[Byrne doesn't exactly know how to handle the emotions he has right now. Too much of his life has been marred by betrayal: betrayal from the Spirits, the Demon Lord, and from himself. He knew falling in love was a bad idea - he knew that getting close like that would only lead to ruin, because it would make him vulnerable, it would lead to more conflict within him. But he had dared to stick around, to betray his logic and allow himself to fall in love. And now...

Well, let's say he had destroyed many NPC robots after the fact. And there's a constant burning rage within him now. He doesn't need to attempt to atone for his past anymore. It doesn't matter if all his life is just going to be one insult after another, one large betrayal. Is this his punishment for leaving behind his destiny?

All he can think of is revenge. There's a cold gaze as Byrne faces the screen, a bright rage filling the yellow of his eyes. He sits with his gauntlet in plain view, making no jokes about this.

His words are calm, no shouting, but still full of passion.

Why is this public? Because he wants everyone to know how pissed he is.]

I will kill you, Dr. Ivo Robotnik.

Attention Smash Academy! I thank you all for your PATIENCE and COOPERATION during this most TRYING of times.

And, according to the mayor's office, I DEEPLY REGRET any... overzealousness on the part of me or my robotic hordes.

That all being said, as part of my, er, SETTLEMENT, I will be DE-ROBOTISIZING everyone who was transformed during the recent unpleasantness. As soon as YOU PUNKS GIVE BACK MY ROBOTISIZER!!!

Ahem. That is all for now. Good day, Smash Academy.

[ There are small scratches all over the edges of the screen because claws and technology don't really mix???

And then suddenly. A bird. ]

Okay. Uh-huh. So... Wait. I've got this. [ Let him just peck his feathers a little. Twist his neck around to loosen up. ] This is Stark... Right?

I'm in Stark. The Stark. No big deal. [ Yes, big deal. He's been having a sort of crisis about this all day. He can feel himself molting already! ]

...How exactly? Just. How? All of April's talk about the Balance and how we can't exist in each other's realms or... something... like that...? Uh... Okay, so I wasn't really paying attention to the details! [ Yeah. He really wasn't. And now he really wishes he had. ] How the heck did I get to Stark?!

[ Keep it together, Crow. ]

Okay, okay. In Stark. Got it. Not complaining. Just observing.

...

So has anybody actually seen April around? Ryan? ...April Ryan. Human girl. Kind of pretty looking, I think. With hair and... clothes... I hope...

[Byrne doesn't care about Christmas because he is secretly Mr. Scrooge.

But he does have a couple gifts. Except they're anonymous and he doesn't put his name on them.

Nabooru gets a poinsetta wreath, except made out of real flowers and stuff. Also she gets a pretty gem necklace, except it looks less cheesy and more real.

Link (OOT) gets a shield. Yay.

AND THAT'S IT. >:|]

[A piece of paper crumpled up, tossed in the dusty corner of the hall you take to your next class. Or folded neatly and slipped under your door. Or maybe someone told you. How you found out isn't that important; if you were invited, you better show up.

( FIGHT CLUB DEETS. )

If you are interested in joining Smash's off-campus, underground, really suspicious FIGHT CLUB? An OOC post here will put your dude on the list.]

[Sophie had left for a few days to visit Asbel and the others back home. When she returned, anyone who saw her might realize she seemed very distant. People who knew her might really see this. She was very quiet. Sad. Something was serious up. After a moment of keeping to herself and being away from everyone, she finally got on the network. For your dose of awkward, sad, dark, morbid things...here she is. She looks uncomfortable in her seat, but she's serious.]

I need to...ask a question.

[A pause.]

What do you...do when you realize that your friends will all die before you?

[Initially, the view is empty save for the rather... foreboding suit of armor in the background. Then out of nowhere, a very pale and quite literally transparent girl appears before it! Not that that's a big deal, right? The academy already has a fine collection of dead students and staff, so what's one more ghost in the mix? How incredibly uninteresting.

Her query is equally uninteresting.]

Pardon the interruption, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to get to the public library? I've been directed to your online map several times, but I lack the means to make a physical copy...

[Network posts, she gets. Google maps and printing? Not so much.]


((ooc: Many apologies for the late intro! I'd intended to post earlier in the weekend but my internet connection was being a brat. Let's just assume she spent the time getting accustomed to being stuck here and acquiring a communication device she can actually type on with those big sausage fingers her armor has.))

[Fun fact: computers are hard. How hard you ask? Very hard]

eqjdhyiabcd
fdasf

okayithinkihavethis.howdoyouputspacesandbiglettersin/

[Hmmmm. Several minutes later and typing very slowly]

ABCD. Caps lock makes big letters and the long button at the bottom makes spaces. But I don't get how to make question marks. /// / Caps lock doesn't work. 123. Can't get the things above the numbers either.

I guess I'll find out later. Hi, I'm Link. I'm new here. The headmaster said I had to enrol to the school now I'm here, so I guess I'll be in some people's classes. I still don't get how I got here...but he said I could go home whenever I want, so maybe I'll stay for awhile then go home to fix everything up. It's nice to meet you all.

Is anyone else from Hyrule here/ I was with Zelda and Anjean before, but they've vanished...I hope they're okay. If anyone sees them, could you let me know/

These computer things are hard. Can someone teach me how to use them better/

[Oh hey Nabooru. When you get back to your room, you'll find a beautiful vase of assorted flowers, mainly lilies and hydrangea (even though hydrangea's not in the picture shut up). Attached is a small note that says "Happy Birthday."

But what's this? You thought Byrne didn't care about birthdays? Well, he really doesn't. But he cares about you. He just shows it in weird, sporadic ways okay.

Luckily he has no idea that Ganondorf brought you back to the Desert for the day, since he left the flowers by the door.]

[Oh, look, it's Link. On the video feed...! There's a long pause before he says anything.]

...

Does anyone know Zelda? [Pause.] She's here, isn't she?

[Pause.]

...My name is Link.

[So after the little incident at the auctions Blacky has been generally anti-social and grumpy and trying to convince herself that she was totally justified. Give it up, Blacky.]

I hope the money raised by the auction goes toward something that's actually useful instead of a shipment of chocolate oranges. It would be a shame if all that trouble wasn't even worthwhile.

Now that I have no obligations as either a temporary slave or a trainer's Pokemon or anyone's significant other, I think what I really should do is do something wild and bold to celebrate this freedom. I've just forgotten how. Surely one of the free spirits here has some good suggestions, though. Please just get my mind off of all my horrible decisions by letting me make even more.

( action. )

----------

So.

Nice place y'all got here. Accommodating and shit, natch, but let's lay down the ground issues.

You got some guard named Goose here, right? The hand having seizures and offering orange smoothies thinks I'm that guy, so gimme the deal on that. I'm the only Goose I'm seein' here, and if you needed a guard, the thing could'a just asked nicely.

Doesn't mean I would've said yeah, but he got me on a good day.

If this means shacking up here a while, call me Goose. See where they got the mix-up goin'? Should hope so, or you might be kinda blind.

... Now what's with that bear thing in the cafeteria and why'd he look all happy to see me?

[Early that morning, a rumbling sound filled the sky. Something was flying over the academy. Something familiar: the Egg Carrier was back. And that could mean only one thing.]

Well, no thanks to any of YOU, I'm finally BACK! Admittedly, my plan failed in a fairly spectacular manner, but don't think this is the end! I've got much bigger things in store for all of you!!

And for all of my students who thought they were getting away without attending my classes in my absence, THERE WILL BE AN EXAM TOMORROW WORTH 25% OF YOUR FINAL GRADES TO MAKE UP FOR IT!!! If you think that's unfair, then TOO BAD!!!

Hey hey hey!

Large man with the large face, I've got all naked and ready and I need you to come use the mew mew meow meow fast slow orange washing liquid and start to EXFOLIATE my glove.

All of you passed my test last week and get to keep all your fingers. Pity. I wanted to test out a rumor I've been hearing.

Even a kitten could've passed that test anyway. [ The target was relatively small and thin. Even the weakest swordsman could've decimated it. No one actually bothered to ask him about that :D ] I was hired to teach swordsmanship, not teach pussies to handle a deadly weapon and complain about practical tests. What did you all expect? I'd make some lame written test, asking stupid crap like how long it takes to make a blade? Useless.

Funny how most of you freaked out about it. This place may prove to be entertaining after all.

[The image flickers to life, and it’s obvious that the camera’s been carefully placed on a counter or something of similar height, as the image clearly shows the back of a rather… womanly figure. With a great amount of theatrics, the figure whirls on her(his?) heel, long ponytail whipping around with him as he does so.]

Hello, hello, students of Smash Academy! I hope you’re all ready to run, because your new track coach has arrived! That’s right! So if you’re interested in joining the track team, please just let me know~♥

Oh, where are my manners? I am Kazegami, and I hope to get to know you all soon!

hey every1! names yosuke, nice 2 mEt u all!

u guyz no any kool placez 2 hang out? itd B gr8, thx!


[Yosuke's more talkative in person, honestly. He's just still busy putting things away.]

( This might get long.. Also, it could be contrived as gory. Read at your own discretion. )


[OoC Notes!

Long story short: Caim killed the Kraken and pretty much displayed his killing by leaving pieces of it everywhere for people to find. So the dormitory halls, the classroom halls, the unlocked classrooms, the cafeteria, the bathrooms? Yeah. They all have at least something, even if it's really small. If you skimmed the narrative (which I wouldn't blame you for), then just note that the head of the Kraken can be found put on display in front of the main office for the Hands.

For those who did read the narrative, Caim's reference to the Seed of Destruction can be seen here. It might be a bit spoileriffic for anyone who doesn't want to know, so don't click it if you're trying to avoid everything. (Also, it's a bit graphic and not for the faint of heart, I suppose.) This is one of the last things Caim actually saw before he came to the academy. /useful tidbits of information

Also, for those who don't know who the Kraken is, you can take a look at this here, which I used to reference a lot of stuff in this narrative.

For those who may wish to confront Caim (as he didn't go in disguise for this) once they've discovered it's him (or if they've known all along), you can either contact me about it, or form up a mob (as I'm sure more than one person would like to give Caim his just desserts). I'd be happy to work with anything as long as I know beforehand.

Additional Notes:
I understand this may come as a shock to a lot of characters (and possibly players). If you have any issues with it or questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. You can leave a note on my HMD, or send me a PM, or contact me over AIM (afkmkdirarf).]

[Seeing as how Sable was going to return home not only for the holidays (and to celebrate her 27th birthday my god Sable you're getting old), but also to help Mabel out with the holiday rush at their tailor shop, she sends out her gifts earlier than usual, just before she leaves.]

( Everybody gets a present! )

[Byrne was signed up against his will for the secret Santa thing. The victim person he was supposed to give a gift to was Ai. She was a purple-haired girl who hung out in the greenhouse. She likes plants, clearly. So to Ai, he leaves on her doorstep:

One (1) wilting dandelion plucked from somewhere in FDC. A shoddy note is written with it saying, "To Ai. From: Your Secret Santa."

Yes. Now he technically participated in this stupid thing, so he won't be fired or whatever the Hands do to punish their faculty.

As for other gifts, he's not really into the whole gift scene. He debated getting Nabooru something, since apparently Christmas in FDC was all about buying people things, but he decided against it, seeing as he was not really that kind of guy. The kind of guy who gives things.

Then he feels guilty and has a rare moment of "Gee I'm kind of a douchebag sometimes maybe I should attempt to make up for it in a stupid way." So on Nabooru's doorstep:

One (1) pot of poinsettas. They were on sale. But it was left anonymously, so she can think of it what she will.

To him, though, this gesture doesn't mean anything. It's basically a strange way of apologizing for his bad behavior recently, and because this whole atmosphere of everyone giving everyone stuff makes him feel pressured.]