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 Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:15 pm
Gale gave both of the new trainees a small nod, which was made slightly less daunting by the fact that his lips had quirked up in amusement.
"Er, no need for 'sir,' he said, shaking his head. "I'm your superior, but sir is too formal. Just call me Gale, it's fine."
He reached over and grabbed his pack, swinging it over his shoulders and strapping it on securely. Making sure that his scarf, hood, and jacket were all up and done, and that he had everything ready, Gale turned back to the trainees and Maddie.
"Are we all ready, then?" he asked, and gestured for them to follow Aria from the room.
The tent on the training field was, of course, very familiar, and Gale gave it a somewhat exasperated look, as though he expected it to somehow spontaneously combust, or do something else out of the blue. However, the portal was inside, and Gale waved the trainees through the tent flap towards it.
"This is the portal that will take us to the North Pole," he said, but his eyes had narrowed slightly, catching sight of Aria again...but this time she was wearing her normal coat, not her winter one. He frowned a bit, slightly confused, and idly ran his finger along his lower lip in a thoughtful gesture.
...I assume something's happened to the weather then, for Aria to be dressed so...normally.
<< Beats me. >>
With a small shrug, Gale gestured towards the barrier.
"Just step through and you'll be there," he said, and went first, disappearing into the portal.
On the other side it was...
...warm.
Well, that's not right.
And neither was the very obvious form of a certain doctor, but Gale studiously ignored that little blip on the radar, and peeled off his heavy coat and scarf, already beginning to sweat under so much wrapping. He set it aside and glanced around the room, his eyebrows drawing together, mind already starting to try and piece together the puzzle.
"Maddie, why don't you take Dillon and try and see about what sorts of equipment there is - focus on the scouting devices, but work your way around the rest as well, see what you can find. Sydney, you can help me with this computer here - "
Stepping over a piece of broken wood and mangled metal, Gale motioned towards the dark haired hunter and moved in front of the computer that seemed the least damaged.
"Not...sure," he murmured, mostly to himself, and the silver banded ring on his left index finger glowed slightly, humming in Gale's mind. He reached out and took ahold of the system unit of the computer, peering around the back of it and moving a few cords around experimentally.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:16 pm
"That's fine, Mercedes. There was a time where I couldn't summon Atropos for awhile. It takes getting used to. That's why we start as trainees and not full-fledged hunters, though." Candace told the girl with a smile. Plus, she knew Mercedes' situation what with the whole not being able to understand her weapon's words thing. So once the group was ready she walked out with her squad in tow, leading them out to the training fields and explaining the situation and their duties at the same time. So it was with great surprise that she noticed Aria arrive...with a normal coat.
..Oh no. Did that mean what she thought it meant? s**t. She shifted her bag on her shoulder and frowned, desperately hoping Aria just simply thought her other coat was too warm.
Unfortunately Candace could only sigh and press a hand to her forehead when she realized how warm it was on the other side. Damnit! Oh well..it was easier to remove layers than add them, right? She could just switch this coat out for the regular one in her bag. She could leave the scarf in the bag, too. The sweater? Maybe she could take the sweater off and just leave herself in the vest. That sounded like a good idea. Hell, maybe just the tank top that was under the sweater would do fine on its own.
It was during this quick plan that she looked around, but it wasn't until after she realized how..ruined the place was. These stains...damn, it was like a large-scale version of the Mist lounge. Candace frowned. "What a mess..." She sighed, tugging at her scarf to unwrap it from around her neck. The blocked door was certainly interesting. What was in there? "We're free to check out anywhere, ma'am?" Candace asked Aria before she heard a voice that made her heart race. <******** hell, just his voice.
Candace was taking off her coat and unzipping her vest when she turned around to find the doctor in his fully hooded glory. Oh, delightful. Clarice was right. He was here to watch the Life division, right? "Hello, Doctor~." Candace purred, making a face at her own greeting. Damnit.
She was glad for Aria's blatant insult toward Rep, it was a very welcome distraction. "He needs a bit of a hit on the head to listen to anything, ma'am." Candace called out, chuckling.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:16 pm
"If it makes you more at ease to have them on the draw, by all means." Cass answered. It didn't matter if they were assisting Sun or not, because to assist the other divisions didn't necessarily mean that they were going to be those divisions.
Still, with travel to the training fields on the way, Cass found the sight of the familiar-looking tent uneasy. It was as though the purpose of that tent was to remind her that she was very mortal - and that the lambs with them were very much able to die if she wasn't careful. She took the visceral warning to heart.
Good. Tread carefully, but not gently. Nicodemus warned, and Cass nodded as she followed after Aria through the portal. As expected, the other side was a mess, but Cass tried to not make too much of a face, taking in the interior of the room they stepped into carefully. She tried to note as many details as she could. This was important, it was very important. Anything could be a hint to what had happened there, and as it stood, figuring that out was still at the forefront of her mind.
It was what Aria had told them to do at their intermediate debriefing, even if they hadn't been reminded to do so.
Cass looked to Candace as it became apparent to start looking around.
"I feel like right now we've got a mix of squads helping each other out with things. The Moons should be covered by the four suns, but do you think that will be enough? If so, should we help with the more sensitive jobs of retrieval?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:21 pm
Ferros grumbled faintly from time to time about the loop of chain that hung on Jordan's belt; in spite of having accepted that his hunter would be using runic weapons from time to time, the weapon still wasn't pleased with the necessity.
Hush, Jordan said. It's backup, remember?
All he got in return was a sulky growl. Great; this mission was starting off wonderfully. Finding that Dr. H was waiting on the other side of the portal was vaguely unnerving, as well. The man's smile was disturbing. Jordan spared a moment to be silently grateful that Jerry had ducked out on the mission after all; his friend tended to be a loose cannon when upset.
Neither Rep nor Rin looked happy with the order to scout the perimeter. Well, that was too bad, wasn't it? Not only that, but Rep was back to being an a**. When Aria had finished informing Rep of his new assignment, Jordan took a step to place himself in the guy's line of sight. "Talking back to division heads or assistants generally makes your life harder," he advised. "And Rep. Can the insults while you're on duty and under my supervision. I don't care what you really think. Fake some respect." He leveled a cool stare at Rep.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:24 pm
Rep glared back at Aria with his usual defiance, tensing up all the more at what she said. He practically bristled with rage as he found not only himself belittled but the ideals of masculinity. Aria in his mind got bumped up to GRAND HIGH b***h OF THE b***h ORDER. His outright furious tirade was kept in check only by his desire for action, his desire to be part of the events that unfolded on the mission. He clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth before even replying, his tone icy and clipped rather than his usual lazy arrogant drawl.
Candace got a specially reserved glare aswell, she could be ASSISTANT b***h OF THE b***h ORDER.
He was about to snarl back at Aria that he would definately NOT be shown up by some woman, when Jordan stepped up, Rep's posture still stiff but not perhaps as aggressive.
He relaxed a little and looked away like a scolded kid at the ground. "Its not ******** worth it anyway. No point arguing with women. Fine. I'll do the damn patrol."
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:27 pm
Madison was... not particularly pleased with her clothing choices right now. That was an understatement. Symbols of the Hunters be damned: she took off the overly warm coat and tied the thing around her waist by the sleeves, even as Kouki grumbled. What if you need to summon us? Then what?I'll deal with that when it happens, she thought back, then nodded at Gale. "Gotcha. Come on, Dillion - you know anything about runic technology and stuff?" Man, it was a mess in here. And hot. Geez. "The barriers are still up. Huh... did the holes get made from the inside out?" Oh, yeah. That was a really reassuring thought.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:28 pm
"Letting that one pass, but I mean it, dude, I don't want to hear it," Jordan warned. "What you got in your pants doesn't mean a thing on this mission." He glanced to Rin. "I'll be going with you two to supervise and as backup."
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:28 pm
Sydney held up her crossbow to Madison, smiling slightly as her gloved fingers ran over the weapon. "Izadore," she said in introduction. Then the gate was shown and she went in, following Gale as he instructed her. She frowned slightly, looking at the untouched parts of the table. "This seems... deliberate," she said, only to feel a bit stupid, since she was stating the obvious. "I mean, why destroy that computer yet leave this one somewhat whole?" She frowned, then went to work trying to get the monitor to turn on. Had there been something on that computer that wasn't on the others?
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:28 pm
The portal had been fascinating. So was the tent and room full of debris. Saya could hardly believe she was actually in the arctic somewhere, the warmth deceptively telling her otherwise.
You're not some fresh maiden out of school. Why don't you try the first lesson of observation and focus on other matters?
Prompto was right. Observation was the first rule, even back in the human world. Let's see, there were mainy trainees and advanced hunters about.. Oh! Doctor? Saya couldn't help but to turn her head to stare at the man who hadn't been at the lambs meeting or the briefing. Someone of authority, she was sure, reminding herself. Actually .. Was that who Gale referred to? Saya didn't need to open her little notebook to recall the mention of a Doctor.
Ready a defense, Miss Aria had said. Hm .. In a gesture of thought, Saya brought her fingers to her lips, knuckles brushing past them.. What did Aria mean by defense? It wasn't until Marcus came forth that the puzzling order had been cleared up. Saya chided herself on being too slow, Aria's command was obvious if you connected the dots.
"Roger that!"
There was still the hole on top, an impossible height for Saya, even if she had multiplied three times over. Hm, was there a ladder? Saya looked around for a ladder, deciding that the other moon division would probably try to cover the lower holes. If she fell, she only hoped her padded clothes, as warm as they were starting to be, formed a padding of sorts.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:32 pm
She'd stayed quiet most of the time, listening to everyone chatter around her before the woman, Aria, started to explain things. Sort of. At least she told them what the hell they were supposed to be doing. Or rather where they were going. The North Pole. Fini just stared, the clothing finally making sense. One had to dress like an abominable snowman if one was to go freeze their a** off at the North Pole!
:: That is of course assuming one has an 'a**' to freeze off~ ::
:: What is that supposed to mean?! ::
:: Well, seeing as I cannot grab yours... ::
Fini scowled, wishing not for the first time since she'd gotten her weapon, that she could smack Vashi. But she couldn't and instead had to resort to scowling at other people. Or just the thought of going somewhere so cold.
Hearing her name, she blinked and frowned. Who the hell was Bix? That was not someone she knew - no surprise there - but thankfully, she was saved from having to hunt him down. He found her instead. And then she couldn't make up her mind if she should groan, facepalm, or run while she could.
"Erm...pleasure to meet you." She paused. "I think?" Another pause. "Bixfinity?" Ohgod. What? Just....what?
:: ....I have no justifiable comment to make right now. ::
And suddenly, Fini perked right up. Vashi glowered. Or gave the impression of glowering. "Right. And you can call me Fini if you like." She gave him a friendly smile. "You got it! I'll meet you right out there." She even gave him a thumbs up in return, rather enjoying the annoyed rumble in her mind from Vashi.
She didn't know how long it actually took to grab a coat and supplies before following along and walking through the strange glowing thing (did she even want to ask...?). Once through though, Fini paused, looking around with surprise. This was not what she'd expected. Not that she'd had any real idea of what to expect. But...this was definitely way down on the list of possibilities. And it was warm. Really warm. Wasn't the North Pole supposed to be cold? With snow and biting winds that make you freeze to death?
"Sooo...guess you and I get to show off our muscles and be bodyguards for the Moon's?" She asked, spotting her 'mentor' and walking over to him.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:35 pm
At Cass' question Candace actually looked a little thrown off. Right. s**t. She was leading. Right. "Aria wants us to assess the situation and find out what happened, so it'd be best to let the Suns and Moons take care of defenses. If they need us, we'll help them." Candace did well in combat but she wanted to give the trainees a taste of what the Mists did. All The Things.
"For now we'll let Gale's team take care of the surveillance system, and Robert's team can do whatever they want. I want to try and see if we can find any actual evidence around here. This place is a disaster, there has to be something here that'll tell us what happened while they work on that stuff." It seemed a solid enough plan, right? She couldn't resist the urge to look to Aria for approval.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:35 pm
He nodded to Jordan with an eyeroll at least to save some face. "Yeah yeah, whatever." Even though it totally did matter what you had in your pants, he could let that slide for the time being, he'd gained some extra balance to the masculinity ratio for the mission.
Rep, in his anger had at least snubbed Rin and her head slap and now shot her a very tired looking glare. "Come on then. ******** baggage seriously. Don't get eaten please, I don't do the whole rescuing damsels thing." And simply waited for Jordan to lead the way out, following if he did so.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:39 pm
Rin smiled at Jordan, at least someone in this chaos made sense. She wanted to thank him... but well. Refused to look like she was gushing too much. Especially not in front of the ginger who'd most certainly see it as a weakness.
She straightened and wrapped her scarf around again. Covering her face past the bridge of her nose.
"Lead on." She urged softly and started to follow.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:54 pm
"Sir." Aria coldly returned her attention to Rep. "You will address me as 'Sir,' and you will acknowledge my orders with a 'Yes Sir.'" She placed herself in front of Rep, blocking his way. "Do you understand, trainee?"
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iStoleYurVamps
iStoleYurVamps
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:55 pm
Marcus wouldn't like to admit it, but every so often he was glancing at the colored stains. He didn't want to touch them. He didn't want to think that they could be- The already barricaded doors had him with mixed feelings. The damage they saw here was substantial, but if something had barricaded the doors it was likely to have been other hunters. If so, what the hell had they been barricading against from the inside? It was concerning. Looking at Bix he paused for a moment to go over to him. "Scale of one to ten, how safe do you feel about the blocked door?" Marcus quickly noted, "I'm close to the 3 on the safe scale." A glance at the blood stains, "I want your opinion if we should try to remove it while blocking the other holes."
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