HERALD OF NIGHT - PREPARATION

[thewatchers]

HERALD OF NIGHT - PREPARATION
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The UN basecamp is a bustle of activity as the Runewings touch down on the makeshift airstrip in Perth, Australia. Several top of the line fighter jets are held in a hangar, along with some attack helicopters. In another, lines of tanks and heavy artillery can be seen. The paremeter of the emergence zone is already lined with stationary artillery batteries and the basecamp is alive with the disciplined strides of experienced soldiers.

The command room itself is a huge mainframe powered by a massive network of generators that are providing electricity to the entire base. The mainframe shows the field of engagement and is linked to the status of all of the fielded equipment and soldiery.

While the UN officers are fastidiously polite to the Daybreak staff and students, it’s enormously abundant that they don’t take you seriously at all. Many of these are career soldiers and while some do come from the supernatural divisions, most are regular soldiers, veterans of mundane wars who have been hand-picked for their security clearance, professionalism and skill. While there has been regular briefings and most are aware of the nature of the enemy they’ll be fighting, they’re wholly unconcerned as to the idea that their weaponry might be ineffective or the engagement might be more than they can handle. The military brass is eager to complete this without the help of “kooky soothsayers” as the term goes, whispered behind your backs.

That said, there are some avenues of engagement. Some of the rank and file are curious about the students and their powers and are keen for a demonstration. Many of the airmen are quite fascinated by the Runewings and want to examine them. If there is an avenue for contact, and an avenue for saving lives, it goes through the rank-and-file.

The Control Room:

While Daybreak personnel have been given access to the control room, their movements are somewhat constricted - they are not welcome in any of the high-level meetings of the military brass. They will, however, have the opportunity to talk with some of the information and recon staff on their findings and survey the equipment. The monitoring station is highly advanced for a pop-up site, and it should provide a great deal of clarity in the battle to come.

The Hangar:

Daybreak personnel will find the technicians, mechanics and pilots in the hangar a lot more amicable than the brass. They’re fascinated by the Runewings, and want to know more about the capabilities of the planes and what they actually do. If the Daybreak personnel can prove the efficacy of the runecraft on their planes, it’s entirely possible the airmen may ask to add some runes to their own planes.

The Mess Hall:

Daybreak personnel entering the mess hall will find it a boisterous affair, with a large number of the more rank-and-file groups congregating during their off hours. They’re keen to understand more about the magic and powers of Daybreak, and if a proper display can be provided they will be suitably impressed.

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[bejustorbedead]

Mess Hall
Now this - this was familiar, centuries passed but the culture of the military was pretty much the same. The rank and file are the ones he want to get closer to, they're the backbone of the mundane side.

He introduced himself, and of course there's the ones who asked him gotcha questions about his previous life, which he handled well - and then electricity. He lets the blue-white bolts arc up his gauntlet then back, letting them watch. Then incredulously, someone ran off and returned with a light bulb and a variety of electronics.

"I'll hold it - but I will not do this 'uncle fester' thing you mentioned."

Control Room
Technology can be amazing, his senior at the Knights Templar would have kill for this. While some of the terms were new, he quickly grasped the idea, and carefully tries to draw more information out, offering his own suggestions that he had a sneaking suspicion would fall upon deaf ears. Nobody likes an outside tactician after all.

Eventually most of the group was called to a meeting that the Daybreak assistants would not be allowed to attend, he sags and murmurs under his breath in Old French, it didn't take a master of the language to see his frustration.

[betheman]

Gongenzaka originally offered himself for two groups- combat, or control room. The number of people who quickly signed on for only combat cause him to look a few things over and dedicate himself to the latter in the end. Yuuya insists on fighting, but Yuuya also can't stop looking miserably over at the various soldiers who are looking down on them, laughing at them not out of malice but out of sheer lack of understanding for what was about to come.

He promises that he'll do what he can from this end, and tries to make sure Yuuya doesn't see the grimace on his face after.

"It is...not looking good, is it?" Gongenzaka mutters when he hears the old french on the air, unable to look away from the ground.

[descolation]

Unlike some of the other people from Daybreak, Desco was more than happy to show off some of her abilities. She'd been training hard on her own and with Valvatorez for a good while now. She was proud of the progress that she made. Of course everyone has their limits and when all she wanted to do was go to the mess hall and eat her meal, getting asked to show more could be a little frustrating. Just as she was finishing up and putting away her tray, she spots Ky talking with some of the people.

Although she's seen him around, they've never really talked. He is a member of the faculty, though, so she really should try and get to know him a bit better.

"What's uncle fester?" she asks, walking over to where Ky is standing. "And why are they asking you to do it?"

Mess Hall

[nor_iron_bars]

[Jail calls out from where she's lounging casually at a nearby table:]

You wanna give it a shot, I can teach you guys a rune that'll let you pull it off yourselves.

[Listen. She's always here to give people more ways to make trouble.]

Not gonna be as impressive as mister holy smiting over there, but a little jolt can get you a lotta results, if you know the right time to use it. [The rune in question is pretty much magic's answer to a taser, honestly.]

[hotter_twin]

Control Room

Of course she knows damn well none of them trust any of them in anything that's considered classified, it's all too common of an occurrence for normal people to not trust anything remotely supernatural. Even if she looks absolutely like the most mundane type of person in existence, seeming completely uninterested in the majority of the technology and ramblings that some are trying to point out to her. It's all things she could easily pull up on her own without any of their help and it's just a watered down version of the actual information.

Boring and pointless. Which is exactly why she's leaning against the nearest wall of the actual control room and casually looking over the equipment.

"At least they didn't skimp on the budget for this, most of it seems top of the line. Though some of it, well, let's just say some things never seem to change, hm?" Who she's talking to is literally anyone's guess.

Mess Hall

And here's where she wants to actually throw people out of windows. All the questions, that she's happy to answer, except for how she ended up becoming what she is. Which is, of course, the majority of the questions.

Except for when one of these idiots is beginning to bark up the wrong tree asking how a pretty woman like her isn't tied down yet.

"... I am married, happily, actually."

Of course this isn't really changing anything and someone might want to do her a huge favor and step in before she actually does throw this guy through the nearest wall. And she certainly can do so, if her tense posture is any indication.

ota!

[highelves]

a. the naysayers.

[ one would think that the UN officers at daybreak academy would come here with dignity and respect for those with capabilities far beyond the average human being. apparently, that's not the case. they put up a pleasant front and ana did hold some pleasant conversations with some of them, only to hear them call the students and faculty vulgar names when they think nobody's listening.

but they were wrong. ana is small, hence why they hadn't noticed her in their immediate vicinity; but the moment she hears them call them "kooky soothsayers", she turns around to face them with a menacing smile on her face. ]

I'm sorry, would you mind repeating yourselves, gentlemen? A little louder for all of us "kooky soothsayers" to hear?

[ her hand is clutching onto her pendant. it's the only runic object she has on her, but oh boy. someone may need to intervene here. ]

b. demonstration

[ after earlier, ana isn't really in a mood to demonstrate her abilities. she's not quite up for anyone to feign interest and surprise, only to have them say something cruel behind her back. she's heard enough of that while she lived on the streets. there's no need for it now. ]

I apologize, but I'm not up for--

[ this group of rank and file seem insistent, though. one of them even calls her a phony, which she actually doesn't hear this time around, but it's possible someone else will. she's clearly trying to ward them off, but it's not quite working. ]

c. the quad

[ after things have settled down a little, ana can be found sitting alone on a bench in the courtyard near the fountain. she's leaning back on her hands, looking up at the evening sky, mumbling to herself. ]

To think that they would be so rude towards the very people prophesied to save the entire planet...

[ she just seems tired. though if someone does approach, she'll turn and offer a tired smile. ]

Are you holding up alright?

c

[lovebreaker]

Eh... I'm okay!

[ She's... trying to inject a lot of that energy she usually has, but it's kind of not working. Aiko's usually better about hiding how she feels, but geez... she's just tired right now.

She takes a seat next to Ana. ]

Those guys are real jerks, huh?

A

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya for the most part has been letting all the whispers roll off his back. It's not the first time he's felt like an outsider, and he has other concerns about their presence besides disbelief in... well, what feels like really blatant proof to him. There's a dragon?

He hurries up to put his hands gently on Ana's shoulders, hoping to calm her down before it turns into a real fight. He leans sideways to regard the soldiers.] You know, if we're all supposed to be working together for this, shouldn't we be a little more open minded? We're different, but I'm trusting you!

[fistsofchange]

-1-

Fear and tension was high, more so among the Daybreak people than the UN people. As such, Lin had put up a notice directing anyone who was having trouble focusing to come join her that evening before dinner at an out of the way corner of the UN camp, for meditation or even just talking things out.

She was set up in a large tent, where she had brought tea and set up a bunch of cushions to sit on. It just needed some ethereal music or a $2000 portable fountain to feel like some kind of New Age yuppie bullshit, but the much simpler set up she had felt far more genuine.

"Please, have a seat. Tell me what's on your mind."

-2-

After all that, Lin was mixing with the common soldiers, and indeed flirting outrageously with some of them. Partly because the display of unconcern from one of the "kooky soothsayers" would help calm down anyone who might be nervous about doing battle against magic, and partly because some of them were frankly very attractive. It was possible she wouldn't be spending tonight sleeping alone.

Eventually, however, the sheer curiosity about their rumored supernatural powers outweighed any other concerns, and Lin found herself more and more badgered to do something magic.

She grimaced slightly, but complied by jumping six feet up with barely any effort and landing on a soldier's head, where she balanced calmly without her weight causing him any visible discomfort.

"It's not magic. Anyone could learn this technique, given a few years of training."

1

[hotter_twin]

To be fair, she wasn't really all that tense about this situation. It'd be weird to go it alone instead of with her normal group, but this wasn't anything different than what she'd dealt with before. Or, well, that's how she was deciding to look at it. Nothing had taken them down thus far and it was easier to just keep looking at it like that instead of some world ending prophecy shenanigans that she wasn't interested in messing with.

But the notice and offer had made her curious to go seek out what was in store and just how well this would work out for all of them. Being greeted with a tent and... well, tea and cushions and the like hadn't been that expectation at all.

It's neat, simple, and just the way she'd been hoping instead.

"Perhaps I'm the wrong audience for this," she muses as she's slowly taking a seat. "Though I had to sate my curiosity somehow."

[just_as_planned]

Normally, David tries to present an image of being calm and collected...but today, he's on edge enough that he can't deny it's interfering with his focus. He winds up sitting on one of Lin's cushions, idly turning the wedding band on his left hand.

"My wife is expected to give birth to our first child soon. It's remarkable how much more stressful putting myself in danger is as an expectant father."

1

[playitagain]

Nana has been tense -- not that she lets it show overly much.

She has always been good at internalizing feelings like that. She does so here; she buries her emotions under a smile and a calm demeanor. But, still, having so many soldiers walking around can be a little fraying on the nerves. She decided to take Bai Lin's offer up, and comes out to the tent. She sits down on the cushion, and lets out a long sigh, before her eyes dart towards Lin's.

Her smile is a little worn.

"Thank you," she says. "Having so many soldiers here... it is a change from the usual, isn't it? It doesn't quite feel like the normal school."

[infestedcouncilpresident]

-The Hangar-

Kohaku was waiting awkwardly in the hangar. She didn't know much of anything about runewings, and her supernatural powers were hard to show off, so she was doing her best to avoid any of the questions from curious UN forces.

Eventually, it became clear what she was waiting for when a helicopter came in for a landing with a large circular shield logo on the side and she perked up.

Out of the helicopter came two people in sharp suits. At first glance, they appeared human, but closer examination revealed that one of them, a black man, had a second pair of arms under his regular arms, folded tightly around his chest in an attempt to make them less noticeable. He had four pistol holsters around his waist. The other, a Native American woman, looked normal enough at first glance, but a closer look revealed that there was some sort of THING on her forehead that was largely obscured behind a hat but still radiated dark red lines across her face, like infected blood vessels. Both of them looked at least ten years older than Kohaku.

Kohaku greeted them both, looking slightly nervous and acting FAR more formal and polite than just about anyone at Daybreak had ever seen her act, and after a brief conversation went to lead them off to the command center where they could talk to people who "actually have some authority".

Kohaku didn't react to the slight. It was true, after all, she didn't have any authority at all.

-The Mess Hall-

Kohaku did her best to find the largest group of Daybreak students/teachers she could and blend in with them. This sea of military uniforms surrounding her just made her uncomfortable. It brought back a lot of bad memories from her middle school. Her shoulders hunched up reflexively a bit every time someone whispered something disparaging or rude, even if they had whispered it from three tables away. She picked at her food dejectedly.

"You know, I'm starting to think the undead invasion is almost going to be a relief after this."

mess hall

[stavros]

Kokoro frowned and looked at the sad mashed potatoes in front of her.

"Perhaps. Even should we prove ourselves in general, some will always act this way."

[opheliaafterdeath]

The Control Room

[Nekane has never claimed to be good with people. Getting information out of people was their job but that didn't mean they had to be pleasant about it, and their heavy use of sarcasm and foul language often made their personality far worse. Important mission and important people being around didn't mean they'd change anything.

Not being allowed to attend important meetings already has them in a foul mood and so they tear through all the paperwork that they can and do not at all bother being polite. Unfortunately it gets to the point when they've clearly ruffled some feathers and someone quite obviously deliberately smacks their wings while walking past.

The detective goes completely still, fingers gripping the papers hard enough to tear it. Nekane's voice is very strained when they speak.]

Hey. Try that again. I fucking dare you.

[If the tone of their voice does not give away their anger, the nearby shadows that are suddenly starting to form blood-red eyes likely does. Someone may want to intervene before it gets...ugly.]


The Mess Hall

[Like many students and faculty Nekane winds up cornered by a few soldiers interested in seeing some real magic. Since they were actually eating for once and desperate to get the group off their back, the detective shows them a little. Forming a knife out of the shadows as a basic demonstration, they think it's enough until someone asks their name.]

Nekane. Adomaitis, if you give a shit about last names.

[One of the soldiers perks up. "Oh yeah, you're that meddlesome detective! The one who deals with people and apparently this supernatural crap.". Another slings an arm around Nekane's shoulders, who's expression immediately changes to one of disgust. But they can't get away as the people surrounding them start asking questions about the students and faculty.

Those walking by will feel a tug on their clothing. Looking down will reveal a hand made of shadow that will quickly direct them in Nekane's direction. Get them out of here before they break the one standard they abide by and murder these guys!]

control room

[alreadyhuman]

[ Vivi doesn't know a lot, but he does know that when there's a lot of magic around when there wasn't before, it'll probably be bad in a second. Despite a 9 year old not belonging in a control room, he barges in as politely as possible to grab Nekane's sleeve, also very politely. ]

Um - I want to go see the planes but they said I needed an adult first so I thought of you.

Can we go? Please?

[ He has just made this up on the spot, but that's okay. He blinks large, yellow eyes as innocently as possible up at Nekane. ]

[evangelclairvoyance]

[He catches that smack to the wings out of the corner of his eye, and for the briefest of moments, Christo's ever-present smile fades, falling further into a tight, almost worried line when the shadows begin to blossom into miniature eldritch horrors.

Biting back a sigh, he forces the smile back onto his face and approaches Nekane and the perpetrator before things can get more heated]

Ah, Nekane. I was just looking for you. Could you meet me outside? I have something I'd like to discuss.

[just_as_planned]

[Control Room]

[The brass might think of David as just a spoiled and soft businessman, but they at least have to concede that the CEO of a highly successful, multinational engineering company knows his way around technology. Despite his casual tone while mocking Xelvak, his attitude here is deadly serious as he inspects the equipment, offers advice on optimization, and explains the capabilities of the equipment he's brought...along with the two cyborgs he's recruited. They come with a warning that they're loose cannons and may need to be neutralized to keep them from becoming new enemies after the battle, but they'll be easier to deal with than the Herald himself.

During pauses in the meeting, he tries to affect his usual calm, but the perceptive might notice something...off. His smiles don't reach his eyes, and he keeps finding himself fiddling with a golden band around his left ring finger.]

[Hangar]

[In the hangar, people can find David hard at work on his own...contributions. The robots stand silent as he inspects them for any damage they might have incurred during transport, while the more normal mechanics watch in awe.

Once he's satisfied with the condition of his robotic infantry, it's time to show off and test out his rune-enhanced battle armor. It's truly impressive in action, especially since a brainwave reading circlet lets him control the wings and tail as if they were his own limbs.]

[Mess Hall]

[Though David is pushing himself harder than he probably should, but he's not completely neglecting rest. In the mess hall, he does his best to relax as he eats. It's not quite the type of food he's used to, but it's honestly pretty decent.]

Definitely better than prison food...

[He might also be seen talking to a pair of a cyborgs, though the man's smirk and the woman's grin are...distinctly unsettling. Even David seems on edge around them, as he firmly reminds them that failing this mission will mean the end of their lives, too. They aren't built so tough as to be able to survive the apocalypse.]

Mess Hall

[hotter_twin]

[Hanging around the mess hall seemed the best bet, most of the time, when there's other people from Daybreak around. Eighteen's not terribly thrilled with most of the company otherwise and is just taking a seat not too terribly far away from this mess.

Which of course has her immediately side-glancing the two cyborgs and seeming particularly on edge. For what reason, who even knows, she's not terribly vocal about the reasons why.]

Depends on what prison. [No.]

[betheman]

[NAYSAYERS AND DEMONSTRATIONS (HANGAR/OUTER HALLS)]

While Gongenzaka has ultimately placed his 'hat' so to speak in Control Room actions, he is currently unsure how to handle the social end of things. Strategy is one thing- convincing people that there might be other things to do? It's a bit trickier.

Ultimately he's not really sure he's going to make much of a difference when someone finally asks what he can even do.

And, also makes the mistake of assuming he's a good four years older than he is, but when he corrects them that just makes a number of other soldiers more curious. KookyMagicSoothsaying is one thing.

But the guy weighing in at 200 pounds of muscle just said he's in grade 8 and is only 14.

"Auh... ...well, primarily, I have runic protections that I can teach..." he begins, the crowd very quickly starting to roll their eyes. Panic sets in. Gongenzaka chokes. "H-However-!"

Ooof. "...Were it not for, what we are facing, I would have faced them, as a bear..." Truthfully he almost did anyway. But maybe it's for the best- not going out there, a piece of blight ready to be taken advantage of. If it Could be taken advantage of.

Regardless, that's how Gongenzaka winds up demonstrating a rough display of dayshifting, and is also the reason he's just going to keep being a bear until sun-up the next day.

(But, hey, he got a few claps, arm-wrestles, and more importantly runic demonstrations out from there, because god damn if a BEAR thinks it needs extra protecting what's the harm in that?)

[MESS HALL]

After his minor demonstration (which he hopes leads to various soldiers asking more experienced folk for runic enhancements, because honestly he's just a beginner), Gongenzaka can be seen partly collapsed in the Mess Hall. Which would be calm enough other than the fact that...he's. Presently a bear.

Actually he comes in with one of the soldiers, who after determining the boy probably needed something to eat and drink, also realized that a few of the 'guys' might be a bit trigger happy if a BEAR just casually walked into the mess.

'It's nothing to worry about! Just one of the students!'

Suffice to say, said student was looking very much put on the spot as he hurriedly found himself a seat away from most of the crowd.

Even if inevitably, the crowd would probably go to Him.

He's so...so tired right now, already...

Mess Hall

[notbornguilty]

[Weiss immediately freezes the moment she sees Gongenzaka, her eyes wide.]

A Lycanthrope?

[Her voice is quieter than anyone who's met her would expect, and there's no small amount of fear in it. Her left hand tightens around Myrtenaster's hilt, and it seems like she's one sudden move away from engaging in either fight or flight.]

[ohgoodgrief]

A. CONTROL ROOM

[Yang is at a video monitor. He's got a little more leeway, being (still) a military officer. It's only a little because Yang has a way of pissing people off, throwing out dogma and tradition, and generally being a brilliant nuisance. It was enough to get a monitor to speak with someone -- a tall man, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and a French accent.]

I guess you'll be safe back there, eh, Yang?

[Yang cracks a smile, then he nods.]

I should be, yes. Be careful, though. It'll be a mess, if you get killed, Jean.

[The man on the monitor laughs, then shakes his head.]

I'm not going to be careless. I don't know about the brass, though.

[That prompts another smile from Yang... but this one just masks his worry, and it's visible.] Well, we have to do our best with what we're given. Good luck out there.

You too, Yang. See you on the other side.

Bye. [The monitor closes... and Yang watches, thoughtful, and worried for a moment. His hands slide down into his pockets, but there's more tension in his back than there usually is.]

2. HANGAR

[Yang worked on an aircraft carrier. He's not much of a gearhead, but Yang's good at checking on things that planes and Runecraft need; he has a clipboard, and is flipping through pages, to go over things that might be needed.

And he's occasionally distracted. He finally stops, frowns, and announces:]

...Is there any tea?

2

[stavros]

I'd be surprised if there weren't. [A short teenage girl climbs out of her own red, cross-emblazoned Rune Armour and looks it over.] These people seem to live on caffeine.

[inflictwounds]

the control room;
[Hieke feels out of place, here. He's not used to being around so many humans who have no idea who or what he is, and the military are...

Well. They're not exactly the friendliest bunch, are they? He's glad he passes for entirely human, even though he's grown tired of having to keep in this form. He's weaker like this, he knows, having to split the use of his magic, but...

Well. Better than being considered an enemy, he supposes.]

Listen, I know you think you're going to get out of this okay, but you really need to listen to me-

[He seems to be caught up in an argument with some high level official.]

You need to be more concerned for your medics. This is going to be dangerous-

[And from the look on the official's face, they're not taking him all that seriously.]

mess hall;

[Hieke blows his hair out of his face, and wants to sink into the bench until he just disappears. Military preparations, he's learning, are exhausting. So are the constant stares, and the way people whisper when he's around.

It's...putting him on edge. He sprawls out across the table, laying face down with his arms splayed out in front of him.

And whines.

Alternatively, Hieke can be found entertaining a handful of humans by taking care of their aches and pains. There's a lot of stress and tension building up to the fight, and that means a lot of people suffering from headaches, soreness, and all sorts of things Hieke can take care of. He feels kind of ridiculous, but it's better than people staring at him like he's a freak.]

Control Room

[nor_iron_bars]

Dude, seriously, I don't know why you wanna have us here if you're not gonna listen. I promise you can pretend we don't know more than you from anywhere in the world, you don't gotta do it in person.

[Jail's... helpful interjection, midway through the official's next sentence, is delivered with casual calm. But the fact that she's saying it while standing on the ceiling and ignoring gravity might be a little weird for this man, especially since she's standing right behind him.]

P.S., you gotta tell your guys to look up more often. I walked all the way to the nearest vending machine and back and none of 'em saw me. On the bright side, now I have soda. You want any?

[She's just going to crack open a can for herself now. Mmm, sugar.]

[evangelclairvoyance]

[He expected this to be a difficult. They were preparing to go up against one of the Heralds, facing their first test, seeing whether or not they would be able to keep the world from falling to daemons.

He didn't expect the difficulties to come from the soldiers themselves.

Try as he might to dodge their questions, they'd come one after the other, wanting demonstration after demonstration, daring to call him a phony when he refused to put on a show for them. It was with clipped excuses that he had slipped out of the building, taking slow breaths to calm himself.

Truthfully? It wasn't helping.]

With this level of incompetency, it's no wonder they're fated to end up dead.

Do they think we're the entertainment for this mission? If they didn't want help, they should have just left matters to us.

[inflictwounds]

[Hieke's not sure Christo wants an answer, but he tilts his head and considers it anyways.]

I don't think they're taking it as seriously as they need to. They probably think this is child's play.

[unpocoloco]

Control/Anywhere

It's that first mission in America all over again. Better in some ways, he's not dodging the undead or trying to ignore it as they're blown to bits, nor is he outright serving drinks to people.

But it's a lot of people with a lot of guns. And there's still the promise of a lot of Radiance which put things about the same as that first mission as far as anti-undead powers go. If this doesn't go off exactly right he is going to hurt. A lot. Of course, if they fail, that will apply to everyone, won't it?

He doesn't try to argue with the higher-ups. No point and there are better people here who can do that anyway. Most of the time he sits nervously in wait, trying not to let said nervousness show.

Mess Hall

On the other hand, there's this.

He's got no reason to be here but to find those he's looking for. Unfortunately, it also puts him in view of the rank-and-file, who, while generally kinder than the brass it seems, are also eager to ask questions. Questions like, "You okay? You look half dead there." And, "So what do you do?"

Right now is the latter case. "Nothing, really, I'm just here as support. I can't really do anything."

"Aw, come on! Show us what you got!"

"No, no, it's stupid," He insists. "Really boring, I swear."

[made_up_names]

Peter is ... also nervous, although there's something familiar about this kind of prep. It reminds him of the Avengers a little? But it specifically reminds him of their prep for Thanos which ... yeah, that brings back some bad memories. So does wearing this suit. It's the first time he's had anything better than his homemade hoodie combo since Thanos happened; it's kind of weird having something that doesn't suck.

"Héctor?" He approaches carefully, still adjusting a set of webshooters into place. "Hey, uh - are you okay?"

Peter's nervous enough and he's a fighter. Héc, well ... not so much.

[arcadianvampire]

Control

[Valvatorez does come along to the control room situation. He's quite well behaved through a lot of it... though part of that was because he got a very specific talking to by Daybreak higher-ups. Val did always have a spirit of rebellion in him, even if he volunteered for this mission in a completely expected way. Though he wasn't strictly ordered to comply with the military brass, he was definitely suggested to avoid letting his pride and temper get the better of him to the brass's faces.

While Val was often pretty reasonable, he was still a daemon and a very proud one at that, along with having a well-documented disdain for how modern military setups worked? That could lead to confrontations that were best avoided for the sake of diplomatic relations between the UN and the Academy.

Still, it was clear while he was in the control room by the pointed glances he'd give officers who spoke dismissively of their efforts, he was quite irritated with them... but for the moment, he bit his tongue. Mostly. It was hard with how common it was, especially with the seemingly fake politeness. It made his blood quietly boil, but he kept a lid on it. That is, until his opinion was tokenly asked for, and the officer "listening" clearly was blowing him off, despite the polite face they put on. Valvatorez's tolerance for bullshit quickly snapped in that moment.

With a swift flick of his cape, his voice gained a sharp tone, and a sense of command he rarely used on campus. The normally slight looking Valvatorez looked much larger in the room in spite of his stature in that instant. He looked the man in question squarely in the eyes, brow furrowed, red eyes intense.]

General, when you ask for my council and fail to even listen to it, you are wasting both of our time and threatening the lives of your men in the process. We are talking powers that defy conventional human understanding. If you aren't going to take this threat seriously from someone who has been fighting things like this longer than all of the command staff in this room have been alive, even combined, then we have nothing further to discuss.

Good day, gentlemen!

[The offended vampire hastily left the command post, knowing he... didn't do a very good job at what his superiors asked him to do. But in fairness, his fuse lasted longer than most people would've expected, provided they knew him well. Still, once outside the command post, Valvatorez hesitated for a moment to collect his composure, while at the same time muttering to himself.]

Stubborn fools. This would go much easier if I was allowed to do things my way. ...Alas. I will just have to do things my other way. If they bar me from the command post, so be it. I'd rather be out in the mud than deal with them for a moment longer.

Mess Hall

[Valvatorez found his way into the mess hall with the common soldiers, about an hour or so after his blowup in the command room. Perhaps unsurprisingly, rumor of his telling off of a general was starting to spread, and between that and his rather obvious physical differences that he made no effort to really hide at this point got him quite a bit of attention from the grunts. Valvatorez gladly conversed with many of them who came up and spoke to him, actually being quite charming and personable, working up a pleasant rapport with several of them, sharing stories and even a parlor trick or two with dark magic.

Not all of the attention was positive, though. When one of them, a particularly large man, made a rather inappropriate comment about him that he thought he wouldn't hear, Valvatorez quickly spun around, and used a similar commanding tone he did in the control room. The polite and charming face was gone in a flash, replaced instead with a man that demanded respect and oozed with a powerful charisma.]

You there! If you have something to say, have the testicular fortitude to say it to my face. Or are you afraid of some fop in a cape?

[Why yes, a small stick of a man standing all of 5'5'' was calling out a soldier that was over 6' tall and made of solid muscle without an ounce of fear. And he also knew exactly what he was doing. The man quickly rose and stalked over toward Valvatorez and repeated his insult to his face looking ready for a fight.]

Well, you have balls, but no brains, I see. And you'll find that's a very big mistake when you're dealing with something you don't know about.

[The ill-tempered soldier quickly spat an expletive back at Valvatorez, and proceeded to take a swing at him, erupting some shouts from the onlookers. But Valvatorez looked nonplussed, knowing where the punch was coming, and he simply raised his hand to stop it dead, prompting surprise from everyone around him. Valvatorez's fingers curled closed around the man's fist, creating a vice he had no hope of escaping from.]

Burn this moment into your minds, all of you.

[Valvatorez reached forward with his free hand, and simply flicked the man in the chest, sending him flying back several feet and up and over a mess table, spilling on the other side.]

Nothing is as it seems. Be ready for anything, and more. Your bosses aren't. This is your chance to prove you're smarter than they are. Your very lives may depend on it.

[Valvatorez stalked over to the man he just sent flying, who was still seeing stars from the blow. The flick wasn't enough to cause any sort of serious injury, and at first it may look like the vampire might be going in for more. Instead, he grabbed the soldier by the arm, and returned his tone to something more pleasant and personable.]

On your feet, Private. You all right? [The stunned soldier nodded, still wondering what the hell just happened to him.] Good. Water under the bridge. Now then, where were we... oh yes, that's right. The next round's on me, gentlemen, because do I have stories! And I'm not the only one!

[Anyone else can feel free to join in, telling stories or just hanging around with soldiers and offering more displays of power and strength. Valvatorez will continue showing off as requested, including getting into arm-wrestling matches that he rather effortlessly wins despite being half the size of most of his challengers. Most of them want to see just how strong he is.]

Wildcard

[Though Valvatorez spends much of his time with the rank-and-file soldiers after that moment, he can be caught around other areas of camp, dealing with his responsibilities as assigned. He may also be found taking a break in the observer tents.

And at one point, he's seen pushing a broken down combat vehicle from one place over to the motor pool for maintenance with little trouble. Seems in what time he had, he worked hard to act as support staff to the soldiers on the ground.

Despite the appearance of being some sort of old-school noble, Valvatorez was clearly willing to get his hands dirty with the rest of them.]

control room

[spelleton]

[ Ekkehardt is completely unsurprised to see Valvatorez stalking out of the control room; he's spent enough time around the higher-ups at this point to understand that their rigidity wouldn't even remotely mesh well with the vampire's.

A slight grin flits across his face, but it's sharp and unamused, in the way that a smile is technically just baring teeth.

He falls into step besides Valvatorez easily as he leaves the room. ]

By the look on your face, I'll assume your meeting with our esteemed allies didn't go very well.

[shockingblue]

Wildcard, in the field

[At some point, Gunvolt wandered down to a makeshift target range set up by the soldiers in camp for some last minute practice, or a way to kill time. Careful and cautious as to not break any safety rules, Gunvolt showed up to watch some of the soldiers shoot and train, and wait for a range to open up so he could practice.

One of the soldiers noticed the boy, noting he was quite out of place with his armor, complete with both QUILL and Daybreak insignia on it. After striking up a conversation, Gunvolt asked a question.]

Hey, can I try your rifle out?

...Look kid, I know you've got a pistol there, but do you even know how one of these works?

Yeah. That's an M4 carbine, which fires 5.56x45mm NATO rounds from a thirty round detachable box magazine, with an effective range of about 500 meters when properly sighted. You've got it modified with a long barrel, red-dot sight, and a specialized ergonomic stock. Looks like you spent a lot of time working on it.

...Not bad, kid. But citing facts is one thing, actual operation and safety... [Gunvolt then quickly rattled off the process of unloading, loading, and preparing the weapon to fire with all the proper safety protocols. Somewhat taken aback, the soldier decided to relent for the moment, setting the rifle down, with the barrel pointed down range.] ...Kid, where did you learn this shit? It's almost scary.

...From the closest person I have to a father.

[Gunvolt approached the weapon carefully, and performed a series of checks to make sure the weapon was ready to fire. After checking the magazine and chamber, he flipped off the safety and took aim down range, firing off several shots in quick succession and placing them squarely in the center of the target in a very tight grouping. He then put the safety back on, unloaded the magazine, and emptied the chamber manually before setting the rifle back down.]

...Damn. Shooting like that you could easily be a squad marksman. Your "Dad" a soldier?

Something like that. ...By the way, you might want to re-sight your optics. They're a little off.

[The soldier laughed heartily, patting GV on the shoulder.]

All right, kid. No one likes a smartass.

Mess Hall

[After hanging out at the firing range, Gunvolt made his way to the mess hall with some of the soldiers he practiced with. After the rifle practice, he showed off the Dart Leader and some of his lightning power, which did catch some eyes. And once they got back, the soldiers could resist showing off their new pal.]

Hey guys! This kid's pretty sharp shot. Bet he could give ol' Grit a run for his money with a rifle, and he's handy with mods too! And don't fuck with him unless you want the wrath of Zeus on your ass!

One of those weird Daybreak kids? Thought they were all seers and shit, what's he packing? Come on, show us man, and don't hold out.

Hey, he ain't called "Gunvolt" for nothing. Show 'em, GV.

[The soldier took an empty can from a table and threw it up into the air, and with a single motion, Gunvolt threw out his hand. A bolt of bright blue lightning shot from his fingertips and zapped the can, sending it careening into the far reaches of the mess hall. This was much to the delight of the others in the bar, and perhaps surprise.

After awhile of shooting the shit, showing off more lightning nonsense, and charging a couple of cell phones, Gunvolt finally managed to break away to sit with one of his fellow students to actually get something to eat.]

...Hey. Are you hanging in there? It's... actually kinda crazy around here.

Mess Hall

[playitagain]

[Nana pauses, as she enters the mess hall -- she has a tray in her hands, with some food on it -- and stares at the way GV just shoots down a can. She blinks, then smiles a little. Granted, this is all a little strange to her.

And a little uncomfortable. Nana's not used to...

...well, to being around real soldiers. She slows down a little, before she heads over towards Gunvolt. She smiles at him.]

Hello, GV. It really is, isn't it?