[IC] ANKL. Part I: Awakening

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Kaede

The girl grit her teeth. The heat did not subside as her attack had not hit the intended mark. lt would be much more difficult to prevail now as she would probably know about her attacks at this point. Kaede had really noticed the call for no more ins, she was playing as if they weren't in play anyway, just using catches to save herself if she couldn't dodge or was under attack from multiple angles and couldn't dodge all of them. Her anger was certainly working with her not against her though. lt was a cool calculated rage... her emotions being naturally repressed allowed her to control her anger now that it was here. And use it she did.

She danced forward, using the momentum from a dodge to somersault towards where she knew another ball was, cartwheeling and picking it up at the same time. She then used the movement from this to throw the ball harder and faster than she had been before, using her biomechanics to the best of her ability. Kaede was remarkably well trained in using her body for fighting. Something she was forced to learn by her mothers, but something she was glad to have learned how to do regardless. People were not kind to her... and knowing how to properly fight was quite handy. she was applying every thing she knew to destroy her remaining opponents. Riley would be much easier to pin down with the others gone, so if they were hit on the off chane she'd only get closer and closer to her goal.

Her other teammates? Kaede didn't even remember they were there. This fight to her was 3 on 1. Odds she was hardly worried about. This attack went for the closest target to her, Platinum. One of the girls from before, not that she'd remember Kaede. The speed from the throw was ungodly... after all, Kaede wasn't really that concerned if people got a little hurt... just that she would still be standing to knock Riley to the ground and ntohing would stop her. Nothing.

[Sutoratosu]

Arya

"A Nurse won't be necessary. Thank you," Arya had said as she accepted the kit. She sat down and began to dress her injuries as the conversation progressed- taking the time to clean the dirt, soot, and other grime from her sliced calf and burned palm. It almost reminded of old times, when she was fucking about as kid and ended up getting hurt, and either mom or dad ended up patching her up. Didn't matter which one of them was around to do it, they'd both always try to turn it into a learning experience, teach her how to do it herself. Didn't matter whether it required a band aid or full blown stitches...

 

The memories almost brought a smile to her face.

 

Almost. 

 

"Yes... I think I might have," She answered. Her leg and palm were cleaned and wrapped with gauze- probably would've been better and cleaner to stitch the gash instead of just covering it... but with the condition her hand was in? "She set herself alight and then tried to immolate me too. Fire seemed to radiate from every pore on her body as easily as sweat. Only thing that stopped her was... the girl who showed up. If she was even human at all. She said a lot of weird things, spoke to me in riddles... something to do with time, memories, fire... Love,"

      She briefly glanced at Natalie. With all the details she already had, as she stared into those lavender eyes, the logical conclusion here became even more painfully obvious than it already was "She mentioned Purple too. And Penguins. Purple Penguins. And the Inquisitor kept referring to you as Nayru, even before she got into the kitchen. There's... something else too-"

      She held out a hand, took a breath, and tried to focus. The memory of the first transformation, and one she had tried and failed to manifest in the kitchen, came to the front of her mind, and she used them as a launch point to try and replicate what she'd done not even an hour earlier. She brought up the memory of the gun- the memory she'd instinctively clung too in that desperate moment, and tried to... will it forth. She still wasn't entirely sure what she was even doing, for the most part her gut was guiding her. Quite literally in some regards, given as she tried harder she felt a strange... tug. Strange yet simultaneously familiar.  

      There was a flash of grey in her hand. A single bullet now sat in her empty palm. The same bullet that had shattered so uselessly against Kindle. She stared at it, and only sighed- had been trying to manifest the whole gun to show them, but fuck it. She was exhausted, even felt the beginnings of a migraine coming on from all this madness. And the fact she'd been able to pull something at all was enough proof on its own.

 

"I'm not sure how I even did it," she continued, "It just... came to me, once she started attacking. Somehow I... pulled things out of thin air, exactly how I remembered them. This replication, that flame aura the inquisitor had, what Natalie did in the kitchen with those knives... all of those are the type of power you mean by 'Inheritance', aren't they?"

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Platinum

Platinum didn’t really notice Lexi coming back in and getting knocked out in record time. If she didn’t, it probably wouldn’t have surprised her. She did hear the announcement that there would be no more ins, so it was a simple three on three match now. Well, three on one, since it was clear that two of the enemy team was barely even trying, at all.

Just as she began to think that it would’ve been a rather simplistic win however, she took notice of the girl with deep blue hair throwing a ball her way… One that was almost impossibly fast. Platinum barely had time to react, only managing to get her hands up before the ball made contact with her smacking into her hands and managing to make the smaller girl skid a few inches as her hands gripped the ball. It WOULD’VE been a rather impressive catch, all things considered…

If Platinum didn’t fall off her feet not a second after she caught it, hitting the ground hard and causing the ball to drop out of her hands.

Needless to say, seeing the ball roll slowly on the floor after losing her grip was a huge disappointment for Platinum. But, not a second after she fell, she began to stand up again, heading over to the sidelines whilst shaking her hands, as they were stinging quite heavily after the failed attempt to catch Kaede’s ball.

In the end, this was just a game. It didn’t really matter anyways.
 

[Chevaleresse]

Arturia rubbed her nose a bit as she replied. "Yeah, I'm fine. I should have been paying more attention. . . But yeah, I'm not sure why the headshot rule isn't a thing here." The way Kaede was acting was a bit unsettling, honestly. It was only a game of dodgeball (regardless of the fact that the shot would have easily shattered the glasses her mother had pressured her into abandoning in favor of contacts,) and she wasn't convinced that Riley had done it intentionally. . . . She wasn't convinced it WASN'T, either, but that was another matter. "What's her issue, anyway?" she said, gesturing vaguely at the person that'd nailed her with a ball. 

[Shamitako]

Riley

 

With the announcement that they couldn't get anyone back, taking out Kaede became more than just a personal vendetta, it was the path to winning. But as much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't sure she could actually hit Kaede. But there was still an option open to her, she just needed to exert herself a little. For just a moment, her pupils glowed a brilliant white. She glimpsed forward just a little, seeking Kaede's location. No matter how she tried, she couldn't find a future where she stood and Kaede fell. That didn't mean there was no solution. In just a few moments, Kaede would target Alva. If Riley were to attack Kaede with a dodgeball and then intercept the one heading for Alva, much like Lexi had done for herself, then Kaede would be distracted just long enough by Riley's attack for Alva to hit her. She acted quickly, rolling a ball over to Alva and readying a second for her own attack. Moments later, Kaede made her move. Riley launched her ball just after Kaede did and sprinted over and intercepted the attack targeting Kaede with her chest. The ball flew away from her, there was no chance she'd have caught it while moving perpendicular to it (she'd looked to be sure), but blocking it was an easy enough task. It took no time for her to get out of the way, the only thing left was for Alva to throw the ball. Once Kaede was out, Alva could take her time dealing with Cici and Layla.

 

Haley

 

"Well, you know how schools can be." Haley said with a shrug. Despite enforcing them as a requirement, sports were looked on rather negatively by many teachers and politicians. According to Haley's elder sister, this was what resulted in safety rules being omitted so often. If enough people got hurt, popular support for removing the requirement might finally happen. But it never changed. for as long as Haley had been alive and at least a decade before, there had been a deadlock. Sports were still required, but safety wasn't a concern.

 

And then there was Riley. "Miss Riley just doesn't seem to like Miss Kaede very much." She said, "I don't understand Miss Kaede at all, so I don't know why that might be."

 

(OOC: Natalie soon[TM])

[Stalkerkain]

Esyllt

 

"I have to say that I wouldn't mind sitting on the sidelines. The hike yesterday took more out of me than I had expected. But it seems that I won't have to worry about that. " she said almost gratefully. Esyllt was beginning to become a little impatient, wondering when this would all be over, so that she could have some free time to perhaps take a little nap. "So who do you think will pull out on top? Going to pin your hopes on Riley?"

[Chevaleresse]

Arturia sighed a bit. Go figure that the students were suffering because the administration had an agenda. And then there was Kaede. "Not a lot of people do, honestly. She's. . . different, I guess, and that puts off a lot of people. Never bothered me, though, and she's nice to talk to. I don't think I've ever seen her get this mad, though, this is weird. . ." Or seen her show much of any emotion. Please, Nayru, tell me she doesn't like me or something, that'd be a disaster for both of us. . . That was another odd thought, thinking of the goddesses. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Kaede

Kaede wound up for another shot, she had not expected Platnium to be so easy to eliminate, however... she didn't have the time to reflect. She was going to elimnate the other girl Alva now... She did the same as before, using her body to the best of it's ability to generate momentum with which to launch another throw at high speed. She sent it spiralling at the girl only to find that she hit another target completely. Riley smehow ended up taking the hit over Alva. Kaede wasn't really sure how this had transpired and frankly she didn't really care. She had taken out her intended target and she felt the burning red melt away rather quickly actually.

She paused a moment... taking a deep breath, unsure what she had been... feeling? Was that truly an emotion she felt? She had felt them before but usually she felt many at once or just pieces of them. Never had she felt one so clearly before. She just stood there... amazed for a moment. She was staring at her hands, she wasn't really sure what to do with herself... she was just lost in a sea of half emotions at the relevation that for perhaps the first time... she felt one in it's full, true form.

[Shamitako]

Natalie

 

Natalie couldn't believe her ears. Sure maybe for a moment she'd considered that maybe this wasn't all totally crazy. But this was all totally crazy. Natalie refused to accept it, and she couldn't believe that Arya was.

 

"You can't be serious." She said incredulously, "That girl in there was crazy, but you guys are acting crazier. I'm not doing this." Confused and upset, she scrambled to her feet and ran out the door. She desperately needed to clear her head.

 

Mother Opium

 

Mother Opium made no attempt to stop Natalie from running out. Her safety wasn't a concern, Kallisto would be watching by now. And Helen was starting to worry that Arya was pushing too hard anyways. "Well, now seems as good a time as any for you and I to talk." Mother Opium said to Arya, "Don't worry about Natalie, I've got a friend watching over her."

[Sutoratosu]

Arya's eyes lingered on the door, too late to bother saying anything by the time she was gone. In all fairness, Natalie had a point- every part of this seemed like something out of a madwoman's demented dreams or some authors realm of fantasy. But despite how fucking mental it sounded, Arya herself had been given far too much evidence that at the very least, something was happening. The wrapped injuries were proof that her little brush with death had been quite real, as was the bullet in her palm even now- it felt and acted the same as any bullet she'd ever held before. Miss Bates' eviscerated corpse had certainly been quite real; she could still smell the stench of burned flesh...

     "I..." she sighed, turning back to Mother Opium, nodding in slight defeat "Very... well then. I suppose the most pressing question is... how this all even begin, how long has it been going on? How do goddesses end up reincarnating into human form, like you claimed? Or even dying in the first place, for that matter?"

[Twinwolf]

Alva

 

Alva, not entirely sure how she was still in at the moment, picked up another ball. Looking for a target, she noticed Kaede stopping for a few moments. A chance! She reeled back and threw the ball at the girl, aiming to hit the shoulder - a bit harder to catch if she suddenly returned to action and wouldn't hurt too much if it hit. 

[Shamitako]

Mother Opium

 

Helen shook her head. "I don't know how they were reincarnated yet, though I have my suspicions about who caused it." she confessed, "As for how long, Kallisto was reincarnated nineteen years ago and became aware of herself at fourteen. And their deaths are a long story that isn't mine to tell, but the short of it is that they did it to themselves." A hint of apprehension touched her face for a moment. "What I can tell you, though I think you've already guessed it, is that Natalie is Nayru. I had thought she was beginning to awaken, which is why I asked you to watch over her. I figured if anyone could help her through such a tumultuous time it would be you.

 

"It seems I was wrong about why she was acting strangely though. She is still far from her awakening. It's important that she awaken as soon as possible, but it can't be forced. She has to realize it on her own. In the meantime, she'll need to be protected." Mother Opium stood and walked over to the bed. She pulled out a large glass jar filled with a bubbling grey liquid with a reflective sheen. "Which is why I had this made for you." She set the jar in front of Arya. The top was about twice as wide as Arya's fist.

 

"This is a Laylite weapon, just like the one carried by the inquisitor." Helen explained, "It doesn't look like much now because no one has bonded with it. If you promise me you'll use it to protect my daughter, then it's yours."

 

Natalie

 

Natalie felt so utterly confused. She'd been attacked by a lunatic this morning and her mother was trying to tell her it was because she'd gotten caught up in some supernatural war. It was preposterous, and the second craziest thing to happen to her in the past twenty-four hours. But, what she and Arya did... There had to be something...

 

"You know I did say you could talk to me." Miss Katherine's voice interrupted Natalie's inner turmoil.

Natalie looked up to see the young teacher standing at the treeline. Her face heated and and she covered her eyes at the sight of it. "Holy crap Miss Katherine, what are you wearing?!" She said in response to Miss Katherine's ribbon garment.

"Actually, it's Kallisto right now."

Natalie parted her fingers slightly and saw "Kallisto" walking closer. "Not you too. You do realize you're all nuts, right?"

"Are we crazy, or are you crazy for denying what's right in front of you. There's a Kallistle proverb that comes to mind: 'If you alone see darkness, uncover your face.' I think it might be applicable here."

"Don't quote religious gibberish at me, I'm still with the majority being sane, even if three people in my immediate surroundings are crazy. Also, put some clothes on!"

"Natalie, you don't have to trust me or even your mother, but at least put your faith in the one you love."

"How did you..?"

"Goddess of Love, it's kind of what I do."

Natalie was silent, thinking. This was still crazy, but Arya wasn't. She wouldn't go along with something like this without a good reason. Natalie felt guilty for not trusting her. "Alright, say I believe you, what then?"

"Well, the other goddesses need protecting, why not protect them?"

"How?"

"Mother Opium can help with that. You should really get back to her."

"Okay. Thanks Kalli."

 

 Natalie turned around and walked several steps before uncovering her face. She was still skeptical, but she was at least going to give Arya and her mother a chance. For now, Natalie would proceed under the assumption that what her mother said was reality.

 

Suddenly a realization hit her. "Wait! If this is real, then you're actually Kallisto!" She spun around in shock, but Kallisto was already gone.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Kaede

 

The thing that returned Kaede to reality was a soft impact into her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see one of the balls falling gently to the ground. The girl... the skittish one from before, from when she had met Eden... was the prepetrator. Her original target that Riley had intercepted the blow for. Kaede sighed, she have preferred to be able to elimnate the last girl as well to speed up this game, but she... guessed it'd be just as quick for one of the remaining girls to take her out or... for her to remove both of the others more than likely. The two left on her side had not moved an nich the whole game. She was suprised them were somehow still in, but it bothered her not. Winning that game wasn't iportant to her, it ending was.

She walked over to Arturia, she might as well wait out the rest of the time with her friend. Besides, she was curious as to how she was feeling, as she was unaware if she was currently hurt or not. She didn't however say anything on her approach. lt appeared that Arturia was talking to some of the others on the sidelines. She was a bit weary, unsure how the others would act when she arrived but being near her friend as better than not doing so. She silently took her spot.

[Twinwolf]

Alva pumped a fist in the air excitedly as she hit Kaede out. Yes! She was pretty much the only one who'd been doing things that was left, so should be an easy win from here. She ran to pick up a couple more balls and tossed them towards the remaining members of the other team, assuming that they don't do something to stop her. 

[Sutoratosu]

Arya

"..." Silence. For just the briefest of moments, the stoic mask that had been her face throughout their discussion was replaced by one of utter surprise once Helen explain the... contents. Nothing more but a widening of the eyes, raising of the brow, but telling enough. Arya gazed at the floor, no end of ponderings running through her mind. The events of not even the past hour played before her on repeat... and the memories of the gun took center stage. The Pipe as well- everything she'd tried. How it had all failed in the end, even the flashbang. How she knew things would've ended, had that strange girl not intervened when she did...

     "...she'll be back." Arya said, raising her gaze back to Mother Opium. Her eyes gave the answer before her words, "she'll be back... and next time, she won't bother toying with me. Even with the powers you mentioned, there was almost nothing I could do against her. All I could do was try to run when given the chance, try to get us away from there... even that failed. Next time, there will probably be no chance. period."

     With that said, she shakily rose to her feet, and despite the aches and sores still radiating through her, bowed deeply. So deeply infact, her torso was nigh parallel to the floor "After everything you've done for me and my father... after how long I've known Natalie... you don't have to ask, Mother Opium. I still have questions about all this... but if what's in that jar can grant me the power to stop future assailants, then I swear to you on my life: It doesn't matter who, or what, comes for her next. I will be waiting... and I will have no mercy to give."

[Shamitako]

Alva

 

With Kaede out of the way, Alva was left alone with Ceci and Lilith. Ceci remained uninterested, but still managed to deftly avoid everything Alva threw at her. Occasionally she'd kick a few balls over to Alva so Alva wouldn't run out, but she'd never bother to pick them up and throw them. Meanwhile, Lilith was still back in her corner, far enough that merely tossing the balls and hoping to land a hit wouldn't be enough to reach her. But it seemed that if Alva really gave a good throw then Lilith would be easy enough to hit, considering she hadn't budged the entire game.

 

Trick

 

Trick materialized in a tree overlooking a large field full of girls. Standing above her on the top of the branch (as Trick was, of course, upside-down) was a young woman wearing a black baseball jersey, a matching cap, and carrying a dark grey metal bat with a blue crystal at the base of the handle. Her short hair and narrow eyes were both jet black and her skin was heavily tanned, with the bridge of her nose peeling slightly from a sunburn. She was chewing gum, and blew a bubble with it as she glanced down at Trick. She didn't seem at all fazed by the ghost's presence, waiting for the bubble to pop before speaking. "The fuck are you s'posed to be?" She asked.

"I'm dead people! Who are you?" Trick answered.

"Name's Mack, you the extra Her just called 'bout?"

"We seek the maiden of the ocean." Trick affirmed.

"She's out there, Layla too." The girl nodded towards the field.

"Gratitude is shared between friends."

"You know, you could just say thanks."

"Impossible tasks are thought but never spoken." Trick shook her head.

"...So you can stand upside-down in trees, but you can't talk normally? That's weird as shit."

"The price of death is high."

"Speaking of death, I doubt dead people is your name and even if it is, I ain't calling you by it. Got anything better?"

"I'm Trick!"

Mack stared at her suspiciously. "Are you sure you're not just fucking with me? That sounded like some pretty normal talking."

"We don't always see what is apparent through green eyes."

"You got a phone? Maybe you can text me without weird riddles."

"Phone?" Trick asked in bewilderment.

"Right, like this." Mack reached in her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "It lets you communicate over large distances by talking or sending text messages, you've never heard of them?"

"Hearing in fractured ears is unheard of. Is this sorcery of Her?"

Mack laughed. "Sorcery? Nah, everyone has one of these. You really are strange. You're ignoring gravity but a cell phone is sorcery." The phone started buzzing. "Oh, looks like that's my cue. They're almost done so I gotta prep for my ambush."

Trick raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Hidden danger for whom? The map shows not."

"Alexus. Did Her not tell you why I'm here at all?"

"The future must be protected from the winds of despair. Hold back the invisible strike."

"Look, Trick, you seem nice and all, but I've got a mission here. If you've got a problem with it, I'll have to make that problem go away." Mack hefted the bat to show she meant business.

It was then that Trick realized she'd been the one tricked. "The devil's contract cannot be burnt. Makaylin Argos must not be interfered with."

"Ah, good, then I'll be on my way." She put her phone back and started to jump out of the tree, but stopped. She went into a different pocket and pulled out her wallet, dropping a business card in Trick's direction. "If you ever have a problem you need someone to take care of, call me."

[Twinwolf]

Well, Lilith first - Alva threw a ball somewhat hard, with intent to hit her. Assuming Lilith doesn't catch it and send her out, she would start throwing balls harder at Ceci, eventually trying more than one at the same time to help at least one hit.

[Shamitako]

Mother Opium

 

Mother Opium removed the lid from the jar. Of course she'd known Arya would say yes, but she was touched by the display nonetheless. "In that case, reach your hand inside. It's not actually boiling, in fact it's a little cold. Towards the center you should feel a handle of sorts, grab it and pull."

 

...Over in Nayo

 

Nigh Abigail was alone in her office doing paperwork when an urgent report came in from military intelligence. The Kayo government had dispatched the inquisitor, which was a big deal in itself, but more interesting was the target: Helen Opium's daughter Natalie. Opium was a vocal critic of the church, but targeting her so directly was a bold move. Further, Natalie was apparently referred to as Nayru by the church, an oddly blasphemous codename. It wasn't the first time in recent memory that a report had referenced the goddesses, Estole Syv's daughter had been called Kallisto on numerous occasions. It would just seem like a quirk of the church, except for an interaction Abigail had with a young girl a few days earlier.

 

Eden, she'd said her name was. She'd made strange claims about the goddesses which Abigail had written off as a child's fantasy. But one of them was oddly specific and had bugged Abigail quite a lot. That claim was why she was now sending a spy to Kayo to make contact with a schoolgirl. If there was even the slightest chance Lilith Perditia was the goddess Layla in disguise, Nayo needed to get to her before the church did.

[Sutoratosu]

Arya

Arya nodded and strode forward. Her hand approached the jar, dipping beyond it's top, hovering ever closer to the surface of the liquid. There was a second of hesitation before her fingers actually made contact. But it was gone just as quickly as she took a breath... and plunged them in, almost immediately finding something hard and smooth and pulling it out of the vat as Helen had instructed...

[Shamitako]

Arya

 

The liquid metal streamed after Arya's hand, shaping itself as it travelled. It snapped to its final form sharply, jolting her wrist back slightly. Held now in her grasp was a long, thin metal cylinder. The fletching and shafts of three arrows protruded from one end. The arrows had glass-like crystal shafts that showed what could have been seen through them a few seconds before. Their fletching was crafted from fine metal fibers. And their heads were metal kites that blended seemlessly into the shafts.

[Sutoratosu]

Arya

Arya ran her hand over one of the arrows, careful, almost afraid she might break the nigh-ethereal construct otherwise. She couldn't help but drop the formal expression by now, replaced by a look of amazement as the shafts danced with images of the fleeting past. Amazement, almost voracious curiosity, and just a hint of confusion,

     "A Quiver..." she whispered "These arrows, they're like... nothing I've ever seen before. I don't know what to say, Mother Opium..."

 

Of course, the most obvious question in her mind was: where was the bow to fire them? But well, almost as soon as it came to her, so did the answer; She had called forward a copy of mom's sidearm, hadn't she? What would stop her from calling forward a copy of her own bow? Or of dad's bow? If bullets had been ineffective, chances were so would any arrows she conjured with her power. It was the projectiles which mattered, not the delivery system- afterall the gun had remained in hand even after the rounds shattered.

 

And with these... 

[Shamitako]

Lilith

 

Having been mostly ignored for the entire game, Lilith was surprised and unprepared for Alva's attack. Having already backed herself literally into a corner, there was nowhere to run to. She began to freeze up and panic, but then her instincts kicked in. Her body moved ahead, knowing what to do well before her mind. She shifted slightly to the side and raised her arms to catch the ball. The ball entered her grasp and Lilith spun around, conserving its momentum.

 

At the end of her spin, Lilith launched the ball with an overhand throw. As it left her hand it rocketed forward, followed half a moment after by a crashing sound akin to an explosion. An extremely attentive observer would notice a flash of light travel between Lilith's fingertip and the ball at the moment she released it.

 

Those less attentive would be drawn to the results of Lilith's dramatic counterattack. The ball smashed into Alva's shoulder with enough force to pull her feet out from under her. She landed on her back several feet behind where she started. The shoulder that had been struck was clearly dislocated. The ball came to a rest even further away, wispy smoke emanating from a charred patch on its surface.

 

Shocked and frightened by her own strength, Lilith ran off into the forest. But not before her eyes caught Arturia's. She wasn't sure why, but she had felt a jolt of familiarity towards Arturia when she threw the ball. And so before she ran, her confused gaze begged for answers.

 

Alva is now an Ice Elemental

 

(OOC: Arturia, fetch!)

[Twinwolf]

Alva 

 

Alva gasped as the ball slammed into her and she was thrown back. She just lay there for a while, not moving very much as the shock from the sudden injury numbed her. She was like that for a few seconds until the pain hit, starting from her shoulder and seeming to almost spread from there, and she began to scream from the pain. It was like a cold burn from the site and onwards across her body. She tried to put an arm on her shoulder but as her fingers brushed the site a new spike of pain brought out another cry. If someone came to help her they'd see she was trying not to cry and failing. 

[Chevaleresse]

That, that was not normal. And probably exactly the sort of thing she had been looking for. A flash of light, a boom, and a dodgeball hitting someone hard enough to put them down like that? . . . Not exactly typical signs of divinity, but they were weird enough that she'd take it anyway. "Uh, you guys make sure she's okay, I'll go get Lilith. Tell Miss Katherine where I went if I'm not back soon." She lingered for the briefest moment; a twinge of guilt passed through her at more or less abandoning Alva, but she did have more important things to take care of, and. . . Saying she was confident in her classmates to do anything in particular was a stretch, but it's not as if Arturia staying was going to affect events much.

 

She jogged off in the direction of the forest, hoping that her longer legs were enough to allow her to keep up with Lilith. She felt a faint flash of irritation; Arturia wasn't exactly in top physical condition, and she'd neglected to put on a sports bra or anything today. . .

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Platinum

 

For the most part, Platinum was more or less lazily paying attention to the match while in her own thoughts, mostly due to the fact that she was no longer a part of it. She half-heartidly noticed that Kaede had been struck out, with Alva moving on to another girl, only for her ball to be caught and-

 

Suddenly, a loud boom snapped Platinum's attention to full force. Was that a goddess damned flash of light that came out of her fingers? Did that ball just move faster than she could actually see, and was now smoking from the force? And-

 

That was where Platinum's thoughts froze as her eyes finally went to Alva, noticing the fact that she was laying on the ground and in clear pain. After a second of being completely frozen, Platinum's body went on autopilot, jumping to her feet and quickly getting off the sidelines and running on to the field, crouching next to Alva. Instantly, Platinum noticed the fact that Alva's shoulder was definitely not placed right, a fact made even more obvious at the fact that Alva's hand was hovering near it but not fully touching it. There was also he fact that Platinum easily noticed how Alva actually had tears coming out of her eyes.

 

At that point, Platinum forced herself to take a deep breath, closing her eyes for that duration before reopening them, trying to think on what she needed to do... Except at the moment, all she could actually DO was draw a complete blank and crouch there uselessly.

 

Goddesses she was not ready for this...