The first day of autumn is also the first day of the school year. This year, it is a cloudy but still warm day, with gentle winds just strong enough to allow comfortable strolling in sunlit parks. Commonly, children are sent off to the schools with huge packs of candies and warm wished of their parents. If one had the time, one could see them thronging the lanes around numerous public schools. All those uniformed kids, wearing happy smiles, chatting with their classmates and holding candy paint a bright image of the future.

This is not a story about them.

Our heroes wind find themselves navigating narrow gravel paths through the nondescript forest that surrounds Final Stand High. Sounds of the city are more than muted by the dense foliage, and students are left with the rustling of leaves and crunching of gravel underfoot as the only sounds to keep them company. A feeling of alone-ness, along with a contemplative mood creep up upon them as they advance. It takes about fifteen minutes to traverse the forest and arrive at the school building.


Arrayed in front of the entrance are the seven teachers that will care for the new generation. Standing at the forefront is a tall, gaunt man, white-haired and bearded, dressed in the saffron and red robes of a Buddhist monk. The beads of the rosary hanging from his hands are polished to a glass sheen.

"Amituofo." He greets each new student with surprising warmth of voice, and shows them into the pagoda. You know that this is Teacher Sun.

From inside, the building seems hollow, stone walls littered by classroom-sized galleries; ladders and thin walkways connecting the wooden platforms. Numerous windows allow the sounds of the forest to be heard even inside. Many of those have a small bell hanging in them, and occasionally wind or a stray bird might ring one of those, producing a musical tone. Every bell has a different sound. Far above your heads, a golden pearl hangs from the roof. The walls are glazed brick, some carved intricately in various scenes, allegories, and even martial arts techniques.

The space fills up quickly; there are about two dozen beginning students and seven teachers after everyone is assembled. Teacher Sun coughs and takes centre stage. He seems at ease, friendly, and wholly unconcerned by the wild mishmash of students this year has brought in.

"Amituofo. You all know who I am." His gaze seems sharp enough to cause physical pain as he spends a moment to stare at each student. "And I know who you are. I know I will do my utmost to help you grow into respectable persons."

The monk pauses for a breath before continuing, to put particular emphasis on his next words.

"Benevolence. Loyalty. Courage. Righteousness." He pauses to take another deep breath. "Take your time to think about those concepts. Those are the measures of your growth. Those are the measures of our school's success. Those will be your shield against the lies of heretic sects, and help guide you along the shores of rivers and lakes." He smiles thinly, and turns to the other teachers. "These are your teachers. Remember to respect them, always. In return, you will be treated like their treasured children."

"Teacher Ma." A grotesquely fat woman dressed in a flower motif dress (or possibly a sail from a ship?) stands, and gives a friendly wave. "She will teach you about getting into places, unseen."

"Teacher Wang." A slick, athletic man in his late thirties, cocky, with a winning smile. Even the way he bows ever so slightly is flamboyant. Oh, he keeps grinning at the girls like an idiot too. "His expertise is in acrobatics. Learn well from him."

"Teacher Zhang." An almost unassuming man in a sharp black suit, with friendly eyes and a ready smile. "Don't let him talk you out of your allowance. He will teach you about persuading others. A dangerous occupation." Zhang looks almost embarrassed.

"Teacher Li." A short, thin-limbed girl of barely twenty years steps up, dressed in a fire-red traditional dress, and wearing wooden sandals. "She will teach you about using your strength efficiently." There's something familiar about her face - she must be the daughter of Hostess Li.

"Teacher Cao." A bespectacled, hunched man in his late seventies, hands clasped behind his back. "he will teach you about how to do the most with what you have. From improvising shelter to fixing gadgets. If you get on his good side, he might even let you try out some of his inventions." Cao also seems to be embarrassed by this praise, and tries to ward off the words as if they were sharp blades. Teacher Sun just smiles.

"Teacher Hu." A middle-aged man with no real discerning characteristics... until you note the tiger tettoos barely showing around street clothing - and the clothing itself seems to be custom-tailored to appear ordinary. He smiles. One of his teeth is solid gold. "He will teach you to manage your acquaintances better. Don't become an acquaintance of his in the process." Hu laughs and shrugs.

"Finally, my surname is Sun. I shall help you to see Truth more clearly." His modesty comes naturally and easily. "Do you have any questions before we proceed?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:18, Mon 09 Oct 2017.

Lu Zhang made her way through the gravel path, looking around the place every five or so seconds. The first day of school brought, as expected, some butterflies in every student's stomach, and Lu was no different. She was finally at a real martial arts school! Still even with all her excitement, Final Stand High was an odd place. It was hard to believe they were still inside city limits, what with all the greenery and silence. Every detail evoked inner peace and discipline, and the atmosphere felt like they were in a temple. No - at times, it felt like they were in the gardens at the Imperial Palace, minus the luxury and the cronies with silly hats. She frowned for a second and then decided to chat briefly with a nearby new student, to distract herself from thinking about the Palace.

After walking inside, Lu Zhang watched the teachers' introduction, getting a bit fidgety with all this elaborate speech. Part of her wanted to prod some other student and whisper a joke about Teacher Ma's appearance, but Teacher Sun's sharp gaze was enough to dissuade her of any funny ideas for the time being.

When asked for questions, Lu Zhang briefly remembered all the ordinary school kids she'd seen on the way to the school - all neat, uniformed, well-behaved... that reminded her of something very important. "Haaai~" She raised one arm as she called Teacher Sun's attention. "What are the rules at this school? Any uniforms, for instance?" Not that she really intended to follow every rule, but it was useful to know what could and couldn't get her into trouble.

Kagero walked into the school with a bored expression on his face. Despite the far out cry of how different the entire setting of the school was more than different from the dark of the Red Light District, Kagero never cared too much about it. As Kagero walked, taking in the view, he had his minds on other things, things not related to the school at all.

As Kagero entered in with the others, Kagero stood next to Lu Zhang, more out of chance than anything. As Teacher Sun gave each student a stern and sharp gaze, Kagero returned his gaze with a simple raised eyebrow. Afterword, Kagero focused on some of the other students than fully listening to Teacher Sun's introduction. Kagero was more wondering about the other students that he would be spending time with, rather than the teachers he would most likely have little interaction with.

Though Kagero did give a lasting look at the Teacher Li, as she did remind Kagero of the hostess from way back when. He also wondered if she would make the same mistake the Hostess did. Afterwards, Kagero didn't say much, and listening to Lu Zhang's question, he briefly looked at his own appearance for a moment. Though brushed it off, as he was determined to keep his appearance the way it was, at least for now. Other than that, Kagero listened to Teacher Sun's awnswer.

A lit cigarette hung from Daigo’s lips as he walked with the rest of the students. He wore a white tank top with a big black jacket slung around his shoulders. He also wore grey pants and black boots that crunched against the pathway. Daigo was a big kid for his age, skin stretched over pounds of muscle.

Daigo surveyed the other students, sizing them all up as they got to the teachers. He was excited to begin, his time in the Red District gave him a platform to practice his skills, but the thugs he beat up were getting boring. Daigo wanted some real action, he wanted to bleed and sweat for his victories.

He looked Teacher Sun dead in the eye, taking a big drag from his cigarette and grinning.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 14:50, Thu 12 Oct 2017.

Mei strolled onto the grounds casually. She was dressed pretty much how she was always dressed, with slightly dirty coveralls, dusty red hair, and a faded shirt. A pair of old sneakers adorned her feet. She mostly wore them to the school because she expected they'd probably not let her walk around barefoot.

She ended up in the same general vicinity as Kagero and Lu Zhang as the latter asked her question. She stayed quiet and attentive for the moment, not reacting overly much at the introduction of the teachers. This was just a general welcome to the year type of thing. Nothing huge to get excited over, in her mind.

Teacher Sun shrugged. "Uniforms? Why, we had some a few years back. It all ended... in an unfortunate avalanche of events, caused by someone altering the cut of the girls' uniforms. Made them a bit... short." He shoots an accusing stare at teacher Wang, who seems to be absorbed in studying the tips of his feet just at that moment. "So, no uniforms. They are a pitiful material trapping anyways. You ought to better your character instead of paying attention to such trifles." He doesn't comment on Lu's fancy battle-gear. "As for the rules - I believe I outlined them already. Listen to your teachers and work on yourself." He seems to count on his students to find the right path.

Lu's perception is just good enough to pick out one of the students - a tall, dark haired military brat - she's seen him around the palace before. A son of one of the minor noble families. His being here is surely a coincidence, right?

Kagero knows that teacher Zhang has strong connections to his Black Tortoise Gang, and favors are owed both ways. If necessary, his advice and even protection can always be counted on. The two are semi-acquainted, having seen each other numerous times in the Red District, and even participating in some negotiations - on the same side, of course.

Apart from Zhang, there's another face Kagero finds familiar. The big, scarred kid with a cigarette is Daigo Tatsuya, a low-ranking member of the Black Tortoises. There was never any direct dealings between the two, but they knew each-other by reputation.

Meanwhile, Daigo tries to fix Teacher Sun's gaze, but without success. The old monk is far too experienced to let such a young whippersnapper challenge him. Perhaps the day will come... but not this year. But it's not like Daigo's entrance and demeanor didn't bear any fruit, however. One of the female students, a short and pretty thing, stares at him, starry-eyed.

In contrast to the others, Mei is apparently invisible. She can't shake the feeling that someone is watching her, however. It's a disconcerting sensation, unlike any she's experienced before. After a few moments looking around, she finally determines that the sharp gaze fixating her comes from somewhere far above her - from somewhere near the golden pearl hanging from the ceiling fifty meters in the air.

Mei didn't like feeling like she was being watched, not without knowing who was doing the watching. She glanced around a little bit, noticing that she hadn't attracted that much attention so far, which was fine by her. But still, there was that feeling.

She glanced upwards, noticing the pearl above them all. That was where the source of the watching sensation was coming from. But with it being that far up, someone would have to make themselves known to her in order for her to spot who it was watching her.

She was glad to hear there wouldn't be uniforms though. Those were just another hassle and there was no way that, with where she lived, she could keep it clean enough. Not with her job.

Lu Zhang lowered her arm and nodded as Teacher Sun finished his answer. "Listen to your teachers and work on yourself"... those were quite liberal rules, huh. Just the way she liked them! At the very least, the bit about uniforms meant that clothes were mostly a non-issue - surely a benefit for Lu, who liked to dress stylish.

As she directed her attention to the other students, Lu Zhang saw a familiar face from the Palace. That guy was from a noble family too, wasn't him? His father was... and certainly his style was... hm... she couldn't remember right away. She kept looking at him for a while, though. Even if her memory wasn't helping now, maybe he would show some telling reaction if he noticed her. She waited to see if their eyes met, and if they did she would wink at him in response.

... They were on good terms, right?

Daigo scoffed at Teacher Sun, but he knew that one day he'd be able to challenge him one day. Just a matter of time. He thought, dropping the cigarette to the ground and stepping on it with his boot.

He glanced to the girl staring at him and chuckled. "See something you like, sweetheart?"

Daigo stood there, the sleeves of his jacket flapping lazily in the wind. He was grateful for the lack of uniforms, he liked to fight with as less clothes as possible.

Qi-yun had walked into the school in a daze, seeming almost like a vagrant in his Ratty loose fitting canvas clothing, and his eyes half lidded. As every one Gathered in front of the Teachers Qi-yun took a spot next to Daigo and craned his neck to peer into the shining reflections of the large golden orb over head.

"See something you like, sweetheart?" Daigo's voice snapped Qi-yun to the present where he had zoned out through Teacher Sun's introduction's.

Qi with out so much as glancing in Daigo's direction, or thinking to check if the man had been talking to him responded. "Yeah, the ceiling ornament is really pretty."

If Qi-yun seemed almost like a vagrant, Leng hit the mark like a bulls-eye.  While his rather generic clothing was fitting for a student attending a school like Final Stand and seemed to actually be of decent quality, they were extremely worn to the point that any more respectable person would have replaced them long ago.  If that wasn't enough, he was entirely barefoot as well, bare soles padding near silently over the floors of the towering school.  It was enough to draw curled lips and pointed gazes from some of the more haughty students, but if Leng noticed he didn't acknowledge them.  In fact, while he was paying attention to the announcements made by Teacher Sun, he seemed preoccupied by some other nebulous thought.

Unsurprisingly, he didn't recognize any of the other gathered students; his list of acquaintances was incredibly short, and only three people on that list were in the "good company" portion.  New faces, for the moment, were good faces.  Although he was sure that would change soon.  He welcomed it.  Like Master Li said, "As fire cleanses the forest, conflict hones the Warrior.  Seek out conflict, and you will grow".  As far as Leng was concerned, that meant everyone here were his Rivals.  Whether they could be friends as well remained to be seen.

Lu Zhang's efforts to make eye contact are successfully countered. It seems the young noble is intent to not have any contact with her, which is extremely suspicious. She recalls his name - Fu Zhen - and that he was always training with the bodyguard regiment of the house guards. Funny that he should be here...

Daigo's voice and attention makes the girl blush beet red; she averts her gaze downwards immediately and starts stammering some sort of apology. She didn't really mean to stare, it seems. If Daigo would forgive her, she'd be very grateful. Here, she made lunch for today, would he like some? She can get him some cigarettes as well if he's out...

Loud, booming laughter echoes inside the pagoda. Students and teachers look up, bewildered. A figure pushes off from the pearl hanging far above, and plunges head-first straight down to the center stage, where the teachers stand. About ten meters up the person flips over, and despite all logic the fall becomes a gentle descent, until it ends in a soft, noiseless touchdown between students and teachers. The person must be using a high-ranked lightness skill to have such control.

Once close up, everyone can get a good look at the intruder. It is a powerfully built, bald man, garbed in browns and yellows. Tattoos in black ink dot his scalp and arms. His eyes are pitch black, with no whites at all. Green veins stand out on his arms.

"Yes, work on yourself. But don't work in the wrong direction. Or you might end up like the Demon Whip Empress." The short pause in his words is spent staring poisonously at teacher Sun. "Dead!" The words are spat out like deadly missiles.

But the monk brushes the sharp words aside. "Getting immersed in heretical arts has its price." Sun sounds reasonable, even conciliatory. "I warned her."

"You killed her!" The intruder roars, pointing at the monk. The very force of the man's voice forces the other teachers a step back - but not Teacher Sun. The old monk looks almost regretful, toying with his rosary.

"So I did. I regret taking a life." Sun shakes his head; his sincerity holds back the accusation like a vast dam holds the endless ocean. There is an uncomfortably long moment of silence, and a fight seems inevitable.

At least until Teacher Zhang steps forward. He cups his hands in a polite greeting. "The Five Venoms Dragon honors us with his visit. Would Sir not rather sit down and discuss this calmly? After all, there are students here." The other teachers would not stand by idly if a fight starts, his posture implies. Teacher Ma is right behind him; the murderous glint in her eyes makes her seem like an ill-tempered, excessively violent bear.

After an endlessly long couple of seconds, the intruder turns around. His eyes rest on Mei Sung; then he lightly jumps up to one of the windows in the first gallery, and is already outside.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:38, Thu 19 Oct 2017.

Mei remained calm and watchful as the man descended. Having determined there was someone up there made his appearance less surprising to her than to some of the others, she imagined. She didn't immediately recognize the man and was unsure exactly why he gave her such a look before he left. Perhaps it was because she had sensed him well above them, or perhaps he had some other reason. It would be a question for another day, and perhaps for someone else.

She remained silent as the man left and turned to face the teachers, waiting to see what they were asked to do next. This was a school and she was reasonably sure the teachers would be telling them something akin to staying here for the time being. It was a place to train in their martial ways, so maybe this stuff was comparatively normal? None of the teachers had seemed that surprised either.

Kagero gave a look towards Teacher Zhang and Daigo, as they seemed to be slight acquaintances of his, and more importantly of the Black Tortoise gang. For a moment, Kagero wondered that if they were here, who else could be apart of a gang from the red-light district.

Kagero would notice Daigo's small comment and was surprised to see that he already had a fan of some sort. Though whether it was that girl, or the boy who responded to him, Kagero was unsure.

As the situation went on, and the laughing occurred, Kagero looked upwards, bewildered as the others were as to the source. As the man came down, and did his song and dance, Kagero watched quietly and calmly. Kagero wasn't scared of the man, nor of what he could do, not because of confidence of his own abilities, but more confidence in the teacher's ability.

As the mysterious man gave a stare at Mei Sung, Kagero cracked a small smile, as he involuntarily uttered to himself.

"Now that's interesting"

Kagero gave a small stare at Mei Sung as well, as he wondered more about why she was the one he decided to look at, instead of every other person here. If Mei Sung were to look back at Kagero, he would give her a smile before turning back to face the teachers and see what they would say, and if they would address what had just occurred with them.