Training Exercise #2

[harmonizenpc]

Who: Persona-users (optional), ensemble NPC cast
Where: The other world.
When: Thursday, April 27th, "critical thinking" class time.
What: Practice makes perfect?

There was little fanfare before this exercise. In a follow-up email, Yachiyo had instructed those who'd responded to the invitation to meet in the hall; once they'd gathered, she'd brought them to the lab.

From there, they were ushered more or less straight into the portal, after a cursory explanation for the newcomers. The landscape that greeted them was nearly unchanged -- same ominous red sky, same too-bright grass, same pile of equipment, no bizarrely-shaped targets.

Araragi, Komatani, Takaoka, and Suwa were the ones accompanying them today, and while the latter two busied themselves with the machinery, fiddling with some settings and picking up a few portable items, the former surveyed the horizon, down the somehow out-of-place path.

"Live-fire exercises today, kids," Komatani said by way of explanation, voice made oddly hollow by her suit's visor. "We set up a perimeter around this spot, but they're not far off." She paused, half-turning back to look at them. "Imaizumi-kun, you should be picking something up, off thataway." She punctuated the comment with a point down the path.

Comments

[fassade]

Chloe too had arrived early, this time by request from the staffers. No doubt it was about how Garmr flickered and wavered last training exercise. She didn't really know what was going on with that, but trust her to mess up summoning a Persona. How simple was it to stab yourself with a blade? Somehow she had managed it, and it probably hadn't put her in any better graces with anyone in charge.

The German looked tired. There were dark circles under her eyes now and if it were possible, her gaze had become even more grim. At the mention that today was a live-fire exercise, her icy gaze did sharpen somewhat. The stakes had been raised this time around. The tall girl did her best to stand as straight as she could. She had to focus this time. If it was live-fire...

[brage]

Despite the way he was more or less coerced into attending this round of practice, it would be a lie for Baku to say that he wasn't eager. Not about the stabbing that would doubtlessly come, of course, but the ability to actually utilize his new-found power. Twice before, Komatani had said when he unleashed Shamsiel for the first time. Given that they were using an entire classroom too, no doubt there were several others that he was about to meet. He arrives to the classroom at a time that could only barely be called 'early,' busying himself with identifying the others gathered while simultaneously and purposefully ignoring that he had spotted Komatani in the room.

Imaizumi-senpai. I guess with all his self-importance, I shouldn't be surprised, but Kiiro-san too? No wonder she was so tense. And Shikata-san, you'd better be here so I can chastise you.

The reality of their situation hits him fully once they enter the portal and step into the other world - it looked nothing like he remembered, but the odd sensation returning to him reminded him that it was indeed part of that same 'world.' He removes his own evoker from his jacket pocket, thumb tracing the grooves of the item gently, silently observing those around him. Those suits they're wearing look impressive, but if they were any good against our enemies, they wouldn't need us, would they? His fingers brush over an object in his opposite jacket pocket: a charm he had purchased in the city yesterday.

Sticking to his silence, he simply follows along with the group, occasionally stopping to give the grassy field a suspicious stare. Live fire in a place like this. Something's not right, for sure.

[allisnothing]

Haruka, meanwhile, came late.

She came through the portal, her cane feeling ahead and pushing the tall grass out of her way. She caught stray bits of words, tilted her head, and approached until she sounded close enough.

[rulebook]

Surprisingly, Ryuta came in later than some of the others. After being led to the portal and stepping through the otherworldly threshold, he took a moment to examine the others around him to see who all arrived before him.

Imaizumi. Rather surprised he beat me here. Kasubata as well. Half expected her to be absent. Glancing over toward the tall girl who could only be Chloe. Abendroth appears to be distraught. Curious. He then greeted Shikata with an even toned "Hello." Shikata looks like she just arrived as well. Before he could continue a conversation with her however, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone who looked out of place. Someone he didn't expect to see in this mock task force of theirs.

"Ogata? Why... are you here?" A moment of bewilderment and shock raced through him as he addressed his roommate.

[brage]

The familiar voice causes him to turn around, evoker held lazily at his side. He lifts it slightly before returning it to its previous position, as if to draw Ryuta's attention to it. The question directed at him prompts a gentle smile and a shrug in response.

"Presumably for the same reason you are, Ryuta-san."

He hardly seems surprised - and why should he? Ryuta was in nearly every other aspect of his school life, so it was only fitting that they would share 'critical thinking' as well. When his gaze catches Haruka, he can't help but call out to her.

"And you, Shitaka-san! You're in trouble," though his playful tone and facetious smirk imply that there might not be much trouble to go along with his statement. No, he preferred not to think about the negative, but he was hardly remorseful for his words or actions on that day.

[suiseimushi]

Kisa had arrived a little early as well, moving along with the rest of the group back to the other world. The place still gave her an unpleasant sense of vertigo, but it was, indeed, a little easier to deal with each time.

It was only once they'd arrived that she'd broken from her own thoughts to look around. Chloe... was still not looking well, which brought on a puzzled frown. And sensei had said there were others...

... Baku?

Well. That was a very peculiar coincidence.

[harmonizenpc]

The last comment from Mirai earned an eyeroll from Komatani, albeit one invisible beneath the visor, but Araragi simply no-sold it. "Thank you for the confirmation. We'll be heading in that direction. We shouldn't assume our intelligence is complete, so I want all of you to keep an eye out for any changes as we move. Suwa-san, Takaoka-san, I'll trust you to watch the rear with Imaizumi-kun."

And with that, he started off down the path, Komatani beside him, both relaxed but watchful.

[allisnothing]

Hearing Tanemoto, Haruka turned and nodded with a smile. "Hey." She would have made some facetious comment about him being late too but then the rest of the situation caught up.

The smile was quickly gone. She didn't show much on her face but she did mutter, without the snark in her tone, "Huh. You too. At this rate, the most of the school were going to be 'drafted'."

They were moving though so Haruka followed the flow, remaining near the back.

[brage]

As the others begin to wander off, so too does Baku, opting to remain near the flank of the group. Not that he had a lack of faith in Mirai's abilities, but if he was anywhere near as new to this as Baku was, there's no telling what would happen if an enemy managed to catch the group unaware. The bulk of the teen's attention remains on what lies behind them rather than before them.

Wonder how the others got roped into this, but it's probably not a good time to ask.

[fassade]

The giant of a foreigner shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts. She needed to keep it together, now more than ever. She took a spot following directly behind the soldiers. Her evoker was held tightly in one hand, her knuckles white on the grip. The blade wasn't active, but it would be in mere moments if she felt she needed it. The German's icy gaze carefully surveyed their surroundings as they walked, as per Araragi's orders.

[burningbow]

Mirai gave one look to Komatani as she left and Chloe as she began to leave, parting with almost all the company he had grown familiar to. He kept his eyes on the other people as well: Araragi, Ryuta, and the Kendo-nut he had met too. All they had was his sight, following their backs as they walked over the dirty darkening land.

And this would be almost perfect, he thought. First he had thought he had drawn the lame card of the pack. Now he wouldn't have to go all the way down there. In short, he had won the powers game; he had brought out his straw from the pot and found it was so short he wouldn't need to walk anywhere at all.

He stooped to his knees and began to clear a spot in the dirt by stamping down his feet and clearing the path. Then he sat down and went quiet, curling over his knees, head almost touching the floor. It was as if he was looking at something the human mind couldn't see or comprehend, and nobody could see the sly grin on his face.

"Don't worry," he said in their heads simultaneously. "I'm right behind you."