Titan's Fall: IC

[roko10]

The day is Friday, February 16 2020, roughy twenty years and a month after the Gaia Incident happened. One and a half month past the new year happened, and there’s still no sign of any Titans. Olympus is on high alert, and all of the Deos and their pilots are on standby, ready to be called at any moment’s notice.

You, however, are having your hands full with something else.

---

Friday, February 16 2020; Seacress SC (Space Colony)

It’s the annual school gala for the students of Aegean Academy, one of the schools sponsored by Olympus for their pilots to attend, and (un)fortunately for you, you’re at of it now. Sure, the security at the venue was ramped up to almost ridiculous degrees just to make sure you’d be safe, and you’re still privy to getting called upon, but you’re all still going to the gala. All of you. Even if you don’t want to, because Olympus wanted to get the most out of their expenditure and bunching you up together in one place makes you easier to track.

Spoiler: How the Ballroom looks like, but it's night

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Everyone around you is dressed in various formalwear; expensive suits, dresses ranging from modest to barely socially acceptable, and myriads more gender-neutral styles. (Which begs the question; how are you dressed?) Fortunately enough for you, the dancefloor is well-lit, so at the very least you can enjoy the fashions (or the people wearing those fashions) or pop out a book and read if you’re that bored. Music plays softly through the overhead speakers as the band gets situated.

The music slowly grinds into an halt, and the lights dim just a bit, so that the student council president, Emi Amano, could confidently walk up on the stage and take the microphone. She’s wearing a fairly skintight blue dress, one enough to catch others’ attention, but not one enough to make it look like she’s showing off.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, I welcome you to the Annual Aegean Gala!” A short pause followed, just long enough so that people can follow it up with a short-lived wave of applause. “Listen, I have two options here; either I can do the whole speech about how we’re all the future that you’ve probably have heard a thousand times by now...” Another pause, but one that’s greeted with complete silence from the student body. “...or, I can just declare the party to be started now.” Cheers erupted from almost every corner of the ballroom at those words, and Emi wryly grinned at this display. “Well, it’s settled, then. Let’s get this party started!” And with that, she left the stage, leaving the band to start playing; the gala has now truly begun!

Spoiler: PUALA

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You’re approached by Benjamin Belloc, one of your classmates; a tanned, bespectacled boy with a suit that’s one or two sizes too big for him, clearly nervous about even approaching you.

“Uh, I was thinking... m-maybe we can dance?” he stammered out, clearly not expecting you to say yes. Do you say yes or do you try to let him down, gently or not?

Spoiler: REVY

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“...I wasn’t checking her out! I just looked at her!”
“Are you kidding me?! I saw the look in your eyes; that was not the look of someone who’s just looking at someone!”

Muscle dystrophy sucks, especially when you’re forced to attend a school gala where you’re expected to dance. Something that isn’t very easy for you to do for obvious reasons.

Anyhow, you’re still off at the side right now, stuck between an arguing couple that’s fighting for no good reason, and the worst part is, they won’t shut up. Do you try and get away from them as soon as you can, or do you stay and hope the worst is over soon?

Spoiler: MICHAEL

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"Dude, why aren't you cheering? Are you still sore that you lost against her?"

You were seated somewhere at the periphery of the ballroom, and you’re probably one of the few people who didn’t cheer for Eimi’s little “speech”. Mostly because you lost to her when you were running for student council president, and it wasn’t even close. She basically crushed you in a landslide victory. That was some time ago, but the jubilant cheers Eimi received may or may not have brought back some bad memories. Do you let bygones be bygones or are you still fuming about your loss?

Spoiler: HELENKA

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"..."

You didn’t show up with a dance partner at the gala; not that you could, considering everyone around you avoids you like the plague, just as usual in the school. People immediately try to excuse themselves from conversation when you approach them, and shy away from even coming close to you, leaving a small pocket of empty space around you. Do you prefer it to be this way, or are you a bit concerned that everybody fears you for what you were?

Spoiler: KOUTA

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"...I mean, have you seen the dress she was wearing? God, I would so do her."


Like many of the other students, you didn’t come with a dance partner; all the time spent on sports kind of means little free time left for dating. Unlike the others, though, this isn’t as much as an issue, considering that you can at least hang around with the rest of the sports team you’re in. One of them, one Aiden Bach, is chatting with your other teammates about which girl is the hottest of them all. Do you eagerly join in the conversation or do you drift away from the group to check on the other pilots?

Spoiler: CALAD

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"Eee! It's Prince Calad!"
"Why is someone like you alone here?"
"Dance with me, Mr. Prince!"
"No, he's mine!"

As the son of a prominent royal family, your dance partner (another royal from a Terran country, albeit one with less of an hands-on role than you and your family) had already been selected for you. Unfortunately for you, she turned up to be a no-show after she fell ill to the flu. And what’s even worse is that, now that you turned up at the gala without a dance partner, every girl that doesn’t have a partner (and even some that did) immediately flocked around you, vying for your attention. In layman’s terms, you’re basically drowning in a sea of girls that want you. Do you try to get away from them as fast as you can, or do you try and make the best out of it?

Spoiler: KALDIN

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“Oh, great, it’s that guy. Let’s go somewhere else.”

Like Helenka, you’re mostly left alone and ignored the gala; unlike her, however, it’s slightly more understandable why they do so. You’re kind of a condescending jerk that kind of revels in it, and people are well aware of that, hence why they give you a wide berth and insult you behind your back. At least the ballroom is well-lit enough to let you read up on your studies or research; do you do that or do you try to escape the gala early?

[Esprit15]

Paulani showed up to the gala in a fairly bright, teal dress, covered in a classic Hawaiian flower pattern. It was a gift sent from her mother, though having mostly only seen Hawaii anywhere from four hundred kilometers to three hundred eighty-four thousand kilometers away, she didn’t really feel much of a connection to the culture.

The girl nearly claps for the president as she mentioned the speech, only to stop when she noticed that nobody else even was moving to clap. Right, most candidates didn’t live day and night at Olympus stations. Not that Pualani was particularly enamored with being a pilot. It was more of an instinctive response. It takes her a second to join in the cheering of the other teens as the party starts back up.

“Huh, me?” she says as she’s asked to dance, out of surprise rather than disgust or rejection. “Um... sure. Why not? One thing though.” She rolls up the boy’s sleeves a bit so that they don’t cover his hands as much. “There.”

[Burden King]

Spoiler: Dress

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Helenka hadn’t questioned why Olympus wanted her to go to this shool, even if every second just added to the pile of unpleasant times she seemed to be collecting. She just sucked it up and shipped out, fully expecting and then receiving the outcome that happened. These people, the other students who avoided her despite never meeting her, they all blended together in her eyes. Stupid vultures, all waiting to climb atop the other as soon as one tripped up. A bad hair day, a slip of the tongue, a bad descision, any little chip in the armor was fair game. So really, the fact that no one bothered to even ask her to the dance before or even now was fine, just mean she could keep her guard up against them.

She shot glare at a nearby girl who had grown too close, the gussied up vulture that she was scoffed as she put distance between her and the pilot. Whatever smile Helenka had quickly disappeared, the victory not being as satisfying as it should have been. It never was...standing up, the young teen began walking through a parting sea of fancy clothes and desperate advances towards the punch bowl. Adjusting the collar of her dress, and quickly flicking her formal jacket to appear proper, the teen stood behind a chatting couple quietly as she waited for her turn for a drink.

Looking around slowly with slack in her shoulders, she tried to her best to spot the pilots she recognized among the crowd. At least they might allow her to add some sort of notable distraction in the sea of annoying blobs of teenage angst and desperation. Of real note, she saw mister prince getting swamped by the empty headed girls, some betraying their partners just like she expected them to. After him, she saw another soul who was allowed an island of solitude by the masses. Callin or something that started with a ‘ka’ and ended with a ‘in’, in any case they were standing alone like her, though she doubted it was for the same reason.

In any case, she let out a sigh as she waited for the punch, not wanting to be rude to the couple next in line.

[Ulm11]

Michael Thomas

Despite having very little experience with these types of events, Michael had done his best to look the part for the Gala. His superiors back at Camelot were surprised when he requested funds to purchase a custom suit, but upon hearing why he wanted it, they very quickly supported the idea. For if he was to show off to the world just what Avalon could craft, then he could hardly miss a chance to show off like this. At first he thought he could just relax and enjoy the evening but then he remembered that Eimi was going to give a little speech before it could really begin and internally he could literally feel his mood begin to sour.

With the results being as lopsided as they were, it was hard to really argue that she shouldn't have won. Having been groomed to lead from an early age, Michael had wrongly assumed that he would have been the natural pick for his fellow students. For Eimi did not give out the same type of scarily intense vibe that Michael did well truly driven and that proved to be his undoing. Still though, all the explanations in the world could not excuse the fact that he had still lost in what should have been his. He had done his best to be a gracious loser, but when he let his guard down his inner bitterness was able to shine through his facade.

Of course somebody had noticed his slip up so with an inner sigh he turned to greet the student talking to him."It's not the fact that she beat me. It's the fact that she beat me so badly." Letting out a short chuckle that felt hollow to his lips, Michael shrugged as his eyes turned to the stage one final time. "Still, there is always next time." And with that said he was off to try and enjoy the party as best he could.

[Volthawk]

Kouta's clothes weren't anything special - the suit was pretty nice but nothing outstanding - and he was alright with this, really. He wasn't really a man who went for elaborate fashion, and these did the job and looked respectful enough.

While Kouta didn't really join in with Aiden's discussion, the guy wasn't wrong - of all the things that had changed from his transition from home to Olympus, the girls were definitely a change for the better. As he listened, engaging enough to be part of the conversation but not contributing much, he mostly looked around the hall, looking for other pilots. After all, they were his other team, and he still didn't really know them as well as he'd like, although he was sure they were good people.

Spotting Helenka alone, Kouta gets up and walks over. A lot of the others seemed to avoid her, and he still hadn't quite found out why. She seemed decent enough to him, anyway. When he get to her, he grins and starts talking. "Hey...Helenka, right? How are you finding the night?"

[Burden King]

Spotting Helenka alone, Kouta gets up and walks over. A lot of the others seemed to avoid her, and he still hadn't quite found out why. She seemed decent enough to him, anyway. When he get to her, he grins and starts talking. "Hey...Helenka, right? How are you finding the night?"

Helenka didn’t respond at first, simply staring on ahead, before she raised an eyebrow and turned her head slowly to look at Kouta. She then looked around, trying to find the target to this fellow pilots conversation. When she didn’t find anyone, she looked back to Kouta and spoke “...You’re talking to me...” she said at first, sounding surprised as her face softened a bit. “The night...well, it’s a bit dull. Nothing but the normal stuff in school but with fancier wrappings...Makes me almost wish they’d call us in for surprise drills or something...” she said with a slight smile, grabbing some punch now that the couple had moved on, likely having noticed the girl that had been waiting behind them finally.

[Volthawk]

Kouta chuckles and nods. "Of course I'm talking to you. Why wouldn't I? We're part of a team now. Gotta talk and get to know each other." He also gets some punch and has a drink before continuing. "Yeah, I get what you mean. School and fancy balls aren't really my thing, and piloting's been awesome. Still finding it kinda crazy we're gonna be fighting giant monsters sooner or later."

[roko10]

PUALANI

Ben, having expected a sharp rejection from you, was a bit surprised and more than a bit happy by your answer. “Uh, right. Let’s do this, then!”

He leads you to the dancefloor, and you’re surprised to know that the kid can dance. Sure, he is playing it safe right naw, party due to his own lack of confidence and partly to find out how comfortable you are with dancing, but behind the awkward behavior, there’s someone who know their waltzes from their jigs. Do you let him continue taking the lead?

MICHAEL

The student asking you the question shrugged at your response, and walked off to get some drinks “Alright. Well, have fun, then.”

[Esprit15]

Pualani blushes slightly as the nervous boy proves surprisingly good at dancing.

With a clear smile as she has a good time, Pualani says to the boy, “What did you have to be nervous about? You’re better than most of the guys here!”

[roko10]

PUALANI

Ben blushes even more at your compliment for him. "Well, it’s just that I thought you were, well, kind of out my league. I mean, you’re really really pretty, and if you compare you to me, there’s really no contest. I was really surprised when you showed up without a date today, so..." He drifted back into silence again, letting his dancing do the talking for him.

[Burden King]

Kouta chuckles and nods. "Of course I'm talking to you. Why wouldn't I? We're part of a team now. Gotta talk and get to know each other." He also gets some punch and has a drink before continuing. "Yeah, I get what you mean. School and fancy balls aren't really my thing, and piloting's been awesome. Still finding it kinda crazy we're gonna be fighting giant monsters sooner or later."

Helenka nodded, quickly scanning around as she took a drink of her punch for any surprises. This boy was talking to her, and while the gesture wasn’t unwelcomed, something didn’t feel right. Sure they were on the same team, but was that just her cover so she would lower her guard. She tried to spot any kid around them that was trying to sneak up on her, wary that she had been targeted by some juvenile prank.

Spoiler: Notice check

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gonna roll notice since Helenka is currently in “spot possible threat” mode

As she looked, she placed her back to the punch bowl, trying to limit where anyone could approach her from, and then replied “Well, if what Olympus has been telling us is true, they should be big trouble. If we take em on as a team though, we should be able to handle it pretty easily.” She said, filling up her near empty cup. “So, which Deos is yours?”

[Esprit15]

PUALANI

Ben blushes even more at your compliment for him. "Well, it’s just that I thought you were, well, kind of out my league. I mean, you’re really really pretty, and if you compare you to me, there’s really no contest. I was really surprised when you showed up without a date today, so..." He drifted back into silence again, letting his dancing do the talking for him.

“Looks aren’t everything. For any girl that’s worthwhile, you gotta have something to offer besides a pretty face,” she says as the boy takes the lead. “And don’t sell yourself short. The right clothes, standing up a bit straighter... You’d have more than a few girls giving you a second look,” Pualani adds with a grin.

[Deadguy]

Revy

Revy was a nickname that some of the teenagers had given Rebecca as a tease, but she had embraced it.

She had always embraced showing others that she could do more. Even now, sitting in the wheelchair wearing the long red dress with a strapless top and a regal updo of her raven hair. Giving the top of the wheels a push, she rolled over the arguing girl’s exposed toe.

She feigned embarrassment and terror at her mistake. ”Oh God, I’m sooo sorry! Are you ok?”

[Bootman]

Calad

Calad himself excited, and with no voice in his head telling him to take things more seriously. This was a gala, a state function. It was his duty and mission to attend it and enjoy it, and as long as he did he would get to talk with all kinds of people. Not to mention the outfits. With all of the dresses around him, he couldn't help but look at the ladies who wore them with equal admiration.

He wanted to go talk to Kouta, but he seemed busy anyway. Calad had a job to do now, and it was one he took quite kindly to.

"Do not worry. Everybody will get their turn on the dance floor. Who was first? Ah, with the aqua dress and mother of pearl- yes you."

He was nothing better then a passable dancer, but he that would be enough. For every girl he danced with, he had half a dozen questions about them he wanted to ask. More about where they were from, but he imagined most would take it as genuine interest in them personally. Sometimes they were right. There were quite a few ladies mixed in who were not as shallow as one would expect from those crowding around a Prince.

[Volthawk]

Kouta doesn't quite catch onto what Helenka is doing, or her general distrust of the situation, so he just answers normally as he also gets another drink.

“Yeah, I think we can take them, and as a team we'll be great. Just still kinda crazy to think about. Mine's Heracles - big, red, kinda smells, strong as hell. Been training with big weapons to match, should be pretty good for the job. What about you?”

[Burden King]

Kouta doesn't quite catch onto what Helenka is doing, or her general distrust of the situation, so he just answers normally as he also gets another drink.

“Yeah, I think we can take them, and as a team we'll be great. Just still kinda crazy to think about. Mine's Heracles - big, red, kinda smells, strong as hell. Been training with big weapons to match, should be pretty good for the job. What about you?”

Not spotting any threats, Helenka was a bit more at ease with the situation, though she didn’t entirely trust her supposed teammate. Putting down her cup to take a break from punch for a bit, she let out a yawn and scratched her scalp as she spoke “Ah, yours sounds strong. Though i’m Pretty sure my Artemis could take you on. Mine’s the big yellow one with enough armor to make a battleship feel naked.” She said, smiling as she remembered her ‘Bear’. The fact she thought of his name in English now was odd to her, but it was likely just something unavoidable when raised by Olympus.

[Volthawk]

Kouta chuckles. She was good fun, he couldn't see why everyone avoided her. "Well, I'd still bet on mine, but I guess I would say that. I guess if we have to find out, something's gone wrong, huh? So what's your style, anyway? Going in close with me or are you more a guns person?"

[roko10]

CALAD

Most of the girls that you dance with seem to have a good time, though your interaction with them remains limited due to your insistence on letting them all dance. You were just about to take on another partner, a blonde girl in a green dress, clearly from European descent, when suddenly, disaster strikes.

And by that, I meant some immature jerk decided to throw the contents of an entire bowl of lemonade at you. 'Fortunately,' your partner managed to soak up most of the lemonade, but the jerk still got his jollies out of it- for about five seconds, before Eimi shows up, drags him by the ear, and starts to scold him. Your erstwhile partner, meanwhile, left for the bathroom, trying to salvage as much as she could.

After giving the jerk a well-deserved earful and putting the lemonade bowl back on its place, Eimi walks up to you and starts apologizing. “I’m sorry for that. Some people here can be super im- oh, you’re Prince Calad! I don’t think I’ve ever introduced myself to you: my name is Eimi Amano, and I’m the student council president at this school.”

She then grasps one of your hands, flashing you a coy smile. “So, Mr. Prince, what do you say about a dance?”

REVY

The arguing girl, startled and agonized by you “accidentally” rolling over her toe, flails about and accidentally knocks over one of the punch bowls over before falling over, eliciting some strange stares from passerby. Her previously defensive lover is startled by it and tries to make sure she’s okay, kneeling down to check on her.

Well, at least now you’re free. The question is; what now?

PUALANI

Ben doesn’t say anything, but his expression is clearly brightened by your compliments. He finishes his dance with you, timed so that it coincides with the last few notes of the song.

There’s a short period of silence afterwards before Ben decides to break it. “So, are you thirsty? Maybe I could get you some drinks. Maybe some lemo-,” he started to say, before he sees that the lemonade bowl was empty for some reason. “-nevermind. Or maybe some punch over th-,” he tried again, before seeing that the punch bowl there fell on the ground and is in pieces. “...uh, maybe I can get some there?” he nervously suggested for the third time, pointing at the table where Kouta and Helenka are talking with each other, and, most importantly, has an intact bowl of drinks.

[Esprit15]

”That would be lovely. Though maybe be quick about it, if the other bowls are anything to judge by,” Pualani says, raising a brow at the broken bowl. You would think Terrans would be more aware of gravity.

[Ulm11]

Micheal

Well with that defeat and other assorted memories now fresh in his mind, Micheal was tempted to just ditch the party. However, he was here to represent Camelot just as much as himself so all he could do was try and get as much as fun as possible from the event before burying himself in the simulator when he made it back to the base. So he began to make his way around the room to get a drink, being sure to say hello to those people he knew who weren't dancing at the moment.

Being on the side of the hall that thankfully had not seen all the punch being spilled Micheal was able to get a drink without too much of an issue. That break proved to be enough to allow him to cool down. Seeing one of the few girls he actually knew as anything more then a passing acquaintance he took a seat down next to her. "So how are you enjoying our first proper gala?"

[cybric]

Kaldin
Kaldin stood by himself as other meandered around making pointless sounds at each other. As a person passes Kaldin he'd thinks to himself "idiot", another went the other way "idiot", another passes by "not as much as the others but still, idiot"

Kaldin would be a handsome young man if not for the perpetual air of condensation that he carried with him everywhere he goes.

Bored, Bored, Bored. Geez they still keep making these noises at each other. Pointless.

Kaldin decides that if he was going to spend his precious time here and if he was forced to be here he might as well use his time productively. He walks over to the lemonade bowl which had just been recently emptied and starts descibing to the people around it several facts and figures about resource overconsumption. As the node of people shuffle away with meek smiles all Kaldin think is "idiots, I'm giving you gold here". Kaldin then heads over and finds another bowl but this one broken on the ground. He proceeds to tell the nearest grouping of humans about the fractal nature and predictive statisics of broken glass. As he reachs down to the ground to pick up a shard as an example and when he looks up the group has vanished.

Kaldin then looks around yet again and sees a bowl full of juice with people standing around the table where Kouta and Helenka are talking with each other.

He strides over to the table to start letting them know all about juice facts, trivia, and all about how they don't know anything at all about the "juice" that they are putting into their bodies.

Spoiler: pic

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Spoiler: Kaldin Face

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Spoiler: outfit

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[Bootman]

Calad was using a hankerchief to wipe down the bits of juice that had gotten on him. His backup hankerchief, of course. He had given the poor lady who had taken the brunt of the citrus shower his first one. He was prepared to speak to the person who had thrown it, so focused on it that he was surprised with Eimi approached him.

"Well, it wasn't much of a problem for me. I hope the lady I was with will be able to enjoy the rest of the night."

When she recognized him, he offered a smile and a slight bow. His father may disagree with a Prince bowing to someone other then a world leader, but as far as Calad was concerned Eimi was in a higher position within the school and deserved respect.

"I'm glad to finally meet you, Ms. Amano. I was planning on getting something to drink, but..." His eyes trailed to mess on the floor

"...I am in the mood for another dance after all." He smiled brightly and led her to the dance floor. His green-gold suit was meant to make his eyes and hair pop more, but it would compliment Eimi's blue dress quite well. Despite his warm smile and colorful choice of outfit, both he and the suit gave off a slight military vibe. You could miss it if you didn't look twice.

[roko10]

CALAD

Eimi smiles as you lead her onto the dancefloor, following your lead. She remains mostly quiet for the dance, clearly having expected you to do your usual routine of plying your dance partner with questions, up until the midway point. "So, Prince Calad, you're the prince of Avola, right?" she asked you, her expression shifting into a more serious one than her usual playful demeanor. "That must weigh heavy on you, especially considering that you're a Deos pilot as well. Lots of people are relying on you, and I honestly wonder how you didn't snap already under all of the pressure."

She goes silent for a while; unlike the silence in her speech, however, it's obviously less planned as she mulls over what she's going to say next.

"Honestly, I admire you for that. Other people may have snapped, but you still managed to stay calm and even have some fun. That's proof of a great character, right there," she continued, before she shifted back into a smile. "Either that, or you're simply too carefree a prince to think about it for very long, but I never really took you to be that kind of person. Am I right to think so?"

HELENKA/KOUTA/KALDIN

As you're speaking with each other (or, in Kaldin's case, politely ignored", someone suddenly lays a hand on Helenka's shoulder whilst shouting "SURPRISE!" in her ear. Kouta and Kaldin can see that this person is Aiden, but due to Aiden being behind Helenka, she has no idea who just did that.

[Burden King]

HELENKA/KOUTA/KALDIN

As you're speaking with each other (or, in Kaldin's case, politely ignored", someone suddenly lays a hand on Helenka's shoulder whilst shouting "SURPRISE!" in her ear. Kouta and Kaldin can see that this person is Aiden, but due to Aiden being behind Helenka, she has no idea who just did that.

Helenka was about to continue her talk with Kouta, going to explain she was planning to make sure everyone was hitting the angel as hard and often as possible. Then those teammate Kaldin arrived and began to speak to them about the dietary facts and figures of their juice. At first, Helenka was a bit shocked and froze in surprise, but after the initial shock left she paid the boy an ear and nodded as he spoke “Huh, that does sound rather interesting, and concerning. Though I don’t drink this very often, so I think I should be fine in indulging.” She said with a smile, opening her mouth to speak until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

In the span of a second, her eyes widened like saucers while her pupils shrunk as adrenaline courses through her body. There was a threat, a loud one judging from the noise in her ear. It came up from behind, this was an ambush, she had to attack and make sure to win in the first move.

In the second second, as the sound of Aiden’s shout was just fading Helenka’s arms flew around as her body turned, a look of anger and killing intent in her eyes, as she grabbed the man’s neck and outstretched arm with as hard a grip as she could get. She then twisted the arm and pushed the neck down, trying to send the victim face first into the glass rim of the punch bowl.

Her brain already planned to send a kick to the boys gut, and then refocus her aggression on Kaldin or Kouta, whichever one moved towards her first and thus confirming they were part of the ambush. Her ears were pumping loudly, and she had her vision darting around the room as much as possible in order to try and spot any other threats as she carried out her physical actions.

[roko10]

KOUTA/HELENKA/KALDIN/(PUALANI)

A short pause ensued after you smashed Aiden’s head onto the punch bowl, with everyone around you fiercely whispering, undoubtedly more about Helenka than you other two. This silence, however, was broken by a certain bespectacled boy in an ill-fitting suit shouthing out "Seriously?!", in a tone that’s composed of equal parts bafflement and frustration.

Fortunately enough, you didn’t hit him hard enogh for the blow to resound through the entire ballroom, so he’s probably just knocked out; unfortunately, some of Kouta’s (and Aiden’s) other teammates are heading your way. What do you do now?

MICHAEL

You approach Isabela Ostling, one of your few real friends at school, and your partner in your ill-fated campign to beat Eimi. Alas, not even her poster-making skills could save your campaign from being utterly steamrolled by Eimi. Currently, she’s wearing a relatively simple black shift dress; she clearly isn’t going all-out for this gala.

She smiled politely at your question. “Yeah, it’s going pretty okay so far, even though my date couldn’t come because she had family issues. How about you? Have you danced already?”

[Esprit15]

Pualani watches her surprise date head off to the punch bowl... right toward where a fight was beginning. “You have got to be kidding me...” The girl wasn’t exactly in need of a drink, but the traditional gesture was appreciated. Should she get involved... no, let Ben handle this. It would probably be embarrassing if a girl came rushing in to support him.

[Ulm11]

Michael

"I am sorry to hear that." He gave her as best of a reassuring smile as he could before setting down his now finished glass of punch. "There is nobody who I really know who didn't come here with a date. Add to that, the competition from prince charming was always going to make it hard to make going stag work." After a slight laugh Michael just gave a short shrug. "Anyway I am sure to have a lot more fun tonight keeping you company."

[cybric]

Kaldin - The Nerd

Kaldin looks down at Aiden on the ground "Yeah, see now if you had asked me if that was a good idea I definitely would have told you that you were an idiot for thinking it. In some cultures, particularly the Undala Tribe of New Guini that would be a valid way to try and impress a lady but here..." Kaldin whistles "Not the move I would have made my main man". Finally notes that yeah Helenka had hit him just in the right spot and notes that away.

Kaldin looks up and adjusts his glasses pushing them up the bridge of his nose as he sees the other group of students making thier way over to the area.

Spoiler: ooc

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would kaldin know who these other students are? He's not liked socially but I imagine that he has tabs on most people at the school so that he can know more about everyone that everyone else.

Edit: excellent

ps the effect with the glasses is that oh so classic anime glasses glare

As the other students come over Kaldin points casually at Aiden on the ground. "This guy belongs to you all right? Yeah you can take him away now I don't think he wants to dance anymore for the evening"

[Volthawk]

Kouta really isn't sure how to react to what just happened. After a few seconds, he sees the rest of the team coming over and, figuring they can get Aiden out of there, looks at Helenka with a confused expression.

"What was that? Aiden was being an idiot like he always is but did you need to knock him out? He'll probably be okay, thick skull and all, but... wow." He finally seems to notice her aggression aimed at his direction, and looks even more confused. "Wait, you're not gonna try to do that to me, are you? What's with you?"

[Deadguy]

Revy

”Excuse me, excuse me... handicapped coming through. You know, wheelchairs aren't so easy to get through the crowd to a punch bowl that hasn't been knocked over.” Revy rolled into the path of the group that was headed toward Helenka, maneuvering back and forth as if attempting to go around them, but seeming to guess their same direction each time.

She sighed in frustration and threw her hands up. ”Seriously guys, can one of you just be a gentleman and push me over there?” While her voice matched the frustration of her hands, her smile seemed good-natured about them blocking her way.