Emergency? (open)

[Rikka]

***4:30***

As the ground shook in district eight many people braced themselves against the walls and solid objects as everyone went quiet. Machines in the casino's dinged as they were shook and the programming was sent off kilter. Two small puppy creatures fell over instantly as their balance was disrupted. A third, larger puppy creature that looked as if it was a snow storm, braced himself up against a girl wearing black slacks, a red t-shirt, combat boots, and a black duster who in turn had braced herself against a pole. Her brown eyes blinked in confusion as she moved over to the fallen chimeras and helped them up. The cream colored one with brown spots whimpered as something wicked loomed in the air.

Running into her companions arms she was placed in a side bag with a smaller chimera who was black and white with butterfly's on her. The paint splattered one jumped around in circles as he felt the need to explore. He apparently was ignoring his natural instincts to hide from whatever had caused the explosion. Snow, the snow pattern chimera, pushed him over with his paw. They were supposed to be in school but Rue and Shiro had gotten lost in the city before Ash had found them. They were late for blades class. As an alarm boomed over District eight they all looked up as if the sky would tell them something. It didn't but the smoke from district two had.

"Emergency lock down, Category 1! All maximum level defenses engaged. All lifeforms are to proceed to their designated evacuation points and await further instructions. This is not a drill. A possible Category 0 disaster is in progress. Prepare to abandon the city!"

[/center]

Shaking her head Ash headed in the direction of the nearest divinity gate. Her eyes watched everything that she could see as a miasma rolled across the ground. Not liking the looks of it she concentrated on a barrier around her the chimeras. The barrier moved when she did and was glad for it when a person smiling insanely rammed herself into it. Ash jumped back along with her two chimeras as the woman cackled while licking her lips. Suddenly screaming started up all around them as more people like the girl in front of them started to attack innocent people. Creeped out Ash looked around before once again the woman rammed herself into the barrier. "Oh girly! Come out and play with mamma! I don't bite.....well maybe just a little. We can share the little puppies as a snack. Come come drop the barriers now." Ash shuddered as the woman suggested eating her chimeras. Not wanting to harm her she took off running with Snow and Shiro beside her.

Coming up to a deserted casino she scooped up Shiro and stuck him in the bag with Rue and Mizu who were cowering. Dropping the barrier her and Snow ran inside. Running up beside a slot machine she gave it a shove tipping it over in front of the doors. Several of the demented people were realizing she had ran past them and were starting to follow. Staring at the class doors she knew they wouldn't last long. Moving to Snow she and him headed farther into the casino attempting to put some distance between them and their-selves.

[Stein]

***4:30***

Alice had taken this day to walk around some of the city, she was wearing a pink dress and black shoes and one of her older aprons, she was in District 5, but when the explosion occurred she was on the boarder of District 6. Then the announcement went out.

“"Emergency lock down, Category 1! All maximum level defenses engaged. All life forms are to proceed to their designated evacuation points and await further instructions. This is not a drill. A possible Category 0 disaster is in progress. Prepare to abandon the city!"

Alice was closer to the District 8 evacuation point then the school so she started heading towards District 8. As she ran she pulled on a pair of white gloves and also pulled her twin swords out of her bag and strapped them to her waist just in case She was walking down the street when an old man tackled her from behind saying “I’ve misplaced my grandson, you haven’t seen him have you? He had been talking to someone like you” Alice couldn’t reach her swords, but she could reach the poison tipped dagger in her apron, she grabbed the dagger and slit the mans throat. She then quickly got up and ran the rest of the way to district 8. She pulled some of her poison, this poison was a careful combination of cyanide, apoptosis, and rhizome powder. Separate they were deadly when ingested, but together they were lethal to the touch. Alice made it to one of the abandoned casinos in District 8 and was holed up in it because there were more miasma here then where she’d been in District 7. She’d already killed the 1 corrupted thing that had been in here, so when she heard one of the slot machines being tipped over by the entrance she assumed that they were getting in, she reapplied her poison and carefully snuck forwards to see a girl in a black duster and a chimera with a snow pattern. “Who are you?” Alice said to the girl and chimera.

A corrupted women climbed over the slot machine and into the casino saying “Hello young ladies, are you lost? I can help you find your parents just come with me” Alice ran around the girl and attacked the women, succeeding in driving her back out the entrance “We need to get out of here, there’s a back entrance, let’s go” Alice said as she produced a new clean pair of gloves put them on and threw the old ones to the side, she then grabbed Ash’s hand and started walking towards the exit.

[Rikka]

Ash walked forward quickly as she attempted to get away from the doors. The farther she got the better off she would be. When a girl practically popped up in front of her and Snow she jumped backwards with daggers now in her hands in a defensive position. Hearing scuffling behind her she swiveled on her left foot so that the woman crawling over the slot machine was in her sight and also the girl in her way. The chimera's in her bag moved re-situating themselves due to the quick movement of Ash. As the girl ran around her and drove the demented person back she stood up slowly deciding that this girl was still sane.

"I'm Ash and this is Snow. Who are you?" Formality was at the moment was the last thing one her mind. At the moment she knew they needed to get someplace safe that they could create a good defense. Before she could give out an idea the girl grabbed her hand and they were off running with Snow beside her. Pulling her hand from the girl's grasp as she heard the people converging on the door and crawling over the slot machine in twos and threes. "Hold on. Their gonna gain on us." With that warning she scooped the girl in front of her up in a bridal style and ran much faster. In seconds she was at the back door with Snow still beside her. Keeping Alice in her arms she kicked the door open and raced out with snow beside her and headed toward the divinity gate that was closest. She didn't get far when a few of the demented caught up with speed affinities of their own. Shuddering at their blood stained clothes and blood covered faces. Shifting directions she raced into an abandoned bar and set the girl and her own bag down. While Ash was racing around two chimera's crawled out of the bag and looked around before looking up at the girl beside them. Hearing banging on the door they scurried over to Snow and hid behind him. The bag though seemed to shake as if what ever was still in it was scared beyond moving.

Racing back to the door she slammed it shut and braced tables and chairs against it. Grateful that this was a club that didn't have windows she moved around the bar at a relatively slow but still would look quite fast to the girl. Checking behind the counters she counted the amount of bottles that could be made into weapons before flitting out of the main room and into the back rooms where demented might be hiding. Finding no one she checked the bathrooms and found a black haired green eyed student in a blue dress, that came to her knees, from school curled up against the wall with her eyes wide. Michael a girl with an air affinity. Normally got out of control in class because she was a very emotional person. "Michael......I'm Ash. I'm in your magics class." The girl looked up at her in shock. She had obviously been attacked by the things. Slowly Ash moved toward her until she could gently take the girl in her arms. The moment she had her arms around the girl, Michael broke out crying and blubbering about people screaming and then her friends attacking others. Soothing her like she might a child she picked the girl up and brought out to the main part of the bar and sat her in a chair. "I will be right back. I need to finish securing the building." Then Ash was gone again as she secured the back door and the office which had windows. She came back and started to build a barrier in a corner that they could hide in if the things got it. It felt like she was preparing for war again. Something she had tried to get away from by coming to the academy.

***5:00***

Ash braced herself against the wall as the ground shook once more. This time the pounding stopped outside and everyone in the room had an eight point star marking them. Deciding it couldn't be harmful she was more curious as to what had happened outside. Not questioning it she continued to build the barrier. Mizu scared from the recent shaking raced out of the bag and over to Ash who quickly picked her up and set her in one of the pockets of her coat. Shiro noting that their was more people to be protected gulped and pushed his fear to the back of his mind before moving beside Snow and sitting up straight. He would be a good fighter. He wouldn't run! Rue on the other stayed hiding behind the other two.

[Stein]

“I’m Miss Alice Kiraland.” Alice replied sweetly as she ran towards the back of the casino holding Ash’s hand. When Ash pointed out that the miasma we gaining Alice tried to reply “There’s not a lot we can do to stop them gain-woah!” before she was scooped up by Ash, who took off running. Alice stayed calm, and mostly still as Ash carried her, Alice could tell that Ash was using a speed affinity by how quickly things flashed by, but as the demented things caught up Alice pulled a set of knives from her bag, poisoned their tips quickly and carefully, and threw them over Ash’s shoulder at the demented, quickly slowing them further.

The instant Ash set Alice down she was back on her feet putting barriers in front of the doors, When she heard the bag shuffling she turned around the see two small Chimera climbing out of Ash’s bag, she felt bad that they’d been absorbed into this violence “Hello you guys” Alice said to them as they ran to hide “My brother’s told me about you guys, would you like a cupcake?” She asked as she set 3 blue frosted cupcakes on the ground 2 feet in front of her. “I promise they’re not poisonous, just vanilla cupcakes, it’ll help keep up you energy.” Alice was going to check on whatever was still in Ash’s bag when Ash brought Michael into the room and sat her in a chair. Alice rushed over and started comforting Michael “Michael, are you alright sweetie? Here, eat this, it’ll make you feel better.” Alice said as she handed the frightened girl a cupcake with a mild sedative in it; not enough to put her to sleep, just enough to calm her down and act as a relaxant. As Michael started calming down a little, crying almost silently now Alice pulled out a handkerchief and started drying the girl’s eyes and told her to blow her nose. “I hate fighting too sweetie, war’s scary and messy, no one truly wins, they just survive.”

Kneeling down Alice opened the edge of Ash’s bag to see what was still in there. When she saw a baby chimera who was black and white with a butterfly pattern, and was no older than 3 weeks she gasped asking the little chimera “Are you ok?”

***5:00***

When the ground shook again the little Chimera ran out of the bag past Alice, and over to Ash, who scooped Mizu up and placed her in her coat pocket. Alice fell backwards when the shaking begun but quickly regained her composure. Alice noticed Shiro sitting up straight and being brave, she smiled and told all the chimeras “You’re being brave little soldiers. But if you want to hide you can hide in my bag, it’s bigger on the inside.” She said pointing to the little bag on her hip.

[Rikka]

Ash turned and looked at the group since she was almost done with their hiding spot. She noted that Snow, Shiro and Rue were all silently munching on cupcakes that Alice must have given them. Michael was also infinitely more calmer then she had been. Figuring Alice must have done something she looked back at her Chimeras again. Poor Shiro and Rue were shaking beyond help. They had followed her here before they had seen what true war was like cause the wars on Pantech rarely ever reached the chimera farm. Deciding to give them a little help she took a breath and uttered one of her commands for them. "Curo." Shiro hearing the word let his mind switch over to his focused mind set. Finishing the Cupcake he sat at attention staring at Ash waiting for his next orders. He had stopped trembling and was definitely more focused now. Snow stood up and prowled around the room knowing that the command was more for Shiro and Rue's benefit than his own.

Rue blinked as the command registered in her fear stricken mind. Slowly her body calmed down as an automatic reaction to the training she had been going under. Looking around her mind slowly put together that she shouldn't be acting like this. She was going to be a great War Chimera some day and she couldn't be acting like a puppy right now. She needed to be of use to Ash or Ash might let someone else take her. Shaking herself she moved only slightly trembling right now and sat beside Shiro her back straight and observant eyes roaming around there little base for the moment. Ash watched them change and knew she still had a long way to go with them. They needed to be able to switch to battle mode with out the command to help them. That would be her next lesson. "Alright. Snow Shiro Rue get behind the barrier. Michael how are you feeling?" Even as she said it Rue Shiro and Snow all headed behind the barrier and waited for their next orders. Ash moved next to Michael and ended up with a soft reply. "I feel okay now. I-I'm sorry for breaking down. I should be more useful." Ash smiled softly at the girl and helped her up. "Its alright. You did good just by hiding and staying alive. Lets get you behind that barrier for now." Helping her into the corner she made sure she was comfortable before pulling Mizu out of her Pocket and placing the small chimera beside Snow. Gently petting Mizu's head she pull off her jacket and place all her weapons on her person before laying the coat over the three Chimeras.

Turning to Alice to help her inside the Barrier that was a sudden crash against the wall with the door. Eyes widening Ash moved quickly covering up the opening to the barrier. Satisfied that the things wouldn't know that the barrier was anything other then the furniture stacked together she moved away from it and moved toward Alice as more sounds started to come together beyond the wall. Grabbing Alice's wrist gently she pulled the girl behind the bar and made her crouch down. "You seem like you will fare better then Michael in a fight to the death." Looking around at the Alcohol on the shelves she wondered if she could burn the beings to death.

Suddenly the wall gave up trying to hold the being out and shattered beneath the pounding. What appeared in the opening left Ash speechless. It wasn't humanoid, but Street lights and street signs. How did you kill those things? Keeping her eyes on them she watched them enter and 'look' around for the objects of their desire. Seeing nothing they almost turned around and left except one of the stop signs moved really close to the barrier of furniture. Moving to take a swing at it Ash spoke in vampyrian letting out a string of curses before disappearing from Alice's side and in front of the stop sign her sword in hand. Swinging with practiced skill she cut the thing in two then did it again as it kept moving. Still it continued to move. Disturbed she noted the other things has 'heard' the fighting and had come to join. Moving quickly since their speed was inferior to her own she fought against the metal objects trying to cut them into as small a pieces as possible. Unfortunately they just kept coming since the District Eight was littered with street lights and signs to tell people where the bars and casinos were.

[Stein]

Alice smiled to see the Chimera’s munching on the cupcakes. She was a little surprised when Rue and Shiro sat up in attention and calm down so quickly. They’re very well trained…they appear a little young to know that command….they’re either very well trained, or older than they look.

Alice turned to other matters and kneeled in front of Michael You look to be feeling better, let’s move behind the barrier”She was met with a small nod and a few tears, which she quickly wiped away. Alice allowed Ash to escort Michael behind the barrier, after Ash left the barrier Alice pulled what looked like a spool of thread from her apron and strung it across the opening like a web. She then addressed the Chimera’s and Michael and said “This thread is really sharp; it will cut you if you hit it. If you must get through in case of an emergency pull this string” Alice held up an end of the thread with a small pink bow tied to it “If you pull this it will undo the knots and you can run away, just be careful stepping on it as well.”
“Careful of the thread” Alice warned Ash as Ash was covering the barrier entrance as well. Alice allowed herself to be lead behind the bar and pulled down by Ash, grabbing one of the bottles as she crouched down and looking at it, wondering if she had enough control over her fire to be able to use it in this fight. Hearing the wall give way she peeked over the edge of the bar with Ash stifling a small gasp. Street lights and signs were attacking them; her poisons wouldn’t help in this fight.

She watched as most of them left, hoping they’d just all leave, but one sign got too close to the barrier, Alice watched as Ash disappeared from the bar, and reappeared cutting down the sign. Alice was very disappointed to see that the other signs were returning to help fight. What can I do, poison won’t help. Swordsmanship will help, but we need a way to stop more from coming and to disable the ones already cut up… A thought occurred to Alice, she quickly pulled her swords and one of the knife sets from her bag. Standing up she set everything on the counter and turned to grab the alcohol bottles, she was going to have to use her fire for this which would require concentration. She returned most of the knives to her bag, keeping only the 5 lightest ones which she stuck in one of her apron pockets. Most of the bar was nonflammable, but the alcohols would make a great base to light. Tossing the bottles at the hole on the wall Alice managed to shatter several covering the floor near the hole, and a few signs in vodka and rum. Alice quickly concentrated and started a small flame on the ground, which came to life and started greedily burning the alcohols. Alice was being careful to keep the fire away from Ash because she was still nervous about her control. She was focused on burning hot fires, rather than large, which was beginning to melt the signs, further slowing them.

Rue had snuck out from under the coat and under Alice’s petticoats while she’d been stringing the thread across the entrance. As Alice had stood up and gone to join Ash, Rue had moved to the corner by the bar to strategically plan her attack, she wanted to be able to help Ash and be a good war Chimera. She had gotten nervous and had not jumped to attack when the signs had first attacked and had been further scared when they began attacking Ash, but she wanted to help and was preparing to jump to attack when Alice lit a fire between her and Ash, causing her to jump backwards some from the flames.

Alice was continuing to light alcohol on fire near the door and to serve as barriers to slow or stop the signs when she noticed a small movement in the corner of her eye. She turned and noticed Rue in the corner near the bar, shying away from the fire that Alice had started. Alice grabbed her sword and began working her way towards Rue. As she neared Rue she realized the fire was still between her and Rue, she’d be safe, but Rue could get burned. focus, focus, I need to put that fire out just as Alice stepped through the fire that small fire surrounding Rue was put out. She scooped up Rue saying “I have you. Stay in here; sorry it’s dark.” As she slide Rue into her bag, being careful that the space Rue was in was free of needles, and poisonous cupcakes; she left a ball of string and another cupcake for Rue to find though. The bag didn’t even bulge as Rue went in. (Rue can get in and out of the bag, it will look like a void inside with string and a cupcake where she is) Turning Alice was face-to-face with a sign that had seen her; Alice easily cut it into several smaller pieces and she kicked the pieces into the fires as she went, hoping they’d melt and not return. Alice continued fighting towards the hole in the wall; her goal was to get her wire across the entrance to stop the flow of signs and lights. Alice eventually made it to the wall and begun quickly stringing wire across the entrance, it’s be easier with someone on the other side, but she could do it on her own. She had to pause often because more of the signs and lights were spotting her and attacking; her sword skills were more than adequate to fight of the posts, but using her fire affinity had drained her stamina, if the fight went for too long Alice would tire and have to stop.