Corpus Rahkshi

IC: Dodge-256

"Sir, I have yet to complete the previous assignment-ack, forget it." Picking themself up, they looked around at the assembled crowd. This was an awkward situation. What was this even about? Mr. Tridax hadn't even told them what these teams would be doing. "Hm... How to say this."

"I know I'm not as notorious as Phogen, as much of a schemer as Chekquars, or as... ahem, charmismatic as our friend Caoutchouc here. At first glance I don't have much to offer that they don't. I won't pretend that I know what I'm doing or what this is all about, or even that I can make a good leader. So I won't be. If you're expecting an authoritarian figure who simply tells you what to do and how to do it, I'm not for you. That doesn't mean I'll let you run around and do whatever you want however; we must remember our direction. However, this direction, this goal will be fulfilled as a team, not simply as a lord and his subjects! Those of you here who want to have your voice heard, who are not content with blind obedience to a single dictator, join me!!! Let us be equals amongst one another! This is not authoritarian, or laissez-faire, but a democratic grouping! Do not let yourself be swayed by the honeyed words of deceivers and manipulators..." Dodge-256 took a good, long look at the rest of the self-proclaimed leaders in the group.

IC: Green

Green didn't trust Phogen. Or Chekquars. Dodge was sounding a little pretentious as well. So she threw her lot in with Caoutchouc. "Hey, sorry about earlier," she whispered.

IC: Omega

Omega had a sinking feeling in his heart. "Who do you want in your team exactly?"

IC

Caoutchouc extended his rubbery arms to snare Green and Mahrika into a hug.

"I am glad to have your faith."

IC: "BROTHER I AM HERE" a clear voice rang out as you walk to Cao's group, eyeing your new teammates curiously.

"Hi there. I'm The Snake-Faced Kid. I yell at things and beat them up." I say jokingly, snapping off a sharp salute at our chosen leader.

IC: Xara, Exxan and The Twins.

Xara stayed standing beside Phogen. She knew where she would be most useful.

Exxan wavered, uncertain. Phogen had too many allies to fit them into one team of five. Which gave him an idea. He approached The Twins, tapping them both on the shoulder to get their attention. He told them what he had planned, and the duo nodded in agreement.

"I will lead a team!" he announced, The Twins standing to either side of him. "Who else will join me?"

OOC: I'm assuming this fight is taking place a few hours before this whole new assignment, so while Chekquars might opt out of it, Hashan is free to go via time-skip/time split, because with Palma here, it won't matter if he wins or loses.

IC: Chekquars (Infirmary Doorway)

Well, apparently this one didn't care about his face. Chekquar would continue, but he could start to feel Hashan pressing down on his throat in much the same way as Chekquars himself had just done to Vir. Growling in protest, Chekquars reached up to where Hashan was grabbing him and shoved his claws into little exposed areas where the armor stopped to allow the hand full movement. While they would normally be covered, as Hashan was reaching inwards his arms were spread further apart than his hands, leaving those gaps exploitable. 

Chekquars knew this from experience. 

Zakaro

IC Mahrika

Chirox Causeway

Mahrika fought his way free of Caoutchoc's limbs.

"I'm not joining you out of FAITH. I'm only with you because I'm taking a risk and giving you my cautious trust."

Mahrika regarded the insect-covered Green. Would she make a good ally, or would she prove to be devious and ambitious like Phogen? And that Snake-Faced Kid...was there anything behind his façade of bluster and violence?

"In any case, I think we should come up with a system for decision-making. I'd say that in cases where we have time to deliberate we should put it to a vote. If we don't have time for that, the leader gets to decide. Finally, if the other four members all agree, they can abolish the leader and choose a new one, and the old leader has to follow them."

Mahrika was proud of himself for suggesting the democratic system; it was based on councils in Southern Continent villages he'd read about.

IC

 

Caoutchouc extended his rubbery arms to snare Green and Mahrika into a hug.

 

"I am glad to have your faith."

Why was this Rahkshi touching her?

Why was she letting this Rahkshi touch her?

"Um, okay then." She slowly tried to inch out of this uncomfortable position but with more poise than the other Rahk ensnared in the rubbery arms. A fourth Rahkshi approached them; only one more to go. Green sighed inwardly. So much potential to go wrong...

IC: Flash

When Flash heard what Tridax said, she was impressed, if slightly unsure.

I don't think running a team is my thing

She decided to wait and see what the other students would do.

IC Phogen

From her stoic, still smile, nobody could tell Phogen was containing a squeal of delight. Tridax had singled him out. Nothing could make him more ecstatic. And whats more, Exxan was taking charge of a second team! Regardless of how they faired, he was showing promise!

The other teams were shaping up nicely. Green looked like the best leader in the biggest rival group, quickly becoming 'Team Chivalry' in her head, yet was strangely relegated to a back-burner position. Exxan's team posed a threat, but it was a threat he was willing to let overtake if it meant Exxan became a better tool. Was it wrong to think of him as a tool...? Empathy? Unacceptable. He would be honed by this regardless. The Twins as well.

Now, unto business. Time for the usual rounds of praise and strategizing. "Xara, stick around. I need someone to springboard ideas off of. Glass, I assume, will be tagging along as well. Omega, I would like you to be the muscle of this team, our black rook to that idiot's white knight. Allow me to recruit then...."

She cleared her throat, amplifying it slightly, she decided to make this simple. "Your attention..."

Several heads turned to face her, she was idle and comfortable in the spotlight, and wasted little time with contriving a speech. In fact, she modulated her voice to make it even more elegant and casual than it was already. "My team has already nearly filled it's roster. I think that fact alone says more about my reputation as a leader more than anything else. Yet I worry some may not be convinced that my team will be the most successful. I will do my best to assuage those fears. Our team is intelligent collectively, effective tactically, and more than willing to adapt to whatever challenge will be asked of us."

Throughout this, she eyed those in her audience with promise. Flash and Shatter in particular. Her speech flowed with a brief pause. "Think of us like a hand. Not an imprecise, brute device, but a finely crafted mechanism, able to apply both immense force and delicate precision. And we are more than willing to welcome fingers others may reject. That, I feel, is our greatest, if far from solitary, advantage."

She turned and faced Caoutchoc, smiling in a witheringly warm and friendly way. "A bit different than a rhetoric-spewing, brutish, inept knight, or a totalitarian, inflexible king, methinks. With the sort of flexibility and strength this team possesses, I would hearken it more to... say, a queen."

"And at the risk of patronizing my fellow chess fans in the audience, I can safely say one queen can easily demolish a dozen knights."

IC

"Queens are spoiled nobles. Born into power and rank," I eye the collected ranks. "Which of you does that describe? And brutish? Ha! A knight isn't a mere grunt, we're warriors and poets!"

IC Phogen

Unwilling to dignify the rebuttal with verbal sparring, Phogen settled for a simple "Spoiled?" followed by a comically overacted glance down at the shackles on her feet.

IC: Green

"The knight possesses one advantage over the queen that the king, rook, bishop, and pawn lack: the knight moves in an L-pattern, while the other pieces can only move in straight lines." Green wasn't much of a chess person, but she knew enough of it to draw parallels to real life. "The knight can be difficult to move and cannot checkmate the king by itself, but with the right plan, it can dance circles around the queen, blitzing its way across the chessboard, before securing the kill. It also has the advantage of being the first piece other than the pawn to be able to move, and to jump over other pieces."

IC: Xara.

Xara had no interest in games or metaphors. "So you can jump out of the way? Very impressive. As for me..." she drew one of her swords and spun it in a graceful arc, "...I can actually fight."

IC: Exxan.

"Ahem," Exxan interjected, "let's not get ahead of ourselves. Obviously the teams will be competing, but no one has said we'll be fighting each other."

IC: Green

"..."

"... It was a metaphor to describe non-orthodox planning vs 'straight-line' strategy and tactics. It didn't literally mean we'd run away."

IC Phogen

She felt the need to respond to that. "If your leader's earlier speech is any indication, it sounds to me like there will be more smashing and battle cries than strategy. What were the words? 'Forcing your way.' 'Confusing principal'?"

Phogen checked her nails idly. "Certainly does not sound like something with the right plan."

IC: Xara.

"Well, you'd know all about unorthodox tactics, wouldn't you?" Xara challenged Green. "Since you let brainwashed bugs do all of your fighting for you."

Xara had always thought of herself as the alpha female in the student body. Green seemed to think the same of herself.

They were never going to get along.

IC: Green

"I find your use of the ad hominem fallacy disturbing." And with that, Green shut up. She wasn't going to argue with fools who couldn't debate properly.

IC: Flash

Phogen's speech made her grin.

This one will be a great leader, as long as s/he is or has someone watching

their back...

Walking up to them, she said. "Hi, I heard you were looking for a recruit."

IC: Squid

Squid stopped walking towards Phogen. After all, Flash was his friend and Squid didn't want to gyp her out of a good opportunity. 

"It's okay Flash, you can go with them," Squid said to Flash then turned to Omega and Glass, "Sorry guys, I think I'll have to go with someone else."

Squid sadly began to walk away.

IC: Flash

When Squid walked away, Flash felt a twinge of guilt.

We couldn't both get a spot, but who really deserves it? I never asked him to, but then what? I really hate this part of life...

OOC: Sorry if the 'thought areas are confuzing. I'm on my phone.

IC: Glass

Xara's siding with Phogen! We can't possibly be working with that Rahk! We'd be manipulated beyond recognition!

it, what now?

There's the Exxan fellow. That group seems pretty dangerous. And the Cao-something seems pretty driven.

But Xara...

You owe her nothing!

That is sooo cold, man.

###### this, we've thrown our lot in with Phogen and Xara by now. And none of the other groups know us.

IC: Floor

Floor calmly walked up to Caoutchouc and gave Xara a cold glance.

"Better than being the brainwashed bugs. I wonder who that would describe..."

IC: Glass

Me?

Yes, just you.

Glass took a step to Phogen's group, a small but firm sign of allegiance.

Like, forever?

As long as it suits us, maggot brains.

We are maggots, actually.

IC: Exxan.

"Squid! I still got two spaces free." Exxan offered.

IC: Xara.

Xara noticed Glass taking a firm step towards her and Phogen despite Floor's scathing remarks. She reached out and tapped Glass' shoulder to get his attention, giving him a thankful nod once she had.

She knew he didn't trust Phogen, but she hoped he would come around. Xara wasn't stupid; she knew Phogen was manipulative, she'd seen it for herself. But s/he hadn't manipulated Xara, hadn't steered her wrong yet.

And until s/he gave her a reason not to, Xara would continue to trust Phogen.

IC: Squid

"Squid! I still got two spaces free!"

That sounded like Exxan! "Alrighty, I'll join with you," Squid replied with a smile.

IC: Exxan.

Exxan felt kind of smug now. His team was filling up. People were finally starting to acknowledge him, even respect him. And it was all thanks to Phogen. It was s/he who'd given Exxan the confidence to stand up for himself.

He did a quick mental headcount: The Twins, himself, and Squid. That left hin with one spot left to be filled. He didn't know who else to call over, so he decided to wait and see who would come to him.

IC Phogen

She smiled at Exxan and gave him a short nod. He was growing. Good.

Turning to Flash, he read her body language quickly. "I am more than happy to have you aboard. I can tell you your friend there..." She indicated Squid. "...is in good hands."

IC: Exxan & The Twins.

He returned Phogen's nod.

This might have been Exxan's team, but he knew who it was that he followed.

Illusive and Silencer watched the exchange, but said nothing. They knew exactly whose team they were really on, and they were fine with it.

IC: Omega

Omega grinned. The rook was, coincidently, his favourite piece in chess. He nodded respectfully at Exxan. He was earning his team not through manipulative speeches or propoganda but through friendship and confidence. "Caoutchoac is a white knight fool. And his team will be crushed." Omega said.

IC: Tube

By this point, Tube was looking something like a Ruki fish left out of water. They were breathing hard, eyes wide open, frantically searching for their master. The teams were formed. Most of the students had joined someone. It was far too late to try going back inside. They were going to have to make (gulp)... a choice.

That Elastic Rahkshi insulted master, my attacker is on that team with the circular one, and they seem a little too close with that other team.

Luckily, the choice was a fairly simple one. Tube walked up to the Dodge Rahkshi who had been pulled from the sky. They swallowed hard, trying to maintain a semblance of composure.

The first words came out closer to a gasp than intelligible speech. "Hi... I'm Tube."

IC: (Snakey)

Snake rested as Palma healed him. He had been beaten, but he could still take Dodge down in the next assignment.

IC

I knew the powers of The Snake-Faced Kid and Green, banzai and insect control respectively, but the other two...

"What are your powers?"

IC Mahrika

Chirox Causeway

Mahrika listened to the various team leaders debate their extended metaphor likening themselves to board game pieces and sighed, turning away. Could they be any more pretentious? He didn't even like chess.

"What are your powers?"

He returned his attention to Caoutchouc. "I'm Adaptation, actually, not Chain Lightning."

Ic:

"Gah!" Exclaimed Hashan as Chekquars dug his fingers into his hand.

Still, that only made it worse as Hashan pushed deeper.

(Timeskip, causeway).

Curse Chekquars Hashan thought to himself.

After that run-in with him, he had overslept and had to quickly rush his way over the the Causeway, where people were making group.

Balls.

He wandered around, seeing if there was any space.

OOC: Open to interaction.

IC: Dodge-256

Turning to Tube, Dodge nodded. "Dodge-256; the 256th Kraata of Dodge created by... Forget it. Just call me 256. Or Dodge."

IC: Chekquars (Doorway)

He just didn't give up, did he now? Chekquars was beginning to get concerned, much more of this and he might get considered killed. Time for desperate measures, then. 

Twisting against Hashan's grip, Chekquars reached out and grabbed at Hashan's face, clutching onto it with one hand and, his other hand dipping behind him and retrieving an arrow, stabbed towards Hashan's eyes. The other Rahkshi would relatively have two choices: let go and dodge, or keep his hold and get an arrow to the eye.

Zakaro

Ic:

Hashan didn't see the arrow, but he did see Chekquars arm move towards him.

Little too late, as the arrow got him straight in the eye.

Hashan recoiled backwards off of Checkquars, hands on the arrow, screaming in pure agony.

IC Mar'jik:

Mar'jik thought a moment. The last thing he wanted was a leader who was inept or reckless. This Exxan rahk was a scholar. And in teh land of books, patience was a virtue one learned early. And this was how Mar'jik decided to walk over to Exxan and stand with the rest of his team.

IC: Chekquars (Infirmary, time: Past)

Now was the time to act. 

Scrambling upwards and standing on his own feet again, Chekquars backed up a god few feet while getting out his bow and another arrow, a few more seconds and he shot it, aimed at Hashan's chest.

IC: Chekquars (Causeway, time: Present)

The self-styled evil mastermind-in-training was hidden among the shadows, having approached the gathering just a few seconds ago. He had only caught the last part of their Headmaster's speech, but that was enough to realize that it would be best to find Tube and perhaps form a team... though it would be interesting to see just who would stand with him. 

Speaking of Tube, where was that Rahkshi? Chekquars had last seen him in the Infirmary, but had gone off as soon as he had been relatively healed. On the good side, Chekquars had found his lost chain and an arrow, but it seemed to have come at the cost of losing sight of his minion. 

But, nonetheless, it was best to stay in the shadows for now. Yes, staying hidden in the shadows, where it was unlikely one would find him, would be a good place to stay.

Zakaro

IC Vir

Infirmary

Earlier

Hearing a scream from outside the infirmary, Vir carefully opened the door slightly to find out what had happened, and immediately saw that Hashan had an arrow jammed into the eyepiece of his headplate. Gruesome, but welcome. Vir stepped through the doorway and swung their sword straight at Hashan's lower back.

IC Vir

Chirox Causeway

Now

Vir looked from one group to another, nervous about making the choice.. Eventually they settled on a Dodge Rahkshi.

"Is it... okay if I join your team?"

IC: Exxan.

Exxan sized up his final team member. He didn't know them, which could be a good or a bad thing. Only time would tell.

"My team is complete!" he announced loudly.