Earlier that day...
"You never answered my question. Am I immortal? Are we all immortal?"
"As for my expression, you clearly do not know me. Or know one thing about humans. Real humans, not the pretty toys you play with. Whatever you claim to have, whatever you claim to be, whatever you claim to know, whatever you claim to control, and whatever you claim that you can do, you do not know me, you are not me, you do not control me, and you can never do what I do."
"And if you carry the attitude that you will be proud of me, nay, that you must be proud of me, you will never know me."
"I could go on at some length about the details of how your knowledge is wrong, but in this case, you're so far off I think that a demonstration would have more power than words."
With that, Lemmy spat in the face of the headmistress.
"If you genuinely want to know something, you may wish to consider asking questions rather than answering them."
Put Lemmy into an armlock and pin him to the ground.
EDIT: if the head lady tells Ronald to back down, then do so.
"You insolent churl!"
shoulder my rifle and aim at Ronald's legs.
"leave em be, Ronald. She's more than capable of makin him regret his choice on her own, and I don't think you want to see what it looks like when your leg explodes."
hold fire unless Ronald refuses to comply or decides to attack me. Shoot him once if he refuses to comply, and twice (one shot per each leg) if he tries to attack me.
Blink.
Perch on Metz's rifle's scope, and glare directly at him, in a "is this really something you want to do?" kind of way.
When she witnesses Lemmy's verbal assault on the headmistress, she can't help but stifle a laugh and cover her mouth. "Ohh, shiit." she says under her breath.
As she sees Roland go at him, she gets up and shouts, "Bro!" before getting behind Roland and attempting to put her arms around Roland's waist to try and pry him away. "Chill!" she shouts. "He's a kid!"
The smile on the headmistress' face disappeared as Lemmy's saliva rolled down her nose. Immediately, the two Seraphim spouted six wings of golden flames and soured upward, blades of golden light materializing in their hands. However, they were stopped with a raised hand from Madeline. Nodding, the pair flew back down to the stage, banishing their wings and weapons. Wiping her nose with a handkerchief she summoned, Madeline turned to Roland, Metz, Corvo, and Jun, her scleras now a pitch black and her golden pupils aflame.
“Stand down, dear students, I'll handle this,” Madeline said in an otherworldly tone.
“I didn't become headmistress simply to be anyone's doormat after all.”
Turning her baleful glare down to Lemmy, Madeline spouted eight wings of golden fire. Nearby, the other students gasped in both awe and fear as they gave the disrespectful student a wide berth. Stretching forth her hand, Madeline barely concentrated before strands of light shot out of her fingers and wrapped around Lemmy's body and mouth. With a slight hand gesture, Madeline brought him up to her until his face was inches from hers.
“Listen up student, let's make a deal,” Madeline started, her frown becoming a fierce sneer.
“I'll answer your question as clearly as possible. In return, you are going to listen as I pick apart your rant and why your knowledge is wrong, not to mention why what you'd just did to me was very, very stupid. What's that, you don't want to hear it? Well, thanks to your ill-advised act, you don't have a fucking choice. Now, let's begin.”Clearing her throat, Madeline continued,
“Yes, you are all immortal, in a way. You are all immune to the ravages of aging and your soul, the inner you, can never be killed. However, your spiritual body or metaphysical body, or whatever you want to call it can be killed, starved, or otherwise terminated in other ways. Don't ask how all of this is possible, it's just the way things are here. Normally, your soul 'rebuilds' your spiritual body on its own but that takes weeks, even months, to complete. We at Altera Vita can have you back in your body, in a way, in a matter of seconds. I will explain that later in the tour.”
“Now for the juicy bit of our little discussion: the part where I dissect your little rant. In a way, you're absolutely correct. I'm not as intimately familiar with humanity as someone who's actually part of your species. I'd never experienced what it's like to live a life that you would've never chosen if you had the power. I'd never experienced a life where you're subjected to many things beyond your control and you're only allowed 'the hand you're dealt' as you humans often say. However, I known what's it's like to struggle against adversity when the odds are stacked against you. I'd known what it's like to lose those dear to you and to fail at protecting those who depended on you. I'd known what it felt like to sacrifice almost everything for victory… and to mourn the terrible losses afterward. I'd even known how it felt to rebuild after all of that, knowing that nothing will be the same again. I may not know you personally for some reason Lemmy but you know even less about me and my kind or even about your own species, other than the stories your elders tell you every night. Your mouth truly exceeds the bounds of your own knowledge and comprehension, human!”
“You have done a tasteless thing to me, Lemmy, and I am very disappointed in you. You have no fucking idea the myriad of possible places you could have been placed by Fate instead of here. If you haven't assumed already, I'm one of the nicest headteachers in Aetheria. By the Most Holy, if you'd ever been placed elsewhere and you do to the harsher headteachers there what you done to me, your crushed ego and mangled corpse will have to be scrapped off the marble floors after their 'verbal' lashing. In fact, I know a headmaster who runs his academy like your humans run your military boarding schools. Unlike me, he initially forces his students to serve a minimum of five years before they are allowed to be transmigrated. You seem to be confused about what being a 'minion' really entails because your fucking stupidity would've earned you an extra ten years of service if you were under his leadership and that would just be the warm-up!”
“Now I admit: perhaps I'd jumped the gun and should've asked you about yourself first but your disrespectful response was uncalled for! You may put up a 'tough guy' front or whatever you're trying to do but remember this: your little act will no more allow you to tread on me than the puny displays of aggression of your homeworld's bravest insect.”Unfurling the strands of light from Lemmy's mouth, Madeline leaned closer to his face, daring him to spit in her face again or to do worse.
“You don't have to believe me and you don't even have to like me. You are even more than welcomed to speak ill of me to any new friends you make, assuming that you decide to treat them better than you'd treated me but you will respect me while you're a part of my academy. If you forget everything I'd just told you, please be sure to remember that well, for I will not warn you again. Now, do I make myself clear?”Silence
“Do I. Make myself. Fucking clear?”
Later that day...
Lemmy takes the tour, and finds the facilities are much as he expected them, with the kitchen containing unlimited supplies and help for every conceivable dish, and notes that there is no advantage or disadvantage attached to the ability or desire to cook, no preparation required for the food, and ultimately, no room for him as a person. He does wonder for a minute if this extends to companionship, with the area being able to slip time or generate images for people to converse with or even to be ostracized from. Maybe.
The next area, the recreation room is similar, with no need to invent games, no limitation on spaces, organization, or the depth or breadth of the varieties of entertainment available. And once again, another place that in claiming it has everything for everyone, has no place for he who would do much with little. Another subtle hell.
Third area is the area with the Wall of Souls, or whatever fancy name is attached to it. Noting that it, yet again, is an independent entity that requires no obligation upon the students, and is in fact inescapable in it's powers and abilities, ensuring that it doesn't matter who you are, you will be recorded upon here if you should require reset. Not that anything would be otherwise expected.
The fourth area is the resurrection machinery, which Lemmy notes as ensuring that nobody will die except by choice. Hence answering his question about immortality, he is an immortal and should act accordingly. Of particular note is that the machine is capable of handling souls, and as such requires nothing on the part of the students for use and capabilities. In other words, no room for him to shine, develop, or excel.
In the final area Lemmy scoffs at the idea of 'minimal helping hand', if the term accommodates infinite resources, capabilities, unlimited resurrection, and time manipulation. Same with the idea of 'getting better', in this carefully accommodating area, more theme park than world. 'Overcoming adversity' indeed, as if anyone here knows what adversity actually is. There's the education nexus, where you get to pretend you are learning something from a databank that must already know everything it teaches to others, and thus be capable of doing anything that can be done by the students. After that is the area where people receive extra powers for being the special people they are, as they must be truly amazing to survive in this world where death is optional. After all, you aren't dead if you get to keep walking around doing things. Maybe this room, like the others is for some kind of personal need.. the need for tribalism.
After that is the workshop with infinite resources and the ability for people to make anything in it. Another place that has no room for him, as anyone can excel here with no effort expended, no limited resources, no capacity limits.. sigh. Same with the other workshop, except this is where students work on themselves, to no obvious purpose.
After the tour, Lemmy notes that even the transportation doesn't require him to move, as teleporters abound and rollers transport students from place to place. This place must truly be some kind of hell. Still, he isn't ready to give up, and will find a place for himself here, even if he has to make one. "Everything for Everyone" can't be true, after all, as if it were true, it means no place for him. And if it isn't true, there will be something for him to do.
"Yeah, I do have a question. What's the purpose of all this? It seems like you have no need for people here, so why did you bring us all here? I see opponents, but they don't seem any different than obligatory enemies who exist so that these awesome people can have some semblance of accomplishment to judge themselves by. It can't be for all our benefits, as there's nothing here for me."
Summer Hat Madeline raised an eyebrow. As part of Madeline, she still remembers Lemmy's disrespectful act earlier. However, Madeline was nothing if not forgiving and she quickly learned that it was best to ask him questions, if only to understand him more.
“The purpose of this is to accommodate the students on and off the battlefield,” she explained slowly, being as careful as possible to choose her words.
“By 'minimal helping hand', I mean that we essentially give the students the tools and facilities and let them use them as they see fit and according to their personal skill levels and level of interest. Perhaps the term I should have used is 'hands off', at least from our end.”Summer Hat Madeline pursed her lips.
“Now I admit that not all of them is exactly familiar and to the personal benefit of everyone here, seeing that each student comes from different time periods, universes, and even different… settings and that it may all be disconcerting to some and even unnecessary to others. Personally, I don't know what personal expectations you have for this place so please enlighten me. What exactly do you have in mind? What do you wish to get out of during your stay at the academy?”
during tour of the living spaces:"We're allowed to decorate our dorm rooms, right? Would be nice to have some memories of home tucked away."
"Is there any sort of rental system for books from the library, or do we 'ave to keep them in the library at all times?"
“You're welcome to decorate your dormitory in anyway you see fit. This is your new home after all and you'll be staying here for some time. Best to get comfortable. You're also more than welcomed to take them to your dormitory or even outside if you like. Just specify how long you're planning to keep the books to the librarian so that they won't have them brought back to them prematurely.” Summer Hat Madeline then smirked. “Do try to keep them in good condition though; the librarians are more eager to lend out their books than having to restore them back to pristine condition and they never forget the ones responsible.”
at the wall of snark:"hold up one moment, there's demons out there somewhere too? What exactly differentiates 'em from the Contorted you mentioned?"
"How exactly did the Snark Wall come into existence in the first place?"
“Unlike what your stories tell you about them, demons here are shapeshifters whose true forms resembled huge gastropods, which includes snails and slugs in case you didn't know. However, they can still move fast even in these diminutive forms and are very dangerous. Though the weakest demons can only shift into two forms at the most, the strongest and most cunning demons can have many forms and some can even establish a psionic bridge with their target to mimic their appearance and even their abilities, provided that the target in question isn't too strong to resist. These demons are kept inside the Tartarus Realm, which you humans equate to Hell or some other place of torment. Despite this, demons are actually one of the natural denizens of Aetheria.
The Contorted, on the other hand, are outsiders. No one knows where they came from or who's guiding them. Their ultimate goals are as mysterious as their origins and what information we managed to glean from them are inconclusive at best. We know they're highly aggressive but to what end is up for grabs as they behave nothing like mindless creatures. We cannot locate their primary source anywhere in Aetheria or in any of the universes of the living. One of our theories states that someone is creating them from a hidden or shrouded location within either universe and we only need to find and destroy them. Another theory is that the Contorted are coming from a universe that even we'd never knew existed and would have to be fought on their home turf or lured into ours to be finished off for good. Both are equally distressing to comprehend.”
“-As for why I am a wall and not the handsome headmaster of this academy anymore, let's just say that the Order, which is the governing body of us headteachers, can't take a joke.-” the W.O.S. 'spoke'. “-One joke too many and I was relegated to 'memorial duty' until further notice.-” 
“Well you certain grew into your role at being a snarky bastard.”
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ “-Well, this job does have its perks.-”
at the infirmary and war rooms:"So what happens if a clone gets released before their respective "original" dies?"
"Barring my previous question's implications, what's stoppin' you from deep freezing clones in cry-o-stasis or whatever it's called, an' thawing them out when they're needed?"
“Generally, it's impossible for your clone to move without a soul as it's practically a suit of flesh, a shell much like you current spiritual body. The only way it would be able to move if another soul takes control of it,” Summer Hat Madeline explained. “As for cryostasis, not only is it unnecessary as your clones are kept 'alive' by the nutrient vats but time consuming, not to mention that thawing them out too fast will result in burns and damaged flesh.”
At the workshops and first assignment:"so what would you recommend I start workin' on to git myself ready to patch holes for the first time, miss?"
“It's up to you, Metz, though since you're using a rifle I'd recommend skills that boost your accuracy and damage. I'd also recommend that you craft some special ammo for your gun as well.”
Summer Hat them led you to a pair of doors at the other end of the dining area which opens to a huge kitchen lined with dozens of refrigerators, stoves, and other cooking appliances.
A lot of these machines and apparatuses were things Ronald did not recognize, even though he did sort of recognize it as a kitchen area. Still, what the was, say, ...
"What are these so-called 'ree-free-gu-rators'?"
“They're devices that uses a harnessed form of lightning that keep food cold, preserving them for later consumption,” Summer Hat Madeline explained as she showed the crusader the aforementioned machines in the best way she could. “However, they are not the result of witchcraft, dear student. Many centuries after your time, the brightest minds of the future generations have invented contraptions such as these to make life easier.”
The recreation area (code 1022) is smaller than the dining area but was full of a variety of entertainment. From table games to VR gaming sets, the recreation room has everything for everyone. There was even two doors that led to two areas: one of them led to an indoor ball court and gym and the other even led to a smoking area.
Oh dear lord in heaven, more strange contraptions. What was any of this? Like these bleeping things. Why do they blip? How do they bloop? None of this made any sense!
Tour Session 2: The Wall That Snarks.
This whole part was a big mystery for Ronald, since he had no idea what this 'wall' perso-... thing was doing or saying. Nothing too important, probably. Good to know it could tell him who had killed someone, though.
Tour Session 3: Revive, Repair, Redeploy.
At this point Ronald's Strategic Bafflement Reserves had completely run dry, so he had mostly just stared and nodded when it seemed appropriate.
When he realizes that the lady is just going to be babbling in that nonsense human language, Corvo fucks off to explore the place himself.
"Well, I guess one of us can go have some fun by himself..." Ronald found himself thinking wistfully as they went into the thirtieth part of the tour.
"Don't get into any trouble you can't easily fly out of." Ronald silently mouthed after him. He didn't say it out loud, but had the distinct feeling the bird would receive it anyway.
Being a bird, Corvo decided that he has had enough of the Goldenchilde's bullshit and flies off to do bird stuff.
Author
Topic: (IC)Altera Vita Academy- A Red Day (Read 22391 times)