Academy City 2

[Jello Shot Mischa]

Victor shakes his head. Could she be serious? Caine certainly did not strike him as the jokesy type, (and besides which, it it was a joke, he certainly didn't get it)...but it was just such a ludicrous concept to take in.

"This...city, then? I--I see."

Pausing, he looks back to Caine again.

"Has...er. Well...it happened to you before, then?"

Caine chuckles, and shakes her head. "Me, myself? No, fortunately. Although it would take quite a trick to pull something like that off on me." She glances at the inflatable Princess Jasmine Mischa. "I am, however, familiar with others who have been afflicted with transformations."

"H-hey! They're not necessarily all bad!" Mischa protests, her body squeaking as she plants her hands on her inflatable hips.

Caine simply quirks an eyebrow, and chuckles. "Perhaps not, but there've been plenty who've been afflicted with changes they didn't want."

She turns her attention back to Victor. "Although I should point out, I wasn't speaking of Academy City, but of the organization that controls it, the CTC."

Reya blinks at the girl, shaken from her internal musings as Hikari almost runs into her.

"Ah... hello Hikari. I'm doing all right, I guess. How about you?"

Reya frowns inwardly. Jeez, why does this girl have to be so annoyingly persistent...

Hikari seems heedless of Reya's discomfort at her presence. "So did you get your homework done for today?" she asks cheerfully. "Some of those questions were pretty hard!" The girl walks alongside over to Reya's desk.

It's just Reya's bad luck that she has to sit next to Hikari, as well!

Sam's been around Academy City long enough to know her way around. There's a few particular arcades she enjoys for their selection of games, as well as other spots to hang out. As she wanders, however, she gets a call from Alyssa!

"Hey Sammy! You got a bit of free time this afternoon?" the woman asks.

Sam was actually just about to head to one of said arcades when she gets the call! "Oh, um, sure, nya~! I'm free~."

Sam can almost here the wince at the other end of the line at the 'nya'. Alyssa had never quite adjusted to the change in Sam's look, although she never showed any sign of it in their performances. She quickly recovers, however. "Well, I was thinking about... salisbury steak!" she says. "Wanna meet us at that restaurant we went to when we first met? We're both getting off work early, so we should be able to be there around 4!"

((Ah. It was just a typical shinto shrine. Nothing too special))
"Who is there?" demands Bones, glancing over to the woman in the archway.

The speaker steps out of the shadows, revealing herself to be [url=http://lh5.ggpht.com/_c3hWUvy__P4/S-Sili3qEFI/AAAAAAAAAiM/m3CPv8R7BLQ/To-Aru-Kagaku-No-Railgun-Scans-shirai-kuroko.jpg]a young woman in a uniform[/i]. She smiles slightly, and then bows to Bones.

"I am called Kuroko," she says. "You would be the magnificent Lord Bones, yes? The greatest criminal mastermind this generation has known?"

Shay (male) is hard at work in his lab when a beaping starts hapening on his counter. He checks it out. "...Oh dear." He leans to yell upstairs. "Dawn?! I'm going to Academy City! See you later!"

He grumbles as he puts on a special jacket. "Stupid CTC and stupid Beige..." He opens a portal to the inside of the containment field, his jacket protecting him from harm. He looks around. "Okay, this will either get there attention OR give me enough time to check this out." He takes out a weird looking device... it's a handles with about five lights going up it, and a button to turn it on and off. It detects color flow. He turns it on and starts waving it around. "Here, beigy beigy beigy. Where are you?"

As soon as Shay appears, a klaxon starts sounding. Shay will find that the area within the outer wall is still a dead zone, as it was the previous time he visited, with the familiar armored bunkers dotting it. There's no sign that they've had to bulldoze any resurgent buildings lately, however. There isn't even any of the automated earthmoving equipment he saw at work earlier.

The device starts detecting color flow... although it's giving odd responses. It could be that the level of beige in this area has diminished since he was here last. Its picking up something unusual, though... something different. A different color, perhaps?

As he waves the wand, however, he'll notice a cloud of dust approaching... and moving to encircle him. In fact, should he look closer, the cloud has a metallic tint to it. Something artificial?

[Victorious]

"CTC...right."

He frowns slightly, but nods. At least there was someone trying to hold the world together.

"A large enough group to control a whole city, then?"

[Shy Shay]

Shay gulps. Not. Good.

And, seeing as he is not yet in the form he will be in, he runs. Screaming like a little girl.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[Feng]

"Er... No I am Victor von Smith, heir to toothpaste factory in my homeland Latveria. I come to see shiny new city, ja?" says Bones, not wishing to give his identity to a complete stranger.

[Marky]

Sam can almost here the wince at the other end of the line at the 'nya'. Alyssa had never quite adjusted to the change in Sam's look, although she never showed any sign of it in their performances. She quickly recovers, however. "Well, I was thinking about... salisbury steak!" she says. "Wanna meet us at that restaurant we went to when we first met? We're both getting off work early, so we should be able to be there around 4!"

Sam pauses for a moment, before nodding and answering. "Sure~! Sounds good to me~! Meet ya there, nya~!"

[Jello Shot Mischa]

"CTC...right."

He frowns slightly, but nods. At least there was someone trying to hold the world together.

"A large enough group to control a whole city, then?"

Caine shrugs. "Well, it's more a matter of organization. Just like the Muffinville Council supposedly administers the city of Muffinville, so the CTC handles the administration and defense of Academy City here."

"Er... No I am Victor von Smith, heir to toothpaste factory in my homeland Latveria. I come to see shiny new city, ja?" says Bones, not wishing to give his identity to a complete stranger.

Kuroko blinks, and then gasps. "Oh! Good heavens! I completely mistook you for someone else!" She laughs a bit embarassedly. "My apologies!"

She bows again. "Welcome to Academy City! To make up for my rudeness, perhaps I can show you around? Is there anything in particular you would like to see, Mr. Smith?"

Sam can almost here the wince at the other end of the line at the 'nya'. Alyssa had never quite adjusted to the change in Sam's look, although she never showed any sign of it in their performances. She quickly recovers, however. "Well, I was thinking about... salisbury steak!" she says. "Wanna meet us at that restaurant we went to when we first met? We're both getting off work early, so we should be able to be there around 4!"

Sam pauses for a moment, before nodding and answering. "Sure~! Sounds good to me~! Meet ya there, nya~!"

And so Sam has a couple of hours to kill before meeting her friends! Is it time for the arcade?

Shay gulps. Not. Good.

And, seeing as he is not yet in the form he will be in, he runs. Screaming like a little girl.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Abruptly, there's a foot stuck out in Shay's path, at just the right height and angle to trip him and send him sprawling in the sand.

"You can be rather troublesome," Eva says calmly, having appeared from nowhere to trip Shay up. She simply looks at the metallic cloud, which appears to pause, and then drift away in another direction, leaving Shay be. The alarm klaxon also dies out, the area going quiet.

[Shy Shay]

Shay sighs as he gets up, dusting off his labcoat. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Thanks for saving me, by the way. Now onto why I'm here... what's going on? The beige is decreasing!"

[Feng]

"That sound good. I take you up on offer, ja? Perhaps you show me the sights of your city. I in no hurry."

[Jello Shot Mischa]

"That sound good. I take you up on offer, ja? Perhaps you show me the sights of your city. I in no hurry."

Kuroko nods. "Well, what might you like to see? The academy district has some very impressive examples of traditional architecture, while the science museum is perhaps the most modern building open to the public. The main park has a very impressive fountain..." She pauses, tilting her head slightly as if listening to something, before she turns her attention back to Bones.

"We do have a very interesting shrine that opened recently," she says cheerfully. "A group named the Chibiwabanshu established it, in memory of the many young women who died tragically a few months ago. Would you like to see it?"

Shay sighs as he gets up, dusting off his labcoat. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Thanks for saving me, by the way. Now onto why I'm here... what's going on? The beige is decreasing!"

Eva blinks, looking puzzled. "It is? Oh... wait." She thinks a moment, and then nods. "I see why you may be confused. It would be more fair to say that beige is... changing. The beige here, at any rate. We haven't been able to make any conclusive observations in more distant areas yet."

[Marky]

And so Sam has a couple of hours to kill before meeting her friends! Is it time for the arcade?

It is time for the arcade! Sam decides to head to the one she likes that is closest to the restaurant!

[Feng]

"Perhaps later," says Bones. "This science museum has piqued my curiosity. Perhaps we see that first, ja?"

[Shy Shay]

"Oooh, is that all. That fits with my own, very limited, findings as well. ...of course, now I'm worried about what the muffinverse is going to do to balance out the missing beige..."

[Jello Shot Mischa]

"Perhaps later," says Bones. "This science museum has piqued my curiosity. Perhaps we see that first, ja?"

Kuroko looks slightly disappointed, but nods. "If that is what you want. Follow me, then!" She starts leading him through the city. "It is a bit of a walk, unfortunately. Is there anything you'd like to talk about as we walk?" she asks.

"Oooh, is that all. That fits with my own, very limited, findings as well. ...of course, now I'm worried about what the muffinverse is going to do to balance out the missing beige..."

Eva chuckles. "Oh, I'm not certain that will be an issue. After all, beige is still around. It does the same things. It's just the... end result, that is being changed."

And so Sam has a couple of hours to kill before meeting her friends! Is it time for the arcade?

It is time for the arcade! Sam decides to head to the one she likes that is closest to the restaurant!

It's time for the arcade! This one has a pretty wide selection of games, from retro shooters to some pretty high-tech VR games!

As Sam enters, however, she'll notice a small crowd seems to have formed around one new game near the entrance! It appears to be one of those light gun games, with the rather evocative title of "TF MONSTER". A teenaged boy seems to be playing it, with someone that must be his friend cheering him on, while the crowd watches.

"Watch out! Watch out! You're getting hit!"

"I can take a few hits! I've got that color shield I picked up earlier."

"It's not gonna last! You're gonna get turned into a girl!"

"Dammit, no one's turning me into a girl! Watch this!"

With a rather accurate-looking shot, he fires at the boss, sending her flying back, before she explodes! The screen suddenly pauses, with the words "Level Clear" and the player's score appearing.

"Wow, you actually did it!"

"Gotta go for the head shots. They're weak there," the boy playing the game proclaims proudly. "Told you she wouldn't turn me into a girl."

[Helel]

Hikari seems heedless of Reya's discomfort at her presence. "So did you get your homework done for today?" she asks cheerfully. "Some of those questions were pretty hard!" The girl walks alongside over to Reya's desk.

It's just Reya's bad luck that she has to sit next to Hikari, as well!

Reya sighs as she leans back into her chair, stretching at her desk.

"Yeah, I finished it all right, but I didn't find it too hard to work out, like usual... Are you sure it isn't just you?"

Reya probably comes off as a bit snide, but this is her intent. Lord knows how Hikari will take it- well, if you ignore the other girl's personality entirely, anyways. So Reya presses on.

"Why don't you get some help if you think the home work is too hard- they do have tutors after all..." and leave me alone while you're at it.

Reya then gives Hikari a completely innocent "*%$# you and go to hell" smile, hoping the other girl will take the bait and leave her alone for at least until class officially starts.

[Harri-chan]

(Damn, this moved fast )

"Well you won't catch me wasting my time at the lab. There's trials for athletics club after school", said Summer between spoonfuls of cereal. "Thanks, Mom", smiled Katherine as they were handed their lunches, "We've got a biology test today, and I really think I'm going to get a good score on it". Summer rolled her eyes and washed down her cereal with some juice, "Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to have you as a sister?". Katherine's eyes narrowed a little as she got to her feet, "Likewise...", she muttered as she collected the breakfast bowls and quickly rinsed them out at the sink. Summer laughed as she got up and went to dry off the dishes, and placed them back in the cupboard. After grabbing their school bags, the pair lined up to give Dr Bellisarius another hug, "Have fun at work, Mom", said Katherine as they hurried out of the apartment and ran to the elevator, which took them all the way down to the ground level. From there they started their walk across the pleasant city, towards the general knowledge high school they were both enrolled at, chattering away about science projects and sporting accolades.