Nexus Campus Town

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lawrence

"Is that so."

Lawrence cocked his head curiously, almost childishly. That's when a burning wing pushed his head down - soon giving room for the Armaggedon of Aviation to ascend and grin at the fiery lady.

"Aw hell yeah! Finally, someone recognizes talent when they see it. I knew you could buddy, clearly I am the realest of deals!"

The poor ashen man grunted, but oddly enough - indifferent to it all. Even Lily's charm barely moved his current. Was he simply that empty? No, there was some feedback. It did reach him, and yet - "What a wonderful charm. I'm sorry, hexes like this can only be effective... so long as the target wills it." He sighed and waved the wing off his head. "But I'm sorry. I wasn't lying, I really did not mean disrespect. You just... remind me of home."

For a moment, Lawrence seemed truly empty. Until the wing poked him on the cheek again, pushing him aside again.

"Yeah, yeah. No, duh. You're terrible with the ladies. Trust me, we know. " And for the first time, Lily saw something different on his face.

"H-hey, cut it out." Lawrence grimaced and poked the bird back, teeth clenched. Stupid chicken, I should cook you alive. "Hey gorgeous, can I tell you a secret?" The bird soon hurried to Lily's side, much to the ashen man's sudden grimace.

Don't.

You.

Dare.

Oh, you just try to stop me, biatch.

But the lesson...

test

[Umbra of Chaos]

Fu Hua

"Well, this place is a bit of a dump now." It was an uncharitable thing to say, considering the holes that had been put into the massive building. But Fu Hua hardly look impressed at the devastation that had wrecked the area. Acid burns, fire, shattered walls, and pages littered the ground. A wave of her hands moves most of the rubble and trash out of their way, but it is difficult to find any part of the place that hadn't been marked by the previous conflict. "It looked much better when I was here last time, Kore."

Of course, Fu Hua does not say the words herself. Why would she? They slip into Kore's head, pressed into her spirit by the energies that cradle her body. More intimate than the whispers of lovers in bed. There is no need to let voyeurs listen in.

Case in point, the hooded figure with bloodstained hands that now stood in their way. Fu Hua smirks, raising a hand as books tainted with her energy flow out of harm's way. The ones that Kore shows interest in hovers overhead. "You're the headmaster, aren't you? Shouldn't you busy yourself with repairing this shabby looking place rather than getting in my way? I'm too busy with my date to crush you."

[YOLF]

The Headmaster

"I'm afraid access to the library is restricted at the moment." The hooded woman pushes the air in front of her to the side, black sleeve swaying, and a tilted bookcase on the floor level shook, dragging itself back into its place against its kin, not one book falling out. She speaks with a thrum of honed patience, "Part of that is so I can work easier on repairs. I have no intention to be a bother, and visitors should respond in kind."

Something invisible and arcane arises as she perceives them. It splits itself from the tasks where it slowly toiled, pushing against Fu Hua's reaching dominion, moving like the mass of an elephant before a creeping predator after its young. The Headmaster's magic does not purify, but it claims nonetheless, and the dark phoenix can feel it in the way it reacts like static against the low tide of her condensed desires.

"Were you looking for something specific? If you notify the groundskeepers, you can still be lent certain volumes." She pauses and tilts her head, slightly to the side, slightly forward, letting them see her golden eyes clearly.

[Who?]

Kore

"Wait, date-" Kore turns to look at Fu Hua, blinking in surprise. Her shortened skirt - courtesy of Fu Hua - flickers in the still air.

No, she decides, they can discuss the romantic (?) aspects of this later. She turns to the headmaster and places her hand on her chest (thunder booms in a clear sky).

"I apologise - I was the one who requested we come here. I have only recently arrived here - in this dimension, I mean - and I had... many, many questions. About everything."

She glances at the headmaster's bloody hands and then up at her golden eyes. It seemed an odd look for a headmaster. Not conducive to learning.  Although, she supposed she was one to talk. Appearances could be... deceiving.

There were more pressing concerns, though - namely how she could feel Fu Hua’s mounting frustration through the strange link she had formed with the spirit. Which was also a pressing concern, but one that could be... Well, murder wasn’t immediately on the horizon.   

Kore rested a hand on Fu Hua’s shoulder, rubbing the spirit gently as she tried to consider what might stop this situation boiling over into the kind of bloodbath that formed a ball of panic in her stomach.

"We could stay here and - read?" Kore paused to consider the idea of Fu Hua - who in the brief time Kore had known her, seemed to transition between moods at the speed of magnesium in water - having to stay and read. Or worse, stay and not reading. "Or we could take a few volumes and come back later, when it’s in better condition?" She offered, throwing a significant look at the headmaster. 

God, she hoped this wouldn’t end in a fight.     

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lawrence

Outside, an ominous bolt of lightning cracks, and for a moment the books lying around flip their pages sinisterly. An eerie note, foreboding of a mysterious stranger. A warning far from reassuring, in compare to the looming shadow that steps within the arcane library, and its burning comrade soaring around its ashen frame.

"My, my. There is no need to apologize, why, have you done anything deserving of repentance that I should be made aware of?"

A wry smile escapes its lips like a snake's, and the burning bird chuckles with a cold sneer.  Each step follows the deliberate clack of an ornate cane, while Lawrence reads his book with great interest, not taking so much as a glance at the world around him.

“All our souls are written in our eyes - Cyrano de Bergerac. So long as our eyes see no evil, I don't see why a den of learning and academics would reject your fine presences. Knowledge is the ichor of life, but what secrets would drag you as far as these halls, mhhh?"

And with a dramatic clap of his book, he closes its pages shut and bows like an actor in a stage. "It is a pleasure to see so many new faces. Shall I prepare the tea?"

[Umbra of Chaos]

Fu Hua

She presses herself into pages and cobblestone walls. Her spirits spreads through the cracks in the floor and spills into the air. The Headmaster might wield the world around her as a weapon, but Fu Hua is the world entire. Would her own limbs rebel against her? How much of this place would that thing have to break apart to even try and harm her?

The phoenix chews the inside of her mouth a bit, imagining it. That thing has always returned here, like a spirit or a god. Perhaps it will remain until every last student has been butchered, every book burned, every foundation torn to dust. Or maybe it would become her, as she paints this place in her colors, until she has become so much of it that it cannot harm her no more than a hand could harm the person entire. A rebellious limb taken over from within, brought to heel. That is also a rather satisfying thought. That thing would look good if there was more of her in it, no? Yes, that sounds quite entertaining!

She raises her hand, fingers like talons, ready to begin it now. But the chirping of a stray bird distracts her. Fu Hua stops, even as the entire building groans in the wasted anticipation of a furious battle come to nothing by a whim. "Hmph, no secrets. She simply wants to learn everything about the ants in the newest terrarium she has found. Tea... is good" Her eyes turn to the robed figure, and the gleeful, murderous glint in her eyes is far gone.

"You, thing, stay out of my way.  You are not the kind of being that can defeat me."

[YOLF]

Headmaster

At any other time, the Headmaster might find it in herself to be amused at the endearingly awkward place where the specter's words leave this woman who is a walking axiom. Right now, she wishes to drown herself in a giant mug of coffee, and laments that she can't, because it would mean leaving this group unsupervised.

She squints under the hood, and the eyes half-concealed beneath golden bangs soar through memories that were not hers until she took them. The taunt of the one roiling in resentment is not meant for her, but the woman called the Headmaster is its only recipient. Does it matter whether you mean the shape of the river or the contents of it when you name it? It slips around her, yet hits with the coldness of bitter ages.

"And you are no longer the kind of being that can defeat anyone. Manners would go a long way," she says. Shaking her head with almost eager sincerity as she turns her face to the new teacher and the familiar. "Since you're here despite my suggestion, I hope you have a good selection of sweets to go with the tea, Interim Professor."

[Who?]

Kore

The tension leaves Kore’s body, and she slumps like a puppet with it’s strings cut.

She had no idea what she would have done if it had devolved into a fight. Fu Hua would have likely won, and - Kore couldn’t have stopped her. Even without the energy that now suffused her body, it was just... she didn’t think she could have stopped Fu Hua without using the second form.

She nodded gratefully at the dramatic man who had just appeared (magician - and a familiar? Fascinating-), and at the headmaster. The arm around Fu Hua’s shoulder remains there. It is by no means a harsh grip, or even firm, but it’s there. Thank you, she thinks at the spirit, inputting as much of her gratitude into that thought as she could.

People, she thinks, a rising surge of giddiness making her want to jump for joy. Her eyes flick between the three of them, etching their faces, the way they breathe, the way they hold themselves, into her mind.
 
"I haven’t had tea in a long time... It would be appreciated. And I would appreciate other perspectives on the history of this place - Fu Hua called it the Nexus? Ah, Kore is my name." Despite her excitement, she manages to keep her voice level and calm.

"And we can discuss - "the date" - later." She mutters to Fu Hua.
 

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lawrence

"My, my. My, my, my, my, my... please, do have a little faith in me. I would never betray your expectations." He uttered that last word sweetly and deliberately, as if there was some meaning rolling on its forked tongue before bowing dramatically. "I will keep every promise made, that in itself is a promise. Thus I swear... today's sweets will leave you breathless."

Well, he did make plans for today's teatime, but there were unfortunate miscalculations made. Phenex was oddly quiet too, watching the scene with keen interest... and the powerful intruder. Now, who could she be?

Ah. Another miscalculation.

And with that, he turned a cautious glance at the other girl. "Kore... how wondrous. I am delighted to share these humble halls with thee; So please, make yourself comfortable, the show has only just begun. I, Lawrence Wright, declare it with mine heart on the line."


A few moments later...

He closed his eyes, elegantly pouring tea from up high and preparing cups while the three ladies sat in one of the lounges. Theatric as ever, he used a few of Phenex's hexes to scald the brew to the perfect temperature. It was something that might surprise the headmistress too, his movements were more refined than you'd expect the typical bookstuck scholar, as if he had some experience serving. You could totally see him in a butler's uniform just now, smiling warmly as he slid the cups to the dear guests - and his generous host.

On the table laid platters of colored sweets, cookies made of rare fruit jams and candied rarities, while honeyed pastries made of nuts and nectars filled the room with a delectable joy. You could practically see just how giddy he was, preparing the most wonderful platters and serving them oh so dramatically.

"These honeyed treats come from faraway lands, some which aren't found in many worlds. The recipe is simple in essence, but the sweet flavors are quite complex. These baklava for example come from distant eastern lands in my world. Please, enjoy them."

As he bowed, the smells of fragrant tea filled the air. Why, this was no time for conflict, there was no reason why they shouldn't have a peaceful intellectual discussion.

He did hope the others agreed.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Fu Hua

Indulgence. Now this was something she could do. There was nothing she did partially. So she drank tea, and ate treats. Swallowed them, really. She would shift between practically eating things whole to slowly savoring them, taking minutes to chew over a single snack. "Ah, now this much better. I'm much more used to this." Fu Hua says it so casually, as if there was not a battle being waged right now between her and the headmaster.

Their energies snap at each other. Her corruption, her ego bleeding out into the world around her. A drop of ink turning the sea black. And at the same time the magic of that thing tries to stop her. It tries to serve as an obstacle. But it cannot. It controls but it does not change the substance. It can crush and mold, but it does not alter the fundamentals. It cannot prevent this place from becoming more of her, at least, not as easily as she can spread. The effort it takes to rid a canvas of paint is incomparable to the ease in which one can pour buckets of it onto the surface.

She loves winning. Especially when it is so easy.

[YOLF]

Headmaster

If the cloaked woman is bothered by the way the scales of this invisible conflict tilt inevitably to the shade's side, she does not show any of it. Her lip barely curves even at the warmth and pleasant aroma of the tea, though she has thanked the shady professor for his troubles as always. Her mind is elsewhere, perhaps many places, but none of them with the smolder of bloodlust. Yet.

"So, Miss Kore, how much of the Nexus has -" And at this she pauses, rolling her next words under her tongue before voicing them, raising her eyes between the two other women at the gathering. "Miss Hua already shown you?"

[Who?]

Kore

Kore savours the bitter astringency of her tea, and stares between Lawrence, the Headmaster, and Fu Hua in turn.

They have the distinct feeling that their faces and forms are being memorised, each blink carefully categorised, as if Kore worries that they will disappear at a moment's notice.

It takes her a moment to respond to the Headmaster's question, clasping her cup with both hands and clearing her throat.

"Ah... Fu Hua brought me straight here. She mentioned the place I arrived at was the Northern Forest, and answered my simpler questions about this place. Its quite fascinating! A multidimensional meeting point, of such vast size, I wonder if-" If Order had known about it.

She cuts herself off, all excitement lost, staring at her reflection in the tea.

"Some of my questions were of rather an esoteric or obscure nature. About-" Kore gestures with her tea cup. "Soil, nutrients, politics - it's a complicated issue, and I don't mind that Fu Hua was uninterested in answering."

She presses a sense of reassurance at Fu Hua and wonders at the fact that Fu Hua had been flirting with her earlier, instead of it being some strange cultural norm Kore was unfamiliar with.

Which was actually rather disconcerting. There were any of a variety of reasons she could name for why she would not and could not reciprocate the spirit's interest. But - surely that could wait? Yes. It could.

She might enjoy the spirit's attentions, but she would need to think of how to let her down gently.

But first, there were questions to ask and answers to receive.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lawrence

"Politics? How... precocious." Lawrence's finger suddenly crawls up his chin, and shadows form a mysterious smile on his moon-white face.

Boldly, maybe a bit greedily, he helps himself to a single biscuit, slowly raising it up as if the weight alone was taxing.

"Lords come and go, and many do find their crowns short lived. I've never understood the fascination with such a... temporary subject.

He swallows the sweet whole with the voracity of a snake, gulping it in its entire shape without a single shred of pity. "Now, this? This world... it is truly fascinating. Fu fu fu... *hack* *cough* *argh* "

As it turns out, ominously swallowing dry pastry without taking a breath, much like the crowns of this place's rulers... make life a short lived affair. Choking, he hurried for his cup of tea and gulped it down with a horrified gasp.

Only to scald himself completely.

"Hot hot!"

And the crimson bird in the back snickers.

[YOLF]

Headmaster

She shook her head in the vague direction of the summoner, a thin and plastered smile playing at her face. "People are as transient as crowns, if not more so. Let one do as they please so long as they seek only to live leisurely or for the benefit of others."

The headmaster reached for a white pastry, thin and sugary in the shape of a cloud puff, and took a bite with the a modest crunch. "Mmm. Nowadays you'll find the Nexus is more dispersed than it has been for some hundreds to thousands of years. Relationships are as complicated as the enmity and debts between a dozen petty states, and every tiny problem they carry... but it is not my place to judge heterogeneity. With that division has come versatility and lessened dangers, at least for the moment."

She licked the sweetness from her lips and regarded Kore with an elegant flutter of the brows.

"I cannot claim expertise with soil composition or the like, but you should not have much difficulty finding an appropriate technician in Campus Town. If if would alleviate your concerns, perhaps I can write a note of address so one of our other professors will spare some time."

[Who?]

Kore

Kore reaches out to pat Lawrence on the shoulder, feeling terribly awkward. What did you do with people who nearly choked, again? She - well, it wasn’t so much that she forgot as that she had never know in the first place.

There wasn’t a lot of call for a Demon King who wanted to overthrow the order of the world to know how to help someone.

"It’s exactly becaause of how short lived and transient they can be that I’m interested in them, Professor? Lawrence."  Once he’s stopped coughing in a way that makes Kore worried that slight frame will shatter, she draws back, plucking a chocolate biscuit and nibbling at it. It’s so sweet! How strange.

"And I would very much appreciate that, ah, Headmaster?" Kore takes another sip of the tea. "I grow plants, and I was curious about the... effects and such. And variation. Do you mind staying with me a little longer, Fu Hua?" She turns to look at the spirit, smiling sheepishly.

Fu Hua did not seem the type to take a particular interest in soil composition, the growth of plants and the like, especially given the rotted appearance of their meeting place. But she had accompanied Kore this far, and her presence was comfroting in it’s own way.