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.

[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?

[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."

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?

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."

[highelves]

[ ana lets out a disgruntled sigh and hunches over a little, arms on her thighs. ]

Unfortunately, yes. You'd think that they'd hold themselves with a little more dignity and carry a little more understanding, considering they knew they were coming to a school for the supernatural.

[ she shakes her head. ] I suppose that's a little too much to ask of people coming from the outside.

[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."

[fistsofchange]

"I'm not going to turn someone away for not being scared enough."

It was hard enough to get ANYONE to listen to open up to her around here, after all. She stared at 18 for a moment, trying to place her.

[hotter_twin]

"I take it not many people pick up on the offers, then?" No need to be blunt about it, Eighteen, good grief.

Though she's raising a brow slowly at the staring, ah, right, that'd make sense.

"Eighteen. Still fairly new as far as faculty go."

[lovebreaker]

No kidding!

[ Aiko sighs heavily and crosses her arms. It sucks. She'd been so respectful, too. She hadn't even boosted them into the air like she'd been tempted to do. ]

If it were me, I'd be way more open-minded! It's like they think it's just some elaborate joke! [ She looks to Ana. ] ... Anyway, are you okay?

[highelves]

In fairness, it didn't help that I nearly unleashed my runes upon those who called us frauds. I didn't leave the most...positive of impressions on them, I'm sure.

[ she frowns. ]

I suppose so. Selfishly, I want to believe that they should have left this to us, but I fear that with all of our untapped potential...our abilities alone wouldn't be enough to take the Herald down.

[fistsofchange]

She relaxed, finally able to attach a face to the name. "Right! The ki expert!"

And then a slightly more serious look. "No, they don't. Most of them seem to avoid me. Some seem to actively hate me." She said, with a sigh. "They're kids. They're just starting to realize the world is huge and unfair sometimes and they're not sure how to handle it. The best I can do is be ready and waiting for when one of them needs help getting back to their feet."

[hotter_twin]

'Ki expect' is still such a strange thing to hear attached to her name, but she'll eventually get used to it. It'd just... take some time. "Something like that."

She's quiet as she listens to all of that, slowly closing her eyes and taking a deep breath in and out. She can understand where they're coming from, she really can. "That's all you can really ask for when it comes to teenagers. Some of them are just learning about their abilities now and they're scared and confused about them along with the normal learning curve of their age. I've been there, can't blame them."

[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!]

[lovebreaker]

To be honest, I totally almost blew them into the air for being so mean.

[ She huffs out a breath. ]

... Mm, I know what you mean. This is completely new for me! Probably for a lot of us...

[ And, truth be told, she's scared. Not like she'll admit it, though. ]

[highelves]

It is.

[ a pause. ]

That is why, loathe as I am to admit it, I think we needed additional forces to assist us.

[lovebreaker]

Mmhm. You're right.

[ A pause, too. ]

Besides, they'll see that it's all true soon enough. And they'll see that we're not frauds.

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. ]

[highelves]

Far from it, actually. Though there are a few who do genuinely seem to appreciate our talents, I'm afraid they're far and few in between.

[ she shakes her head. ]

Hopefully their narrow-mindedness won't get in the way in the battlefield.

[lovebreaker]

If it does... it could cost a lot more than just a victory.

[ The thought scares her even more. ]

But, hey... I've got your back, Ana.

[highelves]

[ the sentiment is touching at the very least, and ana gives her a small smile. ]

I appreciate it, Aiko. I will also come to your aide, should you need it.

[lovebreaker]

[ The smile coaxes one of Aiko's own, and while it's not as bright as usual... it's there. ]

Hehe, you're the best, you know that?

[highelves]

I beg to differ, but as battle comrades, it is our duty to look out for one another.

[ or so she thinks. ]

[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.]