Time to start training (open)

[Mantis]

OOC: if you post here, please make sure you stay active.

Mantis walked out into the training grounds with his sister at his side. He walked a ways in so that he was near the forestation, but still on the plains with a couple of large rocks. The bug manipulator sat Julie down on a boulder, kneeled down, and said, "Sit here while I train ok?"

"OK!~" She shouted happily, the second syllable was drawn out. "Here, play with him." He said, looking around and reaching out mentally to call up a large praying mantis, the young mans favorite type of insect, and namesake. Julie giggled happily and used her wind element to float the six inch bug around.

Mantis walked off toward a smaller tree. He drew his wakizashi and chopped off a couple of the branches. It was an older sappling, perfect for strike training. What resulted of the man's pruning, was similar to those Wooden training dummies one would see in a martial arts dojo.

The bug manipulator sheathed his blade, removed his trench coat, and took his Shaolin style fighting stance. He then began striking the hacked limbs with open hand strikes. It was peaceful and somewhat warm. A perfect day for training. All that was needed now was a sparring partner.

[Cirkel]

(OOC: I'm active!)

It hadn't been a long time since Cirkel had used his powers. He had practiced the day before he came to the academy, so he wasn't particularly hopeful to use his skills. Even if he hadn't used them for a while, he wasn't one to have an overall desire to do so, which could make one a bit confused as to why he entered the training grounds. Truth be told, Cirkel was curious as to other powers in the academy. Everyone was expected to have magic of some sort, and he couldn't help but wonder what each person had, and hearing about the training grounds made it seem like a good place to start. Maybe it was in his nature, though he would think of it as simple curiosity.

Cirkel would enter the training grounds casually, as he always did. He found himself gazing with large eyes at the massive structure. Though he entered through an obviously man-made entrance, and the outside looked as a dome-like structure, the inside seemed to stretch near endlessly. Where he found himself was in a plains-like area, outside of what one may go so far as to call an oasis, though it looked a bit more natural than that.

Spending about twenty minutes looking around, Cirkel would eventually find himself near a couple, apparently brother and sister. The older boy seemed to be fighting a modified tree (if I read correctly), and the younger girl was happily sitting on a rock, invisibly swinging around something Cirkel was not quite clear to see. This seemed a good a place as any to start witnessing people's powers, so he began to run towards them.

He was there within the minute, only the slightest fatigued. He'd quickly begin to introduce himself, that smile ever present on his face.

"Good afternoon. My name is Cirkel, my ask your names?"

[Mantis]

OOC: would have posted on saturday but i didn't feel like going out.

Julie looked over with her deep blue green eyes, to see a boy running over to her brother. The praying mantis that had been helplessly lofted about was set down onto the grass to go about its business...for the moment. The tiny girl hopped off of the rock and walked over to her brother. "Brother...Someones here." She whispered.

Mantis stopped striking the tree, which was beginning to look a little beat up. He put a gloved hand on his sisters head as he turned around to see the boy, not doubt younger than Mantis himself, running up. When the boy called out, Julie responded: "I'm Julie, and this is my big brother Mantis." Came her tiny, somewhat excitable voice. The bug manipulator simply nodded with a rather blank expression on his face.

It was never Mantis' custom to speak unless it was necessary, and so he didn't. He glanced over the boy who was a few inches shorter. He adjusted the belt strap that held the pouch of knives, as well as the saia for his Wakizashi. It wasn't done in any sort of threatening manner, they'd just been moved by his training.

[Shadow Chrestmire]

Three laser's blasted through the dummy Shadow was working training on then sevral Mini missles followed by one huge energy ball kinda like a mini sprit bomb. the dummy turned to just some ash on the ground. "Hmmmm wonder what this could do to a person?" Shadow said outloud then smerked he was just jokeing with himself.

OoC:you want to talk active Mantis the Man vs Machine Thred need a responce.

[Cirkel]

(OOC: Mantis has forgived, and I can post here again! Chyah!)

Cirkel was looking at the older male for a moment before the girl cut in. He quickly turned his attention to her as she spoke, and he could only assume that, at least in some aspects, the two wer very different. The older brother seemed more serious, and he had almost an air of neutrality about him, if not to the slightest eratic extent. Shy... possibly. Though maybe just a bit defensive.

The girl, on the other hand, seemed to have more of a simply childish joy about her. She seemed comfortable with her older brother, as to be expected. It was then that Cirkel caught himself over-analyzing, which might have just been quite paranoia, though he truthfully hoped not.

He kneeled down so that he was at head level with Julie, and he spoke to her. He remembered reading that evening out the height difference by kneeling was a good way to connect better with young children, so it seemed in the right.

"Well, Miss Julie, may I ask you, though please forgive if this comes off as rude, does your brother speak? I mean, from what I've seen, the older one usually talks, but..."

Cirkel paused. He was doing it again: over analyzing. This situation was coming off as more challenging than he had hoped. He spoke to Julie again.

"Sorry. I'm being critical. Actually, I would like to ask Mr.Mantis about something."

As he spoke his last words he stood back up and looked at the older brother, smile still present, as it always had been.

"Once again, please forgive me if I am rude, though would I be in the wrong to ask you what you're power would be?"

[Mantis]

Julie gripped the pants leg of her brother as the boy knelt down. When he asked his question she piped up in a rather loud voice, "Of course he does!" then, much quieter, "Just not often." Then he stood and adressed Mantis. Power? What exactly did he mean by power? Sure mantis was stronger than alot of the non-magical community, but what exatly did he mean?

Thinking for a moment before answering..."Why don't you come find out." He was being slick about the whole thing. Mantis needed a sparring partner, and here was some guy in the training grounds. Coincidence? Damn right. But it was there to be exploited. He looked the boy over once again. This time analyzing his physical traits. The kid was pretty much a twig. His arms and neck looked toned, but Mantis was most likely stronger...unless this young man here wasn't human.

Julie grinned, her brother seemed excited. She hadn't seen him train against any one aside from Mark. Even though she was a little girl, she liked seeing people fight...as long as they weren't trying to kill each other.

[Shadow Chrestmire]

Interesting but sorry not going to happen yet *BLAM* Shadow fired his magnum to get both boys attention "Hey it's Bug man and his little sister who woulden't be alive right now if it weren't for me. Hey this dude summons bugs and spiders and stuff and his sister," Shadow stopped their.


"Well lets just say they better have a little gratitude."
Shadow said as he stood between them Something about that girl makes me want to shoot her but what is it hmmmmmmmm
"Speaking of your sister whats her name?" Shadow asked wonding if perhaps one of them knew who he was.

[Cirkel]

Cirkel had to wait for but a second before he was answered by Mantis. Though his smile remained, something in his expression showed a slight bit of surprised. In his own mind, he had made Mantis out to be a strong silent type, almost like a hitman-bodyguard type. The kind of person everyone wanted to meet, though always in a public and positive environment. Apparently, however, he wasn't overall silent, though he still looked pretty strong.

"Umm... well..."

Before Cirkel had a chance to answer, the sudden bang of a gunshot went off, and instinct told him to look. He saw a white-haired, red-jacketed male, with three guns, and a big sword on his back. Something of the air about him gave one the impression of a desire for battle, though Cirkel could not be sure. You're doing it again...

Cirkel regained himself to answer the newcomer's question, as he saw no threat in answering, though some part of him thought it an unsatisfactory action. He ignored that part.

"Her name's Julie, may I ask why?"

[Shadow Chrestmire]

well isn't that a nice name why do I feel like shooting her does she know something about me was she some sort of enemy

"Well then," Shadow twirled his magnum and looked at Mantus "Why is she here buggy? to spar? Or sience we're here and this is the training grounds how bout a triple threat (a three man match everyone for themself)

[Mantis]

OOC: finally posting. remember though, shadow, you only have the abilities you had when you entered this thread, meaning i dont think you have teleportation yet.

Mantis looked over. Well, if it wasn't Shadow. "Heh. If you wanna fight so bad, Just say so!" After this Cirkel kid had asked about Mantis' abilities, the bug manipulator was now wanting a good fight. He hadn't been one to fight right out of the gate...but this was another matter. "Join in if you want." He said to Cirkel before shooting toward Shadow. His mana summoned several dozen bugs near Shadow's feet, which quickly climbed up his legs and into his gun, jamming the mechanisms to the point where he couldn't even draw back the hammer.

Mantis was faster than ordinary humans, but he still wasn't that fast, so it took a few seconds to reach shadow. His stance consisted of a partially chambered right hand, that was hooked down like a mantis' claw, the left hand was down more, hooked the same way. As Mantis would come in, he delivered a finger strike to the side of the neck of Shadow. All five fingers were bunched together in that hooked position, and now they would bury themselves in a pressure point on the side of the white haired mans neck.

That pressure point didn't do any thing too sinister, simply stunned the strike'ee, making him unable to react for a second or two. And that was all the time Mantis needed to deliver a sharp palm heel to Shadow's jaw with enough force to knock him into the air a little bit, and then flat on his ass. For now, magic was only going to be used to even the odds, hence the jamming of the gun by dozens of the tiniest insects you've ever seen.

[Cirkel]

Cirkel, once again, was surprised by Mantis. Not only was he not so much of the strong silent type as Cirkel had figured, he was also one who seemed, like the newcomer, one who quite wanted a good fight. So much, in-fact, that Cirkel had little time to react. Even so, Cirkel found himself leaping back. Not beyond five feet, as Cirkel wasn't the strongest of fellows, but still enough to get him away from the action and let the other two fight.

Cirkel was not a fighter. If the need came up, he would fight, though such things he never enjoyed. Rather, he was much more simplistic, if not naive, to prefer simple living. Adrenaline just wasn't his cup of tea, which found him just standing there, watching. From the fight he could see Mantis wasn't an over-active magic user, as instead of clearing the gap with something like a traditional firebal, he instead went ahead and charged at his opponent, using only his magic against his opponent's weapon. One thought that odd in a magic school, though not entirely uncommon, as Cirkel reasoned. Some used magic as a main attack, others used it more as one may use a sword. More of an extension of one's own talent rather than a talent in itself.

"Interesting."

[Shadow Chrestmire]

OoC:Yes Mantis I know I know

IC:"Interesting I can't even pull the trigger but I can do this Shadow quickly threw the revlover then kicked towards Julie thing was that it would miss her by a couple feet but Mantis didden't know that once (if) Mantis looked Shadow'd shoot him in the head with his handgun.

OoC:in the training grounds it's impossable to die right? if not I'll edit and no Julie's in no harm)

[Mantis]

Mantis didn't look away, his eyes stayed locked on his opponent, though his body moved to the side slightly, in order to make sure the gun didn't hit him. His sister was way too smart to be hit by something so stupid, not to mention way too fast. She was only eight and the little girl was faster than the most skilled olympic athelites. "Thats not very nice!" She yelled, watching the gun sail passed where she was standing. "Kick his butt, brother!!" Was what she yelled next, this time to Mantis.

The bug manipulator came up on his opponent, drawing the bugs away from the tossed, and now grounded magnum, and pushing them to climb back up Shadow's leg to impare his other weapons, even the man himself, once they reached him. Mantis reached him first, however, and followed through with his plan, only his left hand, which would strike the neck, was covered by the right hand so as to block what ever Shadow would throw so that the blondes plan would follow through.

[Shadow Chrestmire]

Damn I hate these bugs if only I could a light went off in Shadow's head Drown them duh!

Shadow used took the blade of the Elsydion and cut himself in sevral places sience this technique would not only get them off him due to the fast flow of blood and if they entered his body they'd be killed (but Shadow doesen't know that)

Wait if I materalize the weapons then dematerlize them those bugs can't do anything. Shadow fired off all ten rounds before any bug could get in his pistol.

[Cirkel]

It was by now that Cirkel was comfortably sitting, watching the other two begin to fight. It was quite strange, actually. He had seen many fights before when completing his physical training, though never like this. If one somewhat more aware of common phrasing would say, this fight seemed to get his blood boiling. It was an experience Cirkel had never felt before, though the strange thing was that he kind of enjoyed it.

When Shadow had attacked Julie Cirkel hadn't moved, as it wasn't in his regular thought-pattern to do so. He had never had to look after people's well-beings before, so a brother-sister relationship was entirely new to him, especially as how Mantis seemed to trust Julie seemingly unwittingly. This made Cirkel think before he quickly reminded himself.

You're over-analyzing again.