Training Exercise #1

[harmonizenpc]

Who: Persona-users, ensemble NPC cast
Where: The lab, ???
When: Monday, April 24th, "critical thinking" class time.
What: Trying out the headgods.

Class today was, it seemed, going to be a little different.

Yachiyo had finally replaced Suwa, for one, but more importantly, she'd ushered the lot of them to the lab: "Today will be your first training exercise" was the only information she'd offered, providing little detail beyond making sure everyone had their Evokers.

The whole group was there today, aside from Sekimiya and the medical trainees, but it was the military pair who'd mostly stood by during the Awakening who took center stage today. Their dress blues had been replaced with what appeared to be some sort of full-coverage body armor. The woman's even included a helmet, albeit a peculiar-looking metal one whose visor was currently up, revealing her grinning face. The man wore a strange, bulky device on his right arm, trailing wires that ran up to a pair of goggles currently perched on his forehead.

Both had rifles slung across their backs, and what appeared to be blades--no Evokers these, but honest-to-goodness live steel--at their hips.

"Looks like we're finally getting introduced!" The woman seemed remarkably cheerful, considering what they were about to likely be doing, but she watched them all with eyes as sharp as a hawk's. "I'm Corporal Komatani Konoe, and this is Major Araragi Mitsurou. We'll be in charge of the practical side of your training."

The man--Araragi--inclined his head politely. "I look forward to working with you all."

Comments

[suiseimushi]

For a few long moments, Kisa simply clutched the Evoker to her chest, feeling the beat of her heart faint against her knuckles, and the metal, warm from her body heat, in her hand. It was so hard -- the pain was far too fresh in her mind, and something inside her just locked up, fearing the feeling.

But she had a duty. And...

Her hand lowered, and the blade flashed to life. Before she could register what she was doing, before she could stop herself, she clutched the hilt with both hands, dropped to her knees, and plunged it in deep.

She gritted her teeth against the pain in her stomach and dancing behind her eyes, but feeling a faint breeze against her cheek, she looked up and her eyes met a golden glow.

Benzaiten.

It almost made the pain worth it; it was enough, at least, to coax out a faint smile.

Her hands were still clutched tight around the Evoker, but she could still move the apparition -- like moving a muscle, just like Komatani had said. With a thought she moved Benzaiten towards the nearest of the targets and --

Garu!

-- with a strum of the shinmen's lute, a swift wind picked up the flimsy wooden thing and tossed it a good several yards into the air.

[heirofkobe]

Taue had been quiet for most of the proceedings, a rarity for him, but this much, at least, he felt deserved some degree of seriousness.

Whatever his qualms about the motivations of this academy, this was combat -- something that would keep him safe, and so his usual aloof demeanor was replaced by something akin to quiet focus.

His Evoker was drawn, the light blade humming softly as he turned it against himself, stabbing the blade inward and then wincing at the side-slice needed to bring forth...

"George Washington."

The first President of the United States was there, in all of his glory, and Taue tried to concentrate, through the pain, guiding the honest surveyor towards the targets.

It took Taue a few minutes to come to grips with his skill set, instinctively realizing that there was only one thing he had that could actually hurt the target -- or anything, for that matter.

"Magna."

A stalagmite came forth from the ground, impaling the wooden target and shattering it into several pieces, as Taue looked on, suitably impressed.

[allisnothing]

Hearing the others summon their Persona and spells go flying, Haruka's head turned intently towards where they were aiming, Inugami's head following. She didn't know exactly where things were but at the same time, she could almost feel where it was.

Inugami, however, seemed to know exactly where things were. She stepped away as Haruka drew her hand back, and Haruka's eye lids fluttered as she absorbed that sense of 'feeling' through Inugami.

It felt like her mental map was filled in by things remotely. It was a strange feeling....not bad, just different.

She lifted her hand at one of those points.

Devour

Inugami blurred forward.

She barely touched the ground as she sped across the tall grass and around obstacles until she reached one of the wooden targets. She leapt and turned her head as she ripped it in half with her teeth with a solid CRUNCH.

[rulebook]

Seeing the others summon their individual Persona and demonstrating their abilities made Ryuta all the more excited to use his own. Carefully watching how the others used them, he felt he had a basic understanding of what to do next. He drew out his Evoker from his belt and activated it in one smooth motion. Now came the difficult part. The hurtle before the goal, as it were.

In one fell swoop, he sliced his left arm, the light blade passing through easily. The all too familiar pain rushed from his arm to his head, sending a wave of agony and power to his core. From the depths of his mind, he heard a voice. The voice pushed through his mind, demanding it's release, and forced it's way out of Ryuta's mouth. "Raguel!"

Blue light enveloped both Ryuta and the bronze, mechanical angel. It observed the area and the people before it, it's emotionless gaze finally falling on a target some distance away. Ryuta struggled at first, but regained his strength once more. Another word popped into his mind, less forceful this time. It felt more like a suggestion rather than a demand.

The word passed through his lips, commanding the angel to act out his will.

"Hama."

With a raise of it's hand, Raguel summoned a small circle of light around the target before it. The circle then shone with a brilliant light, completely erasing the wooden foe. Nothing remained after his assault as any sign of the target was completely destroyed.

[fassade]

She didn't want to do this. She would go so far as to say she reverse wanted to do this. The German watched as, one by one, her peers summoned their shinmen. She noted details about the ones that she hadn't seen before, so namely everyone's but Kisa's. Some of them seemed very fitting. Mirai's, for one. The fact that it was some sort of snake didn't surprise her. Haruka's as well wasn't too much of a surprise, hers being a canine form as well.

Chloe stood there and watched for a while, cursing the day that she had come to this godforsaken school. There really was no way of getting around it though, was there? There was no way out. With a grim and vaguely unsettled look, the tall girl brought the evoker to life. The heat came off it in small waves, just like last time. They said it got easier with time, right?

"Garmr."

After plunging the blade into her chest, she could confirm that it did not feel any easier. If anything, it felt worse. Everything was immediately on fire and she let out a small grunt that sounded somewhere between a wheeze and a sound of pain. The German fell to one knee as the ground opened up in front of her once more, the demonic form of her persona clawing his way to the surface. Once arrived, she noticed something she hadn't beforehand... the image of the bloodied beast flickered and wavered. Her connection to him felt weaker even... she couldn't quite explain it. Even so, she did her best to direct the beast to attack one of the targets.

"Cleave..."

She said, her voice coming out as a slight rasp. Garmr obeyed immediately, leaping at one of the targets and cleaving through it with the bone blades that jutted from the skull he wore like a helmet. As he circled back towards Chloe, the German reached out a hand to pet the beast and the image flickered more at her touch.

In her mind she heard a small whimper, and she understood it but at the same time was boggled by it. What was wrong...?