Deer Country Network

[Rose looks entirely put out and her face is raised so that her nostrils are pointing at the camera. anyone who doesn't know her would think that she's looking down her nose at everyone. but...]

I've seen the post with the young lady who was tasting people. My...predicament is not quite so severe, but is anyone else seeing out of their nostrils? I must say that in my entire year here, even when I was turned into a Beast, this is my least favorite thing.

Frankly, I feel ridiculous! And I fear that I'll be feeling ridiculous all month long! As far as I'm concerned, The Moss King owes me a debt and I would very much like to collect. What's the best method of doing so? If it's even possible at all!

[Rose looks perturbed, chewing on her lower lip]

I...realize that we all have our concerns right now, but I was--well, I was hoping for assistance?

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and I want to do something really special for Snow now that we're together. Something beyond the usual flowers and chocolates and cards, although she'll get all three from me.

But of course this depends on whatever we're being put through this month. I'd still like to find some way to make it special. [and her expression turns stern] And if The Doorway chooses to do something truly awful to us, I'll never forgive them!

[and back to smiling!]

In any case, I appreciate your assistance and your ideas most of all. Thank you.

[Johnny's letters have put her in a melancholy mood, wondering about paths taken and those refused outright. wondering what she could have done differently, better. even before she came here.

would Cal have been so cruel if she had opened her heart to him as he requested? or would it have made matters worse for everyone, her having to split her affections? in such a competition, only one could win, even if it wasn't herself.

but she would have accepted it if it had meant that Jack and Cal could have come to terms, even if it were over her corpse? yes. yes, she would've]

I assume we all have our...regrets. Things we wish we could have done differently, solutions we did not see in the heat of the moment. How do you all cope with those regrets or do they haunt you, still?

You needn't identify yourself. Such confessions almost demand anonymity and will hold no sense of judgement on my part. It's not for me to confirm or condemn for in the end, we're all answerable to ourselves.

[The feed opens up to Johnny Lawrence staring at the screen like he isn't aware that it's currently life. He's looking incredible thoughtful as his fingers type down a message. It's... very uncharacteristically thoughtful of him. It would almost be hard to peg him as the same person if not for the occasional pause to take a swig of beer.

After a moment he stops. His eyes scan over the screen again as he carefully reads back what he's written. Then there's a little flick of annoyance that shifts to frustration.]

No this is stupid.

[He whacks the screen before standing up putting and shoving it aside lightly.]

You don't apologize. That shows weakness-

And there's no wea-

[The feed shuts off.]

[And a moment later another message comes through via text.]

Dear Robby,

I just wanted to apologize for what happened at Miyagi-Do the other day. I didn't want things to break into a fight, especially not like the one that did. I wanted to come and support you and what you had chosen to do. But I thought if I showed up in any sort of Eagle Fang gear it would be taken as a challenge. It turns out it did anyways as well an insult to your training ground.

All I can say is I'm sorry. You have every right to be mad at me.

If you can find it in your heart, don't blame Paul for this. He's a good kid who just got roped into the mess I made.

Johnny.

-

Dear Daniel LaRusso,

I'm sorry for the scene I caused at your dojo. I didn't mean any disrespect to Miyagi-Do and, I wasn't looking to reopen any can of worms between us.

I've been trying my best to support Robby and respect his wishes to give him space since he got here. And even though he told me that he'd be helping you reopen your dojo. It still hurt that he chose to stick by you instead of give me a chance to prove that I can be there for him.

It's why I showed up to the dojo in the fucking plumbers get up. I panicked and thought if I showed up doing anything karate related it'd be seen as disrespecting your dojo or a direct challenge to what you were doing.

Turns out it was both either way. Go fucking figure I'd screw it up that bad.

I'll do my best to keep my distance from your dojo. But don't blame Paul for this. He's a good kid and he just got pulled into my bullshit.

Johnny.

-

Dear Paul,

I'm sorry for dragging you into that mess. My relationship with Robby and LaRusso is a shit show on the best of days. And instead of owning up to that like a sensei should, I threw you into the middle of it. I put you in a position where you had to face the consequences of every bad decision I've made in my life. You didn't deserve that.

I keep telling you that I'm not going to fail you again. And then I go and do it all over again.

The way you stood up after all of that and apologized for what had happened. I just

I wish I could be half the man you were in that moment.

Don't blame LaRusso or Robby for what happened there. They were just trying to get at my while I hid behind you.

You're the real badass here.

Johnny

[If you can believe it, Snow is even MORE CHIPPER than usual. She's all giggles and blushes and Faramund, her Omen, just shakes his head at the giddy teenager. Her animals are all very used to her giddiness by now.]

I wanted to thank everyone who helped me last time regarding modern courtship and I am happy to announce that Rose Dawson has graciously accepted my proposal for courtship and we are now together!

Oh, I'm truly so excited! And very fortunate to have someone so lovely love me.

Regarding my decision on all the advice I was given, I decided to go with the bouquet, I shall serenade her another time!

Again, thank you everyone for your kind advice!

Oh! And one other thing, that is of course, just as important. Winter will be upon us soon which means it's pickling, curing, canning, drying, and preserving time! If anyone needs a few lessons on how to properly do anything of those things please don't hesitate to ask!

Why hello there! May I just have a little bit of your time?

[Snow is, as always, surrounded by her animal friends and companions. She gently straightens her hair bow a bit and then puts her hands back in her lap.]

I was just wondering if I might have some help from people who are much more further in the timeline than I am... that is, people who are past the 1500s.

Is it alright for women to request courtship first in your time period by any chance?

[Why yes, Snow would very much like TO JUST DO THAT, she's just not sure if that's even a thing yet, or if it'd be as much a shock nowadays as it currently is in her own time. Although, since they're both women, she's not sure how that would even work if they COULDN'T request it first.]

I'm afraid modern courtship is still utterly unknown to me, though from what I have seen and read, it does seem to have a lot of things called pick-me-up lines, oh! Do people still serenade one another or is that not really what's done anymore?

Still, thank you so much for any help you might be able to offer!

[Rose sits calmly on a boulder in the back yard, trees and flowers surrounding her already showing the signs of autumn. she looks more solemn than usual, but that's because she's been thinking things over carefully]

Even with...all of this [she waves a hand around as if encompassing all of Trench and its peculiarities] how many of us want to stay? Because we like it here better than home, because we don't have a home to go to, any reason really.

I'm curious.

[Kazuma is obviously in the Archives. The looming shelves, claustrophobic framing, and dim lighting is more than enough to give that away. There are open tomes around him, but he isn't reading any of them; instead, he's considering the camera with a quizzical look, chin in his hand as he leans on the table he's at.]

Before the patrons of this place decide to plague us with more of the same, I have a mundane question for all of you.

We have many places we can choose to make our homes here. I am currently in Crenshaw, previously in Willful Machine...I moved with someone I know well. The point being, there are reasons we choose these places, correct?

What drew you to yours? What merits does it have to have others consider it? Is it because of people you know, or something else?

[He sighs and drums his fingers on the tabletop.] I just never really gave my own lodging much thought...I am wondering if most of us settle where it is convenient, or if we find other reasons to gravitate to where we end up.

[the video starts focused on a shelf, and on that shelf is a doll. absolutely the kind that just exudes 'listed on ebay for having the spirit of an angry victorian child in it' vibes with its dead eyes.

when viktor speaks his tone could not be more dry.] Some of you might have noticed the unpleasant dolls that, when ignored instead of bought, come to life violently. This is a matter our household is not entirely aware of because Palamedes continues to gladly buy any unpleasant doll he sets his sights upon.

[offscreen, but not like, very far offscreen (it is not a big living space), palamedes chimes in with a pointed, 'While I respect your aesthetic tastes, you're wrong, they're delightful,' that viktor will pointedly ignore as he continues.]

He will not stop bringing them. Some of them vanish after a week or two. He calls this one Sensible Bethany.

['She calls herself that, actually, I explained this already,' from the peanut gallery. the camera shifts as viktor turns to address him back]

Is this entire place not haunted enough without ugly dolls, I ask again? There is a limit, Palamedes.

[in the unfocused corner of the camera the doll absolutely turns its head to stare directly at the screen.]

( The feed opens to a woman sitting in a bright cottage kitchen, with a cup of something warm and a soft smile. )

Hello. Some of you may know me already, but to those who don't — I'm Rose Da Silva. Sharon's mom.

( Her smile warms, and she gently sets her mug down so she can turn her full focus on the video she's making. )

I've been here for... a while. Half a year now. I have to admit, this place isn't like where I come from at all, and I'm still... trying to adjust.

I know a lot of you are from worlds that may be similar to this one. You've probably been able to settle in a lot easier than me. But... I wanted to offer something. Because I know there are a lot of young people here, people... on their own.

( Her smile wavers, brow knitting slightly. A lot of people without parents, without help. And maybe they've been doing quite well on their own; Rose has certainly witnessed almost disconcerting levels of independence from the Sleeper youth. Often, it suggests that... many of them might not have had a strong parental presence back home, either. Several of them have directly told her as much, or she's seen... memories, shared by accident. )

I can't make things, but I can show you how to buy and use them, if you like. Like... well, if anyone might need some more clothes and could use a hand, I'd be very happy to show you the shops I've discovered around here.

( She's.... offering to help take you shopping, yes. This month, there's a growing compulsion to teach, and maybe Rose is....... filled with the need to do some Mom Teaching Things for others! )

There are some really nice shops in certain parts of the city. I'm sure we could find something to fit your personal style.

( Her smile brightens again; she seems excited. Back home, before she was venturing into the depths of Silent Hill to rescue her daughter, she was one fancy suburban mom. Shopping was her thing. And maybe it seems a little silly, considering so many young people around here are... warriors, fighters, have some sort of strong power.... do they really need something as simple as a shopping trip while she's Mom For A Day?

....The offer is there. She wants it to be there, just in case someone does need it. Because maybe she doesn't have a lot of Trench-appropriate skills to put out here, in comparison to others. But being a mother... that's what she wanted to be for her whole life. She's not explicitly framing it that way, but that's what she feels the most comfortable offering, guidance that might fall under the "maternal" or "guardian" category of teaching. )

I'd be happy to treat you to lunch or dinner too, or show you around other places in the city, if you like. The weather's so nice lately.

Hey everyone. Mako here.

[ The voice clips in just before the actual video appears for reasons that become clear in a moment: Mako steps back from where he's clearly set the Omni on a table to record what looks like a garage sale right outside the Raccoon Room.

A long table absolutely covered in little bits and baubles glints in the sun. In the center of everything sits Fritter the raccoon, Wu's omen, looking contrite and also sort of like she would like to leave. Her little ears are back and her tiny arms are crossed.

Scowling, Mako steps back to stand in front of the table, crossing his arms to match Fritter. ]

Some of you might have noticed some stuff going missing in the last couple months.

[ A pause. Mako glances back at Fritter, who huffs at him and holds up a winking blue heart-shaped gem on a sparkling chain. That... sure looks important. ]

Can't promise that what you lost is here, but there's a good chance it is. We'll be out here all day.

I'm sorry! [ Wu's voice pipes up from behind the camera ] It's my fault, really.

[ He turns the Omni around at a very selfie angle, pouting at the camera ]

I'm sorry that Fritter stole your stuff, it wasn't her fault! It was mine. Corruption just got me! I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I was mean to so many of you. Shiro, I'm sorry for making fun of your hair; Jessica, I'm sorry for throwing you out of the Raccoon Room. Manabu, I'm really sorry that I made you get a tattoo. [ Big grimace there ] I mean, I still think it looks great on you—

[ Mako clears his throat and Wu wrinkles his nose ] but that's not the point! I'm sorry for all of it. I'm better now! No more corruption here, no sir.

[ A beat. Mako narrows his eyes even more.]

Uh, please come get your stuff!

(( ooc: absolutely feel free to assume your character's random trinkets and stuff is here even if it wasn't called out in the post! Fritter is a monster. Also feel free to respond in action if anyone wants to wander by and/or come get their stolen stuff! ))

[Every morning when Billie wakes up, he sifts through his memories to make sure they're still all there, and greets them with a 'good morning, memories!' It's a perfectly normal daily ritual.

None of them seem to be missing as far as he can tell, but as Wicker peers over his shoulder, with her paws pressed against his back, she begins a broadcast to the network.

Billie is leaned back in a chair, being treated to a facial at a luxurious spa. He peels a cucumber off of one of his eyes, gives it an experimental lick before popping it into his mouth. The second one quickly follows suit. He was expecting pudding from the look of the treatments around him, and while cucumbers are not pudding, he supposes they'll do. Around him, there are several pools for soaking in and relaxing, people receiving different kinds of skin treatments and massages, and playing on pinball machines.

He glances over at Vyng, receiving a facial of his own from one of the other attendants and chatting away about his life story, and bragging about the boy. 'That's my friend over there. That's my good buddy kid.'

In the pool, Tuck is engaged in a chicken fight. Another man is perched on his shoulders, and they're facing off against two women, an orc and a human, none of four are wearing anything at all, but at least Tuck and the orc are partially hidden by the warm water. It's not just the pair on top who are shoving each other, though, Tuck and the orc seem to be engaged in a boxing match until finally Tuck slugs her right in the jaw, and his partner manages to push them down as he bellows something that's probably completely unrelated. 'You think just because Terry's your stepdad, he's your real dad? I DON'T THINK SO! I'M YOUR DAD!'

The man roars in triumph and throws his arms in the air. He looks like he's on the verge of tears, he's so happy, and he shouts again. 'I'M YOUR DAD!'

Billie shouts back, 'YOU'RE MY DAD!' Really, he's shouting to Tuck not the stranger, but he's laughing like he's having the time of his life. The video fades to static and cuts out as the rest of the patrons begin to chime in with a chant of, 'Dad! Dad! Dad!'

The boy shakes his head and glances over his shoulder at his Omen.]

Whoa... That was weird. What was that?

I need something else to concentrate on.

What do you do when you think you like someone?

How can you be sure?

And if you are sure, how do you proceed?

[ Luna Lovegood is perhaps the best she's looked in months. Despite the exhausted look about her, and the expression of queasiness — she's void of any trace of Corruption. She's been spending the past several days sleeping, and not sleeping; trying to calm her stomach from the copious amounts of wild animals she'd devoured as a beast. While sustenance for her in Beastform, her stomach now she's human again is... far more delicate. But the worst of it has passed, at least. And Peter has been a blessing for her, making sure she's alright — even if eating has been a little bit of a struggle.

She sits in her room, sat on her bed with her knees curled up to her chest, still dressed in pyjamas. Her Omni rests on her bedside as she begins the broadcast. She's anxious; her brow drawn down in a sorrowful frown. It's important, though. People deserve apologies, even she deserves no luxury of apology in return. She hurt people, quite a lot — and while the memories of the latter half of April are foggy at best, she knows she's done some terrible things. ]

I realise a great deal of people may be very upset with me right now. I would have done this sooner, but I... needed a little bit of time to sort out my mind. [ She's still trying to do that, but it's now or never. ]

I remember the butterflies, and then... it gets a bit mixed up after that. [ It was like... falling down a very, very deep hole. Slowly slipping away from herself, and into something cold and dark and twisted. ]

I'm sorry. I know I hurt a lot of people, I know I— I think I killed people, too. I know I wasn't myself, I became someone terrible and then something terrible. A monstrous Beast. [ It hurts to refer herself as that. No beast is monstrous. But she did monstrous things. That is... simply how it is, and she's ashamed of herself. ] I know people might think it isn't my fault, that I became a Beast — but I still did those things. I barely even know who I did them to, I don't remember much.

But I'm very sorry.

[ She doesn't expect forgiveness, not at all. She's alright with that. Luna's quiet for a long tome, just leaving the apology there. But after a while, she inhales and continues. ]

I was lucky. My friends found me, my boyfriend found me. They brought me back. They knew who I was even though I was a Beast. I can only guess others haven't and won't be so fortunate. [ How many times have Sleepers been killed as Beasts? How many will be in future? ]

I've been doing some thinking, the past couple of days. How to... maybe help Sleepers, somehow. Back home, someone very important to me, a hero to me really, led the way in the study of magical beasts — he's one of the greatest Magizoologists known to Wizardkind. He offered a great deal of insight into beast behaviours, abilities and how best to care for them — compiled it into a textbook.

I'd... like to start doing something like that, but for Sleepers in their Beastforms. I want to do it as my area of study at the School of Mutter. An encyclopaedia of Sleepers' forms of Beasthood, noting their appearance, abilities, strengths and weaknesses. But also how best to help them, calm them down. Bring them back.

[ She doesn't want it to mean it's how to kill them. No, no. Not at all. It's how best to help Sleepers, so they don't have to be killed. But also knowing how best to deal with them, so other Sleepers don't end up getting killed when dealing with Beasts. Merlin knows how many Witches and Wizards were likely killed by magical creatures they had no clue on how to handle them. Wild animals are just that, they can kill. ]

I could have very easily met death at the hands of a Hunter, but I was lucky I didn't. Knowledge is a very powerful tool, and I believe it could do a great deal of good. [ That being said: ] If people have information they'd like to share about their Beastforms, or how they've dealt with bringing Sleepers back — I would like to hear it for my research.

If you'd rather speak in person, you may find me at Ritual Gig in Willful Machine. [ There's a little pause, her voice wobbling slightly. ] You... may have known it as John Constantine's shop, but moving forward I shall be taking up the reins in his absence.

[Luca and Ahiru of the house might have noticed Luz was gone all day, as were Varian, Rapunzel and Fern, and there were none the wiser about why. The three of them honestly tended to do their own thing, but this time was different. Luz returned later, closing the door behind her, and had stayed up in her room for several hours. Luca and Ahiru were likely to feel the distress in Luz now though, and while Ahiru wouldn't know why, Luca WOULD.

And now, Luz knew, she'd have to let the rest of Trench know.

-



[Late at night, the video feed clicked and there was Luz. Her eyes were rimmed red, she was slightly shaking and she was surrounded by the stuffed animals in her room. She looked at the camera for at least a minute before finally addressing the audience as a whole].

If you guys knew Rapunzel, I'm sad to say she's gone back to being a squid. She was pretty great, looking after us in the house and everything, and we're going to try and keep her tower spotless. She would have wanted it that way.

[She bit her lip, exhaling].

V-Varian and Fern are also gone.

They've...gone back too. I know a lot of you knew them from Deerington. In a lot of ways, they're why I chose to go to move onto the next world. Fern was cunning, quick and upfront about himself. He put himself out on a limb to save people, and was the model of a hero I think we all strive to be.

Varian was different, but in his own unique way. He was stubborn, smart, and one of the sweetest people I know. He'd come up with inventions I could only watch in awe of, and he'd work tirelessly on projects with strength I could never match. He and Fern were my older brothers, and the reason I live in this house now.


They mattered, just like everyone who leaves matters, and leave a mark when they go. If I ever ask myself why I'm here, suffering, I'll remember it's because of them, because they were everything that helped me move on from one bad moment to better ones.

Thank you. Um. Take care, guys, wherever you are.

CWs for entire post/threads within: Discussion of sexual orientation, queerness, discrimination against LGBTQ+, homophobia, transphobia, gender identity, themes of coming out etc.

Coming out is such a fuckin' scam.

There's always someone who has to hear this but damn, don't let anyone guilt you into that shit. You don't have to explain any part of your identity to anyone. Not your friends, not your family, not your significant other. Fuckin' nobody. It's your identity. Yours. Not theirs.

And for the record? Don't sweat it so much if you can't figure it out. Sexuality and romantic attraction and gender identity don't need to be forced into some convenient description you found online. It's fine if you haven't found the right word for it. Language is, oftentimes, limiting to the full expression of our existence.

That shit is so fluid most people be wasting their whole life feeling worried about it because everyone around them goes on and on about how they figured their shit out. Like cool, whatever, congrats for them, but trust me, you're not less valid or whatever just because you ain't got a flag to hang yet. It's fine if you never figure it out. It doesn't have to be a bad thing.

It's okay to be confused for a long time and it's fine to want to figure out how to fix that, but like, seriously, a lot of that confusion does come from comparing yourself to other people and their own experiences.

Whatever. I'm making this whole post private in case anyone has questions or would like to talk.

Consider this April's sex education lesson. I'm simplifying things, obviously, but the point is to open the discussion. So. Discussion Opened.

Rules of Engagement:

1. You don't get to ask me who else is responding to this post or what they are saying. I will shove my foot so far up your ass all you'll taste for the rest of your life will be dirt.

2. You are allowed to ask me about my own shit, but I'm allowed to decline to answer if I get a weird vibe from you.

3. Feel free to go anonymous. I won't pry.

4. Do not force yourself to discuss things you are not ready to discuss. I'm not going to beg you for dirty deetz so if you're not ready, then maybe tab the conversation for later.

5. Judgement-free zone. I have been on every sketchy part of the web and am completely desensitized. Imagine a thousand-yard stare but instead of war-torn countrysides, I'm just seeing thousands of years' worth of explicit Sonic x Knuckles fanart. Which, okay, actually, dope ship. Bad example. But you get my meaning.

[the video opens on Rose looking rather vexed, holding the phial of Argonaut in her lap while Melody perches on her shoulder]

This may be an impossible question, what determines which day is a person's Blessed Day? I would very much like to know.

[and she tries to settle her expression so she looks more calm]

Also, I was hoping that someone more experienced could tutor me in the use of my Paleblood abilities. As many tutors I can get would be wonderful. The last thing I want to do is invade the privacy of someone's mind or dreams. And is it true that we can cause hallucinations? If so, that's something I absolutely want in control.

Thank you.

((OOC: it's the 110th anniversary of the Titanic hitting the iceberg! (though, it didn't fully sink until the 15th) So, CW in regards to Titanic related PTSD and survivor's guilt, though she's going to be cagey in how she approaches the subject.))

Hang in there, everyone... This should just be only a couple weeks more right? The darkness at least. I've been on a planet for so long I forgot how to manage the darkness effects at first...
But take it from me and some other folks who worked or lived in space-
Try your best to keep a routine of "day" and "night" hours so your body has some sense of cadence
It should help you feel less messed up when theres no daylight to rely on
(To say nothing of the bugs which you should already know to be avoiding by now)
I'll try to think up any other good tips but the sleep cycles a big one
If you need help getting around too let me know
I don't mind lending a hand

[Good—uh, morning? Evening?—day to you, Trench. Were you possibly in need of someone's new pet prodding around with their Omni? If you weren't, too bad, because now there's an Oshawott clearly playing with her new trainer's Omni, experimenting with it the way a rather bright kid would, and also giving a close view of the inside of Leon's place: a sparsely-decorated living room that doesn't have very many personal touches, but does have a stack of library books open on the table, with an open notebook, a page half-filled with Leon's handwriting.

Leon's legs come into view first, as the Oshawott is trying to figure out the best angle on the device to take a video from. His wry voice comes in from off-screen:] At this rate, I'm going to have to get you your own device, if you're going to keep using mine to take pictures.

[Then Leon bends down, taking the Omni from his Oshawott's grasp, and says:] Oh, you figured out how to record a video? Smart of you, Barbra.

[Out of frame, Barbra the Oshawott coos at the praise.]

Right. [Leon looks into the camera now.] I might as well. Anyone on the network know what she is? She showed up in my apartment a little after I left the catacombs last month, and I've been looking after her ever since. I'd appreciate the help—my best guess is that she's a sea otter of some kind, but as you might be able to tell, she's a little too brightly-colored to be any kind of otter I know of.

Also, when I tried to baby-proof my place so she wouldn't hurt herself, she did this.

[And he shows the remains of the baby gate he'd put up at the base of the stairs. It's been cut neatly in half, and the culprit doesn't even look guilty about it, just hops onto the first stair with a smug air to her movements.]

So I ruled out "sea otter" pretty quickly. Which leaves me back at square one, on figuring out just what she is.

[A pause.]

Oh, I also wanted to ask: I haven't seen daylight since April started. It's a little concerning—should I be even more worried?

[ The feed opens to show Ozpin within the sitting room of his manor in Gaze, hands folded over his filigreed walking cane. The glow of the moon combines with his overwrought wallpaper to make the background luridly green. He smiles thinly over his tinted glasses; he seems tense about something offscreen. ]

Good afternoon, everyone. I recognize it has been some time since I last discussed my services on this network... and so I wish to put out a call once again. For those who wish to hone their skills in combat, my name is Professor Ozpin, and I am glad to welcome students new and old.

As it happens, I have met with [ and here's an obvious flicker of annoyance ] several other combat instructors in town, and we have devised an event which all might enjoy. [ He turns his attention to the right, and the camera pans with him, to another silver-haired man. ]

Thank you, Professor Ozpin. [ He nods, turning back to look at the camera with a warm smile. ] Hello, everyone. I'm Terry Silver.

We'll be holding a martial arts tournament with both armed and unarmed divisions. We hope to hold it sometime in May, just for some friendly competition and a bit of motivation to learn and improve your self-defense skills. [ Will it stay friendly? Probably not. ]

All three of us will be offering lessons separately, and if you're a teacher with at least one student you can sign your own school up as well.

[ He looks to his right, clenching his teeth as he tries not to look too annoyed with Johnny. ] Anything you'd like to add, Sensei Lawrence?

[ Johnny moves in front of the two men who tower over him so he’s the prime focus of the feed from here on out. ]

Listen up, nerds.

This tournament is going to have some ground rules for anyone who wants to participate.

Rule number 1: No powers, magical bullshit, or any other crap like that. A real badass doesn’t need those in a fight. He- Or she beats the crap out of her opponent with their own two hands or a weapon in this case.

Rule number 2: These fights aren’t an all out brawl. This is going to be a test of skills. You’ll be awarded points in a match. You need three points to win. You’ll be awarded points for a clean hit to the head or body.

Rule number 3: No murder. This should go without fucking saying. We’re here to kick ass and take names. A real winner knows when he’s won.

And finally- Now, Paul!

[ The camera shifts slightly as a human-sized stuffed ninja wearing a “Super Awesome Ninja School” t-shirt is thrown into frame. Johnny leaps up and kicks it in the chest and out of frame before landing on the ground in one solid motion. ]

This is an open challenge to any of the other combat schools looking to start up. Next month, be there or be square.

[OOC: Green font is Ozpin, Blue is Terry, Red is Johnny.

More info on this player plot can be found here! ]