Magical Teacher Professor Landry! - Episode 2: In Polite Company

[Teal Mage]

4:01 PM - Outside the Field of Honor


At the base of the stairs that served as one of the entrances to the Field of Honor, three men - each more than six feet in height, broad shouldered and obviously well muscled beneath their dark tuxedo-like jackets - stood guard. Short cut dark hair crowned the pale skin of their heads, styled with eerie similarity. A pair of dark tinted sunglasses rested on their faces, obscuring their eyes - to those who had seen Hannah's Bodyguards the night before, there was something strikingly familiar about these figures. To most others, they probably just appeared to be some government agents who had taken a wrong turn and ended up on a High School Campus.

Either way, none of them so much as flinched when Kohana Akecheta appeared in a burst of green supernatural energy before them. The lead Guard merely lowered his chin, regarding the shirtless youth with a critical air. Without a word, he stepped aside, gesturing for Kohana to enter.

"Uhm." A soft hesitant voice sounded from Kohana's right. From behind one of the hulking monoliths that seemed to be Staff-Guards, a small figure - barely even five feet and five inches in height - slipped out. A mess of caramel hair topped the boy's head, some of the strands hanging low enough to reach his chin. Meticulous purplish-red and gold embroideries covered the cuffs, collars and surrounded the row of buttons that ran down the middle of his thin white dress shirt, which hung loosely over his slight frame. Bright and sparkling, the youth's violet eyes regarded the grass in front of Kohana. "Sorry." He offered, pale hands clasped before himself.

"I wanted to come and help you with your duel," Shyly, the boy's gaze moved upward slightly - now regarding the legs of Kohana's pants - "but the guards won't let me through. Sorry Kohana." He managed to make eye contact for an instant, before snapping his gaze back to the grass, "I, uhm, just wanted to say that warn you that Hie snuck up onto the Field anyway and-" His pale skin turned a bright red. "Ineedtogogoodluckbye."

And then the boy ran off.

What a strange school.


* * * * * *

4:03 PM - The Field of Honor


It was Vanilla who finally spotted Astarte. Quickly, the underdressed blond girl turned toward her more elegantly garbed male companion, lips moving but voice to low to be heard that far across the field, Vanilla began to gesture adamantly toward their bandage-wrapped friend. In response, Gorgeous shook his head, gestures speaking of protest. Vanilla, in rebuttal, moved behind the muscular blond youth and began to start pushing him in Astarte's direction.

Giving in, Gorgeous sighed, and began to make his way toward Astarte. The wave he offered her was not-quite sheepish. Behind him, a satisfied expression on her pretty face, Vanilla turned back toward the machine and-

Tripped.

She'd figure out how to walk eventually!


* * * * * *

4:04 PM - The Field of Honor


Standing still as statues, the black clad Professor Landry and the white garbed Professor Shuyin had yet to move from their position in the Field's Center. Auburn and azure hair streamed away from them, caught in the sudden afternoon wind that had appeared suddenly, rustling the leaves of the Field's giant oaks. Expressions filled with serene concentration, they gazed into each other's eyes, giving no indication they had heard of the fight that was going to be happening just a few steps away from them.

With Jay's choices, Hannah's expression seemed to soften. The green eyed blond offered a small sigh - seemingly of relief - as the hulking figures of Shin and Dean arrived to flank Jay. Zet and Al, still standing at Hannah's back, did not seem to react.

Spinning her staff one deftly in her left hand, Hannah threw a look over her shoulder toward the Ref.

"We're ready Miss Brooks!"

With a nod of acceptance, the brown haired woman atop the pedestal cleared her throat. "The guidelines for the Duels are as follows! Professor Shuyin and Landry will battle through formal dance, their duel will be decided when one of them loses contact with their partner - or fails to continue dancing - for more than ten seconds! Should either participant intentionally sabotage their opponent, they will be immediately disqualified!"

"Students!" Selena went on, "Your duel will follow the Standard Team Battle Guidelines! If all members of Team Landry - consisting of Jay Miles, Shinobu Meguro and Dean Hunter - are defeated, they lose! If all members of Team Iriumi - Hannah Iruimi, Alpha Royce and Zeta Royce - are defeated, they lose! The duel will continue until all the members of one team are unable or unwilling to continue!"

"To those watching! Remember, interference in active Duels is strictly prohibited! Violators may suffer Detention, Suspension, Expulsion, or Community Service at my discretion! Also, keep in mind that the School is not responsible for your safety!"

"You may begin!"

The dusty blue aura around the machine winked out.


* * * * * *

4:06 PM - Field of Honor


"Astarte!"

Steps slowing, Gorgeous halted just out of arms-reach from the fire-haired girl, "You're as stunning as always." He offered, giving the bandage clad girl a winning smile. "Looking at you, I almost feel like I can forget why we're here. But -" The youth's blue eyes slid away from Astarte, falling instead on the tableau that was a black clad auburn haired woman in the arms of an azure haired man in a white suit. "- I'm afraid I just can't allow that."

Around his broad shoulders, the black light of supernatural flickered briefly.

"I know we've only known each other for a month," Gorgeous went on after a moment, turning back to Astarte, "but I can't just sit idly by when there's a chance we won't see each other again after this duel." He crossed his arms, before smiling confidentially at the red head, "So, I came up with a plan to stop any of us from being expelled."

"I'll tell you about it," Gorgeous winked conspiratorially at the Mummy, "but you need to dance with me first." He extended his arm, palm up, toward Astarte.

"Well?"

* * * * * *

4:06 PM - Field of Honor


"You may begin!"

Hannah's stance shifted, her pale fingers digging into the pouch at her side. Three of the strange wood spikes - each a little thicker than her thumb and perhaps twice as long - were withdrawn and tucked in between her fingers. Her other hand held the slim wooden staff horizontally in front of her. Green eyes flickered over her three opponents momentarily, before settling on Jay.

"I just wanted to thank you," she offered, voice cold and serious, "I'm not in Shuyin's class." Her green eyes glittered maliciously, "I'm a third year student. If you hadn't been so stupid, I wouldn't be allowed up here."

Al and Zet, bringing their hands up before themselves defensively, moved forward, and out the sides slightly. Wordlessly, the settled into positions on either side of Hannah. Their glasses made it impossible to see what they were watching.

Behind the trio, Shuyin and Landry remained frozen in tableau.

What were they waiting for?

* * * * * *

4:06 PM - Field of Honor


On the far side of the Field, the still unnamed woman now leaned away from the keyboard in front of her. Dull green light bathed the front of her upper body, seemingly coming from the box in front of her – perhaps there was a screen attached to that part of the machine?

Either way, the woman's grey eyes were fixed on the light before her. If one had gotten close enough to check, they'd see that her gaze was sliding smoothly from side to side, as if she was reading something. Unlike before, her stance spoke of relaxation - it almost seemed as though she was leaning against the air itself.

What was she doing here anyway?

[Overcast]

Jackson had arrived next to him like someone who thought they had won an award and decided to try to receive it early and had to do the half assed walk of shame back to the crowd afterwards. To be honest Jay did feel a little bad about that, but he wasn't about to change his mind about this, he had thought long about his decisions, and even if he was a bit misinformed about what real power was in the world he at least thought he had made a wise decision.

His two actual partners made their way up not long after he said their names. Both pretty much asking what he had gotten them into, but more importantly, which one of the opposing trio belonged to them,

"I think you two know who I'd like you to...is that a fucking claymore. Nevermind. Uhh the big ones. You guys get the big ones."

The weapons of choice of his teammates had slightly caught him off guard. I mean sure he had brought a couple of baseball bats but there was something that seemed downright...dangerous about having a big ass sword and that malicious looking club Shin seemed to be picking her teeth with.

Perhaps he had been a bit overzealous. But it was too late for that now.

There was a part of him that was starting to wonder if he had no idea what he was getting himself into. Though a voice from above helped him feel a little better about the whole thing. Diana might not have known about his duel but he didn't doubt she would be trying to get both matches with the fervor he had seen her unleash on at least one of his classmates. The camera seemed to fuel his ambitions, and he didn't have a doubt.

The judge known only as Selena began her statements of intent to guide the combatants, and granted them permission to start. Then Hannah spoke,

"I just wanted to thank you, I'm not in Shuyin's class. I'm a third year student. If you hadn't been so stupid. I wouldn't be allowed up here."

Jay seemed at first shocked, then amused, his dumbfounded stare slowly shifting into a magnificent grin as he spit into his hand and gripped at his bat,

"It doesn't matter. You're a menace, and someone has to put you down."

He dug his cleats into the ground of the Field of Honour and whispered only one small order to his allies before he took off running,

"Cover me."

And he ran, sprinting toward Hannah. No more time for exposition. It had begun.

[krogothwolf]

"Aye, it be a claymore." Dean absently responded to Jay while eying out his target. Given one of the muscle bound guards eh. What kind of person picks a fight with a girl with to Greek statues as bodyguards? He wish he had been there when Jay had picked the fight, that probably would have provided a good laugh.

Alpha and Zeta those are their names? The first and sixth Greek letters? what the hell kinda name were those? Same last name...did someone have sextuplets and name them after Greek letters, what a strange family they must be.

"You may begin!" He heard the judge announce, then right after Hannah started saying a taunt.

"I just wanted to thank you, I'm not in Shuyin's class. I'm a third year student. If you hadn't been so stupid. I wouldn't be allowed up here."

It was a strange taunt to be sure, and it sorta seemed to catch Jay of guard a bit.

"It doesn't matter. You're a menace, and someone has to put you down, Cover me."

Really? Menace? A speech about her being a menace. Jay seriously was playing it on a bit thick for the crowd wasn't he. Well, he couldn't let Jay get over matched in this now that they were partners, might as well have some fun.

"Well Laddie," Dean said loudly to the boy on Hannah's left hand side, as he started walking forward, "Don't ye just stand there looking like a dumb sack of shiite, otherwise yer lady friends gonna have this here sword shoved up her ass if Jay's bat dinnae gets it first!"

With that Dean started circling to the left hand side of the hulking Greek Statue(with a Greek name no less!), with his claymore held in his hands and over his shoulder, ready to strike at the boy.

[Astral Harmony]

"Astarte!"

Steps slowing, Gorgeous halted just out of arms-reach from the fire-haired girl, "You're as stunning as always." He offered, giving the bandage clad girl a winning smile. "Looking at you, I almost feel like I can forget why we're here. But -" The youth's blue eyes slid away from Astarte, falling instead on the tableau that was a black clad auburn haired woman in the arms of an azure haired man in a white suit. "- I'm afraid I just can't allow that."

Around his broad shoulders, the black light of supernatural flickered briefly.

"I know we've only known each other for a month," Gorgeous went on after a moment, turning back to Astarte, "but I can't just sit idly by when there's a chance we won't see each other again after this duel." He crossed his arms, before smiling confidentially at the red head, "So, I came up with a plan to stop any of us from being expelled."

"I'll tell you about it," Gorgeous winked conspiratorially at the Mummy, "but you need to dance with me first." He extended his arm, palm up, toward Astarte.

"Well?"

-----

Astarte frowned. "I'm not suitably attired for dancing. Besides, I'm a night club party 'grind my butt against your crotch until the both of us catch on fire' kind of girl. I'd fall all over myself with that elegant ballroom dancing."

The whole thing was rather stupid. If Astarte was supposed to dance, why wasn't she told that so she could be better prepared? Who the hell did classical dance with clothes one would usually wear to the gym? Regardless, Astarte didn't want to fight Gorgeous so, doing her best to look elegant and well-groomed, Astarte bowed, discarded her fingerless gloves and shoes, and accepted Gorgeous' hand.

Eh, it couldn't be too hard. Gorgeous was an expert at dancing like this. Astarte knew that Gorgeous taught girls on the side, and was always genuinely surprised to find his mailbox stuffed with perfume-scented love letters from girls who couldn't forget how he (literally) swept them off of their feet. "Guide me, stud muffin," Astarte teased playfully. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as she thought.

[Girasol of Chaos]

"Cover me." The baseball enthusiast broke into a run, making a beeline for Hannah. Shin followed at a less-speedy pace, but not without effort. Shin's path ran parallel to Jay, trying not to mirror Dean's movements too much.

Some words rolled out harshly, in a steady rumble, "I will crush your bones." With that, she had closed enough distance the oni slowed and arced around Hannah's right guard. Right hand was ready to begin a swing with her weapon, and left was up in a chest-to-chin block. Shin's feet were planted diagonally, ready to dive in or jump back upon the first move of the bodyguard. Her eyes focused on the glasses, but only briefly.

They had to go.

[Teal Mage]

Gorgeous hinted at a plan to stop any one from being expelled by this fight. He offered to tell Astarte, "...but you need to dance with me first." He stated, by way of ultimatum. The well toned blonde extended his hand to the fire haired Mummy in front of him, expression as charming as he could make it. "Well?"

"I'm not suitably attired for dancing." Astarte protested, frowning. "Besides," The bandaged girl continued, "I'm a night club party 'grind my butt against your crotch until the both of us catch on fire' kind of girl. I'd fall all over myself with that elegant ballroom dancing." She concluded, dismissively.

Something about that response seemed to deflate Gorgeous a little.

Perhaps that was what changed Astarte's mind. "Guide me," She offered, taking his hand, "Stud Muffin."

Expression lightening, Gorgeous drew the fire haired Mummy closer to himself. Whispering instructions softly, the handsome youth gently guided Astarte into the correct starting stance, smiling fondly at her all the while. "You're doing well." The blonde offered, seeming sincere. The pair's stance was eerily similar to their Professor's - who still hadn't moved.

"Now, just follow my-"

Click.

"Huh?" Gorgeous's blue eyes broke away from Astarte's face, glancing toward the sound's source. His gaze settled on a rectangular patch of grass over Astarte's shoulder - placed on the side of the field opposite from where the Referee was standing - which seemed to have sunk a few inches below its surrounding. A line, narrow and black, appeared in the center of the lowered segment of grass, effectively cutting it in half.

The sides started to slide apart.

"Astarte, look at-"

From below, a triplet of quick snaps sounded. Castanets? Before the unmistakable whine of a bow across the strings of a violin erupted from the quickly growing square of darkness. A woman's voice rose from the darkness beneath the Field, raised in a wordless contralto melody.

At that moment, Professor Landry and Shuyin burst into motion behind them.

* * * * * *

"Cover me."

Without another word, Jay dashed forward. Shinobu trailed in his wake, pace a hint slower but expression no less grim. The afternoon sunlight fell on the clubs carried by the pair, making the tar and spikes covering them glint with faint menace - those could cause some serious damage if they hit. Around Jay's form, a black banner of supernatural energy was visible - the baseball player was obviously fired up.

"Well Laddie!" Dean called, addressing the bodyguard on Hannah's left - Zet, as it happened. "Don't ye just stand there looking like a dumb sack of-"

The muscular red haired youth threw himself into Jay's path. Bearing a faint green tint, a blue aura blazed to life around Zet as the boy slammed the side of his forearm into Jay's tar coated baseball bat - effectively immobilizing the weapon. Expression grim - perhaps from pain - Zet's free hand lashed out, aiming to strike Jay in the gut and knock the wind from his lungs.

He'd follow up with a punch to Jay's pretty face - if the baseball player didn't somehow avoid his first hit.

"- shiite otherwise yer lady friends gonna have this here sword shoved up her ass if Jay's bat dinnae gets it first!" Dean finished, raising his sword to strike.

"You can try!" Hannah shouted back, lithely jumping out of the path of Jay's charge, and putting herself between Zet and Dean. As she landed on a patch of grass, one of the thick wooden pegs in her hand flew free. Surrounded by a faint halo of black supernatural energy, the weapon flew with unnerving accuracy toward Dean's face.

It would hurt an inordinate amount if it hit too.

A black aura flared around Hannah. She leapt forward - jumping with supernatural speed, to land a split second after her thrown weapon struck, on the stone pad in front of Dean. Staff whirling, Hannah swept it low along the carefully manicured lawn. Black aura still blazing brightly, the attack easily carried enough force to really hurt - or at least sweep Dean's feet out from under him.

* * * * * *

As Zet darted into Jay's path, Shinobu abruptly changed her own course. "I will," Orange supernatural energy began creep out from the edges of her muscled form, as her growled threat burst free from her lips. "crush your bones." The dark haired woman landed slightly off to Al's side, her wicked looking Kanabo posed to strike, and thickly muscled arm held before her breasts in a block.

But the strike she was waiting to counter never came.

The loose grey fabric of his sweat pants trailing behind him, Al leapt away from the threatening woman. Blue light showed faintly around his form as he landed in the soft - moist - dirt of colourful flower patch, crushing the colourful blossoms beneath the dusty olive skin of his feet. Behind his sunglasses, the youth's expression was grim.

But it was hard to tell who he was looking at.

* * * * * *

Auburn hair trailing her, Professor Landry - fingers linked delicately with her partner's - spun herself around Shuyin's back. Moving with a grace that belayed her own strength, the black garbed woman twirled Shuyin around, throwing their link hands out to the side. The woman dropped low, planting her free hand on the smooth stone pad at the Field of Honour’s center, before lashing out with her leg - seeking to knock Shuyin's legs out from beneath him.

An effort that succeeded wonderfully.

Feet knocked out from under him, Shuyin fell backward. Azure hair spilling around his face, the white suited man released Professor Landry's hand, throwing his now free palms backward, over his head. Expression as composed as before, the bluenette moved into a controlled backflip that turned into a smooth handspring. He landed agilely on his feet, before twirling elegantly, moving back toward-

A blur of pale brown flashed free of the whirling white vortex, flying toward Professor Landry's chest.

Elegantly, Professor Landry turned. The brown projectile streaked through the space just below her breasts, leaving a narrow slit in her dress as it passed - without harming the pale skin beneath. Seemingly ignorant of that, the auburn haired woman's hand darted out - clasping tight to a hand that suddenly emerged from Shuyin's whirlwind of motion.

The pair suddenly drew close to one another, once more in their starting positions. Steps graceful and coordinated, the pair fell into the normal movements of a ballroom dance - as if the entire sequence had been planned.

* * * * * *

Thud

Adeline's hand shot up to the side of her neck, the tips of her fingers falling on a narrow slit in her lightly tanned skin. Hazel eyes flickering down, she brought her hand forward - far enough to see the thin strip of blood that had been transferred from the shallow gash that had blossomed on her next an instant go.

Gulping, Adeline glanced over her shoulder. In the tree at her back was - what appeared to be - the butt of a wooden throwing weapon, similar in shape to a knife. The blade - she assumed it had one - was imbedded fully in the oak's trunk.

Suddenly, Referee Brooks' comment about the School not being responsible for their safety made a lot more sense.

* * * * * *

Though Dean, Shin, Jay and Astarte were likely – for various reasons – too preoccupied to notice it, there was slow motion at the edges of the Field of Honour. Around the three story high garden, what appeared to be sheets of white stone were rising from narrow cracks that had appeared at the edges of the massive stone slab.

It seemed that the Field was not quite as solid as they had first assumed.

The new walls, moving with meticulous slowness, would eventually seal the Field off from the rest of the School Grounds. It would just take a while for them to reach their full – three story – height.

Clearly, this was a normal school.

[Overcast]

Jay had his eyes locked on his target, believing that his two classmates would keep the big gorillas off his ass so he could beat that uppity bitch off of her pedestal of popularity. So when the big burly arm of Zet come out to knock on his bat he was caught off his guard, Hannah's form obscured by a big man shaped pile of flesh the consistency of brick.

This was not a good sign, and neither was the fist that hit him in the gut.

He curled over in pain his breath knocked out of him, his lungs desperately searching for a breath when the big hand came back and knocked him in his face sending him sprawling across the ground like a ragdoll.

His body lay on the ground. Unmoving and limp. Then his bat lifted up and braced him as he pulled himself to his feet a long moan escaping from his lungs as he exclaimed when he got to his feet,

"Nice fucking cover you pricks!"

He was disappointed in them to say the least, but he couldn't do anything about their failings right now. He stared through his slowly swelling eye at the big burly bastard. It seemed his first opponent had been chosen for him. He gripped onto his bat tight his teeth clenched as he wound himself up for the next pitch,

"Come get it big boy."

[krogothwolf]

Dean was somewhat surprised that Hannah decided to attack him. It made sense when you think about it, Jay wasn’t really expecting anything other then attacking Hannah, and when you blindly charge in like he did with no planning, the advantage goes to the defender. Dean didn’t really actually like the idea of attacking a girl, if he lost he’d be mocked for losing to a girl, if he won, he’d be mocked for beating up a girl. Oh well, the duel wasn’t his plan anyways, so he could easily blame Jay for it all. But enough thinking, all which mattered now was he and Hannah as everything outside was merely a distraction. Only keep a quick eye on the other duels, that was what he was taught in a for fighting.

He was even more surprised by the fact she had a flaring aura. Though it didn’t really look like she knew she was doing anything. He’d have to try not to use his own against her, unless he needed to. He weaved his body to dodge the flying projectile and took a step back, which was lucky as she was leaping forward at him, with the plan to hit him with her bo staff.

“Yer good.” Dean said as he leapt back, just barely out of reach of the sweeping staff. “This’ll be fun.”

Dean grinned madly as he quickly stepped forward with his right foot, his arm muscles bunching and he swung downwards with his claymore, angling it so it swung to his left side. It was the most powerful attack of a two handed sword, if it hit it would leave a mark. Dean was skilled enough as well to stop the thing if she dodge backwards, he’d be able to step forward again with a level sweep at the girl. He was chuckling slightly through it all, damn this will be fun.

[Girasol of Chaos]

The mohawk'd wonder's plan had partially succeeded. Al flinched, jumping back and crushing the manicured perimeter of flowers. Although his face refused to show it, for a second the oni swore he tasted something similar to fear, and this egged Shinobu on more than anything else could.

Jay's annoyed cry was largely ignored, drowned in the static of Shin's mind. Something was calculating behind her irises before she decided to move, ending the short stalemate.

Pursuing her opponent from the front her club swung early, stopping short in front of her as she reinforced the blow with her second hand. Shin 'bunted' Al, not trying to injure him so much as test his blocking abilities. The oni's thick fingers weaved around the spikes easily, palm cautiously resting on another to form a death grip on the weapon. Pushing back would hurt only her non-dominant hand.

Best case scenario, he would block and slide backwards more or get smacked. Worst? This was attacking with a block and thus a low-risk move. She wanted to see the fear in his eyes, to feed her predatorial instincts, glasses be damned.

[Astral Harmony]

When the music started, there was a flash of blinding black light from the center of the Field of Honor.

"Damn, what the-?" Astarte growled, temporarily blinded. Who knew there was such a thing as bright darkness?
After blinking from the light from her eyes, Astarte saw a massive pyre of black supernatural light around Professors Landry and Shuyin.

"Gorgeous, I think we're out of our league here..." Astarte breathed, completely unsure of what to make of the spectacle. Astarte herself was kind of a flashy girl when she wanted to be, but this was perhaps a little over the top. Did they really need to go for this kind of show? And just what were they trying to accomplish by that display, anyways?

Monkey see, monkey do?

"Maybe we should let our auras flare as well?" Astarte suggested uncertainly.