High School Heroes IC

[Ridai]

One would think that a slime body being stretched out would not do much, especially with Yui's super secret ninja techniques doing that to a ridiculous degree. Such thoughts would be wrong, as Yui is feeling the smallest particles of her body being stretched out, which for inner River is more than a little unsettling and upsetting. But Yui plays it cool. You know, after her feint turned into just missing entirely. Because, ah, you see, that was the actual feint! Unfathomable are the mindgames of Hibari Yui, Slimu no Kunoichi, that there is a notable sparkle in her eye (well, at least the coloration around her eye emulates such a thing) as her immaculate trap snaps shut in the form of her outstretched arms and scarf coming rushing back to slam right into the sputtering Eye Spy!

Spoiler: Actions

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Free Elongation 10

Standard Slime Lightning Hurricane Strike No Jutsu against Eye Spy
Attack (1d20+10)[20], Toughness DC 25 Damage (Multiattack, Secondary Effect, Improved Critical 4)

On hit, initiate Grab via Fast Grab (Improved Grab, Improved Hold). +5 bonus from Extra Limbs 5 (Slime Enlightenment No Jutsu)
Strength (1d20+15)[26]

[Quellian-dyrae]

Gemini grunted as the screens used their warping power. It hurt, but it was nothing she couldn't take.

"You have lost," she pointed out, even though there wasn't actually any indication that the screens were in any way sentient or intelligent. "But if you are going to insist on carrying this conflict to its inevitable conclusion, very well."

She snapped her fingers, and once again the field was bombarded by electromagnetic forces, each balanced in perfect opposition.

Spoiler

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Move: Dazed.

Standard: Yin and Yang on Eye Spy and the Screens. Toughness DC 25 vs. Damage with possible Secondary Effects.

End of Turn: Recover a point of Will. Regenerate a Bruise.

Current Status: -3 Will, Fatigued.

[jamieth]

"Thanks!" Jester nods with a bright smile, making sure the helpful reporters will get the good shot, and... lets go of the helicopter's door, plunging downwards.
Not far, though, as she makes sure to catch the copter's ski-like-support-thingy with her knees... thus freeing both of her hands for another shower of clubs, aiming to pick up some more of the surprisingly-resilient screens... "Juggling Party!"
No, she didn't actually shout the names of her attacks. But, well, when it's on-screen...

Spoiler: Actions

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Feint move: (1d20+20)[37]
Attack: Juggling Party - All Out +2, Power +2, Multiattack 4 vs. Screens.
(1d20+8)[10], DC 25 with the immunity bought off

Spoiler: Conditions

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Vulnerable, All-out attack. Current Defense at 4

[SquirrelWizard]

Gizmo gritted his teeth as the strange flying Tvs' power washed over him, trying to warp his form. Thankfully he came through unscathed. Behind him he heard, no felt Bit go through the same thing.

~~You alright?~~ Gizmo asked mentally to Bit.

Behind him Bit blinked, the world jittered and spasmed a faint hit of energy leaked from her eyes. ~~Target acquisition is down 88%, but I can still help!~~

Gizmo watched as Gemini and Starlight kept up their attacks on the TVs. Given the TV's recent attacks, that seemed like a good idea. "Okay, we try and take out those TVs." He aimed through the energy ring and unleashed another barrage of energy blasts.

At the same time, Bit leaned out from behind Gizmo holing out her arm like he did as a small cerulean star of energy formed lancing out bolts of energy of her own at the swarm of televisions.

Spoiler: Actions

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Note: unless you noted, its assumed that characters are sustaining beneficial powers.

Gizmo -
Free:
Move: None
Standard: Team with Attack Repulsor Spray (Multi Attack, Range, +1 Accurate) Targeting TV's.
Attack: (1d20+11)[29]
DC: 23 (15+ Effect 8)

Bit
Free: Switch Bit Denial to Bit Shot, Sustain Accelerator Charge (Grants +3 Damage Rank(9 Points), +1 rank Accurate(1 Point))
Move: None
Action: Team Attack Bit Shot (Penetration 5) Targeting TV's (+5 from teamwork)
Attack: (1d20+6)[11]
DC: 20 (Since Gizmo's DC is higher then the team attack would use his DC + Team Attack Bonuses if it hits)

Gizmo
Repulsor Array Active - Repulsor Spray
Stardrive Array Active - Blink Drive

Bit
Repulsor Array Active - Bit Shot
Emitter Array Active - Accelerator Charge

Spoiler: STATUS

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HP 2/3
Gizmo: Fine

Bit: -8 Attack

[Llyarden]

Yui's 'masterful trap' works perfectly, leaving the still-coughing Eye Spy bound in her grip - just in time for electricity to rain down upon the villainness. And then the familiar 'rewinding' effect begins.

It starts with a small, rainbow light beginning to issue from Eye Spy's chest, rapidly growing brighter and spiralling out like smoke until the entire area around her and her vehicle is suffused in a prismatic glow. And then the 'smoke' flies outwards, leaving behind no trace of Eye Spy, her copter, the shattered remains of her cameras (or the damage they dealt to the pavement below as they rained out of the sky) or the maddeningly-durable television screens.

It does leave Yui just kinda in midair, but eh, slime kuniochi.

And all around you the people of New York burst into applause.

Spoiler: OOC

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And everyone gets a Hero Point!

[Ridai]

And just like that, everything goes according to keikaku (adoring fans by now know that keikaku means plan), which surely must have been put into motion by the kunoichi before the first move was even made.

"I hope you liked your exclusive interview," Yui ends her punishing silence towards Eye Spy as the latter dissolves like most villains before her. From her aerial position, the slime kunoichi makes one fluid leap, down onto the top of a smaller building in front of the masses, through the rewinding "smoke", striking a most dramatic pose as if in ninja post-combat meditation (index and middle finger outstretched and pointing upwards in front of her face, with eyes closed). The trademark red scarf and black "hair" billowing suitably. Just taking in the applause, something inner River never got outside of obligatory gestures in class that don't mean anything. Hibari Yui opens her eyes and looks at her fellow heroes, notably nodding to them.

"To the shadows, I return. From the shadows, I shall strike at the heart of evil." And with that, Hibari Yui turns... and disappears, leaving only a few cherry blossom petals (that may or may not be pink slime) behind. Yui just generally gets out of there and out of "sight" of the crowd and her fellow heroes before she begins her circuitous way home using more mundane stealth alongside her high speed, to eventually slip back into River's room and somewhat reluctantly with a last look into the mirror assume the more solid form of one River Shade again. Eye contact immediately is getting avoided, but warm fuzzies are still had. The city and its people are safe. She was able to make a difference. People cheered for her. Well, for Yui. Feeling a little weak in the knees and her hands shaking, River decides to lie down on her bed and just... let everything settle for a while.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Gemini watched the villain, and all the damage she had done, disappear with a sort of wanly-patient look on her face. She still wasn't entirely sure why whoever gave them their powers didn't just do that in the first place. It would save people a lot of stress.

Though she supposed that given the choice between fixing everything after it was done and not fixing anything at all, she did prefer the former.

~Way to go, team!~ she sent to the other heroes, telepathically since Yui had already made her exit. She wasn't in too big of a rush to get home, lunch aside. So instead of heading off immediately, she called up to the news copters, "Do any actual journalists have any questions?"

Not that she really knew all that much, but still. She took it on faith that the heroes were more than just protectors of their city. They were symbols. They inspired people and made them feel safe. She didn't have any qualm about talking to the press in the aftermath of a battle.

Spoiler: OOC

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For the record I'm cool to just move on. I don't mind playing out talking with the press, but it's not something I see as particularly necessary to do on-screen unless someone else wants to.

[SquirrelWizard]

"Yeah, busted!" Bit cheered as Eye Spy and her Terrible TVs dissipated into the aether or wherever it was they went after they were beaten.

"Yep, we did. How is... and Yui has left the building." Gizmo said as he scanned the surroundings. Sure, the results of their fights against villians typically vanished when the villian lost, but it wouldn't look good if something was left behind and they didn't do anything to help.

"Looks like Eye Spy suffered a massive ratings drop." Gizmo said as he and Bit landed softly next to Gemini. Inwardly he groaned, there had to be something about playing the roll of hero that made him think such bad quips were a good idea. He eyed the press around them as he said to Gemini, "Yui, left so I assume she's alright. Are you okay? I'd ask jester, but I think she's hitching a ride."

Spoiler: Actions

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Note: unless you noted, its assumed that characters are sustaining beneficial powers.

Gizmo -
Free:
Move:
Standard:
Attack:
DC:

Bit
Free:
Move:
Standard:
Attack:
DC:

Gizmo
Repulsor Array Active - Repulsor Spray
Stardrive Array Active - Blink Drive

Bit
Repulsor Array Active - Bit Shot
Emitter Array Active - Accelerator Charge

Spoiler: STATUS

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HP 3
Gizmo: Fine

Bit: Fine

[Quellian-dyrae]

"All good," Gemini answered with a smile. "How you been?" she added, just polite small talk. She only really tended to see her fellow heroes during, you know, battles and stuff (as far as she knew, anyway). So it was nice to catch up when the opportunity presented itself.

[SquirrelWizard]

"Okay. I think Bit got caught by something, but its wearing off I think." Gizmo replied to Gemini.

"Hee... I can see both of you!" Bit giggled as she leaned around Gizmo's shoulder, her eyes periodically glitching out as she waved at a point 3 feet to the left of Gizmo.

"So, um..." Gizmo hesitated, it was no longer a fight, and the conversation had turned to something resembling the murky waters of social interaction. "I umm... have been doing research--"

"--He's been looking up you girls on the computer." Bit interjected in her cheerful "I'm helping voice."

"What? No," Gizmo stammered. "I mean, yes... but not like 'that. I've been trying to figure out why we got these powers... and why all these villains keep popping up."

Inwardly Gizmo groaned, why was talking to girls so hard?

[jamieth]

"Oh, thanks!" Jester smiles as the copter comes sufficiently close to the nearest roof, "Guess I'm taking off here..." and with that, she falls off the helicopter, swisting in the air and coming into a classic three-point-landing nest to the others. "Heh, the ninja disappeared already? Oh well... I think we did a nice job today, no? So, what were you talking about? Sure feels nice to still have some time to talk after the fight..."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Gemini gave the tiniest hint of a bemused smile as Bit "helpfully" translated Gizmo's statement, but she otherwise let it pass by. Instead she asked, "Have you discovered anything? I've been under the impression that whoever is responsible for...'undoing' the villains, or whatever, is the one who gave us our powers. But that still leaves a number of questions."

When SJ arrived, she said, "We did, and it is. And mainly just speculating on...what the deal is. With, you know, everything. All this."

[SquirrelWizard]

Gizmo shook his head as he said, "Not much luck I'm afraid. Its just odd that these villains show up and then we appear on the scene. I'm pretty certain there is a connection, but haven't had any luck finding it. I mean its not like they're handing out super powers at pawn shops, or villains are doing recruitment drives. So.."

Gizmo trailed off. Yes, he could contact Yui, Gemini, and Jester through his hero link, but their hero powers were limited in time so time for talking was very limited. In fact trying to organize anything would likely--

"Ow!" Gizmo flinched as Bit slapped the back of his head.

"Netwoooork...." Bit said intently.

"Look, I'm not trying to pry into anything personal." Gizmo reflexively rubbed his head where Bit hit him. "But I was wondering if it was possible to meet up somewhere? You know, so we can plan outside of being heroes?"

~~Date!~~ Bit said telepathically.

Gizmo was thankful that the faceplate of his helmet obscured his face, ~~Not what I meant! It would be nice to be able to work together without having to activate our powers.~~

Bit giggled as she sat on Gizmos shoulder.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Well. That was a question, now wasn't it?

In Gemini's form, Lila and Nina weren't entirely suppressed. Their individual trains of thought were still essentially present. But to a large degree they melded into a single thought process, deliberations between them happening too fast to really be considered separate. It was a discussion that hovered somewhere between conscious and unconscious, so that in the moment it felt like just one train of thought, but if she wanted she could look back and see where each consideration came from.

In this case, if she were to concentration on following the exact deliberations of the two sides of herself, it would have been something like:

Finally! It is nonsense that we have not known who each other are this whole time!

Well, wait...! We can't just...I mean, there are reasons to keep our identities secret.

Well yeah sure but not from each other! I mean, we're all heroes here, it just gets in the way of communication and working together!

It's not that easy. We're in high school. If we reveal who we are...I mean, they may try to stop us from helping. Say it's too risky for kids, or something. Look we can meet up but we shouldn't reveal ourselves.
We can, like, still wear the costume or something.

Never work. Even if we look the same, we'd never be able to impersonate Gemini individually. They'd know something was up.

Okay so we give them our phone numbers or something! Or, like, use an internet chat or texting app or something. That's probably smartest, lets us talk and coordinate without revealing who we are.

But then we don't learn who they are! Aren't you curious?...!

I mean, the more people who know our identities, the more opportunities there are for them to get out. And same for them. It's safer for all of us to just keep them secret.

Not...really? They're going to be protecting their identities just like we are, so the risk is minimal that they would actually reveal ours to anyone else.

But it means that if any of us get compromised then all of us do.

I mean...sure, I guess. But you're still putting all your attention on a rather tiny risk. And there's a lot of really good reasons to coordinate better. It kinda comes down to which we'd rather be: better heroes, or safer.

...

Outwardly, that whole argument took almost no time at all. Gemini hesitated only for a second or so, a brief pause to think about it, before saying, "That sounds sensible."

She switched to telepathy to ask, ~Did you have a place and time in mind?~ Because that...seemed like something they probably shouldn't discuss in front of the news copters and all. Once again she let Bit's remark pass by uncommented, save a hint of a grin. Fortunately for Gizmo, Gemini was serene enough - or maybe just nice enough - to not make a big deal out of it.

[jamieth]

Starlight's Jester's thought process wa much shorter - thinking long and hard not being Laura's usua; MO in the first place. In fact, it only consisted of a single concern...
What about Auntie Agatha?
Well, WHAT about Auntie? "I'm going to meet some friends" is a perfectly fine excuse. True, even... hopefully.
Yes, that was the issue, wasn't it? Ever since settling down in NY, Laura didn't have much luck in making friends. Not that she had a bad reputation in class, or anythgin, just... well. Sure would be nice to have someone she wouln't have to keep secrets from.
"Sure, it's a great idea! In fact, I'd offer my place, but, you know. Too many ears."

[SquirrelWizard]

~~We could meet at the Library, they have private study rooms.~~ Gizmo offered. ~~we could just agree to a time and date to show up? We could say we're meeting as a group project as cover.~~

[Quellian-dyrae]

~That works for me. Hmm...~

Gemini extended her mindlink out again.

~Hey, Yui? This is Gemini. We're talking over here about maybe meeting, sometime soon? Like...without costumes. Possibly at the library at a date and time still to be determined. Is that something you would be interested in?~

Spoiler

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For the record, she's not talking privately to Yui, just directing the speech more at her; everyone's still in the mindlink.

[Ridai]

In a distant bedroom, one River Shade yelps as she starts out of her quiet contentment and falls out of her bed. Before she can curse Gemini's invasion of privacy, River hears what she is actually transmitting, to which River responds with frantically trying to keep herself from transmitting anything as she holds her aching knee. Waffling between getting up to pace nervously around the room and being frozen in place, River kind of inches about on the floor, a thousand of bad scenarios going through her mind about how this could go wrong for her and ruin things in the future. But she has to answer somehow. Only she doesn't get a peep out. Crap, she's been silent for too long. Thus, she frantically waves her arm, trying to get herself to transform. Yui can do it!

The kunoichi is soon lounging in the office chair in the room, nonchalantly answering ~Fine with me, as long as you are ready for a surprise.~

A moment later, River is sitting in the same place, staring at the wall for a moment. Panic mode intensifies.

[Llyarden]

The press give you your usual barrage of questions - you could pretty much guess what questions would be asked and who'd ask which one by now. But there's a definite...edge...to the questions this time, like some of the reporters kinda start to ask a question and then change tack.

Riiiight up to the moment that one of the rather newer reporters, still looking a bit star-struck at being in the presence of, well, three-quarters of the city's heroes, pipes up and asks "Was it just us, or was 'Eye Spy' a lot more powerful than the previous villains who've appeared?"

Unfortunately, any greatly-detailed answers end up having to wait, as a little chiming sound from Gemini's necklace heralds her impending de-transformation.

---

Some time later

The local library is...basically exactly as you expect a library to be. Quiet, full of books, and - as Gizmo had promised - with private study rooms that can be booked out or just kinda occupied if they're free. 'Private' might be...a bit of an exaggeration, given that most of the walls are glass and any particularly loud noises would probably get out, but to a group of teenagers having an innocuous conversation, they're private enough.

[Quellian-dyrae]

You know, it was weird, usually when they visited the library, Lila was who looked uncomfortable and Nina relaxed. Well, not uncomfortable, really. More just...fidgety. But yeah. Today, though, Nina was on edge, her normally withdrawn body language kinda doubly so as she walked with quick, shuffling steps, her face down looking more at the ground than where she walking, shoulders scrunched, arms hanging in front of her with the fingers of both hands entwined together. She was wearing a gray hoodie and sweatpants, intended to further project an air of "nothing to see here", although her sister had convinced her to leave the hood down, since it was like, past a certain point it just makes you stand out more. Still, her hair hung straight down around her face, lightly obscuring it from casual view.

Not that it mattered, really, since her twin had no more qualm about standing out than ever. Lila was dressed in a sky blue tube top with some tassels hanging from the top and a matching skirt, her hair done in an elaborate series of braids from which one hung down over her left shoulder, a smile on her face and with her head kinda bobbing up and down to whatever music was playing through the earbud in her ear. She gave a wave if she happened to pass anyone she knew on the way. It wasn't that she wanted to draw attention to the meeting, or anything it was just...well, this was how she was, and if she acted all weird about it that would draw more attention than just acting normally.

(She hadn't bothered her sister on this point, because really, this was pretty much normal for her too.)

If you weren't looking straight at their faces, side by side, you might not have noticed they were identical. Certainly, you wouldn't have guessed it. And even not counting the mask, there was simply no way the reserved, anxious Nina or the cheerily energetic Lila could ever have been mistaken for the poised, serene Gemini, for all that they retained the same face and form.

They went into the designated meeting room, and sat down to wait for the arrival of their fellow heroes. Nina sat in a chair that put her back to as much glass as was physically possible. Lila pretty much ruined the gesture by sitting precisely opposite her. Nina glanced up at her, eyes crinkling in a little glare, which was answered with just a wry look.

[Ridai]

By the time River entered the library, she has gotten past at least a dozen of moments where she was this close to not going. But once past the threshold of the building, the only way is forward. Well, she is still feeling awful and jittery and with a permanent sinking feeling in her stomach. So through the library goes the bit-more-than-five-feet-tall-girl, doing her best to be entirely upright, only to slouch a little again as she goes without noticing. Brown hair in a no-frills bob cut. Thick glasses frame eyes trying to avoid other pairs on the way. Black hoodie with a stark large red symbol on the back, looking like a vertical line with diamond-shaped lines around its lower half and sort of the same on the upper half, but with an open top. Regular jeans, if a wee bit on the baggy side, clearly emphasizing comfort over fit. Comfy sneakers.

And there's the meeting room. And two people are already inside. Hesitating for a moment, River does find the courage to actually step in. It's for a good cause. "Hello," she greets, just going for a normal, friendly opener, without realizing her nerves are showing in there as well. "So, uh..." And around that moment, she realizes she has not thought of anything to actually ask about people in there being who she wants to meet without revealing herself immediately. Or she has forgotten anything she thought of saying before. Noticing the pause that is happening because of her brain being stuck in loading, something needs to come out, and pronto!

"...you here for the hero team?" In an ideal world, what would have come out of River would have been less ambiguous, but maybe it still works...? She's also still standing at the door, though she closed it before asking.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Since she was sitting facing the glass wall, Lila saw River approaching.

Flip! Naturally, River would have picked today of all days to visit the library. She must have seen them and come over to say hi. Or maybe hang out. Which, you know, normally Lila would be totally cool with (frankly she was just happy Nina had, like, some friends). But right now was not ideal, given that their fellow heroes were going to be here shortly.

Okay. No worries. No big deal. Say hello, ask how she's doing, make her go away. Totally doable.

When she walked in and said hello, Lila answered, "Heya River! Nina kinda blinked and turned to look over her shoulder, a clearly nervous look on her face.

...And then River closed the door and asked if they were here for the hero team.

Nina started making the...same kinda high-pitched sound their dad's car made on cold days. Even with the door closed that actually wasn't nearly vague enough for her tastes. The room was private but not necessarily sound-proofed and it was a library and what if other people overhead they might deduce that this meant they were the heroes and and and...! (Nina had a habit of overestimating the reasoning skills of others.)

Lila, on the other hand, just stared at River for several seconds while her twin had a minor panic attack, as if her brain had completely broken. They were Gemini and Gizmo was a guy and that meant that River had to be either Yui or Starlight Jester and Lila may not have hung out with River as much as Nina did (or at least not since recently when they started doing basically everything together) but she still knew her well enough to know that that...that...that was...neither of them could possibly...!

Flat "What."

[Ridai]

If River could observe herself from the outside, she would surely hear the gears in her brain working. She only registered two people before in her rushed and mildly terrified state, only to realize those people were Nina and Lila. After she spoke and heard the greeting. So during the mixture of dumbfounded silence and eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, it's like the realization is loaded into her grey matter with a heavy ka-chunk. "Oh, uh, hey there... Nina and... Lila..." Much hand-wringing is had. Is nervous meltdown and "what" a good or a bad sign?! As she is standing there, waffling between staying and going as the speed of sound (and wearing her unlabeled Berserk hoodie, as Nina recognizes), a hand kind of wants to creep to the door handle, while at the same time, her voice apparatus tries one last attempt.

"H-Hibari... Yui... desssssu?" River increasingly squeaks out, the final "s" sound drawn out as she becomes increasingly more convinced this all was a horrible, horrible idea and that she should be excusing and fleeing any moment now, also becoming beet-red and at the same time somehow managing to look like she is drained of color.

[jamieth]

Laura was... a bit late for the meeting. All because it took so long to convince Auntie she was really going to the library! What, did it sound that unrealistic? OK, OK, speaking completely honestly, it probably did... still...
"Hi people!" Wearing her usual shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt, Laura stepped into the "private" room and waved to the girls inside, "I solemnly swear to conduct myself and not clown around... much. That said..." Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a cardboard box with her auntie's place logo, "A treat from my aunt.... in case we get hungry from studying. Feel free to..."
From how they looked, her companions in hero-ing certainly needed some distraction, and quick. The amount of awkwardness on display was... uncomfortable...
"Laura, by the way. Resident jester... so to speak."

[SquirrelWizard]

David too was running late. Extracting himself from his parents had been harder thanks to the recent event regarding Eye Spy. He had been out during that time and they were worried. They finally yielded when he emphasized that it was a group project and he needed to meet with his classmates to get full credit.

If he was panicking over meeting at the library, he wasn't showing it, at least on the outside. He had spent enough time at the library where most of the staff knew him by name, so in his mind there was no real need to try and conceal his being there; he had shown up in jeans and a three dodge moon shirt. Meeting the other heroes, in the flesh, was twisting his guts up in knots. Even if you factor in the fact that the other heroes were girls, they were basically exposing themselves to each other (gods why did he have to think of it in that wording), which was potentially dangerous. He knocked softly on the door and poked his head in.

A quick mental count of the people in the room came up to four and alarms went off in his head. "Oh sorry, thought I had reserved this room for my group... I'll just.. leave you guys alone." Panicking as he ducked back out, he wasn't sure what to do, he had told them to use this room, but some other girls had ninja'd it. How would he know who to flag down to visit a new room!?

[Quellian-dyrae]

While Nina was trying to fight off her mild panic attack and Lila was trying to piece together the remnants of her blown mind, Laura walked in and introduced herself as Starlight Jester. That...that...

...No, actually, Lila could totally buy that. Come to think of it, she was mildly disappointed in herself for not having figured it out earlier. Nina was not, because however much sense it might have made in retrospect did not come close to overcoming the prior probability that the other heroes were students in their class. Or at least, it didn't overcome what she had believed - quite mistakenly, as it turned out - the prior probability to be. But given that three out of the four (four out of the five, whatever) of them were from the class, Nina was rapidly updating her probability estimates.

She didn't quite manage to deduce Gizmo's identity based on what she knew of him and the remaining students in their class by the time David arrived, but as soon as he did, she knew. "N-no! You're...you're in the right room!" she said quickly. Lila, meanwhile, had leaned her face down onto her arms on the table and was, just, laughing.

They were all in the same class. The same freaking class at school. If she had had any doubts that some intelligent agent had given them these devices, that would have removed them. There was no possible way that was a coincidence.

(Nina wouldn't have put it quite so certainly, but still, the odds were infinitesimally low. She revised her probability of it being an intelligent agent upward significantly, and started nudging around probabilities that it was, in fact, one of their teachers or maybe their principal.)

After several moments, Lila managed to gather herself enough to stop laughing and lift her head from the table.

"So...hey, guys!" she said with a light laugh that threatened to devolve into a full gigglefit again, but she managed to resist. "...Okay, but, for serious though, you're not really River, right? I mean, I know you're a master of disguise and all. Gonna be honest it's kinda unfair that you're pretending to be someone else when we're all here. And like seriously, could you have picked a worse person to impersonate?"

"Maybe she...wanted us to know she wasn't actually who she appeared as, without revealing who she actually is, so she picked the classmate who is most unlike her to make sure we didn't get confused and actually start, like, talking about...stuff...with River?" Nina speculated.

"I mean...I guess that makes sense? Still kinda unfair though... Ooh, snacks! Thanks!" she finished cheerily to Laura, once she, you know, noticed the box and all.

[SquirrelWizard]

David stopped short as he was ducking out, leaning back in and asked, "Is this the... uh..." He wrung his brain and added, "Super Hero History project?"

He recognized the other girls in the room as fellow classmates, at least in passing. By his own admission he had done a poor job of mingling with the rest of the class, his distance stemming from the circumstances that had mysteriously claimed his sister. That, and he figured that Lila and River were part of Herrington's crowd which meant they were part of the popular class and way out of his league, while he knew very little about Nina or Laura.

Stepping into the room and softly closing the door behind him with a click. He stood before the group sheepishly and said, "I'm.. doing research on Gizmo."

[Ridai]

River has achieved perfect stealth. Even when she is revealing who she is and is literally in the room, people still think she is not actually there, but Yui in disguise. Yui plays incredible mindgames even when she is not actually there. No one will ever learn her secret, not even her closest friends. Any moment River is there, she may actually just be Yui in disguise. Or not. Who can ever really know?

:(

"B-but I'm-" River stammers, but then everything else happens. So with not even her best friend believing her ( :( ), "River" hangs her head and shoulders, burying her jawline as deeply in her hood as she can, and just plops herself down on one of the chairs facing the others. With the others coming in and introducing themselves, "River" doesn't look up, just raising a hand.

"Hello... I'm studying Yui... and your future trust issues, apparently... :( "

[jamieth]

"Hm, but in this case", Laura tilts her head, "how can we know that River who's with us in school is River? No, no, I've decided. From now on, I'll always treat any River I meet as if she was actually Yui... and if she ever freaks out from thet, well, I'm no stranger to being considered a bit weird, you know? Most of the time, it's even on purpose...[/i]"
Casting a quick glance at the transparent door to check if there's too many witnesses, she places her hands on the seat of her chair and does a handstand - something any of her classmates are probably used to seeing at least every other break. "So perhaps let's start... well... Super Hero Study?"

[Ridai]

"From now on, I'll always treat any River I meet as if she was actually Yui"
"always treat any River I meet"
"any River"

Inner River is is deeply :( and screaming at this very moment, while outer River is doing a very River thing in that she is trying to bury her face with her hood.

That Brand of Sacrifice on her hoodie was picked because it looks cool and to see who knows Berserk, not to have River sacrificed for Yui, damn it!