The Arena

Mathew left no one to say good bye to and went into his room he changed out of his annoying clothes and went to sleep thinking of strategies to win the competition and receive Excalibur, and take his much needed revenge. He couldn't make real friend-ships as tempting as it was.

Jace said good bye to his pack and listened to their final advice.Another wolf, female lingered. She whispered in his ear and he almost smiled but didn't let it show. Her hand was warm on his arm before she left with the others. He would win. He told himself as he made his way to his room.

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Aria listened as the game master spoke. When he vanished she looked to Kane. "Well I guess I must go to my dorm and plan how to kill all of you." she said with a sweet smile. "Nice to meet you." she said before taking a glass of the blood wine and heading up to her room. The living quarters that both her and "Shad" would be living in. Just his name made her fangs pop out and her skin crawl with excitement.

double post. sorrie :3

Raine looked up as the game master appeared, and tiltied her head curiously to one side as she listened to him talk. So apparently it was time to rest. She shook her head. She hadn't really thought she would be able to sleep much the night before everything began, and there was no way she was getting any sleep at all unless she kept herself up half the night and then tried to sleep. Maybe she could hunt a bok down, or something. That shouldn't be too hard. Or maybe just planning; putting together what she now knew about the contestants and trying to figure out what she could do. That would have to work.

She shrugged, glancing around she started for her room. A room that she would probably end up sharing. Not that she didn't mind sharing things...but she wasn't overly fond of sharing living quarters like this. But, really, all it would do was make it a little easier on her to fight. If she could find something to get upset about, it shouldn't be too hard, she figured.

Anabella slowly blinked her eyes open and sat up. "God, you're such an idiot!" She shouted at Arabella, standing to her feet. She glanced around as the game master came in and sighed. "Okay I gotta go, but make sure you kick some ass in the arena," she said and with that she disappeared into her green fire.

Arabella nodded. "But the bigger they are, the harder it is to make them fall," she said, nudging the vampire with her toe to make sure he was dead. His sudden attack scared her and she knew she would have to be more observant if she wanted to survive long in the games. The game master was telling everyone they had to leave and she looked sadly at Jaimie. She didn't want to say goodbye, but knew it would probably be the last time.

"Nice meeting you,too," Kane said with a nod, shamelessly watching Aria leave. He then glanced around, looking for the female kitsune and finding her in the corner with the demoness. He trotted over to stand by the two with a devilish smile that melted hearts. It revealed the fangs that seperated him from most kitsunes, but unlike them he didn't have long claws. "Sorry, miss," Kane said to Kiera. "But I'm going to have to steal Starlet to head up to where we're staying. It would get lonely if I were to go all by myself to my bed."

Oz gapped at the other minotaur, he didn't even respond to her challenge, nothing but cold indifference. She pulled her lips to a frown, his demeanor was disturbing. The gathering was to tense to be any relief to the contestants, well her at the least, so when the member started to retire she was more than happy to oblige.

She gave the minotaur a light pat on the shoulder, "See you in the playing field," She paused before glancing back, "And for what it's worth I hope you don't get slaughtered." She turned and walked out, heading straight for her dorm and await the competition.

"Aww and I thought the party was just getting started!" Shad yawned and stretched, he wasn't actually tired, it was just force of habit. Like the other vampire he grabbed his own glass of blood and took the same route out, he still had to talk to the pretty vampiress, she was hot in a cute way and he wanted to know how he compared to the other vamp, sure she definitely wasn't pure blood but there was definitely a sense of power to her. One taste of her blood and he'd know exactly what her background was, Luna or Knight.

"Hey! You decent?" He yelled through the door of his roommate's half of the floor.

Desmond turned and kissed Kalen goodbye, no need to drag it out. She noted he was in a good mood suddenly. And he had been since the Game Master had dared to show himself. Of course he didn’t stick around and his escape was a type of teleportation he had never seen before but it was enough. He glanced back as Kalen left to confirm his job was done, and to see her one more time before their second hiatus apart. Of course he wasn’t at all worried about seeing her again, he had long before decided he was going to survive to marry her. He had not passed through fire and death to stand before another’s blade and let himself be killed and separated from her again, he was going to survive this and he was going to survive and defeat this challenge… he must.

This determination seeped out in his aura, which bulged by almost twice it’s first size (to it's standard) to the magnitude he would keep it at for the rest of the games, he had purposefully held himself in check until now… but with the game’s begun he was taking the gloves off and prepping to fight for his life and for his love.

He turned as well and exited with only a nod to his friends and a wordless glance of challenge to Shad. Desmond would be blunt with himself, he was only seeing the other matches as a prelude to his fight against Shad, a fight that had been building for over a year now and would soon shake this building to its foundation. Not that he wrote off the other competitors, the Minotaur’s really did concern him as he hadn’t fought one yet. But he had a strategy for them… but that would come later.

He headed into the apartment he and the other Hirule would share and shed his overcoat and jacket, hanging them next to the door as he entered to survey the area. “Hmm, nice place,” he headed into the makeshift kitchen and opened the fridge and grabbed a soda and turned to the other Hirule, “So, there wasn’t much to eat at the ball, you hungry?” he asked as he pulled out a pan and spun it on his hand for fun. He did glance off to the right. One bedroom, that was a crude joke, and an office like area. His trucks were there… which meant so was his books. He had to remember to read up on the minotaur. Glancing back at the other Hirule he awaited her answer.

Songrose winced slightly as the arua of the other hirule suddenly expanded. That hadn't been his full power? Now she knew there was going to be trouble. If he couldn't keep himself in check, he might end up killing others, herself included. She explored around the little apartment, making sure her own bags were there. Not that she had much; just a book or two, both pretty much useless except as entertainment, and few changes of clothing. Nothing of much use to her, really. But their living space...it was worse than she had thought. One bedroom? Such a small kitchen? ...Okay, so she was used to having no kitchen, staying out on her own like she was used to. But really; one bedroom? She'd have to make sure to claim the floor; that was where she was most comfortable, after all.

She glanced at the hirule as he asked his question, noticing that his gaze, too, had fallen on the single bedroom. He didn't seem too pleased by that fact; he was, after all, already engaged. She shrugged. "I suppose so; haven't really eaten much in a while, either, not just this evening." Living on her own meant doing everything; from finding or building her own shelter to catching and preparing her own food. Perhaps she would get a nice break from that here.

Desmond smiled as he took out some ingredients and began cooking. He had decided to make some pasta, it was quick and simple not to mention filling. It was getting late and he still had some studying to do. But in the meantime he could get to know his fellow competitor better, “So, you’re primarily a healer right?” he asked out loud as he cooked, knowing the answer already. Of course that was what Hirules were like. They made conversation and asked questions just to hear the answers even if they already knew them… or at least he did. He drained the pasta and added some sauce while he listened to her answer.

Following that he gestured to his trunks, “If you need some reading material you’re welcome to the books I brought with me, most of them are in Hirule… a few are in some obscure Earth Languages… got one in Navaho, good read.” He commented, “And don’t worry about the room situation, I am a gentleman of Hydra after all, I’ll be sleeping in the study.

That was a lie… since his evolution he hadn’t slept once… and he didn’t think that was going to change naturally. His father, back on hydra, was a hierarch too, and to his knowledge he had never slept since his evolution either, and he felt that is might be a detriment if he let Kalen know so he had begun pretending to sleep quite often. She was still getting use to his abrasive aura pealing the paint in their rooms at time or the numerous broken dishes that he had destroyed trying to get his powers back under control. He knew this power would be to his great disadvantage in the arena, he’d not be able to control it properly and strategize actively at once, there was just too much to process and he had too little time to master it. He’d have to rely on muscle memory for his swordsmanship and come up with strategizes before each fight. He could do that with the hours he would not use sleeping… though maybe he would sleep in the competition after all, he remembered Jayden being a nightmare demon… and he doubted his mind could remain conscious against that boys magic… but in truth that was a welcome change of pace.

Songrose shrugged. "Primarily, yes; a healer." But there was no way he hadn't noticed that before. In any case, she remember her parents being a bit like that; asking questions when they already knew. She tilted her head to one side at the offer of the books for reading material and shrugged again. "I suppose it has been a while since I've read anything in Hirule. Our books aren't exactly common here." By here, she was talking about earth in itself; or even anywhere else, really. Hydra was the only place the hirule were common enough to have books in the hirule language.

And she shook her head at the other offer; that he would sleep in the study. "It hadn't botered me much. In any case, I'd prefer the floor. I'm not really used to sleeping on...anything other than the ground. The floor might actually be more comfortable, anyway..." She shrugged again. The carpet in itself was going to be a bit of a change that she would alerady have to get used to. She glanced around the room, then back at him. "If I'm primarily a healer, then you are much more used to fighting, correct?" she asked. She didn't need this to be a one-sided conversation, and she didn't really intend it to be. She couldn't stand being the center of anything; she would ask questions, too, rather than just having to answer them.

Arabella looked around as everyone was leaving and sighed. “Well,” she said quietly, looking up at Jaimie sadly. “I guess this is goodbye.” She quickly kissed him on the cheek before lingering in front of him. She took one good look at him before heading back to where her and Mathew shared a floor. Once up there, she pulled out two books. One was her own personal spellbook that her friend, Amber, had gotten her for Christmas and the other was an alchemy book that she was trying to finish before the games, but most of it had been translated from a different language for her.

“Hey Mathew?” She asked, sitting on the couch. “You up?” She wanted some company. The room was too quiet and it gave her too much time to think.

Desmond sighed as he continued cooking and looked up at her, “Truly I envy you, able to heal others so well, I never walked that path. It’s not exactly in the cards for a member of the thirteen noble houses, being under constant threat of assassination my healing abilities are limited to myself or some for others.” He set the pasta to simmer in the sauce and knew not to touch for the next few minute so he leaned back against the opposite counter to converse with her, “someone with skills like yours would have been very useful a few months ago when my friend was poisoned. I just had to use alchemy wo reintegrate his body and had to have a witch hold his soul… someone like you should have been able to clear his blood far easier, no?”

He had found a rather extensive set of wine near the pantry and now went to pour himself a glass while he remembered the events that led him to this point, “As for my abilities,” he continued, “I mainly chose to study the art of alchemy. It’s rather amazing that the simple human race known to be the weakest of this world could develop such a complex form of power manipulation.” He took another gulp of the wine and looked at the younger Hirule, “Not unlike our race’s rings… wouldn’t you say?”

Star inspected the kitsune carefully before a sly smile came across her face. “See ya later, Kiera!” she said, her smile widening as she took the kitsune’s hand and led him up to where they were staying. She led him through the door, but immediately turned on him and took a seductive step forward. “I don’t think we’ve met,” she said, batting her eyelashes slightly.

Kiera waves at Star, "Don't be an idiot. I know its hard but please try." She yells out after them. Then she turns around to the near empty ballroom and points at the other demon. "Demon boy. Move that not so cute butt of yours over here. It's time to go to our room." Her shadows rush over to him and pull at his sleeves. She wasnt looking foward to spending the night with the lunatic, but oh well there was nothing she could do about him. Except maybe kill him, but well...that was against the rules.

Raine paused, debating. Alchemy to reintegrate a human body? She shook her head. "I may have been able to help, to clear the poison from the blood. But, seeing as I wasn't there, and the past is past..." She shrugged. If she had been there to help, she would have but, as she wasn't, that piece of the conversation seemed rather pointless. She glanced around as he continued, talking about alchemy.

"...It isn't too unlike our rings, no. The fact that humans came up with it...you have to wonder where they learned such a practice from, really. If they had been able to come up with it themselves, they may have been more willing to use it in recent years, and yet I have seen few humans using alchemy, and those few I saw were doing it incorrectly, I elieve, for they failed to achieve what they were aiming for." She herself knew little of alchemy, but enough to know the general idea.

Jayden glanced at the clock, "So early!?" He looked back at Adelle, "I have to go but I'll see you soon, Kist will protect you while I'm gone!" He began to stumble after the other demon before he turned and grabbed the necromancer. He hugged her and planted a huge obnoxious kiss on her cheek.

"I'll miss you!" He giggled and gave one last good bye before being ushered out by the shadows.

Kiera glowers as she pulls the other demon along. Was she happy being stuck with someone who acted like a 5 year old? No. Not at all. He would be the first to go. He was annoying and unpredictable, a terrible combination in an enemy. And he would not do as an ally. SHe didnt even know if he would make an alliance with anyone. She opens the door to her room and sighs in relief when she sees two seprate rooms, off of the small living room and kitchen. Kiera holds the door open for Jayden and snaps a few times in rapid succcesion, "Lets go demon boy I dont have all day."

"Yeah, I'm awake. What's up?" Mathew said noticing two spell books with her. She was practicing before the game probably so he should do the same maybe study a bit but he waited for her to respond first.

Jayden looked at the the girls hands and attempted to mimic the action while he entered into the room. He gave up after a few attempts and went to the kitchen for a snack. The cupborads were stocked with bread, soup, pasta and all sorts of meals. The nightmare pushed these aside and pulled out a large bag of sugar and a spoon from the lower drawers.

Jayden jumped up onto the counter and faced the other demon, "So what exactly are your shadow things? Are they illusions like mine? Or did you steal them from other people?" He looked down at his shadow making sure it was still there. The last thing he wanted to do was have to sew it back on, like Peter did.

The demon stuck his spoon in the sugar thinking about the games and shadows when he relized how rude he was being. He held out the bag and through a mouthful of sugar asked, "Whamf somfe?"

Desmond smiled and returned to the stove to place the pasta and meat sauce on two plates on the counter between himself and the other Hirule. “Well, true, they aren’t very skilled at their own art… the genius of the human race only reveals itself in one of a million it seems…” setting out silver wear he glanced up at the wall behind her where a print of a Picasso hung, “but when one of those geniuses does show themselves they are truly remarkable… I had the pleasure of meeting one Stephen Hawking and I must say he gave my mind a run for its money…” glancing back at the counter he also noted the chess board in the room; it was well set for Hirules. He’d have to ask her for a match later. He poured himself another glass and glanced up at her, retrieving a second glass and holding up the bottle, “So, wine? It goes well with this dish. And I doubt that the Game Masters will care whether you’re of age in this realm or not.”

Raine sighed, shrugging a little. "No, I doubt they do care...I suppose I could." Though she knew well enough she'd have to pay attention. She as a little...weak for alcoholic beverages, but there wouldn't a problem if she limted herself. She paused, debating, then shook her head. "If such human geniuses do exist, I've yet to meet one. ...But then, I've yet to actually meet the humans myself, or many of any other race, for that matter." She shrugged, then started on the food he had made. She nodded. "It's good," she commented, before continuing to eat. She glanced around the room briefly, exploring for a moment. "...You'd think, with that as their best defense against magic, they'd actually attempt to practice it..."

Desmond poured her a glass as well and nodded in thanks to her complement on the food before taking a bite himself, “Hmm, could use fresher tomatoes… but yes, I think it turned out well… though Kalen is a much better cook than I am.” He did take a moment to check around and listen to her thoughts on the human race.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right in that they are so strange in their lack of use from such power… maybe it’s because of how so few have any ability for it… or the patience for that matter…” he used his aura to pull a bar stood for each of them from across the room without making any big gesture for them to sit at the bar height counter, “Then again, you must remember, humans are simply unaware that they need such to protect themselves… they are almost completely unaware of the other creatures that roam this world.” He took another sip of wine and looked at her with more meaning than he had shown in his eyes, “But I’m hoping to help change that.”

Arabella sighed as Mathew walked in, grateful for someone else to be here. “Can you distract me?” She asked quietly. “I need to stop thinking about how I’m going to die in a few days.” She slammed the books shut and leaned back, closing her eyes. “This is so stupid. I don’t get the point of killing us off.”

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Kane grinned; he was working the girl just how he wanted. “Well I’m Kane,” he said, with the gorgeous half-smile of his. He lifted the girl’s chin up so that she was looking into his s ea-blue eyes. “Who might you be?”