1995/Threads of Fate: The Honnouji Naturals Election

Threads of Fate: The Honnouji Naturals Election
Date of Scene:	09 April 2015
Location:	KLK Earth <KLK>
Synopsis:	The Naturals Election is in full swing, with the entire school battling it out for the highest rankings in Honnouji!
Cast of Characters:	Tomoe, 20, 95, 140, 162, 353, 381, 430, 558, 627, 678
Tinyplot:	Threads of Fate (Part 1)

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Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Late afternoon finds the massive courtyard of Honnouji Academy packed with students... although, to those familiar with the place, perhaps not so packed as it was before the Naturals Election. The herd has been thinned, so to speak. Or rather, it's thinned itself.

    Most of the remaining students look just a little bit leaner, just a little bit meaner. They've spent this past week (YES, WEEK, THERE IS NO TIME SHENANIGANS HERE, MOVE ALONG) fighting tooth and nail every single day to retain what status they have, to claim it from others. There are a few students here who didn't used to have Two-Star Uniforms, that now do. There are a couple of former Two-Star students sporting One- or even No-Star Uniforms. Nearly every one of them, however, sports some collection of bruises, cuts and scrapes, proof of the past week's violence and conquest, save perhaps for a few who got by on smarts or cowardice... and, of course, for the Elite Four, standing among the populace with nary a scratch on them or their Three-Star Uniforms.

    It is above this motley crowd of fiercely competitive students that the crimson field that has protected and obscured Satsui's tower this past week finally fades and disaperses. With clear, bright sunlight shining down, the Queen of Honnouji appears before her subjects for the first time in a week, heel clacking against her platform as she assumes the posture of the supreme authority she is. "Fellow comrades of Honnouji Academy! You have done well to struggle through this week of mortal combat, and arrive here to take part in this Naturals Election! However, your battle has only just begun!"

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
Rock Lee is an absolute stamina beast, but he's largely been fighting grunts so far, and hasn't really pulled out anything big. He knows that once it narrows down, things are going to get very serious. Somewhere along the lines, because he's a ninja highly trained in infiltration, he grabbed a No-Star uniform. He's unsure of what the starred ones actually do to make people stronger, so chooses to play it safe. Plus he doesn't want to cheat!

So now he stands there in his uniform, arms still wrapped in bandages, and his legs still in orange leg warmers with his usual sneaker sandals. But who knows what ninja trickery he's used to hide his chuunin vest. Right now, other than the mentioned modifications and lack of real damage to his body, he looks like any other student.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Her first trip to this world, and she finds herself at a school of some sort. At least there might be some fun out of this visit, however. How many schools have brawling as part of the election process, after all? Not that Toph intends to be a dutiful student here, but if it will help out the Union and Ryuko, then why not? Especially if she gets to kick some ass.

    Heading up the stairs leading to the academy she can't help but wonder why there's a trend to put schools on top of hills, but the earthbending master seems to not have a single scratch on her as she steps through the gates, possibly quite shorter than most of the students and dressed in a far more casual manner as she sports her usual bending clothes.

    As Toph hears Satsuki speak up she makes her way through the crowd, noting how injured some of the people here seem to be. And she does her best to pick out just where Ryuko is amidst all these people. And... huh, what is Rock Lee doing here? This ought to be interesting. So are they all just going to fight in a huge brawl here or what? Most of these people seem like ordinary people who would have no chance against Elites...

Yagami Hayate (558) has posed:
Hayate has shown up! She is mostly here to watch, because while the idea horrifies her, she IS trying to inure herself to how things work in different worlds... and Satsuki was someone she knew. She isn't competing, and is in her wheelchair! Obviously not going to compete in any form! Shamal isn't either, the green-clad young woman pushing Hayate's wheelchair. Not that the young girl needs the chair, now, but it's still more comfortable for longer days.

And if anyone DID attack, the short redhead in pigtails beside her is wearing a grouchy face that looks like a mini-Satsuki, minus the eyebrows. Vita will not let anyone touch Hayate, but she's behaving for now.

Zephyr Windstar (162) has posed:
    Zephyr's here with Toph, the taller Mage standing in her Barrier Jacket and resting her Device lazily across her shoulders. "Those guys back there were pitiful. I almost let one get a punch in because I felt sorry for him." she comments to Toph, looking herself rather unscratched, though there's some scuff marks on her breastplate and at points along the Axe's haft and blades.

    She turns her odd eyes over the crowd. This is her first time here, so the uniforms mean nothing to her, though by association she can probably figure out that 'More Stars = Stronger'. That's how this stuff works, right?

    "No sign of Feds yet... but keep your senses open." she says to Toph, while focussing for a moment, spalling off a quartet of Area Search wisps set to Visual Feed. They disseminate around to get a wider picture, but can't detect energy signals, only provide a visual feed.

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
    There's a Fed here! Or at least, there will be in a moment. A pink streak cuts across the sky before the crowd is joined by a small girl in a while, modest-looking uniform, bearing a staff. TAKAMACHI NANOHA lands somewhere in the crowd, eyes wide when she sees the various cuts and scrapes. Her expression doesn't change as she looks all around, taking in the strangeness of another world again.

    It's not like she's never seen another world or even a strange world, it just doesn't look like what she expected Satsuki's world to look like.

    Speaking of Satsuki, she finally looks up that way when the speech begins, starting to wave... then thinking better of it and just listening. If Satsuki catches her eyes, though, she'll give the older girl a quick smile.

Tomoe has posed:
Sheena's been playing it oddly here, while she's had dawn breaker with her? Also Tizona is with her to provide protection, she's been keeping her avatar as an ace in the whole. This might be foolish, but it seems to be working so far all things considered. She's looking a bit beat up but she's still breathing. She looks up to Satsuki as she makes her announcement, wondering just what's going to come next.

She looks to Zephyr, then Toph before she turns her gaze over near by the group. She's trying to pick out people who are threats, even the no stars are considered, as after all? Some of them did claw their way up this week.

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
A declaration of supremacy through battle? A path to power and social order through establishing dominance? The creation of a new order through upheaval and the survival of the fittest?

It gets the attention of certain people.

Atop one of the buildings, a shadowed form looks down over the schoolyard, the overwrought evnvironment and the remains of the studeny body vausing a thin twitch in their mouth. Even the arrival of the Elites does not seem to stay the man from what they are to do. There is a sudden rush of air, and a flip from the building as Souji Murasame lands down into the middle of the courtyard with a crack of thunder in a three-point landing. Weaker students might be throw away with the simple sound of his arrival. He stands, looking around the area with a measuring gaze. He wears no uniform, but an impeccably-tailored business suit and a pair of glasses that show faint signs of having an HUD of some kind in them. At his side is a sheathed blade.

He does not address the Elites or even the students, simply beginning to walk towards the Tower with a measured pace. Perhaps someone will try to stop him. Perhaps not. He is showing to be in no hurry, almost as if his actions dare the students present to try to interdict him. Satsuki will have plenty of time to make her speech, however. He has no plans to interrupt such a production.

Laer (353) has posed:
    There's another Fed here, too! One who looks out of place even by the weird standards of this place; Laer's just wearing her normal light leather armor, though in deference of the local stylings she's drawn three stars on it across her midriff in black Sharpee. She'll let Satsuki give her speech, not necessarily being here to fight so much as for a good story to tell later, though she's probably going to end up fighting as part of that.

    She's brought the Electric Eclectic Bass along with her. It's strapped on her back, and occasionally crackles with electricity.

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    And, of course, Ryuko is going to show. She's down in the courtyard, with all the other students, looking just fine. Having a Kamui does give you quite the advantage, and while a club or two has come after her over the last week, they didn't prove much of an issue. Arms crossed, she's just glaring daggers up at Satsuki, high up on her perch. And waiting.

This is her chance, if nothing else. No one ever said she can't go straight for the top, so that's her plan. Fight through whoever she has to, and make it to Satsuki. And then toss her down from that high pedastal of hers. Maybe beat out some answers, while she's at it.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Many have gathered. Some of them allies. Some of them enemies. Some, she doesn't even recognize. But that's fine. Simply by being here, they are serving her ends splendidly. Satsuki is content to simply take in their arrivals, their presence, committing it to memory. And all in the space of a heartbeat; the event is, after all, only just beginning. "Every battle within the city limits of Honnou Town over the past week has been recorded. Your performance has been analyzed, your struggles measured! From this week of struggle, the new generation of Two- and One-Star Students will be determined. However, for my Student Council, only the best will be tolerated! Only those to whom excellence comes naturally, even when they have faced endless struggle! Therefore..."

    The ground begins to rumble beneath everyone's feet.

    "I will be designating new Three-Star students based on the results of the battle here!"

    Beneath everyone's feet, the earth splits open. Two huge, wide columns begin to rise up. Broad across the top, with ample room for several people to stand on each, the twin columns turn and rise until they stand high above the courtyard. Their sides lined with tremendous spikes, circled by a spiralling, rail-less staircase, there is no question whatsoever about what they are meant for. Even so, Satsuki declares it without hesitation.

    "There are two towers in the schoolyard! The groups capable of holding the territory atop these towers will be considered the prime candidates for my Student Council! Fight, and climb, and stand your ground! If you wish to claim Three-Star status within Honnouji Academy, YOU WILL TAKE IT BY FORCE!!"

Sagat (95) has posed:
If anyone is maintaining a scorecard for the Naturals Election, Sagat is probably running lower than the Bookies Club calculated - mostly because he hasn't been going out and picking fights, but has been largely waiting for fights to come to him. A number of his challengers have actually had One-Star uniforms, and the occasional rare Two-Star has even been gunning for him, mostly to eliminate a likely threat.

You could say, then, that Sagat has been something of a crouching tiger for the duration. Just don't mistake him for a *paper* tiger, because he absolutely is as dangerous as he seems when he stops acting like 'just another student'.

He's not far from Ryuko and the rest of the Fight Club at this point; his only concession to the fact that this is about to be a battleground is that his otherwise-pristine uniform jacket is hanging open, exposing a perfectly normal shirt underneath it. It's a little extra freedom of movement, which seems to be all he needs ...

Well. That, and the fact that his hands and feet are wrapped for battle.

When Satsuki makes her final announcement and the towers rise, Sagat nods once - mostly to himself, partly to his allies - and heads for the towers without any hesitation whatsoever. He doesn't have much interest in being on the student council, mind you - but being able to claim that one of those top slots is rightfully his would be a MAJOR point of pride, even if he never activates whatever uniform he may earn.

So whoever tries to get in Sagat's way had better be prepared, because they'll be trying to take the tiger by the tail.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "If somebody wants to punch me in the face, then they better earn it," Toph declares to Zephyr. "Can you see Ryuko? It's a bit hard to tell all these people apart." It's probably good to clear things up with her since this is her home turf.

    Ah, there are the Feds.

    Toph frowns slightly, narrowing her eyes as Souji makes a dramatic entrance. then here's Laer and Nanoha who stand out, even though Toph can't remember running into them before.

    So they are chosing the student council today, huh? This will be... huh, what's happening to the ground?

    As the twin columns rise Toph shifts, entering a bending stance as the terms are stated. "Zeph! The one closest to us!" she calls to the other Unionite, and then she kicks into the ground. The earth underneath her feet shoot up as she launches herself through the air... and up towards the top of the column itself. Better gang up with the other Unionites as it has the highest chance of dominating this column!

Zephyr Windstar (162) has posed:
    Zephyr nods at the call "Alright, you take the low road, I'll provide cover from the air." she replies, kicking off the ground then... huh, okay apparently the Earth Bender /can/ fly! Well whatever.

    Zephyr takes flight, four wings of purple light spreading from her shoulderblades as she flits off into the air. "Ready Dee? Jetstream Impulse, Vanish Shift." she notes to her Device as she holds it ready. <YES! JETSTREAM IMPULSE!> replies the AI, forming a fusillade of purple light motes around the Mage as she flies... though she doesn't open fire just yet.

    Lets see who goes for this tower first.

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
Rock Lee immediately begins running for the column that Sagat heads for, mostly because the man is -massive- and seems like a good challenge if he makes it up as well. His eyes widen as he finally gets a good look at Satsuki, and then he pieces it all together.

"The Eyebrow Goddess!" he says in sudden realization, taking a deep breath. He's not sure where exactly this is going to lead, but he's already starting to punch people on his way to the stairs. "WAAACHOOO!!!" right before someone goes spinning away. "Alright, I will show her that I am worthy of joining this school, regardless of my allegiances!"

He looks quite intense, his eyebrows are -made- for intensity. No normal eyebrows could handle this level of tension.

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
Souji pauses as he looks up to the tower, listening attentively. Student council. Souji knows well the value of the Council. He's the president of his, after all. There is a moment of consideration. He looks back to the Elites who arrived, and then to the towers that erupted from the area. Mental calculations are run, tactics assimilated, and potential allies and enemies estimated.

He does not object to such a selection methodology. In fact, perhaps he should take a page from this book for their next elections at Alexander Academy.

It would be far more... entertaining.

There is a simple shift in direction. He moves with calm, unflincing grace and an implacable step as he mounts the stairs to begin climbing towards the top of one of the towers, the one that Toph and Zephyr is /not/ ascending. There is no need to rush like a fool. The weak will rush ahead and lose strength in the struggle for the top. He will then arrive and make a final demonstration if necessary.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe listens for a moment and she wonders for a moment about just what's going on and now she gets it. She pauses for a mention at the mention of new three star students? Okay this is pretty big time here. So they got to get the towers and hold it, this was going to be rough she thought.

"Oh this is going to be crazy."

She looks to Toph for a moment and she's going to fall in with Toph and Zeph, she's sure as heck not going alone on this.

Laer (353) has posed:
    There's really two ways Laer could go about this. One would be to compete the way that Satsuki had invited her to, to try to become part of the student council. Laer, however, was a little on the old side for that, and had quite enough responsibilities to be getting on with, even if the uniform might be nice.

    The alternate way is to try to make as many others as she can miserable for her own amusement and maybe end up scooping up a win at the last minute. that's the way she's going to start with, and as such she's going to be reaching way, way, way, WAY down in her bag of magical tricks to the lowest of the low, that refuge of the desperate.

    At least the incantation for her isn't actually a few bars out of 'You're the one that I want' though it might as well be.

    In any case, as she whistles a few bars of something, a black glob of goop forms in her hand, and the grease spell will fly out and coat the column that Toph and Zephyr are ascending.

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
    "Mn," Nanoha murmurs, hearing the challenge. "That doesn't seem like a good way to choose... but oh well. VESTA! You want to come out and play?" She opens her satchel and lets the little gray cat leap out, the kittenish feline stretching and shaking herself with a low meow.

    "Of course, Mistress!" In a flash, the cat is an adult cat-woman, and scampering upward. By 'scampering' we mean doing a giant leap, actually. She doesn't seem to have taken the time to actually choose a side, she's just leaping in and bopping whomever comes close. At the moment, that's nobody challenging for her level of power, but if one of the more serious students or a Unionite comes after her, that could get dicey.

    "Oh... hello, Miss Windstar!" Nanoha calls out to Zephyr cheerily as she too lifts off! She's just going up into the air, holding her staff at the ready, but unlike Vesta she isn't being aggressive. She's keeping her distance for now, either to wait out the worst of the fighting or just to watch. She's betting that most here can't fly, and that will keep her out of trouble.

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Ryuko's not entirely intimidated by the towers, and Satsuki's announcement. Hell, this is more how she'd prefer things! She doesn't bother transforming, just yet. Most of these students are scrubs, to be honest, and her goal is getting to the top of one of the towers. So, up she goes! She sprints, smacking a number of other students out of the way, with fists, feet, and her scissor.

And she doesn't bother with the stairs, either. She's running straight up the damn thing, pushing off the giant spikes sticking out of the thing on her way, to keep up momentum. Unless someone specifically aims to stop her, she's got a good chance of getting to the top.

Yagami Hayate (558) has posed:
Hayate still hangs back, and then says, "Go ahead, Vita!"

That's to Vita, who grins, "Thanks, Hayate!" She shoots off into the air, Graf Eisen manifesting into her hands. It's Nanoha that she targets, heading straight for the flying girl and shouting out, "Takamachi Whatever! I never got a good match with you!" Several shimmering steel balls blast out toward Nanoha abruptly, leaving Vesta alone.

Around Hayate, Shamal just smiles and claps her hands, setting up an intricate web of mana wires to impede anyone who goes after her charge.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Zephyr and Toph take the initiative in claiming a tower, and they won't find it a particularly extensive effort. Much like most of the the Elites present, the majority of the Two-Star students are wary enough to not immediately rush the tower. A few hotheaded ones do, but the bulk of the initial horde is made up of One-Star and No-Star combatants. And even the One-Stars fold like a sheet of paper in front of any of the Elites present.

    More than one student takes a swing at Toph as soon as she lands, but they're rank amateurs. Even in a group clustered around a Two-Star leader carrying a great big glowy red saw, the Earthbender could almost certainly dispatch them on her own with little effort. With Tomoe ascending the column as well, they're going to be child's play to drive off (or throw off).

    Rock Lee ends up at the base of that column, and the nearby students immediately begin operating under the assumption that he's with Toph; the end result is that they all start swarming towards him, and making handy targets for his fist. Even the Two-Star with a positively /fabulous/ uniform that looks like it was taken right out of a fashion magazine.

    Meanwhile, the other tower is the site of fierce competition among the riff-raff, all of whom are far beneath Souji Murasame even when they stand on the steps above him. It looks as if a good-sized group intends to mob him off the stairs, but before they can even begin close, they run into a wall in the shape of a man. Just two foolish students dare to challenge Ira Gamagoori, and both of them regret it for the three seconds they remain conscious. He then turns to fall into step behind Souji with a simple, "We're honored to have a Confederate ally with us." It only takes a second or two for the other three to fall into step behind him, as well.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    And of course, Laer's little act of sabotage is going to make life painful for the students as well. Most of them are completely unprepared for the grease trap, and whatever chills they might have felt at the sight of so many strong enemies are certainly multiplying now that they have to contend with the column itself. A few sharp-eyed One-Star students are quick-eyed enough to realize that Laer is the one that they want to beat up over this, and turn to start marching her way.

    Of course, one smart way to bypass that issue is to bypass the stairs entirely, and look at Ryuko go. There's not a One-Star in the school who could stand up to her even untransformed. It's like parting a grey sea, especially with how many of them want to go after the Transfer Student in specific. But they don't even stand a chance at stopping her before she reaches the top with Toph.

    All told, TOPH, TOMOE and RYUKO have taken the top of their tower, with ZEPHYR and VITA lying in wait above it and ROCK LEE at the base. Meanwhile, SOUJI and THE ELITE FOUR have laid claim to the other, with NANOHA in the air while VESTA cheerfully joins Souji and the Four and begins to pound on any enemies in reach. SAGAT and HAYATE AND SHAMAL are currently more or less invisible to the horde already rushing the columns. LAER, on the other hand, is garnering some attention for her magic...

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Toph crashes down on top of the column, and she immediately feels the somebody swinging out at her. But the blind girl quickly counters the swing with a quick hand movement, sending the student flying off of the column with a well placed earthen spike. Where she stands she has no trouble feeling the vibration carry throughout it as the horde of students do their best to scale the columns. And just after she lands and disposes of that one student she hears whistling... and then there's something slippery and icky covering the column. Toph nearly slips, but she manages to regain her balance with a sour look on her face. "HEY!" It's a good thing that she is so steady on her feet! In the direction of the whistling it seemed like one of the Feds threw something...?

    "You asked for it!" Toph yells, deciding to handle this earthbender style! So she throws her aside, making the outer layer of the column turn into dust that absorbs the grease, all before she lashes out with her hand and bends the entire mass together into one sticky blob... that she sends flying toward Laer's face.

    With the other Unionites joining her she takes a deep breath, assuming a defensive stance. Better wait with her idea until Sagat and Lee have made their way up the column as well.

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Top of the world, or so it would seem! Ryuko's sitting pretty on her new perch, though it's still considerably lower than Satsuki's. Still, here she is. "I don't need a Three-star.. I'm sure you know that. But, for now, I'm gonna have you answer all my questions, once this stupid election is all over!" She points at the other girl with her weapon, her Kamui transforming from it's school uniform appearance, to the more flashy and revealing combat state.

"And if I gotta beat it outta you, that's fine too!"

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
Rock Lee is not the typical showy martial artist most of the time. He sends one student's teeth flying, kicks another directly in the gut as he skillfully tilts his entire body to put the full force of his form into the blow. Bones can be heard cracking but for the most part he's just knocking people unconscious.

And then he notices the Two-Star, squinting. He looks down at his own no-star uniform, considering his position. "You are a Two-Star! That makes you more powerful than normal. I am unsure of the nature of these uniforms, if they are magic or not, so I will fight you in this! My name is Rock Lee, now we will fight!" He doesn't waste any time, he dashes forward and immediately tries to punch the Two-Star in the jaw with a right hook, then aims for the nose with a -left-.

As nice as Lee may be, he doesn't seem to hold back at all, he just seems to be trying to get through this opponent to get to the stairs.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Toph will find the column's material easy enough to bend; it's particularly high-quality concrete and steel, but it's still just concrete and steel. However, removing the grease from the column also makes things easier for the students who have yet to try and ascend. Like, for example, the young man with a skillet in his left hand and a rapier in his right. Nimble and agile, he works his way up with a few smacks to other students as he goes, coming up over the edge of the platform and flourishing his right-hand weapon. "Honnouji Academy Combined Athletics-Cooking Club President, Musashi Katsuta! Have at thee!"

Sagat (95) has posed:
Let the younger (and more foolish) students burn up energy racing to the top of the pillars; they'll be easier pickings while they're trying to catch their breath. Most of them will, anyway. Sagat is content to pace himself at a brisk walk, although he shows few qualms about going around slower (or more belligerent) students. A few of them seem to have cottoned to the potential threat that he represents, too, so the Muay Thai fighter is starting to dispense beatings and bludgeonings as the need presents itself. In due course, he reaches the bottom of a tower and starts climbing ...

"TORAJIMA!!! THIS TIME YOU'RE GOING DOWN!!!"

Sagat pauses, recognizing the former president of the Automotive (and Automotive Airsoft) Club ... then uses him as a foothold to climb up over the side of the stairs. The erstwhile auto enthusiast grabs for Sagat's leg, trying to yank him off - and gets kicked in the face for his troubles. Then another two students are slung off the stairs and land right on top of him, with Sagat beginning his ascent in earnest.

Still pacing himself, though.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe has been fighting fairly well and she's been using her blade still sheathed for the moment as she fights along side Toph and Ryuko. There's been some unexpected team ups from the looks of it and she's not going to complain. She gets how team free for all work. Better to team up and help the other guy win, so you win too, rather than let someone gank you while you fighting over it. She keeps an eye out for new challengers showing up as she takes a moment to catch her breath a little bit.

Well she was until Laer started doing things, she's got no real ranged options in this form however. She's going to keep on guard for new attackers. She gets why Ryuko wants answers and that's why she's here, she's here to help her get those answers.

"Keep alert, a lot of these people have their personal lives riding on things here. She's keeping an eye for smaller fry who might try to get past her friends while they are dealing with the big fish.

Zephyr Windstar (162) has posed:
    Zephyr nods to Nanoha. "Hey!" she replies to Nanoha. At least she's not being attacked yet! she then watches Vita leap into the air, and uhs. "Y'might wanna watch out for that." she asides, before moving away from the impending brawl.

    The windmage swoops around, and unleashes a hail of homing 'lasers' from those light motes surrounding her, aiming to knock off the students from the Union Tower. A few find their way to the openly aggressive Feds, namely Laer, though individually, each shot is pretty weak.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Satsuki doesn't seem to find merit in responding to Ryuko's taunt; however, the fact that she keeps her eyes on Matoi the entire time says about as clearly as it's possible to say that she's definitely listening. Only a simple eyebrow arch is given in reply, as if to say she finds Ryuko's priorities amusing. Someone else does, too; Musashi Katsuta seems to have an ally joining him atop the column, in the form of a tall, slender girl holding a shovel as if it were a naginata. "Matoi. I've been waiting for this opportunity. New Gardening Club President, Hana Totoyomi, going forth!" She launches right onto the attack, unlike her ally, coming around with the shovel in a wide, sweeping strike.

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
Souji finds himself uncontested as he reaches the top of the column.

Acceptable. He looks over the surface of the top of the pillar, considering and measuring it...

Before there is a flurry of movement. From nowhere, a low, ornate table of polished ebony and mahogany inlay is set down, a, embroidered tablecloth whipped through the air to float down upon it in a precise manner, settling upon it perfectly. Saucers and cups are set out, fine bone china with trim of gold and silver. A teapot of pure white is set out, along with a small bundle of tea leaves. Souji moves with precision in the middle of the chaos, preparing tea even as students fight and rage around him with unwavering focus. He places a hand upon the pot and utters quietly, "Fire-1."

There is a his and bubble as the water within is immediately heated, and Souji kneels at the table, allowing it to steep in this almost absurd expression of his apparent belief that this is his proper place in this particular instance.

This is his place. For now.

Laer (353) has posed:
    People coming directly after her is not really something Laer had anticipated, especially as she takes a blow from the sticky blob that Toph is throwing at her, splattering all over her. Her outfit was not precisely what one might call clean before, of course, but that hardly means that she wants to get her grease back that way.

    She'll sling the Bass down from behind her back, beginning to lay down a soothing line that certainly isn't ominous in any way, including the lightning cage flickering in place around her. Undoubtedly she's simply defenseless, just waiting for those One-Stars to try to clobber her, and they won't be tazed into oblivion by the mere approaching of her in this state.

    Just ignore that her hair has started to come undone from the ponytail she'd had it tied into, going in a million different directions but mostly 'upish'. It's fine!

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Ryuko is going to get her answers one way or the other, and well... Toph does not mind kicking ass and fighting some dunderheads along the way.

    When the guy with the skillet and rapier makes his way up the column however Toph can't help but arch an eyebrow, muttering under her breath to the others on top of the column. "... how the heck do you combine those two things?" It's certainly not like fighting somebody for the last piece of bacon, is it?

    Toph raises her hand, doing her best to bend the skillet out of Musashi's hand and smack him in the face with it as well as bend his rapier into a pretzel like shape around his legs.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    "If you must know, I'm the Honnouji Fashion Club Presi-GRK!" That is all that needs be said of Lee's foolish first opponent. It turns out that Fists trump Fashion, and he's gonna be feeling that one for a while.

    "BY DOSE! BY BEAUTIFUL DOSE!"

Okay, maybe a little more needed be said.

    But Lee has a more formidable enemy coming, this time carrying a huge paintbrush in one arm and a razor-sharp painter's palette in the other. "Hmph. Amateur. Beauty isn't all there is to art. Rock Lee, is it? Perhaps you can show me something artistic. Art Club President, Yayoi Yamato." She sweeps the head of the brush across the palette and whips it towards Lee, launching an arc of paint at him as an attack - and the paint, as it turns out, is highly acidic!

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Ryuko would be annoyed, if she wasn't so amped up. The challenge is, in turn, accepted. Turning on one of her Kamui's heels, she brings her scissor blade to bear, the weapons clanging together sharply. "Oi, go find you own patch, cabbage head!" She spits, the scissor and spade scraping together, as Ryuko pushes back against her opponent. Energy flares out from behind her briefly, and red sparkles shimmer along her weapon and her Kamui. Like a truck, an unseen force seems to slam into the poor Two-Star Gardening Club President, a manifestation of Ryuko's sheer fighting spirit, given form by the outfit she's wearing.

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
    "Ehhhhhh?!" Nanoha sees Vita heading right for her! Which means... she should probably do something. She braces for impact... and then suddenly darts to the right, sending a stream of small pink projectiles toward Vita. They aren't really all that strong, but they're charged enough to EXPLODE and make a billowing cloud of dust that's all super impressive. "Vita! Whose side are you on?!"

    Vesta is meanwhile pondering... and then kicks a No-Star off without much thought. The brawler-type isn't as strong as Arf, but is still pretty canny. That's why she decides to settle in and mewl, "I'll just defend this one."

    She does this by summoning up a series of glimmering barriers ringing the column, a few feet below the top, to make climbing up all the more difficult.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    The Automotive Airsoft Club has fallen on hard times. The twin Two-Star Goku Uniforms belonging to it have been taken by other clubs, the members relegated to No-Stars after their defeat at the hands of Ryuko, Sagat, Tomoe and Gamagoori. However, while Sagat's easy defeat of Todoroki barely slows him down, what waits for him several steps up might. "Torajima," a cool lady's voice greets. The blonde girl wears the Airsoft Club's uniform... but also holds a hand crossbow in her right hand, with an Airsoft gun in her left. "I've been waiting for a chance at you. Airsoft Archery Club's new president, Jane Miki." She lifts the gun in her left hand up and adds, "Fall for me, would you~?" before pulling the trigger.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    For the moment, Tomoe almost seems to have gone unnoticed save by some of the weaker One-Stars and No-Stars. Her battle has been completely unchallenging, leaving her open to helping Toph and Ryuko out if she so chooses, However, if she's not careful, she's going to get snuck right up on, by a gentleman with a Two-Star Uniform that looks more like a long, snazzy gambler's coat, complete with cravat. He plans to get right up behind her and-

    "You... you like games, don't you? You've got that gleam in your eye. Honnouji Academy Gambling Club, Goemon Seto."

    Introduce himself?

    "Now..." He draws back his arm, as if preparing to unleash a tremendous blow at Tomoe, and-

    "ROCKPAPERSCISSORS!"

    Immediately throws Rock.

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
"I apologize, I thought it would be less painful to simply break your nose." Rock Lee answers very graciously, then bows politely.

He looks to Yayoi as she approaches, then tilts his head as she sweeps paint at him. It hits his uniform, and he stares down at it in confusion... until it starts melting through his shirt. "Whoaaaaaa!" He immediately rips the bottom half of his shirt off, revealing that he's wearing his green jumpsuit under the uniform. "That is very dangerous!"

He takes a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. His outfit somehow looks cooler with the top half of the One-Star uniform ending above his abdomen, going quite nicely with the green of the jump suit. "I will show you art! I wish to display art and beauty to the goddess of this academy!" He points up at Satsuki without actually looking to her, keeping his eyes on his opponent. "And she will see that I am a worthy opponent."

He charges forward, his movements are graceful and wasting no energy. "I was going to save this for if I got to fight her, but I must honor your challenge for art! I do not intend to permanently damage you." He reaches behind him, as if he's going for a weapon. Then when he swings his hands forward, a huge burst of cherry blossoms go flying out in a large cloud, obscuring his location while also offering a fantastic sight.

But through the blossoms come what seem to be two white bandages, extending from Lee's wrists as he tries to wrap them around -Yayoi's- wrists, apparently intending to try and subdue her ability to -melt- him.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    "My, what a wonderful display," Nonon remarks as Souji goes about his table-setting. For once, she doesn't seem to be pouring on the sarcasm. It's quite an impressive display, and with Gamagoori and Sanageyama standing guard at opposite sides of the pillar, there aren't even that many students getting up the side of the column. One, however, sneaks right in on one of the sides the Elite Four aren't covering, and promptly stands up, brandishing a human-sized model of a giant robot's beam rifle. "Honnouji Academy Model Clu-" "Do you hear something?" Nonon immediately cuts across, her tone dry. "Because it sounds an awful lot to me like some idiot is interrupting our tea." The Two-Star student stammers. "W-what- how dare-"

Sagat (95) has posed:
Sagat gives the 'airsoft archery' president a rather cross look - and then she starts shooting.

Sagat is already turning away from her, letting airsoft pellets slam into his completely mundane jacket - but he's not turning around to run away. Oh, no. Instead, he's grabbing for a student who was trying to come up behind him - whether to try and ambush him or just to hide in Sagat's 'shadow' on the way up, and THEN to ambush him (or somebody else) ... but either way, Sagat lifts the hapless student and flings him at Jane Miki.

THEN Sagat charges forward, and if a thrown student isn't enough to send Jane back to her magazines, Sagat's fist should finish the job, particularly if the projectie student made an opening in Jane's fire for him to close the distance.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    A few One-Stars are smart enough to stand back and not approach Laer. They're the ones still standing approximately five seconds later. "Hoooooh? That's some guitar playin' there," a cocky voice greets. "What say we have a little... contest?" Stepping out of the pack, a young man with a confident grin slings a guitar off his shoulder, and says, "Hanzo Kuuga. Honnouji Heavy Metal Club. Lady Nonon's personal... fixer. Been itchin' to try my hand against one of you big bad Elite types." The guitar, a Flying V design, is swung down into place, his fingers rest on it, and... he plays the opening notes of Duelling Banjos.

Tomoe has posed:
The red haired girl named Sheena, but known to the multivese as Tomoe is now facing someone else. She's holding Dawn Breaker well, even if it's still in it's scabbard. She has manage to deal with some of the lesser threats, not that she'd consider them fodder at all. She now pauses as she looks to see someone before her whom has a two star.

"Gambling club hum mm? I see and you could say I'm good with..."

WHACK she's expecting a punch. When she gets throw stone, like some old sinner she gets stoned and not in the fun way. She's hurt a bit but it's caught her in the shoulder, which does cause some issues. It's better than a head hit and she launches her self at him.

"Sheena."

Okay she's kinda brief on intro's today as she goes to attack him with her sheathed blade trying to force him back.

Laer (353) has posed:
    "Have you?" Laer asks, curiously. "Do they not do enough to weed out those with deathwishes, here? It seemed like you would have found an opportunity." She'll flip the switch on the Bass, setting it in its most advanced mode, with lots of extra keyboards and speakers and such popping out. It appears impossible to play with two arms, truthfully. Which is why Laer will be cheating and using magic to suppliment here, though given that the magic is just about the same as extra hands, it's forgivable.

    "Laer Azati. Colonel of the Confederacy." She will NOT be playing the other half of Dueling Banjos.

    No, she's going to play both halves to try to drown out Hanzo's bit entirely. Also to build up a charge on the Bass.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Around Tomoe, Ryuko and Toph, several One-Stars sneaking up on the fracas find themself gunned down by a barrage of fire from above. They go staggering right off the column after Zephyr's attack, leaving the 'stage' clear for the six locked in combat. (More to come for Zephyr...)

    "You'd be surprised how much fencing and cooking go well together! Or javelin toss and cooking! Or high-jump and- why am I justifying myself to you?!" Katsuta suddenly realizes he is monologuing to an enemy. He does not, however, realize that Toph is trying to Metalbend his weapons; largely because, when she tries, they /resist/. There is some kind of powerful energy permeating them, some material that is not metal reinforcing them, that actively fights back against her bending.

    "C-Cabbage head?! How /DARE/-" Totoyomi attempts to push into the lock, but the sheer will pouring out of Ryuko as pure force starts to slide her back, a step at a time... until Katsuta suddenly turns and lunges at her skillet-first, attempting to clobber Ryuko right upside the head with the frypan. Totoyomi takes the chance to slide to one side, out of the torrent of willpower-force, where she can whirl around and lunge forward to try and slice up Toph!

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Meanwhile, perhaps surprisingly, a voice yells from behind Zephyr. "DON'T THINK-" And then it falls back away, dropping towards earth... before rising back up again. "YOU'RE GOING-" And down it goes... was that a 'boing'? "TO GET OFF EASY-" Boing. "JUST BECAUSE-" Boing. "YOU CAN FLY!" Boing. "HONNOUJI POGO TRICK CLUB-" Boing. "TOBI SARUTOBI!" Boi- oh boy that's a pogo kick. Right at Zephyr. "TAKE THAAAAAAAT!"

Yagami Hayate (558) has posed:
When the spheres from Nanoha slam into Vita, her shield is up, thanks to the expected attack. As befitting the weak attack, it does no damage to her... but looks flashy as hell, and smudges her in places. Her hammer twirls, and with a little grin, she laughs, "Hah! We're on Captain Hawke's side, of course!"

Since Captain Hawke isn't here, though, Vita is doing whatever she wants! "You should join the crew, Whatever your name is! It'll be fun!" Three more spheres appear, and instead of shooting them toward Nanoha, Vita lets them hover up... then pepper the column that Souji is NOT on, kicking up dust from the concrete and slowing things down for the students. Maybe someone interesting will respond.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    There's a clearly surprised look on Toph's face when she finds herself unable to bend the metal in Katsuta's items. "What the crud...?!" Well, if she can't bend the items, then there's always the column itself. Toph steps forward, only to blink when her opponent goes for Ryuko, and the gardening chick seems intent on attacking her. Thinking quickly, the blind girl kicks into the column underneath her, and a series of small earthen pillars shoot out in attempt to hit Totoyomi in the abdomen and towards Katsuta.

    At the same time she reaches out with her arms, the column shaking just slightly as she bends off some of the spikes and willing them up into orbit around her. "You dunderheads are not knocking us down!"

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    "My, your movements... you're far more than just the average martial artist," Yamato says, one eyebrow arched. "Definitely impressive. But I'm afraid even with such artistic movement, I cannot hold back against one standing in the way of my- what?!" Surprised by the sudden burst of cherry blossoms (and, if she's being honest, impressed), she is easy prey for the wrist wraps to reach out and snare her, holding her in place and preventing her attack. She yanks back and struggles, but even with a Two-Star Uniform her strength pales before Lee's. However, with a bit of struggling, she's able to get that palette around and use the edge to slice one bandage right off, freeing her left hand. "Ha~! Not so easy, Rock Lee!" She seems to have forgotten she needs to free her right too.

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Ryuko just does what she does best. Push back, and hard. Still, it takes some skill to evade an attack like the one she just used, or at least get into a safer position to attack from. Ryuko can't move her sword in time to block it, but.. she has some more up her sleeve, right now. Perhaps more literally.

"Senketsu Senjin!"

At that, blades sprout out of her Kamui, and Ryuko uses the ones on her hands to block that frying pan, but notices that the Two-Star is heading for Toph, now. "Head's up!"

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    The airsoft pellets aren't just going to bounce harmlessly off Sagat's jacket; much like the attack on the highway, they hit with enough force to dent the side of a car. Bruises will most certainly happen, but then, he's probably taken punches that hit harder than that. Meanwhile, whatever Jane Miki may have expected, it's not 'having another student thrown at her'. "What-?! OOF! OFF ME, YOU-" By the time she manages to push the student aside, Sagat is in Jane's face. Or rather, his fist is. She goes tumbling back, but just before she falls off the stairs, she drops her airsoft gun and reaches out to snag the Tiger by the wrist with her left hand and hold herself up. Her right still has the crossbow, and this she lifts, to point right at Sagat's left knee. "I didn't think I'd win, but I can sure pull you with me!"

Zephyr Windstar (162) has posed:
    Zephyr blinks. She then turns around and peers incredulously at the pogo-stick riding guy. She snrks, and doubles over chuckling... just before taking a kick to the shoulder, which sends her spinning away out of control.

    Divine Wind chimes resonantly <GALE COUNTER!> a pulse of magic lashes out to counter her momentum, letting the mage recover for a second. "Right, super powered mundane items, you've been watchin' them to know that. Focus." she barates herself, sweeping her axe around in a show of force. "Zephyr Windstar. The Winddancer of March... lets see what you hoppy little bouncers can do!" she returns.

    Drawing her axe up around as if to strike, she shifts her grasp and roars out a kiai. <TEMPEST RAZOR!> chimes Divine Wind, as that axe is heaved around. Two spinning blades made from glowing purple mana and roiling winds contained within the sheathe of mana. They have a mild seeking ability, but they're not Homing Bullets.

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
Souji, as is tradition, will pour tea for Nonon should she wish to join him peacefully. "Welcome to my table. I am Souji Murasame, of the Murasame Zaibatsu." He is an oasis of utterly calm self-assurance in the middle of chaos, an unsullied, endless sky.

But in every sky a cloud may appear. Souji pours for himself as well, taking his tea without additives and lifting it as the Two-Star student interrupts.

And sometimes, all it takes is one cloud to begin a storm.

His closed eyes open slightly, as his pupils shift to one side at the man with the beam rifle. With one hand, he picks up his teacup. His other hand flexes, and gleaming coins can be seen to emerge from between his fingers.

    > Samurai
        > Gil Toss
            [0000200]

There is a hissing in th air as two hundred Gil coins whip through the air with the force of bullets. One is aimed for the barrel of the rifle to knock it aside. The second is aimed for the student's forehead, intending to knock him backwards.

It's too bad he just got up on the pillar and is so close to the edge, isn't it?

"Begone." He says simply to the man who is about to have a nice trip. See you next fall, chuckles.

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
"There was a man, a long time ago. He snared a beautiful fly, a fly who once fell into a bucket of paint. This fly could no longer fly, but her movements created graceful images on the ground for this man to enjoy." Lee rushes forward, and suddenly tugs the bandage toward him. He's holding his palm back, opening a single inner gate to greatly enhance his strength. He's still talking during this process.

"The fly did not understand why the man allowed her the freedom to make her art. He considered cleaning her wings, but he could not decide if he should take away her artistic prowess, or allow her to fly."

He tries to thrust his palm directly into her gut, trying to knock all of that force into her stomach, oddly going out of his way to avoid her rib cage and lungs. "He could not understand the fly's words, or the occasional sticky buzzing of her paint covered wings. But he realized, truly, that the fly could fly all along, as her ability to create art allowed her far more freedom than wings ever could. And from that day forward, even though the fly could not physically reach the heights that she was used to, all of the other flies came from all over to watch her soar."

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    "Deathwishes? Hmph. Don't lump me in wi..." Kuuga trails off, because that is the most ridiculous instrument he has ever seen. "...What." He brings up his own guitar and prepares to play the corresponding response... only for Laer to play it herself. "...hey, what the hell? This is- cut that out, it's a call and response, we're gonna duel here-!" Increasingly frustrated, Hanzo tries to play louder and louder, and his guitar notes actually begin to create ripples of shockwave, but he's apparently too irritated to charge that up himself.

    So instead he just gives up, and with a frustrated yell of, "DON'T TAKE ME LIGHTLY, DAMMIT!" he brings his guitar around and charges Laer, intending to clobber her senseless. And completely forgetting what happened to the last several students who did so.

Sagat (95) has posed:
Oh, Sagat hasn't REMOTELY forgotten the firepower of Honnouji's airsoft afficionados - in fact, that was why he turned his back to the bullets until he could interpose a human shield. If it was *conventional* airsoft he wouldn't even have bothered to break stride - and as it is, depending on how 'soft' the pellets are, he may be looking to replace that jacket later, if not the shirt as well.

But as for the present, Sagat's visible eye widens ever so slightly when Jane actually manages to *grab his wrist*. She has impressed him with that burst of speed.

But his knee isn't staying in front of her crossbow; as soon as Sagat realizes a weapon which can actually do piercing damage is pointed in his direction, his left leg comes up as quickly as he can raise it - not just to get his knee out of harm's way, nor even to get the rest of his leg away from Jane's line of fire ...

But to kick her in the head with the leg he just raised, probably with the knee first, then with the REST of his leg - and if that doesn't dislodge her, his foot comes back down on her right shoulder, and he's not REMOTELY holding back by that point. If she can still hang on when she is presumably dealing with a broken shoulder ...

Well. If she's THAT tough, then being pulled out of the running is possibly worth it to have found someone who can actually take a damn beating - but Sagat will probably have a crossbow bolt to deal with as well, despite his best efforts, and will be in no mood to cherish a good fight.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Vita's shots slam into the concrete column, and several encroaching One-Stars are simply knocked right off their balance, whether they're on the stairs or climbing up the tremendous spikes. One, however, manages to spot it coming just in time, and lunges several steps back down to safety. A moment later, an annoyed young man's voice yells out towards her, "HEY, WATCH WHERE YOU'RE THROWING THOSE THINGS! I'M THE SHOTPUT TEAM CAPTAIN, YOU KNOW!" And right out of the dust she's kicked up, a much larger sphere comes hurtling straight towards Vita. "TETSUMARU INADA SENDS HIS REGAAAARDS!" It is not nearly as fast or as energized as her own Schwalbefliegen, but it is much bigger, and heavier.

Tomoe has posed:
The red haired girl named Sheena, but known to the multivese as Tomoe is now facing someone else. She's holding Dawn Breaker well, even if it's still in it's scabbard. She has manage to deal with some of the lesser threats, not that she'd consider them fodder at all. She now pauses as she looks to see someone before her whom has a two star.

"Gambling club hum mm? I see and you could say I'm good with..."

She half way expects a weaponized game at this point. She stares as he comes in to punch, she moves trying to avoid the strike the he stops with his fist in a rock.

"Wait... your actually playing Rock Paper Scissors in a fight like this?! Doesn't your two star let you weaponize it?!"

She would have expected killer animated rocks, scissors or paper. Not actually playing it and she's more than a little bit stunned. She has her blade ready and she looks at him hard.

"Paper!"

She swings the flat of her blade at him. She's trying to take him down not kill him, this is almost puppy kicking level to her.

Laer (353) has posed:
    Laer will seem unconcerned about the student charging her, which is only because she's totally taking him lightly. The electrical barrier around her has faded just a little bit - or, more accurately, it's been drawn back into the Bass - which is why she'll lift it up towards the sky, a bolt striking down at the guitar, then reflecting over towards the banjo fan, trying to strike him down in mid-stride with bonus style.

    And to think she'd almost missed this chance by turning up as a dragon.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Nonon offers Souji a pleased smile in reply. "Nonon Jakuzure, Chair of the Honnouji Non-Athletic Clubs Committee, daughter of Jakuzure Transportation's CEO. Charmed~. Or at least I would be, if the froggy and the monkey would handle the riff-raff," she adds, with an annoyed glance in the direction of the Model Club president. Without turning towards them, Gamagoori replies, "All the Elite Four must carry their own weight." Inumuta, sitting down himself with a PDA out to tap away at, quips, "That might be difficult for certain members." Nonon stares flatly. "You wanna die?"

    She is just taking up her tea when Souji takes the initiative, and the Model Club prez finds himself so startled by this unexpected attack at an unexpected angle from an unexpected aggressor that he takes it full on. His beam rifle cracks down its length and flies out of his hand, and the forehead hit knocks him clean out as well as over the edge. "My my, he's handsome /and/ take-charge. More of a man than certain /other/ acquiantances of mine."

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Totoyomi is so fixated on Toph, so sure the girl's movements are martial arts, that she doesn't even begin to expect that those movements might mean 'death from below', so to speak. Her eyes go wide when a pillar slams into her gut, and then another adds momentum to turn her into a Hanaball Special.

    Katsuta pushes in with the frying pan, gritting his teeth when Ryuko suddenly becomes made of spikes. "Learning to change your Kamui, eh? That's not a bad trick, but it won'tUWAGH-!!" Where did the Athletics-Cooking President go? Well, he seems to have just been hit by a garden missile, and both of them have gone for a pretty good tumble. Totoyomi is down for the count; she goes sliding right off the edge, and below there's a loud "OOF" followed by a soft, "...my spleen..." Musashi Katsuta, on the other hand, manages to push himself somewhat unsteadily to his feet.

    And then he flourishes his rapier and, somehow, his skillet. "Alright... I got this... I can do this on my own! I'LL TAKE YOU BOTH ON! COME AT ME!"

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
Souji nods, and pours for Inumuta as well, not sparing the Model Club president another thought. "Indeed, it is a pleasure and honor. When I heard about the event occurring here, I was most interested in observing and participating." He pauses, taking a drink of his tea, and then continues. "I have an... appreciation for the methodology your President is using to ensure the finest rise to the stations appropriate for their talent." He smiles faintly at the flattery. "It is good to see that someone of your refinement has achieved such a height. So it seems that the local environment is in some turmoil. What has caused the current state of affairs? I am to understand there is some kind of leadership conflict?" School politics: Just as deadly as other kinds when in the right environment.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Few people are used to Toph's unique style of earthbending, and as expected her target goes tumbling off of the column. When the cooking nut manages to get back up through Toph snorts. "Really? You think you're strong enough to take the two of us on?" she asks, raising her hands before she throws them forward, causing several small earthen disks to shoot out from the pillars she used to topple Totoyomi over, sending them quickly and in succession towards Katsuta. Hopefully that will give Ryuko an opening to deal with the dunderhead.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    In the meanwhile, Vesta has been having an easy time of it. Her barriers have been keeping most of the riff-raff off the column, with what few get by only able to do so either as the Model Club president did, with some semblance of flight, or by going up the sides guarded by Gamagoori and Sanageyama. But it's only a matter of time before someone finds their way around... or through.

    CRUNCH. Do Vesta's barriers normally go 'crunch' when they break? Well, now they do. Because the one smashing through them looks like a titan of a sumo, and his palm strikes hit with ridiculous force. "HOLD IT JUST A MOMEEEEENT! These pathetic barriers will not stand before the mighty palm of the new Sumo Club President, Kagemasa KUUUUMAAADOOOORIIIIIIII!" Someone has been watching entirely too much kabuki theater. He's even got the facepaint for it. And he's bearing down (up?) right on Vesta. "DOSUKOI!" Crunch.

Yagami Hayate (558) has posed:
"HAH!" Vita crows, just in time to see... a giant ball hurtling out of the dust cloud toward her. "Huh?"

It slams in hard, crashing her into a pillar in another dust cloud. She probably COULD have dodged that, but she got overconfident seeing how weak the One-Stars were. Thus, her nose is bloodied and Knight Clothes tattered by the impact. But there's one advantage to this: Now SHE has the ball.

As it tumbles out, she sputters and wobbles out from the crater shaped like a little girl. Graf Eisen twirls around. "Right back at you!"

<GIGANT FORM>

When the hammer comes back around, the head is about four times as large as Vita's body, slamming into that sphere and sending it hurtling back toward the student... and anyone unfortunate enough to get in the way.

Further back, Hayate has been joined by a strange, tall, silver-haired woman. Hayate sighs, "I guess we'd better help out before Vita gets carried away. Shamal?" The blonde pulls the wheelchair back as Hayate stands up, exercising legs that are getting better every day. "UNISON IN!"

The silver-haired woman smiles, then shimmers and vanishes into Hayate's body, which turns her hair a metallic gray. The small girl also shifts into her own Knight Clothes, six black wings sprouting from her back as she floats upward. This might draw attention. Especially when the book materializes and flips through pages, Hayate starting an aria:

"O' ruler of the white snow, with sliver wings turn all the earth in vision into ice!"

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    There is one problem with pogo as a method of aerial combat. If you take a hit, you've got no control over your arc. And Tobi Sarutobi might be able to twist himself in mid-air, to take his Life Fiber-enhanced pogo stick and use it to parry the twin spinning blades of mana; but in doing so, all that momentum goes from them straight into him - and sends the poor sap flying right into the side of the column the Elite Four and Souji have camped out on. "GWAHK! Owowowow, that was further than it looked... you're going to pay for that!" In an agile movement, he hops right back on the pogo stick, and- goes over the edge when he hops just a little too far. "WHY IS THIS THING SO POWERFUL?!"

    But the second try gets it under control. One hop, two, and then he uses the third to launch himself straight at Zephyr, kicking the pogo stick up into his hands and swinging it around to try and bludgeon her with it on his way by. "HAAAAAAA!"

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    "Eh?! What are you-" Yamato falls into confused silence, at least until she's yanked hard forward. Despite herself, despite that she tries her best to defends herself, the very words Lee speaks are distracting her. She has no strength to resist the pull, and it sends her hurtling straight at him, and his palm strike hits exactly where he wants it to. "GFF!" Eyes wide, she slumps to the ground, first her knees, then falling onto her side. She's down for the count, but if Lee bothers to listen before taking his momentary clear path up the column, he'll hear her murmur, "T-truly... splendid..."

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Ryuko is, indeed, given a solid opening. She lunges in with her sword, which unfolds to full length, and into it's most powerful form. A distraction is all she needs to get in range for this. "SEN-I SOUSHITSU." With a swing of her scissor, Katsuta might falling downwards, but it'll be without a Goku Uniform. The weapon in Ryuko's hands so expertly destroying his uniform, that his ability to fight is both literally and figuratively 'stripped' away.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Jane Miki's attempt to cripple Sagat is an all-or-nothing gambit spurred by her desperation; she's going to lose anyway, so she technically has nothing left to lose by exposing herself to counterattack, and everything to gain.

    Unfortunately, she forgot to count 'teeth' under 'things she could lose'.

    The sound of the kick hitting home is probably one Sagat's heard a thousand, ten thousand times by now. He almost certainly knows the feel of landing a perfect blow when it happens. And the Airsoft Archery Club President is out like a light when she takes a kick from the Emperor of Muy Thai. Her grip slackens, and right down to the ground she goes, seeing stars and leaving Sagat free to ascend as well.

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
Lee leaves a single rose in Yamato's hands, nodding down at her. "I believe that you will do great art! Never give up and always work hard!" he encourages, then stands up straight, staring up the massive pillar.

Rock Lee has stated multiple times that he cannot mold chakra, but there is one trick of basic training that he can do, which is use chakra to stick to surfaces.

He immediately begins running up the side as fast as he can, realizing that it's a much faster route than the stairs. Though he's looking around, wary of his surroundings. "If these people truly are like ninjas, then I must stay aware of my surroundings at all times!"

Zephyr Windstar (162) has posed:
    <MASTER! INCOMING!> chimes Divine Wind. Zephyr watches the approach, narrowing her eyes as she shifts her aerial stance. With a flourish like a Matador, she spins aside from the incoming strike, rearing her axe around with another roared kiai. <TEMPEST SABER!>

    This time, as she swings the weapon, the 'blades' stay attached, adding their power to the momentum. If they /hit/ the guy, the unstable mana explodes outwards like a shaped charge!

Sagat (95) has posed:
Sagat resumes climbing the stairs around the pillar, taking them two at a time now - or so - since he lost some time dealing with Jane Miki and needs to make up for it.

He's not so cavalier about tossing students off the stairs to get past them, though - if any other up-and-coming club presidents come after him, he might need to use some of the no-star students against them again. If traffic gets overly jammed ahead of him, though, Sagat is perfectly willing to go 'around' by climbing/jumping on some of those spikes until he reaches clear stairs again.

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
    Nanoha scratches her head, but she doesn't actually want to fight, so she... takes a seat somewhere. In midair. "Um... okay? I'm happy where I am."

    Vesta was curling up for a nap when... SUMO STUDENT ATTACKS! "Nyaaaa!" She poofs into tinycat form, trying to dart between legs and shift into her human form again. "HYAH!" It's a quick, powerful and mana-enhanced jab toward the back of the student if she can manage it... though if he's that big and empowered by a uniform, that might not work so well as she wants.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Goemon Seto's eyes are intense. Fierce and resolved. He is a man who puts it all on the line every time he makes a bet. He's the kind of kid who could wander into a high-stakes game of mahjong with his life on the line and make bets calmly and rationally, even against a king of the underworld with machines that draw some of his blood every time he loses money!

    Shut up, it could happen.

    "What's the fun in just using your weapon on someone! There's no thrill in it, no /risk/! Well, alright, there's plenty of risk, it's just not the same kind of-" WHUNK. It turns out that paper beats rock. Seto goes stumbling to the side, nearly falling off the column right then and there. But, perhaps miraculously, he manages to (barely) right himself and (wobblingly) adopt a combat stance. "Now that was just cheating! Stop making the column spin!" The column is not spinning.

    The Gambling Club President whips out a hand of cards and flicks them at Tomoe in a sudden, rapid movement - but though they're razor sharp, his aim right now is terrible. He's struggling just to stay on his feet.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Hanzo Kuuga is a hotheaded teenager. Laer is a woman with endless experience in getting under the skin of some of the most cool-headed people in the Multiverse. The outcome here is pretty much a foregone conclusion. He thinks that electrical barrier's gone entirely, he thinks it's his chance, he thinks that like a thousand boss fights in a thousand video games she's one of those people who has to drop their barrier to charge their attacks and that there will be some sort of HUGE TELEGRAPH that he can dodge under and-

    KRAKTHOOM.

    And down goes the Heavy Metal Club President, hair smoking and guitar crackling with leftover static. A puff of smoke escapes him when he lets out a raspy cough before zonking out entirely.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Nonon seems quite happy to do the bulk of the talking. "Oh no, no no, Lady Satsuki is quite in control of the school. She's simply decided to do some 'restructuring' in the student body. The Naturals Election was a perfect way to separate the wheat from the chaff, in a way that suits Honnouji perfectly~." Inumuta's collar pops open. "The entire week, I've been following and analyzing as much of the fighting as I can. The school's leadership should be quite a bit stronger once the dust settles. Of course, the Elite Four still came out on top." Even he takes his time to enjoy the tea.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Katsuta is ready. He is full of drive. He has the HEROIC RESOLVE to WIN THIS FIGHT even if it means fighting two powerful oppo-

    Ow ow ow ow ow ow /ow/!

    The Athletics Cooking President attempts to defend himself against Toph's stone disc assault. He whips his skillet around and smashes one out of the air, only to take the second right to the chest. And the third, and the fourth, and the fifth... He's already teetering on the edge even before Ryuko goes for the finale.

    And against the Scissor Blade, there's nothing his Goku Uniform can do to protect him. Right over the edge he goes, and just ten feet out, the entire Two-Star Uniform he wears simply comes apart in an explosion of cloth, a single glowing fiber wafting its way up through the air to sink into Senketsu. That leaves only Tomoe's opponent atop the column, and things aren't looking good for him.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    The loudmouth Shotput Captain leaps right off the side of the pillar, perhaps foolishly; so short-tempered is he that Vita seems to have become his sole priority. He's stomping his way across the ground with his eyes on her when she takes her hammer out and... suddenly it's a lot bigger. And also talking. "WHAT THE HELL KIND OF-"

    Tetsumaru Inada, as it turns out, makes a really neat crater when hit with his own shotput right in the stomach. It takes him a moment or two to even climb out of the crater, and after that he's holding his abs, breathing hard. "Th-that was... HOW... DARE YOU... USE MY... own... haaaaah..." Turns out it's hard to shout after taking a hit like that.

    But he's also got his shotput in hand, and the FURY!!!1 is rising up again. If the definition of insanity is trying the same thing twice and expecting different results, then the Shotput Team Captain has gone mad with anger, because he tries the exact same throw on Vita again. Without noticing Hayate at all.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe looks at the man for a moment, "Normally I love games, when they are not death games."

She looks at him she narrows her eyes for a moment. She's admittedly feeling kinda bad the guy was going to stick to his own rules but it's too late now. Tomoe will likely stop attacking once he gives up.

"You might have wanted to say you wanted to play the actual game. Seriously have you seen around here?! Umm I'm not making it spin."

She however sees the cards but they are fast, she does get cut and it does hurt, she didn't take any direct hits thankfully. She's now moving to shoulder check him and hopefully get him out of here.

"Nothing personal."

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
Souji arches an eyebrow. "Such a thing is a terrible burden to bear. But such is the fate of leadership, is it not? Honnouji is a very interesting place of learning. I look forward to understanding the circumtances of the student body in more detail."

He glances over to Inumuta, then. "That is wise." He says, with a faintly enigmatic smile. "So it is the President, then the Elite Four, the rest of the council, and then the descending ranks of the student body?" He inquires. "I see. And what kind of struggles do the Elite Four face? It must be a true test of might, skill and willpower." He asks.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Tobi Sarutobi is, once again, struck by the limits of using a pogo stick for aerial combat.

    Well, alright. What he's /really/ struck by is the Tempest Saber. But it's because now that he's airborne, and he's missed completely, he's essentially a projectile in motion. Very predictable motion.

    An explosion of mana is more than sufficient to hurl him straight towards the side of Satsuki's tower, where he goes right through the wall in a Club President-shaped hole. A chunk of debris falls from the top of the hole onto the ground, and somewhere inside, Tobi Sarutobi groans in pain. He's not getting up.

Laer (353) has posed:
    Laer will mmph as she sees her opponent fall, the Bass collapsing back into something looking simply absurd and not insane. "I thought the students here might have some staying power. Talentless hack; if you can't keep up with the beat, just join the audience." Of course, he's not exactly awake to hear her advice, but it's good advice anyhow. She'll glance up, idly curious about how the tower is proceeding, but not actually caring.

    Still, she'll fly upwards to be on a level with the top, mostly just to get a view. She's not really planning on interfering further unless someone irritates her.

Yagami Hayate (558) has posed:
"HAH! I'm not falling for that twice!" Vita yells out, spinning herself around several times. The hammer compacts again... and then erupts into flames as rockets blast out of the back, flaring brilliantly to increase her speed and send her careening toward the incoming proje<span class=" bold_bg_r fg_n ++ tile.

chr">RAKETENHAMMER!</span>

Except she doesn't intercept it. The spinning causes her to 'slide' around it, clipping her leg somewhat but sending /herself/ barrelling into her opponent at high speed, hammer first!

Then Hayate finishes her spell.

"COME FORTH, BREATH OF FROST!" Hayate calls out.

<ATEM DES EISES.>

Four cubelike structures manifest and are flung to the corners of the battle area, striking the ground and immediately causing a wave of ice to roar over the ground. Anyone lucky enough to have their feet firmly planted on the ground will find their feet frozen to it. Everyone else will find the entire floor of the arena is slippery and coated in a fine sheet of ice.

Those on the pillars? Well, they're fine.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Kagemasa Kumadori's first mistake is trying to follow Vesta right between his legs. "What is this?! Mine foe does take the form of a feline and flee?!" He bends right over and tries to grab at her, leaving him in just the right position to get a smack in the back from Vesta. This, of course, sends him toppling right over on the stairs. "OW-! What's wrong with you?! You can't just- I-I-I mean, THY TRICKERY IS MOST FOUL, FAIR FELINE! I WILL HAVE YOUR TAIL FOR THIS!" And around he comes in a big, sweeping swing of his arm, attempting to smack Vesta right off the side... in a move so telegraphed she could be half as fast as she is now and still avoid it.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Seems they have successfully defeated the two, and Toph grins as Ryuko delivers the final strike to send the club president flying. "All right!" she cheers, and she is aware of Tomoe finishing up her fight right behind her. And it seems she doesn't need any help either. Heck, it seems like everybody is handling the silly students who think they can stand up to Elites! And huh, it seems the Feds have allied themselves with some of the students? Weird...

    For now Toph waits.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    "You are /too/! Everything's spinning right now, and /I'm/ not doing it! So that must mean YOU'RE doing it! It started when you hit me with y..." Blink blink. "Oh. I have a mild concussion, don't I?"

    At least Seto's realized what's going on! Finally.

    Just in time to be shoulder-checked right off the side of the pillar too. "WHAAAAAAAAA-!" And down he goes, straight towards the ground, with a surprised yell that turns into a loud, "IIIII FOOOOOOOOOOOOLD!" Thud.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    Tetsumaru Inada realizes only after he's thrown his shotput again that she's liable to smash it right back at him. "...oh no." His concern grows far deeper when thrusters erupt from the back of the hammer, sending her hurtling forward and lending momentum to her weapon. ".../no no no/..." And then she... goes right past it.

    Straight at him.

    "...oh /nooooo/..."

    The Shotput Team Captain's feet are frozen to the floor just as the Iron Count swings right in towards the center of mass. The resulting impact almost certainly sounds incredibly satisfying, and knocks him right out of his shoes to skid across the ice. At least he's got some ice to numb the pain!

    And speaking of ice, Hayate's spell does a very neat job of freezing the other students in place or rendering their attempts to climb utterly moot. Save for a last holdout or two, it looks like those on or near the pillairs have firmly laid claim.

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
    "Eep! Vesta doesn't like getting hit!" Vesta mrowls, and... she dodges. Upwards. See, Vesta can fly, so leaping above the swing isn't all that hard. Flipping upside down, she tumbles end over end as her tail is brushed, and summons up a bright barrier as she thrusts her hands forward.

    The catgirl shoves, but she shoves with a massive barrier, forcing it forward to try hurling the large student off and onto the icy ground.

    No matter what happens, Vesta lands on her back and heaves a heavy sigh. "Mmm... those two extra cans of cat food are as good as mine!"

    Well, at least we know how Nanoha motivates Vesta.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    "WHAT?! The fair-furred feline /flies/?!" This does not seem to be something the Sumo Club President expected. "Plant thy feet on the ground and face me as a proper foe!" he roars in impotent outrage, swinging his arms through the space Vesta occupied just a moment before. This lunging attack for a second time puts him forward and off-balance with Vesta behind him, his center of gravity shifted far enough that with a particularly firm push - such as, say, one from a barrier...

    "Whoa-whoa-whoa-WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

    ...he can go tumbling straight down the stairs. No, not just tumbling, /rolling/. It's like watching the ball descend in the beginning of a Rube Goldberg machine, except that what waits when the ball hits the bottom is not a zany contraption, but rather pain and cold.

    But he retains enough momentum to go sliding right across the ice... and into Tetsumaru Inada. Squish.

Satsuki Kiryuin (430) has posed:
    "Discipline is fairly strict within Honnouji," Gamagoori replies, still facing outward. "Most students adhere rigidly to the heirarchy because it means wealth and comfort for them to excel. They will squabble amongst themselves, but never against their betters. Rulebreaking is punished harshly, and acts of rebellion are crushed without mercy. We-"

    StepCLACK.

    It's a noise that pierces all sound within the walls of Honnouji. Every student knows it. It's a sound that means the woman who may as well be a god there, wishes to pronounce from on high. Gamagoori falls silent in an instant, and all student eyes turn upward to the shining light of Satsuki Kiryuin. "To you who have managed to claim space atop a tower and hold it... congratulations! After a week's hard fighting, you have asserted yourself over all contenders and proven yourself and your allies worthy of the right to serve as my Student Council."

    Her eyes turn to Ryuko and her group - Sagat, Lee, Tomoe, Toph, Zephyr, and Vita. "Be proud of your ragtag group, Matoi." Her tone sounds almost disdainful.

    And then she lifts Bakuzan up just far enough to thump the sheath against the ground. "However, only one group may be considered! Therefore, there will be one final Runoff Election in one week's time! You two groups who wish to take positions as my subordinates will face each other in a final clash for that honor! And if you emerge victorious, Ryuko Matoi..." she adds, turning her eyes directly to the kamui-clad student.

    "I will tell you the details of your father's death."

    And without waiting for a response, she turns in place to walk back inside her tower.

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
"I will prove that I am worthy of fighting you, Kiryuin-samaaaa! Pair me up with the strongest opponent on the other side!" Rock Lee shouts a bit like any of the school's fanboys, with his hands cupping his mouth. Then he looks to Ryuko, considering her goals. "I will not let you down, Ryuko! You will have what you came for no matter who my opponent is!"

Sagat (95) has posed:
So he made it to the top in time. That actually surprises Sagat a little.

There's a line about old age and treachery that might be relevant to quote now, but rather than recite it, Sagat draws himself up to his full height as Satsuki declares the Runoff Election for next week.

Then he looks at his allies, shrugging off a pair of jacket sleeves - all that's left of his uniform jacket, in fact, and his shirt is rather the worse for wear as well. "Hn. I may need to replace this ..."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Is Toph's eyebrow twitching at Lee's praise of the stuck up girl? Possibly. She even reaches out to punch him in the side. And then she points one index finger /directly/ at Satsuki's back as she turns to walk off.

    "This ragtag group is better than your finest! And unlike you Ryuko doesn't just stand by while there's fighting going on," Toph points out in a loud and clear tone. Honour? Being /her/ subordinates? As if.

    The blind girl mutters under her breath, her words only meant for her allies. Especially Ryuko. "We are going to help you get your answers." That's the most important part. Kicking the ass of the dunderheads on the other pillar comes second.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe has somehow pulled off a victory she doesn't think it's wise to sass sht he leans on her blade and looks up at Setsuki for a moment and she now listen as Satsuki is going to actually live up to the promise of the information. Well if they win which she intends to do. They need to get this information so they are going to have to win.

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
Souji nods, then. "I see. Given the nature of the hierarchy decisions, it is typically unlikely one who is lower in rank to be able to succeed against one who is higher, regardless." He replies.

The CLACK draws Souji's eyes once more. He listens, attentively and politely, to the declaration of Satsuki, and he nods. Excellent. Everything has proceeded as he has foreseen. His gaze hovers over the group on the opposite pillar, considering each in turn, perhaps weighing their capabilities.

He nods, quietly draining the remainder of his tea. "The Runoff Election will be an interesting event. I look forward to participating." He states, simply.

Anticipation makes the event even more interesting.