all. He's totally calm. * Ao-Lang snickers and picks a good spot to watch from. Probably in front of other people, but it shouldn't make too much of a difference, since she's short. ~Good luck!~ * Isaac concentrates on Arthur, his eyes flashing red. * Karasu stands in the back somewhere to watch. * Mariah steps forward again, into the "ring" proper. "Hi..." * Kairi sits down as well, hands in his lap and eyes dead-forward. Hello. I take it you're ready? As I'll ever be. * Ao-Lang sidewhispers to Ryo. "Doesn't like much small talk, does he?" * Mariah drops into stance. He's changed a bit. Yeah? Losing his hair got to him, huh. He'd better not get male pattern baldness or something. * Arthur draws forth his shining longsword and drops into a defensive stance, shield thrust forward. I don't think it was the hair that did it, really. C'mon, Mariah... show him... * Ao-Lang snorts, followed by poking Ryo in the side. "It was a joke. And you'd have to be a moron not to figure that out." Kick his ass, Mariah! * Mariah drops deeper into a defensive stance and... waits. ~Go for it!~ Who says I didn't figure it out. * Arthur frowns a little and rushes straight forward, striking with his shining shield. * Ao-Lang eyes Ryo for a moment, then shakes her head and watches the fight. * Kairi just watches intently, neither frowning or smiling. * Mariah attempts to block but is knocked down by the shield rush, sprawling out haphazardly, but as she does the crackling aura around her staff springs into life. While she's still down, she gets just enough equilibrium to swing out and under Arthur's shield at his feet, aiming to cut his feet out from under him with the force of the Thundering Staff! "Take that!" * Arthur hops easily over the staff in spite of the massive weight of his armor and shield. He comes down from the jump shield raised high, sword held point-down, stabbing straight for Mariah. "Downward THRUST!" ... That's a dumb attack name. ~LAME!~ * Ao-Lang starts giggling despite herself. * There seem to be more than a few giggles from around the crowd, too. Marcie, in particular, seems quite amused. Okay. Ryo. Talk to Arthur about his naming scheme, *please*. It's not about the name, it's about the effectiveness... You're just saying that 'cause you have an attack called 'White Climax'. Hee. * Mariah can't avoid the whole force of the blow, but her staff manages to deflect the point before it impales her. She uses the momentum to force herself back to her feet, obviously starting to feel it, teeth gritted. ... what's wrong with that? * Kairi honestly seems to not get it. * Ao-Lang rolls her eyes. "I'll tell you when you're older." You're trying to get me angry! I won't let you! This isn't worth this, Arthur. It isn't worth being so out of equilibrium. ~It's also LAME!~ I'm not fighting you because I want revenge. * Arthur staggers a little as the mountain's normal pull kicks in, forcing him to exert extra effort just to stay standing. * Isaac gets distraced by something as he looks away and starts to wander off. * Mariah staggers a little herself, but she remains firm. "Then why? I'll give you the fight you want." I didn't give you a fight at all last time. So I'm going to give it to you now. * Hope coughs. All right! Then let's fight! * Mariah brings her staff back up as cold begins to swirl around her, ice crystals and slush beginning to coalesce on the surface of the staff, concentrated around her right hand. She lunges forward and to the right, circling Arthur in a few quick steps and raising her right hand -- now sheathed in an ice-blue aura of cold -- to unleash the bolt of winter at Arthur's side. "Frostbite!" * Arthur steps just slightly to the left and the attack passes by him, showing that it was aimed poorly, at best. His shield flashes brightly in the sunlight, then he blurs into motion, rushing straight for Mariah pushing a massive shockwave ahead of him. * Mariah gets hit hard, gasps, and goes down. * Arthur skids to a stop, barely keeping himself from overbalancing and sliding all the way down the mountain. * Arthur jumps forward across the slope to Mariah and grabs hold of her hand just as she's about to slide down the mountain, completely unconscious. * The crowd mutters angrily, the general sentiment seeming to be that this fight sucked. * Karasu agrees. "This fight sucked." Mariah let the cards psych her out. * Arthur climbs carefully up the slope to the gates of Battle High and lays Mariah carefully out on the ground, then touches a shining hand to her forehead. Moments later, her many bruises have faded, and she comes to consciousness feeling VERY GOOD. * Ao-Lang grins. "Yeah. It's a habit of hers." -- uh? * Arthur smiles a little down at Mariah. "Sorry about that. Maybe fighting on the mountain wasn't such a good idea." .. I just hope you proved whatever you thought you had to prove. That I could give you a good fight? Nope. Sorry. We'll have to fight again sometime. * Arthur smiles again. * Arthur stands and offers Mariah a hand up. Oh, gimme a freaking break. I'm not seeing things. Arthur's hitting on Mariah, right? * Mariah climbs up. "I'm sorry, I... don't know what went wrong. I should have given you a better fight than I did." * Ao-Lang looks at Ryo. "Does your entire team work that way?" He totally is. What an asshole. Obviously. It seems to be a reaccuring trait with people in this school. He needs a better pick up line. Yeah, well, I'm not gonna apologize for him. Sorry. Beat each other up, then try to score a date. Hey, it worked for me and Ao-Lang. * Ao-Lang sticks her tongue out at Ryo. "You're just happy he isn't competition anymore." I wouldn't put it past him to go for both of you. He's a wolf in rabbit's clothing. Did it? * The crowd has mostly dispersed by now. Kento is looking rather dejected at losing all his money. * Ao-Lang laughs. "But wolves are monogamous." Yeah. One wolf, lots of bitches. I don't know. I feel pretty dumb, right now. Hey, sometimes nothing goes right. And sometimes you get your hair lit on fire. * Hope eyes Ryo. "'scuse me?" * Ryo eyes Hope right back. "Something wrong?" * Mariah smiles, weakly, and laughs a little. "I guess we're even, then. Next time we'll do this for real." * Hope raises her eyebrow. "We'll see." Deal. * Karasu shakes his head. "Oh well. It's to be expected." .. I hope Kento isn't mad at me, though. * Karasu starts off in a random direction. "I'm going this way." And he does. Kento will get over it. Thank you for announcing that to the world, Karasu! I guess. But still, he said he had a lot of money riding on it... oh, well, I guess now he'll study more. * From the top of the gates, someone watches. But who is difficult to tell. Whoever it is, they're big. Really big. [Fight... Loss by KO.]