Dark Clouds Gather [Noah]

Posts : 1289 Join date : 2015-02-23 Age : 30

Even though being a member of the cadets allowed certain privileges it would be a lie to claim that it was easy, after all responsibilities tended to go hand to hand with fancy titles. Athena knew full well what kind of duties she would have to perform to keep her promoted social standing before she even drank the Queen's blood and awoke to the power inside her. However, imagining your future work was far less stressful than actually performing it, paroling duties weren't something one should take lightly, with rampaging demons on one side and hateful terrorists on the other the cadets were as much prey as they were hunters. She believed this was the reason they were always tasked to patrol in groups, the famous strength in numbers.

Athena had arranged to meet with Noah, the captain of the athletics team and a fellow cadet. The plan was to meet a few hours before their actual patrol began so they would have time to position themselves and perhaps scan the surrounding area for anything suspicious, the terrorist and demons of course appeared during night but one can never bee too certain. She had arrived first at the meeting place though her early arrival wasn't intentional.

Subject: Re: Dark Clouds Gather [Noah] Fri Jun 17, 2016 6:42 pm

Today definitely sounded like it'd be pretty packed. From a meeting to an investigation and who knows what will be next if they actually manage to find out something important. Claire had seemed almost unusually sure of herself when it came to this to be honest, and while Noah wasn't completely skeptical, he doubtet the chase would be as simple as it was presented by the woman. Which would suggest the day's job wouldn't be over any time soon. How great. On the other hand, it would appear that they actually had a few people possibly coming around to help out with it...not that numbers always meant extra speed. Heh, there's always someone who's clumsy and makes a mistake...

Noah would toss the empty bottle he had been carrying into a nearby trashcan as he approached the pink-haired woman. He most certainly remembered her from yesterday morning at school, but it would be a lie to say he knew a lot about her. Sure, he was a social person, but he still wasn't buds with everyone around him for that was simply impossible with only 24 hours within a day.

''Yo, what's up?''

Posts : 1289 Join date : 2015-02-23 Age : 30

"Oh hello there." Athena replied as soon as she turned to identify the person who had greeted her. She knew Noah before he joined the cadets but they haven't really spoke to one another, though this was a situation that had to change since both of them became cadets, trust was important for groups, even though Athena personally doubted she could end up fully trusting the young man or anyone for that matter she wanted to group up with the talented bunch, a teammate who could carry their own weight was more important than a loyal one for her.

"It's good to see you. Looks like we're about to have our first patrolling experience, isn't that exciting?" Athena added, she appeared to be a tad too happy but she was mostly faking that emotion in order to appear friendlier and easier to talk to. Deep inside the girl just wanted to go home and relax in a bubble-bath.

Subject: Re: Dark Clouds Gather [Noah] Sun Jun 19, 2016 5:19 pm

Dark Clouds Gather [Noah] Tumblr_n12rx3vMHK1rskt32o1_500

Oddly enough, Noah wasn't exactly sure how to approach this girl. She was the one who tried kissing up to the Cadets back at the school announcement, wasn't she? He found that kind of behavior a bit fake, so it made him wonder what was she after in this job. ''Heh, we're chasing a Terrorist who messes with people's minds. A mindblowing excitement indeed.'', he would give a short laugh. This wasn't just a normal patrol after all.

''Say, why'd you decide to join the Cadets?''

Posts : 1289 Join date : 2015-02-23 Age : 30

Noah mentioned the powers of the terrorist they were after and Athena couldn't help but see the connection between her powers and those of the terrorist. After all when the Queen pinned them against the executioner it was her persona powers that turned that monster berserk and thus preventing it from using fancy tactics, she was very proud of that. However Noah didn't stop at that, he seemed to be in the mood for some chitchat.

"That's an easy answer." Athena replied "I was one of the people who got attacked by that demon at the park five years ago... I'm not sure what you've been trough but let me tell you this: being unable to defend yourself is not a pleasant feeling. After that I promised myself that I would never let anyone threaten me in such a way, either this creature was a demon or a terrorist." She made sure to appear dramatic enough to be believed but not over the top, she had lied but from her personal experience Athena knew that people would rather hear a sob story instead of her cynical philosophy. "What about you? I can only imagine you have a very solid reason to join."

Subject: Re: Dark Clouds Gather [Noah] Tue Jun 21, 2016 5:13 pm

That so? ''You sure seem to have interesting ambitions. But if what you truly seek is the power to be able to defend against threats, what does it matter whether you're with the Cadets or someone else? Terrorists likely have similar abilities as well, just different enemies. Besides, we're still being threatened, otherwise we wouldn't need to investigate right now....'' Heh, when ever was it as easy as that. Get power and be safe. In a way, maybe being powerless is sometimes easier, as you needn't worry about all those dangerous complications. Unless something like 5 years ago happens again, but what were the chances of that happening within your lifespan? No one knows.

He would wave a hand. ''Me? I'm sort of interested in learning about how it all works. You don't really see much of how the city works when you're sitting on the sidelines, right? Besides, I don't mind getting involved with some brawl to get what I seek. I've always wondered how is it that the Queen keeps order after what had happened back then.'' Amongst other things. She was an oddity however. They had to drink her blood to gain power, right? That's pretty out there. That, and she had that air of mystery about her, that's for sure. It wasn't his only reason though, but as far as general answers go, this ought to be enough at the moment.

He would hum to himself. ''Think many people will join this chase?'' Frankly, he was still trying to figure out just how many new people did they reqruit. He and Maria were along back then, but then he found out in the morning that Haru and Achelle were in as well. And now Athena here. Suddenly it was quite the party, heh.

Posts : 1289 Join date : 2015-02-23 Age : 30

"I have to admit there are still many things I don't understand about the Queen, though anyone would admit she's a formidable woman. Rebuilding the city was certainly not an easy task. Perhaps though my work as cadet I can become more like her." Athena would certainly love to enjoy the privileges the Queen had, though for the moment the only way she could do that was by climbing higher among the cadet hierarchy. "Who knows, perhaps the Queen might deliver personal assignments to us... provided we'll survive long enough for that."

Athena hadn't thought much the possibility of more people joining the cadet, though she had the feeling the Queen would want to boost the numbers of her soldiers, especially now they were under direct attack, as much as Athena understood the Queen couldn't allow herself to appear weak for if she did the entire system could collapse. "It is possible, isn't it. The other cadets seemed surprised when they announced the recruitment, but hey the more the merrier, right?" Personal feelings and ambitions aside Athena agreed with the Queen's decision, though more recruits could also mean that cadets were expendable, she made sure to make a mental note about that. "What are your feelings on this, are you a teamwork guy or do you lean more to the lone wolf type?"

Subject: Re: Dark Clouds Gather [Noah] Fri Jun 24, 2016 3:46 pm

Is it possible to be more like the Queen by being a Cadet? There was a profound difference after all. The Cadets were running around and doing all the dirty work while the Queen was just the leader. Even then, only her children seemed to keep control in public. What does the woman even do on most days? Sure, she had managed great feats in the past...but can anyone say what is her current agenda, as she is generally in the shadows of it all? It's a mystery, isn't it? ''It was mentioned in the morning meeting, you know? If you want personal work for the Queen, aim to become one of her Royal Guards. Like that blue-haired woman with an intimidating attitude.'' Or whatever one wants to call her, since no one has been seen attaching a name to her just yet.

The surprise...that was a thing, yeah. ''Guess the decision was done by the higher ups without notifying the current cadets ahead of time. Wonder why, but we likely ain't getting that answered right now.'' It's a little odd that the ones who were to get them up to speed would only be informed as late as that though. Gives little time for any preparation. ''But I guess more back up is a good thing.'' Or so it should. Noah would shrug lightly. ''I'm fine either way, although I'd assume teamwork is generally the more efficient option as long as people do it right.'', he would smirk a bit. ''We're doing teamwork by deafult today though, so there's no choice given.''

Posts : 1289 Join date : 2015-02-23 Age : 30

"It's probably a way to test us, see how we work as a team and all. Terrorists seem to work in groups so why not us?" She wondered what goals the other cadets had, it wouldn't be strange if more young people had join for the same selfish reasons she did but on the other hand the city was filled with idealists and patriots who were willing to throw their life away for the good of the city.

"I wonder if we'll manage to track down that terrorist. Though even if we do there's no telling this will end well for us. How do you even fight someone who can mess with your head?" She knew it was a bit early to ask about a battle plan yet she believed Noah's answer would reveal more about his personality.

Subject: Re: Dark Clouds Gather [Noah] Fri Jun 24, 2016 7:58 pm

Noah would shrug. ''Don't know. We were given the option of whether we want to come and help or not, so it doesn't sound like a set test since everyone could just decide not to participate in the chase.'' Of course, based on what he heard at the meeting and all, a few of them would indeed come. Still there was no rule as Claire said that those who want to assist are to meet her at the designated place later, not everyone. ''It's probably based on individual decisions before a mission or such.'' Yeah, Terrorists maybe work in groups, but even between those guys there would surely be some that prefer going on their own.

''I think we're only gathering clues for now. Though, from what we've been told there's some marketplace we can go to later to get some useful tools and items. Perhaps there's something that would help us against this kind of force. If not, we'll have to wing it. That's the danger of the job, right?'' Noah didn't appear to be overly bothered by this. Sure, it didn't sound easy, but as harsh as they could be on new Cadets, would they really willingly send them on a chase that is extremely hard? That would only pose a high risk of making new reqruits a waste of time, if they get killed right away. So, there had to be a way to get through this as long as they didn't do something stupid....''How do you feel about the opposition having that kind of power?'', he'd throw a question back in a laid-back manner. Might as well see what she things of this mind control herself.

Posts : 1289 Join date : 2015-02-23 Age : 30

"I want to be honest with you, the idea of fighting someone who has the power to control my thoughts is unnerving. I'm not an athlete like you so I rely heavily on my wits, if someone was to take that weapon from me then I would be powerless." Since the abilities of the terrorist were still somewhat unclear Athena didn't know how she would affect her mind. "Although... it seems like an interesting challenge. My abilities are of a similar nature so it will be nice to see if mine are strong enough to counter hers. I still feel the Queen wasn't impressed by me during the test, this is my chance to prove my worth." She said, even though she was confident in her abilities she realized she was still a rookie in this terrorist war, she had only received her persona yesterday after all.

"I realize it's a bit too early to fully understand your new abilities but I was wondering... what kind of powers do you possess?" During her awakening she saw Faces, or rather Phantom, using his persona to heal his wounds and attack the Executioner with both elemental and physical attacks, unlike her whose attacks revolved only around elements. "Figuring out each other strengths and weaknesses is important in order to device a strategy, don't you agree?"

Subject: Re: Dark Clouds Gather [Noah] Sat Jun 25, 2016 8:02 pm

''Then perhaps use said wits to outsmart the opponent?'' But in the end, did it matter whether you had anything else? If you're truly being controlled, physical power may as well be just as useless. Or even trouble if the enemy can make you use it against your allies. ''Though if your powers are truly similar, it may help you out in understanding how to deal with it.'' That was a thought. He didn't know whether that actually worked in real world application. Noah would chuckle faintly. ''I had the impression they were basically not truly satisfied with anyone's performance. Might be because we're just the newbies regardless.'' It's not like he and Maria had done horrible, but the rating still came out just so-so. There was only so much they could have done more wisely at their level of knowledge about fights.

''I prefer to go physical. And a bit of fire. At least for now.'', he'd answer simply enough. There wasn't a lot to talk about there after all. ''It can be. Although a strategy probably needs to be loose anyway, as what we really need is to adapt to the opponent and figure out what works best against them. A formula won't work against everyone the same way.'' In the end, they could lack anything useful once in a while..and then? They'd have to improvise, regardless of the fact that they know each others' fighting style inside out. Of course, it was useful in its own way too.

Posts : 1289 Join date : 2015-02-23 Age : 30

"I guess any situation can get messy in the battlefield, movies and video games really don't show how chaotic battles can be and how easily is for a plan to fall apart. At the very least it's a way to practice your critical thinking and not make rash decisions, though the prize of any mistake can be too grave to even gamble." Despite her words Athena was already coming up with maneuvers they could use against the terrorist. "I think we should start heading out, wouldn't want to be late for our first assignment." Athena paused for a moment before she continued. "You don't mind walking there together, right?" Should Noah give a positive reply Athena would smile and walk beside him, if he refused she would make sure to show him her disappointment but make no attempt to persuade him. Either way she would be heading to Sunlake Palms

[Athena Exits Thread]

Subject: Re: Dark Clouds Gather [Noah] Sun Jun 26, 2016 9:13 am

''Heh, sometimes you have to gamble to survive though. Even when you aren't really making mistakes.'' When the opposition is really strong, even a cleanly executed strategy may not get you where you wish. ''Sure, there's no need to be late to the meeting point.'' And it made no difference whether they walked together or not in the end anyway. Time to get going....

~Exit~

Subject: Re: Dark Clouds Gather [Noah] Sun Jun 26, 2016 9:46 am

The fisher observes the pair of fish with a critical eye as it strokes it chin, then seeming pleased the creature lays back to watch what Fate does to the pair as they swim along the River of Mystery.
Noah of the Chariot Arcana and Athena of the Aeon Arcana have formed a link with one another.

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