Archive World of Darkness: The Academy - Martial Cuisine [Complete]

[Ryan Jackson]

The day after SSDD...

Ryan headed across the quad on the diagonal, his long legs eating the distance quickly. Class had just got out and he was starving, all signs of the weekend sickness were gone and Ryan's appetite seemed hellbent to make up for it by chowing down with abandon. Behind him, not quite keeping up, Sean trailed the older student, "Ryan! Hey, Ryan!"

Ryan looked over his shoulder, and then spun, his footing remaining sure and quick as he switched to a backward jog, "Hey Sean, better be quick if you want lunch," Ryan's eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint, "I'm planning a legendary meal." He spun again, and the two raced to the Mars Café well ahead of most students who had been in class as well.

The Café itself was a normal specimen of its type, linoleum tile floor, painted brick walls with bulletin boards, square tables along the walls and larger round ones in the middle. What made Mars Café stand out was the food, which was better by far that the rest of the cafés at Dalton. Ryan hit the door running, swiped his card, and skidded to a stop at the stack of trays. Going down the line he was too busy piling food, a lot of food, onto his tray to even acknowledge Sean behind him with anything more than a amicable grunt. The café itself was already somewhat busy but nothing like it would be in another ten or fifteen minutes.

At the end of the line Ryan grabbed a think handful of napkins and a half dozen half pints of juice and milk. He gave Sean the kind of crazy grin that said, I'm up to something and if you're smart you'll follow along. Sean followed Ryan, and Ryan's tray of food that could feed a family of five, to the other end of the café near the doors that went up into the dorm. The two suqare tables flanking the doors were occupied. The first was full of girls who must not have had class during the 11 o'clock hour, they giggles and smiled, and generally did their best to try and attract Ryan's and Sean's attention; being a good looking athlete was never a bad thing.

The second table had only one person sitting at it, and now Ryan saw why the other table was full, the boy sitting alone was plenty handsome in his own way. The type of guy that exemplified tall, dark, and handsome. Ryan shrugged and moved to the table, "Hey, Ravi, mind if we sit with you?" Ryan asked without thinking. Without waiting for a reply he set his tray down and slid into a chair. He considered the other boy and realized he had no Earthly idea how he knew the other kid's name. "Hey um, your name is Ravi right? This is Sean, and I'm..."

"Ryan, right? Yes, my name is Ravi..." he trailed off his look of puzzlement mirroring Ryan's.

"We musta met on Friday, at the social. Stupid food poisoning, has everybody's brain all cottage cheesy." Ryan considered the pile of food before him and picked up a slice of pizza first. "So ... you just transfer in? What's your story?"

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"My story." Ravi repeatedly absently, trying to figure out how he'd known Ryan's name. Green-gold eyes blinked, then looked at Sean. No help there, though he seemed familiar too. Ravi shook off the uncomfortable feeling, his handsome face brightening into a smile. "Well, I was transferred here just before the food poisoning. Hopefully, that won't lead to people blaming me for it." He grinned, picking up his glass of milk and taking a sip.

"As to my story..." his lips quirked. "It's long and contains a lot of shouting. Being as honest as I care to be, I was sent here to keep me out of trouble." The smile became another sly grin as he turned his head slightly, catching the eye of the girls at the next table. He winked slowly at them, then turned back to Sean and Ryan as their neighbours broke out in a fit of feminine giggling. "So far, it's looking promising that this might not be as easy as my father supposed."

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Sean grinned back at Ryan, watching him fill his tray to overflowing, grey-blue eyes a little uncertain, but willing to indulge Ryan in his whimsy. Sean was more modest in his selections, choosing only enough for three, but he was a large, teenaged boy and growing, so it didn't look that out of place.

Passing the table of giggling girls, Sean flashed them a bright grin before joining Ryan at the other table with the new boy. He didn't recall seeing Ravi at the Social, but couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen him before. Admittedly, he guessed if he was a girl, Ravi would be a hard one to forget.

"Yeah, this is my first time at private school. Don't know what t'expect - only been here for two weeks - but the scenery's sure appealin'." Sean glanced over a broad shoulder with stormy eyes and gave the girls a short, two-fingered wave, earning another burst of admiring laughter, before turning back to the others.

Though his expression stayed open and friendly, there was a hint of bitter darkness in his tempestuous eyes. "Dad sent me off to Mom so he could spend more time with the girlfriend, and Mom shipped me to boarding school 'cause I was never the son she wanted. Always cared more for my sisters. And that's my story."

The muscular, handsome jock shook his head, dispelling thoughts about his mother, then stretched out a hand to Ravi for a firm shake. "Anyway, pleased to meet'cha. I'm Sean Cassidy."

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"Ravi FitzCoventry." the other replied, taking Sean's hand in his own, the handshake firm and confident as he gave him a friendly smile. "And I have a lot of experience with private schools. Some are good, some are bad, and some are indifferent. This one is co-ed, which is a definite plus." He gave a mock-shudder of horror. "There's nothing like being locked up with a few hundred other pubescent males to really engender an appreciation of girls."

He grinned at both of them. "So what's to do for fun and amusement around here? Ryan, you seem to be the old hand. Care to share?"

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan didn't volunteer his own story, Sean already knew who he was and Ryan preferred not to advertise. He got more than his fill of fans when he was actually at the X-games, better to lie low and not make an event of his identity here at school. Oddly it had worked rather well, the X-games were something that only a fairly small cross section of student, mostly Mars residents, followed. Ryan asked those who did make the connection to keep things on the down low, but lately rumors were starting to circulate.

At Ravi's question Ryan froze, a half slice of pizza, which was more or less one bite, hovering half way to his mouth. He finished shewing the other half of that same slice and swallowed. He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. The two other boys did the same, noting that Ryan's insane mountain of food had already visibly decreased. Ryan's somewhat blank expression suddenly broke into a maniacal grin, a definite look of mixed glee and madness in his eyes. "Well my friend's that really depends on how adverse you are to getting into trouble. For instance, at this moment I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't intending to start a small culinary skirmish with the hope of unilateral escalation into full nutrition based warfare." His eyes darted back and forth between the two boys looking for a look of comprehension, or perhaps a lack thereof. Ryan had spent most of his American Lit. class thumbing through the thesarus looking for just the right turn of phrase to make a food fight sound like something a little less juvenile, and a lot less silly.

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"Oh good." Ravi said dryly, casting a glance at Sean before giving Ryan a wry grin. "I was just thinking 'This shirt really needs drycleaning.'" He held his expression of wry disapproval for a moment longer, then grinned.

"On the other hand... I suppose I should be grateful for the advance warning to duck and cover." He finished his milk and bit into the burger he was eating. His blazer was hooked over the back of his chair, and the young aristocrat was wearing a white shirt with some fancy silver embroidery around the collar and cuffs. He ate with curious delicacy, the ease and poise of someone who was used to eating politely with or without utensils. "So when do the hostilities commence? And more importantly, can I finish this burger?"

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan nodded as he made short work of the other half of the pizza slice. Gulping it down he added, "Oh yeah, I was gonna wait till it got crowded and then toss whatever I hadn't eaten." He winked at the other two boys, "And you'll notice our close proximity to the exit, I don't anticipate being here for the full fury of airborne sustenance." He gobbled down a bowl of noodles and then said, "I do my best to not get in trouble, though at times it doesn't work out as planned.

Ryan sat back and continued to eat, making impressive progress on the heap of food. He started to slow down after the first few minutes and the three ate for a time in companionable silence before Ryan spoke up again. "So, have you guys been having a ton of really weird feelings? Like deja vu or some shite?"

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

"I'm not worried about a little trouble. Got the feeling that I'm already deep in it for some reason. What's... meatloaf? Whatever that is at twenty paces on top of it?" Sean shrugged with an easy grin. He took a few bites of his sandwich before pointing at the door, the subtly nodding his head at the femininely occupied table. "Good call on battlefield positioning, dude."

Sean was nearly done his tray of food, except for a few aerodynamic - okay, splatter-worthy - items, before he spook up, grey-blue eyes pale and introspective. "I've gettin' somethin' like that, but nothin' I can really put a finger on, y'know? It's not that I feel like I've done somethin' before, it's just... It's like someone was in your room and messed you shit up then tried to put it all back where it was. You can tell somethin's off, but not quite what. And I'm getting that feeling all over the place. That make sense?" Sean finished with a raised brow, hoping they understood what he was trying to say.

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"Somewhat, yes." Ravi nodded as he finished off the last of his burger. "Like Ryan here and I knowing one another's names, though I could swear we've never met. And I woke up yesterday with an image of an incredible naked redhead in my mind. Not so strange, you might say, but I'd seen her somewhere, and as yet have not been in Dalton long enough to make the acquaintance of any naked redheads." He smiled with wry confidence. "Though I'm hoping that will change within a few days."

"There's one other thing that strikes an odd chord. The lovely artist girl, Frida? She has sketches in her book that she doesn't remember doing. Fantasy-type sketches of strange looking people. Problem being, she draws from life and doesn't remember doing those sketches." Ravi said in a low tone to the other two. "There's something strange going on. Either that, or she's stranger than she appears."

[Logic1]

Everett walked casually over to the table where the oft recognized sat. He balanced a tray of food on one hand the other swinging at his side. He was feeling much better today. Still haunted by a creepy feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on, but he was getting into the swing of things.

"What's happening gentlemen," he queried lightly as he gestured to a seat with his free hand, "mind if I sit?"

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

At the mention of an image of an incredible, naked - stacked his own mind inserted - redhead, Sean began choking on a brownie, dark crumbs spraying across the table. He pounded on the table, trays jumping, and Ryan began slapping him on the back. Sean frantically opened a bottle of orange juice and chugged the contents, his palpitations easing. He slammed the empty glass bottle down on the table, breathing deeply.

"Dude, you okay?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, bud, I'm fine. Just went down the wrong way," Sean answered him with a rueful grin.

"Not something I said then? That's fortunate." Ravi's eyes glinted playfully, a faint grin tugging at one side of his mouth.

"Na... well, yeah, it sorta was. You said a naked redhead and a picture of Blaize Fairview popped up in my head." At Ravi's raised, inquiring brow, Sean added, "She can be described at incredible. I had dinner with her and her sister yesterday."

"Sisters, incredible and red-headed, you say?" Ravi leaned forward with startlingly fluid swiftness, steepling his fingers. "Tell me more, pray."

"It's not like that. Blaize's sister is going out with my dad. It was a family dinner, sorta... Look, can we not talk about it... It was... awkward."

"As you wish." The shadow of a grin on Ravi's face turned definite, and Sean scowled when he saw Ryan's open mirth.

Everett walking up was a godsend and Sean gave him a grateful nod for the distraction. "Please, I don't mind at all," he said, his foot sliding the chair out for the newcomer. "We were just talking about... Frida, yeah. Little weird, but a great artist. Cute too, in her goth-but-not-really-a-goth sorta way. You know, she has four pictures displayed at Dalton academy." Take the hint.

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan barely suppressed a laugh, "Sean, you didn't tell me you had a hottie here at the school that was officially off limits for you. I'm hurt." Sean shot him a scowl, "Fine, I'll ask you again later." Ryan looked at Everett, "You look familiar. Oh, you're that quiet kid who sat down with us yesterday. Umm ..."

"Everett," he supplied as he sat down in one of the two "bad chairs", the ones facing away from the table of girls.

"Right, right," Ryan nodded and jammed a cookie into his mouth, making short work of it in a few rapid chews. "So, yeah Freaky Frida, and weird deja vu-y-ness. Those are the current topics for discussion. Also you should be aware that in another fifteen minutes I intend to start the mother of all food fights." Ryan grinned, and once more the look of glee shone in his eyes.

[Logic1]

"Oh right Frida" he chimed in "not bad in a weird way" Everett couldn't help but notice that his chair faced away from the girls "thanks for the heads up. I'll keep my head down" he laughed.

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"I would hardly describe Frida as 'freaky'. A little off-the-norm, perhaps, but she's actually quite a lot of fun to talk to." Ravi idly swiped one of Ryan's cookies and bit into it, then smiled. "Though I may be biased: when the first thing a girl says to one is 'I'd really like to paint and sculpt you', it's quite disarmingly flattering." He waved that away as he brushed crumbs from his hand. "Of course, I am fairly sure her intentions are purely artistic, so I wouldn't read too much into that. I know I haven't. She is a very good artist, though." he nodded in agreement with Sean.

"So, Everett is it? A pleasure." Ravi turned his gleaming eyes on the newcomer and held out a hand. "Ravi FitzCoventry. Tell us, have you had any sense of strangeness since the weekend's food poisoning epidemic?"

[Logic1]

"Yeah that's right" Everett took Ravi's hand into his and gave it a firm shake. "I've been getting a funny feeling when I stare at doors. Weird right?" Ev looked to the group.

Beginning to lift a brownie from his tray to his mouth he stopped short and looked at Ryan, "I should probably save this huh?" he asked in a joking manner a sly grin spread across his visage "ball or brick" his voice lowered as he spoke.

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan shrugged, "Your food, your ammo." He considered the whoopie pie and then grinned and removed the top, opening it like an Oreo. "Gooey side out," he said as he at the top. Washing it down with a milk he looked at Everett, "Did you say you were staring at doors? I think its weird that you were staring at doors, less so that you were feeling weird when you did so. I'd feel weird doing something weird, that seems normal."

He shifted position to peer between Everett and Sean at the table across. The girls there were still occasionally shooting glances at the four boys and giggling but they had taken on a more whisper laden conversation and the glances were now more furtive and less overt. "You think we should warn them? Maybe? I mean I'm all for havoc and mayhem but maybe they'll be less likely to tell if we warn them. What do you guys think?"

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

"Everett, staring at doors is only weird if there wasn't anything interesting on the other side, like say..." Sean nodded back over his shoulder at the furtively feminine table, the glanced around the table with a sparkling eyed grin. "Fair warnin' seems best. As much as I like to see a girl in a wet shirt, I rather have the feminine good will. If that helps keeps us clear of trouble, bonus. What about you guys?"

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"I thoroughly agree. So, if you gentlemen will permit me..." Ravi said with a grin as he wiped his mouth and hands with a napkin before rising and hooking his fingers into his blazer and swinging it casually over one shoulder. Nodding to the other three, he sauntered with habitual straight-backed grace over to the girls table. The furtive whispering became urgent and a little squeaky as he approached, but by the time the young nobleman had reached them the girls were all silent, smiling up at him with only slightly reddened cheeks. Smiling back he placed a manicured hand on the table and leaned in close, the ladies doing likewise as they caught on to his air of intimacy.

"Hello ladies. Sorry for being so forward, but I thought I'd introduce myself. Ravi FitzCoventry, at your service. Being gentlemen, my companions over yonder..." he tilted his head towards the other table, and half a dozen pairs of female eyes flickered that way as he continued "... and I felt that it would be the right thing to do to warn you fairly that, in all likelihood, a food fight is about to break out in here. And naturally, we didn't want you to get caught up in it unprepared." His voice was a smooth low purr, the faint smile on his lips charming and mischievous. The girls blinked, then looked at one another and started to grab their things. One cutie with deep blue eyes smiled at him.

"That's so gallant of you. Thank you." she breathed, her faint French accent evident, and she was clearly a little smitten.

"This warning comes to you not just from me, of course." Ravi gestured to the other table. "Sean, Ryan and Everett were all as much in favour as I. After all, lovely dining companions are hard to find. Perhaps in the future we could share a table together. I'm sure my friends won't mind at all. For now, though, you may wish to flee." With a wink, he straightened up and headed back to the guys table.

"There." he said in a low voice as he relaxed back into his seat. The table of girls was emptying quietly, but each occupant was smiling with flirtatious gratitude over at the four young men as they exited the dining hall. "Good deed done, and I think we won't have any trouble finding some charming company to dine with in the future." Ravi flashed a self-satisfied grin at the other three. "All in all, a successful first stage. Now, Ryan. Over to you, sirrah. Cry havoc, and all that." Preparing himself, Ravi picked up a sticky doughnut from his tray and idly glanced around for his first target.

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan looked down at the tray, there were a wide variety of edibles to choose from, many had been selected for sticking power or gooeyness. He picked up a plastic bowl full of chocolate pudding in his left hand, and the whoopie pie in his right. "Cry havoc and let slip the hot dogs of war," he said and then quickly flung the whoopie pie sidearm.

The topless pastry arced through the air with a spin that caused its trajectory to curve. It hit a Sophomore square in the back of his head from an oblique angle. The student's fellows shared a stunned silence for a second before rolling into heavy guffaws. "Steady now boys, no need for premature escalation, we wait to see what he does next," the way Ryan spoke it was like a master to his pupils. The other three boys could tell that this was far from the first food fight Ryan had instigated.

The kid grabbed whatever it was on his plate and stood up facing the direction the pie had come from as he peeled the cake and creme missile from his hair. Due to the arcing course the student was looking in the wrong part of the café. The boy saw somebody who looked guilty, or at least proved a good target, and his hamburger went sailing towards the other student.

Drawn by the movement and the loud laughing much of the room had been watching and with all the coordination of a well orchestrated offensive the room erupted into cries of, "FOOD FIGHT!" and students began to hurl any and all food they had at anybody they could reach. Ryan hurled the plastic dish of pudding in a high ballistic flight. The gelatinous brown warhead dropped dead center into a table of freshmen who were cowering as food began to fly. The dish burst and its contents exploded outward bathing all five of them in a coating of chocolaty goodness. Ryan reached down to his tray and reloaded.

"Time to shoot and scoot gents," Ryan said as he quickly emptied his tray and then made for the door out of the room. Everett, Ravi, and Sean quickly lobbed their own leftovers into the fray and followed Ryan out. The doors shut behind them with a click that was barely audible above the chaotic din within. "Well, I think that went well." Ryan looked at his watch, "We got another forty minutes before class. You guys want to play some X-box?"

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Sean handed out high-fives, swallowed the last of his brownie, then laughed. "That was sweet! You know, I've never been in a full-fledged food fight. The cafe at my last school was pretty poor, we usually headed off school grounds for any real food."

He chuckled again, as the group of boys sauntered off for another pursuit, reviewing the spontaneous eruption of mayhem. Lime Jello on white shirts made a particularly vivid display, all agreed. If it hadn't been so funny, Sean would have felt guilty about the prim looking brunette getting a face full of meatloaf after his original target ducked with pure blind luck, but he couldn't stop laughing. He was rather delighted at landing the apple in the bowl of soup to disastrous effect, splashing a tidal wave of hot, murky liquid around the mixed table of boys and girls.

"360 works me. Man, Ryan, that was some pretty precise projectile positioning. Sure you don't want to reconsider joining the Football Team? You could make QB."

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

Ravi's amusement was expressed in the glitter of his eyes and the satisfied grin crooking one corner of his lips. His own contribution had been understated yet viciously accurate, the doughnut having slapped one sophomore in the face right before a cunningly-sidearmed jello had smacked another student right between the eyes, spraying gobs of lime-flavoured goodness over those nearest.

He shared in the high-fiveing with his usual aplomb, then smiled and shrugged at Ryan's suggestion. "Why not? It's a good way to kill some time." He grinned at the other three. "I have to say, that was exhilerating. And well planned, Ryan. I would have hated to have been caught in the middle of that mess." He made a courtly gesture at the athlete.

"Lead on, by all means."

[Logic1]

What a glorious occasion. It wasn't everyday a food fight broke out after all. It had gone down quite well. There was a certain artistry to the carnage when you stopped to take it all in. Regarding Ryan's proposal Ev nodded and followed. A little Xbox before class sounded good.

"That went well" Everett commented to his brothers-in-arms "did you see those freshmen get it" he laughed out loud as they moved farther from the scene of the crime.

[Ryan Jackson]

"Part of my continuing efforts," Ryan said offhandedly about the food fight. He led the three others upstairs to the first floor and down the hall to his room. Producing a ring of keys he unlocked the door and quickly ushered them inside shutting it behind them. The room itself was standard for a Mars single; there was a window on one side, the blinds where done to allow light in but not allow people to see in, a bed and dresser on one wall and a desk and closet on the opposite. Next to the door was another, larger, dresser with a 30" flat screen TV sitting on top and an X-Box 360 behind it. Tucked under the window was a mini-fridge and a small table with a microwave and a toaster oven. The rest of the room was an explosion of clothing, school papers and books, and bits of sports gear. Hanging in the corner was a gold metal hanging by its ribbon from a hook, closer inspection revealed it was for the previous year's X-games, a gold in Freestyle Snownboard Halfpipe.

Ryan scavenged around under the various debris and cam up with a couple of wireless controllers and started up the X-box. "I got all kinds of games, take a look behind the TV and choose something. He handed the two controllers to Sean, "You guys play, I need to check my email." He fumbled around with the pile on top of his desk and pulled out a large laptop which he opened and started to peck at.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

"Catch!" Sean lobbed one of the controllers in the air with the flick of the wrist, letting the fastest to react be the second player, as he checked the games hidden behind the TV. To his surprise, when he turned back with a copy of SoulCaliber IV in his hands, Sean saw the indolent Ravi sitting languidly on the bed, the ergonomic, off-white controller held negligently in his hands.

"Ready to bring it, Ravi?" Sean challenged with a grin. He slapped the game in the machine, then sat on the floor, back braced against the edge of bed. The TV, already on the right setting flared white, then the litany of company logos flashed by - Bandai-Namco, Havok, CriWare, Project Soul. Finally, the towering length of a dark, gothic tower appeared and Sean pressed start, skipping the opening cinematics. The title of the game appeared on the screen, that male voice, the voice that seemed to be hired for every fighting game, declaring: Soul Calibur, Four!

Sean set the game to Versus Mode, the blue box of player one dancing between the characters, before flipping back and forth between the stacked, strappily clad forms of Ivy and Shura. Finally, he hit the button, the black-haired, dual-blade wielding Shura crossing her arms with a spectacular bounce of animated pixels.

"How could I say no to having those on my side, eh?" Sean said, looking up and over his shoulder at Ravi with a roguish grin. "Who's your poison, Ravi? And no Yoda, the cheap piece of shit - you can't even throw the fucker. Oh, and Everett, Ryan, winner keeps playing 'til he's defeated sound fine?"

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

His expression coolly inscrutable, Ravi tossed his blazer onto the bed behind him and turned his green eyes to the screen. With a teasing smile playing around his lips, he ran the selection box over a number of characters, pausing on Yoda for a brief second before picking Raphael without any hesitation. The sleek blond swordsman struck an elegantly menacing pose and Ravi grinned at Sean.

"Ready when you are." And it was on.

The two young men watched the screen like hawks as the images of their chosen warriors did battle, Ravi's posture of laid-back insouciance spoiled somewhat by the narrowing of his gleaming eyes as Sean's unfeasibly Amazonian fighter neatly won the first round with a series of hard sword strikes and a throw that launched the fencer out of the arena.

"Well played." Ravi said with a rueful smile, then grinned. "Let's see you try that again."

The second round saw the nobleman playing a more defensive game, letting Sean's aggressive style push him straight to the ring's edge, at which point Raphael neatly sidestepped, cut Shura's legs out from under her, sidestepped again, and unleashed a flurry of blinding jabs with his rapier as Sean's warrior rolled to her feet, sending the remnants of the health bar to 0.

Third round, and both players were leaning forward now, thumbs and fingers working intently. Sean was more cautious this time, not wanting a repeat, and Ravi obliged by taking the offensive with a series of rapid, single-shot jabs high and low that had Sean blocking. Dashing forward, Raphael attempted a throw, only to find Shura there ahead of him, picking up with her swords and slamming him into the deck. Ravi winced, then rolled his avatar to his feet, lashing out as he rose. Shura was close enough for a throw still and Ravi went for it, grinning as Raphael led the warrior-woman around with a swordpoint under the chin before making her eat the floor in turn. He followed that up with a series of pokes at the reclining form of his opponent, laughing as Sean swore good-naturedly at him. Ravi's laughter was a little premature, however, as Shura got to her feet and, under Sean's direction launched a blistering combo of sword strikes. Ordinarily Raphael would have had enough health to survive and get in a counter to knock off the last of his enemy's health, but Ravi had neglected the ring's edge at his back. The fencer character went flying off and out of the fight.

"Bugger." Ravi said, shaking his head as Sean laughed. "I blame the boobs. They distracted me." he deadpanned before passing the controller on to Everett. "Note to self: don't stare at the cleavage of a woman who's trying to cut your codlings off." He nodded to Sean. "Well played."

[Logic1]

"Nicely done" Everett remarked to Sean as he took he controller Ravi handed him. He continued as the countdown glared menacingly. On to the character select screen. Everett manipulated the thumbstick momentarily before landing on an old standby, Cervantes.

"I see you have some skill, but my twitch skills are stronger" Everett goaded in a dubbed over martial arts movie voice as he waited for Sean to make his choice.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Originally Posted By: Ravi

"I blame the boobs. They distracted me." "Note to self: don't stare at the cleavage of a woman who's trying to cut your codlings off."

"All part of the plan, my man," Sean claimed with a good natured laugh, thrusting his chest forward in a parody of a woman flaunting herself. "I'll use whatever I got." Sean's grin grew competitive as he saw Everett's choice. "Cervantes, huh? Pfft! He's just the poor, corpsey version of the hawtness that is Shura. Bring it, Captain Barbossa."

The two dual-wielding characters materialized on top of the tower of the final boss's arena, walking forward with their taunts. Then the fight began. Immediately, Shura dropped from the sky with a double slash of her blades, wreathed in lightning and flame, then hopped back, disappearing from sight, an invisible opponent. "How'd you like that? Don't even need booby-magic on my side, Ev."

Click to reveal.. (Winner!)

I think a fair enough way to determine who wins, unless people don't mind writing that they're losing is a simple roll off. Roll d100, highest roll wins, the disparity in the results determining how decisively. Sound good?

Sean as Shura: 1d100= 17 Well, Fuck! Got Cocky, probably.

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan looked up in the middle of Sean's fight with Ravi and snorted, "Dude, you're playin' a chick? Don't strain your neck watching the boobies bounding." He returned to the computer while they finished and Everett took on the winner. After maybe ten minutes he closed it down, "Nothing useful," he mentioned as he pushed the chair around to face the TV. "OK ladies, I got winner."

[Logic1]

Click to reveal..

Cervantes 1d100=71 Looks like Ev wins.

Cervantes stepped forward dual blades whirling as he did so. There was no way Shura could escape the whirlwind as he advanced. As she hit the ground the dread pirate stepped forward and stabbed downward with both blades ending the fight.

"And that's how it's done" Everett gloated lightly as he pointed at the screen in an effort to further highlight his victory. "Good match man. You're no joke with her" the victorious youth complimented his new friend.

"Looks like your up Ryan" he called over his shoulder.

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan took the #1 controller from Sean and picked Voldo. Sean and Ravi both took hissing breaths and Ryan smiled, "You feelin' lucky punk? I've beat this thing with Voldo on nightmare. You're going down." Ryan started the game and immediately the inhumanly agile katar wielding character rolled forward and into a devastating attack flurry.

Click to reveal..

1d100=77

[Logic1]

Click to reveal..

1d100=5 best...roll...ever lol. sorry it took me so long to respond. long weekend. sick kid.

"Let's see what you got" Everett commented to Ryan as the match started up.

It turned out Ryan had a lot when it came to Voldo. It felt and looked like one big combo coming from Voldo's end. Everett could barely get a counter in edgewise. Between the rolling and flipping Cervantes was not match for the lithe, agile katar weilder.

After two rounds of sound thrashing Everett offered up the controller, "Next. I'd like to say nice fight, but it was more of a one-sided ass kicking" he laughed and hoisted the controller into the air for the next challenger to grab.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

"Bloody Voldo! It's so on now!" Sean swept up the controlled from Everett's hand, the selection cursor flaring as it passed over the white-hair, scantily clad Ivy Valentine. "The lady with the whip gonna tame the gimp... If I can remember how to use her." The two warriors appeared in the new ring, Ivy immediately stepping back, short sword making quick, spastic slashes as Sean tried to recall how to make Ivy and her whip-sword do anything...

Click to reveal.. (Ivy Valentine)

Sean as Ivy Valentine: 1d100= 58 Meh.

Suddenly, Ivy stabbed the ground, sword stretching with the rattling of chains, as the tip stabbed up half way across the ring, poking the contorted, skittering form of Voldo in the back.

"Ha! I still got- Jesus!" Voldo recovered with lightning speed, his low-laying form dashing below Ivy's high-range attack.

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan shrugged, "I earned the right to be this badass. This guy isn't easy to use. Swiftly the click of buttons and the sound of directional pads replaced the conversation. Ivy's chain-sword and kick gave her a range advantage but once Voldo broke through Ryan kept pressing forward with close range attack, rolling throws, and jabs from his katars. In the end the match went to Ryan 2-1. Victory achieved by way of a throw off the stage.

"Yehaw! You should practice your grappling and lay off the sword, man. She's good at distance but you have to be able to deal with close comers too." He looked at the other two, "Next?"

1d100=89

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"That would be me." Ravi grinned as he took the controller that Sean passed to him and, without hesitation, selected Raphael once more. He fought with intent concentration this time, not sparing any energy for outward displays except the occasional tight smile or faint snarl. The lean dancer's figure of Raphael darted back and forth, interrupting Voldo's weird contorted attack routines here and there with a handy jab. Only when he had lured Ryan completely into the open did Ravi unleash a combo, but he kept the moves fast and choppy, not following a rhythm.

1d100=81

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan found Ravi's oddly inconsistent pattern of attack, withdrawal, attack, withdrawal, attack to be difficult to match. Unable to guess his opponent's strategy, if indeed there was one, he was unable to execute many of Voldo's best combos. The game lasted a full three rounds with Ravi making a killing blow on the last round with only a shred of his own life bar remaining. "Damn! Well played, though I don't know if it was skill or luck."

1d100=70

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

The boys went another several rounds, trading friendly barbs and taunts, none of them able to win more than two matches in a row. Sean and Everett were engaged in an epic rematch between Shura and Cervantes, each round fought to the bitter end, won by a mere sliver of health or second left on the timer.

All four young men were on the edge of their seats as the final round was fought, silent save for the frantic tapping of the controllers. Both Shura and Cervantes were drastically low on health, one blow away from death...

The bell rang.

"Fuck!" the boys simultaneously lamented. Not a single one moved as the busty, twin sword wielding wench and the living-impaired pirate charged across the ring. They impacted with an actinic flash, both thrown back on the ground, resulting in a double KO.

Then they hustled to class - except for Ravi, who sauntered - sharing wry grins of boyish amusement.